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Happy Memorial Day to all of you from DCBLOG, as we continue our look Inside the MTV Trifecta. And we are now into the homestretch of, what will ultimately be, a nine-month journey that began in Seattle, and after crisscrossing the globe to the Caribbean and then to three countries in the Asia/Pacific region, has brought us back to the West Coast and to Southern California, venue for The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros.
For Challenge fans, there have been reasons to be excited the past several months: all-time beast CT becoming a two-time champion on Invasion of the Champions, underdog Ashley M. upsetting Camila to become the biggest surprise champion in more than a decade, and a lot of drama south of the top of the victory podium in Thailand. And of course, there is this special treat of those three, as well as seven other champions joining them to face off against ten professional athletes to see who is the best, while also letting twenty different charities and causes become the true champions of this season in all the money won here going to them on behalf of those competing on Champs vs. Pros.
But at the top of the heap has been a bevy of one-on-one elimination battles that has gone down both in Asia inside the Fortress, and in the Cali sun for this special Challenge spinoff series. And this past week saw the latest Champs vs. Champs battle, which also marked the first-ever faceoff in an elimination arena between two of The Challenge's best-known competitors, and winningest players. That is the subject of this latest edition of ExtraTime In-Depth, where in the wake of this past week's battle, we focus on The Backstory of the rivalry between Johnny Bananas and Wes Bergmann.
As you get to enjoy the middle day of your Memorial Day weekend this Sunday, we have the WRAP to bring you here to look back on the week in the MTV Trifecta. This past week saw the finale of Are You The One? Second Chances in the confirmation of a man who saw a trip to Australia to enhance his legend, and together with his match from the South made easy work of the competition. And he can also be proud of what happened the previous night on The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros, as the guy he grew close with in the mansion they called home last year had his most satisfying moment ever on this franchise in beating his rival in another epic Champions elimination.
We'll be covering both of them here in this truncated edition of the WRAP, ahead after the jump.
Welcome on back to DCBLOG as we continue along going Inside the MTV Trifecta, as we turn our attention this Sunday of Memorial Day weekend with the final chapter of the latest quest to find love and money, and in this case, finding something more about why ten perfect matches were given a chance to find out why the science made them compatible. It's the last act of Are You The One? Second Chances, taking place down in Melbourne, Australia.
Last week, the four semifinal matches of Adam & Shanley, Cameron & Mikala, Devin & Rashida and Morgan & Tori were all given their most demanding task yet for the final regular mission of the season: trying to put together an apartment to live in, and relying on going over the edge as well to make sure it all looked perfect. In the end, Devin & Rashida took yet another win to claim their spot in the final, which also saw Cameron & Mikala falter in last place, eventually being eliminated but not before the bombshell dropped by him making the choice to steal during their blind pick. And for Tori & Morgan, they decide to take relationship to another level by going up to the boom boom room.
For this tenth and final week, it's the finale, and one last chance for the Originals, for Torgan and for the Puppet Masters to prove their worth. This won't come easy as a journey all around the second largest metropolis in the world's only island continent will take them from city to sea and will be tested on how much they have learned about one another as they race to get out of Melbourne. For here, the house will come to terms with their relationships, especially with those who don't finish top dog will have to deal with either losing some or all of their bank. And for the winning couple, they aren't gonna go home without one last test, which will cause concerns for whoever comes out on top.
Ahead head, one last diary of this cycle at all the action, reaction and interaction of this last AYTO Wednesday, which also includes plenty of laughs and jaw-dropping moments when moments that have been left on the cutting room floor finally get shown for the first time. And after the Pulse on ExtraTime, you'll get a chance to meet the new Team MTV baby as the girl we saw last year get a ton of help from one of this season's finalists finally reveals her new princess. And we'll also let you in on another MTV alum announcing their entry into parenthood.
• 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.
Three worthy teams, and one last test... and meeting a baby Princess. It's all ahead on the finale 'Pulse of Are You The One? Second Chances.
This is the unofficial start of the summer: Memorial Day Weekend, and wherever you are we hope are enjoying yourselves and taking advantage of this time to have some barbecue, enjoy the fireworks and relax out in the sun this three-day holiday weekend. And we at DCBLOG are here to bring you the week Inside the MTV Trifecta, starting with week 2 of The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros.
Last week down in Southern California - and following a very chaotic Invasion Reunion with host Mike "The Miz," it was the premiere as ten Champions met up with ten Pros to compete to see who is the best in the fifth major pro sport. And as it was on Invasion, the champions lost their first challenge - this time to the pros when they outlasted them in the trek going across rope to rope. But the true breakout star was Lolo Jones, who has been doubted a lot throughout her career on the track and on the ice, but saved her most stellar performance for the elimination, winning it handily.
