DC SocialPulse Extra: Before Final Reckoning Week 8

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

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Welcome back... the Pulse of of this week's drama and fireworks on The Challenge: Final Reckoning will be up tomorrow as you go about your Saturday of this Labor Day weekend. But before that comes up here, the in-between interaction between the events of Week 7 and this week in Week 8, including special appearances from some true MTV originals. Plus, we'll have a reunion of sorts: four men who made us laugh and also inspired us mark the tenth anniversary of their passion project, The Buried Life. Enjoy...

MTV Reality: Floribama Shore - "The Faint Blue Line"

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

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Hey there, it's Labor Day Weekend... and as we soak in the last 72 hours or so of the beach, barbecue and the sun, we're glad you've spending at least some of this final weekend of summer 2018 with us at DCBLOG. Ahead of us on our ride Inside MTV Reality: a duo of mercenaries wreck havoc on The Challenge, while a twist proves its worth on Are You The One?. But we begin this weekend with Floribama Shore.
   After it took last Monday off for the MTV Video Music Awards, last we left Panama City Beach two weeks ago the fun the group had in the sun catches up to them when they get sick, while the group began to serve up those juicy hot dogs. But after Codi's chance to go on a date got rejected at last minute, the most-anticipated arrival came to pass when Candace's boo-thang, Gator Jay, arrived at the house just as the drama level was reaching code red.
   Just as a man they beat on Fear Factor's Shore takeover last week, Ronnie, is dealing with baby mama drama in Vegas, this week sees a different kind of baby drama in Florida. There, a relationship that's as toxic as the one our OG baby daddy is going through reaches a boiling point, just after the house's wild child got disturbing news from her mom. Meantime, sparks begin to fly yet again with that house couple, while we're once again on Puke Watch... this time with someone different.

After the jump, Floribama Shore returns with Episode 8 of Season 2. Welcome to the weekend...

DC ExtraTime: A Real World'er on Catfish?

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Last night before this week's episode of Are You The One?, it was the season finale of Catfish: The TV Show. It was also a bittersweet one, as it also marked the final curtain call for the man who's been Nev Schulman's sidekick during its six years - starting when it was the first MTV series to gain the ever-coveted spot of following the Teen Mom franchise in winter 2012, and opened everyone's eyes to the always fascinating world of online dating and intrigue... garnering plenty of interest ever since.
   Max Joseph has been Nev's colleague and conscience on most of the online mysteries that they've encountered across America, and in the few times he's not been by his side the man with the grey hair has been a film director. In 2015, he took some time off from Catfish to focus on his feature film directorial debut, We Are Your Friends, which documented an L.A. DJ played by Zac Efron as he tried to make it in the music industry and see what life would be like with his friends. And with things starting to pull in the right direction for the ladder, Max felt it was the right time to step aside to pursue his lifelong passion of being behind the camera than being in front of it.

Unlike what we've seen on The Challenge of late, those who watch Catfish know that there's a pattern that's followed in EVERY episode: Nev & Max get to meet those who sent an email to them to discuss more about those always puzzling stories they tell them, then they go to work to figure everything out on the stories that baffle them and everyone watching, from searching online profiles and photos to getting in contact with those who have a connection to these twisted stories.
   Of course, the big moment of every episode is always the reveal of the person at the heart of the matter: most of the time, it's someone who flat out played their subject and decided to use someone else's identity as their own... other times it is exact person that they got to see all along. It's most especially the case with the former that Nev & Max get to talk to those who made a phony profile that they've been able to get right down to business and together with the subject that they shred the one that their subjects wasted years and months of for nothing.
   On the finale of a summer season that was delayed by false sexual harassment charges brought to the lead figure of the film that inspired the TV series, the last investigation for MTV's ultimate bromance (outside Pauly & Vinny) saw them encounter uncover the online romance of Nick & Jasmine. There, they looked into figuring out if the man he kissed on a mysterious rendezvous while being blindfolded was the girl he's been seeing online, or if it was someone who was totally different. And while they were on the prowl to look for Jasmine, Nev & Max found someone who those who follow what this site calls the Trifecta is familiar with from two MTV seasons of a few years ago.

The Look Ahead: Lohan Beach House

DISCLAIMER: Contains Potential Spoilers, Please Read with Caution Below.

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Last week was an ultra-busy one at MTV: the VMA's, Kam's boss move and the invasion of Ashley & Hunter to The Challenge, Floribama Shore beating the Jersey OG's on Fear Factor, the debut of Too Stupid to Die, Are You The One? continuing along with its season and the return of Jersey Shore. But for a moment, let's take a look into the crystal ball and peek into the future...

