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Okay, so this person is one who loves what this site calls the MTV Trifecta, where The Challenge and the shows that feed into this fifth major pro sport are prominent in this one's social engagement with the MTV family. And of course, the shows are the principal focus for this very site and offers so much for me to watch, research and then write on for all of you to enjoy.
But can it also be known that I also have some sort of guilty pleasure that I'm even afraid of making it public on Twitter? It's something that when it began, there was some negative press surrounding it for certain reasons... but the drama, the intrigue, the characters and the backdrop of it makes it, along with another Florida-based series, a worthy successor, or least a filler of sorts, to The Real World. And like I did for a show which I watched back 14 years ago which inadvertently introduced social media to yours truly, I've loyally watched and live tweeted every episode.
Like its California predecessors, this show features all of what made Laguna and The Hills so addictive and popular for six years: an elite group of wealthy and relatable friends, big time drama, stunning filmography and a cool musical soundtrack. It has stayed true to that laid-back beachy feel that made those shows famous, while also giving these college-aged people more opportunities to explore what everyone their age goes through as adulthood began. And there was that unwelcome bad publicity when one found themselves in hot water due to shark videos that emerged before the premiere, though in the end they were wrongly accused and escaped unscathed by the mischief. But as they say, "haters gonna hate" -- that only helped fuel even more buzz where, luckily, the focus has been on the on-screen activities itself, and the drama it brought us last year.
Here in Siesta, the man of the heart of this triangle and this clique is the resident playboy and king of this town, ALEX. The premiere saw him take out to dinner the one who was his ex and high school sweetheart, JULIETTE... and they were branded by his cousin as "Romeo and Juliet." Then the next night, the one who would then pursue him, MADISSON, went on a date with this local businessman's son, and shortly Alex would then hook up with a friend of the group, Amanda. That rumor spread around town and he joined that list of those guys who've hooked up with multiple girls in the same season of their MTV show. And at an Oscars-like bash at Alex's house, Madisson turned her focus to his friend BRANDON and the two hit it off almost immediately.
Another new arrival to Florida was Midwesterner KELSEY, who put her whirlwind modeling career on hold to care to her mom Debbie as she battles multiple sclerosis. She, too, also developed a relationship with someone in the cast in gym rat GARRETT, but that romance started to sour when Kelsey started flirting with Alex several times including that night when they got in bed together. Ironically, Juliette turned this love triangle into a square when she began to make her move on Garrett. And there's CHLOE, who demonstrated what reality fans love in those who can tell it like it is and be either the one who's on the good or bad side of people... from Amanda for whom she got into a fight with her former friend, to Alex's cousin PAULY for him body-shaming her.
Like what the Laguna kids had of going to Cabo on both their seasons, the Siesta Seven went down to Bimini in the Bahamas for their own vacation, where Alex and Kelsey got it on. We also saw Pauly score a club gig that saw him buckle under the pressure and left him in tears, along with a night in jail which proves that not everything about these people is perfect. There were plenty of rides on Alex's boat and visits to where the girls worked in outdoor Tiki Bars that no doubt have seen traffic increase thanks to it being featured in the show. And of course, there's the parties Alex had at his luxurious mansion, not to mention the human side of these people and the goals and aspirations they have that made this show and the cast that much more relatable.
After giving another group of Floridians in Floribama Shore their time in the sun, the second half of Siesta Key's first season begins this Monday, and it promises to warm up our winters with more love and all of that high stakes drama fans enjoyed when the weather outside was much warmer. And it's almost as if the upbeat vibe of that first glimpse at that first trip down to this town outside of Sarasota have all but disappeared: there will plenty of drama that will sure go down in a place that is also where rain and thunder dominate the Florida weather during the heart of hurricane season.
After giving another group of Floridians in Floribama Shore their time in the sun, the second half of Siesta Key's first season begins this Monday, and it promises to warm up our winters with more love and all of that high stakes drama fans enjoyed when the weather outside was much warmer. And it's almost as if the upbeat vibe of that first glimpse at that first trip down to this town outside of Sarasota have all but disappeared: there will plenty of drama that will sure go down in a place that is also where rain and thunder dominate the Florida weather during the heart of hurricane season.
The drama will pick up right where it left off as they and the rest of the group will wrap up their summer before diving into a whole new pool's worth of drama in the autumn. The last scene from the October 1st midseason finale was of Alex on the phone revealing that his jaw was wired shut after getting hurt, and the winter premiere will reveal what exactly happened to him after 106 days of fans guessing what went down. And after dating Juliette, Madisson, Kelsey and Amanda during the summer, something to keep an eye out is of who he might choose to get back together with.
