DC FORUM: Reality Debrief 2016 with Cueva & Kirk - Part 1

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do not necessarily reflect the views of DCBLOG or affiliated parties.

A DCBLOG Year-End Special

WITH DC CUEVA & ANDREW KIRK  

■ @DC408Dxtr / @CSUGradAKirk

It's the end of week #1 of 2017, and it's time again for a DCBLOG winter tradition with the 2016 edition of the Reality Debrief with me, DC Cueva, and fellow reality TV fan & webcast host Andrew Kirk. This time, it's a belated Debrief as this is being posted later than planned, but it's our tradition over the holidays & year's end to look back at the year that was in reality TV, and take stock of what's the year that just past us by. 2016 was a packed year of reality TV in & outside this site's primary focus of the MTV Trifecta, a most welcome retreat from everything that happened in a most eventful year. And as it was to wrap 2015, me and Andrew's year-end discussion of the moments, people and more of these shows will take two posts for us two to cover and dissect here this week.

   On Wednesday, we'll devote an entire post to cover the five seasons of The Challenge/Real World franchise and Are You The One? that aired in 2016, plus preview the upcoming Season 5 of the ladder that premieres this coming week. First, we'll be discussing shows from outside the MTV ecosystem as we'll be covering those shows Andrew has certainly a stronger interest in than I do, Big Brother and Survivor. Also, as he recently passed a milestone of having past five years since his first MTV webcast, plus me having a productive 2016 in my blog coverage, Andrew and I will get to ask each other one question on here in something I like to call, One on One.

   Because I don't follow or watch other reality TV much outside of the MTV ecosystem, I asked you fans to send in questions on two-thirds of CBS' own reality trifecta to #AskDCBLOG on Twitter or via DM. Although I wish that I would have more questions from more fans, I did get the input of one of our fellow followers and you always do with whatever you got...thanks to our friend Jon from Chicago @JonnyBoyy10 who sent in questions which I'll be directing to Andrew on here. We'll have info on you can take part in our MTV wrap-up at post's end.

So, join Andrew and I -- or better yet, Cueva & Kirk -- after the jump as DC FORUM presents Part 1 of Reality Debrief 2016.

First, Big Brother. And in both the summer season of that show and the most recent Survivor season, the aforementioned Jon sent all the questions to me to ask Andrew. You won't hear from myself in answering my own questions until this post's last section. Again, enjoy our chat.

 BIG BROTHER 

■ Season 18

When you realized four returnees on this season, who were you looking forward to seeing back the most/least?
• ANDREW: "This is the first season that I've watched live with returnees three of which were on the last two seasons so that was cool. I was most excited to see Nicole and Frank and least to see James and Davvone. Not that I dislike either of those two its just I think they're could've been different choices from last season."

Out of the returnees, who played a better game the second time around and who was a disappointment?
• ANDREW: "Obviously the better game was Nicole because she won and became the first woman to beat a man in the finals. Frank was the biggest disappointment. He  started off great but went downhill  two weeks in and once the team twist ended he was obviously in trouble."

The first week in the house, who was your pick to win it all? Favorite/least favorite HGs?

• ANDREW: "My pick to win based on the preseason was Michelle Meyer aka Big Meech I didn't want to pick a returnee because I was pretty sure everyone would've done that so I went with her cause she stood out of the 12 newbies.  Favorite houseguests were probably Nicole, James, Michelle and Paulie  least favorite  were  Paul and Victor early on but like everyone they grew on me  and Jozea was just so hard to handle on the show he was my least favorite of them all."

Who from this season would you like to see back?

• ANDREW: "I'm going to rephrase this question and thats who do I think from this season will be back and honestly the only two will be Paul and Victor. Unlike BB 17 and BB 16 my first two live seasons they're weren't any that jumped out that I'm like we gotta see this person again. We might someone like Paulie it'd be kinda cool if they did like a siblings twist bring Paulie and Cody BB 16,  Vanessa  BB 17 and Tiffany, Liz and Julia the twins from BB 17 and  even Rachel and Elissa Reilly."

