MTV Trifecta: Countdown to AYTO Second Chances

BY DC CUEVA                     
■ @DC408Dxtr  @ TW / IG / YT

It is St. Patrick's Day, the first weekend of NCAA March Madness and, for many of you, Spring Break. And wherever you are, it's likely you'll be enjoying these next few days to party down, watch hoops and bring on the spring. And it's time for us at DCBLOG bring you our look at this week in the MTV Trifecta, where coming up we'll delve into the chaotic final act of Are You The One? Season 5, a can't-miss elimination on The Challenge: Invasion, and Week 4 of Stranded with a Million Dollars. And it's so big and momentous a week we have here, it'll take as many as six posts from now until Wednesday to dissect it all. But first tonight, we kick off this busy weekend with our milestone 400th overall post here on this site, and a look at something brand new.

In our nearly five years covering, documenting and writing on the MTV Trifecta - spanning the majority of these 400 posts since our first one back in spring 2013, a show has emerged onto the scene that has joined a longtime love of The Real World and a new passion of The Challenge to create the affectionate name of the Trifecta. Its name is Are You The One?, and it has brought MTV's signature blend of reality TV into the world of romantic reality dating shows. The result has seen five memorable seasons of this show, many romances spawned during and after the show with epic hook-ups and breakups, and a whole lot of drama that's made it TV's guiltiest guilty pleasure.
   Well, as you probably know, I am one of Are You The One's biggest fans and has had the pleasure of following this journey from the very beginning back in the winter of 2014. And the enormous success of that show, as well as the advice given to MTV by a very good friend of mine who's established himself as a top-notch insider in this profession covering this TV ecosystem, has spawned a new spin-off that will begin in five days from now when Are You The One? - Second Chances debuts. Ten fan favorite couples from each of AYTO's five seasons will be making their MTV returns this coming Wednesday for a second chance at love and cash in a whole new game where it's all about love and all about them. Think, this is their own version of The Challenge.

Coming up, we'll be looking at the couples who will be given a second chance at love, an in-depth look at what happened to each of them on their original seasons (and in some cases, what happened when they made the splash into the world of The Challenge), and what to expect on this game. This features twists aplenty which will make things even more interesting than sending in someone to the Truth Booth or watching some lights go up in the night sky.
   So once again, put your name tag on, get yourself comfortable and join in with us after the jump as we look ahead at Are You The One: Second Chances... the latest saga in our ongoing coverage of the MTV Trifecta on DCBLOG.

 #DCSocialPulse EXTRA 

MEET THE ALL-STARS

First, we kick things off, as we've done here in recent posts, by bringing you our exclusive look at the Trifecta and the episodes as seen from social land. DC SocialPulse presents all the cast interaction from the episodes and all around them, and we'll have all the action, reaction and interaction from them each weekend as part of our weekly posts. Presented as a public service to all of you fans, be sure to bookmark this site for all of that, plus WRAP's of all the episodes, analysis and discussion from the Strategy Room, and our signature ExtraTime stories on the people of this ecosystem.
   Just as we've done to kick off our coverage of previous seasons, below are the introductory tweets and picture captions from when the season was first revealed back last month when the news of that was dropped by Devin and Rashida on the After Match - and note it's under its original title of AYTO All-Star Challenge before the name change to Second Chances.

