DC ExtraTime Special: A Dirty Little Scandal in the Boom Boom Room

*** CAUTION: This Article Contains Descriptive Content of A Disturbing Nature to Some Readers. Parental Guidance is Suggested. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

    ESTIMATED READING TIME: 21 Mins.

This month of April 2021 have seen plenty of scandals take place in this imperfect world. There's the continuing wave of shootings that have put gun control, police brutality and their mistreatment of persons of color in the spotlight, spurring another round of protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. There's also the many political ones from an impending recall of the governor of the largest state in the union, the challenge of reopening cities, states and countries during the pandemic, and when twelve of the biggest powers in club soccer announced their intent to create a breakaway continental tournament, and got burned when the enormous people power foiled their ambitious plans for the European Super League.

And then, there's what has been happening at ViacomCBS -- and though the integration of MTV and CBS' parent companies has been seamless, things haven't always been smooth sailing. Last year, just about everyone in the reality world united to show vent anger at what they saw on Big Brother All-Stars, which led to CBS making a pledge to cast more persons of color on their reality shows. And this winter, an Los Angeles Times investigation blew the whistle on the Eye network's local news operations over hostile working conditions and snaky behavior also involving race as well as sexism, and led to the ouster to two of its top executives and a pending merger of its TV station group and the network news organization, itself also having had its share of controversy in the past two decades.

MTV is celebrating its fortieth anniversary this year with The Challenge All-Stars and a reunion of the first Real World cast headlining the new offerings on Paramount+ to go along with the current slate on the linear channel itself. But earlier this month, a notable development came up that didn't involve the upcoming launches of The Hills or Siesta Key, or the season finale of Double Agents, but something that may have lasting consequences. And here, one member of the only cast that never got to celebrate a moment like others had on the show they did finally decided to take a stand and end her silence on something that has never come to light until now during this time of reckoning in this world of ours.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Double Agents - The $1 Million Finale Part 2

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Back on December 9th, it all began for thirty competitors who came from reality television and even the sports world to try their luck on what is called the fifth major pro sport, and as it was during Total Madness - for a time this the only happening in American sports outside of the gridiron. And now as we're on the edge of May, we're at the final stage of Season 36 of MTV's The Challenge, and the finale of Double Agents as they are past the halfway point of the two-day ordeal in Iceland.

When we brought you Part 1 of that back on Friday night, the final four teams of Amber & CT, Cory & Kam, Kaycee & Fessy and Nany & Leroy arrived at the start line of the sixth final challenge in seven seasons where the total prize purse is $1 million... but unlike what's been the case of late there is money going to those who don't finish first: 2nd gets $100,000 while the champions will relish in $900,000 - $450k split down the middle -- 3rd and 4th will be shut out with the ladder not making it to day 2. And as is always the case for the last act of every season, this will test every aspect of what the players have learned about the past several months... endurance, puzzle skills and enduring the bitter cold.

We're almost through the first day near the Arctic Circle, and there's been a lot going down: Amber surprising everyone in taking her & CT into the lead, the first daily game being revisited for a mini challenge during the final itself, and Leroy on a mission to ride off into the sunset a champion. But at night's end, the attention is on the all-Big Brother team: Kaycee suffered a big injury, and most fingers in the fandom being pointed at Fessy's direction... and as we return here they find themselves in the hot seat as they look to salvage whatever chance they have. The rest of the field has their sights set on trying to power through exhaustion, both mentally & physically, before they reach the summit and $1 million.

After the jump, DCBLOG brings you all the action, reaction and interaction of Part 2 of the Final of Double Agents... and we'll have a surprise musical tribute once you get through the mega diary that follows - along with a fellow Challenger taking his aim at Jake Paul. And thanks so much for wrapping your Oscar Sunday with us, and settle in as we bring the curtain down on the action in Iceland.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All-Stars - "Semi-Charmed Lifesaver"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Today is the day those in the world of motion pictures and in the entertainment industry anticipate more than any other in the entire year: the 93rd annual edition of Academy Awards are taking place down in Los Angeles in a different manner than it was when Parasite shocked the world and made history fourteen long months ago. And if there's a season of reality television that can boast star power as gleaming as Hollywood's best, then it's the All-Stars spinoff of MTV's The Challenge that's been dominating the buzz on Paramount+ as it rages on down in Argentina.

