S03.E09: Cheater! Cheater!

[AntFTW]

Quote

The All Stars are desperate to make the Final, but TJ has some twists in store before they get there. An accusation of cheating threatens to derail one All Star's game. The Finalists arrive on a private island to begin the most grueling Final. Who will have what it takes to overcome their competition and get one step closer to the crown?

Air Date: June 29, 2022

[bunnyface]

Unlike Nia, I have NOT evolved and I still hate Kailah.

I have watched way too many bad tv shows and movies, so when they said they were going to a private island, I thought "oooh, they are going to be hunted!  Get Kailah first!"

Nehemiah paddling with both (non)ends of the paddle looked funny, but it still worked.

I never, ever thought I'd live to say this, but all things considered, I kinda hope Wes wins.  Now I need to go lie down after admitting that.

[AntFTW]

I feel like this episode should have been called either “8 Miles to the Gallon” (Mark) or “Big for Nothing” (Nia).

I chuckled that Mark’s “I’m not built to run. I’m built like a Mack truck. I get 8 miles to the gallon.” 😂

I can’t help but have a soft in my heart for KellyAnne but she’s not doing well. It’s not looking good for her.

58 minutes ago, bunnyface said:

Unlike Nia, I have NOT evolved and I still hate Kailah.

[AntFTW]

59 minutes ago, bunnyface said:

Nehemiah paddling with both (non)ends of the paddle looked funny, but it still worked.

I never, ever thought I'd live to say this, but all things considered, I kinda hope Wes wins.  Now I need to go lie down after admitting that.

I never thought I'd be kinda-sorta rooting for Nehemiah but... here I am... kinda hoping him or Wes pulls it out.

[jsm1125]

Potentially unpopular opinion: I have no problem with Kailah “cheating.” If it’s not within the rules that you can’t look at someone else’s answers, then why not?

[AntFTW]

2 hours ago, jsm1125 said:

Potentially unpopular opinion: I have no problem with Kailah “cheating.” If it’s not within the rules that you can’t look at someone else’s answers, then why not?

I hate it when it's people I don't like and I want them to go. My standard is very flexible and convenient for me lol

[AntFTW]

Also, as I thought, they tried to pull a fast one and pretend there was gonna be an elimination for the women and there wasn't one.

[AntFTW]

[Zima]

Hey guys, is Jonna a mom? Because I'm not sure if she mentioned that at all. 🙄

Does someone have a screenshot of Wes walking around in his boxers? Cuz DAMMNNNNNNNNN his abs are siiiiiick.  😱

I don't hate Kailah, but I'd rather any of the other women won this, honestly. 

I'm also rooting for either Wes or Nehemiah. 

Lol @ Mark trying to copy Yes' strat of using walking sticks. 

Edited July 1, 2022 by Zima

[AntFTW]

10 minutes ago, Zima said:

Hey guys, is Jonna a mom? Because I'm not sure if she mentioned that at all. 

She is. She has two kids I believe.

[AntFTW]

22 minutes ago, Zima said:

I don't hate Kailah, but I'd rather any of the other women won this, honestly. 

I don't hate Kailah either. She just doesn't fit this show for me. She belongs on the flagship show.

I keep checking outside to make sure there aren't any pigs in the sky because I would love to see Nia win. It's 2022. I've turned a new leaf and I'm saying... out loud... that I'd be okay with Nehemiah and Nia winning.

Edited June 30, 2022 by AntFTW

[1011101010001]

36 minutes ago, Zima said:

Does someone have a screenshot of Wes walking around in his boxers? Cuz DAMMNNNNNNNNN his abs are siiiiiick. 

[ljenkins782]

Ugh, that's a fine sight first thing in the morning. yes, he has defined abs but the pasty skin, pube-y red beard, and the graying, too tight underwear cancel them out. I know he intentionally walks around like that, but if I were in that house, I'd ask him to put a pair of shorts on at least. And maybe a bag over his head as well. 

All that being said, he actually didn't bother me too much in this episode. I even laughed with him for once when he joked about the women wanting to be married to him after the partner challenge, if they didn't already want that. He'd be so much more tolerable if he could walk that line of tongue in cheek humor vs sounding like a deadly serious egomaniac.

