DC WRAP: Rivals Finale & AYTO S4 EP7

BY DC CUEVA                     

> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

A bit later than we expected here - and apologies to everyone, but taking a brief break from the Olympics to bring you the WRAP covering last week's Rivals III finale, and last week's Are You The One? as well. Last Wednesday was the season finale of The Challenge, which ended in rather controversial fashion. And last week in Hawaii, we saw a fight between Giovanni and Stephen at the Match-Up which came about a move was made on Julia which - as it turns out - plays a huge role in this week's episode which we'll have it covered on this week's post.

   Due to Rio 2016 being given priority, we'll be discussing the Rivals III finale and the homestretch of this AYTO season on our postseason posts coming next week. But coming up, a scaled down WRAP with the results of several Twitter polls done in the days that followed last week's finale and final fantasy scoring. Plus, we'll show you sightings between several MTV castmates from the South to Sin City. Join in next.

DC FORUM POLLS

First, the results of our DC FORUM polls conducted on Twitter at @DC408Dxtr in the days after the Rivals III finale...

"Does Bananas' revenge move on Sarah to win The Challenge Rivals III change your perception of him?" 

● YES, I hate him even more: 76% 
● NO, I'm still with Bananas: 24%
  - Out of 42 Total Votes Cast

"Is Bananas' Rivals III move the biggest one in MTV reality TV history?" 

● YES, it's sweet revenge: 44%
● NO, there's better ones: 56% 
  - Out of 9 Total Votes Cast

"Do you think Sarah was unfairly denied her share of The Challenge Rivals III prize money?" 

● YES, I do feel for Sarah: 62%
● NO, it's the right move: 38% 
  - Out of 21 Total Votes Cast

"After her 3rd straight final & going 2nd on Rivals 3, do you think Jenna will eventually win a Challenge?" 

● YES, she will win soon. - 100% 
● NO, just not quite net. - 0%
  - Out of 10 Total Votes Cast

"Who do you think has become the hothead of the AYTO 4 house?" 

● GIOVANNI: 91% 
● JOHN: 6%
● Someone Else: 3%
  - Out of 34 Total Votes Cast

Analysis of our polls show the hatred many fans have for Bananas now after he screwed over yet another player on what's now his 13th Challenge and, as they say, that number might be considered bad luck and many people in the Facebook comments and on Twitter have expressed this way. By a slight edge, there have been big moves better than the one he laid on last week when you put this in context with other reality TV, and like so many a lot of you have expressed sympathy for Sarah. In our first unanimous vote, Jenna appears to be on the road to perhaps winning a Challenge sooner rather than later, while Giovanni is the overwhelming choice for being the least-liked castmate of this season, perhaps of the show overall. We also did another poll relating to this week's AYTO episode, and we'll have the results of that poll in this week's posts.

 FANTASY TRAX 

A fairly light load for this final... Here's the scoring from the final and the classified season results.

► Weekly Point-Scorers
All points scored in the finale are in Drama category
   1. DEVIN: 30 Pts.
T-2. CHEYENNE and SARAH: 25 Pts.
   4. BANANAS: 20 Pts.
   5. VINCE: 10 Pts.

► Top 10 Total Point-Scorers
Players already eliminated are shaded out
   1. DEVIN: 470 Pts.
   2. CHEYENNE: 455 Pts.
   3. CAMILA: 390 Pts.
   4. NANY: 365 Pts.
T-5. JENNA and BANANAS: 325 Pts.
  7. ASHLEY: 320 Pts.
  8. SARAH: 290 Pts.
  9. WES: 280 Pts.
10. VINCE: 270 Pts.

► Key Scorers
● DEVIN: Devin earned 30 points in the finale: 10 points for expressing a fear of heights, and 20 points for throwing up three times (10 pts. each). He wins the overall points race at 470 Points.
● CHEYENNE: Cheyenne earned 25 points in the finale for expressing fear of heights and throwing up one time (point totals mentioned above), as well as crying on the mountain (5 pts.). She finishes second in the overall standings at 455 Points.

● SARAH: Sarah earned 10 points for throwing up, and 15 points for crying three times - first in confessional after reaching the mountain top, when TJ tells her that they won, and when Bananas takes all the money. She places 8th in the overall point standings at 290 pts.
● OTHERS: Bananas earned 20 points for expressing fear of heights (10) and throwing up (10). Vince earned 10 for throwing up, while Jenna didn't score.