This week, it's week 2, and fitting for the weekend we are enjoying the competitors embark on a race involving saran wrap, chips and some ketchup and mustard. Two NFL stars Shawne Merriman and Kamerion Wimbley, lead the group into pick-up football and escalates into big drama for two Olympians. And the attention turns to the guys for their shot at elimination, which leads to a wrestler getting in the face of this show's all-time champ, an NFL player and wrestler deciding to settle the score, and The Challenge's biggest rivalry to finally have things settled one on one.
All the action, reaction and interaction to this week in The Challenge is straight ahead here, along with the latest Challenge countdown in unseen moments. Plus, the diary has an ode to the 25th anniversary of The Real World this past weekend, and the tragedy in Manchester on Monday. And after the Pulse, ExtraTime has a follow-up on a couple who clicked up in Seattle last year, but have now headed down to that town no couple wants to head down to.
• 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.
Gridiron drama, scores settled, a heavyweight elimination and a breakup... it's all ahead on the 'Pulse of The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros on DCBLOG.
It's Tuesday, but not any ordinary Tuesday as we are heading towards the beginning of summer for many of you. And we at DCBLOG are back with you again to Wrap up this past week in the MTV Trifecta before new episodes air tonight.
Last week saw the last act of an unpredictable Challenge season, the beginning of a special summer attraction full of Champs & Pros, and the last regular mission on AYTO Second Chances. We saw a lot go down on the Invasion Reunion hosted by a true Trifecta icon, an Olympian who's been doubted all her life respond in a big way, and saw how it all ended unfortunately for a budding perfect match.
We'll recap it all for you here before we proceed with Act 2 down in SoCal and the Australian finale tomorrow night, along with a couple specials as well. Then, on the topic of having seen her fellow friend return to our MTV airwaves this past week, we'll catch up with a Challenge stalwart and Road Rules veteran as she now looks forward to a new addition in her life. That's all ahead.
It's Sunday Funday and a notable day in MTV history as The Real World turns 25 years old today. And as you enjoy this Sunday, why not take a moment to catch up on our look at the penultimate episode of Are You The One? Second Chances,
Last week in Melbourne, the pairs were given the task to throw something they're familiar with from their original AYTO seasons: throwing a party by the beach. For a pair we affectionately call the Originals, Shanley and Adam experienced a roller coaster of emotions that saw them finally get back on track in becoming power couple but dissipated over trying to communicate well enough. For the man they call Big D, he reveals a devious plan with his partner Rashida as the possibility of stealing still looms. And for another perfect match, Cameron & Mikala is further drifting apart.
This week is the last week before the final, and in a twist of fate, we still have those three couples and Tori & Morgan by way of yet another blind choice. Here, tempers will no doubt flare when the last regular season mission quite literally sends the matches over the edge as they try to earn their spot in the final. For one perfect match, their relationship no doubt hangs on in the edge, while for another, they take their relationship to another level after what has transpired in the past.
All the action, reaction and interaction from this week is ahead here, plus heartache for the first couple of Season 5. And after the diary, a week after Mother's Day we'll share you some moments of Team MTV saying "Thank You Mom."
• 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.
After the jump, Week 9 of Are You The One? Second Chances.
Welcome to the weekend, as we now enter the late part of spring and race towards the summertime. And when it's the weekend, it also means one thing: DCBLOG taking you Inside the MTV Trifecta. And we kick things off with a transition of sorts in the fifth major pro sport as we head towards the conclusion of this cycle of covering this great passion of ours on this site: one the final act of the season that was in Thailand, and the other - the beginning of something unique.
This week sees the kick off of a special six-week mini season of The Challenge in Champs vs. Pros, as NFL star Victor Cruz takes over for TJ Lavin as host of this season full of all-stars from all around the sports world as they take on seven champions we just saw on Invasion of the Champions plus three more making their return. Here, it's Olympic athletes, NFL stars, and an icon of fight sports, taking on the likes of Bananas, Wes, CT, Cara Maria, Camila and others in the SoCal sun for not just glory but also charity as well.
But first, as the co-feature to this week's Challenge Tuesday, there's the always-entertaining conclusion to any season of the Trifecta: the Reunion, and for The Challenge, it's Invasion of the Champions with a true MTV icon. And to help commemorate the 25th anniversary of Real World this weekend - Season 10 Back to New York alum turned WWE Champion Mike "The Miz" hosts the big show as many of the castmates gather to discuss rivalries, friendships, hook-ups and more from Thailand... and plenty of drama too.
Coming up, all the action, reaction and interaction of this Double Shot of The Challenge and the surrounding buzz from this week, including Mother's Day. And on this graduation weekend for many of you, after the Pulse on ExtraTime we'll catch up with a Real World'er from a few years back who was part of a fan favorite couple and has now experienced that feeling of getting a college diploma.
First, as we commence this miniseries… just in case you're joining us for the first time here by just finding us here - then welcome in and get yourself comfortable. If you're a fan of The Challenge, or its feeder shows Real World and Are You The One?, then DCBLOG is the place for those who want more from the MTV Trifecta. And The 'Pulse is an signature feature offering a look at the other show that takes place concurrent to the madness of what we're seeing on TV: the social media interaction between cast members, alumni and fans from Twitter. It becomes equal to the big show as they wrap themselves around the communal viewing experience of watching themselves on TV.
