CAUTION: This Post Contains Spoilers for Some Readers
BY DC CUEVA
If you're new to DCBLOG, a vision of going Inside MTV Reality here is that we more than just cover the weekly episodes of the shows you love... we also put a great deal of our efforts into in-depth storytelling -- and we've been doing that for the last ten years. ExtraTime gives us the chance to focus in on "The Stories Behind the Story" that go beyond what you see on TV, and to go deeper into exploring this world through the prism of reality TV's most talked about shows. It's no different for fall 2022's first story, but this is also the first of two bits involving not the stars of these shows, but actually their fellow siblings.
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| All Photos Courtesy Paramount Global |
There's only one pair in this fall's Challenge field who are blood-related: defending champion Kaycee & her brother Kenny... but in a way they aren't the only siblings to occupy hump day in the Paramount Global reality community. The week before Wednesday's premiere saw another bloodline with a link to Challenge Nation take to national television... but it came in a totally different environment in this world of reality competition shows than what his sister got to endure seven times in her career on the big show. For the root of this story, we have to rewind the tape all the way back to before the both of them were even born to some simpler times in TV land.
The year of 1977 saw Jimmy Carter move into the White House, New York City plunge into the dark, and the sudden & shocking death of the great Elvis Presley. Both Star Wars and Saturday Night Fever dominated the box office en route to pop culture legend status, while Atari dropped its first video game system, and Reggie Jackson hit his historic World Series home run hat trick. It also happens to be the year that this blogger's parents uttered their "I do's" and tied the knot as wife & husband.
When it came to television, cable was mostly about those far away from an antenna getting hooked up for a few dollars to receive clearer reception of local broadcast channels plus a few other things. Even then, there were only the big three broadcast networks, big city independent stations, a small premium channel called HBO, and a future corporate sibling in Superstation TBS to choose from on the dial. And on the screen, Bill Murray made his breakthrough as Chevy Chase's replacement on Saturday Night Live, as did a young Janet Jackson who joined the cast of Good Times.
1977 also saw ABC ascend for the first time to America's top-rated network, and where they used that #1 status as a bargaining chip to convince stations in Milwaukee, San Diego, Albany, Baton Rouge and Huntsville, AL to swap their network affiliations to them -- the first wave of several that rocked the TV landscape. Network hierarchy also asked the head of its revered sports division, Roone Arledge, to turn around ABC News, which would go from being perennial doormat to eventually becoming the leader. And for the network's fall lineup, three new shows stood out: Three's Company, Soap, and one of many landmarks of one of TV's most iconic producers.
The romantic dramedy series followed the romantic and hilarious adventures of captain Merrill Stubing (portrayed by Gavin McLeod) and his crew as they set sail on the MS Pacific Princess -- a real-life Princess Cruise Lines cruise ship -- to the likes of Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco and Mazatlán. But what gave this show its unique appeal was the passengers who joined along with Captain Stubing throughout the show's 250 total episodes over its nine seasons: a slew of guest stars ranging from Betty White and Charo to Andy Griffith and the Harlem Globetrotters.
The Love Boat -- and both its iconic theme song and title sequence below -- is only part of the storied resume of producer Aaron Spelling, who at one time in '81 not had that show on the network schedules, but also Charlie's Angels, Hart to Hart and Dynasty (also remade into a recent CW show). And of course to those of you 90's kids, he's the one behind Beverly Hills 90210 (with Love at First Lie hostess Tori Spelling), Melrose Place, 7th Heaven and Charmed.
For the past few years, a CBS network that pioneered reality TV on free to air-waves has dipped its toes into the reality dating game with the U.S. version of Love Island... and we've seen Islanders take to not only The Challenge (including Ride or Dies and C-USA), but also on Ex On The Beach and Paramount+ show All-Star Shore. But when the U.S. version of the UK-originated global reality dating hit switched its address from Times Square to 30 Rock and set sail over at Peacock over the summer, CBS big wigs decided to dip its toes into its wide library of intellectual property.
October's first Wednesday night saw Rebecca and Jerry greet the first batch of ten singles aboard the Regal Princess, and where series original Issac Washington -- portrayed by Ted Lange -- joined them to perform the spiritual passing over of his proverbial cocktail shaker to the new Crew of Captain Paolo Arrigo, Cruise Director Matt Mitcham and Bartender Ezra Freeman. They then made their way to the Olympic city of Barcelona where they found themselves doing a talent show to try and impress their potential partners... only for two new guys to crash that cocktail session. And one of these guys just so happens to be a sibling of a past Challenger who is part of a storied draft class.