The first three weeks have brought us so much that the regular seasons might look with a bit of envy in the action, drama and even the musical soundtrack. And last week, the daily challenge brought fans a true throwback: the players getting down and dirty with a block of ice and doing what they can to melt that away in the summer heat -- and that includes going back and forth like a late night in bed. There was also some tension brewing between Ruthie and Aneesa years after they got into it on Duel 2, and even flirting with Nehemiah and Jemmye... all before he took down Teck in the arena.

Something that we also saw last week was Kendal grapple with possibly using her lifesaver, which goes to the opposite gender's team captain during an elimination week. Well this week, she and the women are up for the cut as they try to hang onto ropes above the water, and the raft that saves a player from going into the arena may be used for the first time. And even with the spinoff nature of this season it may have one player going off on the house, as does one of the handful here who also has her own challenge of being a mommy back home away from her kids.

Join us here after the jump as we at DCBLOG bring you the 'Pulse of Week 4 of The Challenge All-Stars, as we kick off a packed Sunday with this, the regular show and the Oscars sharing center stage.

DC SocialPulse: Floribama Shore - Farm Animals, Family Hugs and Baby Beats

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Well hey there... it's likely that you are just relaxing there on a Saturday night and chances are you've probably watched a night of fights in the UFC. And if you're looking for a nice nightcap to all of this, you've come to the right place: some fun coming by way of the Floribama Shore bam as their spring break trip out west rages on.

Of late - and as the word "vaccine" has been on our minds lately, the Season 4 bubble in Montana has gotten to welcome guests to the roomies' hometowns: Candace's friend Bethany, Aimee's cousin Ally, and as of last week Kirk's girlfriend from Atlanta, Wren. He hoped that this visit from his ride or die would be just an opportunity for a chill weekend, but after what went down at the end of last week with Codi going off that would not be the case. But it wouldn't be all drama: the Puke & Rally King got to pay homage to his late grandpa while leading the roomies on some horseback riding.

At the end of all that, the Bam are being left with having to repair their ties after the outburst at that dinner... and this week gives them time to do exactly that. In addition, the ladies are front and center as they decide to take advantage of getting to finally spend some quality time with some locals here in town -- but they are not who you think they are. For the mommy to be who will have her big moment in just less than a month from now, a big milestone awaits her... just as the house gets a surprise phone call that may give them the cue to head on out of the cold and into some comfortable surroundings.

We'll join you after the break for the DCBLOG Pulse of the Week 11 of the Floribama road trip as the roomies spend their last week in Montana, and we'll also let you in on a musical freestyle featuring a guy who wants to meet LeBron?  Thanks for joining us...

DC ExtraTime: MTV Reality Takes Over Jake Paul's Triller Fight Night

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

    ESTIMATED READING TIME: 21 Mins.

Imagine... one year ago at this time in our world, we were all without the presence of sports in both this country but all around the world. Good thing all of you out there who visit this website -- and those who wanted something to take place on your TV screens -- had MTV's The Challenge to keep you company on the competition front. But a year later, things are back to normalcy when it comes to the human drama of athletic competition: NBA and NHL playoff positioning, baseball just starting, and the All-Stars spinoff on Paramount+.

When American competitive sports returned on that Mother's Day weekend last year, Champs vs. Stars competitor Michelle Waterson was part of a UFC card in Florida that gave us something to take our minds off of the pandemic. And last Saturday night, the attention of those who love a good fight were on several venues: ESPN aired a full night of UFC action as Robert Whittaker decisioned Kelvin Gastelum in the night's marquee bout, while on FOX Tony Harrison and Bryant Perrella drew their main event in a Premier Boxing Champions card.

