DC ExtraTime: Remembering Garnett

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Courtesy: IG @MissCaraMaria

As MTV's The Challenge has successfully provided us with the only source of competitive sporting action for much of the last ten months, there's been one notable absence from not just this current season of Double Agents, but also the preceding one of Total Madness. It's something that been welcome to those many detractors and perhaps robbing us of quality competition on the female side of things... but it's a hiatus that has been very much needed after going through so much drama while winning two Challenge titles, the first leg of the Champs vs. Stars trilogy and everything else that's gone along with it.

Of course, we are talking about Cara Maria Sorbello... who received the rookie treatment of going home first on Fresh Meat II over a decade ago, but who went on to becoming the prominent female face of the fifth major pro sport. She and her recently married cousin Jamie Banks stood atop the victory stand in venerable Berlin Olympic Stadium when won Battle of the Bloodlines in 2016, then two years later won all the $500,000 to herself on Vendettas... and she has been a consistent visitor to the final during her career -- ten of them in all. And of course, she has had to go through a lot of drama along the way -- from relationships with two bad boys that split up Challenge Nation, to dealings with so many competitors that are too many to count during her 10-year career.

Since leaving the War of the Worlds 2 final having to watch Team UK race off with the $1 million in Thailand, Cara has quietly gotten back to the serenity of the Frontier North of this vast nation of ours. And it's being far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city that Montana has been an ideal place for her to enjoy quality time with the most important figure in her life.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Double Agents - "Die Another Jay"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Hello again everyone... we've made it to the end of the first month of 2021 -- and you can pat yourself on the back for making it to this last weekend of January. We've also arrived at that lonely spot on the American sporting calendar of the week in between the NFL Conference Championship games and Super Bowl LV which, next week, will pit Tom Brady against Patrick Mahomes. But we here at DCBLOG have the perfect cure for that absence of football with the fifth major pro sport: MTV's The Challenge Double Agents, and things have been just as fiery this winter in the nation of Iceland.

Last week saw the spotlight turn to the female challenger who took five years off to start a family which will soon welcome a third kid to her football household, as Theresa swept into power in the game where she is, in effect, a rookie trying to dust off that playbook she last wrote in en route to the Exes 2 final. It came after the season's first real test of who can handle a key element in any Challenge final of a tough test of endurance, and which exposed flaws in strong teams. And with her and Jay in power, they then ruffled the feathers of the teams when, Ashley was put in to face Killa Kam... and the elimination queen came out of that with a gold skull in hand.

At night's end, it was the choice by the agents to put Cory's partner in and costing them that had us talking, and this week the fallout from that blindside now places the target on Theresa & Jay, but we cannot forget about how the ladder had such a strong rookie season last year in taking down a beast of a competitor in CT. The week's challenge sees the players have to face their fears once again: a few weeks after having to endure hanging tough above ground, they now have to hang off of a moving helicopter in an aerial takedown that, in the end, will show who is able to handle being above that chilly water. And the man who has a tendency for some drama decides to initiate some... just before the latest elimination which is quite literally one that's en fuego.

After the jump, it's the real-life version of the frowned upon practice in boxing and MMA of an fighter ducking and not wanting to go all in and other matters, on the DCBLOG SocialPulse of Week 6 of The Challenge Double Agents. Plus, find out which former NFL QB decided to take matters into his own hands on the least valuable player(s) of this week, and see who was in attendance at when Conor got KO'd. Thanks for joining us, and welcome to the weekend... it's great to have you with us.

DC ExtraTime: More Baby News for the New Year...

BY DC CUEVA                           

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

In this world of MTV Reality which we follow 24/7 on here, the first month of 2021 hasn't been just about covering The Challenge: Double Agents wall to wall. What made 2020 eventful on the more positive side in this beat was that a number of those who we've followed on these shows we cover became parents, and there are more bits like this to share with you here. First, a postscript to what went down on Episode 5...

