DC WRAP: Real World Go Big Finale and The Challenge: Rivals III EP4

BY DC CUEVA                     

> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

As most of you return to work following the extended weekend, and as the month of June arrives and the summer break for others, welcome back to DCBLOG as we roll along with our coverage of the MTV Trifecta. Last week was a chaotic one to say the least, as we saw conflict on both Real World and The Challenge, plus a family reunion and other things as well.

   On Rivals III, we saw a house fiesta turn into a war of sorts between both Nany and Camila, and then Amanda vs. Tony, which then turned into Camila vs. Amanda and the RW establishment vs. the AYTO newcomers. And we also had the latest instance of someone deciding that's enough's enough and TJ noticing it as well. And the next night was the Go Big finale, where one girl decided to go all in on another for the racial tension that was brewing almost from the beginning, and both had to Go Home. We also had Dylan going for Kailah and then revealing a secret about his hookup with Jenna, and there was the emotional reunion between Sabrina and her biological mom.
   Coming up here, a somewhat different WRAP - for reasons we'll explain there after the jump, as we'll be focusing more on the chaotic Real World double finale, plus the usual Winners' List, fan reaction and Fantasy Trax. And on ExtraTime, a different side of one of the season's key competitors and how there's a different side to him than what MTV chooses him to be portrayed, along with news of the latest Team MTV baby. All that is coming up.

DC ExtraTime: What If... - Jason & Nicole

 EDITORS' NOTE: 

Excerpt from DC SocialPulse: Rivals III EP 4 last night, re-posted in the interest of fans for the sake of presenting selected stories on their own and to make the site mobile friendly

BY DC CUEVA                     

> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

If you were with us for our Exes 2 coverage last year, or read the bonus ExtraTime post here just after the shock medevac exit, one of the best stories to come out of that season for me was that of Nia and Averey. They were involved in the most infamous fight we've ever seen on The Real World when an issue of dog poop led to those girls getting into fisticuffs that became one of the defining moments in the show's history. They made up from the moment they saw each other in the house in Costa Rica and instantly put behind them that infamous day in Portland. And obviously, there was the two fights that we saw between CeeJai and Jenna at the end of the Go Big or Go Home season which we will touch on in just a little while here.

Credit: IG/@N_Zanatta

   Now considering what we've seen the past two weeks, a question you Challenge fans are asking, "What if the team who replaced Averey & Leroy on Rivals III weren't Amanda & Nelson?" Most likely, we wouldn't have that RW/AYTO bickering that took place on this week's episode. Maybe, we would've had the return of Trey Day in Trey from St. Thomas and RW's own RiRi - his roommate Marie. Perhaps Nia would've had a shot at redemption with Exes 2 champ Jordan had he not headed to Perry's Place. Or maybe for those who follow the elder statesman of the Trifecta, Bruno would've gotten into it with Tony in the house in him being paired with Skeletons castmate Sylvia.
   But a pair that would've made a strong point to be the replacement team is, in fact, Tony's fellow members of the Wolf Pack - a house clique that formed in the Chicago house last year - two of them are pictured above in Times Square when they met this past week there in New York City. When the season rolled along in the Windy City, Tony, Nicole, Bruno and Jason had developed a strong bond in the house, much in the same way as what we saw with the Cool Kids in the Gold Spike. And in some odd coincidence, when both of them were in town Tony's brother, and later Bloodlines partner, Shane hooked up with Bruno's brother, Briah.
   However, there was one night that changed everything for half of the Wolf Pack, and it was the events of what happened on this past week's Real World finale, and what happened in previous seasons, that provides context of what happened here. Towards the end of their stay when Madison's skeleton ex was in town, Tony got drunk during a night out, stole a $20 bottle of wine, got caught and never paid for it himself. Sylvia went off on that act and, just as Amanda did to Mike last fall, called Tony "trash," but then Nicole sticks up to him while the girls are getting mad at him. Jason is also mad over bottle-gate, while Nic hooked up with a random bar guy who, in turn, gives them the money to pay for that bottle.
   All of a sudden, Jason - who was seen as the calm one in the house (and wasn't featured much until late in the season when he becomes a dad and then sees his father in the finale) becomes a much different person as he was yelling from the patio of the house when Nicole decides she had enough and went upstairs to confront him. She gets in his face as Madison worries of what she's seeing as Jason pushes Nicole, then she runs out of the room and gets into his face in the hallway. Knowing the lesson they got for what happened in Portland - and what we would later see with CeeJai and Jenna last Thursday, security rushed in from the batcave to separate the two when he picked her up and threw her up against the wall. In the risk of not alienating viewers (as well as advertisers), the camera cut away to one of the surveillance cameras focusing on the bar when that push took place.
   She says, "Jason, you decide to pick me up. How do you feel about that? You are like my best friend...the fact that you put your hands on me, you're a boy." And Sylvia is left to wonder, "What just happened?" as Nicole runs out of the house. And Jason fesses, "I am ashamed of my actions. I wish that I would've chilled out. I know I was out of character. Very disrespectful. If I would regret it, absolutely. It's kind of scary. I didn't think I can get that angry. I hurt her and put her in a position that was never been in before, it was wrong." When Jason tries to apologize, Nic says that she's had enough with him and refuses to forgive him, citing that no one has ever put their hands on her and will never forget about it, though there's feeling for her by him.
   After their fight, and unlike what happened to the girls the other night, the consequence of it is an intervention by production and a call by Executive Producer (and RW co-creator) Jon Murray. But unlike what we saw when co-EP Jim Johnston came into the loft last Thursday, a therapist is brought in to talk to the group and to teach the house that abuse, both physically or verbally, should never be the answer or solution to any kind of conflict and that the ones we love also get hurt by it too. The house, except for Bruno, takes a break from what they're doing to go through this reality check. Nicole also decides not to go downstairs to meet the therapist, and when Jason begins to speak she heads into the confessional. It was an awkward ending to that season, just as it was this year.
   If what you saw on the AYTO 3 finale last year when Mike threw Amanda across the bed after she antagonized him was one thing - which we discussed here last week, what happened on Skeletons was very similar when the issue came up of a guy putting his hands on a girl, which is obviously against the code and morals. Obviously, the events of what we saw on Thursday left our jaw dropped, and so has other fights over the years on the Trifecta. And that brings us to what you see in the photo above, when just last week Jason flew up to the Big Apple to visit Nicole and Bruno for his birthday. There when they met, they finally had a chance to resolve issues and put this ordeal behind them.
   In his photo caption, Jason captions, "I got a chance to talk to you @n_zanattamtv and I missed you more than anything. It feels great to have you back in my life and I enjoyed our late night run through Times Square with no shirts lol #Legendary #Wolfpack #MTV #WhatYouWaitingFor #GymisLife #Wolfpackforlife 🐺" And in the Instagram caption above, Nicole adds, "Happy birthday to this man right here. After over a year and a half of not talking. Last week we got to talk and vent everything out about what happened the day/night that destroyed our relationship. So happy I got to see you and it warms my heart that we shared a amazing weekend with people that I am extremely close to. See you in August bro, some things are better left unsaid but we had a lot to talk about! ;) @_kazuhnova #wolfpack #brother #mtv #life #love."
   No one knows what might've happened if it was Nicole and Jason being that team that TJ brought on to replace Averey & Leroy, or any other team for that matter, and we all wonder what kind of factor they would've played in the house and in the game, and of what alliance they would form with Tony. But one thing now appears to be certain: if there's a Rivals IV on the horizon, then these two are no longer. The events of what happened at the end of that Skeletons season in Chicago is now behind them.