   As this DCBLOG site is one that likes to keep our feet set in the present, normally the focus is on covering the series that are airing now: here, it's The Challenge, AYTO and proceeding coverage of both - Floribama Shore. And it's only on occasion that do we get to do what fans on Vevmo and on social media do a lot: discuss matters pertaining to future seasons in the Trifecta and any new series that we might consider to be of particular interest.
   The two previous times we got to enact this proposition came last fall when we looked into the expansion of non-MTV US shows into The Challenge when Big Brother and a member of Geordie Shore invaded Vendettas as did four British alumni from Ex On The Beach. And it was after that post in October that we did one for the American version of EOTB, for which it occupied the spot that this week will go to the ladies of Pretty Little Mamas: the post-Jersey Shore slot on Thursdays.

So, Bristol Palin is coming to Teen Mom (and maybe more), The Hills is joining Jersey Shore in making its return, Real World will return to its roots in subscription land, and the search is now on for Nev Schulman's new Catfish sidekick. Now, what's next?
   A month ago, MTV announced something that wasn't a spinoff of a old show or a reboot, but a new series looking to capitalize on the channel's renewed focus on reality TV and revitalized interest. At first glance, this might be MTV's own take on a series on Bravo that introduced reality fans to now Challenge rookie & Ex On The Beach alum Faith Stowers. But the person at the heart of this new venture is certainly much more well known to millennials than Lisa Vanderpump, and it's someone who's been a tabloid favorite since she was a childhood star. And those of you moaning that the summer is about to end, soon you'll again be inundated with sights of summer to come while we are getting through the fall and winter, just as we did with Siesta Key and Floribama Shore.
   After the jump, we take a Look Ahead at the Lohan Beach Club starring Lindsay Lohan... and featuring someone that fans of the Trifecta might be familiar with who may make a crossover into MTV's first foray in many years into modern-day celeb-reality television. As we like to say, you'll want to join us for a nice round of tea...

DC ExtraTime: AYTO Takes Over The Proposal

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

As a new season of Are You The One? takes shape right now, love is in the air for those in reality land. This year saw the arrival to America of MTV's international franchise Ex On The Beach, where many AYTO alumni fell in love again, as did new Challenge baby daddy Cory and three other reality alumni -- Paulie, Angela and Faith -- who joined Team MTV in Hawaii and then made their way to The Challenge Final Reckoning. Two other non-MTV reality alums, Chase McNary and Jasmine Goode, came to EOTB USA from The Bachelor franchise, which continues to dominate midweek water-cooler talk and Twitter buzz.
   This year in Bachelor Nation is most remembered for what we saw with Arie Luyendyk Jr. and him turning from winner Becca Kufrin to runner-up Lauren Burnham that left everyone shook. While a state legislator signed a bill to keep the former IndyCar driver from entering the former's home turf, Becca then had a second chance on The Bachelorette, where she gave her final rose to Garrett Yrigoyen. And after a Winter Games spinoff miniseries, we're now onto this summer's Bachelor in Paradise, where AYTO alum Kathryn Palmer's friend Robby Hayes is among the castmates. And if word on the grapevine is true, he may take his talents to next year's American EOTB sequel.

This summer has seen a new addition to romantic reality television in a totally different show produced by the same team behind The Bachelor. The Proposal has been described by many in the press as one of the oddest reality shows ever conceived, with Bachelor alum and former NFL QB Jesse Palmer hosting a series described as a mix of his original show, Miss America, and The Dating Game. And like the ladder which has been around on TV for decades, the contestants vie to win over the affection of a single man or woman whose identity remains secret from them until the end.
   Each episode features ten eligible daters who compete in four pageant-like rounds with the common goal of trying to do what they can to woo the person of their dreams, known as the "suitor" or "suitress." It begins with first impressions and continues with hopefuls being eliminated a few at a time before the final stage, where the night's leading mystery man or woman is revealed to the two remaining daters who make it to the end. They then make proposals to that person, before he or she chooses the one... which then sees them go on a date and try to make things work long-term in the romance department.

DC SocialPulse: Are You The One? Season 7 - "With Frenemies Like These..."

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DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Final Reckoning - "Big Little Lies"

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

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Happy summer's weekend to all of you in blog land... glad to be back after taking a week's sabbatical for the sojourn to Sin City, and getting to run into Mike Tyson and to party down in Las Vegas. But now as you all get ready to go back to school & return from vacation, the good stuff is about to begin on MTV Reality... beginning here and now with The Challenge Final Reckoning.
   Last week in South Africa, the house became witness to a series of unfortunate events, when Cara finds out that Kyle had cuddled up with Faith, and the fallout of that leaves the house shook, just as Brad deals with closure with the events of him and Britni and Paulie getting in the way. The players then board a moving train where an obstacle course saw most of the teams stumble but in the end only a few survive. And Shane did what he can to try to manipulate this season's secret vote to his advantage... only for a new vendetta to join his hit list.
   And if we thought what we've had so far was something, this week promises to set the reset button on all the twists and turns we've been having this season. Along with determining who goes into Redemption, the teams find themselves having to escape the sand to become power team. It's what happens after that that last season's most outstanding rookie decides to change the game herself by devising an elaborate plan and test their loyalty. But, it all goes back to the host, who then decides to blow the game up yet again... with another familiar twist.