 #DCExtraTime 

REUNIONS & SIGHTINGS

Now, a few reunions and some sightings to share with you here...

Credit: @T_Raines33

● First, two years ago this month, filming began in Chicago for Real World Skeletons, and what a ride it's been for the seven strangers both during that season 30 and in the two years after. After we told you the story earlier this season behind one of the pairs that might've been called up earlier of Jason & Nicole, most recently there were two reunions of sorts for a season that didn't have one.

   As Tony is working hard to regain many fans' trust after what's happened to him since leaving the RW house in addition to a new baby coming later this year, someone familiar came to his Louisiana home base. Violetta came to visit him there last month, joined by their respective friends and the skeleton he had in Chicago, ex girlfriend Alyssa, to catch up on what's happened to them since they left the Windy City. He tweeted, "Reunited! Hope you enjoyed Nola this time around and glad we got to catch up. #BeenTooLong" And she responded, "It was a pleasure. You where totally right about making us feel at home. Till next time my friend."

Credit: @ViolettaMTV

   In what's been a busy summer for her going around the country, V also had the chance to catch up with her BFF in Chicago, Sylvia last week in Kansas City as they, too, also caught up for the first time since leaving the house. The aforementioned Jason tweeted after a FaceTime session with them, "I love @VMillerman and @SylviaMTV I swear they are amazing. I miss y'all! Don't ever change ladies!" And while she was on Atlanta for a Warped Tour stop earlier this summer, Violetta also ran into Chuck from the last Are You The One? season as well. Maybe next stop for her is being the second person from her season to do a Challenge? We'll see that about that...

● Speaking of the 1996 Olympic host city, over a week ago three recent Real World alums got together as well in the capital of the South, joined by a member of the broader Bunim-Murray family. A common link between two of them is of being part of two infamous fights on the OG of reality TV: Nia got in that infamous fight with Averey and with Johnny on Real World Portland, followed three years later by CeeJai getting into two of them with Jenna at the end of Go Big or Go Home in Las Vegas back in May. It's with the ladder that the two words of last season's theme title was, when both girls were kicked out after being warned not to do it again or else - something that didn't happen for the former.

   And to demonstrate how small this world of reality TV is, CeeJai is actually friends with a member of the Season 12 cast of the BMP-produced Bad Girls Club on Oxygen, which of course has way more fights on a season than you can possibly have on any of the Trifecta shows. A few seasons ago, BGC fans were introduced to Jonica Booth, aka "Blu," and both her and CeeJai have known each other since they were kids. Whoever thought back then that both would be doing reality TV shows and being part of the company that pioneered reality TV?

   In late July, them and Nia welcomed Cory to Atlanta and spent some fine time with the fella. Blu tweeted, "Had a dope night with the handsome @MTVCoryWharton n my beautiful pooh @MTVCeeJai and it was a pleasure meetin u gorgeous @TheRealNiaMoore 💙". And CeeJai added, "Man, tonight was really a lituation!🔥🙃🎉😆 @Blu1x @TheRealNiaMoore @MTVCoryWharton y'all had me dying 😂😂maaaaan thanks for the Turntness💁🏽😂". 

Credit: TW @Bruce_Lee85

● Finally, for those in Las Vegas, there's now a new attraction within sight of the Strip. After veteran Jim Furyk shot the first 58 in PGA Tour history last weekend in Connecticut, there's one company doing its part to help grow the game of golf to a new & younger audience. This comes as Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and the world's best prep to play for gold when golf returns to the Olympics starting tomorrow in Rio. Topgolf is a hybrid of the vibe of a local hangout and a club with the fun competition of sport in a several-story driving range and new technologies designed to appeal this relatively genteel game to the millennials who saw Tiger Woods rise to prominence and seen the likes of Rickie, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth emerge out of that new generation inspired by the man in red.

