BY DC CUEVA
■ @DC408Dxtr @ TW / IG / YT
Coming up, we'll recap last week's episodes for you on our Things to Know top moments, take a trip into the Strategy Room for the latest power rankings and matchup chart along with analysis. And along with the results of five Twitter polls we conducted this past week, we'll also tell you of who the newest mom and wife in the MTV community is. That's all ahead.
THINGS TO KNOW
● ONE LAST REDEMPTION: We start in Colombia, where while the main mansion has only 7 people living there, the Redemption House has a stacked group of ten under its roof: five champions in Bananas, CT, Cara Maria, Jordan and Veronica -- 13 titles in all, and non-champs Aneesa, Dario, Jemmye, Britni and Leroy. The arrival of the 6-time champ stuns everyone, which leads Jem to bring up the bad luck he has had since Rivals 3 (more on that momentarily), and then leads the defending champ to offer a pep speech and group hug as fireworks go off outside on the patio.
They come into the port for the last Redemption Challenge, where only one girls spot is offered as well as two guys spots - the other the result of Nelson's chaotic night. If you go to the local arcade like the Dave & Busters I have in my city, one of those games they offer is Whac-A-Mole, invented over 40 years ago by the man who would later create those popular animatronic characters at Chuck-E-Cheese's. Here, the players will peep their heads out of tiny holes, look at a giant wall of numbers with codes to unlock a box with puzzle pieces inside. And those who are still in the game are receive toy hammers to distract the Redemptioners as if they're playing that real-life Whac-A-Mole.
The women take to the floor first, and give her experience doing these memorization challenges over her time on this show, a game like this is up Cara's alley. It's no surprise that she comes away victorious when everyone expected her to return to the game... perhaps the other highlight of this otherwise snooze-fest was of Britni musically serenading the other players. It's also the same with the men afterwards, where CT and Jordan complete their puzzles first before the rest of the field do.
They come into the port for the last Redemption Challenge, where only one girls spot is offered as well as two guys spots - the other the result of Nelson's chaotic night. If you go to the local arcade like the Dave & Busters I have in my city, one of those games they offer is Whac-A-Mole, invented over 40 years ago by the man who would later create those popular animatronic characters at Chuck-E-Cheese's. Here, the players will peep their heads out of tiny holes, look at a giant wall of numbers with codes to unlock a box with puzzle pieces inside. And those who are still in the game are receive toy hammers to distract the Redemptioners as if they're playing that real-life Whac-A-Mole.
The women take to the floor first, and give her experience doing these memorization challenges over her time on this show, a game like this is up Cara's alley. It's no surprise that she comes away victorious when everyone expected her to return to the game... perhaps the other highlight of this otherwise snooze-fest was of Britni musically serenading the other players. It's also the same with the men afterwards, where CT and Jordan complete their puzzles first before the rest of the field do.
● CARA vs. JORDAN: The ten semifinalists then freshen up and dress nicely for a dinner in town, where usual wisdom would think that the players would be relishing this achievement of getting this far in the game and thinking of how much winning money would be an awesome thing. Instead, tensions are brewing at the table with Cara Maria and, at first, Kailah which would then expand to Jordan - not surprising given what happened when he moved in. The redhead talks to her like she's a younger version of Wes (which is noted by Allan Aguirre on his wrap) in being unapologetic to enemies, then again at the house. Remember what happened at the VMA's?
On the other side of things, Hunter goes to the hospital where - after his breakthrough elimination win vs. Leroy - he learns that he has sustained major damage to his wrist. Instead of having the enigma of having to leave the game this late (and perhaps give one of the Redemption losers an extra spot), he decides to risk it all and continue to compete, gaining CT's respect in the process.
On the other side of things, Hunter goes to the hospital where - after his breakthrough elimination win vs. Leroy - he learns that he has sustained major damage to his wrist. Instead of having the enigma of having to leave the game this late (and perhaps give one of the Redemption losers an extra spot), he decides to risk it all and continue to compete, gaining CT's respect in the process.