I'm definitely rooting for KellyAnne for the women, but she is such a disaster at puzzles and mental challenges. Jonna is the one to beat, so I wouldn't be terribly surprised if she wins again. She doesn't bother me too much and she showed a lot of heart on that first all stars, coming so close after having just had a baby. I have no feelings on Nia, never saw her previous shows and she hasn't been a major factor here, but the "cheating" thing was so ridiculous. Kailah's been obnoxious the entire time with her "old people" BS (while participating on a challenge that was deliberately created for said "old people" no less) and her lofty goals of getting money for her wedding and because her fiancé would think she's a loser if she didn't win don't resonate with me. Jonna has kids and KellyAnne wants to save the dogs of the world, I can get behind those causes.

I'm not sure who to root for on the men's side, maybe Brad for nostalgia's sake. Mark Long has bothered me since the Robin/Jodi days (I loved him before that since his first Road Rules appearance, but he has aged into something unpleasant), and Wes and Nehemiah both irritate me for similar reasons. Although a Wes/KellyAnne win would be kinda fun.

Is it a male/female duo win like last season or a winner takes all like season 1? 

[LaurelleJ]

I just knew that they weren’t going to make Kailah and Kelly Anne compete. At least it was somewhat suspenseful, making them go all the way to grabbing the pole. It always looks bad when you call someone out and lose to them, but with the guys left, I don’t think Derrick really had a shot against any of them. Kailah absolutely cheated, of course she’s going to deny it. I hope she doesn’t win, I really don’t like her. I don’t have an investment in who wins, just hope Kailah isn’t one of them. I laughed so hard at Wes being confused at how Nehemiah was able to row with both ends of the paddle. Also laughed at Kelly Anne waiting to be rescued hahaha. There’s so much running in the heat, I am exhausted just watching them. They should have had some backup bikes in case the chain broke, especially since it has happened before. I guess at the end of the episode I’m rooting for Wes and Jonna, with Nia and Nehemiah close behind. Really impressed with Nia in the first part of the final. Just goes to show you that you cannot underestimate anyone in this game.

21 hours ago, AntFTW said:

I feel like this episode should have been called either “8 Miles to the Gallon” (Mark) or “Big for Nothing” (Nia).

I chuckled that Mark’s “I’m not built to run. I’m built like a Mack truck. I get 8 miles to the gallon.” 😂

Mark wins for me with that line. I will probably start saying that every day. 

[lasu]

I'm not a Nia fan*, but I did a bark of laughter when Kailah was trying to say how much she valued her friendship and Nia was just, "I met you four weeks ago."

I think Kailah did get answers off of Nia's board, but I think it was only cheating in spirit, not technically against the rules.  If it had been explicitly against the rules to look at another board, I don't think the ones who finished would have been wiping their boards clean.  But it was a lame thing to do, especially if you're not going to be like, "yeah, I fucking did it and that's why I didn't come in last."

*I think Nia was mostly fine on this show and does seem to have grown up.  She seems like she's probably fine as a person, and I think people can grow and learn from their mistakes.  That said, I don't think she should have been allowed back on the show, which is really more what I'm not a fan of, rather than Nia herself.  And I've said this before, she is just gorgeous and hasn't aged a day.  I couldn't be more jealous!

[ljenkins782]

4 minutes ago, lasu said:

I think Kailah did get answers off of Nia's board, but I think it was only cheating in spirit, not technically against the rules.  If it had been explicitly against the rules to look at another board, I don't think the ones who finished would have been wiping their boards clean.  But it was a lame thing to do, especially if you're not going to be like, "yeah, I fucking did it and that's why I didn't come in last."

I guess why I don't understand is how it can be considered cheating when neither Nia nor Kailah had any clue and you wouldn't know until you were done that you were right on any of them. Kailah ended up guessing better than Nia and finished first, so it just seemed silly for Nia to even bring it up.

It was pretty funny that Kailah was so conciliatory and desperate to have Nia not be mad at her, considering how differently she treats other conflicts, like her dismissal of KellyAnne. 

I felt a little sorry for KellyAnne who seemed to keep forgetting that Kailah hated her, every time TJ sprung some new bit of info on them, she'd turn excitedly to the person next to her (Kailah) and start to say something only to be cut dead with a look.

[lasu]

38 minutes ago, ljenkins782 said:

I guess why I don't understand is how it can be considered cheating when neither Nia nor Kailah had any clue and you wouldn't know until you were done that you were right on any of them. Kailah ended up guessing better than Nia and finished first, so it just seemed silly for Nia to even bring it up.

