MTV Reality WRAP: Siesta Key - A Fashion Show, an Ex Returns, and Moving Out

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

We've arrived at the end of a week that's seen one of the biggest MTV franchises find itself meeting with a sudden final reckoning, but it's also one where the one sport that's kept us entertained this spring & summer is also having its last act. We'll have the ladder covered in short order along with yet another hookup in the Double Shot abode ahead in this week Inside MTV Reality, which begins with an appetizer down in Siesta Key.

When we last left Florida, just about everyone in town was shook by the news being scooped by, of all people, Chloe that Alyssa is pregnant with Alex's baby... and when that was relayed to her Juliette was reduced to tears all around some pizza and wine. Elsewhere, things are alright again for Brandon, who's now back together with his former girlfriend Camilla and who's now working a real job... but you can't say that for his ex Amanda after she & her ex JJ got into it at his birthday party at her place.

Now, things are about to get even more juicy in the summer heat: someone moves out because of one's sketchy behavior of spreading something other than a virus, an ex decides to make his return to town, and a familiar scenario from years back makes its way out east as another prestigious event goes down. After the jump, we begin our now weekly recaps of Season 3B of Siesta Key, plus some historical background to a big moment of this week... and welcome to the weekend.

DC ExtraTime: The Music of Maybach Diamonds (aka AYTO's JJ)

BY DC CUEVA                      

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Without elaborating on it for the sake of the section of our readership who hasn't caught up on it yet, last night saw The Challenge Total Madness crown its champions in a field where all but two of the finalists did not have their roots begin in the show that started this entire MTV Reality story of The Real World. The prospect of having shows from outside the true OG of this entire genre competing for the top prize may not have possible at the start of the last decade, but the expansion of the potential draft pool of the fifth major pro sport began in earnest five years ago.

It was, appropriately enough, on Battle of the Exes 2 that those not cast on RW, Road Rules or who gained admission through the back door as Fresh Meat began to take shape. We here at DCBLOG were there at the start of the journey of MTV's first entry into the current reality dating craze when Are You The One? premiered in 2014, and being one of the many shows that have launched out of the channel's most buzzed about shows. It turned a small place with lasers into where hopes for love can live or die by a "perfect match" message... same goes for a series of beams that can tell a house's fortune of running the table and winning money. And it has given us a number of memorable alumni, from ultimate perfect match Amber & Ethan to many of The Challenge's top names.

Four of the original season 1 cast graduated onto The Challenge and Exes 2 a year after their triumph in the Hawaiian islands: Adam, Brittany, Simone and a comedian from Tampa named John Jacobs. If you happened to have caught season 1, you may remember him as that quirky guy who threw around dollar bills during an argument with a couple girls, and who held the last key to the house taking down the $1 million when they unplugged the love triangle involving him, Puerto Rican Jacy and Brooklynite Scali.

Despite being on that lone Challenge, J.J. has been a staple of this site ever since, from meeting Alex Rodriguez shortly after his retirement announcement from baseball, to him being a reporter catching a gun theft at a Florida fairground right as it was happening, and being a man on the street when the nation was in town for a political convention. It is only part of what those on YouTube get to experience when they subscribe to his very own YT channel, which includes the many stories he's filed for the Tampa News Force, and all of those stand-up routines from Tampa Bay area comedy clubs... including that time where a fight broke out in the audience while he was on stage.

A hidden talent that J.J. seems to have is music, and below are some of the good stuff he's been working on during this lockdown and where the virus madness has been happening outside his door in Florida. Included are his own visual album along the lines of Beyonce's Lemonade, and him auditioning for Hamilton 2 after the release of the Broadway hit's new film on Disney+ earlier this month. And one interested viewer was Brandon of AYTO Season 2 who tweeted yesterday, "Fvck that. This is fvcking good music."

- I AM DC
#DCBLOG

MTV Reality WRAP: A Double Shot at Love with Pauly & Vinny - Love in a Strip Club

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Hey there, welcome back... even though it's Thursday, we know this has been quite a week for those of you who follow the MTV world. But before we get to elaborate on that, let's not get that in the way of what the true spirit of the shows you love really is: having fun and having the time of your life. With that in mind, let's proceed with wrapping last week on A Double Shot at Love.

Previously in Las Vegas, the focus was on the two most prominent of the exes who've earned another shot: for Maria, she finally had a chance to get to talk to Vinny after what happened last year, and at night's end they were preparing his signature Sunday dinner. Someone who wasn't around the table that night was Nikki as she continues to wait things out with Pauly, with lots of time on her watch. But it was Derynn who stole the show once again: this time instead of jumping into the water, she decided to put on a PDA at the club with a Chippendale in stripper Ricky.