But the nightcap to a Saturday Night Fight Night tripleheader came in a totally different and unusual setting for a sport that, once upon a time, was on the same footing as baseball as a major sport and where bouts featuring the biggest names were as anticipated as the Super Bowl or World Series. And the bout that was much more anticipated than either of its established counterparts brought into focus the poster boy of the YouTube generation and one of the most dominant competitors in his sport. And among the fight crowd at home and in person in Atlanta, a girl who is the former's ex and a three-time Challenge champ who rubbed shoulders with the ladder in the leadup to the fight that broke the Internet.

DC SocialPulse BackTrax: The Challenge Double Agents - The $1 Million Finale Part 1

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

  DELAYED EDITION  

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Well we have made it at last to the last Friday and weekend of April, and wherever you are you're likely in a good mood compared to this spot last year. And we welcome you to a busy next few days around here at DCBLOG as we bring a packed week Inside MTV Reality where, almost 140 days since it began, the thirty-sixth season of The Challenge has reached its last stage -- which means, money is on the line.

Double Agents has had plenty go down since it began on December 9th last winter, from the continuing evolution of a football star being the latest from the Big Brother family to be cast as a villain on here, to this being the last season for one of its most beloved players, and a lot of other things too. And last we were in Iceland, the nine players contested the last regular challenge and elimination, which in a way as the first part of the final as the teams ran around an active volcano and saw Kam & Cory claim that last daily. But it's the last Hall Brawl that had everyone talking: Fessy injuring Kyle's finger on purpose that gave the former the win and joining the other agents in the final.

A lot of you have the feeling that this season hasn't delivered the goods the way All-Stars is, but one thing we can agree on is that any season always saves the good stuff for the last act. This final challenge has Fessy & Kaycee, Kam & Cory, CT & Amber B. and sentimental favorites Leroy & Nany all battling both each other and the elements of this nation south of the Arctic Circle, as this 2-day marathon in the freezing cold will determine who will fly out of Iceland with duel checks of $450,000 (a combined $900k), with second netting $100 grand, and the third-placers not cashing as do the last place team who will not make it into day 2... and you will be surprised who may not make the halfway cutoff.

Ahead here, we bring you Part 1 of the Double Agents $1 Million final as seen from the social sphere on the DCBLOG MTV Reality SocialPulse... And stick with us after the diary as we bring you a first peek ahead at the next season of YouTube's most addictive reality series. And welcome to the weekend Challenge Nation... it's so good to have you with us.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All-Stars - "I've Got Power"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

And we welcome you back... and if there is reason to perhaps look forward to the start of the week - if it wasn't an intentional one on our part, it's this one: Week 3 of The Challenge All-Stars from the angle of those in social world, and brought to you by this DCBLOG website.

There's little doubt that this offering is perhaps the biggest draw for many of you to subscribe (or at least to take a free trial) to Paramount+, and the first two weeks have been something. And previously, the one daily challenge TJ Lavin looks forward to dishing out more than any took an entirely different route: asking just Challenge-related trivia to the competitors, and Aneesa took down Ruthie heads up to just relax in her street clothes in the arena. But in the house, Katie and Trishelle opened up bad blood from their time together before the ladder was the first one eliminated when Kendal took her down.

As we are getting ever closer to what we hope with our crossed fingers  to be a summer to remember, following that tough opener in the water and the week 2 trivia-fest the daily challenge of week 3 brings up a classic from years past: teams having to do what they can to break a cold one on the ice in the scorching sun -- and that includes getting it on in public view. Meanwhile, some years-old tensions with a few all-stars will sure to boil over also in the heat of Argentina... and we also get our first business when it comes to late night pleasure thanks to two allies.

After the break, we bring you the SocialPulse of Week 3 of The Challenge All-Stars as, for the second time, the men are up for elimination. And as we had some business offline to take care of, thanks for staying with us in having to wait until Monday to bring this to you - and welcome to a new week...