- I AM DC

DC SocialPulse: Real World Go Big or Go Home - Finale Double Shot

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content 

and spoilers for some readers. 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 / @DC408DxNow

On this Sunday night of Memorial Day Weekend, welcome back to DCBLOG and the second of our SocialPulse doubleheader covering an eventful week in the MTV Trifecta. Earlier tonight, we brought you the 'Pulse of the week on Rivals III where we saw two shows and two frenamies go to war, while another decided to call it quits. The next night, there would be drama over in Las Vegas as we came to an end of an eventful season of Real World: Go Big or Go Home.

   Last week, the love triangle between Kailah, Dylan and Jenna came to a head and saw Jenna decide to cut it off with Austin back home. The group once again went to the desert to have fun riding riding, while Sabrina did what she does best in her music. But all the pent up anger that took place all season and an epic meltdown lead to what seemed to be inevitable: Jenna getting into it with CeeJai. But that wouldn't be the end of that.
   This week, another Double Shot - the term I phrase for a doubleheader of episodes in the Trifecta, and probably the two most-eventful hours in this ecosystem since last year's 2-hour AYTO finale.
● First, the fallout from that physical fight looms over the house as the roommates deal with the escalating racial tension. When his chance to get close to Jenna goes by the wayside, Dylan begins to pursue a hookup with Kailah. And there's finally some happy news for the singer as Sabrina's big moment comes in finally meeting her biological mom to get answers to what she wants to know.
● Then in hour two, the tension that has brewed all season long finally boils over and then some when a racial slur by Jenna and her friend back home puts CeeJai and the roommate on the edge of an even bigger physical confrontation and threatens to send home, for good, both girls. And as the roommates prepare to say so long to Sin City, Dylan comes clean and makes a stunning revelation.

If you wanna catch up on all the action, reaction and interaction to this jaw-dropping double finale, then dig in below. Plus, we also have the lingering reaction from the previous night's episode of Rivals III where a competitor decided to quit. And after the diary, we'll have info on how you can get involved in our upcoming FORUM Reality Debrief to cover springtime reality TV and preview the upcoming summer slate of shows.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
- Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not 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.

A cat fight over racism, two guys get into it for one quitting, and an emotional mom & daughter reunion. Join DCBLOG for the 'Pulse of the Double Shot Finale of Real World: Go Big or Go Home...straight ahead.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Rivals III - "I'm Going Home"

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content 

and spoilers for some readers. 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 / @DC408DxNow

As you enjoy your long three-day Memorial Day Weekend, welcome back to DCBLOG and our coverage of the MTV Trifecta. Friday night after the Cavs clinched their spot in the NBA Finals, we brought you our preview of Season 4 of Are You The One?. And later, we'll look at the explosive and emotional double finale of Real World: Go Big or Go Home in Las Vegas. But there's been so much drama taking place south of the border on The Challenge Rivals III through four episodes, you might have a whole season wrapped up in that stretch alone. This week...no different.

   Last week on Mexico's South Coast, a new team came in to replace Leroy & Averey as Amanda and Nelson from AYTO4 arrived, and almost immediately she made a huge impact in the house in letting her mouth do all the work. The teams were forced to work together in the most intimate and awkward challenge they've ever been in that brought a, shall we say, more sexual feeling to Mexico. And after producing the season's first hook-up, Ashley created more drama when they went to the club for the first time, while fellow drama-starter Simone also did what she does best as well.
   This week, as promised by him at the end of last week's mission, TJ throws competitors a fiesta in the Mexican night, where a dirty rumor reverberates around the house and threatens to turn two close friends into enemies in an eyeblink. After the events of last week, bickering begins to elevate among Real World alumni and the newcomers from AYTO, and escalates into a war. And as another mission looms, when the pressures of the game and the house, and the homesickness of being far away from home collide, does it become too much for one competitor to handle?
   We'll have all of action, reaction and interaction of this week in Rivals III covered for you here, all covering the activity before, during and after the episode. And after the diary on ExtraTime, what if the replacements for Leroy & Averey were not Nelson & Amanda? We'll look into a would-be Rivals 3 team and the emotional night they went through just last year.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
- Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not 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.

A war between shows. A potential early exit. And a fight between frenamies. DCBLOG has the 'Pulse of Episode 4 of The Challenge: Rivals III...coming up next.

DC ExtraTime: Briana's Misfortune

BY DC CUEVA                     
> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

We at DCBLOG hope you're enjoying your long Memorial Day Weekend and the start of the summer season. Coming up, we'll have the 'Pulse of a drama-filled Episode 4 of The Challenge: Rivals III, as well as the explosive double finale of Real World: Go Big or Go Home. And in case you missed it, last night we posted our preview of Are You The One? Season 4.
   First, our vision here is to compliment the various sites that cover the MTV Trifecta by focusing on the stories of the people of the shows I follow most - both those that bring a different side of these castmates and the types of stories that relate deeply to viewers. It's often the ladder that appeals to everyone, and that is the subject of this dedicated edition of ExtraTime.

For this longtime MTV fan, the past four years have no doubt been the best years of the 17 that I have followed this passion. When I joined Twitter in 2012, there was only one show that had followed with immense interest: that first love known as The Real World. By the end of 2012, it had grown to two when I was engaged in watching The Challenge for the very first time. More than year later, Are You The One? would join those two as the shows I follow the most and cover extensively here. And when the news got out of an unprecedented AYTO Challenge crossover, I coined this threesome the name MTV Trifecta. And though it's still tough for the purists to take in, it's no doubt a dream come true for myself and those fellow fans who watch all three shows of this crown.

   Over time, I've established a deep rapport in social world with so many people in the MTV family -- both those in the Trifecta ecosystem and those outside of it too. A favorite castmate of mine who I've talked to many times and have seen her become a great cast member on her two shows is Briana from Season 2 of Are You The One?, and now of The Challenge: Rivals III. Last weekend, like many of you reading this, she experienced her crowning moment of graduating college at San Diego State University. But on Wednesday on Episode 4 of her first Challenge, we saw her stint get cut short abruptly by way of what happened to her partner.
   But for me, my most notable moment of Bri came all the way back on her original season when she went revealed the trauma of a heartbreaking experience that so many people can relate to, and made her relatable to those who had experienced what she went through. We told you this story back during Season 2 of AYTO, but given what's happened in the past 7 days for her, and similar to what took place recently with Teen Mom's Kailyn Lowry, we felt it was appropriate to revisit it for the sake of those watching Briana for the first time and didn't catch her back in the fall of 2014.

