MTV Reality WRAP: Siesta Key - Season 3's First Two Weeks of Summertime

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

(clockwise) Instagram's: @JuliettePorter, @ChloeTrautman,
@Alex_Kompo, @TheKelseyOwens, @Amanda_Marie_Miller

It's now officially the summer of 2020, and usually we would all be celebrating and jumping for joy. That's not happening this time, as we're still in the COVID wilderness along with the social upheaval going on in the streets. But there is something to look forward to for those who love sultry drama coming to us from where there's over 300 days of sunshine every year: Florida, and the beachside enclave of Siesta Key. It's our fifth time heading down to this town on the outskirts of Sarasota outside of Tampa Bay, and officially it is the second half of Season 3 of the East Coast cousins of Laguna Beach & The Hills. And we were here earlier this winter as they shared top billing with their crazy cousins at Floribama Shore.

To get you up-to-speed on what went down in the first half of this steamy & scandalous season: the item that had day one'rs and the casuals alike glued to their TV's was of Juliette getting over her ex-boyfriend Alex. She did exactly that with a man someone much more well-known and where we relived his first journey to stardom last night: The Bachelorette's Robby Hayes, who snapped her up at Stagecoach... but as time went on that romance dissipated into the ocean as did a phone during that infamous housewarming. We also had Madisson landing a romance of her own: this time with someone behind the fourth wall in a former executive producer much older than her, while her ex Brandon found himself in a love triangle involving bad girl Amanda. And there's that bombshell at the end of that, which came after that trip up to Nashville.

Now, we're back in town for more drama and where more secrets will be uncovered, as they only can in this small town. We'll recap the episodes 1 & 2 of the summer half of Season 3 ahead to get you set for Episode 3 tonight, and we'll also meet the first all-Siesta Key baby. Welcome back to paradise....

Inside MTV Reality: The Siesta Key WRAP - The Season 3 Winter Finale Pt. 2

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Welcome back... four long months ago, MTV Reality's Florida Season began in November with the third seasons of two shows that call Tom Brady's newest playground home of the Tampa Bay Area sharing this winter stage, just as they did attending last year's Video Music Awards together. First, the crazy kids of Floribama Shore moved their fun and antics to St. Pete Beach outside St. Petersburg, and then over a month later Siesta Key kicked off a summer full of love and drama down the road near Sarasota.

When we last left the group Tuesday in our time here, the group once again took their talents out of the Key and into Music City USA. Brandon invited them as his support system to Nashville as he performed new music in the clubs there, and everyone got to enjoy going ax-throwing, horse riding and twerking on the line-dancing floor. But as it was for their trip to Georgia the drama bug also followed them from Florida: Garrett & Kelsey kissed in the club leading Jared to give them the bird, while Pauly got in trouble to spreading rumors of a rekindled #JALEX romance.

At night's end there, Amanda got rung up by the girls for siding with the king, and that isn't the only thing on the mind of Alex and Juliette, as well as Madisson. After the break, our WRAP of Part 2 of the Siesta Key winter finale -- including not one but TWO bombshells... plus, the girl at the heart of the drama in Hour #1 speaks out on what went down there in Nash-Vegas.

Inside MTV Reality: The Siesta Key WRAP - The Season 3 Winter Finale Pt. 1

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

And so, welcome and thanks for joining us on this St. Patrick's Day... we know it's been an overwhelming week, and it's thrown our timing off the loop because of everything that's going on, and we apologize to those of you who've been waiting for us to begin this week's posts.
   But let's not get anything down around here: something you can count on us to do is to get away from what's been going on in the world, especially when you all need some time to relax & escape. There's no better place than here at DCBLOG going Inside MTV Reality, and in a part of the country where you have many options to chill, unwind & enjoy the sun there in Florida, we're about to dive into our double WRAP of the Season 3 Winter Finale of Siesta Key.

