DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Final Reckoning - A First Shot At Redemption

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're reading this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

With not much to elaborate on, it's been an eventful first Saturday of August to say the least. And as you all have the opportunity to chill on this summer's night - or just taking a break from your night out or house party, come on in to our DCBLOG view of The Challenge: Final Reckoning, and to the Pulse of Episode 4 as a packed first month in South Africa draws to a close in explosive fashion.
   During an extended 3-part premiere of sorts, last week saw the revealing of how the process of elimination will go down in South Africa. The season's first regular challenge winners, Brad & Kyle, had nothing to worry about as they relaxed and had a hand in voting who goes into elimination as in past seasons, only they get a power vote of two as it takes place in secret. Then, it has a hand in giving whoever receives the most votes goes in, but also gives the team voted in a chance to get revenge on one of the teams who them in.
   After a tough elimination battle, Kam upped her perfect mark on the regular series to 4-0 and sent Paulie & Natalie to the Redemption House, and this week they and the rest of the occupants of the villa are the night's focus. They, Britni & Chuck, Jenna & Jemmy and Jozea & Da'Vonne will have an opportunity to re-enter the game... but they once arrive they also get a rude awakening from TJ when he unleashes the game's latest twist. And for one of these eight, he brings the persona that made him a villain the first time he was on reality TV to the fifth major pro sport.

You'll find out what he does there as we'll have that and all the action, reaction and interaction from this episode for you ahead, along with the latest batch to Twitter drama to have everyone in the stan world ready to pounce. All of that is ahead here... good to have you with us tonight.

DC ExtraTime: A Rose City Reunion of Romance

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Instagram @NurysKMateo

Five years ago, the nation's 25th largest metropolis welcomed eight strangers to what turned out to be the last Real World season to use the formula it used when it debuted more than a quarter-century ago: seven strangers picked to live in house and see what happens when they start getting real. There in Portland, Oregon, we saw an Oklahoman with one whole hand endure tough love to eventually become a two-time Challenge champ, a romance between a Bostonian and a Hooters girl, and a piece of poop from her pet dog spur one of the most jaw-dropping moments in MTV Reality history of a fight with her and a girl they call "Hurricane Nia."
   Fast forward to 2018, and since that time MTV has added two series from a subgenre synonymous with roses, love and heartbreak: romantic reality television. At the same time that the reality OG embraced the theme of love and drama, Are You The One brought the MTV reality formula to a genre synonymous with The Bachelor, and the terms Perfect Match, Truth Booth and Boom Boom Room joined our lexicon. From quintessential perfect match Amber & Ethan of Season 1 right up to what went down in its most recent chapter last year, the series has already made quite a mark in bringing something new to this subgenre.
   And overseas, a new MTV International format took what Real World Ex-Plosion did in San Francisco and turned it on its head into a twisted tale. It brought several Brits including one from Jersey Shore's UK equivalent Geordie Shore to an island paradise for a good-old holiday vacation by the beach, only for their exes to crash the bash. Ex On The Beach has delighted MTV's international audience the past few years, and after four British alumni invaded America for the first time on The Challenge Vendettas, a new U.S. version introduced what they call "the ultimate relations*** show" to America, and gave those reason to stick around after Jersey Shore this spring.

What we saw in the Big Easy and Hawaii the past year has been nothing short of exciting in the MTV Reality spectrum. Shortly, a new group of twenty-two single girls and guys will take their place when a new season of AYTO takes center stage, while one of those who were in Hawaii this spring has already made his mark on a much bigger stage.
   But earlier this summer, a group of those who lived out the experiences of being on AYTO Season 6 and on Ex On The Beach got together for what was certainly not your daddy's quaint little get-together to catch up on old times. It was a memorable weekend of reliving that feeling of living in the same house at the same time in the same place before one of them debuted on The Challenge Final Reckoning and the torch being passed from them to a Season 7 cast with big shoes to fill when it bows in 12 days from now.
   Unlike the first time, no MTV cameras were present to capture it for those in our living rooms, but thanks to social media everyone had a front row seat on their smartphones to watch this epic Rose City Reunion of Romance go down in the Willamette Valley.

DC SocialPulse Extra: Before Final Reckoning Episode 4

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language and objectionable content. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its long length, take frequent eye breaks if you're reading this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Hello, and Happy Friday blog friends... we're glad you're with us to begin this summer's weekend. Ahead of us, all the action, reaction and interaction of this week on The Challenge: Final Reckoning as revenge is on the mind of the Redemption House. But before that comes up here, the in-between interaction between the events of Week 3 and this week, including a champion and his ex, more Twitter beefing, and a thought for the day from our friend down in Surf City. Enjoy...

