RETROACTIVE POST
BY DC CUEVA
> @DC408dxtr / @DC408dxnow
theWRAP
So this week, we saw in Panama the fallout from the vote that tore apart an alliance and friendship, a bad night turned costly for one player, another dose of redemption, and one last elimination battle that determined our final three teams going for the cash. Those are the Things to Know, which this week is at Six rather than Five.
SIX THINGS TO KNOW
- The Fallout: We picked up where last week's episode left off (yet again in a cliffhanger-heavy season) with the reaction to
Sarah &
Jordan voting in
Bananas &
Nany as they check into a hotel suite in Panama after their last regular mission. An explosive argument ensues between both teams in its aftermath, while the team who will be facing Banany in the Dome,
Leroy &
Nia, are waiting for them. He wants her to focus on the game, while she's getting more irritated with him at the same time because she doesn't want to be mad about this. This sudden tension between both Sarah and Bananas spills into the After Show as well.
- Awkward Dinner, Sarah Bullied: Nany receives a clue via envelopes that they are headed to Norway, thanks to the plane tickets inside the minibar. But while the finalists are soaking in their finals berth upon their arrival 30 some odd hours later, the Dome combatants just can't get excited about being in Europe given two of them will be leaving empty-handed. At dinner when Sarah praises the food and wine they're having, Johnny becomes annoyed by her that he decides to get up and walk away from the dinner table. After a day out in their Norwegian surroundings, Sarah gets bullied in the house by Nia, Leroy, Johnny and Nany, which leads to...
- Nia's Bad Night, Nany Blacks Out: Annoyed by their behavior, Jordan stands up for Sarah and tells Nia that she quit missions as what happened previously and also can't talk about anyone else in the game. In response - and echoing what we saw from them on RW Portland, Nia starts getting at Jordan and calls him all sorts of derogatory names, pulls down his pants, and even pokes at his private parts in claiming he has lady parts. This catches TJ's attention and tells Nia to pack up and come with him, but are provided with no clue on her whereabouts. Tension increases amongst the group, especially with Johnny and rookie
Jay, and when they go out, Nany &
Jenna are getting wasted, frustrating Bananas after the $700 bar tab, but not much else in the morning hangover.
- Theresa's 2nd Chance: If what we saw with the Exile twist in Banany earning their way back in the game was one thing, then imagine what it would be if a player is eliminated, only to return to it before the final? That's exactly what happened as Nia crossing the line caused her to be sent home. Because a partner is needed for this game, Leroy thought he was screwed, only to find out that he will not only stay, but get a new partner! As you saw above,
Theresa told twitter user
Kyle McCann (@ItsKyleMaccc) that when she flew back after her loss, she then had 2 hours to return back to the show and to Norway to compete. Producers felt it would be unfair for Bananas & Nany to go into the final without going to elimination, and in my mind it was the right call to make them, and Leroy & Theresa, earn their way into the final rather than get a free pass and forgo the last Dome altogether.
- Last Dome: So, the last Dome is what will turn out to be the only repeat elimination this season: the X factor. Johnny & Nany are familiar with this game as they beat Adam & Brittany in the Exile, as they have an X-shaped bar and must rip it out of their opponents' hands, in a best-of-3 series. In the guys' heat, Johnny felt his rib crack and it turns out to be a fracture. After an out of bounds restart, Leroy gets his full hands on the X and wins the heat. For the girls, Nany throws Theresa to the ground, but they keep fighting when Theresa pins her down and dig her knee into her ribs and kicks her in the face...yep, it's a good old cat-fight - what happened in them during Free Agents last year now seems like a distant memory. When the dust settles, Leroy & Theresa complete the 2-0 whitewash and send home, for real, Bananas and Nany.
- The Final: So, the final three are set: Jordan & Sarah, Jay & Jenna, and Leroy & Theresa. What will be awaiting them? Their final challenge next week is to climb to the top of Mount Slogen, a 5200 foot mountain in the Sunnmøre Alps in the northern part of Fjord in the Western part of the country, once hiked up to by the wife of the country's King Harald V, Queen Sonja. As always, there will be various checkpoints along the way and the first part of it will be a helicopter ride to boats they will be rowing to shore after jumping into the river from the 'copters. They all must finish to get a cut of the cash: the winners receive $250,000; the runners-up will pocket $75,000 and the bronze medalists will earn $30,000. That comes your way on Tuesday.
- Leroy: For a fella having his most successful Challenge season and overtaking what he did in his first go on Rivals, RoyLee is now into his second final after winning his fourth Dome elimination. But he came very close to seeing that dream vanish when Nia got kicked out. Instead, he stayed, got a great partner as her replacement, and he beat Johnny Bananas in what turned out to be their only heat in what was a 2-0 sweep for him and Theresa. By beating Johnny Bananas for the 2nd time, he stamped his ticket to the final; and got much respect from JB himself...it wasn't long ago that they and Derrick Kosinski were talking about his Real World season on Ultimate Challenge Radio. This is the 5th time in six seasons that RW Back to Vegas has been represented in a Challenge final, and Leroy is now XXV's first 2-time finalist, and he now has a better chance in the final with Theresa than with what he might have had with Nia, and obviously Mike Mike. It's his time to shine.
- Theresa: In a season that saw her friend turned nemesis receive redemption, Theresa now has her own shot at not just redemption, but sweet redemption for that matter in the final. All of us thought that she was eliminated after losing to Leroy & Nia in Hall Brawl. But, I do agree with Reality Radio that because Wes wasn't at 100% during that 2nd heat and when the Nia thing happened, Theresa was the right choice to replace her and deserved a 2nd shot. For someone who went all the way to the last elimination and lost last season after what was her best season to date (including winning her first elimination), now T.Time now finally has a shot at a title, and it's well-deserved. She's been a great competitor since we first saw her first on Fresh Meat II five years ago, thanks in no small part to her athletic prowess that made her a high school basketball star in Milwaukee. With the guy she hooked up in Thailand as her new partner now, she can make the most of this opportunity.
- Zuri Hall: Once again, DCBLOG's Winners of the Night also singles out someone who's not in the cast, but a host who's really come into their own this year. After hosting the BMP-produced Million Dollar Maze Runner last fall, Zuri took over for Jonny Moseley as host of The Challenge After Show this season, and she has really done an awesome job hosting it this season. Though some fans have been asking for someone like Mark Long or Coral to host, Steve The Steamer and Brian Cohen have expressed great support for Zuri in doing this task of asking the cast the right questions and keeping the group sane on set in the midst of all the drama. This has also earned her Reunion hosting duties next week and don't be surprised if they add more duties to her growing resume.