It has been a game-changing summer in the sultry summertime heat of the Sunshine State as the dynamic of the clique of a close-knit group of friends that rolled into our hearts three years ago has suddenly turned upside down. It began with an alum of Bachelor Nation coming to town to win over the town's resident queen, and it took for a thrown phone for the romance of Robby & Juliette to head into that watery grave. That's just the tip of the iceberg of a season that's that seen the protagonist of this East Coast reality soap opera get into two fights, among everything this else on this third trip to this suburb outside Sarasota, FL.

The week before last saw not one, but two episodes to provide those not interested in Super Tuesday something else to watch: Alex & the crew drove up to girlfriend Alyssa's parents house in Georgia for the 4th of July, but somehow the drama bug also came along with them when he got into it with Chloe over her allegiance to Juliette... and he would then crash the ex's grand opening of her new fashion boutique, even giving a love slap to Robby. This gave Chloe reason to call for an emergency campfire meeting to bring the group together, but once again #JALEX was the top story.

Now, the dog days of summer is winding towards its conclusion, and once again it's two hours at the Key. And first up, another trip out of town: this time to Nashville as Brandon makes his next step as an artist and where past relationships (including THAT one) also take center stage right in the heart of Music City. Join us after the break for the WRAP of Part 1 of this Mid-Season Finale, as we hope to add some sunny vibes to this cloudy time right now. You deserve this, after all...

Inside MTV Reality: The Siesta Key WRAP - Openings, Crashes & Meetings

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Welcome back... our winter's escape from the madness & imperfectness of our world in the sultry, summertime drama of Siesta Key is wrapping up for now at least... perhaps there's more to come later this year if the social proof has its way -- including the biggest bombshell of all to rock the biggest pop stars in this small town of 6,500. But for now, our third Summer in the Key (and our Florida season on here) is in its late afternoon glow as we now bring you part 2 of a special Double Shot.

When we were last in Central Florida earlier tonight, Alex and most of the group made their way up to Southern Georgia to celebrate the 4th of July at the parents' retreat of his girlfriend Alyssa. And while the Floribama Shore crew's activities became a wild festival in itself, their Siesta neighbors' wish to have the drama stay back home backfired when the king bringing up Chloe's allegiance to Juliette saw them have a big blowup. And Ish returned to town to ask Madisson if she can move in with him in LA... but it ended with them breaking up after her family expressed some skepticism.

As we return to town, Juliette's job at neighborhood boutique Blend is about to throw its grand opening bash... but will the shadow of her old and new exes rain over her parade? And will a snap, emergency meeting of the original group around the campfire try to resolve things and bring the group back together out before summer wraps up? The answers to those questions are ahead.

Inside MTV Reality: The Siesta Key WRAP - A 4th of July Party Up North

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

And so, we welcome you to the first Sunday of March, and it's been quite a week in our world... but if you are one of the many who need a respite from it, we at DCBLOG are here for you. This week in MTV Reality, the countdown began in earnest for Season 35 of The Challenge: Total Madness, and we'll kick off our coverage of that the week after next as we ramp up towards April 1st. But for both this & next week, our focus is on the summer fast approaching its sunset down in Siesta Key.

Lately in Central Florida - save for all the exes drama, the spotlight has been on Jared: he celebrated his birthday in Episode 7, and as the only one in the clique who has been married at one time, last week his ex-wife Jessica flew into town for a visit. Meanwhile, Chloe & Alex reopened a beloved neighborhood bar, and then proceeded to get into what went down with him & Juliette, which forced him to own up to Alyssa, all while Brandon got into it with Amanda and ex JJ at that reopening gala.

This week, something we here like to call a Double Shot: back-to-back episodes, which offered a much-needed viewing alternative from Super Tuesday politics. First up, the King & his crew are headed up to Georgia to celebrate the 4th of July but will the drama bug follow them up the road? And Madisson's producer boyfriend returns to town with a big question to ask her. See you after the jump for the first half of this doubleheader...

Inside MTV Reality: The Siesta Key WRAP - A Vet & His Ex Walk Into The King's Bar...