● MONEY TWIST, & THE PURGE: Before the last regular challenge, TJ Lavin finally delivers the thing we've known since the buzz of this season first became public when I was in Disneyland with my kids back in June. Of course, it is of the largest prize purse in Challenge history: $1 million, when back earlier on TJ told the Dirty 30 that they were going for less than three times that at $350,000. All of the players find themselves in a state of shock on their faces when he drops the bomb, knowing that they will be playing for something they've never had before -- save for Tori after what we saw from her last year. It's here that the game finally gets as serious as you can get.
Also, TJ drops another twist: this is the final purge - multiple players won't have a shot at the cash when this is all done, with four finals spots to be clinched at the end of this two-phase last challenge. The ten players then create pairs of their choosing: most are friendships and others are forced: Camila is stuck with Derrick and same holds true for Kailah and Hunter when he wants to see who picks who and wants to be conservative given his condition.
● LAST CHANCE SALOON: In this multiple stage mini-final of sorts, the teams begin to push crates through a bridge and creates a pile-up which sees Jordan & Tori hold a slight lead. They then use a crowbar to open those crates that has a rope inside that they must carry to the next checkpoint. While Jo-Ri continue to hold their lead, Derrick & Camila and Cara/CT catch up while Hunter and Tony are struggling with the former's arm limiting him to working with just one hand.
For stage #3, the players tackle poles with numbers printed on them with the ropes they just got having corresponding numbers which then create the sum of what they are supposed to find. It's with them trying to figure out their math that sees everyone go off the deep end, leading to CT calling Cara "Camila Maria" when she can't figure out their problem. But they, along with Jordan & Tori, do figure it out, connect their ropes and move on, all as Hunter, Kailah, Tony and Jenna finally arrive.
And in the last stage, they must dig into the ground to find puzzle sets -- ten in all in this individual based point. The leading guys dig their bags out first, then the girls follow, and Camila then loses her mind again as she tries to get her bag out while Derrick tells her that he's playing for the seven figures too. CT and Cara finish their puzzles first, followed by Tori and later Jordan when he figures out that a piece was missing and sprinted to get it done.
Also, TJ drops another twist: this is the final purge - multiple players won't have a shot at the cash when this is all done, with four finals spots to be clinched at the end of this two-phase last challenge. The ten players then create pairs of their choosing: most are friendships and others are forced: Camila is stuck with Derrick and same holds true for Kailah and Hunter when he wants to see who picks who and wants to be conservative given his condition.
● LAST CHANCE SALOON: In this multiple stage mini-final of sorts, the teams begin to push crates through a bridge and creates a pile-up which sees Jordan & Tori hold a slight lead. They then use a crowbar to open those crates that has a rope inside that they must carry to the next checkpoint. While Jo-Ri continue to hold their lead, Derrick & Camila and Cara/CT catch up while Hunter and Tony are struggling with the former's arm limiting him to working with just one hand.
For stage #3, the players tackle poles with numbers printed on them with the ropes they just got having corresponding numbers which then create the sum of what they are supposed to find. It's with them trying to figure out their math that sees everyone go off the deep end, leading to CT calling Cara "Camila Maria" when she can't figure out their problem. But they, along with Jordan & Tori, do figure it out, connect their ropes and move on, all as Hunter, Kailah, Tony and Jenna finally arrive.
And in the last stage, they must dig into the ground to find puzzle sets -- ten in all in this individual based point. The leading guys dig their bags out first, then the girls follow, and Camila then loses her mind again as she tries to get her bag out while Derrick tells her that he's playing for the seven figures too. CT and Cara finish their puzzles first, followed by Tori and later Jordan when he figures out that a piece was missing and sprinted to get it done.
Though they are headed to the final elimination, Kailah puts her bad blood aside with her and Hunter by digging for him but wants to have a shot even if there's tension at the end of the day... so does Jenna when helping Tony too. This leaves those two pairs along with Derrick & Camila to battle it out for the last two spots, and we'll have that on the finale WRAP in two weeks from now.
♥ FAMILY MATTERS: Down in NOLA, no AYTO season would be complete from the standpoint of the getaway challenges without having some special guests stop by. In this case, the parents of the girls are asked to hop on via Skype to spill some embarrassing secrets to the guys in what is always the most interesting part of any MTV competition series: trivia. Okay, so no one takes a dive into the sea, but some very revealing info gets revealed by those back home: whether Uche is a virgin, or what links Nurys to Star Wars. We even saw Ethan's grandma too, just as Alexis' grandma steals the show. In the end, Keith and Tyler win and respectively pick Alivia and Jada to go on their dates. But the first one that wins garners all the buzz, which leads us to item #2...