MTV Trifecta: Countdown to Are You The One? Season 4

BY DC CUEVA                     
> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

As we kick off this Memorial Day Weekend and the unofficial start of summer, welcome once again to the ongoing saga of drama, unpredictability and craziness that is the MTV Trifecta, covered by the fan blog that covers it best - DCBLOG. We're four episodes into the newest season of The Challenge: Rivals III which has had plenty of drama so far down in Mexico, and Real World: Go Big or Go Home has just wrapped in Las Vegas last night in chaotic fashion, and of course we'll recap them this weekend. But as one show steps aside, another is ready to take the spotlight in the newcomer of the three shows that this site surrounds like no other.

   It's Season 4 of Are You The One?, and it becomes, in Challenge lingo, a veteran as it enters its senior stage with some shoes to fill: the first season and the original cast is the most recent example of a perfect cast and a great season. Season 2 had the 11th girl (and have already made lots of news south of the border), Season 3 was the most controversial, and they all have something in common: great cast members, big time drama and lots of romance. And oh, all of them had the same end result: 10 for 10 and 5-figure pay days for each of the castmates.

   As we indulge in this long 3-day weekend, we're more than two weeks away from premiere night of Monday, June 13th, and once again DCBLOG will follow the ride from this preseason preview to the final act at summer's end. And coming up, we'll be looking ahead at AYTO Season 4 with a full preview, our introduction to the new set of 20 girls & guys who are ready to fight for love, and what we can expect this season. One story to watch is another twist where the cast could get rewarded even more if they get off to the best possible start you can have on this show.

So, Join In with us after the jump as DCBLOG kicks off our coverage of Are You The One? Season 4 and our preview of what awaits us in the islands of Hawaii.

DC WRAP: The Challenge: Rivals III EP3 and Real World Go Big EP10

BY DC CUEVA                     
> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

As we prepare for another week in the MTV Trifecta, we bring you another edition of the DC WRAP. We're a quarter of a way through this Challenge that has been twisted to say the least, and headed towards the end of our third Las Vegas Real World season.
   Last week, episode 3 of Rivals III saw Amanda & Nelson get themselves into a sticky situation in replacing Averey & Leroy, a very sexual second mission, and Ashley's alter ego follow her from the Bay Area to Mexico. And then in Sin City, things blew up with a physical fight, a love triangle reaches a result for one of the two girls getting close to Dylan, and Sabrina's music.
   As the focus now is on our preview of Are You The One? Season 4 coming during the long Memorial Day Weekend, we'll be scaling back somewhat in this Wrap. But ahead, we'll look at three key storylines from last week in the Trifecta, the Winners' List, a Fantasy League update and fan reaction. Afterwards on ExtraTime, which NFL player has aligned himself with a top veteran team? That, and the musical side of one of last season's Bloodlines, is coming up on DC WRAP.

DC SocialPulse: Real World Go Big or Go Home - "The Hits Keep Coming"

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content 

and spoilers for some readers. 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 / @DC408DxNow

As your Sunday night and this weekend comes to an end, and after another great night of music at the Billboard Music Awards, welcome back to DCBLOG for the second half of our 'Pulse doubleheader as we cover Real World Go Big or Go Home, also in Las Vegas.

   Last time in Downtown, we had a double shot of back to back episodes as Dione's ex Amanda and his friends, "The Carnies" as he calls them, arrived in town and she got to make out with him in front of Kailah and plotted her revenge. Jenna's stunning accusation saw CeeJai and Dean blow up, while she and Kailah found themselves in a love triangle when the newest roommate, Dylan, arrived in town to stir the pot. And it didn't take long for "Nicky Showtime" to do his thing as he joined Dean to strip tease the ladies in town.
   This week, the triangle continues as Dylan and Jenna must figure out the next step in their budding relationship, and she makes a decisive move in her estranged relationship with her man back home. The group once again goes out into the desert to go riding in off-terrain vehicles, while Sabrina and Jenna debut a new song. But the feelings of what has transpired all throughout the season and an epic meltdown by one of the roommates leads to what seems to be the inevitable: a physical fight with CeeJai.
   We have all the reaction and social interaction from this penultimate week in Las Vegas, including words from two sides who might be playing for a role to be on Rivals IV. And following the diary on DC ExtraTime, we'll have an update on the inspiring story of Nia and her newfound friend.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
- Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not 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.

Join DCBLOG for the 'Pulse of Episode 10 of Real World Go Big or Go Home...next.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Rivals III "The Replacements"

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content 

and spoilers for some readers. 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 / @DC408DxNow

Welcome once again to DCBLOG's coverage of the MTV Trifecta as we bring you the 'Pulse of this week in the Bunim-Murray portion of the ecosystem. And as Memorial Day weekend looms in a week from now, we're headed towards the conclusion of a controversial and eventful Real World stay in Las Vegas which we'll delve into later. And on that long weekend, we'll have a preview of what's ahead in Hawaii for Are You The One? Season 4. But in the meantime, so much has already taken place south of the border on The Challenge: Rivals III, and it's only at the first quarter pole.

   Last week in Mexico, we had the resumption of the first week where a super-twist saw power team Jenna & Vince vote not one, but two teams AYTO into the season's first elimination and saw them get into a lay-up alliance with a third rookie crossover team. There was also the stunning news of Leroy & Averey being kicked off the show by virtue of him having suffered an injury and forcing his 2nd straight medical evacuation. And for Jessica, she gets herself into bed with a naked Tony and then went out and won her first elimination, with her awkward partner (and Ave's ex) Johnny.
   The consequence of a team being replaced by way of injury becomes the big story of this week as the house gets shaken up and stirred when a pair of replacement Rivals enter the house to replace Averey & Leroy. The teams have to work with their partner in the most intimate and awkward mission that they've ever faced. And after she produced the season's first hook-up, Ashley causes more drama on their first trip to the club, while another fellow fire-starter gets in more drama too.
   We have all the action, reaction and interaction from this week in Mexico waiting for you following the jump. And as many of you youngsters are getting ready to go through that rite of summer of marking the end of one chapter and the start of another, on ExtraTime following the diary you'll join with a competitor from this Rivals III season, and a fellow alum, as they graduate college.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
- Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not 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.

Drama in the club. Drama in the house. And replacement Rivals stir the pot off the bat. Join DCBLOG for the 'Pulse of Episode 3 of The Challenge: Rivals III...coming up next.