You'll find out what goes down as all the action, reaction and interaction of Week 7 of Challenge 32 is ahead here, along with the birthday of the one they call the "bulldog", another just living their best life, and this year's VMA's. All of that's ahead... glad you've stayed up with us tonight. Settle in...

DC SocialPulse: Are You The One? Season 7 - A Premiere Double Shot

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

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Well, hey there lovers... it's the weekend - and for many of you, the last one of your summer vacation before school begins. And we're now into the time of year where, for the next few months, there will be three reasons for you to look forward to this time of the week in our DCBLOG view on three MTV Reality shows: the appetizer of Floribama Shore, the main course of The Challenge, and now the dessert in Are You The One?, as we begin this year's quest for Perfect Matches and money, and everything in between as welcome back our favorite guilty pleasure for Season 7.
   Eight months removed from an unlikely $1 million comeback - and with some of that Season 6 cast getting together again to party it up in Connecticut this weekend, the focus shifts to where we had another love fest take place not long ago in Ex On The Beach. It's the Big Island of Hawaii, as a new generation of twenty-two girls and guys in need of love have gathered with Terrence J. to find love and $1 million. This time, the mission to run the table has gotten even more tougher thanks to a twist that will put the game in different hands this time around.
   And this week, there's not one, but TWO hours for us to enjoy the opening act of what is the Season of Fate. Along with the usual "get to know you" of all of our castmates who come from across the U.S. and even from as far as Europe and the Caribbean, jealousy will take over just as soon as everyone settles in their tropical surroundings when couples will form, as is usually the case. Then, a girl from the Bay Area steals the show when one of her crushes flirts with other women, while the player ways of a party promoter may get in the way of a budding romance he has.

All the action, reaction and interaction to this acts 1 and 2 of Season 7 is ahead here, as we'll be covering all the buzz from AYTO Wednesday, with both our new cast and those who've been in this ringer before as alumni of this series and a handful having made the crossover into The Challenge. And we'll have the ever-important Matchup Chart after the diary.
   First, if you're new to this site, welcome, get cozy and indulge yourself in our look at what's widely seen as the most exciting programming in the reality TV genre, and of AYTO. Whether you've been following it every step of the way like we have or just are watching it for the first time, DCBLOG is the place to go to for our unique, insightful and distinctive look at your favorite reality TV guilty pleasures, and where you can get more out of the shows you love.
   That includes the Pulse, which we've been doing for the whole entire run of Are You The One? - from that memorable Season 1 up to that Season 6 comeback last year. This trademark feature offers everyone the other show that takes place concurrent to the madness of you and us see every week on TV: the social interaction between the cast members, fellow AYTO & MTV alumni and fans from Twitter, all as part of the communal viewing experience that comes with watching these episodes live as they air, and before and after they air too.
   These are exclusive running diaries specially designed, curated & pieced together, in its entirety, in real-time and uncensored, to bring the hookups, drama and all else to you here as a service to fans. If you just want to relive the action, reaction and interaction, dig in and enjoy it all over again. But if you're one of the many who didn't experience the episode as it aired on TV, we're your first chance to check out everything you missed from its original airing -- all carefully compiled while you're catching up on the episodes before we get to post this a few days after it airs.
   The Pulse is only part of the DCBLOG MTV Reality experience with our all-encompassing and top-class coverage: like other sites, we also recap the episodes with analysis & opinions, but through our other important element of ExtraTime, we also go beyond the screen to focus on the people and stories of TV's most fascinating reality ecosystem. And this devoted MTV fan who loves these shows as much as you do and who's good friends with a lot of the castmates, proudly brings you this coverage every weekend... one that continues to receive much acclaim and recognition.

Now: the following are the actual tweets of the cast, alumni and fans as everyone got to see the premiere on Wednesday night, along with the day-of buildup to, and the after hours aftermath of, the first episode.
• As we begin, please note there is explicit language in many of the tweets below, but they are kept uncensored in order to retain the heat of the moment. So if you are mature enough, please read with discretion. :-)
• Plus, if you haven't watched the episode yet, then do not proceed with reading this post. But need not worry...DCBLOG will compile all of these tweets into these posts after every episode so you won't be in the dark of how your favorites saw this all unfold.

So, welcome on in... and join us after the jump for the Pulse of the Premiere of Are You The One? Season 7 - the Season of Fate. Dive in, lovers...