♥ CLINTON, UCHE, & JADA: All season long, the one romance that's stayed together has been Uche & Clinton, but also since they moved in Jada has also focused her sights on the one with the dreads. When they win that first of the the three spots on the getaway date -- a riverboat trip, it's no surprise that they they get to enjoy their time going down the Mississippi River. He also senses that they will eventually be sent into the Truth Booth, and indeed that turns out to be the case -- something that he hopes will jumpstart their game that hasn't gotten out of the low end. Everyone - both in the house and viewers watching - hopes that they are that one beam that they got back in Week 2.
However, in the cruelest twist this house has gotten so far, they get the dreaded "No Match" message on screen, and no doubt, everyone gets crushed by this devastating piece of news when they all thought that they were a perfect match all along. It's no surprise Clinton & Uche are heartbroken, but at the same time Jada is cheering for this result. Then, he talks to Jada and afterwards loses her mind, just as we've seen Amanda, Simone and Shanley do before her on seasons past. This takes place while Keith and Alivia find a connection, and Anthony & Geles and Malcolm & Diandra are connecting again as are Dimitri & Nicole.
However, in the cruelest twist this house has gotten so far, they get the dreaded "No Match" message on screen, and no doubt, everyone gets crushed by this devastating piece of news when they all thought that they were a perfect match all along. It's no surprise Clinton & Uche are heartbroken, but at the same time Jada is cheering for this result. Then, he talks to Jada and afterwards loses her mind, just as we've seen Amanda, Simone and Shanley do before her on seasons past. This takes place while Keith and Alivia find a connection, and Anthony & Geles and Malcolm & Diandra are connecting again as are Dimitri & Nicole.
♥ IT GETS WORSE... - Following that gut-wrenching Truth Booth, the guys take to the floor with their pick in their 5th Matchup (yes, despite this being Ep. 6). The matchup sees more of the same in odd choices and some deciding to go with just sticking with past habits. This brings up some tensions with Kareem and Joe when the Jersey guy accuses Goldilocks of not even attempting to make a move in the game, as they stick with Alivia and Zoe, respectively. Ethan confesses to the level of discontent taking place amongst the house, as they drop from three lights to one, and it draws the ire of Terrence J - expletive included. Yep, it has gotten worse for them... but at least it didn't reach that abyss had they gotten a blackout and they're lucky they haven't gotten that just yet.
POLLS @DC408Dxtr
The events of last week prompted us to ask not one, but FIVE questions on Twitter in relation to last week's episodes. Collectively, 199 total votes were cast for this week's set of questions.
After their win tonight, who do you
think has the best shot at winning it
all?
● CARA MARIA & CT 60%
● JORDAN & TORI 40%
OUT OF 34 VOTES
Which of these three pairs do you
want to win the final elimination
battle?
● DERRICK & CAMILA 40%
● HUNTER & KAILAH 25%
● HUNTER & KAILAH 25%
● TONY & JENNA 35%
OUT OF 40 VOTES
Do you believe Jemmye's word that
Bananas is cursed after his Rivals 3
steal?
● YES, He is Cursed. 91%
● NO, Definitely Not. 9%
OUT OF 23 VOTES
After what went down on AYTO 6, do
you think Jada is Clinton's Perfect
Match?
● YES, he is his match 10%
● NO, someone else is 90%
OUT OF 60 VOTES
At AYTO 6's halfway point, what do
you think will be the eventual final
result?
● They'll come back & WIN 14%
● They'll fall short & LOSE 86%
OUT OF 42 VOTES
STRATEGY ROOM
►DIRTY 30: Semifinal Ten
For these ten players who have made it to the end, this is now where they are taking this game as seriously as you can get, even more so with them now playing for $1 million.
Our friend Allan Aguirre spilled these facts:
● CT is into his 7th career final, which places him 2nd all time among male competitors, and may become the latest player to win back to back titles. No doubt this will ascend his status to all-time great by winning a third crown and once again just dominating by just his mere presence. Cara Maria will be competing in her 5th conventional final, which ties her with Paula and Sarah for most appearances in the final act -- and doesn't take into her account Champs vs. Pros. Her being able to win three straight finals will make her case of being the best among the present female competitors.