And when you're in a city that has plenty of these adult pleasure joints on hand, you know you really haven't experienced what Sin City is all about until you have walked into a brothel. We'll take a trip into a strip club for some love and possibly a make-up, just ahead before an all-new episode tonight.

MTV Reality WRAP: The Challenge Total Madness - The Strategy Room Finals Preview

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

One-hundred & thirty-nine days ago on the Thursday before Leap Day, an Instagram video of a desk & two lit-up lamps kicked off the month-long prelude to the biggest, baddest and the boldest season ever of MTV's The Challenge... and it's safe to say that it has certainly been a most eventful time in our mad world since then. Tonight, a spring & summer of action and activity both in and outside the Czech Republic will culminate with the final challenge in a new nation that will bring to a close Season 35 of America's fifth major pro sport, and the season fittingly titled, Total Madness.

Though the fifteen episodes we have been able to witness since premiere night on April 1st, we have had plenty of drama go down in Prague: some of the coolest and most well put-together challenges ever conceived, the unexpected alliance of two of this game's biggest names, stellar rookie seasons of a few players who haven't had the jitters of playing in this game for the first time get to them, and everything else too. And we are set for one final push to the end in this, the fifth $1 million final in the past four years on this show you and I love.

Yes, we here at DCBLOG thrive on bringing you all the social media reaction to the episodes and applying our own touch to the tried & true episode recap, and of course the stories behind the story. But, it's only when we get to this last stage of the entire season do we get to do what everybody else does on your favorite sources for Challenge talk on webcasts & elsewhere: take a look at where it all stands right now game-wise and see how those still left with us in this game have fared.

And that's where we get to unlock the keys to the Strategy Room... and we'll have the chance to dissect the roads that Bayleigh, Cory, Fessy, Jenny, Johnny Bananas, Kaycee, Kyle, Melissa and Rogan have all taken from when they were among the twenty-eight contestants that started this game on April 1st, to now taking dead aim at $1 million in the middle of July. We'll do that and give out our predictions of who will reign supreme, among other things, coming up just ahead...

MTV Reality WRAP: Siesta Key - Secrets, Trust, Dreams and a Baby

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

We are into a whole new week, and if you are in the mood for something that's a little bit more juicy when it comes to the drama side of MTV Reality, then you've come to the right place. And if things were feeling perfect than they are right now, then definitely you are dreaming of being in paradise... and that is the case for the lucky handful who call home the beach community of Siesta Key, where Season 3 is rolling along with its second half.

The first two weeks of summer 2020 in the Key has had the premiere night surprise of Alex being edited out of this second half for his past online undoings in a time of reality getting blacked out. But that's not to say that it has overshadowed what's gone on in the first two episodes (a note: we're covering this biweekly until The Challenge concludes next week): another one of those galas once again stirring some drama, Madisson finding herself again in a long-distance relationship with her 40-year-old producer boyfriend, and Siesta Key's own Ex On The Beach with Robby and the exes of Maddy, Amanda and Brandon invading the town's Halloween bash.

And what did they say in the promos for this: "Secrets Are Never Safe?" Well, it's prevalent down in Florida as the latest bombshell to drop on this town stuns just about everyone.... we'll look at the group reacting to the A-Team becoming parents and other matters ahead, before Episode 5 tonight.

DC ExtraTime: New Babies Galore! Summer 2020 Edition (Challenge Version)

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

As we are now getting closer to crowning our thirty-fifth season champion on The Challenge in a few days' time, the fittingly-titled "Total Madness" has provided us with at least 90 minutes of much-needed escapist television from what has been going on in our world. Those of you who have been watching that during this time of being at home and with not much else in the world of competitive content out there have been definitely entertained, with the last act still awaiting us.

You have no doubt heard about the growing movement going on with those who you got to enjoy watching on The Challenge for many years, and those who entertained you before I got to begin watching and covering this show on a permanent basis. Some of them are inching to have one more chance at this with the help of one Godfather of MTV Reality named Mark Long, but others are now into the daily challenge of life after MTV.

One of those things that we can be happy and smile about is when those who we've gotten to enjoy over the years get to tackle what we often call around here life's biggest challenge: parenting and raising kids. And while we have been busy following what's been going on both on the big show itself and off of it, two Challengers who made their debuts ten years ago on both a regular season and a special one during an annual season of renewal are now two of Team MTV's newest parents.

That special one during what has long been a tentpole event for MTV since the channel's early days came during Spring Break 2010, when casting directors were scouting prospects all around a town in Mexico to see if they could take part in a special Spring Break Challenge. Camila Nakagawa came down to the beach from the University of Nebraska, but she had no idea of what she would get herself into, or what the future would lay ahead: seven years of doing twelve Challenges in total, winning two of those, creating memorable moments both on the field and off.