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Welcome to the month of March, which means we're now into the springtime as meteorology sees it, and that means for many of you the mayhem of Spring Break is right around the corner. A place that will be a hub for most of the next month's extracurricular activities is the state of Florida, and a town outside Sarasota is also the venue for the intoxicating drama that is MTV's Siesta Key, as Season 3 rolls along.

Previously the summer of parties in the Key continued on, and this time it was Jared who was feted -- coming ironically at where he made his dramatic entrance: Alex's family mansion where they got into a brawl last year. It was Jared's birthday as they celebrated him and he also had his party interrupted by a call from a skeleton from his past... but it was also where Juliette came to the house uninvited and proceeded to push her ex into the pool. And there was also a pregnancy scare when Madisson thought she was knocked up by her ex-producer boyfriend Ish, but it turned out to be negative.

At that same party there, we also found that Jared is the only member of the entire Siesta Key family who knows what it's like to have a wedding ring... and now his ex is about to come to town the same week that two friends who were reunited for business sake turn their attention to reopening a new bar. Dive in with us for our WRAP of Episode 8 before a special Double Shot comes our way tonight... fittingly enough on 3/3 and offering a perfect viewing alternative on this Super Tuesday.

Inside MTV Reality: The Siesta Key WRAP - Parties, Receipts and A Splash

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

We have only a few days left of this month of February (which includes a Leap Day this year), and with their wild cousins over in Floribama Shore having wrapped up an entertaining third season, after this week the drama in Siesta Key will become the focal point on our weekly episode coverage here for the rest of this winter, as the weather only heats up as does the drama.

Previously, the events of what transpired at that ill-fated housewarming for Juliette and Kelsey's house finally came to a head: the former finding out about Phone Gate finally saw her and Robby break up, and he had to face the music with Amanda which didn't turn out well. And a night of country line dancing at the saloon saw hookups with Amanda & ex JJ, and rekindled feelings for both Kels and Jared, and most especially Jules and Alex.

It seems every time we come to the Key during this season, there's another party taking place - and deservedly so as we are on the edge of Spring Break. This time, it's the birthday of the man whose crash of one party who is being celebrated at the scene of the crime, along with the man who is now an ex-boyfriend for the queen of this town. Join us after the break for those, a pregnancy scare and more on something that one castmate has that the others don't before what goes down tonight.

Inside MTV Reality: The Siesta Key WRAP - A Breakup, Apologies, and Rekindled Feelings

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

We're all back to work and to school after the long holiday weekend where we got to mark George Washington's birthday and Valentine's Day. And with the ladder in mind, the slogan that MTV's Siesta Key has used for both last year and this year is, "Love At Your Own Risk." It's no different as Season 3 rolls along down in Florida.

Previously in the Key, Juliette found herself having to deal with several things: returning back from a trip to Greece that turned out to be a trip from hell with Robby, her going to Alex's mansion to talk to him for the first time since their breakup, and apologizing to Chloe after that housewarming fight. The third item took place at Amanda's birthday party where things got testy with the crew, and where she had another showdown: this time with Alex's new girlfriend Alyssa - who also happens to be a former hairstylist for poor Jules. And while all this was going on, Cara left the Key.

With the revelations of what happened at the housewarming, Juliette finds herself at a crossroads, and there is other relationship drama with the rest of the crew. After the break, the WRAP of Week 6 in the Key before an all new episode (an explosive one, at best) goes down a few hours from now.

Inside MTV Reality: The Siesta Key WRAP - Newbies, Make-Ups & a Birthday

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

We've just had Hollywood's biggest weekend in all of Hollywood, as the biggest stars in movies gathered for the annual celebration of the 2019 in film at the Oscars, and with it came plenty of parties for everyone in the entertainment industry. That includes a Korean director who stole the show as his film Parasite won Best Picture and much history as they must've been playing the K-Pop in SoCal. A group of people who knows a thing about throwing galas, fiestas and pool parties is the cast of Siesta Key, and it's there that we kick off our look at last week Inside MTV Reality (and apologies as I caught the flu bug and these posts are up later than planned).