DC SocialPulse: Floribama Shore - Horses, Girlfriends and Basement Moves

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Hello friends... we are a couple days away from spending our second straight 4/20 in the comforts of home, and spring is in the air. But would you rather be spending a weekend enjoying more than just the nice weather outside? We'd wish... but we have the Floribama Shore crew to keep us company this spring as their road trip of the western United States rolls along.

After all of what's gone down in the first couple months in the state of Montana, lately things have cooled down a bit to where what every vacation should be about: having fun. And they can thank friends from back home fortunate enough to visit during these times: after Candace's friend Bethany came by to start the visits from home, last week Aimee's friend Ally came by from Alabama and instantly caught the attention of both Gus and Jeremiah. And with social establishments all but closed for obvious reasons depriving us of public fun, the cast got to turn their basement into THE happening in all of Missoula.

After all of what's gone down in the first couple months in the state of Montana, lately things have cooled down a bit to where what every vacation should be about: having fun. And they can thank friends from back home fortunate enough to visit during these times: after Candace's friend Bethany came by to start the visits from home, last week Aimee's friend Ally came by from Alabama and instantly caught the attention of both Gus and Jeremiah. And with social establishments all but closed for obvious reasons depriving us of public fun, the cast got to turn their basement into THE happening in all of Missoula.

And as we are now starting to enjoy time with our friends and family once again, the guests just keep on coming: this week, it's the turn of Kirk's girlfriend Wren to come flying into Montana and into the cabin - and that means the Atlantan is hoping things will be smooth sailing, all while the activities inside the Basement rage on as Ally looks to make a move on the guys who aren't taken. And after what he went through when the worst day of his life took place during his first trip four seasons ago, Codi takes a moment to pay to his late grandpa while achieving a bucket list item for those who visit the Frontier.

Join us after the break for horses, girlfriends and basement moves as we bring you the 'Pulse of Week 9 of the Floribama Shore Montana bash... and we'll also join a member of their drama-filled cousins as he experiences the biggest event in professional wrestling. Thanks for joining us...

Inside MTV Reality: The Look Ahead - This Spring and Summer Will Be Good...

CAUTION: This Post Contains Potential Spoilers, Please Read with Caution Below. But No Worries, It's Only Small & Minor Ones with Just Cast Info. To Prevent Trolls from Spoiling Things Below, Comments In This Post Have Been Turned Off.

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

And here we are... the third weekend of April and more than a year & a month into this new normal. And while things might still be not back to normal just yet, it's no doubt feeling nice and pleasant when it comes to the world of MTV Reality - and not just because the channel is turning the big 4-O.

If the sentiment given by Challenge Mania co-host Scott Yager is holding true, then 2021 as MTV sees it has been so good so far... but it hasn't just been about just the beat he (and us) covers the most. After we saw her baby gender reveal party on this week's finale, Teen Mom Tuesdays are transitioning from Cheyenne Floyd and the OG ladies to their TM2 counterparts with a friend of the mommy to be, Jade Cline of the Young & Pregnant 4th generation, taking the spot vacated by Chelsea Houska. And we've just wrapped up an emotional Homecoming trip down memory lane with the cast of the first season of The Real World in New York on Paramount+, three decades after they launched this entire genre.

Right now, we are in the final stages of Season 36 of The Challenge as the four sets of Double Agents are contesting the $1 million final up in Iceland, just south of the Arctic Circle. As it has been in every regular season since Rivals I, this finale is a two-day final split into two parts, and with our utmost respect to those who are cord-cutters and who are preferring to watch both parts back-to-back, we'll be carrying over our usual weekly SocialPulse diary of episode interaction into next week during an expanded weekend of episode content. But that doesn't mean that this week hasn't been eventful: this week has week 3 of The Challenge All-Stars on Paramount+ and another visitor to the Floribama Shore bubble in Montana... and we'll have those ahead in this week's set of goodies.

And as far as what we've got now and what we have coming up in this, there is plenty... drama, love and a first look at who we'll be getting to see when we get set to cover a regular Challenge season later this year. And we'll have the chance to gather around our crystal ball to take a Look Ahead at what we got in store in the spring and summer in the world of MTV Reality just to come...

