theWRAP: Are You The One? S2 Episodes 3 & 4

By DC Cueva

@DC408dxtr

It's the first Monday of November - which also happens to be my birthday month too and it's happening in less than two weeks from now. But, it also means tonight is episode 5 of Are You The One? II in Puerto Rico. Now if you're a regular DCBLOG visitor and check out my SocialPulse diaries, then you've noticed that I didn't include episode wrap-ups for either episodes 3 or 4 from the past two weeks. That's because of me being into the World Series, the start of the NBA season and Thursday's premiere of Slednecks, and because I didn't want to get back-tracked in posting the articles in having to compile the complete twitter journal and then struggle to write an episode wrap after while I'm caught up in Giants mania, that's where this comes in.

   When we last did theWRAP for AYTO, it was episode 2 and that was where we found two of the singles catch themselves in a love triangle. We found out some valuable and juicy scoop on some of the housemates, and that girl who entered the house as the last one in was finally put into the truth booth, but after all that, #Team21 was still in tact. What we didn't know at that time was something crazy was about to start happening.
   For episode 3, tears were abound when Shelby decided to being to an end that aforementioned love triangle of her, Nathan and Dario. The Brandon & Christina Show would begin to ultimately become Brandon & Christina featuring John as the law student looked at potentially becoming another triangle. And the house found out there's someone with a vCard living in Puerto Rico.

   And then last week in episode 4, we saw a drunken mishap threaten to bring down the house's strongest couple, while Anthony take a shot at one part of a house triangle and John made his move on Christina. And after receiving the best news they've gotten so far, they are then dealt the most brutal hand the show has ever given in its short life.

   And after theWRAP of what might be, other than the season 1 finale the best episode of the two seasons of AYTO, we'll elaborate on a key talking point in Puerto Rico, and talk about who from this show could make an impact on what many call the "5th major pro sport." Join me after the jump as we recap episodes 3 and 4 of Are You The One?.

DC SocialPulse: Are You The One? S2 - "Loose Lips Sink Relationships"

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, 

objectionable content to some readers and spoilers 

for international fans. Viewer Discretion is Advised. ***

By DC Cueva

@DC408Dxtr/@DC408DxNow

Welcome back again to DC SocialPulse and our episode journal for episode 4 of Are You The One? Season 2. Last week, there was plenty of tears flowing in the house, especially with the guys, as Shelby ended her triangle with Dario and Nate. Meanwhile, the ongoing saga of Brandon & Christina continued, but this time with John making his play to grab the 11th girl. And Ashley announced to the house her virginity, along with progress in their quest for the cash.

   This week is definitely the best episode by far this season. We see a drunken mishap threaten to bring down the house's strongest couple, while Anthony makes a play for one part of a house triangle. And after going on a date last week, John makes his move on the 11th girl. And after receiving the best news they've gotten so far, they are then dealt the most brutal hand the show has given yet. And after twitter's view of this wild episode, its lead-up and its aftermath, find out which one-of-a-kind Olympian got to hang out with one of the originals, along with more wedding bells for Team MTV.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but I am keeping it uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
- And if you haven't watched the episode yet, then don't proceed. But don't worry, DCBLOG will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.

So with that, join us after the jump for an eventful episode 4 from Puerto Rico and the road to it.

The Look: Buckwild and Slednecks

By DC Cueva

@DC408dxtr

As we are now deep in the Fall, it feels like Christmas to TV fans. All of our favorite shows have returned for all-new seasons, while new ones are popping up all over the place on broadcast, cable and online. And as you would suspect by my social interactions, I am most excited about season two of Are You The One?, which has joined The Real World and The Challenge as my favorite MTV shows. Through the first four episodes, I've already gotten behind Team 21 in Puerto Rico with aspirations of winning $1 million and landing true love, just as the season 1 cast did earlier this year when they accomplished that goal and saw the only remaining couple get married and having a baby.