Previously - and in a bizarre repeat of what Lauren Conrad found herself with on The Hills on her first season, Juliette found herself having to make a choice between a new job she took up at a startup fashion boutique or accepting her boyfriend Robby's request to join her for a summertime trip over to Greece... and she chose the ladder rather than what LC did of staying in the mainland. Meanwhile, Brandon, Amanda, Jared & Kelsey went on a boat trip that might as well be called "Ex On The Key," for that Amanda's ex J.J. joined in on the fun. And while he's now been tasked by his dad to join Chloe to run a local pub, Alex had to deal with ex Cara one more time before she bolted away.

With him back in town, it's time for Alex to introduce his new girl to everyone... and it comes at, of course, a party - also with plenty of newbies and a chance to make things up for those two girls. The top moments and tweets of Episode 5 from the Key await you after the jump before a new episode airs tonight.

Inside MTV Reality: The Siesta Key WRAP - Choices, A Boat Trip, & Ex On The Boat

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

There are particular reasons that we consider this winter to be Sunshine Season around here: the world converged on Miami and South Beach over the weekend for Super Bowl LIV as the Chiefs came back to beat the Niners and make a ginger-haired guy with two Challenge titles feel proud to be part of the Kingdom. And up the way there over in Central Florida, two of MTV's sunniest hits are sharing the spotlight this winter, including that beach down on the outskirts of Sarasota, Siesta Key.

It's safe to say the first month of Season 3 here has been quite a ride, and last week saw the consequences pay out of the biggest fight to ever hit Siesta when Juliette had to apologize to Chloe after the gossip queen reported her to the police in the wake of their housewarming fight, while we got to the heart of phone gate involving Amanda's missing phone being taken by Robby. One budding couple got to deepen their passion for one another when Jared and Kelsey went mudding and went up to a treehouse K-I-S-S-I-N-G, while Cara & Garrett began to grow apart. And Alex made his return to town in time for Brandon's party, all as he began to reconnect with Amanda... also sealed with a kiss as well.

After what has transpired here so far, what crazy can possibly happen next? Well... it can only get juicy, right? Choices, exes and a boat trip take over the Key as we bring you our WRAP of Week 4 from Siesta coming up after the break...

Inside MTV Reality: The Siesta Key WRAP - Birthdays, Cops, Relationships & A Return

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Hello and welcome to a week Inside MTV Reality that sees a British bromance headline a Vegas strip revue, The Situation returning to Jersey Shore, Kortni returning to its Floribama cousins, and the hockey term of "kissing sisters" come to Ex On The Beach. And the week begins here & now on a weekend that sees the Lunar New Year of the Rat, the Grammys and big sporting events take center stage with the fallout to the biggest blowup Siesta Key has ever seen.

Last week, something that has become a familiar sight for those now nine roommates who are now their neighbors an hour's north of them in St. Pete Beach erupted in their territory. Before that, Madisson got to introduce her former producer boyfriend to her dad, who was not pleased with someone who's 21 years older than her being soulmates, while her ex Brandon was resparked things with Amanda just as they did in the very first episode. But all eyes were fixed to Juliette & Kelsey's housewarming party where Robby brought a new TV, BG gave a toast and everyone came by to christen the new home. But it's when Chloe and Jules got on the porch to discuss Robby that a fight between them ensued and lit up social media.

With every fracas such as what the girls had, there are always consequences - and as it was for Floribama's broken bromance it may mean a friendship may end here. That, plus relationship drama and the return of the king awaits you after the jump, along with the one link between this show and the man who recently beat down the Paul brothers in the ring... and thanks for joining us.

Inside MTV Reality: The Siesta Key Wrap - Saturday Night Fight Night!

CAUTION: One Video Embedded Below Contains Violence Some Viewers May Consider Disturbing. Viewer Discretion is Advised.