►SEASON REVEALED

@AREUTHE1: Perfect matches from past seasons, ONE NEW GAME. #AYTOAllStarChallenge premieres March 22nd on @MTV 💥
@AREUTHE1:  …and make sure you follow @AYTOAllStar to get all the updates on your brand new #AYTO addiction! 💘
- @HaydenPWeaver: @AREUTHE1 Hmmmm, wonder who will be participating??? 👀
@people:
 Calling all #AYTO superfans: An epic #AYTOAllStarChallenge season is coming your way! http://peoplem.ag/TB35YKo
@theashleybeyer: #AYTOAftermatch ARE YOU THE ONE ALL STAR CHALLENGE
@tori_deal: AYTO ALL STARS!!!! #ayto !!!
@BombshellChels: Still salty @tweetconnor180 and I weren't even called for #AYTO all star season when we were the only match all season 😂
- @LyssCait: @BombshellChels BRUH Sam & I didn't either😅 the only solid couple the house believed in
- @BombshellChels: @LyssCait They better have a season two, I'm ready 💁🏽
- @LyssCait: @BombshellChels hell yeah me too, just gotta get Sam out of hiding & make him stop hating me😇😇😇
- @iamkamiam_: @LyssCait @BombshellChels let's see if they put the squad on there 😜
- @BombshellChels: @iamkamiam_ The honeymoon suit squad 👑
@iamkamiam_: Let's see if you guys get to see me & Eddy are on "All Star Challenge" 👀 #AYTO #AYTOAftermatch
@MTV_TeeBoogie: Oh hi @AREUTHE1 been a while #allstars 😏🙏🏿
@tori_deal: You can't puppet master me @MTVDevinWalker LETS FUCKING GO!!!!!
@ftwgiovanni: Let the games begin #AYTOAllStars 🐺 😏
@carooduartee: I wonder what matches from season 5 will be on this new show? 🤔
@MtvNateSiebs: Ayy thanks for the S/O @MTVDevinWalker @RzBeach!!💯 #AytoAftermatch #AytoAllStars #CominAtcha!!
- @RzBeach: @MtvNateSiebs Ayyy squad !!!
@tori_deal: This is why I'm not on the Challenge ! #aytoallstars #ayto #AYTOAftermatch
@MTVMorganSt: We'll if my 3 Little League All-Star championships say anything I'm predicting a dominant performance 4 @AREUTHE1 All-Stars Challenge
@whaattaafoxx: Damn. Nobody told me when AYTO ALL STAR BATTLE was being aired. I ain't heard shit. @AREUTHE1
@ohhhfrancesca: Oh shit did I miss something lol yeah btw I'm on #AYTOAllStars 🤘🏾👅
@ohhhfrancesca: March 22! #AreYoutheOneAllStars #AYTO https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5UjtnEWEAAo-yZ.jpg
@whaattaafoxx: Well Heyyyy AYTO ALL STAR BATTLE @MtvNateSiebs https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5UnxRiUMAExA3p.jpg
@carooduartee: I wonder what matches from season 5 will be on this new show? 🤔
@CHEYnotShy: excited to see the new @AREUTHE1 All Stars show!
@RzBeach: Yes zaddy !!
@asafgoren1: Can't wait for #AYTOAllStarChallenge ..gonna Be LITTTT I discovered some Fake a** Friends Too tho https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5Up_pXVMAAWhwO.jpg
@whaattaafoxx: Mine and Nathan's convos go like this. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5UqF3mVcAA9Cfq.jpg
@whaattaafoxx: You ready for this bitchhhhh PREMIER PARTY! @RzBeach
@MtvNateSiebs: Blonde and tatted, your favorite perfect match is back!!#AytoAllstarChallenge;) 😂
- @whaattaafoxx: @MtvNateSiebs Is this all about you?
- @MtvNateSiebs: @whaattaafoxx no captain Ellie ! 😇
- @whaattaafoxx: @MtvNateSiebs (Meme: "Look at me, I'm the captain now")
@MtvNateSiebs: 😂😂😂 ahh can't wait to watch this one.. @whaattaafoxx ❤
@shandathapanda: cats out of da bag COMIN 2 A TV SCREEN NEAR U #AYTOAllStars https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5UrwgYUEAA_F3u.jpg
- @IamAdamKuhn: @shandathapanda tag me biatch
@IamAdamKuhn: The most athletic team to ever be cast on an MTV show. Now the question is can we put up with each other @shandathapanda https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5UtkdxUEAAqfyQ.jpg
- @MikalaThomass: @IamAdamKuhn @shandathapanda fueled by pop tarts and avocados 💪🏼
- @IamAdamKuhn: @MikalaThomass @shandathapanda Avacados and Poptarts are all you need for a fit bod Mikala
- @whaattaafoxx: @IamAdamKuhn @shandathapanda Lmfaoooo Adam Please. you only have one nipple in this picture
- @tori_deal: @IamAdamKuhn And the best dressed team! Lmao pink shirt all day!
@whaattaafoxx: I just hope they don't air me smoking any cigarettes looking trashy as fuck. Yall my anxiety was high at all times, I couldn't help it.
@camkobo: Tune in March 22 to watch me and my beautiful partner kick ass. #welookgood #aytoallstars https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5U2oJ4UcAAzTwI.jpg
- @MikalaThomass: @camkobo just when I thought you couldn't make me feel any worse... everyone tune in and watch the life and death of my relationship.
- @camkobo: @MikalaThomass just a joke. Wasn't taking any jabs at you. You also kicked ass. But me with your hair? I look to fabulous not to post..
- @MikalaThomass: @camkobo oh so now I kicked ass? The text you sent me at 11:32pm sure said differently. Thought I was only good at being pretty? Weird.
- @ftwgiovanni: @camkobo You are the fucking 🐐
@RzBeach: I would not want to have it any other way, my perfect match for life. I am so happy and proud of us. Grateful to have you in my life. Can't wait for you guys to watch @mtv_devin and I crush it on the show !! ARE YOU THE ONE ALLSTAR CHALLENGE !! Premiers March 22nd YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS IT ! ayto #allstar #challenge #perfectmatch #forlife #nevergiveuponlove https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ15SBhF71p/