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Final Reckoning - "A Series of Unfortunate Events"

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

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Hey there folks, it's a Thursday and the weekend is almost here. But our end of the week has is here - but not any week, it's #DCVegas Week. And it's because of tomorrow's trip I'm taking to Las Vegas that, this week, the meat of DCBLOG's MTV Reality posts are being posted earlier than usual here, beginning with Week 6 of The Challenge: Final Reckoning.
   Last week in South Africa, a testy and terrifying challenge put everyone on edge over the sea, as the teams had to make their way across several pieces of meat together from one end to another and back, and saw many a team go down... except for Brad & Kyle, who made it two straight challenge wins. It also doubled as a second Purge, and it was what happened with the duo who failed miserably that stole the headlines: CT and Veronica didn't clear a single piece, leading them to Redemption and leading him over the edge.
   And even after what took place weeks ago, the events of what happened in the first Redemption challenge and Paulie's claims is still on Brad's mind, and this week sees them discuss things half a world away. Meanwhile, for a ladies man from Newcastle he finds himself yet again in trouble and with our defending champ. The competitors are then put to the test on the tracks as they tackle an obstacle course aboard a moving train. But it's what happens with the ensuing vote that sparks more drama: this time with two people who have been in a lot of Twitter drama lately.

All the action, reaction and interaction from Challenge Tuesday and a little bit of the lead-up to it is ahead here, as this week's posts are truncated a bit for time - usually more of that build-up to Tuesday and its Wednesday aftermath is shown here. And after the diary, a Follow-Up on a story from earlier this year involving the most unlikeliest of Real World fathers... and some tragic news on that too.
   All of that is ahead on The Pulse of The Challenge: Final Reckoning. Glad you're with us...

MTV Reality: Floribama Shore - A Mid-August Double Shot

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

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Hello there friends, we're glad you with us here again as DCBLOG's look Inside MTV Reality begins in an unusual spot: late night on a Tuesday just after tonight's episode of The Challenge: Final Reckoning on the West Coast and before Wednesday's double premiere of Are You The One? Season 7. In case you don't know, we're on a bit earlier than usual this week, as our posts covering this week's shows are starting to be posted here & now instead of on Friday. And it's for an ultra special reason: #DCVegas Week, where Friday night I'll be in Las Vegas to wrap up the summer.
   First, it's Floribama Shore, and so far this season that drama has been at an all-time high for our friends in Panama City Beach. Last week was no exception: Candace and Codi agreed to go on a date, but at last minute she decided to change course for a special reason... and for our Southern pot-stirrer it meant that he had to look for revenge. Meanwhile, we also saw the first instance that a perfect girlfriend/boyfriend relationship was starting to not be so perfect in Kortni & Logan, and we also had the guys begin their summer job serving up hot dogs.
   This week - or last night for that matter, we get not one, but TWO episodes... for the very reason that the Video Music Awards will take over next Monday. When it seems that everyone's having some fun in the summertime, they then go down by way of summertime sickness. But then, all comes to decision day for the two reigning relationships of two of the girls: a relationship that's deteriorated during this season, and another that's been anticipated for so long that it then puts the whole house on a high state of alert. And when drama blows up with both Candace & her "Boo Thang" and Kortni & Logan, a summer that's already been dramatic gets even more deep into the Atlantic.

After the jump, a mid-August Double Shot of Floribama Shore. Glad you're with us here after dark...

DC ExtraTime: Before They Were MTV Stars - Havana

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

This week is a busy one for MTV Reality fans: Monday has two episodes of Floribama Shore and Part 1 of the Teen Mom 2 reunion after last week's eventful behind the scenes special. The Challenge Final Reckoning rolls along on Tuesday, and Wednesday is the premiere of Are You The One? Season 7. And it is the start to what will be a busy fall season ahead for MTV fans, as it will be followed by the MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall, the return of Jersey Shore Family Vacation, and the premieres of Zach Holmes' Too Stupid to Die, Pretty Little Mamas with moms who call San Diego home, the U.S. version of Just Tattoo of Us, and Made in Staten Island.
   The ladder series, executive produced by Karen Gravano of VH1's Mob Wives and featuring her daughter Karina as a cast member, is among the latest new series to be given a promotional launchpad of being part of cable's highest-rated reality network, which features its biggest series in those Jersey originals. This spring, the precious spot of following Jersey Shore was given to the first U.S. version of another MTV show that originated overseas in Ex On The Beach, where Challenge newcomers Kayleigh, Joss and Melissa got their starts before they made their American debuts on Vendettas this year.