   But, as I've written so many times, I don't limit my MTV viewing to just that trifecta or the VMA's. Thanks in large part to the fan friendly nature of social media and me having a broad knowledge of the MTV world as someone who's watched the channel loyally for 16 years, I've followed everyone from passionate New Yorkers, Texas bartenders and a cross-country family to aspiring nurses and chefs, and recently to young adults dealing with virginity...and that's only in the past two years alone.
   For someone who's used to watching great storytelling and intense competition on that channel I've watched since back in high school, the latest MTV show I'm adding to my collection will allow me the chance to enjoy something that I don't have much of because of the presence of drama on most shows and being engaged by great stories on others. And that would be plenty of opportunities to enjoy a laugh and have lots of fun. Finally, I'll have a chance to let loose a little and chuckle a bit.

When it premieres this Thursday - Halloween Eve, Slednecks will become the 17th overall MTV show, the 12th new MTV series and 10th outside the RW/Challenge bubble that I will have followed since I joined twitter two years ago. But for the first time during this stretch, there will be cast members coming to us by way of our country's northernmost state, whose seminal moment came 55 years ago this past January when they were officially granted statehood as the 49th state in the union.
   If you dig shows with a group of hard-partying, carefree teens and where fun, not drama, is your cup of tea, then you're likely gonna fall in love with Slednecks. If the promos & footage are any indication, then we are expecting plenty of fun, plenty of laughs, and even some drama as we chill with Jackie, Trevor, Kelly, Sierra, Amber, Zeke, Tosca, Dylan, Big Mike, Hali and Samantha in Alaska. And if you thought that the partying ways of the Jersey Shore cast or the antics of the Buckwild bunch was something else, then wait until you get to see what these have in store for us beginning in a few days. And as they say, "you ain't seen nothing yet."

But before we take a look ahead to the latest to accompany 10 Spot Thursday, let's dive a bit back to the first months of last year, when the buzz of the MTV world was focused in on West Virginia. And had it not been for a tragic accident, then we would've been enjoying the 3rd season of their show right now.

DC's View: Real World Skeletons

By DC Cueva

@DC408dxtr

As we head into the latter part of October with a week until the madness of Halloween takes over, this MTV fan is already deep into both enjoying and covering season 2 of Are You The One? from Puerto Rico. And next Thursday, I will be getting down and dirty in the snow with the fun-loving friends of Slednecks. But very soon, there will be a brief time during the merriest of seasons we have all year that I will have three shows for me to live tweet at my DCNOW live twitter hub.

Before Monday's episode of AYTO, we found out the coming twist for season 30 of The Real World, which premieres on December 16th. It's not just the longest-running show in MTV history, but also the longest-running primetime entertainment series on basic cable. Earlier this year for its 29th season, the show made the unprecedented move of, for the first time in its long 22-year history, changing its format to adding new permanent roommates in the exes that joined Arielle, Ashley, Cory, Jamie, Jay, Jenny and Thomas in San Francisco, and helped bring new viewers to the show with its best viewership since Mike Mike's Back to Vegas season.

   This time for its 30th season, the series will continue in that direction of straying away from the original "seven strangers" formula that had been in use since 1992, which until earlier this year was becoming a bit stale and bland while other shows have come on the scene and stolen RW's thunder. I know there's been a lot of people who aren't happy, and while I won't mention names, like last season with Ex-Plosion there was an outcry of mixed reaction to the twist, which was revealed on my birthday of all things. And it was also the same thing on when the twist for this season, RW Skeletons, was revealed.

As was the case back in January, our new group of seven strangers will leave behind their hometowns and move into an old nightclub turned urban loft in in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago, with the hopes that they will have the time of their lives in the Windy City, just as in past Real World seasons. But this time, the twist will again see the roommates being joined in the house by people from their pasts, aka "skeletons."

   Each roommate has experienced things like this before - broken relationships, estranged family members, shattered lives and dark secrets - and they'll discover eventually they can't escape the mistakes, unresolved issues of yesteryear and repugnant behavior as they will all resurface the instant they walk in the door, which will see the Chicago Seven deal with past demons. As the presser notes, "It's an emotional, funny, and challenging rollercoaster with a variety of skeletons."

For me, although I do maintain a sense of being a traditionalist but also being open to try out new things, I fully support the change. As I wrote back last year when Ex-Plosion was revealed and then when rumors of the AYTO/Challenge crossover was discovered over the summer, I've always been a great Real World fan for a long time, and even after the reboot, I will still remain a loyal viewer who continues to watch every episode on every season regardless of the people, city or format. And I am looking forward to watching season 30 the same way I've done for the other seasons before it and now with other MTV shows: with great anticipation and supporting all the cast members.