Presented each weekend to kick off our weekly wave of posts, these exclusive running diaries are specially designed, curated and pieced together by yours truly in real-time - tweet by tweet and uncensored - to bring the hookups, drama, action and all else to you here. This is a service to all of you fans - both those who just want to relive the action, reaction and interaction in real time, or for the many who might not have experienced the buzz at the time of the episodes' ET airing and want to catch up in these diaries, posted to you here after it airs on MTV wherever you are.
The Pulse is just part of DCBLOG's all-encompassing Trifecta coverage: with episode Wraps, thoughtful & in-depth analysis, and ExtraTime original stories, we take you beyond the drama to cover the people and the stories that take you beyond the hype, the headlines and the hookups. And it's presented by this long-time MTV fan who loves these shows as much as you do, has become good friends with a lot of the castmates, and now translates that passion into this site.
Now, the following are the actual tweets of the cast, alumni and fans as we got to see the premiere, along with the buildup to, and the aftermath of, the premiere and the Invasion reunion.
• 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 on stage, drama on the field, drama in the house, and a graduation... it's all coming up on this DC Challenge 'Pulse Double Shot.
As we bring you in on this Tuesday, we have arrived at the final show of this cycle of the MTV Trifecta that began all the way back in October in Seattle and have taken us to three countries and will conclude in June close to home with our fifth series we've covered in the past eight months. And now that we have crowned our champions of Season 29 of The Challenge Invasion in CT and Ashley, we now turn our attention to something new and unique and will offer a fitting crescendo to what we have been able to experience during this journey.
If they say The Challenge is the fifth major pro sport, then a lot of you have wondered to yourself how those who compete in other sports might fare on this revered show? Well, your wish will be granted as this cycle of the MTV Trifecta will reach its crescendo with this special series called, The Challenge - Champs vs. Pros. CT, Ashley and eight other champions who have at least one of these -- seven from Team Champions in Thailand plus the eighth in the new queen of this show, will be coming here just off the plane from Thailand with a stop in New York for the reunion that proceeds the show. Awaiting them are ten top athletes from the entire sports spectrum: nine from the U.S. and a tenth from Great Britain and who have experience in the NFL, the Olympics, UFC, WWE and surfing to create the ultimate grudge match and a true battle to see who is best.
Coming up in this preview, we'll have a look at the pros who will be taking to the field to compete against Team MTV and provide some background and analysis on all of them, including the man who will take over, at least for this season, by the guy who brought the salsa dance to Sundays. We'll also meet the ten champions who'll go into battle on this season, go over the format, and offer a "Who Are These Newbies?" look at one of them making their return after a many years' absence.
So as we always like to say here, get out that Under Armour jersey, get yourself set and join in with us after the jump as DCBLOG previews at The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros.
As you begin this week and get through the stress of this Monday, how about if you can take some of that stress off with this DCBLOG WRAP of The Challenge Invasion - the last one of this season after this past week's finale. Last week saw both a reaffirmation of the champions' throne by one of this era's best-ever competitors, and the coronation for an underdog queen that no one expected would make this quick ascension to the top step of the female victory podium.
Ahead, we'll be breaking from our format of the past several months in dedicating this entire Wrap to the finale of Invasion of the Champions with a recap of the two-part final, bring you one more time into the Strategy Room for some final analysis, and the classified final fantasy scoring results and our Twitter poll. And after that, in honor of a newly minted queen, we'll be focusing in on the fashion side of the girl who we first saw in San Francisco and has certainly come a long way since then.
It's all ahead on DCBLOG's WRAP of The Challenge Invasion finale.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you from DCBLOG, including to my mom. And as we continue along our trip Inside the MTV Trifecta - and following our Pulse of The Challenge Invasion final, we have a treat for you in bringing your some dessert in Week 8 of Are You The One? Second Chances.
Last week in Melbourne, Australia - and one of those countries where you drive on the left side of the road, the couple drove while blindfolded while their partners had to help them maneuver that steering wheel. In the end, Devin & Rashida establish control with their third mission win, and he helps to give Mike a chance to be Mr. Puppet Master. And the first signs that Mikala & Cameron are not a true perfect match comes to fruition when he tells her that she's boring.
This week is the penultimate week before the final, and it gives everyone a reason to do something that's been synonymous with the show they got their start with: throw a party, and one taking place right by the beach. For one couple, they endure a roller coaster of emotions that could be the turning point in them finally being able to get back on track. For another perfect match, they grow closer and another begins to drift apart with the potential for a steal looming above. And for the lead member of the power alliance in the house, a plan that could enhance his villain status.