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

We've arrived at the first 3-day weekend of the 2020's, and tonight Conor McGregor makes his long-awaited return to the UFC Octagon after over a year away... that's given reason for new Challenge king Rogan, British buddy Joss, Big Brother champ Josh and passionate MMA fan in AYTO alum Anthony B. to join the fandom in Sin City. It's with conflict in mind that we bring you into DCBLOG's look Inside MTV Reality of Week 2 of the new year, and we begin with its biggest bombshell and our first candidate for Fight of the Year... and it doesn't come in a bar in the South, a chalet in New Zealand, or even this week's big Catfish reveal -- but from a show we're covering on a weekly basis for the first time this winter in Siesta Key.

Last week those who follow the older, college-aged version of Laguna Beach and The Hills were welcomed back to this picturesque part of Central Florida for another summer of drama. Unlike the first two seasons of this, it doesn't have Juliette & Alex together after their dramatic breakup last year, but it does have the Queen together with a new man in Robby Hayes of The Bachelorette, giving those who love roses a reason to look forward to Tuesdays along with Peter Weber on this year's Bachelor carnival. But on premiere night in the Key, the spotlight would eventually not be on him or her despite holding a summer kickoff party to celebrate her graduation, but on Madisson and an uninvited guest of hers who was 20 years older than her, to that twilight toast to the new graduate.

After what went down there with Ish crashing that party and Brandon bolting out that things might calm down quite a bit. But, this is, after all, summer in Florida -- it's also hurricane season here... and you never know what will happen next, especially when even a quaint little housewarming party can bring out some bad blood, and on a night after a bottle of champagne lit up Villa de La Vina. Join us -- and Jim Lampley & Larry Merchant, too -- after the jump at ringside as we bring you our WRAP of Saturday Night Fight Night in Siesta Key, plus we join the girl who calls herself the Squid as she interrogates the cast on the first two episodes of a season that's surely matching the heat in your house's heating system here in cuffing season. And welcome to the weekend...

Inside MTV Reality: The Siesta Key WRAP - The Season 3 Premiere

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

On a normal weekend, we'd be in an upbeat mood here to cover the week's MTV Reality activity for those of you who've been following DCBLOG's coverage of these shows for seven years. But this is not one of those: we are standing alongside our friends from Are You The One? as they mourn the sudden & unfortunate passing of Alexis Eddy of Season 6, and this week's posts are starting a day later than first scheduled as we grieve with her family, friends and former castmates during this tough and unexpected time. We'll pay a final tribute to Alexis later during this week's posts, but first we move onward with the top priority at hand of covering this week's episodes...

Ever since I first got to write a preview of the show before it debuted in July 2017, I've become increasingly fascinated with the older, college-aged version of the MTV show of the mid 2000's that changed the game in reality TV and inadvertently introduced me to social media. The experience of having watched Lauren Conrad & Kristin Cavaliari battle for Stephen Colletti's heart on Laguna Beach a decade & a half ago made it a smooth transition to go from being obsessed with the world revolving around The Challenge, Are You The One and The Real World into taking an escape to watch Siesta Key... and it continues my growth to now covering more of the MTV Reality beat than it was a few years ago.

It's been quite a first two seasons of a show born out of the spirit of both Laguna and The Hills, and where we've seen romances blossom and melt away in the steamy & sultry heat that is summertime in Florida. And thanks to the many things that made its predecessors out on the West Coast so addictive to watch for those who grew up watching that show and those who've been introduced to this subgenre in Florida -- the fascinating people, the cinematic filming style, the cool musical soundtrack and of course all of the drama, I've become a fan of Siesta Key in these three years... it's no surprise given my increasing appreciation for everything else in this reality bubble of ours in recent years.

The last time MTV viewers left the Key eight months ago, it ended the same way as the second half of the first season did a year earlier: Juliette and Alex breaking up... only this time, it was after Chloe discovered a video of him with an unidentified girl at a local concert in one of those investigations she loves being able to do -- and after the King gave the Queen a necklace on her 21st birthday. We also saw Cara lose it with Garrett and Pauly stir some drama at her end of summer party at her beach house... all coming at the end of our second summer in this paradise that began with her & Jared crashing Alex's party, saw rekindled feelings, broken hearts and a whole lot in one summer.