My impression was that Kailah looked at Nia's board to see what they had different and then made changes based on that.  It's like if you were sitting next to me during a math test, and you didn't know the answer but guessed.  Then I copy off of your paper and get it right as well.  Sure they are all guesses, but I cheated; you didn't.  Though I still would find this cheating-lite.  My bigger problem with Kailah in this is that (in my opinion) she lied about looking at Kailah's board.

[AntFTW]

1 hour ago, ljenkins782 said:

I guess why I don't understand is how it can be considered cheating when neither Nia nor Kailah had any clue and you wouldn't know until you were done that you were right on any of them.

How do we define 'cheating'? If you're in class, is 'cheating' just the act of looking at someone else's answers (not knowing if the other person got the answers correct either) or is it 'cheating' because it's against the rules?

I would define 'cheating' as just looking at someone else's answers. Knowing whether they're right or wrong is irrelevant to me. The 'cheating' is in looking.

1 hour ago, lasu said:

I think Kailah did get answers off of Nia's board, but I think it was only cheating in spirit, not technically against the rules

Agreed.

Edited June 30, 2022 by AntFTW

[snarts]

6 hours ago, LaurelleJ said:

Kailah absolutely cheated, of course she’s going to deny it.

2 hours ago, ljenkins782 said:

It was pretty funny that Kailah was so conciliatory and desperate to have Nia not be mad at her, considering how differently she treats other conflicts, like her dismissal of KellyAnne. 

She only denied it & played the friendship card in the hopes that Nia would believe her & drop it. I think she was a bit afraid that after watching the tape, TJ would show up and send her home. Even with that, she couldn't help but smirk as Nia walked away. Like many, I don't hate Kailah, but she doesn't belong on this show.

Rooting for Kelly Anne & Mark. I know there's little/no chance I'll be happy.

I like Jonna but if she wins again, she needs to take a break.  Heck, I'm still mad that they kept Tara (Road Rules) and Dan Renzi (RW Miami) as alternates and stuck us with some of the same damn people again.

[LaurelleJ]

46 minutes ago, snarts said:

I like Jonna but if she wins again, she needs to take a break.  Heck, I'm still mad that they kept Tara (Road Rules) and Dan Renzi (RW Miami) as alternates and stuck us with some of the same damn people again.

I agree with you. I'm ok with Jonna just because it allows a champion to defend, but Tara should have been put on instead of Kailah and Sylvia for sure. 

[1011101010001]

2 hours ago, lasu said:

My impression was that Kailah looked at Nia's board to see what they had different and then made changes based on that.  It's like if you were sitting next to me during a math test, and you didn't know the answer but guessed.  Then I copy off of your paper and get it right as well.  Sure they are all guesses, but I cheated; you didn't.  Though I still would find this cheating-lite.  My bigger problem with Kailah in this is that (in my opinion) she lied about looking at Kailah's board.

The tell was when she admitted that she was desperate.  It makes perfect sense that she would answer the ones that she knew and for the ones she didn’t know hope that Nia knew them because she would be no worse off copying than just guessing.

[Zima]

20 hours ago, AntFTW said:

She is. She has two kids I believe.

Oh, I was being sarcastic. She mentioned that she was a MOMMMMM every 2 minutes. I'll edit my post to make my sarcasm more clear, hehe. 

19 hours ago, MrBuhBye said:

Thank you!

9 hours ago, ljenkins782 said:

Ugh, that's a fine sight first thing in the morning. yes, he has defined abs but the pasty skin, pube-y red beard, and the graying, too tight underwear cancel them out. I know he intentionally walks around like that, but if I were in that house, I'd ask him to put a pair of shorts on at least. And maybe a bag over his head as well. 

All that being said, he actually didn't bother me too much in this episode. I even laughed with him for once when he joked about the women wanting to be married to him after the partner challenge, if they didn't already want that. He'd be so much more tolerable if he could walk that line of tongue in cheek humor vs sounding like a deadly serious egomaniac.

I like pasty skin! And his boxer briefs are just right; they're  meant to be tight. I do agree about the beard; it definitely could use some maintenance, but it's much better than whatever the hell Brad has going on with his. 

[AntFTW]

1 minute ago, Zima said:

Oh, I was being sarcastic. She mentioned that she was a MOMMMMM every 2 minutes. I'll edit my post to make my sarcasm more clear, hehe. 

Forgive my slowness!

[Lantern7]

*sigh* I want the season to be over. Once again, I think that this version doesn't need to be the one shown often, because when you get blah results, you get disappointed.