Someone You Should Know: Now United - The Biggest Pop Group You've Never Heard Of

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

In the mind of yours truly, there are four passions that matter the most to me: MTV Reality shows, sports, music and Las Vegas. The first choice is the one that is covered wall-to-wall on this DCBLOG website like no other in the blogosphere, and if you get to see what I'm like in my ideal environment perfecting this craft then typically I'll be hunkered down in my desktop or laptop having the earphones on and plugged to that fourth option.

The music world is something that I have a tremendous interest in, and not just because I've been loving the song choices on recent seasons of MTV shows. Across my slew of choices to hear those tunes -- iPhone, FOUR iPod's and my CD collection, the amount of songs I have are limitless... and that doesn't account for the current craze of streaming services. And if you're curious of what I have, if there is someone who is on the top of the charts chances are they are in my playlist, but so are artists from the entire musical spectrum -- both known to us here in America and those who you don't know about.

But if there's a choice of those artists who stood out to me in my DC Playlist in the past year, then it's something that taps into me being a fan of the one event I look forward to most in the sports world, and brings that idea into the world of music. And this week, that artist (or artists) got to visit a place familiar to me and those who watch TV's most exciting reality programming, which gave me reason to introduce you, the visitors of this blog, to perhaps the biggest global pop you've never heard of: Now United.

DC ExtraTime: Challenge Nation Remembers DMX

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Throughout the past several seasons of The Challenge as well as many other MTV shows, an aspect of these shows that, if it was an actual member of the cast, would certainly qualify for MVP honors has been the music department. Whether it's the action of the fifth major pro sport, the drama that takes place in Siesta Key or any other reality show that airs on the channel or produced by it, those who choose the songs that accompany scenes in these shows have certainly nailed those choices.

Credit: Prince Williams/WireImage

When MTV's first two entries to the slate of new original programming that came with the launch of Paramount+ this spring in Real World Homecoming and The Challenge All-Stars, the geniuses that make the experience of watching MTV Reality on the musical side of things continued into the streaming sphere. And when the ladder debuted to enormous buzz as arguably the most anticipated of the new shows to debut on ViacomCBS' entry into the streaming wars, one musical choice stood out the most, especially now.

It was after the April 1st premiere of All-Stars was made available on Paramount+ that news trickled in unexpectedly from the world of hip-hop involving a heavyweight of the late '90s and 2000's, DMX. The debut of the spinoff to the regular MTV competition show featured the track "Ruff Ryders Anthem" when the competitors came home from their first challenge of going underwater that, along with many other songs, instantly brought back memories to viewers streaming the first episode.

What an honor to have #DMX on the premiere episode of #TheChallengeAllStars ... you will be missed but never forgotten.

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/85bRFaAWtt

— WeWantOGs (@WeWantOGs) April 9, 2021

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All-Stars - "All That You Can’t Leave Behind"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Welcome back everyone... we have just wrapped up an amazing sports weekend with Hideki Matsuyama making Japanese sports history winning The Masters, Real Madrid taking the second installment of El Clasico over FC Barcelona, and night 2 of WrestleMania having just concluded down in Tampa Bay. And now comes not just the dessert, but also the fourth meal of this big weekend of athletic activities in us at DCBLOG offering the 'Pulse of Week 2 of MTV's The Challenge All-Stars on Paramount+.

Amidst so much buzz from Challenge Nation and everyone else, last week saw the much-anticipated premiere which certainly did not disappoint: a testy first daily challenge underwater that proved that this was not gonna be a season watered down for the 40- and up crowd. Just as it was for us watching Real World Homecoming, we also had plenty of nostalgia in your favorite veterans getting down to a 90's dance party, replete with 90's music. And some of the players got a rude awakening when it comes to how this game has changed a bit in the political side of things being prevalent in this modern era.