@MTVMorganSt: I'm pretty much a better looking, more jacked version of Larry Bird from the 92' Olympic Dream Team #aytoallstarchallenge #setyourdvrs
@tori_deal: This is the juice ... follow @AYTOAllStar https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5U5uaIUMAAYBRJ.jpg
@MTV_AMANDAG: Can't wait to watch @MTVDevinWalker and @RzBeach on the new AYTO Challenge! Kill it for SZN3 bitchesssss! ❤️
- @RzBeach: @MTV_AMANDAG Yasssss biiiiiiiittttccchhhhh !!! You already know
- @MTVDevinWalker: @MTV_AMANDAG @RzBeach you k ow we're gonna LIGHT IT UP
@tori_deal: "@iadorelukey: @tori_deal but Cam & Mikala broke up so it's gonna make me sad to watch this also .💔" RT Me too I loved them :( 💔
- @MTVDevinWalker: @tori_deal shut up tori you were praying for the breakup let's be "real" deal
- @tori_deal: @MTVDevinWalker Starting the twitter beef already ... I can appreciate your ways
@RzBeach: Rashida & Big D I need him he needs me!
@MikalaThomass: I sure can pick em...
@tori_deal: just wanna give a personal shout out to the hard working , loving , loyal , supportive , beautiful and brave woman I know❤@MikalaThomass
@nuhcole11: Can't wait to see all these beautiful @AREUTHE1 faces on my TV again! Obviously rooting for my Season 4 couples 😉 #AYTOAllStarsChallenge
@whaattaafoxx: Idk but @MtvNateSiebs arms in our picture are fucking on point. GOOOOD Gawwwwdddd. I feel like a dog right now looking at it. Things I'd do. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5W-eDQVUAAg6SN.jpg
- @MTV_Christina: @whaattaafoxx @MtvNateSiebs hahahaha Ellie ain't Eva change
- @whaattaafoxx: @MTV_Christina @MtvNateSiebs love you boo
@MTV_Christina: Shout out to my family @whaattaafoxx @MtvNateSiebs on a new AYTO show ! Kill it guyz I'm rooting for you!! ✨🙌🏻💖
@tori_deal: I've learned over the years, that sometimes you have to pick a side. You can't always be neutral
@KaramoBrown: I'm am hosting a new @MTV series which has been announced! Premiers 3/22 at 9pm. Don't want to miss it! #AYTOAllStarChallenge
- @ftwgiovanni: @KaramoBrown The world isn't ready to see that wardrobe of yours 💯🔥
- @KaramoBrown: @ftwgiovanni Thanks brother! I can't wait for everyone to see you on the show!
- @tori_deal: @KaramoBrown Host of the year
- @KaramoBrown: @tori_deal And you are talent of the year! 😘😘😘😘
@whaattaafoxx: @people I can't believe we are in People Magazine! AHHH shit crayyyyy.
@AYTOAllStar: Meet the #AYTO perfect matches coming back for ONE NEW GAME. #AYTOAllStarChallenge premieres March 22nd on @MTV ⚡️  http://on.mtv.com/2lOPVcd https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5XHkacWMAA14Wt.jpg
@AREUTHE1: Your favorite #AYTO perfect matches are BACK for an all-new show that will put their compatibility to the test! ❤️👫💔 https://t.co/6gq16t5qfg
@MikalaThomass: I wish there was an app where you can just show the world your entire text conversation/phone calls and be like this is the real them..
@MikalaThomass: Then cross reference that with their social media posts... I feel like it could really be a life changer
- @ZAKLONGO: @MikalaThomass It's called Twitter..... LETS SEE 👀
- @_hannahrathbun: @MikalaThomass oh when u mean they tweet they weren't taking a jab @ u  then txt you and say the only thing you're good at is being pretty?
@asafgoren1: So Kaylen Blocked me on All Social Medias..feels like People are losing it Already..shady AF 👉🏽😔smh #aytoallstarchallenge
- @MikalaThomass: @asafgoren1 and this is only the beginning. This show ruined us all.
- @whaattaafoxx: @MikalaThomass @asafgoren1 YOU GUYYYSSSSS. STAAAAAPPPPP. SAVE THE JUICY NESS
@tweetconnor180: It's obvious why they didn't put @hbarfield13  and I on  The Challenge together . No contest huh
@tweetconnor180: Come to think of it they have put a few on Challenge that I would put the hurt on... patiently waiting
@ftwgiovanni: Feels good, now I can let shit speak for itself 😂 who's ready to watch people expose and bury themselves?
@ftwgiovanni: People are hating so hard on the spin off already #AYTOAllStarChallenge
- @whaattaafoxx: @ftwgiovanni Lol I said the same thing
@MTVPeterRomeo: Pumped to see my boy @IamAdamKuhn crush it on @AYTOAllStar on @MTV
@tori_deal: Word on the street is that there are 3 couples from #ayto 5 on the Spin off ... I hope 🤞 you're on it @imdroc15
- @imdroc15: @tori_deal Since you're on the spinoff, I'm definitely praying to be on there 😏🙏🏾
@AYTOAllStar: Thanks for the EPIC announcement on the #AYTOAftermatch, @MTVDevinWalker + @RzBeach! ⭐️ (GIF: "There's a new show coming to MTV! It's called Are You The One: All-Star Challenge!")
@tori_deal: #AYTOAllStarChallenge me walking on to the show ...
@AYTOAllStar: Get your game face on, less than 1 MONTH until we premiere 💪🏼 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5YvpaLWQAM6Hg0.jpg
@tori_deal: On Wednesdays (starting march 22) we wear blue. Lets go schmorgannn @MTVMorganSt @AREUTHE1 @AYTOAllStar https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5YwJd_U8AETuxp.jpg
- @MTV: @tori_deal @MTVMorganSt @AREUTHE1 @AYTOAllStar so happy to have you both back in my life 💕