Two weeks ago, a surprise sending home stunned just about all of us watching in a season that's seen a number of comings & goings outside of the elimination Crater. Survivor champ Natalie Anderson won the season's first elimination against Ashley M. and where the house's strategy that wanted their veteran partners to square off against each other backfired. And then, she was sent home before competing in the Week 5 daily... but there's a story behind that.

   Last year on Total Madness, Melissa Reeves flew under the radar in not getting into the explosive drama she's had during her MTV career (two Challenges plus two series of Ex On The Beach UK) as she went all the way to the final. She had to withdraw from the two-day marathon to the cash citing that her body just couldn't keep up with everyone else in the snow, and as we would find out earlier last year that she had just begun the early stages of her pregnancy while competing in the Czech Republic.

While she was disappointed that she couldn't continue on in the quest to add more to her legend, it was after being sent home from Iceland that Natalie had found out that she was pregnant while competing on The Challenge -- more than a month into that, in fact. At first, there was the excitement and the joy of finding out about this with her significant other when she returned, but then something absolutely terrible happened to her... something that another fellow Challenge rookie on this Double Agents season, Liv, also had to go through just recently.

   Natalie wrote in part on her Instagram below, "A week later I unexpectedly had a miscarriage. I wanted to share my story for those who have gone through a pregnancy loss or grieving any other loss. You can overcome! Life has a way of testing us and you owe yourself kindness though the hardest times. I am proud to be healthy and happy after overcoming the emotions of leaving the show early and the loss of my pregnancy.

   "I am grateful for my adventurous life! One that has given me the ability to harness my mental fortitude and also forced me to cultivate positive practices for dealing with loss and regret. I am so proud of Devin and I for letting this experience make us not break us. I am grateful for his strength and support though these challenges. Could not have done it without you. love you 😌🤎"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Natalie Anderson (@natalieeand)

DC ExtraTime: "Stone Cold"

BY DC CUEVA                           

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

This past week saw a milestone that wasn't worth celebrating in this country just as a new regime took over the White House: a full year has now passed since the first case of COVID-19 was detected in the U.S., resulting in an increasing number of deaths and cases. And the ensuing pandemic -- combined with a divisive Presidential Election, the protests for Black Lives Matter and on Capitol Hill, and all of what 2020 & this first month of 2021 have dished out at us -- has seen our mental health be tested.

   Ask those who have been doing MTV Reality shows and they can tell you that, while it can score you buzz and hundreds of thousands of social media followers, the experience of doing these can be a bit exhausting. Last week, the gossip queen of the Floridian beach town of Siesta Key, Chloe Trautman, opened up on her social media channels that she's taking a step back from filming Season 4 of the college-aged version of Laguna Beach and not joining her castmates on their current vacation to the Caribbean as the numerous aspects of the show has, as of late, been affecting her mental health.

@TheLionelGreen

At the outset of this week's episode of The Challenge: Double Agents, Lionel "Lio Rush" Green opened up about his lifelong struggles with his own mental health. As he entered the house in Iceland, it wasn't that long since he was released by the WWE, being deprived of the dream he had of competing at the top level in professional wrestling. But along with sacrificing time in the ring to taking his talents to reality TV, being in the bubble of the fifth major pro sport also brought about things that would be a big temptation to him, knowing that if he continued on, it would jeopardize his mental state.

   When he was a teenager and then into being an adult, Lio grappled with his mental health a lot from having to live in group homes to being hospitalized, to learning about his biological brother Lorenzo after he was killed. Combine that with the unhealthy state of being in a Challenge house with being away from his family back home, and all that comes with being in the non-competitive nature of a Challenge house with other people, and you'd have an environment that might be hazardous -- and no doubt, he made the smart and right call to take himself out of the game.

As someone who has always been weary about those who quit on him for reasons not related to getting injured and going off on them, when announcing that Lio had withdrew from the game and letting him off without harm, TJ Lavin made note that this was for mental health reasons in that what the wrestler is going through is serious, more important than money, and relatable to what all of us are going through, especially now. It's a far cry from what happened to two of my good friends in this MTV Reality world who turned the host into an angry dad yelling at a young son for not getting that homework done.