Twitter @MarcoDelvec

Amidst seeing Angela, Faith, Paulie and Derrick -- all of whom are continuing their runs into this summer & fall with The Challenge Final Reckoning -- as well as longtime staple Cory and others from in and outside the MTV family, it was the exes (including Mr. Chocolate) that invaded the same islands of Hawaii who'll host our 22 newest members of the MTV family this coming week. But instead of going for a perfect match or money, they went for getting to rekindle love, get much-needed revenge or simply settle their own final reckoning all in the midst of massive drama that took place this spring. It enthralled everybody who watched, the same way those overseas have since the MTV international franchise began airing a few years ago.
   But, you may not know that there is a link between one of those fourteen exes who invaded Hawaii to one of the nominees for the most coveted piece of silverware MTV can give out and one of the biggest artists of the past year. There, she started with America's biggest girl group since Destiny's Child and then stepped out on her own and has become a big name herself, including collaborating with Shawn Mendes and Machine Gun Kelly before she became a solo artist. And he was an ex of one of the two representatives of Bachelor Nation who popped up in Hawaii as he and the exes were part of the "ultimate relationsh** show" that brought new fans to this channel.
   In this installment of Before They Were MTV Stars, we take a look at Havana, starring Camila Cabello and Marco Delvecchio from Ex On The Beach USA... now up for 5 Video Music Awards.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Final Reckoning - "Breaking Brad"

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

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Wherever you are on this Sunday, glad to have you here and thanks for hopping on by as DCBLOG now brings you the Pulse of The Challenge Final Reckoning, as this season now enters its second month in South Africa. So much has happened going back to last week, and yet three teams have left. But the good stuff is still to come as we now delve into Week 5.
   Last week, the attention was on the residents of the Redemption House, as Britni & Chuck, Jemmye & Jenna, Paulie & Natalie and Da'Vonne & Jozea returned to the Armageddon dungeon much to everyone's surprise but probably not much to us viewers. The Double Cross made its return as the former two were sent packing and left the Big Brother pairs to go at it. In the end, the ladder took the win but the headlines existed with Paulie, and what we saw there with his temper and his shocking revelation has made him the least-liked man of this season and spurred the rumors of last week too.
   And last weekend, the news was revealed on Challenge Mania radio of Brad & Britni breaking up in the midst of those two episodes. That provides the backdrop to this week's episode when, in TV time, he grows anxious after the accusation Paulie made about his now-ex and her ex in Redemption. As for the game itself, a terrifying challenge tests everyone's nerves over the sea, and there's a lot of stake because the team that finishes at the bottom of the table joined him & Natalie in Redemption. And you won't believe what the result will be at night's end.

All the action, reaction and interaction from an Episode 5 fittingly titled, "Breaking Brad," is ahead as we kick off a week in MTV Reality that will see this coming week's episode serve as an undercard to the main event of the double premiere of Season 7 of Are You The One?, and will in turn serve as an appetizer to this blogger's biggest event of the year, #DCVegas, to come two nights after it debuts. We'll explain what we have in store for here next week after the diary.
   But after the jump, it's the Pulse of The Challenge: Final Reckoning. Dig in, folks...

DC SocialPulse Extra: Before Final Reckoning Episode 5

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

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Glad you're with us this late to begin our look at The Challenge: Final Reckoning... All the action, reaction and interaction of this week on The Challenge: Final Reckoning is coming in a bit as things get back to a sense of normalcy but all eyes are on team building. But before that comes up here, the in-between interaction between the events of Week 4 and this week, including babies, beefs, a breakup and a blow-up. Enjoy...

MTV Reality: Floribama Shore S2 - "More Than a Boo Thang"

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

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Howdy friends, and welcome on in the week Inside MTV Reality. Coming up ahead here: the issues of trust and personal relationships come to The Challenge, and a look at one of this year's VMA nominated videos through the MTV Reality prism. We begin, though, with the week that was over in Floribama Shore.
   Last week, our friends had a night to remember and a birthday night to forget when Kirk was arrested and then un-arrested for slapping a bystander at a bar, while Codi found himself getting laid just after Candace and Kirk let it out in the street. Things, though, do get back to normalcy when the guys decide to do something to help foot the bill for the summer, while Candace and Nilsa take part in a bikini contest.
   And when they're all home, Candace and Codi agree to go on a date... and this week we find out if that will go down or if she stays loyal to who she calls her "boo-thang." Meanwhile, a new relationship gets put to the test when one of the girls and her boyfriend get into an argument. And who wants a hot dog? We'll join the group for their new job as they get to work at a restaurant on the Shore... but it becomes more than just making those buns.

After the jump, Episode 5 of Season 2 of Floribama Shore, along with a look at group of pretty little ladies... but they're not who you think it is. We're glad you're with us...