   Since the British-based company expanded into the U.S., Topgolf has doubled down in increasing the number of locations to possibly 30 by year's end, including a new one behind the MGM Grand in Sin City, long a golf destination. And since its grand opening back in May, Challenge host TJ Lavin has been a regular visitor to the new location, and over a week ago he had a couple familiar visitors join them to tee it up in the night sky. Vegas is not only TJ's home, it's also the case for fellow challengers Leroy and Brandon...Nelson if you're scoring at home. They got to hit some golf balls (embedded with microchips to track accuracy and distance) towards the driving range and lit-up greens rewarding points for shots long and short. If you're one who loves golf and the vibe the city has, it'll sure be worth it to check it out for yourself.
   Leroy @Bruce_Lee85 tweeted: "Always good to see the homies @BrandonDNelson @Bcow015 @tjlavin @TopgolfLasVegas". With Nany now supposedly retired, Leroy inherits top billing as the Back to Vegas cast's best chance to win a Challenge, and next on his agenda is the boxing ring: tonight he has a bout in the world's fight capital, all for charity.

▪   ▪   ▪   ▪   ▪

And that'll do it for this final combined edition of DC WRAP as for now until it ends later next week, it's just one show in the closing stretch of Are You The One?, and finally we can catch our breath after this ride. As you await this weekend's posts, and with the thing I prefer of wanting to hear both sides of the story, check out the following webcasts...

● In the aftermath of last week's madness, the great podcast host - and HBO Ringer master Bill Simmons, scored the first opportunity to interview Johnny Bananas in the wake of his game-changing move of backstabbing Sarah and discussing everything related to his sixth Challenge win. Check out that podcast on SoundCloud, and check out previous Challenge discussions on The Bill Simmons Podcast and all the other usual suspects of his media empire on that site too.
● Also, The No Quitters Podcast had the chance to interview Bananas as well just a day or so later, as in addition to Rivals III, he also discussed his long-standing career and all else. And there's even a special guest that pops in as well... Find out who that is and more on their interview now at SoundCloud, as well as discussions of the final as well too.
● Of course, there has to be a second side of the story to all of this, and Sarah has her Brain Candy Podcast with Susie as they discussed, in depth and detail, the finale and everything from her point of view. Check out that discussion on the BCP website, plus check out Susie's scaving post that you all should check out, if you so decide to do so.
● Last week's finale provided plenty of discussion for the duo Brian Cohen (@BusDriversRoute) & Ali Lasher (@LashsTweets) to chat about on their MTV RHAP. They discussed the finale, the point system, the move and the reunion. Check out that podcast here, plus all their other shows on Rob Has A Website including this week's AYTO which we'll have for you this weekend.
● There's AfterBuzz TV and the recaps they do for the MTV Trifecta, which you can check out at afterbuzztv.com. For the discussions of last week's AYTO, the panel was joined by Asaf as he chatted with them about what happened on Episode 8, adding his name to the star-studded list of those who've been guests on the show on what's become a must-listen.
● There's Ace Nichols (@AceNichols33) and her hilarious recaps on her YouTube channel and much more as well. Posted a few days ago was her Finale recap which you can check out there, though it does get released early if you help her out in her plans to do cast interviews and other things in addition to recaps, check out her Twitter for more details.

● Lastly, check out Andrew Kirk (@CSUGradAKirk) and his YouTube channel with plenty of cast interviews posted on there as well as his discussions including thoughts on Rivals III and on Big Brother which he posted there before last week's finale, plus things he's done with Reality Radio.

Now, our end of season custom here is the Reality Debrief, and I plan to bring on Andrew (and maybe a few other Insiders) over the Labor Day weekend for this typical holiday tradition a bit early to recap the whole summer in reality TV and preview the autumn slate. It's not too early to begin to send your questions on what we've seen in the reality world by tweeting them to me @DC408Dxtr or in the comments below.

   Now amidst all of this Olympic fever and all else, it still allows me time to the blog and of course, we'll recap what happened on AYTO here this weekend, plus Olympics posts throughout this month and into September when the world's most inspiring athletes gather for the Paralympics. Also, for the first time here I'm just started ironing out plans for a big trip that's coming this fall... but that's all I'll be saying about it for now, as I'll have more on that on closing weekend of Rio 2016.

   Remember, follow DCNOW at @DC408DxNow for all things Rio 2016 with live tweets of the Games' biggest events, curated real-time tweets of NBC's primetime show with Costas & Co. and everything going on in Brazil. Next Monday is the season finale and it begins at 9PM Eastern...and with the change to my live tweet coverage, the finale event begins at 6PM Pacific there on DCNOW, followed by Olympic Primetime. I'll also do live chats, Q&A's and polls in addition to highlighting key moments from DCNOW when it airs out west.
   For now, thank you for reading and see you later tonight on DCNOW. Enjoy the rest of your week.

- I AM DC