   When he left The Challenge house on his own power in getting a hug from partner Gabby Allen of Love Island UK fame and from all the cast & those watching sending him best wishes and respect, Lio wrote the following on his social channels, accompanied by a photo of him & his wife Sarah as they get set to welcome something just as good as $1 million: her first baby and his third kid.

 Twitter/IG  @TheLionelGreen 

"April 2020 I was let go of my dream job with #WWE during the beginning of the pandemic with no real hope of what was next for me in my career. A few weeks later i was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime by MTV and that was to compete on television for 1 million dollars. I’ve always had my dreams of becoming reality TV star, so that was cool too.😆 I was so excited for this unlike anything else. This was hands down the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life. This was a fresh start and new beginning for me and my family. Unexpectedly I noticed that I’ve never been so vulnerable until this experience in the house. But this is what I’ve been wanting. So afraid to open up. Force to grow up very fast at a young age due to circumstances in my childhood and during that time I’ve made mistakes in my life because what kid doesn’t. Ive experienced so much growth from this experience. I was made to be the villain a few years ago and it was heartbreaking. I want to stand before you today as a hero. A hero to anyone out there that suffers from depression, anxiety, PTSD or any mental illness. A hero to the boys and girls who look like me. I came into the house knowing that it’ll be a challenge for me mentally on top of the challenge itself . To my @challengemtv fans and to all of the dope people in the house. Thank you for helping me grow. I didn’t walk away with a million dollars, but I walked away with something far much greater that I was expecting. I love you and goodluck with the rest of the season. Thank you for all of the incredible memories. I promise I will be back, but for now it’s time for me to get ready for my little one to come into this world and be here for my beautiful wife during our pregnancy. Thank you @mtv !"

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Double Agents - "From Theresa with Love"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Hola de nuevo amigos & amigas on this fourth weekend of 2021 -- it's the first one of a new era in the capital of the free world... and many of you have just seen Conor McGregor return to the UFC Octagon over in Fight Island and get knocked out by Louisiana's Dustin Poirier. And while things might not be back to normal in our world, there is some sort of normalcy being restored in the land of Challenge Nation, which this winter has its focus on a nation just south of the Arctic Circle in Iceland, home to Season 36 of Double Agents.

The house was still shook by what happened with Fessy & Nelson when, last week, for reasons that would be break our hearts, one competitor was sent home... but in return, TJ Lavin activated a security breach that saw Ashley M. take Natalie's place and be paired with her partner on her first Challenge, Cory. A tense daily challenge saw the teams confront their fear of heights above ground, which saw Big T and CT take power team status in the house, and eventually saw the hosts of the MTV Challenge Podcasts, Tori and Aneesa, face each other in elimination with the veteran taking the win.

As the game calms down a bit from the madness of the past two episodes, this week the focus turns to the challenger who took five years off to start a family with a pro footballer as she finds herself in the middle of a test of loyalty as the only other female challenger to have started her career when vets like her were in their prime. The Agents will find themselves in the first real test to see who can handle the rigors of endurance that's essential to becoming a champ when Smuggle Run exposes cracks in strong teams... and the ensuring elimination will also open up some bad blood.

After the break, it's the DCBLOG SocialPulse of Week 6 of The Challenge: Double Agents, plus we'll head out to the snow to join that other Challenge podcast host as he makes it official, again. Welcome aboard, and glad to have you with us.

Inside MTV Reality: The Look Ahead - Siesta Key Invades The Caribbean

 *** CAUTION: This Post Contains Potential Spoilers *** 

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Instagram @TheKelseyOwens

In an ordinary world, January would be an ideal time for those who would want to escape the cold, harsh winters for the thrill of just getting to enjoy a cold one on the sandy beach and just wearing your shorts. The mess known as the COVID pandemic has derailed most everyone's travels this time around, but for those who call the state of Florida home, the above opening sentence surely applies.