All the action, reaction and interaction from this week awaits for you here, including one of them taking the mic to clear the air. And then, an ExtraTime AYTO double-shot: first, if you happened to catch daytime TV this past week, you might have spotted someone familiar in the audience of one of its most popular talk shows. Find out who that is, plus the girl who endured the most hate of the show's most controversial season and cast finally breaks her silence... we'll share you her thoughts.
• 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.
Ahead after the jump, the Pulse of Week 8 of Are You The One? Second Chances.
Happy Mother's Day weekend to all of you out there, including to my mom, and time for us at DCBLOG to again take you Inside the MTV Trifecta. Coming up, perfect matches reach the crossroads in Melbourne, and a look ahead at when ten pros take to the field to challenge ten champions. But first, we begin with the final act of Season 29 of The Challenge: Invasion of the Champions.
Last week, the starting horn blew on the show's first-ever three-day final as the final six competitors - Ashley, CT, Camila, Cory, Nelson and Nicole - took off on a marathon around the Thailand coast. As it was on Free Agents, the Underdogs and Champions are partnered up in three different pairs on each of the three days and are forced to rely on each other if they want to get to the end. Day 1 saw the competitors swim in the sea and complete a puzzle, then the next day having to eat food with plenty of throwing up included, and then Day 2 seeing the teams take to a rope to balance themselves on and carry stones around, with a time-buster night challenge included.
This week sees the rest of Day 2 and the final day of this final and of this Challenge. For Camila and Cory, they are faced with having to get reenergized after struggles in the middle leg and after having had a strong attraction all season long. For Ashley, Nelson and Nicole, them making their first final sees them feel the pressure to try and make it to the end and prove themselves that they have earned their way for a chance at the money. And for CT, it's an opportunity to enhance a legacy that's seen him become one of the show's top competitors, and a victory will mean so much more. And with one last night in the shelter, a 10-mile kayak trip and a few more checkpoints, the reward will be handsomely earned in the Asian twilight.
Coming up, all the action, reaction and interaction from the finale, the leadup to Challenge Tuesday and the aftermath of it all. This also includes some of the buzz from the MTV Movie Awards and the countdown to Champs vs. Pros coming up this Tuesday. And after the 'Pulse, what happens when a past Challenge champ gets to become a crocodile hunter? You'll want to stick around for ExtraTime as we'll head into the wilderness with a member of Real World Sydney and someone no one expected to be part of the winning Cutthroat team.
• 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.
Will the Champs keep their perch atop the throne? Or will an Underdog finally make their way to the top of the heap? The answers are ahead as DCBLOG brings you the 'Pulse of the Finale of The Challenge: Invasion of the Champions.
As we look back on the last chapter on what has been a unbelievable and incredible ride that I've been lucky to follow from the very beginning, just a year ago the castmates of the first season of Are You The One? were famous only to their families & friends and were unlucky in the dating pool. Adam, Amber, Ashleigh, Brittany, Chris T., Coleysia, Dillan, Dre, Ethan, Jacy, Jessica, Joey, John, Kayla, Paige, Ryan, Scali, Shanley, Simone and Wes were all casted with absolutely no idea that this experience would change all of their lives. As a group of strangers who lived together in a mansion on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, they experienced a roller coaster of emotions, from the stressful search for their matches, to the tension, jealously & fighting they had in the house, to the fun of the numerous challenges and dates in their spectacular locale. And in the end of course, there was the joy of the moment that made them feel like champions: getting together with their perfect matches, going 10 for 10 and winning $1 million; not to mention Ethan proposing to Amber on the reunion.
Just two days after that original reunion aired on April 1 - 181 days earlier, when they arrived at her Austin, TX apartment after a long drive from his native Colorado, she found out via a pregnancy test that she was pregnant, for which cameras then documented them at the doctor as she saw her little one for the first time. But instead of finding out about it in the room, they decided to bring everyone back once again for their 2nd reunion in several months to find out the gender, and Monday was the baby shower. We had the opportunity to watch them all get together in L.A. and relive the whole experience of living together, albeit just for a few days. With a swanky hotel on Sunset Boulevard as their venue with pool and all, it also felt like an intimate high school reunion of sorts in which everyone had the chance to reminisce on the experience they had and reflect on good times & bad. But although we didn't have a challenge, truth booth or matchup this time, everyone didn't expect that this reunion would be just as dramatic as the other times they've been together, and they had to confront some unsettled drama.
The night's biggest drama belonged to that of a couple that wasn't a perfect match out of the gate, yet whose relationship was one that attracted the greatest interest among fans. Chris T. & Shanley experienced a bad breakup in the months after the show, and thanks to the awkwardness of being in the same place at the same time they did their best to avoid each other. He was at the heart of the drama with what everyone saw as questionable behavior. Obviously, it didn't sit well with the group and led the Panda to admit to how big of a psychopath he was, which made things awkward for everyone as he tried to cover himself up by saying "I'm chillin', I'm out here" and "just whatever." When the group went out to a post-shower party night on the town, Shanley was then told to face her demons. And thanks to having a bit too much to drink, Tophs finally had a chance to talk things out with her, but his "chillin'" stance stayed the course, even with her telling him of how bad she was hurt. Social media's great impact on AYTO also impacted Chranley, where Chris' disrespect of her in social world led to a strong hatred towards the ex by Shanley. Ultimately out in the streets of Hollywood after back & forth talk, he would say sorry for his actions, hugged it out and agreed to try to bury the hatchet and go their separate ways.