   Reading the descriptions of the kinds of storylines we'll be watching this season, RW Skeletons will be a season that will be tailor-made for a fan who's always been engaged by the storytelling aspects of the show and its castmates ever since the first generation. This is a job Bunim-Murray Productions continues to take seriously and take great pride in, and is partly the reason why I gravitate more to programming like this than most other things on TV. And though I'm now into The Challenge and Are You The One?, I feel more at home in the down-to-earth environment of The Real World.

   Seeing a cyber bully, family members, old bosses, a baby mama & old flames coming to visit Chicago will create compelling storylines in the Windy City. This will allow me to get to know the new group of seven strangers even more, while also letting that relate to those in the audience who can relate to what they're going through. And already, I can thank the roommates who I'll be getting to know in a matter of days for being brave enough to put the adversities they've gone through privately in front of millions of people, and it will sure make for great, engaging TV coming up.

So, now I have something to look forward to when the days get shorter, when I turn 31 in just under a month, and when all of us are getting in that holiday mood and ready to celebrate Christmas and the new year. And just as it was last December when I had three MTV shows to live tweet to end the year, this time it will be even better, and I will get the best of three worlds: the show I'm most comfortable in - Real World; the show that's become my new favorite - Are You The One; and the show I'm looking forward to in having a laugh - Slednecks. Should be lots of fun.

   And while many of us complain about the change in this formula even before we've gotten our first visual glimpse of what awaits us coming in December, I feel it's best for us to wait for the footage and photography to be released in the coming weeks before we can make a judgement on it; as they always say, you can never judge a book by just glancing at its cover, it's what's inside that matters most.

So, that's my view. And to the cast who might be reading this (as well as the extra roommates we'll be seeing eventually), welcome to Team MTV. Let the countdown to December 16th begin.

DCBLOG will be covering Real World Skeletons like never before, using the same winning playbook that's been used successfully to cover the last two Challenges, RW Ex-Plosion and now with Are You The One?, all to tremendous web traffic and acclaim. Our signature, one-of-a-kind DC SocialPulse diaries will feature exclusive tweet-by-tweet diaries of every moment from the season as seen by cast, alumni, fans and me. I'll also be offering Fan's View posts throughout the season as well as the possibility of interviewing cast members on here too.

   And serving as a complement to the numerous website wraps and podcasts done by other websites, DCB will offer more of a unique perspective as this season unfolds. This will include retrospective posts covering the show's history including thoughts from the show's co-creator Jon Murray, the first episodes from seasons past, and much more. Real World aside, we're already covering AYTO Season 2 in Puerto Rico, and coming this week we'll preview Slednecks and look at the Halloween holiday.

   And for the live tweeting of Real World Skeletons, as well as the current season of Are You The One? Puerto Rico, Slednecks and the big events in sports & entertainment (including the ongoing World Series), follow my dedicated live twitter handle, DCNOW at @DC408DxNow, as well as my usual Twitter and Instagram handle @DC408Dxtr for tweets, chats, alerts and photos.

   So, the journey is now underway. For now, thanks for reading and see you then.

- I AM DC

DC SocialPulse: Are You The One? S2 - "Virgin Tears"

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, 

objectionable content to some readers and spoilers 

for international fans. Viewer Discretion is Advised. ***

By DC Cueva

@DC408dxtr / @DC408dxnow

Back with you once again for DC SocialPulse and our episode diary for episode 3 of Are You The One? Season 2. Last week, a new love triangle emerged in the house, while one couple became ever closer because of one girl's personal bout with misfortune. Another couple who became attracted to one another in week 1 were sent into the truth booth but weren't a match, and left the group in neutral with the same matchup number: two.
   This week, have plenty of those tissue boxes ready as tears are abound when Shelby decides to being to an end that aforementioned love triangle of her, Nathan and Dario. After what happened last week with their no match, The Brandon & Christina Show looks at potentially becoming another triangle with John trying to join in. And the house finds out there's someone with a vCard living in Puerto Rico.

   Along with the episode tweets, check out the conversations between Briana & John, Briana & Amber from Slednecks, Bri & our friend Brian Cohen and of course Bri & Curtis. After twitter's view, we'll look at more news from the family front in Team MTV as another Real World'er ties the knot and the interesting backstory that came along with it.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but I am keeping it uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)

- And if you haven't watched the episode yet, then don't proceed. But don't worry, DCBLOG will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.