DC ExtraTime: Welcome to Nicky Showtime

BY DC CUEVA                     
> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

As we go deep into this season of Real World, the Go Big or Go Home cast has a new roommate who has arrived in Sin City. And to be totally honest with you, this blogger thought that someone would not survive that 24-hour ordeal in the Vegas desert, someone would be sent home and a replacement would be thrown in. But the cast treated this thing in essence as a mere camping trip and a simple excursion, and instead we return to the scenario we had for season's 21-24 and Ex-Plosion of a house with 8 or more people living at the same time.

   But after everything that's transpired in the time we've had in Las Vegas since St. Patrick's Day, it's pretty much time to spice things up and bring a much-needed dose of fun to this drama-filled group. In walks to the Nevada desert a UNC student in Dylan, all the way from Charlotte by way of New England, and has already made an impact in creating a love triangle in the house with two of the female roommates. In his debut last week, just as Alec did last fall, he went out of the gate with bringing that kiss count up more than we can count. And with last week's mission it didn't take long for him to do what he does best in the club. But that's not all this party animal has in store for us. In fact, he is about to bring a bit of comic relief to this cast.

Dylan has something in common with a member of last year's Are You The One? cast, Zak...Both guys have a passion for making us laugh in the land of web videos, both on YouTube and Instagram. After that Hail Mary win last fall, and as we told you in an ExtraTime bit some time ago, the Italian-Canadian has garnered a large following for his hilarious videos, often featuring his own perfect match Hannah and, now, Season 4 newbie Sam.

   For the newbie nicknamed Nicky Showtime, Dylan has been entertaining the students and people on the Tar Heel campus in Chapel Hill, and now out west, with his own brand of humor and knack for making us laugh in pulling pranks and the like. And as you prepare for tonight's explosive episode, we'll be sharing you his web videos, as well as his own Real World audition tape that got him the 8th bed, on this dedicated edition of DC ExtraTime.

DC WRAP: The Challenge: Rivals III EP2 and Real World Go Big EP's 8/9

BY DC CUEVA                     
> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

As we prepare for another week in the MTV Trifecta that begins tonight, we bring you another edition of the DC WRAP. We're a full round into the new Challenge season and things have already gotten as twisted as you can get, with more coming our way tonight. And we're now two-third's of a way through Real World Go Big or Go Home, with things about to blow up tomorrow night.

   Last week, we had episode 2 of Rivals III that saw the competitors find out everything related to the season's elimination battles that saw a major game-changing twist, one girl finally have her time to shine, while another team got a surprise early exit due to an injury. And then the next night in Sin City, we saw what appears to be the entire contingent of one roommate's friends arrive in town, more drama with the most dramatic girl in the house, and a new roommate arrive to instantly make his impact.
   Coming up, a recap of the week that was last week in the Trifecta, our recipients of the Winners List, a Challenge Fantasy League updaet and fan reaction. And on ExtraTime, a look at a Challenge legend and a trailblazer, along with two interesting viewers of last week's game-changing Challenge episode. All that, plus praise for one of sports TV's best, comes your way next.

DC SocialPulse: Real World Go Big or Go Home - Double Shot EP's 8 & 9

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content 

and spoilers for some readers. 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 / @DC408DxNow

Hi there and welcome back to DCBLOG as we continue our ride through the MTV Trifecta. Earlier this Sunday, we brought you the buzz from Rivals III as a major twist wrecked havoc on the Mexican South Coast. Now, as we bring to a close a weekend that's seen two great concerts last night in Los Angeles and a championship moment at last for the city of Cleveland as well, the back end of our social look with not one, but two episodes of Real World Go Big or Go Home
   Last week in Las Vegas, Dean emerged into the spotlight as he became a divorced man and celebrated it with a party in the Palms basketball suite, and with him getting into bed with Kailah. Jenna sparks more outrage in the house after a trip to the gun shop and playing lowball much to CeeJai's displeasure. And the one who's become in essence the classy and calm one of the house, Sabrina, got a chance to do what she does best: sing.

   This week, there's a Double Shot - which is the name I give when there's two episodes airing back to back of a particular MTV show. First up: a touch of Skeletons and Ex-Plosion all rolled into one, as Dione's ex and his carny friends make a surprise visit to Vegas, with the girl having aspirations on getting revenge on the girl he's been seeing here, Kailah. Plus, a stunning accusation by Jenna leads to an emotional and explosive night for Ceejai and Dean. And then in hour two, something we'll be seeing come Wednesday on Rivals III: a new addition arriving to the house that will shake things up, and he begins to pursue two girls for that infamous love triangle. Meanwhile, newly single Dean is given an instant test of his newfound post-divorce life by going on-stage at a strip club.
   We've got the social play-by-play of this week's RW Double Shot coming your way here. And after the diary, DC ExtraTime kicks off our countdown to Season 4 of Are You The One? when a single that's ready to fight for love and money makes all of us jealous when he gets to hang out with a member of reality TV's greatest family.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
- Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not 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.

A new roommate, carny. an emotional night and more - join DCBLOG for the 'Pulse of a Double Shot of Real World Go Big or Go Home, coming up.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Rivals III - "The Curse of the Black Skull"

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content 

and spoilers for some readers. 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 / @DC408DxNow

It's Sunday Funday, and we welcome you once again to our coverage of the MTV Trifecta on DCBLOG. And as we head towards the beginning of summer 2016 in some two weekends from now, things are starting to heat up. We had a carny, tears and roommates in Las Vegas which we'll discuss here later tonight, while the buzz is in full swing for AYTO Season 4 with the explosive trailer that dropped last Monday. And in Mexico, things are now starting to get into a groove on Rivals III.
   Last week, Season 28 of The Challenge got underway with the competitors kicking off their season with a rock star crying uncle when everyone skydived their way into this season. We also saw a girl whose original MTV stint lasted all of four episodes finally come out of her shell a bit by scoring a hookup with the defending champion. And we had a first challenge where trust and communication was being tested right out of the gate, which befell many a team and once again saw a team classified as rookies win that all important first mission.
   This week, Jenna and Vince - both with something to prove going into this season - hold the key to the fate of twelve other teams in the house for the season's first elimination. But as they deliberate with various teams and everyone else wheels and deals, what they don't know is that they're about to be put in for a stunning super-twist. Plus, there's a stunning revelation involving one of the teams, and a girl who has a positive outlook but has been ridiculed somewhat finds both a new person to cuddle with and finally silences the doubters.
   For all of how your favorite castmates saw what, in essence, was the second part of the premiere, then dig in to all the reaction that's ahead of you. But wait until what we have in store for you for ExtraTime after the diary, as you'll join one of my favorite sections of the media industry for one of the biggest nights, and who the most popular winner of the night is.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
- Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not 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.

Two eliminations, a hook-up, a twist and some "Garbage" - Join DCBLOG for the 'Pulse of Episode 2 of The Challenge: Rivals III...next.