One of those rookies who debuted for the first time that April of 2010 was Theresa Gonzalez-Jones, who was drafted to be Ryan Kehoe's partner and made a deep run through the season but didn't make the final. She then appeared on Cutthroat, the first two Rivals seasons and Free Agents also falling short of the last stage before finally going into the Battle of the Exes II final, where she benefited from Nia's premature departure to get another shot at the money as Leroy Garrett's partner and finished 2nd behind Sarah & Jordan. And after five years away, we saw Theresa again on Double Agents just after she started a family with six-year NFL veteran wideout TJ Jones and a couple kids playing catch around their house.
As we told you on here back then, it was while her return engagement in early 2021 was airing that she welcomed baby #3 to the Jones family: the pink smoke of a gender reveal on her front porch signaled the arrival of a new girl, and in July of last year she welcomed baby Layla Capri -- fittingly, it was the greatest birthday gift that husband TJ has ever received in his life. But we didn't know at the time that, for some strange reason, someone blood-related to Theresa would later pop up in this small world of reality television -- and in a totally different environment than what she put up with for a decade.
When he came up to the stage to speak to the girls for his introduction, he was upfront in admitting his wrongdoings and composed a simple little poem: "Roses are red, violets are blue, I hope to find real love and you are too." But one of them -- 25-year-old Atlanta youth basketball coach Daniel Cooper -- wasn't forecasting a rosy prospect for Michael once they chose the one with the best first impression... and the "Catch of the Day" was bestowed upon Alisa Shah, a 24-year-old landscape designer from San Diego.
It's likely that if you were a kid growing up, you probably played that game of Bingo... but that slice of Americana was also the favorite activity of Charo's trips aboard the boat back then. And it had a hand in helping lay out the law of the land for the first elimination of the series, entitled the Sail Away Ceremony -- and where the selection order for this maiden voyage was determined by which of those Bingo balls is drawn by the suitors. Just like what we see in most every reality dating show, everyone is paired up until the final few in either gender face either continuation into the next week or getting sent home.
Before the moment of truth came Michael told everyone, "I knew that I was coming here trying to look for my partner in crime -- someone to adventure with, and eat lots & lots of food with. So, I know she's here and I look forward to hopefully continuing that connection going forward." But as there were seven guys and five girls on board, there had to be two men who would see their trip end this prematurely in week 1 at night's end... and here, it was Michael and 30-year-old Houstonian Forrest Jones who had to disembark after 28-year-old Vancouverite Nicole Wong chose to pair up with fellow Canadian, tattoo-laden 26-year-old Jordan Malabanan from Windsor, Ontario (across the river from Detroit).
Michael showed nothing but class in saying farewell to the group, "It's great to get to know each and every one of you. Follow your heart, keep an open mind and wish you all the best of luck. This sucks... I came here to take chances. Maybe I should have taken the opportunity to crash Nathan (Kroger, 24 from Cincinnati) and Alisa's dates. I may not have found love on The Real Love Boat, but I know that I'm gonna find my real love when I'm meant to."
Perhaps it wasn't explained exactly as to what caused Theresa and Nany's beef, but thanks to photographical proof that were posted there it was revealed that Michael had briefly dated Nany for some time four years ago prior to her landing her match in the aforementioned Spies, Lies & Allies champ Kaycee. One user wrote on there, "I feel like this was a huge thing to leave out all of these years? Totally would better explain why they don't like each other." And another added, "It kind of puts their beef into perspective. It always seemed like they had issues off the show, which was why the cause of their drama was never addressed on The Challenge."
Whether he is the cause for the biggest rivalry of that same Battle of the Exes 2 season that was a key in the Bananas/Wes rivalry (they were paired up, ironically, with both ladies Gonzalez) and the poignant swan song for both Diem Brown and Ryan Knight, it's a matter of opinion. But for Michael he is the latest proof that, in a world where reality show crossovers to other shows and places on the dial & your streaming apps are just about everywhere, sometimes you just want to keep it all in the family.
🚢 ❤️ 🚢 ❤️
Ahead on ExtraTime: the other story involving a Challenger's sibling popping up on other networks' reality shows, and one involving a competitor who Theresa competed alongside on both Free Agents and on Battle of the Exes 2.... and one who also just happens to be a fellow castmate on Nany's first MTV show in Las Vegas. To come next, a look at Dustin Zito's sister Victoria taking to Bravo's real-life answer to Emily in Paris with a slew of real girlfriends. But first, DCBLOG brings you all the action, reaction and interaction of premiere night of Ride or Dies, plus our introduction to the newcomers of Season 38. Stay tuned for all of that coming up ahead as we begin our fall MTV Reality coverage.
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