Back in February before things got out of control in this world, Camila revealed first to People Magazine that she would be expecting her first kid... something that she or any of us totally did not expect, but she has joined a slew of other moms who have given birth not just to new babies, but also in the world of COVID. Because of all the panic going on outside, she had move her gender reveal party to a virtual one over the Mother's Day weekend for her Instagram followers. The connection gave out just as the big moment arrived, but the result came out blue - symbolic of a baby boy.

And last Tuesday with the below Instagram post, she introduced everyone to her new kid and with this caption: "He’s here. 🧡 meet baby Kai Aiden, the love of my life."  She wrote later, "Words cannot express the feelings and emotions going through me right now. ❤️ Thank you to every single one of you who supported my pregnancy journey leading into this new phase of my life. Thank you to my beautiful family who have been there for me every single step of the way, through the ups and the downs, for always reminding me that I am strong and capable of anything in this life. Thank you to my friends who Have provided me with great advice, love and laughter when I needed most. ... Thank you my baby boy for choosing me as your mother. I love you so much more than I ever thought possible. Just thank you, thank you, thank you. I have never felt so blessed in my entire life. 🥰🥰"

Fellow MTV'ers gave her congrats from Ashley K., "Oh my goooooodnessssss!!!! Obsessed, he’s soooooo cute! Congratulations beauty! Super happy for you. 💙", to Tori: "Ohhhhhhhh myyyyyy god 😍😍😍 congrats Camila and baby Kai!!! What a perfect name 💗", and Brain Candy Podcast's Susie Meister: "I trust he’ll have a Tik Tok in no time. Welcome to the world, Kai! Happy birthday!! 💕💕💕"  Fellow Challenger turned mom Paula wrote, "He’s utterly perfect!!!!! No surprise there! Welcome to motherhood officially. All the love in the world!!!", while Rivals champ Tyler added, "Omg, congrats!!!! So precious."

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge Total Madness - The Semifinal

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DC ExtraTime: New Babies Galore! Summer 2020 Edition (Love Version)

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

In the past two summers, we have enjoyed the thrill of getting to see people in love as only MTV can do it. We've had two seasons of Are You The One? and a summer of Ex On The Beach during that time, but Season 2 of A Double Shot at Love will have to do this time around, featuring Maria of AYTO Season 7 as she once again finds herself in the company of Vinny & Pauly D.
   Still, MTV Reality's takes on love are making news, as there is joy for not one, but four alumni of either or both AYTO and EOTB who are now taking the next step to tackle that challenge of raising a kid years after they made trips into the Truth Booth and the Shack of Secrets. However, this will come during this time of living in a COVID world, as the pandemic continues to wreck havoc on the life we live, and the usual fanfare that comes with welcoming that new addition has been subdued a bit... but nonetheless, whenever there's news of babies it's always something to smile about.

IG @Versavilla

It was at this time last summer that Season 3 of Ex On The Beach once again brought together an all-star cast of reality superstars to come to grips with their not-so-romantic past. Danity Kane & Making The Band's Aubrey O'Day, AYTO alum turned Challenge villain Devin Walker and the Big Brother showmance of Mark & Elena headlined the group... and the group of exes who washed up on-shore were just as juicy.
   Two of those who came to Malibu in that precarious spot on the beach were Shannon Duffy of the AYTO Season 5 cast and Anthony Martin of Season 6, both airing in 2017. He made the drive down to the beach as the ex of original housemate Geles Rodriguez, and she also did likewise as the soccer player's ex fresh off of a breakup before joining Romeo Miller & co. And as it was down in New Orleans, Anthony had to again endure having a drink thrown in his face in the EOTB house.
   Their first time together may not have been a breeze, but working things out like any couple in that Malibu madhouse may have been the best thing to happen to #Shanthony. And on Mother's Day in May they announced that they are expecting, joining Shannon's fellow AYTO Season 5'er turned mom Taylor Selfridge and MTV king Cory Wharton in having all-Ex On The Beach babies.
   Stay-at-home orders and social distancing have truncated the traditional celebrations that come with an impending pregnancy, including baby showers and the ubiquitous gender reveal -- and Anthony & Shannon got to experience it themselves being at Taylor & Cory's big bash earlier this year along with everyone else in Team MTV. But COVID didn't stop #Shanthony from holding their own gender reveal party nearly two weeks ago with family, close friends and fellow EOTB'ers the Kaplan Twins, Cameron Armstrong and his ex Ariana Nova on hand to find out who it is...