DC ExtraTime: Trey's Advice to the Newbies

An Excerpt from DC SocialPulse: RW31 EP5 and Exes2 EP4 from Jan. 2015,

re-posted in the interest of MTV Trifecta fans

BY DC CUEVA                     

> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

We wrap this week up on a lighter note with a word to the wise from a Real World heartthrob. A group of people who's very much missed this season is one who, for me, will always the ones who will lay claim to being the first Real World cast I ever got to directly interact with: the St. Thomas cast. If you saw their season three years ago, everyone in the house, except for lonely Brandon, were paired off from the beginning: Trey & Laura, Marie & Robb, and Latoya & Swift. All three couples were good candidates to be on Exes 2, but perhaps because they might've worked a little more easily than some pairs on this season, all three were passed over. And as much as I was excited to see Team AYTO and the Ex-Plosion group, at the same time I was bummed Team STT couldn't make a go.

    As we told you here back where we started our Exes 2 coverage, Trey (aka Mr. 11:11) had a strong relationship with Laura on Hassel Island that, as Challenge vet Derrick Kosinski coined on his UCR podcast "It felt like I was watching a scene from a soap opera and couldn't wait to see the next episode." That relationship was a key storyline that continued into their first Challenge, BOTSeasons II, that saw them progress midway, but didn't work out after they left our cameras. But as it turned out, their snub brought them closer and they didn't need Exes 2 to become friends once again, and over the holidays she invited him, Robb and Swift for her housewarming weekend in Omaha, NE.

   Knowing very well the experience he went through in those first two seasons and then on Rivals II plus a Super Bowl title and a Price is Right appearance mixed in (under his actual first name Walter), Trey took to his Facebook fan page on Wednesday to provide advice to the new RW Skeletons cast. Realizing they had been given some flack from twitter, he gave words of encouragement to them about what to expect from this experience, both as the season is airing now and after it all ends. Taken from Facebook.com/MTVTrey, here's Trey's words for the newbies...

Credit: MTV/Ian Spanier

"If I could offer one piece of advice to the new cast members, it would be this:
   One day, you will look back upon this experience and smile. You will laugh. You were chosen against extreme odds to make a large company millions of dollars, which means they saw something within you that they felt could ultimately be an asset to their company and their reputation. That's amazing! (Don't ever forget that.)
   When this is done, you won't so much remember the bad times, or the episodes that made you look bad, but rather you'll remember all of the fun times that you shared with your new family and reminisce about all the things that didn't even end up on television. We all have personal pictures and memories from the house that no one will ever see or understand, and trust me, those are the things that stick with you the most in the end. (To this day, Robb remains one of my closest friends, and there's no price you could put on a genuine friendship.)
   I remember quite a few of my episodes where editing wasn't particularly in my favor, or where I acted like a fool and later shuttered watching myself in third person - it happens to all of us. And nowadays, social media has become a direct bridge of contact where ANYONE can reach us and tell us how they feel. It's really overwhelming when you think about it, and sometimes it can be a really vivid reminder of how harsh judgment from afar can be.
   Eventually, what will happen is that you will lose popularity once you're off the air - it's just the way it works. Even if you're blessed enough to do a couple 'Challenges', people will stop caring when you're not on their television every week, and regardless of what you do afterwards, you will lose followers on both Instagram and Twitter, and people will stop messaging you as often as they did before. The love, the hate, and everything in between will all slow down, and you'll be left with just a few diehard supporters and the the crappy versions of the DVD's they sent to our house after filming.
   Bunim-Murray and MTV do not teach us is how to adapt to life after the show - that is up to each of us individually to figure out on our own. As your relevance dwindles in the end, you will begin to see the real impact you've made during your time in the spotlight, and it will humble you beyond words. Every time you're asked for a picture or recognized in public, it will remind you of what you've done. Embrace that.
   Just to sum it all up: remember that this experience will flash before your eyes and be gone before you know it, so don't let the 'keyboard warriors of the internet' get under your skin - you don't owe an explanation to them. Even when you're feeling attacked, just know you're not alone. There have been 29 seasons before you (dating back to the '90's), and we have all spent those couple of months in your shoes in one form or another - you will survive.
   I wish you good luck on the rest of your season, welcome to the family, and I hope to see you on a future Challenge.
   God bless."

(Courtesy: facebook.com/MTVtrey)

Trey was ridiculed by fans twice for receiving what appeared to be an unfortunate bad edit in MTV depicting a bad guy side of him - both in the Virgin Islands for juggling not just Laura but also his girl back home in Baltimore - Chelsea, and then in Turkey for his gameplay which frustrated most of the house. But for an all-around good guy who's become social friends with loyal fans like yours truly, the words he gave to the Skeletons cast shows a mature side of him that's emerged since he first graced our screens the same day I joined Twitter that June 27, 2012 day. That's definitely a great piece of advice from someone who knows what it's like to be on this show, go through the ups and downs that comes with being a member of Team MTV, and learning from this experience to become a better person outside of it. Trey, much more respect to you bud.

- I AM DC

▪   ▪   ▪   ▪   ▪ 

EDITORS' NOTES

As Trey is one of my favorite MTV castmates, he's been longing to get back on a Challenge, and though I'm a huge AYTO fan I always remain faithful to the first cast I got to become friends with in St. Thomas, and will be certain Trey Day will be back sooner rather than later. While you can, also check out one of my first MTV posts offering an history on those four favorite numbers Trey tweets all the time (which I also do, but now only do on significant days), which you can check out here.

And a reminder that tonight starting at 8PM ET/5PM PT on DCNOW at @DC408DxNow, music's biggest names take center stage for the KIIS-FM Wango Tango Concert live from Los Angeles. Ariana Grande, Zayn, Demi Lovato, Meghan Trainor, Fifth Harmony, Iggy Azalea, Gwen Stefani, Alessia Cara, DNCE, Mike Posner, The Chainsmokers, Kygo and Zendaya will all perform, and you'll have a front row seat to it all on my live coverage twitter hub. See you there.

DC ExtraTime: "Rivals" No More

 EDITORS' NOTE: 

Excerpt from DC SocialPulse: Battle of the Exes 2 EP 2 in Jan. 2015, re-posted in the interest of fans during Rivals III, prior to Portland castmate Jordan winning the final with Sarah, and a day after the outcome of last night's episode - more to come in this weekend's DCBLOG posts.

BY DC CUEVA                     

> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

As I tweeted in my commentary, for the 2nd straight week it was Team Portland's night: winning the Dome, winning the first Exile, and Jordan winning great respect from Twitter. But something that's lost in what they've been able to do these first two weeks is what happened to two of the girls represented here in Panama, and for which a handful of tweets above is really what you need to know about it. This harks back to a side story we told you about during our Are You The One? Season 2 coverage, where when they joined Leroy & Cooke to see their RW Vegas XXV roommate Mike get married in Laguna Beach last fall, Nany made amends with that bad boy who had played her in Vegas and got a ton of heat for that but has mellowed out considerably since then, Adam.