With Challenge USA premiering next week, I have a question: would any of the CBS reality veterans haul off and punch Teege in the face if he pulled the "We're Not Going To Have a Battle" bullshit on them? Given the finals format, I get it . . . but the women basically plotted, schemed and angsted for nothing. They all made it to the final mission once Veronica was waved off. That also explains why we got Nehemiah/Derrick first . .  .because it was the only Arena

Damn, Derrick disappointed. He is gonna get dragged for picking Nehemiah over Wes.

Okay, so there was talk in the second half of this season about the stars, about what they represented. Result: those with the most starts got five points to start the final mission. And that was it. I can't say I was disappointed because I know it would be a letdown no matter what.All o the stars could have been cashed in for points . . . or maybe they could have been used like the Fire Tokens in Survivor: Winners at War. Nope . . . Nehemiah and Jonna had five stars, so they got five points. Then everyone was teamed up where they were doomed to finished in the order that they began. The games between checkpoints are a good idea, but it's probably not going to be enough.

And what was the point of the quick game after the Arena? Basically, all it did was determine the starting order of the finale, and Teege got to jerk around the players yet again. Kailah peeking at Nia's board . . . was it cheating? Against the spirit of the game? Innocent? Well, it didn't matter in the end, did it?

Seriously, I know that everyone has cable nowadays, but I'm kindasorta hoping Teege would annoying viewers watching Challenge USA that never got around to watching his "career." He'll probably come off better than Julie Chen, but that's not a huge achievement.

Edited July 1, 2022 by Lantern7

[bunnyface]

22 hours ago, ljenkins782 said:

Ugh, that's a fine sight first thing in the morning. yes, he has defined abs but the pasty skin, pube-y red beard, and the graying, too tight underwear cancel them out. I know he intentionally walks around like that, but if I were in that house, I'd ask him to put a pair of shorts on at least. And maybe a bag over his head as well. 

Not all of us are blessed with golden tones.  I myself only have two colors:  fish-belly white and lobster red.  There is no in-between.  So pasty skin doesn't bother me because I understand it.  The beard needs some work.  Nothing to complain about with the rest though.  I don't understand why he shouldn't be able to walk around like that.  The women walk around various stages of dress, No difference.

I think they should have counted everyone's stars for the finale.  If you earned one star along the way, it should have counted as one point.  

[ljenkins782]

1 hour ago, bunnyface said:

Not all of us are blessed with golden tones.  I myself only have two colors:  fish-belly white and lobster red.  There is no in-between.  So pasty skin doesn't bother me because I understand it.  The beard needs some work.  Nothing to complain about with the rest though.  I don't understand why he shouldn't be able to walk around like that.  The women walk around various stages of dress, No difference.

I think they should have counted everyone's stars for the finale.  If you earned one star along the way, it should have counted as one point.  

Same here. Well, I tan for a half a second after the lobster red, but it isn't worth it. But Wes still grosses me out. At least wear colored underwear if you're going to walk around in them, the white on white of skin/underwear, plus the very dick forward appearance is gross.

I feel the same about Kelly Anne's thong in the pool scene, no one needs to see your ass cheeks, just wear a regular suit. 

Quote

Okay, so there was talk in the second half of this season about the stars, about what they represented. Result: those with the most starts got five points to start the final mission. And that was it. I can't say I was disappointed because I know it would be a letdown no matter what.All o the stars could have been cashed in for points . . . or maybe they could have been used like the Fire Tokens in Survivor: Winners at War. Nope . . . Nehemiah and Jonna had five stars, so they got five points. Then everyone was teamed up where they were doomed to finished in the order that they began. The games between checkpoints are a good idea, but it's probably not going to be enough.

The stars thing was a big nothing in the end. If five stars was the magic number, they should have said something earlier, it might have shaken up the game in some way. Those fire tokens in Survivor were lame too and I believe they were immediately nixed from the next season for being a dud. 

I also wonder how much Mark knows ahead of time about "twists" in the game. I know the challenge was his idea, but is he also a producer or anything? I'm assuming not since that would be quite a conflict of interest, but I wondered if he had any knowledge of the stars situation ahead of the others. 

[angelamh66]

I have the suspicion that Kailah's fiance told her he'd consider her a loser if she lost to the "old broads" or something to that effect. Which is precisely why I want her to lose to these "old broads." I agree with those who think Kailah should not be on this show.  Same for Jordan. I like that everyone is scared of him but that is because he belongs on the original recipe show where he remains a competitive force. 