•     •     •

 WHAT TO EXPECT... 

So, what is this Are You The One spin-off all about? Well, for the Backstory to all of this, over the past three years this guy, DC Cueva, and fellow Trifecta fan and host Andrew Kirk have joined up here to offer our thoughts on the MTV Trifecta and reality TV overall in our year-end Reality Debrief over the holidays and a few other times as well. The both of us have been covering this MTV world together for, what will be this summer, five years when we first followed Real World St. Thomas, when he began regular webcasts and I opened myself up to this franchise on social media during premiere week, eventually translating that passion into the focus of this Blog.
   There are a few reasons why I often refer to Andrew on Twitter as the Best in the Business: one, he has interviewed over 70 people from AYTO and The Challenge/Real World franchise on his webcasts since beginning those in 2011 - and full-blown a year later. Two - for the most significant interview he's done, he scooped other media outlets at their own game to snare an exclusive interview with a member of this Second Chances cast to his biggest-ever webcast audience the day after her heart was broken. And three, whether it's hard to believe or not, he has had a hand in influencing decisions relating to the three shows we follow the most, even though the both of us live almost 3,000 miles away from MTV's 1515 Broadway Times Square headquarters in New York.
   In something that echoes the letter a Challenge viewer wrote to Bill Simmons that sparked the first Rivals season, this story takes us back to summer 2014 when, on his Big Time Reality TV blog, he made what seemed to be a very radical idea at the time: he wrote about a fantasy Challenge season pitting the likes of the Season 1 cast versus the stalwarts of the fifth major pro sport and tweeted the link to the producers of one end of the ecosystem, Bunim-Murray Productions. That came before the cast of what would become Battle of the Exes 2 left for Costa Rica and at the last minute BMP swapped the likes of Trey & Laura and Danny & Melinda for Adam & Brittany and JJ & Simone. And a year later came another suggestion: he gave AYTO's production company Lighthearted Entertainment an idea of wanting to create a spinoff featuring those from AYTO and giving them their own show. And this was when purists were revolting over bringing those from that show onto what was just a show with only Real World and Road Rules alums and some Fresh Meat.