For me, my favorite memory of Real World Portland is having had this front-row seat to following the cast's entire journey from the beginning: first when they returned from filming in Nov. 2012 during my first Challenge, to becoming great social friends with all of them before & during a season that stood out to me as a favorite, then their great impact on The Challenge, and now to this, Exes 2. And it was also the focus of my first Fan's View post that covered their reunion, for which one of my two subjects, Kaitlyn, celebrated her birthday just a few days ago. But for those who watched RWPDX, the moment that's no doubt burned in your head from that last regular "7 strangers" season prior to last year was what happened at the end of their stay in the Pacific Northwest.

From IG/@TheRealNiaMoore:
Nia & Averey backstage at Exes 2
After Show in Glendale, CA

   It was, obviously, the infamous but unforgettable fight between Nia and Averey. And in case you weren't fixated on their original season as much as I was, here's the story behind that and what led up to it. Just as it was with her and Jordan, there was tension during the season between Nia and Averey & Johnny, which really began to take shape near the end of the season. First in EP09, Nia called a truce to her bickering with Javerey. But then came what happened in Episode 11 when, the moment that defined that season finally came to pass when Hurricane Nia finally made landfall in the Pearl District. It began when Nia stepped on the turd of Averey's dog Daisy in the confessional. Then came words between both sides of her not cleaning up after themselves.
   And then when they were in the bathroom, Johnny put a tissue on her back, and she then did the same. Then he threw a energy drink towards Nia, and she smacked Johnny on the back of the head several times. Then when he got out of the toilet room, she had a blow-drier in hand, Averey grabbed her from behind and all of a sudden, the house became a boxing ring as the girls kept throwing punches at each other. And then when you though it wasn't over, Nia then sucker-punched Averey from behind and the fighting began again. When things finally calmed down after all that, words were exchanged between some of the group when Javerey went out to take a breather. In the finale, a house meeting took place among the group afterwards where after a vote went in Nia's favor, Javerey have had enough and they decided to pack up and spend the last week or so in a hotel away from the house. Obviously, just as it's been so many times in watching these shows, I was left speechless by what happened, just like everyone else who watched that.
   As is always the case with other feuds that have emerged within Team MTV, and also because Nia, Averey and Johnny all follow me on Twitter, I've maintained an impartial stance when it came to this fight...thus, I didn't take sides in that manner. But for a reality franchise that's had a long-standing no-violence policy, and for a channel that doesn't show violence much because its target audience also includes teens and those younger than them, many fans and media were irate over that fight being seen in its graphic form. They pointed to how producers couldn't even come in from behind the 4th wall to break that up, over how it was initiated over a piece of dog turd of all things more than on built-up feelings, and even some claiming that Nia was brought in to help spark things up to a show that was sagging in MTV interest behind the likes of Teen Mom. This violence happens a lot on the BMP-produced show Bad Girls Club on Oxygen, but we never seen a fight escalate to this level such as what happened there. And perhaps it was this event that inadvertently led The Real World to make a gamble & introduce those twists that started down the way in San Francisco.

When Team Portland made its Challenge debut on Rivals II afterwards, a lot of us wondered why Jess & Anastasia were chosen considering that the former was not relatively as big of a deal as Nia & Averey, and an alternate choice too. Word on the grapevine was that both Nia & Averey were the first call among the girls to join Jordan & Marlon in Thailand but Ave turned it down knowing those feelings were very much still fresh. Since then, Ave got in that relationship with Johnny that ended badly, and like Adam, Nia has matured a bit in launching her Booty Belt line, among others. As I wrote in my Exes 2 previews, a storyline to watch was of how Jordan, Jessica, Nia, Averey and Johnny can handle living in the same house again, the first two for the 4th straight time. So far, things have been all over the place but now the group has been showing their maturing over time.
   Fans have been doing fantasy Challenges within the fan forums, and there's so many options out there for a possible Rivals III which are too many to mention here. But sometimes, rivalries within this dysfunctional family of the Real World/Challenge & AYTO community can end peacefully and without incident, thereby avoiding a Rivals III pairing altogether. As you saw in the tweets above, Nia & Averey not only squashed their beef once they arrived in Panama, they shared the same room with the girl Ave beat in the Dome - Hailey, and Diem; obviously, the events of Nov. 14 touched all three of the ladies. And this harkens back also to when another inter-cast beef among former Real World roommates was squashed: in addition to Adam & Nany, during Free Agents, Brooklynites Devyn & Chet put an end to their bickering when she made that inspiring run in that final.

Being someone who's been very close to the RW Portland cast for what's now three years since I first established a rapport with them after they got home from Oregon, I'm not surprised that Nia & Averey have squashed this whole beef, and I gotta give them praise for taking advantage of this platform to finally put a ceasefire to this, three years after the fact. And not only should things in the past should stay that way, what happened there in Portland was, really, something that was escalated on just a small issue and it should have never even gone to the kind of violent level in the first place.
   So, aside from what's happened in this lead-up to this season, and after two episodes of what we've seen so far - and knowing what will be happening next week, Nia and Averey putting an end of their rivalry off-camera is, to me, is probably my biggest story so far of Exes 2. If both of you are reading this, I'm glad that both of you have matured enough to put an end to this whole bickering, and hope things will now be on a more civil level.

- I AM DC

DC WRAP: The Challenge: Rivals III Premiere and Real World Go Big EP7

BY DC CUEVA                     

> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

As we're in this second full week of May, welcome again to DCBLOG and our coverage of the MTV Trifecta. And now until late in the summer, we'll have at least two of the three shows among the Real World/Challenge franchise and/or Are You The One? airing on our screens, and the original portions of our weekly coverage will reflect this matter by recapping those episodes here in this single Wrap post.
   Last week, we had the Rivals III premiere where we saw the contestants go to the skies to find out the teams and had one of the rookies cry uncle. We also saw our first hookup and as it was last time on Rivals 1 & 2, a rookie team winning mission #1. And the next night in Las Vegas, Jenna found herself at the heart of the drama once again after both a gun trip and then paying cheap to waiters and riling up CeeJai. We also saw Dean celebrate a divorce and Sabrina pursue her musical aspirations.

    As we prep for tonight, we'll have a recap of the week that was in the Trifecta and name our recipients of the Winners List, plus we'll sort out how your favorite players are doing in the Fantasy Trax. And on ExtraTime, we'll welcome a trio of new Team MTV babies. All that is ahead.