For the lady whose plan to separate Chranley ultimately led the group to the winner's circle, Simone was also involved in a lot of drama too, not surprising given her being outspoken and being full of energy. Being a guest at an event whose guests of honor were the lone perfect match that stayed together and are about to become man & wife w/ a baby, it's safe to say that she has a lot of resentment towards Amber & Ethan. Feeling a bit betrayed by them for being unfollowed on Instagram, Simone fired back at their even by admitting that she didn't click the "like" button on any of their bump pics. And as you saw in the tweets above, she and the couple got into twitter words as well. And it wasn't just Amber & Ethan that Simone had some drama with; she also got into a heated argument with her perfect match Dre (who, just after cameras stopped rolling after the group's victory, also had a last-night session in Poundtown), which also had champagne involved too. If the drumbeat is right, AYTO may be a warm-up act for what might happen down the road.
It wasn't long ago that I was on SpreeCast talking to the cast during the season with AK and Ashley Weitzel. In one webcast, Ryan popped up on Adam's chat with Ash while they roomed together in Virginia, but that seems all but a distant memory now. When they shacked up together in the District, it didn't take that long for them to find out, with no truth booth needed, that they weren't a match as roommates. We saw Adam compare Ryan in living in the same apartment to living with "a b!tchy girlfriend" as he couldn't stand living with him and they tried to talk things out, but the bromance has faded. Even before this, Adam also had some tension with the lady who had a love/hate relationship with in Hawaii, Brittany. But when they were at the club in a moment that even shocked me, the Hulk did a move that a friend taught him, which was of throwing a girl on top of the bar in a club and locking lips with her. That girl happened to be the Bostonian, and that turned out to be the only contact they had; when it was all over, Britt flew back home to the East Coast with Ryan by her side.
And for another duo that turned out to be a perfect match when the confetti fell, there was Jacy and Scali, which also caused drama in Hollywood too. We first heard about what happened to them when she had a hotel room girl talk when they were supposed to meet up in New York, but he never got back to her. And when our fiesty Puerto Rican made her way for the Brooklynite at the after party, she scolded him for not calling her after the season ended. Then she laid a bombshell: she revealed plans of relocating from her tropical paradise up the East Coast to Scali's NYC home court. Though she made it clear that this move wasn't one just that she would live closer to him, her not being ready to make a commitment to him and will just wait things out, it appears that they might see each other down the road, given that the smooth-talker stated his plans to grow up for her and eventually settle down.
But not everything in this reunion was all drama and tension: this was a chance to reflect on an incredible experience that bonded a group of strangers into becoming a newfound family, along with being one of MTV's most-beloved casts. And no intimate outdoor reunion would be complete without adding in a dose of humor and a chance to just relax and have a laugh. First off, there was Ryan dusting off his infamous journal, and a new entry which was a nice poem to the upcoming newlyweds/parents-to-be and saluting his entire cast (check out his twitter @RyanMalaty to read the whole thing). Then there was the group's resident comedian John, and as you would suspect his speech was just a roast of the entire cast. Everyone, for the most part, took his jokes all in stride until he made a secret and personal joke about the other two in the Jacy/Scali triangle he was in. But JJ ended it on a good note with the guests of honor (visit AreYouTheOne.MTV.com to see it in full).
In the end, when you get to the very heart of it all, the reason everyone came to SoCal for this one final get-together as a whole team of 20 people was to celebrate Amber & Ethan and their forthcoming addition. Like most future mom & dad, one wanted a boy that would be easier to raise & don't grow up quickly, while the other wanted a girl who can resemble her mom. And with bottles of the bubbly and gifts galore, the duo opened a big box with balloons inside which told them by the color of pink that they will have a girl. With 007 (Ethan's nickname on his social media handles) saying, "I know it's going to be daddy's little girl, and I know that Amber is so excited to raise a little princess," they tearfully embraced and shared a group hug with the people who will now become aunts and uncles to what will now be their own 11th girl, though she won't follow in their footsteps to the AYTO house down the road if they have their way. Next stop for them: an intimate wedding in December - just around the time their princess will be born, followed by a full-scale one in summer of next year when their kid has finally matured enough.