Overall thoughts on the season as a whole?

• ANDREW: "This season started off very rough. The team twist killed BB 18 early on because if someone won HOH their entire team would be safe.  I'll say the point to me where it got better was when Paulie got put on the block and ultimately evicted. From the point on in it was interesting every week."

Was Victor one of the most dominant comp players in BB history?
• ANDREW: "from comp standpoint Victor was great but the fact he got evicted three times and had to fight his way back doesn't make him the most dominant comp players in 18 seasons. The most fun to watch is the title I'd give him."

Before the final, did you feel like the jury would be bitter?
• ANDREW: "No question the jury was going to bitter. With girls like Michelle and Davvonne feeling salty of how they were voted out by the final two Nicole and Paul it was going to happen. Not to mention the fact that Paul called  Michelle the C word with a jury of 5 women it wasn't going to work for him with a couple of the girls."

Hmmm... thoughts on Nicole winning? Paul taking Nicole instead of James? Do you think Paul wins if he takes James?

• ANDREW: "like Julie said Nicole is the first woman to beat a man in the final two. While I thought the outcome could've or should've been different is to be seen but Nicole earned it.  Paul wins 7 to 2 if he took James the only two votes James had was Natalie and maybe Michelle's."

How do you feel about the backlash of Day for voting for Nicole?

• ANDREW: "She didn't vote based on emotion so I'm happy Day voted for Nicole very surprised to."

Thoughts on jozea or Jason being on BB19?

• ANDREW: "of course I wanna see a season where they have returnees involved, but after two weeks in  and the America votes for the winner at the end I wish they would've just made it all new people."

What's your thoughts on the finale and the end result?
• ANDREW: "The finale was fine and I'm happy Nicole won basically my thoughts are above DC."

■ Over The Top

Thoughts on having just a digital-only season compared to one on TV?

• ANDREW: "Going in I was kinda skeptical of an online Big Brother season. My expectations weren't very because I obviously knew it wasn't going to be like the one I've been watching for three years live. For an online version it didn't do so bad. I watched what I could live and used the daily recaps and  weekly episode before the eviction each Wednesday."

What are your thoughts on Big Brother OTT?
• ANDREW: "To make it short and sweet, this was a good season, exceptional cast  the format wasn't very ideal to me having America vote but I know most people enjoyed it. With that being said if there wasn't a BB OTT 2 next fall I wouldn't be upset because Survivor is my number one focus when it comes to fall reality TV."

Who were your favorite roommates from this season? Least favorites?
• ANDREW: "I didn't necessarily have any favorites per say. Ones I liked were ones like Justin because he had a good personality,   Alex because she was a great strategist and one I think would be good on the summer version, and Whitney for the simple fact I just love Southern Belle's on reality television. Least Favorites I would say probably Shane because he didn't really bring much to show besides being in a showmance and after his eviction he was being very bitter towards the side he wasn't on."

Going into the season and after week 1, who were your top 3 to win?

• ANDREW: "I didn't have  a top three because with America's involvement outside of the returnee Jason you didn't how America was going perceive the new people in the game and that was extremely important because America decided the winner."

What were your biggest moments from this season?

• ANDREW: "They weren't necessary moments but two things I liked in this  Big Brother as opposed to summer version was one the live Diary Room Sessions. I thought that was a great idea  it gave us a chance to hear directly from the houseguest what his/her strategy was who they were working with and what they thought about the game being  played. The other was the fact that we saw a clear house divide between the side led by returnee Jason called the LNJ (Late Night Jamboree) and the side that the girls led by the sisters Alex and Morgan were on."

Thoughts on the final few contestants and the one who won?

• ANDREW: "This final three (Which isn't normally what happens in BB)  was very similar to what a  Survivor final three would be. You have the one weak player  or goat or  in  MTV terms "layup"  which  was Kyrssie she was dragged by her alliance the LNJ. The other two Jason and Morgan had a fair shot. I personally gave my majority of my winning votes to Jason I thought he played the best game, but with Morgan winning I wasn't to upset because she played a flawless game as well."

