S27.E10: Out For Blood

[OnceSane]

Bloodlines reunite for a grueling endurance challenge. In other events, TJ stuns the competitors with news of a location change.

[Lantern7]

In addition, there will be a half-hour special focusing on the final teams. I don't think it's the After Show . . . MTV is probably still trying to find Zuri Hall's defect.

[toodywoody]

Omg, I'm so happy. Thank you Corey for voting them in. I literally screamed. Finally!!!!!

[TiffanyNichelle]

For once the game has actually changed. A finale without John? Amazing! I thought for sure Cory and Mitch were going to wuss out and vote John's way so I was surprised when they flipped it. Finally some rookies that actually stuck to their game plan.

 

That mini finale was wild. Who saw Aneesa and her cousin leading it for most of the way? Wow. Rianna might want to start doing some push up or something. Work on that upper body, girl.

[mjgchick]

I've never been more happy about a result in my life. lol

[shelley1234]

I am going to say something I never ever thought I would say....I am kinda impressed with Bananas after this episode.

 

Why you ask?  Because after he and the suck that is Vince were beaten by Cara Maria and Cuz....he was not a poor sport about it and was pretty legit cool and decent.  I've seen a lot of people throw tantrums when they lose and be a big ol' bitch about it.  He went over, congratulated them, shook hands, picked Cara up and whispered in her ear that she deserved it.  

 

So points to Bananas.  

 

Also props to Cory for showing the value of persistence and never giving up.  And also props for not letting Bananas get into his head and made the right call.  He just gave himself a better shot at winning this thing...taking Johnny out.  

[laschifosavita]

I would be more enthusiastic about Bananas going home on a season when he was actually doing something to make him a villain.  Most of the time his main crime has been being smarter than everyone else, which I can't get all that worked up over.  They show scenes of him being totally genial towards his "enemies" with voice overs about how mean he is.  I know they have to do something to keep people interested with this cast, but they're trying way too hard.

 

They talk about Bananas so much that I keep forgetting that I also really don't like Corey. 

 

I hope Cara Maria wins, because I think she needs it the most psychologically.  She needs to win, take a couple seasons off, and come back more refreshed and relaxed.

[Spencer Hastings]

Drinking game for next week: take a shot every time Cara Maria says "cousin." Good gosh.

[kat165]

Although they won the pit Jamie did not look happy. He actually looks pretty pissed off & I'm not

sure Cara will be able to count on him. I was shocked that they won. Was so happy Vince and

John got that puzzle wrong. Best part of the ep. I'd like to see Cara & Jamie win the whole thing,

but I'm not sure Jamie's head is really in the game.

 

John surprisingly did not act like a sore loser. Was it Vince who kicked over the podium that

the puzzle pieces were on?

 

And Zuri Hall, Lantern they found her but apparently she is unwilling to do an aftershow with

any of the cast members. :) (That "aftershow," btw, SUCKED.)

Edited January 28, 2016 by kat165

[Lantern7]

Woo-hoo! No Johnny and Wince in Berlin! Sure, we're left with four sets of beta cousins, but Johnny doesn't get his throne back. Really, that's all I wanted. Now I'm thinking nobody finishes the final two missions, and Johnny and Wince get all of the money.

 

Dunno what was more impressive . . . Aneesa and Rianna leading for at least half of the race, or Mitch and Corey coming from behind and winning after Mitch almost died.

 

ETA: Anybody else want to know Abram's reaction to the Pit? I'm sure he had a good laugh as he watched the episode and strangled a hobo.

[LotusFlower]

Drinking game for next week: take a shot every time Cara Maria says "cousin." Good gosh.

Or how 'bout every time someone says "me and my cousin," "me and my bloodline..." I hate to be the grammar police, but I think I'm noticing it more on this show (bad grammar is a staple on reality tv) because of the bloodline references.