And that brings us to this: AYTO Second Chances will see ten perfect matches come together again as this new game will test every aspect of their relationships. What makes this new show different from the show they gained them MTV membership is that not everyone will win together: it's every couple for themselves, and the couples will be dwindled from ten at the outset to one when this is all done when we approach the summertime.
   Like what we saw with them in those Getaway Challenges on their original season - and then those Challenge missions for some of them, these perfect matches will take part in challenges designed to test the strength of their bonds. Each week at the end of those challenges, successful couples will be rewarded with cash and one match will be eliminated until we reach the final part, where the last ones standing will be crowned winners.
   Here's the deal: the compatibility of the matches will be tested in relationship-focused challenges conceived to help our players understand how meaningful relationships develop and activities like traveling as a couple, making sacrifices, managing money and communication among other things will test them. The more of these missions each pair wins means the more money they'll bank and, more importantly, the more that they will learn about each other.

   And the match who finishes last each week will enter "The Choice," where they must individually decide between stealing the money they earned up until that point and going home, or sharing their jackpot and staying in the game. But here's a catch: it both players opt to steal, then it's the ultimate betrayal and both will go home broke with no money... Think, the Bananas' Rivals III move on Sarah being brought to this game.

   So, the onus is on these ten matches to put their trust in each other to excel, and make sure that love rules, or perhaps it could be a sense of greed that could send them home. And oh, as we mentioned to you here a little while back, Real World Philadelphia alum Karamo Brown will step in for Ryan Devlin as this season's host. And this season's host venue is not a paradise, but an major city: Melbourne, Australia and the state of Victoria is where all of this season's drama will call home.

 MEET THE CAST 

Our cast is represented by those who we saw get in high profile relationships in their original AYTO house, and feature those who felt true sparks romantically, ones who insist that they're just friends, and pairs who never got a shot to explore their connections and were paired by just the matchmakers.

♥ ADAM & SHANLEY/Season 1: On that legendary original first season of AYTO three years ago - whose winning moment came nearly 3 years to the day of this season premiering, Adam & Shanley were part of two big couples in that house in Kauai: him & Brittany, and her & Chris T. The ladder were sent to the first-ever Truth Booth and were surprised by them seeing the "No Match" message on screen, but after that they, like other couples since, stayed together for most of his stay -- and we all remember her epic meltdown after a plan to put him and Paige in the chamber of lasers proved successful. For the Hulk, he was attached to Brittany almost from the beginning and saw them go to the Boom Boom Room and then stay together for most of their time as that relationship became all the more dysfunctional, which also brought them to Exes 2 when they won three eliminations. It was after Chris T. left that Shanley had to look to someone else for the purpose of the game, and despite having no physical relationship and having some similarities, in the end Adam was her perfect match.

♥ ELLIE & NATHAN/Season 2: On the very next season, the second cast of 20 singles saw a lot of couples who, despite witnessing the show's first two ever matchup blackouts, still managed to take the $1 million. And like the long representatives of the Originals, Season 2 has just one pair: Ellie & Nathan, and like Shanley and Adam they were just paired up by matchmakers with no romantic connection. There in Puerto Rico, Ellie became known for her outspoken nature and forming a lifelong bond with three other girls who became known as the Goon Squad: Briana, Christina and Jessica. On a romantic level, she had her eyes for Anthony, who we saw recently on The Challenge Invasion and devised the plan that gave Season 2 their $1 million. And for Nate, this nice guy with the rock star look was also the emotional one when he was in two love triangles: first with Dario & Shelby, and then with Christina & Brandon. Of course, we saw Nate on Rivals 3 when he & Christina pulled a big upset elimination win and also had a romance with Nany's bloodline Nicole.