So with that, join us after the jump for episode 3 from the islands.

The Look: An MTV Sampler

By DC Cueva

@DC408Dxtr

As we go deeper into the best time of the year to be a TV fan with new and returning shows taking precedent this fall, for those of you who head to my social nets, you probably know I'm a huge fanatic of The Real World, The Challenge, and now Are You The One?. Of course, the buzz for the ladder is now in full swing again with season two having just premiered, preceded by the season 1 cast reuniting again to celebrate the pending marriage & new baby arrival for their only remaining perfect match Ethan & Amber. And soon, season 30 of the legacy series in Chicago and season 26 of the so-called 5th major sport will be on as well, with production of both taking place right now.

   But as I've written so many times, I'm not one who watches MTV just for those now-three shows and of course the VMA's. All programming is open to me, though with respect to the TM/16&P ladies, Rob Dyrdek and casts of its scripted fare (and I wouldn't say no to giving them a try & wouldn't say anything bad about them also), my focus is more on reality shows with competition, storytelling and docu-series with a large or mixed gender cast. And of course, social media and Team MTV being fan friendly to its followers have played a huge role in me sampling & ultimately enjoying shows outside of the bubble. As of now, I've interacted with over 200 members of the MTV family in the social world, including over 120-130 from the RW/Challenge community, the entire AYTO S1 cast and other shows.

   Since I joined twitter on Real World St. Thomas premiere day on June 27, 2012, I've followed to date 15 seasons of MTV shows: three seasons each of The Real World and The Challenge, plus nine outside the ecosystem; and there's at least five more seasons coming up in the months ahead. And when you add in my MTV DVD collection that includes Laguna Beach, The Hills, Jack@$$ and Punk'd among others, along with other shows that I've watched that are too many to mention here, you'll see why I'm an overall MTV fan and have been for 16 years now.

   Over the summer, I've had only one show that I've both watched and live tweeted, Virgin Territory, which we covered in our last edition of The Look. I've been enjoying watching young adults go through the decision of having sex or not, while also documenting their lives in love and what they're about. This fall, in addition to Are You The One? and maybe a RW/Challenge season if filming wraps soon enough for a late fall debut, I'll be following & live tweeting my 16th MTV series, Slednecks from Alaska. If the promos are any indication, we can expect lots of laughs and plenty of fun in the Land of the Midnight Sun. We'll take a look at that and its West Virginian predecessor, Buckwild, just before its Halloween Eve premiere.

For this 2nd edition of The Look, I have short listed a few shows that I haven't covered yet here on DCBLOG to review and offer thoughts on. They might be overshadowed by the likes of not just the aforementioned trio, but also Teen Wolf, Teen Mom, Awkward, Ridiculousness, Jersey Shore and the like, and in fact they all aren't on-air anymore, but these are shows that I became very interested in and would like to share with you on here. And in the case of three of these that were on rather recently, not once did I tune out midway through - I & true fans would always stay to the very end and watch every episode. And after the jump, we'll begin with two shows that share the same aspect of reality TV that I like very much: aspiring shows with inspirational people.

DC SocialPulse: Are You The One? S2 - "The Truth Will Cost You"

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, 

objectionable content to some readers and spoilers 

for international fans. Viewer Discretion is Advised. ***

By DC Cueva

@DC408dxtr / @DC408dxnow

Welcome once again to DC SocialPulse and to our episode diary for episode 2 of Are You The One? Season 2. Last week, the season began with a twist being given to the latest group of 20 pledges in search for love: the additional of an additional 11th girl who is part of a double match for one of the guys. There was a scheme by one of the couples to stay out of the truth booth, a broken nose and an icy challenge. Their quest for the cash started where season 1 was: a no match in the truth booth and only two matches in the matchup, but it's just the first try with a long way to go and lots of time.

   After the events of the premiere, this week sees two of the singles suddenly find themselves in the middle of everyone's favorite romantic situation on MTV reality shows: a love triangle. We'll find out some valuable and juicy scoop on some of the housemates, and that girl who entered the house as the last one in is finally eligible to go into the room that changes everything, which could send a girl home. And will good fortune come to Team 21?

