Battle Of The Seasons (2002)

[Lantern7]

I figured that with Extreme Challenge getting covered, we could shine a spotlight on BMP's first foray into elimination rounds: the original Battle Of The Seasons. I think the turning point for how good the season would become came when Lori was unable to partner with Mike due to 9/11. Her replacement? Mike's main adversary-turned-ally, Coral. Everything after that was icing on the cake.

 

Sure, you had a flawed scoring system, which kept six pairs in the game for more than half the season. There was the collusion fest, where everybody made deals with everyone else in spreading the wealth, to the point where BMP closed that loophole in Battle Of The Sexes. And you had psychos on both Real World and Road Rules sides, like Slappy Stephen. And god-bothering couple Chadwick & Holly. And Belou, everyone's favorite Dutch import, who coined the phrase "bishes" for viewers. But even with a hurricane thrown into the mix, it was still a stellar season. Future Congressman Sean took enough time off from impregnating his wife Rachel in order to top the Real World pairs with Elka. Danny & Kelley shocked audience members by staying in the game. Timmy and Theo started a "bromance" of sorts that was never built upon in subsequent Challenges (though there would be shout-outs to each other). And there was the time where Mike lost a mission on his 21st birthday, got piss drunk, and tried to hurt himself in the fakest way possible.

 

Still, even when you factor in stuff like Mike's busted-ass Rock impression (set to Remy Zero's "Save Me," the theme song to Smallville) and the Inner Circle drama that paid off immediately with the eliminations of Veronica & Yes (fourth-best Road Rules team after the first mission) and Jon & Beth (the latter being tagged "Osama Beth Laden" by Norman, bless his heart), it was still a season to remember . . . particularly Real World's upset win over Road Rules, where Mike solved a Hanoi Tower puzzle (like he saw a woman naked, according to Coral) to lead his team to victory.

 

Anybody else have memories to share?

[KerleyQ]

I remember Kelly smoking everyone else on that rope climbing challenge.  I think she even surprised herself. 

 

Wasn't there someone on the RR side who refused to sign on to the money split?  So they were the only one going home with squat?  I can't remember who it was, thought. 

[Lantern7]

That would be Holly/"Hollywick", who wouldn't share with Coral. I think she won enough prizes with Theo to take the sting out of it.

[Decider]

I found that scene where Belou cursed out the Wicks about criticizing her mothering skills on YouTube a while back.  Still one of my most favorite Challenge scenes ever.

[Watermelon]

I remember Kelly smoking everyone else on that rope climbing challenge.  I think she even surprised herself. 

 

Wasn't there someone on the RR side who refused to sign on to the money split?  So they were the only one going home with squat?  I can't remember who it was, thought. 

Yes, and it was delicious.

[Princess Sparkle]

This is my all-time favorite season.  There are just so many good moments:

-The hurricane toga party

-Belou cursing out the Wicks

-The hilarious hypocriticalness of Holly voting out the 4th best team of Veronica & Yes in the first episode, and then saying it was bad strategy when that plan would vote out her husband in the next episode.

-Every time Coral said Holly had "witch hands"

-Sean describing how Stephen could be a little unsettling, all while being unaware that Stephen is in the background, creepily staring at the camera.

-The Newlywed-style challenge where only Kelley would admit to sleeping with more than 5 people, and then jokingly said "I'm a whore...."

-The Miz being shockingly good at puzzle solving (at a time when solving puzzles was a skill that would actually help you win a challenge)

[Lantern7]

The hurricane toga party . . . how can I forget that? Remember Sharon winning that contest . . . and her reward was Mike/Miz grinding on her? Good times. Seriously, I'm tickled that Sharon lasted one more round because the Real World Inner Circle hated Beth, even though Sharon had a little more meat on her bones. I think that got topped the following year, when the female Inner Circle kept a pregnant Gladys over Beth.

[snarts]

Was this the one where Puck got married or was that Battle of Sexes?

 

I miss Emily Bailey.

[Decider]

Puck and Betty got married on Battle of the Sexes.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Decider

[cincivic]

Just finished re-watching this season. Seeing Chadwick and Holly brought back memories. I do have one question. How much money did the RW winners actually take home? They agreed to split with the RW members plus their counterparts from RR. It couldn't be much to split between all those people.

[DucksFlyTogether]

I vaguely remember Kelley saying everyone got enough to have a good meal or pay off a credit card bill.

Edited December 22, 2014 by DucksFlyTogether

[cincivic]

Thank you!