♥ DEVIN & RASHIDA/Season 3: Another season with just one match carrying the flag in Australia is also the cast that pulled off the most unlikely underdog story in recent Trifecta lore: Season 3 - being represented by Devin and Rashida. Of course, that story of the fortunes of the entire house in that tenth & last week falling in the hands of Big D, some red cups and a quarter is the stuff of legend, but Devin is also remembered for his eventful relationship with Kiki which became one of the show's most infamous couples. And of course on Rivals III, we saw him and Cheyenne lose an elimination but get a second chance themselves going all the way to the final. For Rashida, she wasn't featured as much as the other singles in the house, but her most notable moment was of giving the group a much needed wake-up call when she gave a speech at the matchup to fire up the house when they played poorly. Dashida, as we will call them, didn't click intimately but on their getaway date knew how to have a good time together, and another proof was in them turning the After Match stage into their own stage.

♥ CAMERON & MIKALA/Season 4: Last year on Season 4, one couple clicked from the moment they entered the AYTO house in Hawaii and never let go. Cameron and Mikala immediately saw an attraction to each other that clicked in trust, communication and connection, and it was only a matter of time before they were sent to the Truth Booth. The Southerner and New Yorker returned as the show's quickest-ever Truth Booth match in week 3 of that season (besting S2's Pratt & Paris by 1 week), are one of only two perfect matches here to make it into the Honeymoon Suite, and are the only couple in AYTO history to have been paired in every matchup ceremony for the entire season. That scene of them seeing the words "perfect match" in the chamber of lasers was, of course, a wonderful moment and they are one of the many who have stayed together after their original season ended. With all of those qualities, they should have a physiological edge over everyone else on this season in being able to know each others' qualities, strengths and everything that might come their way in Australia.

♥ MORGAN & TORI/Season 4: Another couple from last season who've made their way down under is Morgan & Tori. The jack of all trades who looks a bit like Johnny Bravo, and the blonde who's also a budding musician, had some sparks in paradise, but nothing more romantic than one outdoors where he read her palms and then would make out beneath the moon and the stars. They also had a hand in the game's outcome when the house's strategy to keep them together led them to the money. After their stay in the house, they would stay together...but not for long. She tweeted afterwards, “I ain’t talkin’ ’bout the show, ironically the guy I’m with was really on it though / TD caught the ball, in the end zone Ima spike, I ended it sh-t with Morgan and I started dating Mike / And you might label me a hoe, but I can’t control my feelings and I couldn’t let him go.” There, Tori briefly dated Morgan's roommate, and AYTO/Real World roommate Mike. But despite this, the sparks they had fairly recently, and them being able to balance things out, could play a factor in them making a deep run here.

♥ FRANCESCA & GIOVANNI/Season 4: Now, the two Season 4 couples who were part of a love square are the two other couples from that season who have made their way to Australia. First, there's Francesca and Giovanni, who would eventually hook up when he & the person listed below were the strongest couple but ultimately would become a non-match in the Truth Booth. There, the Wolf would turn his attention afterwards to Julia, who would be in her own house romance with the man Gio got into a matchup fight with - Stephen, to then sleeping with Francesca within 24 hours. For the former, them being put into the Truth Booth occured the same week as them getting a blackout, and for the ladder, the science would have them a match by the time the confetti fell. Both Gio & Fran share something in common: not only did they hook up and sat as the last matchup, they also have some musical pedigree: him with songs on SoundCloud, and her and her YouTube covers and X-Factor experience which we profiled here before.

♥ ASAF & KAYLEN/Season 4: On the other side of the ball of this love square was Asaf and Kaylen: he was preoccupied for much of the season by him pursuing Francesca, and the aforementioned romance between her and Giovanni. For the Israeli dancer who we first saw on So You Think You Can Dance? the previous year (and who would then appear in music videos for Britney Spears and Maroon 5, he found himself in love with Francesca for much of the season and after the season ended, they even collaborated on a music video (he is, after all, a well-rounded entertainer is also doing some musical work in addition to dancing). And for Kaylen, she and Gio mentioned marriage in the week 2 matchup and then saw that relationship last for some time as she had to deal with Gio's ways with Fran and with Julia that had fans like Andrew and I thinking, "What is going on with him?" In the end, Asaf and Kaylen had some good conversations and at the last matchup, he went with the house in pairing with Kaylen rather than with his heart and Francesca...that won them the money.