For me, as someone who got behind the show and its cast the moment they were revealed in January, Are You The One? has had a greater impact on me than I ever thought possible for a show outside of the bubble of The Real World and The Challenge, yet has become a show that, with respect to the entire MTV family, now I can say is definitely one of my now-three favorites. As JJ brilliantly pointed out to me on twitter, I will be one of those people who will tell other fans that I will have followed the entire season 1 cast before the show even aired, before they started a journey that changed their lives, and before they etched their names in MTV lore winning $1 million. Just as was the case in following the past three Real World casts just as, or before, their seasons began, I also got to know them from the beginning through the social-verse. There, I've become great social friends with the entire cast, and not a week has gone by that the cast has interacted with me in social world, and vice-versa.
It's because of Are You The One? that this site had a great deal of traffic coming in from all over the world who were driven to my coverage, whether it would be goggling AYTO or getting a tweet alert to one of my diaries - which amounts to now over 13,000 views. For my buddy Andrew, it's this show, not the Real World or Challenge, that gave him his biggest webcast audience when Shanley spoke to him after the EP6 drama. And for MTV, having a huge hit like AYTO, which garnered great buzz and kept most of its post-TM2 audience for its first season, has now given it reason to turn this into its next big reality franchise by, just as it did for Catfish, giving its sophomore season a one-hour-earlier timeslot advancement into the 10 Spot starting on Monday with a season that, if the trailers and promos are dead on, may match, even exceed, the excitement of this first go-around.
In the end, this experience has produced a true love relationship that is rare in this world of reality TV couples, along with life-long friends among all the cast members and a bond among former strangers that is just as strong as that of family and friends in their inner circles. Nobody on this team would've accomplished that $1 million goal without any one member refusing to contribute their part, and this is an experience that they will never forget. With that in mind, we'll leave the last words of this edition of theWRAP to the season 1 dream team, and their parting shots as they say so long.
"This whole experience completely changed my life. I have so many things going for me, and I am a new Jacy because of it." - Jacy
"Are You The One taught me a little bit more about what I need to look for. I mean, Brittany and I are friends. I'm going back to Boston with her and see what happens. Ethan and Amber are proof that Are You The One? is real. It's not some fairytale story anymore, it's a happy ending." - Ryan
"As a whole, we all experienced something. So, we do have a special bond, and at the end of the day, we're always gonna be family."- Shanley
"Regardless of all the drama and all the craziness, all I really need is my Ethan and my new baby girl. I love you."- Amber
"We're perfect for each other. I love you too."- Ethan
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EDITOR'S NOTE
As we are reposting this excerpt from our 'Pulse covering the baby shower reunion for the Season 1 cast as AYTO Second Chances is currently airing, DCBLOG is currently working on an ExtraTime In-Depth taking a look at the guests of honor of that summer get together, Amber & Ethan. Watch for that in the coming weeks towards the end of this MTV Trifecta cycle, along with a look at Season 4 alum Asaf Goren coming up soon, and a look back at Shanley's relationship with Chris T.
The two guys who represented the original third component of MTV's reality triple crown, Darrell and Shane from Road Rules Campus Crawl fifteen years ago this summer, may have fallen short of making it to The Challenge Invasion final, but it leaves the torch to CT to carry the flag of both the champions and the old school challengers of years past. And if you happen to see who we might see on the next season of this show which is filming right now out of country, this might as well be just the beginning. This offers the segue way to this nostalgic piece of ExtraTime.
This month marks exactly twenty five years since the lineage of the MTV Trifecta began in a loft in SoHo in New York City. There, seven strangers from around the Tri-State area and Alabama came together to create TV history in the first season of The Real World. What we saw with Eric, Heather B., Kevin, Norman, Becky, Julie and Andre helped set the pace for cable's longest-running series and reality TV as we know it. And a quarter of a century later, the show has evolved a bit, but the core elements of what makes MTV original unique in this voyeuristic genre still remain today.
A year later came season 2 of Real World which, after an ode to the originals who paved the way for 31 succeeding seasons and a new TV genre, brought viewers 3,000 miles west to that sun-baked west coast paradise known as Los Angeles. There, a new group was tasked of following up that first class of seven strangers, which would eventually grow to nine once they moved out. That season saw an expanded 20 episode slate compared to Season 1, an RV which would be the motif of Road Rules, and the introduction of that private place of intimacy known as the confessional.
There, we saw the first TV appearance of longtime reality staple Tami Roman, who came to SoCal and established herself as one of the genre's most enduring personalities thanks to her tough, no nonsense personality that set the mold for many others to follow. Her presence was first felt in her fight in the hallway and the bedroom with comedian David Edwards, which saw him become the first castmate to be evicted. And she also dealt with real life herself: on the 20th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark Roe vs. Wade decision, Tami decided that she was not ready to become a mom this early in her life, and took the bold move of having an abortion, which was documented on camera in its rawest form. Of course, she has gone on to bigger and better things as star of VH1's Basketball Wives, appeared on Marriage Boot Camp and Celebrity Wife Swap - first as wife to NBA veteran Kenny Anderson and currently as partner to Reggie Youngblood.