At the end of last week, the first elimination saw Road Rules 2000's Laterrian take down Real World Parisian Ace in an old-fashioned game of Pole Wrestle. And as we enter this week, the women will be up for the cut for the first time in this young season... and one person who we featured here last year being a guest to a nationally-televised wedding will find herself in the midst of the drama with one friend from back then and getting reacquainted with one who she fought with the last time they were in the same house. And no Challenge would be complete without the one game TJ Lavin loves the most, but this instance of trivia will be a bit different than what we're used to, and another of those we got to feature here last year might also succumb to the half-million-dollar pressure.

After the break, we bring you the DCBLOG SocialPulse of Week 2 of The Challenge All-Stars... and thanks for wrapping this amazing weekend with us.

DC SocialPulse: Floribama Shore - "Club La Basement"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Well, hey there... we're glad to have you in on this Sunday. It's likely that you're just sitting there at home checking in with us on the world of MTV Reality, but you are probably ready to spend some time getting down and dirty. We'll have the chance to do that when we're back to normal... but for some end of week fun you've got the Floribama Shore bam from Montana...  And while there's been plenty of drama lately up north, no season would be complete without fun and family.

If you have been watching this show from day 1 like we have here, we have had a multitude of special guests roll by: the parents on Season 1 and then last year, Kayla Jo also in that first summer, and the three times Jeremiah's brother Josh came in. And for the past two weeks, we have been graced with having someone from Candace's part of the world of Memphis in childhood friend Bethany flying into the bubble... and that has certainly taken everyone's minds off of the drama surrounding Gus after he ran out into the cold after having it out with Candace and the tension he's had with Jeremiah.

Now, it's the turn of Aimee to bring a slice of home -- or in this case, another kind of Perdido Special -- to Big Sky Country in the form of her cousin, and she will spark the attention of those two warring former bromance partners. The guys will also lay their eyes on something very special from the Rocky Mountains as far as food goes... and it's certainly not gonna be as nauseous as that taco soup. And as the Bam's favorite outing of going to the clubs are not an option this season for obvious reasons, then why not bring the club to the basement?

After the break, DCBLOG and the MTV Reality SocialPulse cordially invites you to Floribama Shore's Club Basement... and we'll also head back to the group's normal surroundings for the ride of your life with one of the cuties on A Double Shot at Love. Welcome to this Sunday Funday...

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Double Agents - Semifinal Week

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

In the words of one who's in the midst of his every few years' run of calling the biggest championship events in American pro and college team sports and the most prestigious event in golf in CBS Sports' Jim Nantz, we say "Hello Friends" and welcome on in... as Baylor basks in their national championship and The Masters moves towards crowning a champion we have arrived at, what we at DCBLOG like to classify this as, Semifinal Week in the 36th season of MTV's The Challenge in Double Agents.

A week ago began the stretch drive of this season in the contesting of the penultimate daily challenge as a direct copy of sorts of American Gladiators' Atlasphere brought Kaycee and Leroy another daily win to solidify themselves with being the likely favorite to win this whole thing. But something that's inevitable this time of year but one that we saw well back earlier this winter was that an alliance had to fall apart this close to the cash: Nany deciding to get back with Kyle and giving CT rogue status as they've been trying to keep him from the final... and coming after Amber B. took down Big T in Hall Brawl.

For those who might not be familiar with how we roll around here, the Semifinal is our definition for the season's last regular challenge and elimination round, and this week that goes down before we head for the start line of the final. For every flaw this format might have, the last daily takes mini-final status in testing the endurance capability that's needed for every marathon to the cash... and it begins with TJ Lavin doing something he only does when serious business is needed, as this involves competing around an active volcano. And once the final elimination is done, we will have our version of the Final Four -- but not before something very introverted taking place along that route.

Ahead here, all the action, reaction and interaction of Week 17 of this Challenge season, along with another trip to the Strategy Room to make our official prediction of who wins it all. But after the break, someone who was part of the second wave of the British Invasion into The Challenge makes a heartbreaking announcement about the love of his life. Welcome again, and thanks for joining us...