● Jordan will be competing in his 3rd final, something he has made in three out of his four starts on Rivals II and Exes II -- only what happened on Free Agents has marred his perfect record. He, too, is also looking for back-to-back as well. As the only rookie to make it this far, Tori makes her 1st final - meaning she will likely cash in her first three Trifecta shows (provided she finishes). Her making it to the end mens a trend that stretches back to Duel II will continue: a first-time participant has made the final in each & every season.
Our friend Allan Aguirre spilled these facts:
● CT is into his 7th career final, which places him 2nd all time among male competitors, and may become the latest player to win back to back titles. No doubt this will ascend his status to all-time great by winning a third crown and once again just dominating by just his mere presence. Cara Maria will be competing in her 5th conventional final, which ties her with Paula and Sarah for most appearances in the final act -- and doesn't take into her account Champs vs. Pros. Her being able to win three straight finals will make her case of being the best among the present female competitors.
● Jordan will be competing in his 3rd final, something he has made in three out of his four starts on Rivals II and Exes II -- only what happened on Free Agents has marred his perfect record. He, too, is also looking for back-to-back as well. As the only rookie to make it this far, Tori makes her 1st final - meaning she will likely cash in her first three Trifecta shows (provided she finishes). Her making it to the end mens a trend that stretches back to Duel II will continue: a first-time participant has made the final in each & every season.
● For the six who will be heading into that last elimination, while Camila has recent experience getting here at the end, this is something new for Kailah and Tony: neither of them has gotten to the edge of cashing in, much less make it to halfway in the game. For the other half of the field, they have some demons: Jenna and Hunter were eliminated in the Underdog Bloodbath last season and look to improve on that, though he is on the ropes because of his arm.
But the one who has the most riding on him is Derrick: four times has he has made it to the last elimination, and three times he lost -- the only win was on Inferno II when he overcame back to back losses on Gauntlet and Fresh Meat to not only finally getting over the hump but become the great player he is. His most recent Challenge, Cutthroat, saw him lose to eventual champ Tyler, and now Derrick is in this familiar spot yet again... more on that on Allan's site.
With that in mind, here are my power rankings... the parentheses are my overall ranking for them.
But the one who has the most riding on him is Derrick: four times has he has made it to the last elimination, and three times he lost -- the only win was on Inferno II when he overcame back to back losses on Gauntlet and Fresh Meat to not only finally getting over the hump but become the great player he is. His most recent Challenge, Cutthroat, saw him lose to eventual champ Tyler, and now Derrick is in this familiar spot yet again... more on that on Allan's site.
With that in mind, here are my power rankings... the parentheses are my overall ranking for them.
FINALISTS - MEN
1. CT (1)
2. JORDAN (T-2)
FINALISTS - WOMEN
1. CARA MARIA (1)
2. TORI (3)
ELIMINATION - MEN
1. DERRICK (T-2)
2. TONY (4)
3. HUNTER (5)
ELIMINATION - WOMEN
1. CAMILA (2)
T-2. JENNA (T-4)
T-3. KAILAH (T-4)
For an additional note on one who hasn't made into that group... have we seen Johnny Bananas seen his prime pass him by? Since we saw him overtake Darrell on the all-time titles list on Free Agents three years ago, it has not exactly been the same for him since - although the record he has of six Challenge crowns will be hard to catch and had it not been for the $1 million purse, his record for most prize money would likely not get broken.
The startling fact that has left those who've been rolling with him shaking their heads has been of winning only one elimination since that fifth triumph... that elimination win he had on Rivals III was then followed by... well, you know what. But consider those who have sent Bananas home early in the past couple years: Leroy two times on Exes II, Cara Maria & Jamie on Bloodlines, Darrell on Invasion, Wes on Champs vs. Pros, and Derrick on this Dirty 30 season. This, of course, doesn't bring into account those who sent him home early: Tyler on The Duel, Evan on Gauntlet III, and of course the infamous CT backpack on Cutthroat.