DC ExtraTime: Nia and Jake

Excerpt from DC SocialPulse: Real World Go Big - Episode 7 posted on Mother's Day
Sunday, re-posted as a separate post in the interest of MTV Trifecta fans

BY DC CUEVA                     

> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

For those like myself who is both an MTV Trifecta fan and is social friendly, I have grown a rapport with most of the MTV family since I joined Twitter some four years ago. This includes a strong bond with each entirely-new cast of the ecosystem - whether it'd be a new set of Real World roommates since St. Thomas or the three previous Are You The One? casts, and just Friday I gave a follow to most of the AYTO Season 4 cast.
   Included in that list is Portland: the last of the traditional Real World seasons with no twist for the seven strangers to worry about. It was the first Trifecta season that MTV Insider and webcast host Brian Cohen got to cover in doing cast interviews, while one of the first DCBLOG posts that I did here was a Forum post on the Reunion. There in the Pearl District, we saw Averey & Johnny's romance, Jordan getting into it with everyone, J-Deezy recording, Princess Jess and Anastasia, and Joi too. And of course, as Brian alluded to on his shows they've become a great Challenge class as well, with finals appearances and a win in their first three starts, and PDX will be well represented this time around.
   There's no doubt who the most-memorable castmate of season 28, and that would be Nia Moore for all of what we saw on that season. And what happened at the end of that stay there in Portland remains burned on our brains, as was what happened on Exes 2 when a shot to be in the final was taken away from her before the last Dome. We will not discuss what happened there in further detail in this ExtraTime piece with respect to sensitivity, as the focus of this story is much more on the positive side. And if you've got a tissue box handy, you might have a tear in your eye after you read this story here on this Mother's Day. So, here it is...

DC SocialPulse: Real World Go Big or Go Home - "Tipping Point"

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content 

and spoilers for some readers. 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 / @DC408DxNow

As all of you enjoy this Mother's Day and Sunday Funday, welcome back again to DCBLOG as our coverage of the MTV Trifecta continues with Real World Go Big or Go Home from Las Vegas. Things have been heating up in the Las Vegas Valley, and Episode 7 was no exception.

   Last week, we had the toughest mission yet for the group when Kailah's hangover prior to a Challenge final-like hike saw her gut it out and barely escape being the first castmate to exit this season. The saga of her and Dione rolled on when her being excluded from the "Cool Kids" clique led to an argument. And continuing the old-school nature of this season, Chris made an emotional journey back to his birthplace of Salt Lake City to take a stand against his Mormon Church for discriminating the LGBT community.
   This week, the attention turns to three things: one, back to the drama that has defined much of the season when a trip to the gun range sees CeeJai struggle to keep her cool when Jenna triggers painful feelings of the emotional story we heard from her back at the beginning. But it's not all drama, as Dean officially begins a new era as a single man once again, and the roommates throw a surprise divorce party in a familiar place, which leads to an awkward hookup between him and a roommate. And amidst the buzz of her single "If Only," Sabrina pursues her musical dreams.
   We have the action, reaction and interaction from this Real World Thursday coming your way here, as well as the aftermath of Wednesday's premiere of The Challenge: Rivals III, and of course the cast's entry for Song of the Summer. And after the diary, on this Mother's Day Sunday DC ExtraTime has a special treat for you Trifecta fans, as we present a heart-warming story of a generous deed by a member of Team MTV. Considering what happened the last time we saw them on MTV, you'll won't believe who the person who is making this great gesture is.

- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
- Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not 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.

For your fix of the week that was in the Real World, Join In with us next.

DC Sports: Leicester City - Underdogs to Champions

Excerpt from DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Rivals III - The Premiere posted earlier,

re-posted as a separate post in the interest of soccer & sports fans worldwide

BY DC CUEVA                     

> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

Now, we turn from America's fifth major pro sport to the world's most popular sport and probably the most unlikely underdog story you'll ever hear about - either in sports or anywhere else. And if we only thought what we saw with Jenna & Vince on Wednesday or what Devin did on the AYTO Season 3 finale last year was amazing, it's minuscule compared to the story that's marveled the sports world and whose climax came this week, culminating with earlier today across the pond when they hoisted the most sought-after trophy in all of the United Kingdom.

Fifty-two weeks ago last Monday was Super Sports Saturday: American Pharoah's run to the Triple Crown, the Clippers knocking out the Spurs, and that fight - among other things. This time, May 2nd will mean so much more if you live in the East Midlands of England. Last year, we kicked off our Summer of Sports series with a look at the English Premier League - the most-watched & most-followed soccer league in the world. And while we're just five months in, when people look back on 2016 in sports, they'll look back at how a team who was 5000-1 when the season began last August overcame enormous odds and went on a fairy tale ride to football immortality.

   When the 2015-16 Premier League season began back in August of last summer, defending champions Chelsea were pegged by Sky Bet as 13/8 favorites to retain their title, while Manchester City was 5/2, Arsenal was 7/2, Manchester United was 5/1 and Tottenham Hotspur 100/1. If you thought the gap between the Power 6 that form the top conferences in NCAA Division I FCS, then consider most of the attention in the Premier League is focused on those teams, Liverpool, Everton and other clubs with history, huge payrolls, the best players and facilities that trump those of other clubs who don't have as much a worldwide reach as them. The same goes to Real Madid and F.C. Barcelona in Spain's La Liga.
   And way back in the pack in that morning line was Leicester City at 5000-1, and absolutely no one outside of the East Midlands gave them a chance to win the title, no less be likely favorites to be relegated back to the second tier of the English football pyramid, the Football League Championship, which they won back in 2013-14 to earn promotion to the big time. Aside from a historic comeback win over Man Utd. where they wiped away a 3-1 2nd half lead to score 4 unanswered goals, LCFC was at the bottom of the league table midway through the season, before escaping from relegation late in the season with 7 wins in their last 9 matches.

   Despite that, during the summer manager Nigel Pierson was fired after news leaked of son and LCFC player James Pierson having a role in a racist sex tape made by three Foxes players while on a postseason trip to Thailand; the son was also dumped by the squad as well. Former Chelsea manager and good humored Claudio Ranieri was appointed as his successor prior to the season to much skeptics after he was fired from the Greek national team, and nobody could predict the kind of start that they would go on. At the same time, Ranieri's old club experienced a miserable start to their title defense and led to the sacking of manager Jose Mourinho when they fell to 16th place in December.

   The one that turned the tide in the favor of the Foxes was a record-setting streak. Striker Jamie Vardy went on a tear by scoring 13 goals in a span of 11 consecutive matches from August to Thanksgiving weekend in November, besting the previous Premier League record of scoring in 10 straight games held by Ruud van Nistelrooy. The next month, Leicester went to Everton and notched a 3-2 road win to go to the top of the league table on Christmas: a total 180 from where they were one year earlier. A loss to Liverpool on Boxing Day saw them drop to 2nd place after Vardy's streak propelled them to a solid unbeaten streak. Amd after a 1-1 draw with the club who would eventually be relegated - Aston Villa, Leicester City returned to the top of the table, and it would stay that way the rest of the way.