DC ExtraTime: Remembering Bootstrap

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Instagram @WestonBergmann

Sixteen years ago when they tuned to the premiere of Season 16 of The Real World in Austin, MTV viewers first discovered a 19-year-old young fella whose audition tape that got him casted showed him sporting a mohawk while attending Arizona State University and being depicted as that stereotypical frat guy in college. But once you got to really know him a bit more, you knew that Wes Bergmann was anything but: someone who was an aspiring entrepreneur who would eventually become the most prominent face of his own business incubator company back in his home base of the Midwest.

The Wes most of us know is the one who has evolved greatly from his college days to being part of Challenge royalty: falling in love with a Latina in Texas, getting heated in The Duel elimination arena en route to the first of his two titles, the countless times where he has put his political playbook to work, and of course the dealings he's had with a seven-time champion including its most recent chapter last year. And whether you like him or not, you always had to respect what this guy from KC has done over the years -- there's perhaps no better ginger man than him in the world of MTV Reality television.

He's not quite yet at the level of many of his fellow contemporaries in this world of the fifth major sport... that is, in the rapidly-growing category of those who are parents and those who are about to welcome new babies. But in a way, Wes has spent much of this time outside of the Challenge house also being a dad... and last month, he got to say farewell to his own "man's best friend" and the one who's his biggest fan -- his beloved dog.

DC ExtraTime: Paulie's Chance at Glory

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

IG @PaulCalafiore_

As Viacom and CBS are being busy aggressively pushing the newest player in the streaming world of Paramount+, it's worth noting of where this all began of the newest media powerhouse in our industry. And three years ago this winter & spring, one of the first seeds of that were first planted in the ground that would eventually blossom in this era of being at home all the time during this pandemic.

It was in 2018 that MTV's The Challenge decided to dramatically expand upon its list of probably competitors with which to choose. And the first inklings of what would eventually become the reunited ViacomCBS came when former houseguests of CBS' Big Brother came onto Vendettas and then to the first season of the U.S. version of Ex On The Beach. There, the show that defines summer for every reality TV fan in America has gotten to expand its reach beyond those 100 days in publicized quarantine life in having to made a huge impact on The Challenge, whether you like it or not.

There's little doubt that the ringleader of Big Brother's MTV invasion is Paulie Calafiore of Season 18, who arrived in Hawaii for EOTB USA and then flew over to South Africa where he made it all the way to the end on Final Reckoning, and then again to the War of the Worlds II final. It would've been three straight appearances in the two-day marathon for the cash had he not faltered in the last elimination on the first WOTW season just as he did getting hurt in the Thailand heat. And of course, he found something he didn't get in the EOTB mansion: true love with Cara Maria.

Last summer & fall he watched his older brother Cody win Big Brother All-Stars after being on Season 16 two years prior to him moving into the famed summer house... and now Paulie is eyeing something even bigger than going for $1 million on a reality game show. And last month, he began his quest to follow in the footsteps of a few of his contemporaries and the headlining rookie of Double Agents into uncharted waters for anyone who's been on The Challenge but something as grand: the Olympic world.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All-Stars - The Premiere

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Happy Easter to you and yours from all of us... and what did the Easter Bunny bring with him in his basket to share with all of you this Sunday? He has something very special if you are one of those who has followed MTV's The Challenge from the very beginning. And in the minds of many of you, this will take on the status of being THE marquee attraction of spring 2021 in the world of MTV Reality, even though Double Agents will soon crown a $1 million pair of champions, among other matters.

The entry ViacomCBS has made into the world of streaming television launched exactly a month ago today with Paramount+, and it has been offering an array of library programs, live sports & news, and original content from MTV, CBS and other channels in the CBS & Viacom suite... and that includes The Real World Homecoming. But in a way, that reunion of the first cast of TV's first reality series might just be the undercard to the main event of sorts: a special limited spinoff series of the fifth major pro sport featuring some of the biggest figures from the first few generations of the show you love, playing the modern game that we know as they look to scale the mountain to $500,000.