As he tries to focus back in on going to law school, two summer romances that blossomed in the sun may find themselves at a crossroads in the fall & winter. Garrett and Kelsey were in deeply in love when we first saw them, but then he turned his attention to Juliette and the two girls have become frenemies. This winter will tell us if he and Juliette are destined to be together for the long haul, or if gets back together with Kelsey... all as modeling is calling Kelsey's name again and he's making rounds in the fitness world (he has, after all, the support of one Johnny Bananas).
And the budding romance of Bradisson has been thriving since Brandon and Madisson first met at the Gatsby Gala. But the two also have big goals in mind themselves: he is working with a big-name music producer intent on making BG a household name (as does Pauly), and she continues to pursue her passion of being an engineer in Southwest Florida. With him starting to attract both the gigs and the groupies and as she tries to maneuver her way through adulthood, Bradisson may find itself in some rough waters ahead, especially as she is the first girlfriend he's ever had.
And for Chloe, she tried to distance herself from this elite clique over the summer, and is finding that leaving behind a group of people you've known for years is harder than it seems. It's been no easy task for her to get over her messy way of things and perhaps she may be ready to stir the pot even more. And the smiles of the cast in the photos on this post gives you no indication that this will all soon give way to cloudy skies and plenty of turmoil for this group as the trailer teases below.
Meanwhile, just as many from Canada and other snowbirds from the north who flood into Florida this time of year, a new group of friends will invade the scene in, as Juliette in the trailer states, "bringing outsiders trying to become insiders" On Season 2 of Laguna, LC, Stephen, Kristin and friends were joined by Jason Wahler, who became the town's resident player when two newcomers pursued him in Jessica and Alex M., and where his romance with a third girl, LC continued on to Hollywood. And when Siesta fan Spencer Pratt shacked up with Heidi Montag on The Hills, it made us almost forget those two guys who were on that first season. As for this crop of Siesta newbies: they do bring something to the table...
As he tries to focus back in on going to law school, two summer romances that blossomed in the sun may find themselves at a crossroads in the fall & winter. Garrett and Kelsey were in deeply in love when we first saw them, but then he turned his attention to Juliette and the two girls have become frenemies. This winter will tell us if he and Juliette are destined to be together for the long haul, or if gets back together with Kelsey... all as modeling is calling Kelsey's name again and he's making rounds in the fitness world (he has, after all, the support of one Johnny Bananas).
And the budding romance of Bradisson has been thriving since Brandon and Madisson first met at the Gatsby Gala. But the two also have big goals in mind themselves: he is working with a big-name music producer intent on making BG a household name (as does Pauly), and she continues to pursue her passion of being an engineer in Southwest Florida. With him starting to attract both the gigs and the groupies and as she tries to maneuver her way through adulthood, Bradisson may find itself in some rough waters ahead, especially as she is the first girlfriend he's ever had.And for Chloe, she tried to distance herself from this elite clique over the summer, and is finding that leaving behind a group of people you've known for years is harder than it seems. It's been no easy task for her to get over her messy way of things and perhaps she may be ready to stir the pot even more. And the smiles of the cast in the photos on this post gives you no indication that this will all soon give way to cloudy skies and plenty of turmoil for this group as the trailer teases below.
🌞 Back in that first episode last summer, when Madisson flew home to Siesta from college, waiting for her back home was her family, including her sister PAIGE. She is Madisson's sister just recently shacked up with her as roommate in their condo overlooking that beautiful Siesta beach. Paige should be able to step outside of her sister's shadow and come into her own, and become even tighter with the original crew... and that may include perhaps breaking hearts if she has her way.
🌞 As word spread in the clique of Juliette's series-opening date with Alex, she got to spill the tea to her friends including her BFF HANNAH. She is someone who seems to have it all: the brains, gorgeous looks, a killer house where that gossip about that night took place, and someone who she calls the perfect boyfriend. It's safe to say Hannah's the ultimate power girl in the Key, but that perfect life may find itself in jeopardy when those infamous rumors start to spread.
🌞 No new MTV reality series would be complete without that heartthrob, but we may have found it in CARSON, described as "Siesta Key's dreamiest new bachelor". With blonde hair, blue eyes and a nice 8-pack of abs, he's that aspiring model who also loves being a total romantic, and is here to look for that right girl to make him feel happy. But in a place of just 6500 people, love and happiness can be somewhat hard to find here... Carson's hoping that lady is in town.