MTV Reality: Floribama Shore - "Miss La Vela"

*** Advisory: Running diary below contains adult language, objectionable content and spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're reading this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Hello friends, and welcome to DCBLOG's view of the world Inside MTV Reality... we're glad you're with us again. Ahead of us here: revenge is on the minds for those in Redemption on The Challenge, and a romantic reunion in the place known simply as The Rose City. But first on this summer's Thursday night, drama taking place down by the Floribama Shore.
   Season 2 of Jersey Shore's Southern cousins has already offered plenty of drama and last week saw the most jam-packed one of all. After their cab hookup, Nilsa and Gus decided to not take that thing to another level (for now), while Aimee went to the hospital for dehydration and Kortni showed off her diaper. But when they went out to celebrate Gus' birthday, the night turns out to be nothing more than the Las Vegas-hangover kind of night of many things going down: another incident at a local bar, Candace and the birthday boy arguing and Kirk finding himself in trouble.
   He slapped a bystander after they were made fun of for getting kicked out, and at night's end the cops came to their door to put him under arrest. And this week, he and the house will find out if he will spend a night in jail, just as it was with Ronnie back on Season 1 in Seaside. When the most twisted night ever for our Floribama crew in PCB ends, our favorite Southern bartender continues his quest for get laid. And once they're all recovered from their hangover, the roommates come together to support two of their own when a bikini contest takes over town.

After the jump, Episode 4 of Season 2 of Floribama Shore. Dive in...

DC ExtraTime: Halsey, a Challenger and an Original

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

One of the things that makes the ExtraTime element of our MTV coverage unique is that we get to link what's happening now in pop culture and current events to the people of The Challenge and all of the other series that make up reality TV's most-compelling lineup. Because of this site, we have had the chance to introduce you to those who might not be cast members of these shows but who have ties in some way to these people thanks to them getting to meet Team MTV over the years.
   From YouTuber Rachel Levin to Andres Rodriguez & his Caucus Challenge friends and so many others, those from all walks of life have been featured here, along with the many celebrities, athletes and key figures of the day that have crossed paths with cast members of these shows. We've featured so many of them since we began covering this beat five years ago, and is part of making our look at MTV Reality appeal to both the casual viewers and the passionate fans.
   Back in 2016, we featured in a small sense an up-and-coming pop singer who took at the stage at MTV's annual celebration of outstanding achievements on the silver screen, but who has since taken on greater heights thanks to being part of that year's most memorable song. So much has happened since then for Halsey, and with the recent news of her having a high-profile celebrity breakup while on tour right now, we thought about revisiting and updating this story, this time to cover not only that but also something that was discovered this past weekend.

DC WRAP Double Shot: Final Reckoning's 1st 3 Weeks and Floribama Madness

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Welcome back everyone on this Monday... a week with the last two days of July and the start of August is just beginning, but there is still a lot of buzz over what was a busy week for MTV Reality fans - and it has even more juicer in Lindsay Lohan having her own show now. Our focus here is on what happened in South Africa with the first elimination battle and the unveiling of new twists to the game that promises to make this season of The Challenge much more exciting. And also, there was the drama that occurred on Floribama Shore where a man got handcuffed as well as an argument breaking out.
   In a preview of what we'll be having come this time next month, DCBLOG will ultimately have Double Shot WRAP posts to round out our weekly posts: our recap portion of our episode coverage starting in late August and continuing through the fall will feature not just recaps, opinion and analysis on Final Reckoning, but also Are You The One? Season of Fate with its accompanying tidbits for our analytics nerds. But for now here, we'll be looking at the key moments of the first three episodes of Final Reckoning, and take another trip to the Strategy Room to discuss the possibilities the two twists we saw this week might have on this season.
   Then, we'll have more on the latest drama to go down in Panama City Beach: we'll hear from the two who got into an argument on the street, and the man who we got cuffed. And we'll round it off with a musical delight from the duo who just nipped a pair of champions in an all-Challenge Celebrity Fear Factor. All that awaits you here before new episodes begin shortly.

MTV Reality: Teen Mom Road Rage

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BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

It's clear that, from her live tweets of them each Monday, Jemmye is the superfan in the Trifecta of the drama that's been taking place the past decade on Teen Mom and its predecessor, 16 & Pregnant. Judging by how the cast have been in the tabloids almost every week this decade, it does, after all, garner a larger viewership than the Trifecta series we cover usually - and if the rumors on the line are true, there may be reason for those who follow The Challenge to take up watching the baby mama drama soon. And it was a week ago that Bristol Palin was announced as a new member of the OG cast to replace the departed Farrah Abraham and to much Twitter reaction after the politician's daughter made headlines years earlier for her stance against LGBT rights and other controversies.