This week, we commence The Challenge All-Stars with the usual pleasantries that mark the start of any Challenge: players moving into their house, most getting reacquainted with TJ Lavin, and many getting back into game mode after as much as two decades away from competition... though a few of those from the seasons that we have been covering since Rivals II are very familiar. And this will be no ordinary Challenge season or one watered down for the older kids: it begins with a tough underwater challenge, while the politics of the modern game will also test one or a few of the players. And no season of this kind of nostalgia that we've been having lately would be complete without a 90's dance party, too.

After the break, the DCBLOG SocialPulse brings you all the action, reaction, interaction and the lead-up to the premiere of The Challenge All Stars, as it unfolded on Twitter on April Fool's Day Thursday, and specially curated for all of you to enjoy in its uncensored and raw nature, which includes explicit language and if you're mature enough then read with discretion. And afterwards, we'll have a special performance by an Easter bunny... but the man who is inside it just might be familiar. Thanks for joining us Challenge Nation, and welcome... and thanks for spending part of your special Sunday with us.

DC SocialPulse: Floribama Shore - "Bygones"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Well hey there, we're back on here a little earlier than we first had planned... but the week in MTV Reality is not just about the fifth major pro sport taking center stage or big news in the Teen Mom universe in Young & Pregnant alumnus Ashley Jones taking the spot of the new-departed Chelsea Houska in the TM2 family. There is also some drama that's been brewing up in Montana and the Floribama Shore vacation out west.

Last week we had not one, but TWO hours to enjoy with the Bam, but it was anything but an easy time for the occupants of the cabin. The group had to contend with having to search around Missoula to find where Gus went after his argument with Candace over him stealing her hairdryer... and if we haven't had anything odd things like that go down here. But there was something else, too: the arrival into town of Candace's childhood friend Bethany, and the return of Codi's birthday suit and Aimee's taco soup.

But it seems all things revolve around the fact that whatever goes down in Florida will also follow the group wherever they may be... and this week as Gus returns from recovering from that bout with the cold and having to quarantine after that jog he also has to clear the air with the roommates with no idea that there was things that went on as did bonds being formed while he was in that hotel room. And Codi will find himself getting pranked by the possible future Ms. Butts and a probable wedding maid.

We'll join you after the break for the Pulse of this week's episode of Floribama Shore... and we'll tell you about the time that an MTV love alum found herself in a spot that the Bam are familiar with. Thanks for capping off your Saturday night with us...

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Double Agents - "Most Wanted Man"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Hello again everyone... we've made it to April and the Easter holiday weekend... and the bunny has come in from outdoors to bring us some goodies to enjoy at home for what we hope are the last weeks and months of the lockdown. And we at DCBLOG will be right at the heart of it all as we're well underway with spring 2021 in MTV Reality. And for a season that began in December, The Challenge Double Agents is fast approaching its quest to find the last ones standing in springtime.

For a spy thriller-themed season as this is in Iceland, last week saw it take on the boldest of any death-defying feats: going for a skydive to eventually solve a puzzle... and Leroy & Kaycee took out the win to put himself into position to possibly head into retirement as a champion. But the big figures of the week were the team that reunited after a big blowup: CT got into words with Fessy at an 80's dance party to prove who the real boss is, and Big T won her first elimination to earn the last remaining skull at stake.

As we're getting this close to the final, this week the men will be up for the cut where, by night's end, nine players will be left... and the week's daily challenge pays homage to a show that appears on the Pluto TV lineup, and perhaps we may identify who should be the morning line favorite for finals week. And with five teams remaining, an inevitability of any late season will come to pass of an alliance being forced to turn on one of their own, while two players will also find themselves in a late season partnership of their own trying to control the vote, which may be harder as it seems.

In a moment, all the action, reaction and interaction of Week 16 of this Challenge... and then, we'll venture inside the Strategy Room to see where we all stand with just week or so until we arrive at the start line of the final. And in the spirit of this holiday weekend, stick around afterwards where ExtraTime will offer some lessons on how to make the ideal Easter egg just a day before your backyard Easter Egg roll... you will not want to miss this. And welcome to the weekend kiddos...