DC ExtraTime: Before They Were MTV Stars - D-ROC

From during AYTO Second Chances & the 2017 NCAA Tournament, and

before subject appeared on two Challenges and Ex On The Beach USA

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

From: The Post and Courier

This weekend is the climax of the three-week miniseries known as NCAA March Madness as North Carolina, Oregon, Gonzaga and South Carolina duke it out at the NCAA Final Four just outside of Phoenix, AZ. Yesterday and last night in two thrillers, it was the Tar Heels and the Zags who emerged victorious and will now have a date tomorrow night for college basketball's National Championship.

With this in mind, we'd thought we'd like to bring you this latest installment of Before They Were MTV Stars, and to focus in on one of the guys on this season who we also got to see execute a strategy that worked in the Caribbean but saw one person screw it all up and give the Are You The One? Season 5 cast the first-ever loss a few weeks ago. Of course, we're talking about Derrick, who before he went on Season 5 - and bringing to the world the hashtag #TeamChocolate - was a college basketball player.

L: D-ROC in last year at Winthrop;
R: in senior year at The Citadel

Those enthusiasts who follow more of the mid-major and minor conferences of Division I college ball - those who often serve as Bracket Busters in March, might be interested to know that Derrick played for four years at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC - in the Charlotte metropolitan area. However, a torn ACL sidelined him for his fourth year where he red-shirted his would-be senior year, and then transferred south to Charleston and to The Citadel, the military college, for his fifth and final year. That season, Derrick led all Bulldogs with 16.2 points per game.

Despite all that, he never got the taste of playing in the ultimate stage of the biggest event in college sports during those three weeks of March Madness. But instead of looking at joining the NBA D-League or traveling abroad to play in the European leagues, Derrick decided to just stay where he was in the Carolinas, until MTV came calling to be part of the Season 5 cast. Below are two highlight reels from his final two seasons, along with a feature story from when he was at Winthrop.

►UPDATE... 

In 2011, Derrick recorded a career scoring night against the Georgia Bulldogs in a non-conference matchup between the SEC and Big South in Athens, GA. Highlights of that game is below featuring a very young D-ROC who played in front of family where he grew up outside Atlanta, along with The Citadel's '15-16 highlights reel when he played his senior year at the military academy in the Southern Conference.

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MTV Reality: Countdown to Are You The One? Season 7

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Aloha, and we're into the first full week of August as the summer winds down but the good stuff is heating up in MTV Reality. The Challenge: Final Reckoning has seen a lot go down in its first full month - so has Floribama Shore... and we'll have a look at this week's episodes during this weekend. But in a few days, the number of venues that are hosting series we cover here will grow to three, as in the span of 72 hours we'll be traveling from Panama City Beach to South Africa and then to paradise: Hawaii for the quest for true love and money that is Are You The One?.
   The last time we all got together to watch the guiltiest of all guilty pleasures in this MTV universe, it was in New Orleans eight months ago last winter where, when given almost no hope in making the impossible come true, a group of 22 girls and guys dug deep, came together and pulled out the largest comeback in the series' six-season history and the biggest MTV Cinderella story in years. A ten-light last matchup ceremony by the cast of Season 6 to go 11 for 11 and win $1 Million capped off an unforgettable 2017 in this genre, one that also included the first time that an AYTO cast did not win the money when their Season 5 predecessors fell short of that goal in stunning fashion.

Now - with two of those who lost getting ready to welcome a new baby, the next chapter of big time drama, incredible people, high stakes and romance is about to be written in a familiar setting. AYTO Season 7 will take place in the same Hawaiian islands that hosted three previous seasons of the show, along with the first season of Ex On The Beach starring seven series alumni and three other reality alums who are holding their own as Challenge rookies. And after stepping in last year, the multi-talented Terrence J. will once again emcee the proceedings in paradise, where he had his first taste of romantic reality TV hosting FOX's Coupled a few years ago.
   Another quest for love and money waits with a new group of 22 castmates from across the country and with ties to many other countries worldwide. Among the questions we have are: Who in this group will have an epic hookup in the Boom Boom Room? Who will have their heart broken inside the Truth Booth? Will this cast follow what last autumn's cast did and go through this season unscathed by no lights en route the money? And who will fly out of the islands with something as rare as a flash in the pan: true love and a Perfect Match? We'll be finding out the answers in the course of the next few months.

DCBLOG boasts great pride in having followed Are You The One from when it began in Hawaii four years ago and all of what we have seen since then. And once again, we'll be along here each week to offer weekly coverage here starting with this preseason preview and running to finale night where hopes and dreams may again lead to the always nerve-wracking the final matchup ceremony. And ahead of us here, a preview of what this season is all about, a look at the big twist that will make the quest to land that perfect match an even tougher one, and an introduction to what they're calling the Saucy Season 7 cast: the eleven girls and eleven guys chosen for this year's quest.
   So once again, put on your swimsuit, stick that name tag on, have those matchup charts and sharpie ready, and Join In with us after the jump as DCBLOG counts down to Are You The One? Season 7 - the Season of Fate from our 50th state. Welcome back, lovers...

