DC ExtraTime: The Caucus Challenge - Deception

A Follow-Up to: The Caucus Challenge (Sept. 2017)

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

We hope you, the MTV fans, are enjoying what has already been a big Premiere Week, with the returns of Catfish and Wild N' Out to come, and the countdown now on to Season 7 of Are You The One? - Season of Fate. Last night was the premiere of Season 32 of The Challenge: Final Reckoning in South Africa, and we'll look at last night's explosive opening act here in a few days, along with the debut of Season 2 of Floribama Shore. But to tide you over at midweek, something special...
   Of the nearly 700 posts DCBLOG has done covering MTV Reality since summer 2013, this site has covered every single episode and big moment of the fifth major pro sport and Jersey Shore's Southern cousins, along with Are You The One, Real World and Ex On The Beach, among others. We've also offered glimpses into the people and stories of this special community and the world through this prism, and unique angles into the most buzzed about programming on a channel as young as you are.

But perhaps, in the five years this site has covered this beat like no one does, no single post has had as quite a big impact on fans like you than the story we did last September when we discovered a unique gem in the YouTube atmosphere. There, we traced last year's New York launch tour by The Challenge XXX cast and one of those who met them, a fan of MTV Reality and summer staple Big Brother, Andres Rodriguez, to when he invited his friends in his hometown of Secaucus, New Jersey to do a web series inspired from what they religiously watched those series.
   The Caucus Challenge brought those who Andres knew from high school and their fellow friends from all over this New York suburb known to sports fans where NBA and MLB replay decisions go down there, to the backyard of his house for seasons that film for one day. Then, it is edited in just about the same MTV style to then be posted on his YouTube channel weekly, and it has become much bigger than just a local competition. And our post on this show last fall had a strong personal impact on him and those involved in the series, which is now one of our most-viewed posts on here.
   After Andres took a break from doing these shows for the tall task that is freshman year in college in Orlando, Florida, this past spring over his Spring Break he returned to doing what does best, and again he sent out an invitation to those who were ready to handle what he has in store next. And if the first several seasons provided a good prelude, then they had no idea of what they had in store for what would come in the always intense game of Deception.

DC ExtraTime: The Caucus Challenge

BY DC CUEVA                     

■ @DC408Dxtr  @ TW / IG / YT

Hello there and welcome to DCBLOG's trek Inside the MTV Trifecta during this busy week for those who love reality TV. The past two nights have seen the start of Dancing with the Stars, the finale of America's Got Talent, and the winner of Big Brother 19 will be chosen at night's end, and we're one week away from the debut of Season 35 of the venerable Survivor. And we have a busy week ourselves here: last night was Episode 10 of The Challenge XXX: Dirty 30, while tonight is the premiere of Are You The One? Season 6 from New Orleans. Of course, we'll be covering both of them for you in our traditional time of over the weekend, but to tide you over we have this bonus edition of ExtraTime to share with you to put you into this mood for this week's posts.

Often in the soon to be 500 posts we've done here and most on some of television's most exciting reality series, DCBLOG has spotlighted some of the people who drive the conversation of the shows that matter more than any other constituency: the fans. We have featured people of the Trifecta fandom like yourselves in the past, where we've featured firsthand looks at the various reunions, an extraordinary fan becoming a lifelong friend of The Challenge's most loved & hated man, and others who have gotten to meet those who entertain us each week and interact with us in between episodes.
   This story might be the most unique and dynamic story involving those like you who watch these shows with me and everybody who discuss this ecosystem and interact regularly with its hundreds who've been on our screens since it began 25 years ago this summer. And if you thought that just being a fan who only watches and discusses The Challenge is one thing, then wait until you hear this.

Imagine being a fan of the show you love watching the most out of any other, and thinking of an idea so radical it begins to take the web and social media by storm. That's exactly what's been happening with our subject, where a fan who lives just outside New York City was inspired by what we've seen on the fifth major pro sport and got together some of his friends from high school to compete in their own version of The Challenge.

   On this dedicated edition of ExtraTime, we take a look at the wildest and most exciting backyard competition: The Caucus Challenge.