♥ ALICIA & MIKE/Season 5: Now, there's the three couples who we have just seen last Wednesday endure what we had to endure on the finale of Season 5 of Are You The One?, which we will examining in depth here over the weekend. First, there's Alicia, who we saw become one of the key players in the house almost from the beginning. She initially had sparks with Minnesota stud Andre, but a Truth Booth trip proved to be their downfall as he hooked up with Hannah in the confessional. Next came a controversial love triangle as after Kam & Eddie became the house's first perfect match, he decided to spend his last night in the oasis with Alicia for, as they told everyone else, a trip to the bathroom...only for news to get out that they had sex and she had lost a friend in Kam - which then turned into fireworks on the reunion. And there was what happened when her and Hannah got into words as well. Her match was Staten Islander Mike, and they are here to try & turn this relationship into something more.

♥ CAROLINA & HAYDEN/Season 5: For the season's most popular romance, we turn to the second couple to make that long plane ride from the Dominican Republic to Australia. For Hayden, he found himself in love almost immediately with Gianna, and even after they were sent into the Truth Booth and returned a no match the couple would stay together. That is, until he followed the house's advice and decided to see someone else. Before he caught her eye, Carolina had found herself in love at first with Joey until the blackout. Then, she turned her attention to Ozzy but after an unsuccessful TB trip she would sit at the matchup for the first time with the Indiana native. They would then sit at the patio together for the next four weeks, and after the analytics (who did an awesome job of pinpointing the matches BTW) had them as each other's most probable matches, they were sent into the Week 8 Truth Booth and became the season's only other match. And when asked about their relationship at an MC, they told host Ryan Devlin that they were exploring each other appreciatively.

♥ CASANDRA & DERRICK/Season 5: And for our final match of the ten who've come here to Melbourne, there's Casandra & Derrick. For Casandra, she was that bit-part player of sorts having not been featured much during the season while everyone else was making noise, but the girl known as "Crank That Cas" on Instagram made moves with Jaylan, Andre, Joey and Mike - who she won a date with in Week 9...well after they were paired up in the week 2 matchup blackout. That was where she got her much needed screen time, along with what happened in week 10 where she and Joey won themselves the last getaway date and were sent into the last Truth Booth, where the strategy saw them as a non-match after he made the wrong choice to pick her and not their intended pick. And that left her with Derrick, who had formed a bond with Jaylan and Edward in calling themselves "Team Chocolate," and then got into words with big guy Michael over Kathryn late in the season. Why are Casandra & Derrick paired up here? In case you've not watched the finale, we'll have the answer to that later on here.

So, there's the twenty people who've made their way here to Australia for another shot. Instead of relying on a Truth Booth or beams of light to see what their fates are, it's up now to these ten perfect matches, among the fifty-two who've been paired up by science in exactly three short years where the beams don't lie. There is something perfect between these matches that hasn't been proven just yet. And now Adam & Shanley, Ellie & Nate, Devin & Rashida, Cameron & Mikala, Francesca & Gio, Asaf & Kaylen, Tori & Morgan, Alicia & Mike, Hayden & Carolina and Casandra & Derrick have been given another opportunity to finally figure out why the matchmakers had them together, and to win together. There is a Second Chance.

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Are You The One? - Second Chances is the seventeenth MTV Trifecta season that DCBLOG will be covering here, again taking you wire to wire from this preseason preview through to the finale coming up in the late spring. And you can count on this site to cover this spinoff like all other shows we cover unlike any other site out there: The 'Pulse will bring you the other show that takes place in in social world with the cast seeing the show as we do. The WRAP will recap the key moments, plus Winners' List, analysis and more. And as always, ExtraTime follows with the stories behind the show.
   Before we proceed into covering Second Chances, there's still a season finale and a reunion from Season 5 of Are You The One? to cover from both the social and game standpoint, and we'll have that all covered for you here coming up on Sunday. Tomorrow, we'll be looking into The Challenge with a heavyweight tilt between fellow champions and the gap between alliances stretching far in Fiji. And later, we'll look at two couples who are giving themselves a "second chance" of their own.
   And if things work out, later this week I will be doing my first-ever interview with a Trifecta cast member to help analyze the AYTO Season 5 finale and Second Chances...stay tuned to my Twitter hub at @DC408Dxtr for more info, and be sure to tweet questions to #AskDCBLOG on Twitter and it may be used in the questioning. And as always, follow my live episode tweets at DCNOW at @DC408DxNow, with March Madness and boxing to come your way this weekend.

Thank you for checking out our preview of AYTO Second Chances, and join us tomorrow when we continue our coverage of the MTV Trifecta on DCBLOG. And to all of you, Happy St. Patrick's Day.

- I AM DC