DC ExtraTime: AYTO Takes Over The Four

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

For now, the attention of those who follow the MTV Reality beat is on Floribama Shore, The Challenge, Catfish and Teen Mom. But soon, those who are anxious for something a little bit more wild will have something to look forward to when Too Stupid to Die debuts the night after the VMA's, the second Jersey Shore Family Vacation two nights later, and an extension of VH1's Mob Wives when Karen Gravano's daughter and her friends welcome the world to Staten Island.
   And there's television's guiltiest guilty pleasure: Are You The One? and Season 7. We'll offer our traditional preseason preview coming later this week, including a welcome to the next generation of those looking for love and $1 million. But to give you a little appetizer for what will come then as well as its August 15th premiere, there is a link between one of those who are ready to take on the task of finding their perfect match and one of this year's newest reality television hits.

When I joined social media six years ago, the reality TV slate was just as busy as it is today, with three shows on the 2012-13 network television schedules having musical singing competitions. American Idol was still on the air, but thanks to its bold concept The Voice was starting to take some buzz away… and an American version of British showcase The X Factor debuted, and introduced the world to a group who would become Fifth Harmony.

   Ultimately, it then became just one show when X Factor USA didn't garner a large following as that in the UK and Idol had run its course on FOX, leaving the iconic rotating chairs as the long survivor in the music wars. But in this 2018 year of TV reboots and returns, ABC brought the show back this past March with Ryan Seacrest once again at the helm, while up north Canada's CTV initiated a new original format called The Launch.

This winter, a FOX network which thrived during Idol's run -- and after it ended has since fallen to the cellar among the major networks -- decided to throw its hat into the musical talent ring again by launching something different. The Four: Battle for Stardom debuted in January, and with a format that was introduced in Israel it twisted this tried & true genre by forgoing the stage auditions altogether, and instead giving artists time to relax in a holding room as challengers before the big moment of getting to perform their hearts out in front of the judges.
   Sean "Diddy" Combs, Meghan Trainor and DJ Khaled (and before he was ousted from his Republic Records post by the #MeToo movement, music executive Charlie Walk) are the panel for which the singers get to perform in front of and get critiqued afterwards, and they hold in their hands the fate of these performers who decide who among the challengers then go up against The Four. Those are the top singers who consist of those from all musical genres, and they must be at the top of their game to keep their seat or see a challenger take their place as a member of the quartet.
   The format sees the singers perform in front of Diddy, Meghan and the big daddy himself as well as the reigning performers of The Four and the audience, and if the judges give a singer a unanimous Yes vote, they advance on. And in the second half of each episode, they go up against a member of The Four in a sing-off, and the audience decides who performed the best... and whoever emerges victorious gets to sit back, relax and prepare for the next week. In the end, the last one standing takes the crown, a recording deal and is named an "On The Verge" artist by iHeartRadio.

One of those who has been keeping tabs on this year's two seasons of The Four is one of those who will be heading to Hawaii for the Season of Fate that debuts a week from Wednesday: Asia Woodley will be joining twenty-one others who are in need in love for Season 7 with Terrence J. and friends. But as fate would have it, filming for AYTO 7 fell smack dab in between both seasons of the show, giving her the opportunity to "Win Together, Love Together" after Evvie McKinney was crowned Season 1's champion and before Season 2 debuted in June... all without missing a single song.
   As an entertainment reporter and on-air host for website MUSE TV, Asia has been covering The Four since its January premiere. Below are interviews from the red carpet as she got to talk with series host Fergie, Meghan and Season 1 Four members Jason Warrior, Tim Johnson Jr., Nick Harrison and Kendyle Paige. And then, Asia got to talk to all four finalists from last week's season finale: Sharaya J., Leah Jenea, Whitney Reign and the eventually champion, James Graham.

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Videos Embedded Courtesy MUSE.TV

DC ExtraTime: Chuck's Adventures In The Sea

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

After what we saw this week, a lot of fans seem to be in agreement that the two teams who got Purged and sent home on The Challenge Final Reckoning didn't have a fair chance at this game... most especially the one rookie out of the four. And as this post goes to print this Saturday, he happens to be part of a select group of those in community of The Challenge, Are You The One and MTV Reality to celebrate their birthday to begin the month of August, as does the channel itself.