Monday night before the madness that went down on Floribama Shore and in South Africa on Final Reckoning the night after, there was a rather disturbing moment that took place on the penultimate episode of what's now the 20th overall season of Teen Mom 2. There, the one lady who has been the most-scrutinized member of this second generation of moms, Jenelle Evans-Easton, had an episode with an aggressive driver on a ride home, all as her son Jace was sitting in the front-row passenger's seat next to her after she picked her up from school. It was so sobering a moment last week, it only added to the decade's worth of moments that got everyone talking from this franchise.
   There, when she and the driver had their moment of getting so close to each other in the North Carolina highways during the height of the afternoon rush hour, Jenelle decided to take out a handgun from her driver's side pocket and point it in the direction of the offended driver... all as Jace was watching it in front of their own eyes. That part of the footage was eventually not shown - which is the latest in a long line of bad behavior for Jenelle, with numerous situations too much to mention here, and putting road rage into the national conversation. And it may be turning for the worse for her, with a sneak preview of the finale seeing local sheriffs deputies outside the door of her house.

Below are some of the reactions from Teen Mom viewers and from her co-stars on Jenelle's road rage incident. People Magazine provided a full recap of the episode, which you can check out here.

In this sneak peek from tonight's new #TeenMom2, Jenelle and Jace deal with an aggressive driver. pic.twitter.com/o9rT1FQNv5

— #TeenMom2 (@TeenMom) July 23, 2018

►Social Reaction... 

@PapaRandlicious Randy Houska/Chelsea Houska-DeBoer's grandpa: Where is the loaded gun while Jace sits alone in the car? @mtv #teenmom2 @teenmom
- @ChelseaHouska: @PapaRandlicious I was wondering this also 😩

@erin2485: @people This scene gave me so much anxiety. They could have been killed because she was dumb enough to follow the guy who clearly had even more anger issues than she does! Even David pointed that out. I would have been terrified. And poor Jace had to experience everything.

@SayMyJRenee: This episode turned my stomach. Particularly that traffic stop/gun situation. From Jenelle endangering her child to me knowing in my mind and heart that had she been black there’s a great chance she would’ve been held at gunpoint/arrested/shot by that cop. #teenMom2

@LandryLocker: This scene with Jenelle on #TeenMom2 is awkwardly intense. Following a dude home with the kid in the car after a road rage incident, backs into his mailbox and then pulls a gun on him. This is outta hand.

@vanesamariana_: Jenelle brandishing her gun at a guy that she decided to follow for tailgating her is probably the most disturbing thing I've seen on Teen Mom by far. All of this while Jace was in the car. Wow.

@KiraCostello: This is honestly the hardest episode ever to watch. Like way harder than Ryan passing out at the wheel bc there is a kid in the car.  Jenelle has lost her mind. I worry for the kids more if the cameras are down though. #teenmom2

@ruedeveraux: Jenelle pulled a gun on someone on *their* property, then gets off easy with the cops. All I could think about was Philando Castille. #TeenMom2

@amyums22: I don’t usually tweet about tv shows, but I just watched some fucked up shit on @MTV ! Not only did a woman chase down a tailgater to his house with her 10 year old son in the front seat; she then backed into his mailbox and pulled a gun on him! And she was SO SHOCKED when she got pulled over, she started crying. With a loaded weapon next to her right hand. The cop just said “ma’am I see your fire arm, please don’t touch it”. OH MY GOD THIS SHIT IS FUCKED UP BEYOND BELIEF!!!!!!! #teenmom2 jenelle

- I AM DC

#DCBLOG

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Final Reckoning - The Game Gets Twisted

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're reading this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

As all of you enjoy this summer's Saturday night - UFC/boxing cards, Manchester United vs. Liverpool at the Big House and the beginning of the Jay-Z/Beyonce tour, we bring you all in to the Pulse of The Challenge: Final Reckoning, and to what many say is Part 3 of the Premiere... and finally we find out what this twisted game is all about in South Africa.
   Last week, we saw Kayleigh & Kam find about their fates when they were paired up upon the news of their partners, Kailah and Melissa, being sent home for their week 1 fight. There was also drama both in the main house and in Redemption with Bananas gaining a new love interest and Angela going off just as she did on Ex On The Beach and Bad Girls Club, and Britni and Chuck having to deal with unresolved feelings. And oh, there was our first daily challenge with Bananas finally taking part when he found that his partner was Tony.
   At night's end, Brad & Kyle became the season's first power team with control of the game in their hands, and this week they get to sit back, relax and not have to worry about a single thing as the game gets turned on its head a few times with the revealing of a few twists that will sure set the tone for the rest of this season. Meanwhile, lots of drama is taking place with a man who had his fair share of girl drama in Britain taking his talents to American screens, while two another guys who's been at the heart of the drama also find themselves in those too.

We'll have all the action, reaction and interaction from Challenge Tuesday & the aftermath ahead here, along with some of The Challenge's finest joining the hosts of MTV's love fests, Romeo of Ex On The Beach and Terrence J. from Are You The One, and Ludacris for Celebrity Fear Factor.
   All of that is ahead on the Pulse of The Challenge. It's great to have you with us tonight.