Twitter @MTVBeth
Last week, two members of that second class of seven strangers got together back in the city where they became part of this esteemed community, and revisited the same house near Venice Beach where they lived. This brings us back to 1993 when, of course, The Real World was MTV's only reality show and one of a few on TV overall -- Cops and America's Funniest Videos most notable. Of course, Real World was much different back then as it is now, and if you're one who came onto the scene in the past ten years or so, you'll notice things were much simpler back then when you were 20 years younger and in many cases, you weren't even born yet.
First, there's someone who is a would-be Challenge Hall of Famer. Beth Stolarcyak came to us from a Cleveland suburb and was a production assistant and "starving actress" who came, appropriately enough, to Tinseltown to further her resume… she would go to casting calls, took headshots and the like there. Like what happened to Jenny two decades later, Beth also had to endure her own Ex-Plosion moment when both her ex- and new boyfriends came to the house in the same episode and had to cover up that moment when she had sex in the closet. In the longer term, she would make her mark in The Challenge's first decade, taking part in the first one in 1999 and six more after that. She developed a rivalry with fellow RW original Coral, got slapped around by Tina, had her clothes thrown in the pool by Tonya, and having something in common with Mike of RW Bad Blood and AYTO 3 in quitting two MTV shows. And Beth added to her resume when she joined fellow MTV alumni to pose for Playboy Magazine… before she got married after The Gauntlet III and is now a proud mommy in her post-MTV life.
And the person who came along with her was a pioneer himself. Jon Brennan was a 20-year-old from Kentucky who had a career going for himself: he was a country singer, and perhaps the first country artist to appear on MTV. Him moving to, and performing around, the Southland, took place at the same time a man named Garth Brooks had ascended into being the most-popular country artist of his era and kickstarted his genre's rise from a regional happening to a national phenomenon. Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Florida Georgia Line, and of course Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, have all made successful crossovers into the mainstream and become even bigger stars than those early pioneers had envisioned. And also, Jon was a virgin, which given his conservative roots was a key storyline that season during a time when romance and hooking up in the Real World house wasn't as commonplace as it is now. These days, he has stayed true to his beliefs as a youth pastor in Birmingham, AL, and whose journeys have also taken him to Uganda as his church has a missionary in that African country.
Twitter @MTVBeth
First, Beth and Jon got to catch up with someone from across the pond. Dominic was the first-ever Real World roommate of non-American origin, having been born in Dublin, Ireland and whose favorite bands were The Beatles and The Rolling Stones - both proud native sons of the British isles. He was the first person cast for the season and became known for his humor, charisma and, yes, that rock star's hair. Before that famous fight with Tami, David found himself at odds with Dom at a bowling night, and with Jon over his music tastes. Dom came to the U.S. to pursue a career in music journalism, which he would eventually do after leaving the house, and expanded his horizons in working in movie journalism including being a film critic for Variety magazine, being a radio show producer, and also a music executive for Disney.
Twitter @MTVBeth
Then another original: Irene came to that house in Venice Beach with no idea of what this TV thing is all about after casting directors sought to put someone in law enforcement in the house in the wake of the L.A. Riots. She was working as an L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy and Marshal well after her MTV days ended, but she knew that her time in the house was fairly limited as she was also anticipating the biggest day of her life. Tami remembered, "We always felt like she was the mom because she was the oldest and because she was getting married." And the roommates joined Irene as she and her husband Tim walked down the aisle and uttered their "I do's" as the two got married and went off on their honeymoon and into becoming a mom to two kids like Beth, and Real World's first lesbian castmate, Beth A., took her place in the house.
We've talked before about how The Real World and the show's production company, Bunim-Murray Productions, have been the first stop for many in the reality TV biz. Also in that photo above, two producers from that second season in LA and have gone on to bigger things production wise in this industry: Dave Albrecht - an associate producer during RW's first few seasons and who's also been on the production teams of The Bachelor franchise and the first season of Big Brother; and veteran reality producer Matt Kunitz - whose first TV job was as a production coordinator in LA, then AP in San Francisco, and in London became coordinating producer right up until the Hawaii season - the first RW season I watched in its entirety. There, Kunitz emerged from behind the fourth wall to give Ruthie the ultimatum of leaving the house for a month to go to alcohol rehab after a bout with drunk driving. He would go on to establish a stellar reality TV resume: executive producer of the original NBC run of new MTV show Fear Factor, ABC's Wipeout, and FOX's Kicking & Screaming... earning the fitting title from the L.A. Times, "king of reality TV."
That year of 1993 in television saw the last episode of Cheers, David Letterman's move from NBC to CBS, Conan O'Brien's late night debut, and the Mickey Mouse Club welcome Britney, JT and Christina. MTV wise, Beavis & Butthead got their own show, Jon Stewart made his talk show debut that year, as did the cult sketch comedy The State. And by our count, many of those in this current generation of Trifecta cast members were either still babies (around age 24-25) or were not around back then to see Jon, Beth and that season.