 SURVIVOR 

■ Millennials vs. Gen-X

Going into Season 33, who were you looking forward to see play the most, and who did you see making it far from day 1 after the premiere?
• ANDREW: "There wasn't any notable ones that stood out preseason like Scot Pollard and Caleb from Big Brother so I didn't have anyone off the top of my head going into it. If I had to pick one it'd probably be David Wright cause he's a writer of family guy or Will because he was the first high school student to ever play survivor."

What were your initial thoughts on the Millennials/Gen-X theme, and after the season played out what are your final thoughts?
• ANDREW: "Coming off of two great themes of Survivor Second Chance and the second Beauty Brawns and Brains to hear this theme at the last season was reunion was kinda strange but it obviously worked in the end."

Once Michele was the first merge boot, men outnumbered the women 3:1, why do you think majority of the men outplayed most of the women this season? Second part, do you think the theme played any role into the outcome of men being the majority left?
• ANDREW: "The girls in pre merge were just not very good players and the only two that had any airtime were Michelea who was great and Figgy.  I don't think it played out in the outcome at all because one of the three girls in the final 12 did it make it to the final three "

Out of the entire cast, who would you like to see come back for a future season? And also, what season do you believe they would fit best for?
• ANDREW: "Well we know Michelea is coming back next season which I think is great she was a walking one liner and was strong. I think anyone of the final six that didn't win would be great as well (Jay, Bret, David, Hannah and Ken)."

This season we saw every idol play basically be used as some would call "a wasted idol". Do you think there are too many idol's being brought into the game? With enough idol's in the game, do you think it's too much with other advantages?
• ANDREW: "In a quick sentence I'd rather see idols be played than no idols being played like we did in season 32.  And the first idol play in the pre merge wasn't wasted because Jessica had the most votes and would've gone if it wasn't for David."

A lot saw Adam as a wishy-washy player during the season, who appeared to begin as lovable then evolved into a villian and being inconsistent in his gameplay. What is your thought's on his gameplay overall? And then after he won and where would you rank him?
• ANDREW: "Adam was wishy washy yet but in the end it obviously worked for him because the three gen xers that had the most clout in David Ken and Jessica  early on kept him and I think would've taken him all the way as well. After his win he's clearly a top 10 winner I think he's right behind or tied with the last 10-0 winner Jeremy of Second Chances."

What are your thoughts on the finale, and where do you rank this season overall?
• ANDREW: "Out of the five seasons that I've watched every week live I'd put it  just ahead of Kaoh Rong last season and right behind  Second Chances."

What is a theme you would like to see that we haven't yet? And who would you like see casted for an all-star season?
• ANDREW: "Don't know if they could get 6 to 10 people but I would like to see a battle of the seasons type of  Survivor similar to what we've seen in the challenge in 2012. They could try two tribes of two seasons of 8 to 10 or three tribes of three seasons of six each. As far as new players season not quite sure  but I'm sure Survivor will surprise us what they have for Season 35 which I'm sure will be majority new people if not all new people.  As far as the second part of your question I'm just going to say I'm looking forward to seeing season 34 in March. To see people like Malcom, Tony, the only two time Survivor winner Sandra and others play again its going to be a blast."

 ONE ON ONE 

Andrew, you have interviewed over 70 people from the Trifecta since you had him on from just before the first Exes. What would have to be your five favorite guests that you've had on your webcasts?

• ANDREW: "Obviously Jasmine is on that list I talked to her for the first time it'll be five years in January  There was one preview podcast that I had three of my favorite ladies who don't do challenges anymore  Susie, Tori and Ruthie previewed Rivals 2 with me that was one fun podcast and three of my favorite guests. One of my favorite ones many people don't realize was when I spoke to Trishelle, When I asked the PR person for her I wasn't expecting it and she was someone that I thought did a great job."