You talk about quality players who all have either titles or finals appearances who have managed to send Johnny home, even two of the guys who he considers his boys in the house in being sent in just by the dominant alliance wanting to get rid of him. Many Challenge titles have been won by those who have sent the six-time champ home early... for someone who had the usual rookie treatment thrust upon him that first time in Brazil, whose first elimination win came over Dunbar of all people, and has seen him beat the likes of CT, Adam K., Jordan and Mark en route to those titles.
So, is there a curse that was born of this man after the steal that made him public enemy #1 in the minds of so many? Our survey above suggests that there may be... it was, obviously, one of the most infamous moments the Trifecta has ever seen. And who can forget the firestorm that erupted when he paid Sarah back in that cruel way? As Brian Cohen & Ali Lasher noted in their RHAP, let's just try and ask this question again in a few seasons and see what the effect of what that Rivals III steal may have on him. But nonetheless, Johnny is so big a star of this franchise that he will be on every season he is eligible for as long as this show stays on the air. That's just the way it is with him.
►AYTO6: Halfway Through…
Well, this is a lost week for the house as they try to get themselves back in a game that, for now, seems to be a losing affair. This is, after all, something familiar: the Season 3 cast had low matchup results in the first nine weeks of not getting above a few lights until a puppet master provided us with the biggest underdog story in many years in the Trifecta. The Season 4 and 5 casts had similar stories that resulted in different fates, and now we have a cast that is in disrepair about two-third's of the way through and in need of doing something special as we head into their second half of the season.
MATCHUP 5 (Guys' Pick)
♥ Anthony & Nicole
♥ Malcolm & Diandra
♥ Kareem - Alivia (4th - MC's 1-3)
♥ Joe - Zoe (4th - MC's 1/3-4)
♥ Shad & Audrey (3rd - MC's 1/4)
♥ Tyler & Keyana
♥ Ethan & Geles
♥ Keith & Alexis (3rd - MC's 1-2)
♥ Clinton & Jada
♥ Dimitri & Uche
♥ Malcolm & Nurys
ONE BEAM ▼2
MATCHUP PROGRESS
♥ 1st: 3
♥ 2nd: 1
♥ 3rd: 2
♥ 4th: 3
♥ 5th: 1
● Behind pace of all five previous seasons
♥ 2nd: 1
♥ 3rd: 2
♥ 4th: 3
♥ 5th: 1
● Behind pace of all five previous seasons
As for the latest Match Math, AYTO Math's rankings of probable matches changed considerably during last week's episode. Because of Clinton & Uche's no match, their top pair changed first to Zoe & Joe at 80%, then to Nicole & Tyler at 77% with the first one moving down to #2. Jada & Ethan are 3rd, followed by Keith & Nurys, and Shad & Audrey. Adding new data from In Touch Weekly, they believe that a number of high-profile couples are inferred no-matches: Alexis & Keith and Clinton & Jada, among others.
So, things are getting a bit tense, and who knows? We may have another "What If?" version of the Strategy Room for their Season 6 finale -- but remember Wednesday at Episode 7 and it's just now they are heading into their second half. Perhaps, they may crack the code early. Stay tuned, of course.
▪ ▪ ▪
#DCExtraTime
CONGRATS RACHEL…
The unifying theme of ExtraTime this week has been of life-changing stories for the MTV family, and this last bit is the biggest one for our third subject.
In this year of resurgence for the show that was once part of the Trifecta, the same Season 12 Road Rules cast have been dominating the buzz of this year in MTV world. We saw Shane return on Invasion to become a breakout star there in Thailand. So did Darrell, who beat Bananas, pushed CT to the limit and teamed with Cara Maria to complete unfinished business on Champs vs. Pros. And just after Darrell donned his wedding rings, a fellow member of the Campus Crawl RV now joins him as the newest parent and newest newlywed in the MTV community.
In this year of resurgence for the show that was once part of the Trifecta, the same Season 12 Road Rules cast have been dominating the buzz of this year in MTV world. We saw Shane return on Invasion to become a breakout star there in Thailand. So did Darrell, who beat Bananas, pushed CT to the limit and teamed with Cara Maria to complete unfinished business on Champs vs. Pros. And just after Darrell donned his wedding rings, a fellow member of the Campus Crawl RV now joins him as the newest parent and newest newlywed in the MTV community.