Twitter @MTV_Chuckalodon

He may not have had a fair shake in getting a chance to compete, no less be part of the first month's drama with his ex which has dominated the first month of this season when everyone has been up in arms on the focus on Real World-like drama when they're there for the action. But we're sure that Chuck should get another opportunity to compete on a Challenge, the seventh member of the now-lauded Are You The One Season 3 cast to appear here after their stint on the love fest. But this stay to South Africa that amounted merely to just a business trip would not have been possible had he not been in something that wasn't even mentioned at all on-air.
   A year ago while going on a cliff diving trip along the Chatahoochee River in the outskirts of North Georgia, Chuck had a painful accident when he fell awkwardly on one of his feet when landing in a shallow part of the water below. Half of his feel was sliced off, and was hospitalized for a week with multiple bacterial infections and the fear that his foot would be amputated. But not only did he survive that ordeal, his foot healed enough to not have that foot be lost and would've robbed him of any chance of competing on a Challenge if it was offered to him one day.
   In this new age of the show, a lot of Challengers these days love to party, advertise new products on Instagram and engage in Twitter warfare with fellow cast members for everyone to see with the hope they get paired on a future season. But there are those, in what we call the Trifecta on here, who don't make being on MTV their whole lives, who is not fully engaged in these shows all the time, and have jobs and hobbies to fall back on to prove the point that, they are real & genuine people like us.

TW @MTV_Chuckalodon

Chuck is one of them, and before he made it to AYTO three years ago, he became a series first. He's the only cast member to have the luxury of not having to make a long plane flight to the house as one who lived not far from the singles mansion when Season 3 invaded his Hawaiian backyard in 2015. You might remember him more for his relationship with Britni, but he also formed the duo of Chuck & Big D with Devin in the confessional playing the ukulele, was one of the many guys who stood next to Kiki in the Truth Booth... and there are those tattoos.
   But how many people in the MTV community can say that they love the sea so much that they have a job working at an aquarium? He was a Hawaiian scuba diver before he made his way here, and when he moved to Georgia during that ill-fated romance, he took up a gig with the Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta. When it opened, it was the world's largest zoo for our friends in the ocean with over 100,000 sea animals, and continues to draw a million visitors each year to its prime location near Centennial Olympic Park and the World of Coca-Cola museum.
   For the handful of you who might have an appetite for programming that features animal discovery or life in the ocean, it's likely you've watched Nature or NOVA on PBS, those National Geographic Specials or searched on YouTube to watch those old underwater specials hosted by the late Jacques Cousteau. Besides pictures of him & his new girl, his brothers and the time heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield photobombed a selfie pic, Chuck's Instagram channel frequently features him in his natural habitat of the ocean and the aquarium.

Below - and in the spirit of the recent installment of the annual cable tradition of Shark Week as well as his birthday, some of Chuck's Adventures in the Sea...

You know what day it is! #WhaleSharkWednesday Here's another shot from my cubicle @georgiaaquarium #mowerydivelife #aquarium #whaleshark pic.twitter.com/jEx8cW8151

— Chuck Mowery (@MTV_Chuckalodon) September 6, 2017

When you gotta swerve the fish that drop in your DMs.
•
•
•#humpheadwrasse #napoleonwrasse #aquatic #journeywiththegentlegiants #georgiaaquarium #diveimmersion #dip #divelife #divemaster #diveinstructor #owsi #padi #gopro #itsamowerything pic.twitter.com/if5tMQQ5bi

— Chuck Mowery (@MTV_Chuckalodon) November 29, 2017

This is Tallulah, our giant manta birostris, letting me get a look up her skirt. Perks of the job 🧜🏼‍♂️ • • • #mantaray #mantabirostris #tallulah #aquaman #aquarium #divelife #divemaster #owsi #padi

A post shared by Charles Mowery (@chuckalodon) on Nov 27, 2017 at 10:31am PST

When you gotta swerve the fish that drop in your DMs. • • • #humpheadwrasse #napoleonwrasse #aquatic #journeywiththegentlegiants #georgiaaquarium #diveimmersion #dip #divelife #divemaster #diveinstructor #owsi #padi #gopro #itsamowerything

A post shared by Charles Mowery (@chuckalodon) on Nov 29, 2017 at 9:08am PST

Sound On! #tbt to #freediving with my ocean buds #hawaiianspinnerdolphins in #kona #hawaii listen for them echo locating me.

A post shared by Charles Mowery (@chuckalodon) on Feb 1, 2018 at 8:51am PST

A difference between the main Challenge house and the Redemption house is that there's plenty of time for occupants of the small retreat to just relax and go sight-seeing just as it was both last season and in early, old-school seasons of years gone by. And after what went down in Armageddon, Chuck had the opportunity to go in a cage and get up close to a shark. He posted this Instagram video during Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week festivities and captioned below, "I celebrated early in South Africa when I got to cage dive with Great Whites. Bucket list experience ✔️🦈"

Happy #Sharkweek I celebrated early in South Africa when I got to cage dive with Great Whites. Bucket list experience ✔️🦈

A post shared by Charles Mowery (@chuckalodon) on Jul 23, 2018 at 1:32pm PDT

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