[millennium]

On 6/30/2022 at 4:37 PM, lasu said:

My bigger problem with Kailah in this is that (in my opinion) she lied about looking at Kailah's board.

She didn't even do a good job of denying it -- did you see the smirk as soon as Nia walked off?  Kailah's perpetual sing-songy voice only adds to her phoniness.

I would like to see Nia win because I believe she's sincere about wanting to redeem herself.   I really like Kellyanne but I don't think she has a prayer.

Mark got a raw deal.   The equipment shouldn't be breaking.

At this point, it seems like Wes' game to lose.   I think it could go either way.   He has a history of messing up in the end.   Hope he pulls it out.  

[1011101010001]

1 hour ago, millennium said:

She didn't even do a good job of denying it -- did you see the smirk as soon as Nia walked off? 

She was playing to the cameras with that smirk.  I think she goes for the villain edit.

[millennium]

On 6/30/2022 at 9:02 PM, Zima said:

I do agree about the beard; it definitely could use some maintenance, but it's much better than whatever the hell Brad has going on with his

I think the next logical step in the evolution of Brad's beard is for him to sculpt it into an animal shape, like a topiary.   In the meantime, I can't help but think it would prove a hindrance in a final where the climate is so hot and humid.  

[1011101010001]

2 minutes ago, millennium said:

I think the next logical step in the evolution of Brad's beard is for him to sculpt it into an animal shape, like a topiary.   In the meantime, I can't help but think it would prove a hindrance in a final where the climate is so hot and humid.  

I assume it’s supposed to distract from the balding on top.

[millennium]

2 hours ago, MrBuhBye said:

I assume it’s supposed to distract from the balding on top.

Well, it's working, but that's a high price to pay IMO.

[millennium]

Having just finished watching The Real World: Portland for the first time, I am more confused than ever by the Jordan-Nia lovefest. 

[Zima]

15 hours ago, millennium said:

Having just finished watching The Real World: Portland for the first time, I am more confused than ever by the Jordan-Nia lovefest. 

They were a shit-show for sure lol. But I think there was always aggressive sexual tension beneath the surface. Like, I always felt like they were 5 seconds from either physically fighting, or banging the hell out of each other in a different way. 😅

[1011101010001]

1 minute ago, Zima said:

They were a shit-show for sure lol. But I think there was always aggressive sexual tension beneath the surface. Like, I always felt like they were 5 seconds from either physically fighting, or banging the hell out of each other in a different way. 😅

Tori interviewed Nia on that official podcast which was awkward.

[millennium]

41 minutes ago, MrBuhBye said:

Tori interviewed Nia on that official podcast which was awkward.

I listened to that last night while washing the dishes.

It was somewhat gratifying to learn that Nia couldn't get hired for two years after the Real World due to her antics.   In the space of only two or three episodes she put an actual hit out on Jordan.  She punched out Johnny Reilly, sucker punched Averey, and cruelly insulted the owner and manager of Pizza Schmizza. 

I thought all in all Tori handled the interview well given the circumstances.

[aghst]

Nia's accusations of Kailah copying off her might have a bit more weight if Kailah didn't finish the puzzle well before her.

[1011101010001]

1 hour ago, millennium said:

I thought all in all Tori handled the interview well given the circumstances.

Especially if it’s true that she told producers she won’t do a season that Jordan is on.  Which basically relegates him to All Stars as she is on most seasons of the Mother Ship.

1 hour ago, aghst said:

Nia's accusations of Kailah copying off her might have a bit more weight if Kailah didn't finish the puzzle well before her.

Yeah although Nia may have already answered ones that Kailah skipped or hadn’t got to yet.  Obviously The Challenge allows peeking because smart players always mess up their completed puzzles before moving on. 

[bunnyface]

Even on that challenge, several players raked their answers to the ground when they were done.  Obviously they do allow peaking because if they didn't someone official (TJ) would have called her out.  I still think Kailah cheated, and not just because I hate her with a fiery passion.  But there was no reason for her to back to far up from her puzzle and slide her eyes sideways if she wasn't looking or an answer from somewhere.  She just tried to be a little more slick about it than running around and looking at finished puzzles that didn't get cleared.  She knew what she was doing, was just trying to be a little more slick about it.  If you're going to do it, own it.  If it's okay, own it.  Don't be a punk about it.