• DC: "Yeah, you've had some awesome people on and there's been so many that having ten would've been more fair than just picking five. But my list is good also: we're still fond of our first summer covering this and we've become buddies with Trey since the St. Thomas premiere and how he & his cast were important in our development in covering the Trifecta. It's the same thing with Team Portland which we've also chronicled from the start, including Jessica who you've had on many times and we've been supportive of. You've also been on the ride with Ex-Plosion and both of us have been good buddies with Jay through everything he's went through, and you had on Cara Maria during Rivals II when she was that outsider having to fit in there in Asia.
   And lastly, I know that you did some work for your college 'paper there in the Central Valley, so you know what the term "scoop" is. Everyone who works in the news biz always relishes any chance given to them to get that exclusive before the competition does. When we got done watching Episode 6 of AYTO Season 1 and saw your tweet, I pretty much knew that you became the "Best in the Business" when you told everyone you would talk to Shanley the day after. You beat the media, webcasts and everyone else to snare exclusive first chat right after she got heartbroken when Chris T. & Paige became match #2 and got into it with Simone. It's because of that scoop, among other things, is why I have that title bestowed to you there."

Now, Andrew has a question for me on here...

• ANDREW: "As You know DC my biggest complaint in MTV this year is  The Real World. I thought both seasons GBGH and Bad Blood have been WAYYY below par.  With the bad publicity the show has had in 2016 what would you try and do to fix that? Would you do an all star real world, or would you just do a more simple format?"

• DC: "Well pal, part of me agrees with you that they do need to fix and revamp the show to keep it relevant. It would be cool to do an all-star season to get those who've done these before to do them again, just as we saw with the first Vegas cast. It would bring viewers back to the show, would bring that Challenge element to the show with all the house interaction without them having to do a mission or go for money, and would give me something to do in having to reintroduce those newbies on here.
   But if was leading this team with Jon, JJ, Matt and company down there at BMP and I was tasked with comprising Season 33's theme, it would be the ladder: a simple format that keeps in tune with what they've been doing lately, but just have having a small twist or two instead of a big one that doesn't completely twist the format around like what had twice this past year. I would also harken back to what made old-school Real World great and along the lines of what we've seen at times of when the show is pure & simple when they went on that protest and dealt with the things these people have gone through. And I might agree also: keep the house capacity at or around seven also, and limit the double occupancy to just occasional visits.
   It's always gonna be my first love and their way of storytelling is why I have this site and approach to covering this ecosystem, and it's the closest the Trifecta has to the documentary side of reality TV than to the competition side with the two other shows. I hope that I they handle the next season with extreme care."

▪   ▪   ▪   ▪   ▪

And that is that for right now. With the usual thanks to Andrew for joining me here, this is just the start to our 2016 reality recap. Wednesday before Are You The One? Season 5 premieres, the both of us will reconvene to review the MTV Trifecta in 2016 as a backstabbing, two RW's and a third eye dominate the headlines from the year that was in the common passion of the three shows both of us watch, follow and cover. We'll also preview that new season among other things in 2017, and if you got Trifecta questions for me and Andrew, tweet them to #AskDCBLOG on Twitter @DC408Dxtr... the deadline to have your questions in is this Tuesday.
   In the meantime, DCBLOG will Wrap up the season finale of Real World Bad Blood on Tuesday, where we'll also ring in the new year with some Challenge legends and a few newbies. And make sure to join me at DCNOW @DC408DxNow tonight at 7PM Eastern & 4PM Pacific for the year's first big awards show -- the always entertaining and very irrelevant Golden Globe Awards in Hollywood, hosted by Jimmy Fallon.

   For now, thank you for spending time with me & Andrew, and make sure to rejoin us Tuesday when DCBLOG's coverage of the MTV Trifecta continues. Enjoy your Sunday, stay safe and talk to you in a bit from the red carpet.

- I AM DC