Since back in 2017, there has been reason for fans of MTV Reality to come to the Sunshine State through the magic of cable: the modern-day versions of two of the channel's legacy series of over a decade ago of Jersey Shore and The Hills, Floribama Shore and Siesta Key, have delighted our winters, and even warmed up a couple summers too. The former has those hilarious characters with a slice of Southern style, fun and heart; the ladder located just an hour away are their cool cousins who love some drama, parties and the sun.

For the past three years, we have enjoyed one or the other's company during a time where the weather in Florida is more than ideal, and last year at this time they both shared center stage during the last months of the old normal. And while the crazy kids of Floribama are rejoicing in one of their own becoming the first to become a parent, the Siesta clique are enjoying themselves in not only their home, but also a new paradise that they're calling their own backyard. And now, there's word on the 'vine that someone else is joining along for the fun in the sun as they do something they've never done before.

DC ExtraTime: The British Bear Gets Busted

 *** CAUTION: Content Featured May Be Disturbing to Some Readers *** 

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

In the course of the past two weeks, all eyes have been glued to the biggest nation in the free world, as the final days of a turbulent presidency have played out just after what might be the defining moment of a former reality star's occupancy of the White House, and the lingering consequences of a stunning raid of Capitol Hill. But while that has been going on in Washington, D.C., along with today's inauguration of a new man in charge, those who've been wanting to get away from a world where many major countries are still on lockdown have found a haven in the Middle East.

Last week, the world's finest judokas gathered in Doha, Qatar for the first competition of a delayed Olympic year, and this week sees Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas headline a European Tour golf tournament in this region less than two years it welcomes football's best for the FIFA World Cup. For the past several months next door in the United Arab Emirates, global pop collective Now United and most of its seventeen members came together to create songs, videos and content for their growing Uniters fanbase. And a group NU's Mexican member Sabina Hidalgo idolized back home, boy band and VMA winners CNCO, have also spent their winter vacation in this region.

And as the streets of the United Kingdom remain all but deserted as the pandemic-initiated quarantine continues, the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi have remained vibrant in these uncertain times. During this winter, this UAE and its ideal warm climate have lured British reality TV stars in need to let their guard down to this paradise, including those who have worn the Union Jack on MTV's The Challenge since their invasion of America's fifth major pro sport began on Vendettas. And as the current season of Double Agents enters its second month in Iceland, this past week saw a possible reckoning for one of those who brought his cheeky personality into American airwaves, and his crush on that U.S. debut.

DC ExtraTime: Is Miley Cyrus's Brother Cheating with That MTV Lover Girl?

BY DC CUEVA                         

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

MTV-Related Photos Courtesy MTV

This Thursday night, the bubble of a hotel rented out by MTV's most beloved family ever, the cast of Jersey Shore, will have their fourth Vacation and tenth overall season be crashed by the arrival of someone who we last saw just a few short months ago in Las Vegas. The lost summer of 2020 saw us have to spend those warm days & nights be trapped at home, but it didn't deter us from having fun in watching those sights of things we desperately need come to us by way of the capital of adult freedom.

A Double Shot at Love debuted in spring 2019 in between the second and third seasons of the Jersey comeback tour as the attention turned to the two remaining bachelors in this dysfunctional family, DJ Pauly D and Vinny Guadagnino as they sought to find their perfect match. After the stunning twist of that first season in the battle to win the hearts of the bromance, DSAL returned for Season 2 last year as the attention turned to having the most epic summer ever in the heart of the Southern Nevada desert. And in a summer without Are You The One or Ex On The Beach, we were more than entertained by the Shore franchise's hybrid of love, fist pumps and hiliarity... and even help to manage a day/nightclub located right on the Strip.

But before Nikki Hall comes walking into the hotel to spend quality time with Pauly, we have a perfect segue way to her visit to Hotel Jersey: someone who she was closest to the past two years -- and one who was the only familiar face other than the bromance to walk into the DSAL mansion two years ago -- is now following in the footsteps of some of her fellow contemporaries in the land of MTV love in making some moves. And for here, it's a member of one of the most renowned musical families of recent memory, the first big moment of which came during that rad decade of the '90s.