   Along with the tweets before, during and after the premiere, check out which three guys got to celebrate birthdays this week, which frenamies were joined by an OG and tragic news for one of the guys in Puerto Rico. And in our EP2 edition of theWRAP, we'll look at two life-changing events: one that was revealed in this episode - for which it'll be explained more in depth, and which member of Team MTV is the latest to get engaged.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but I am keeping it uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)

- And if you haven't watched the episode yet, then don't proceed. But don't worry, DCBLOG will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.

So with that, join us after the jump for episode 2 from the islands.

DC Fan's View: Are You The One? S2 Premiere & After Match 1

The views expressed in Fan's View are only those of its subject and do not necessarily 
reflect the viewpoints of DCBLOG or its blogger. This post also contains spoilers for 
international readers and some adult language, please read with discretion.

By DC Cueva, with Janette Diaz

> @DC408dxtr, @JannieL0ve

Welcome to a new week - Happy Columbus Day or Indigenous People's Day to many of you, and to AYTO Monday and our coverage of Are You The One? Season 2. After we saw the season 1 cast one more time to celebrate Amber & Ethan's new baby girl, last Monday we began the sequel in a big way with the revealing of an 11th girl twist to a great cast of 10 perfectly matched girls & guys. And what got everyone talking was one couple who did everything they can to avoid being put into the truth booth. Already, we're looking forward to tonight's 2nd episode and to get you set for it, we proudly bring you the 7th edition of DC Fan's View, my chats with fans on the MTV shows you love.

Once again, just as we did earlier this year, DCBLOG will again involve on here the people who drive the conversation of our favorite shows more than anyone else: the fans. On our DC SocialPulse diaries, in addition to showcasing the instant thoughts of MTV cast members, we'll also include tweets from fans and myself as we see the episodes and the show's big moments. And most importantly, we'll again cover the time when they and cast members get together to relive those moments again and discuss them in detail live in studio.

   If you're an MTV fan, then you know that there's reunions and after shows that take place during the season on select series where the cast gets together to discuss everything that went on during the season. And if the past is any indication, when the cast gets together for the first time since filming ended, there's almost sure to be lots of fireworks, similar to what we see on the episodes. Regardless of whether it's live or taped, there's some things that you didn't see or hear unless you're one of those lucky people who get to sit in that studio & have a front row seat to all the drama.

   Ever since we first did these posts with Real World Portland last year and then with The Challenge Rivals II, RW Ex-Plosion and Are You The One? S1, DC Fan's View has provided a unique fan's perspective on these reunions/after shows: being in the studio, seeing the drama firsthand, off-camera gossip and, of course, thoughts on the cast & moments. With providing this platform in giving them the mic, this adds a totally unique dimension in covering these shows from the point of view of the audience members, complementing the media & webcasts talking to the casts.

   For this sophomore season of AYTO, in addition to the reunion at season's end, MTV is banking on greater success for this show by adding weekly after shows to the mix. Two key differences between seasons 1 & 2 is that the AYTO after shows will air every week after every episode, and will be LIVE instead of being pre-taped & then edited to air weeks later, a total opposite from what's usually the case for The Real World & The Challenge; and of course, there's nothing that's left on the cutting room floor. And aside from the Catfish After Shows, the last time an MTV reunion show took place live was last fall's Rivals II Reunion, best known for Knight slapping Frank on-stage.

Today, as we kick off our latest cycle of Fan's View posts - which will now be more frequent than usual, I'm pleased to welcome back a previous guest of mine on here - in fact my last guest, Janette Diaz (@JannieL0ve). She was one of my two subjects from my last fan chat covering the AYTO Season 1 Reunion back in April where Ethan & Amber get engaged and notched a Top 10 listing in total page views. This time around, she won't have to worry about sitting in that chair for 9 hours like that season 1 reunion, as AYTO After Match Live will take place for just 30 minutes on-air and is a relatively straight-forward event with only a few cast members present.

   Along with covering the season's first after show, the eventful premiere episode and everything that went on last week, we'll also discuss the season 2 cast, provide some preseason predictions of what's gonna happen in Puerto Rico, and look back at the baby shower with the season 1 OG's from two weeks ago. Join me and Janette after the jump as we talk all things Are You The One?...again.