   LCFC's success was aided not only by the struggles at Chelsea, but also at Arsenal where a poor start, a winless drought in late winter and draws in the spring became too much for Arsene Wanger and company to overcome. With the two Manchester clubs conceding to play for places in Europe, Tottenham Hotspur, with no top-flight league title since 1961, emerged as Leicester's biggest threat, aided by a 6-match winning streak in mid-winter to bring them into 2nd place and into contention up until last Monday. After Leicester drew 1-1 at Old Trafford last Sunday, Spurs ran out to a 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, but two goals by the Blues, and tempers flaring with 9 yellow cards, saw their challenge fade out with a 2-2 draw.

    the moment the final whistle blew, celebrations sprang out across the East Midlands, including both Vardy's house where his entire squad watched that game, in pubs throughout town, and of course all around the world. The Prime Ministers of Britain and Italy expressed their congratulations, as did Mourinho, former manager Martin O'Neil and EPL chairman Richard Scudamore. And for one of LCFC's biggest alumni who was a striker for the team, saved the club from bankruptcy and hosts the BBC's Match of the Day, Gary Lineker made a joke that he would host the football highlights program in just his underwear if his team won, and now he has to follow through on that promise.

   Another person who's had a front-row seat to this ride is a fellow Leicester resident who's brought this historic run back to America. When NBC first made its foray into soccer in 2012, they brought aboard the voice of one of American sports' most-rabid fan bases, Seattle Sounders play by play man Arlo White. Little did they know that his hometown club would ultimately top the soccer world in becoming what he calls "the most universally popular Champions in Premier League history" and adds, "Leicester City’s rise to glory is a story that is captivating the world. To be bottom of the table with seven games remaining one season, and seven points clear at the top, is unique and mind bogglingly impressive. They set a wonderful example of the rewards that teamwork, determination and fearlessness can bring.  It’s a magnificent tale."

   This is the first time Leicester City can lay claim to being champions of England in their 132-year history, and only the 6th club to lift the Premier League trophy. They're also the first outside of the Big Five to do so since 1995 and Alan Shearer's Nottingham Forest. Quite a remarkable rise for a club who played in England's third tier, Football League One, back in 2008-09, and whose payroll amounted to £54.4 million, or $78.5 million/U.S. - less than a quarter of those of the top teams not only in England but world football. And for oddsmakers in Britain, the stunning nature of the Foxes' title run has seen them pay out £25 million, or roughly short of $36.1 million, and forcing UK bookmaker Ladbrokes to never put a 5000-1 odds again on any club for winning a title.
   The Foxes join the Miracle on Ice U.S. hockey team, the '69 Mets, Namath's Jets, the '04 Red Sox, defending U.S. Open champ Flavia Pennetta, James "Buster" Douglas, Holly Holm and, yes, the Season 3 AYTO Cast, in defying all odds and expectations to surprise everybody. This is why we love the underdog, and with Leicester City winning the EPL title, it once again proves this adage that when something surprises in competition, it gives hope that David can beat Goliath. Maybe, could Jenna & Vince go all the way to the title after what we saw this week? Could an AYTO pair cash in their first two MTV appearances? Could we have a final without Bananas/Sarah and/or Nany/Wes? It's a long way off, but ask Leicester City: anything's possible.

- DC

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Rivals III - The Premiere

*** Advisory: DC SocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content 

and spoilers for some readers. 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 / @DC408DxNow

On this Mother's Day and Kentucky Derby weekend, hi, hello, what's up and welcome one & all to DCBLOG's ongoing coverage of the MTV Trifecta, and to DC SocialPulse for the premiere episode of Season 28 of The Challenge. As we begin a busy period that sees all three shows we cover wall to wall be showcased non-stop now until summer's end, and literally a few months removed from the most recent season of the fifth major pro sport, this week we begin anew with a familiar format but with a totally new twist.

   It's Rivals III, and unlike its first two incarnations, the teams of bitter rivals are not of the same gender but are of the co-ed variety as the girls will be paired with the guys, Exes style. And of course, it'll require everything the competitors need to succeed, and most especially overcome a history of bickering with a record winner's jackpot awaiting them. From a veteran pair whose rivalry formed by virtue of her last Challenge and a familar move of his, to an AYTO pair just rested up from Hawaii and everywhere in between, this promises to be a great season.
   This week, the competitors will arrive in Hautulco, Mexico on the country's south coast to all of the usual pomp and circumstance that comes with their first night, complete with a Bananas toast and a sparkling mansion. Then comes, perhaps, the most dramatic entrance we've ever seen to a Trifecta show (maybe since the balloon ride on St. Patrick's Day in Vegas) to find out all the details of what this season has to offer for them, plus a stunning first hookup and a defying first challenge where trust and communication is being tested right out of the gate.
   We've got all the interaction from the first Challenge Wednesday and the premiere episode itself covered here here in the first of what is now three (and sometimes more) weekly posts to cover not only this Challenge premiere, but also this week's Real World and our usual Wrap. And if you stick around through all of these tweets, and to offer added depth to a theme of this premiere, DC ExtraTime will offer perspective on what is the greatest underdog story in recent sports history: a 5000-1 long shot winning the biggest prize in domestic league soccer. That's all ahead here.

As we begin our eleventh Trifecta season and sixth Challenge we've covered here, once again a primer for those who are joining us for the first time in case you're happened to find us here or if you're been brought here by word of mouth. The 'Pulse is DCBLOG's signature feature presenting unique, exclusive running twitter diaries of the MTV Trifecta as seen by those watching the episodes in 140 characters or less - cast and fans alike. Social media has brought TV's communal viewing experience into the digital age, and often it's the twitter interaction during episodes that becomes the big show as the cast relives the drama in its edited form with more than just family and friends. We strive to bring that interaction to you here.

   If you wanna relive how you, the castmates and fellow fans reacted to a hookup, fight, mission or anything else that takes place, then dig in to action, reaction and interaction that's below. But most particularly, in the case of some of you such as yours truly, those who might have stayed off social media while the episodes aired and didn't get the benefit of having the true TV/Twitter experience of your favorites tweeting along to avoid those spoilers, The 'Pulse is your first destination to catch up on the tweets you missed. These diaries are specially designed, curated and pieced together by me in real-time - tweet-by-tweet & uncensored - to bring that experience and interaction as a service to you, the fans, so you don't miss a moment. It's easier to catch up here than there, all timeline style.
   The 'Pulse is only part of DCBLOG's wide-ranging MTV Trifecta coverage, offering a unique angle on the shows you & I love that's found only on this site. With these 'Pulse diaries, episode Wraps, original stories, thoughtful opinions and in-depth analysis covering the people, the stories, the drama and its history, you are covered like no other blog, easily complementing the other sites that cover these shows. It's all tailor made for this site and a channel with its intimate relationship and impact, with insight, storytelling and perspective that they all offer. And it's brought to you by a long-time MTV fan who now devotes energies and free time to covering this wild, crazy and always unique world of the Trifecta.

Now, the main event and the one you've all been waiting for: the following are the actual tweets of the cast, alumni, fans and me as we got to see the premiere, along with some of the buildup to, and the aftermath of, premiere day, and of course the first episode.
- As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
- Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not 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, strap in, get settled in and Join In with DCBLOG after the jump as we kick off Season 28 of The Challenge and the premiere of Rivals 3: SocialPulse style.