While the first season in New York 25 years ago this month was, as we coined in our look back at the legendary Las Vegas season last year, the baptism of fire for The Real World - and graduation day was the memorable San Francisco season the next year, RW Los Angeles helped to set the mold for the show's long tenure: some more big time drama that wasn't prevalent much in the Big Apple, the room that become a staple of MTV shows, and memorable personalities: one who would go on to become a Challenge legend, another who became an enduring reality TV personality, a third who helped bring a sense of Nashville to the MTV airwaves for the first time, and a lot more.
Below is the moment Tami and Dom get to meet Jon for the first time during their journey from New York, through the rest of the country to pick up their roommates en route to L.A.
As we wrap up this Sunday - MTV Awards Sunday, that is - welcome back to DCBLOG as we wrap the first part of The Challenge Invasion final and Week 7 of Are You The One? Second Chances. So far in Thailand, one champion has had the edge for the guys, while the other is struggling with her crush in the house. And after seeing the final six swim, vomit, run, climb and smash coconuts, there is still a lot ahead for them in the first 3-day final. And in Australia, the perfect matches had to drive blindfolded as it tested everyone's patience but saw a familiar result in the end. And the only true relationship that came to the house reached a crossroads that could bring them to an end here.
We will have a full recap of the Challenge final coming on an expanded WRAP next week, but coming up we'll have poll results of who you want to win, a recap of what went down in Australia and fantasy scoring. But you will want to stick around for ExtraTime afterwards as we'll go down memory lane with an old school Real World cast, plus find out which hip hop heavyweight got to mingle with Team AYTO. See you after the jump.
It's Sunday Funday and as this first weekend of May draws towards towards its conclusion with the MTV Movie & TV Awards taking center stage tonight, we at DCBLOG roll along Inside the MTV Trifecta as we look at week 7 of Are You The One? Second Chances.
Last week in Australia, the season's second half began with the remaining five couples becoming filmmakers as they were put into a precarious position of having to film and show public displays of affection. For Cameron & Mikala, we saw some more inklings that their seemingly perfect relationship wasn't as perfect as it seemed. For Tori & Morgan, that meant him having to become a robot and her having paranoia of what might happen to them... and as it turned out, their second trip to The Choice proved to be all for naught, as last week's decision turned out to be a Blind Choice.
This week, the same five couples begin back at square one as the couples turn to an always interesting challenge: having to drive while blindfolded, with the other playing the role of passenger having to help maneuver their way around. A title that seems fitting for one of the guys still remaining in Melbourne gets passed over to the newbie here when he tries to manipulate the other matches. And the latest twist of the tale of the only truth booth match continues, a big mistake could bring their relationship down.
All the action, reaction and interaction from this week in AYTO land awaits for you here, along with our usual ExtraTime after the diary.
• 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.
Driving blindfolded, a "Puppet Master" and a new perfect match... it's all ahead on the 'Pulse of AYTO Second Chances on DCBLOG.
This is the first Saturday of May, which means you'd rather want to be in either of two cities today: Louisville for the great American tradition known as the Kentucky Derby, or in Las Vegas for tonight's big fight between Mexican boxing superstars Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. here on this Cinco De Mayo weekend. And we have the perfect entree to serve up for you this weekend: DCBLOG taking you Inside the MTV Trifecta, starting with the Pulse of Part 1 of The Challenge Invasion Final.
Last week in Thailand, the spots in the final six were all set when CT defeated Darrell in the last guys' elimination to join Camila, Ashley, Cory, Nicole and Nelson in the show's first-ever three-day final. It almost became a five-person final when Ashley threatened to leave just before her shot at the $100,000 payday that awaits the winning girl and guy at the end, but cooler heads prevailed in the end. But before the task at hand came time for reflection as the competitors offered their hopes for the future and final thoughts on the past through flowers they released into the Pacific Ocean, and gave CT a chance to reflect on his late girlfriend, Diem Brown.
This week, it's Day 1 & a half of the final, as the competitors take off on this marathon and, in a break from recent Challenge past, it takes place in the same country as the entire season, rather than in a different destination. As it was for the last final on an individual-based season - Free Agents three years ago, the Underdogs and Champions are paired up in three different teams and must rely on each other throughout the final in order to get to the cash. From a swim in the Thai sea and a favorite challenge of eating yucky food, to going on a tight rope and having to carry stones around, this is indeed a tough go, and it even puts a budding love affair to the ultimate test of sorts.
All the action, reaction and interaction is ahead here as, again, it's a fairly light diary as many of this season's competitors are on their spring break of sorts taking part in Season 30 overseas. And after the diary, what does one of football's most charismatic receivers and the newest member of the Saints have in common with one of the finalists going for the cash? In the aftermath of last weekend's NFL Draft, you'll definitely want to stick around for our newest episode of Team MTV's Famous Friends. • 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.
Water, nuts, puzzles and football... It's all ahead on the 'Pulse of the penultimate week of The Challenge Invasion on DCBLOG.