What has gone on in this part of the Sunshine State in the time since that season ended on TV last April and up to now is so fascinating with its many twists & turns, perhaps it's no surprise that starting here and now Siesta Key has its own weekly DCBLOG post. And it's because of Spencer Pratt's Cosmopolitan recaps being a thing of the past that we now have this opportunity here to step in and do as best a job we can to review the episodes as we see it here... and we begin at the beginning of another summer in central Florida as Juliette goes through one of every young adult's biggest rites of passage. Welcome back to paradise...

The Look: Siesta Key - New Year, New Drama, Newbies Galore

CAUTION: Due to a heavy presence of graphics & video, this post is best viewed on desktops & advanced mobile devices.

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Every winter, a migration takes place that affects the populations of cities throughout North America: in early November when the cooler weather starts to trickle in for those living in the Northeastern United States and Canada, those who are lucky enough who decide that going through the snow isn't exactly their cup of tea. People from a wide range of demographics -- retirees to younger people -- pack up for a few weeks or months, and travel down south to second homes located hundreds of miles away, and hop on RV's to drive to what's known as the Sun Belt of states in the Southern U.S., as well as Mexico and the Caribbean. Considering how cold it is in much of the country this first weekend of 2020, it's a welcome relief for them and for those who yearn for the sun & the heat.

Wintertime has arrived in the world that is MTV Reality, and save for ventures to New Zealand for a winter-themed season of Ex On The Beach among other things, the focal point for many who follow TV's most-talked-about reality shows is on the state of Florida, a haven for those who come here for retirement, and a playground for those young and young at heart to enjoy the sun when everyone else is shivering in the cold. For now, Floribama Shore is into its third season with plenty of drama having gone down in its first month in its new home of St. Pete Beach outside of Tampa Bay. It moving down the way from Panama City Beach brings it much closer in its homebase to another MTV series that debuted in 2017 in one of TV's most-coveted timeslots, and sharing a logical history with one of the channel's legacy hits, as it continues to enjoy its renaissance in relevance.

Summer 2017 saw us head down for the first time to Siesta Key, a small, quaint neighborhood outside Sarasota that is best known to locals for their world famous and top-rated beaches, but thrust into the national spotlight by the MTV cameras. The same producer tandem of Mark Ford & Kevin Lopez -- who blended reality TV, the patented MTV formula and the dramatic world of daytime soap opera in Laguna Beach of over a decade ago -- got to follow a group of friends in this town just a short drive from Sarasota, FL (and an half-hour from SPB) who were older than when they first followed Lauren Conrad and Kristin Cavallari in Orange County. This group has the same fascinating drama and dynamic as their West Coast cousins as they navigated through the pitfalls of adulthood, but with also a more personal touch and awareness of what millennials are going through right now.

The first two seasons of Siesta Key have seen this clique go through so much in two summers in this paradise: the on-and-off again romance of a entrepreneur dad's law school student & the college-aged crush who's had her heart broken many times, the aspiring musician & his ways with ladies including one who got let down last summer, the Midwestern model who ghosted the town's resident gym rat and proceeded to get close with that student's ex, and whatever the source on juicy gossip among this group that she might spill to these people. There's also the gorgeous galas, a rapper's family drama, life for a Navy man and lots more drama that's made this show a guilty pleasure for all of us.

Last year The Hills made its return, and with one of its biggest stars being an avid fan of the show, Spencer Pratt and everyone else are ready to return to Florida for Season 3 of Siesta Key. This time, the ante has been upped in the level of stakes again, thanks in no part by taking a page from that California playbook of bringing in someone a certain group of viewers know to the show, and it's someone who's used to romance with those in the world of reality TV. It's the tip of the iceberg to what promises to be an amazing season - and not just for the buzz that accompanies the road to a new year of drama in the sun. But it's best to take a look back at where we've been before we dive in...