🌞 Chloe and Madisson are not only good friends but also work at an open-air Tiki Bar overlooking the Atlantic. Joining them is new girl and Chloe's friend CANVAS, who's also the new vixen in the Key. She is very driven, knows what she wants and nothing will stop in her way to get it... and that includes someone who's among the hottest in town but who is also occupied. As Canvas joins this group, the question is of whether she follows the rules or follows her heart.
🌞 And a good high school friend of Madisson's is TARIK, who has just moved back to town with that always killer job in the gaming verse. He is someone who, like Chloe, is quick witted, shows no fear to tell it like it is, and doesn't back down from anyone. Tarik also has a big challenge ahead of him: while Madisson has his back, he is a gay man, and Siesta is a more conservative community than South Beach... the task of having to adjust to his surroundings may be difficult.
As Chloe famously coined in that first episode, "Summer in Siesta Key is like no other." And indeed, with the weather warming into the 70's as most everyone else is shivering right about now, it's pretty much that way 12 months a year. As Absofacto sings in the track that accompanies the trailer, "Watch it all unfold, Every scene, get lost inside an Endless Summer"... now, what does autumn and winter await for this newly-expanded group of 13 people in this Floridian paradise? The answers begin to unfold Monday night.
In the past two nights in the MTV realm, another group of those who spent their summer in Florida got to say farewell to their time in paradise in grand style. Meanwhile, the game as those who comprise this season's class of Vendettas knew it was rocked with more twists being revealed, and those Champs and Stars fortunate to make it to the end competed one more time for worthy charities.
DCBLOG will be all over last night's double shot of The Challenge and Monday's Season 1 finale of Floribama Shore coming up this weekend, once those of you who didn't watch these episodes live get caught up. We'll rejoin you here starting Friday for this week's ride Inside the MTV Trifecta: social play-by-play, a Champs vs. Stars recap, ExtraTime and more... be sure to join us then.
- I AM DC
Photos Courtesy: MTV/Heather Key
🌞 As word spread in the clique of Juliette's series-opening date with Alex, she got to spill the tea to her friends including her BFF HANNAH. She is someone who seems to have it all: the brains, gorgeous looks, a killer house where that gossip about that night took place, and someone who she calls the perfect boyfriend. It's safe to say Hannah's the ultimate power girl in the Key, but that perfect life may find itself in jeopardy when those infamous rumors start to spread.
🌞 No new MTV reality series would be complete without that heartthrob, but we may have found it in CARSON, described as "Siesta Key's dreamiest new bachelor". With blonde hair, blue eyes and a nice 8-pack of abs, he's that aspiring model who also loves being a total romantic, and is here to look for that right girl to make him feel happy. But in a place of just 6500 people, love and happiness can be somewhat hard to find here... Carson's hoping that lady is in town.
🌞 Chloe and Madisson are not only good friends but also work at an open-air Tiki Bar overlooking the Atlantic. Joining them is new girl and Chloe's friend CANVAS, who's also the new vixen in the Key. She is very driven, knows what she wants and nothing will stop in her way to get it... and that includes someone who's among the hottest in town but who is also occupied. As Canvas joins this group, the question is of whether she follows the rules or follows her heart.
🌞 And a good high school friend of Madisson's is TARIK, who has just moved back to town with that always killer job in the gaming verse. He is someone who, like Chloe, is quick witted, shows no fear to tell it like it is, and doesn't back down from anyone. Tarik also has a big challenge ahead of him: while Madisson has his back, he is a gay man, and Siesta is a more conservative community than South Beach... the task of having to adjust to his surroundings may be difficult.
As Chloe famously coined in that first episode, "Summer in Siesta Key is like no other." And indeed, with the weather warming into the 70's as most everyone else is shivering right about now, it's pretty much that way 12 months a year. As Absofacto sings in the track that accompanies the trailer, "Watch it all unfold, Every scene, get lost inside an Endless Summer"... now, what does autumn and winter await for this newly-expanded group of 13 people in this Floridian paradise? The answers begin to unfold Monday night.
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In the past two nights in the MTV realm, another group of those who spent their summer in Florida got to say farewell to their time in paradise in grand style. Meanwhile, the game as those who comprise this season's class of Vendettas knew it was rocked with more twists being revealed, and those Champs and Stars fortunate to make it to the end competed one more time for worthy charities.
DCBLOG will be all over last night's double shot of The Challenge and Monday's Season 1 finale of Floribama Shore coming up this weekend, once those of you who didn't watch these episodes live get caught up. We'll rejoin you here starting Friday for this week's ride Inside the MTV Trifecta: social play-by-play, a Champs vs. Stars recap, ExtraTime and more... be sure to join us then.
Photos Courtesy: MTV/Heather Key