When Veronica made her brief appearance in the California sun earlier this year, we got to catch up with someone who was a close friend of hers during her time as a Challenge regular in the early & mid 2000's. Rachel Robinson was on seven Challenges and proved herself to be one of the best competitors of her generation in winning two titles in The Gauntlet and The Duel II. Along the way, she was part of that steamy threesome with Veronica and Abram and has translated her Challenge experience into a full fitness career as a personal trainer in Miami.
Last Wednesday came the biggest day of her life, as Rachel's life was changed in two ways. First came the new members of her small but now growing family: Rachel announced her pregnancy around the time of Champs vs. Pros, and it produced not one, but two babies. She captioned the Instagram photo on your right, "I would like to introduce you to: Jesse & Jack Gee-Robinson. The world is brighter, this life has more meaning, oh & we got married today - please refer to @natgeebeauty as my wife. Thanks 😘 #GeeRobinson"
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| Instagram @Rachel_Fitness |
And second, on the same day and shortly after giving birth, she and her fiance Nicole Gee got to tie the knot. Below on Instagram she wrote, "For those who came to our sons beautiful Bris and to those who watch this page near and far... Natalie & I got married in front of our immediate family under the chuppah on a day we will cherish forever. I would like to take this moment to announce our beautiful wedding and thank those who believe in #Equality for all women & men & for all who support love. Thank you to our family & friends and especially to Jesse & Jack who are our blessing. #giftfromGod #believeinEquality #GeeRobinson 📷 @gracielacattarossi"
Our congrats go out to them on this life-changing moment, but they're not the only ones to get wed: Deena Nicole Cortese from Jersey Shore and her fiance Chris Buckner also tied the knot during this week -- this past weekend, in fact -- with her Jersey Shore castmates watching. We congratulate them also.
Our congrats go out to them on this life-changing moment, but they're not the only ones to get wed: Deena Nicole Cortese from Jersey Shore and her fiance Chris Buckner also tied the knot during this week -- this past weekend, in fact -- with her Jersey Shore castmates watching. We congratulate them also.
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
And on that note, we will wrap it up for this week's posts as we now await tomorrow night's last elimination and the beginning of the final, plus the second half of the season beginning for the AYTO cast. To put you in that mood, here's some extra links...
● Check out Rob Has A Podcast and its MTV coverage with Brian Cohen (@CohenBrian_), Ali Lasher (@LashTweets) and Adam Buongiovanni (@AdamBongo) with discussions of last week's episodes of AYTO and The Challenge, plus the site's extensive coverage of Survivor with blog posts, podcasts and much more.
● In continuing their impressive season of guests, last week AfterBuzz TV was joined by Alexis as they discussed episode 6, the first half of the season and, of course, her relationship with Keith with the hosts. Check out that podcast here, plus guest spots from other AYTO alums and castmates plus The Challenge and more on ABTV.
● And for diehard Challenge fans, check out The Brain Candy Podcast's Patreon offering where Susie and Sarah are offering premium subscribers exceptional content. Last week, they talked to Melinda from the Austin season as she discussed that memorable season, her romance with Danny and what she's been up to as a wife once again. Interviews with Jemmye, Derrick, Ammo, Averey and Darrell's RV mate Kendal are in their Patreon offering with a subscription.
With the usual reminder to join us for live episode tweets on DCNOW @DC408DxNow and to join the conversation with us at #DCChallenge, we have a busy November ahead to cover the finale of Dirty 30, our exclusive Reunion Revealed post coming afterwards, the home stretch of Are You The One? Season 6, the premiere of Champs vs. Stars and so much more. When you can, help us and share these DCBLOG links on your social media platforms to help our site reach more of your fellow fans and introduce new readers to our unique look at the MTV world from our point of view.
Also, DCNOW will present #DCPlaylist before and after tomorrow's proceedings with Halloween music and hits to accompany your festivities on my live hub. There - and after this week's episode airs on the west coast, we will also reveal the name of the next new show which will be live tweeted next month on DCNOW and will also be covered in The Look on here before it debuts. To give you a hint, it's not THAT show you think it might be, but it has ties to that person we just discussed above... find out what it is come tomorrow night.
For now, that is how we look at it Inside the MTV Trifecta... thank you for checking us out. And until then, see you then and Happy Halloween.
- I AM DC
- I AM DC
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