[WhosThatGirl]

i'm happy John and his cousin are gone. Also despite not being super evil this season, he was still very much a jerk. When he told Abe about Cara and Thomas, which just IMHO was not because John gave a damn about Abe but because he wanted to break the alliance going on with those teams, him throwing many of his actual friends down when push came to shove, those are bad things. 

 

I guess I am rooting for Cara and her cousin to be the winners but I don't care anymore, really. Since we're kind of at the tail end pretty much, I would say the premise of this challenge was actually pretty fun, it just makes me sad that a lot of the people I liked were gone very early, Cutthutta, Leory, etc. 

[luckyroll3]

I am going to say something I never ever thought I would say....I am kinda impressed with Bananas after this episode.

 

Why you ask?  Because after he and the suck that is Vince were beaten by Cara Maria and Cuz....he was not a poor sport about it and was pretty legit cool and decent.  I've seen a lot of people throw tantrums when they lose and be a big ol' bitch about it.  He went over, congratulated them, shook hands, picked Cara up and whispered in her ear that she deserved it.  

That's because he showed his ass last season acting like a foul-mouthed Toddler because Sarah dared to throw him in.  It was always "Just a part of the game" when Johnny did it other people, but not when it got done to him.  I'm sure people started hating him more than usual after that because he showed he was a sore loser.  

 

Both the challenge and the pit were interesting competitions.  Loved that Aneesa was able to out hike all the men during that 2nd leg, which looked like it was the longest and steepest.  Good for her!  Corey and Vince should be ashamed....weren't they the ones in the first episode having a dumb argument about being trainers.  I hope who ever has worked with Vince in the past asks for their money back, because he is big for no reason.  No strength, no stamina.  Just a waste and an asshole.  

 

It was also really embarrassing that Rianna couldn't make it across monkey bars.  They weren't even far apart!  Her main problem, besides her spaghetti arms, was that she kept hanging on each bar, using her muscle energy up, instead of using her momentum to help move her across.  

 

And when will these fools ever practice puzzles before showing up to these challenges.  I swear they just use that same tanagram over and over again every year just to fuck with them! 

[scrb]

Terrific episode, the way the challenge and the pit ended, close and suspenseful for both until the unlikely wins.

Maybe it was editing but the results were surprising as well as wonderful. But bye Bananas.

Wonder if there will be a big endurance component in the final challenge because afaik, Berlin is pretty flat.

[Lola82]

It was also really embarrassing that Rianna couldn't make it across monkey bars.  They weren't even far apart!  Her main problem, besides her spaghetti arms, was that she kept hanging on each bar, using her muscle energy up, instead of using her momentum to help move her across.

 

I really felt for her because that's exactly how I am on monkey bars. I can't get from one to the other. I'm glad there was a time limit because I couldn't stand watching her fail over and over, from personal experience she wasn't going to get any better as time went on.

 

So glad that Johnny is gone. First he's beaten by Sarah, now by Cara Maria. That's what you get for being a sexist jerk! And I loved watching his frustration when Vince couldn't swing onto the bar.

 

Cara Maria was really impressive, the way she just blew through the monkey bars then threw the weight on her back and sprinted to the puzzle. 

And I'm impressed by Jenna and Brianna, they did the whole thing without any complaints or difficulty. Now I kind of want to see them win the whole thing.

[CheetaraThunder]

One of my favorite moments was not only Cara beating Bananas, but when she was carry that heavy ass bag and just going super sonic and running past Bananas, then killing it on the monkey bars. Cara has really transformed physically throughout the seasons. The girl is a legit beast now.

Also, Brianna being all excited about the monkey bars and just crossing them with ease.

[luckyroll3]

I really felt for her because that's exactly how I am on monkey bars. I can't get from one to the other. I'm glad there was a time limit because I couldn't stand watching her fail over and over, from personal experience she wasn't going to get any better as time went on.

But there was one point where she had actually made it all the way around, and was only one rung away, and she gave up and just dropped off.  I would have been an encouraging and understanding partner up until that point, which would have majorly pissed me off.  I actually thought she had made it all the way through when I looked up from cell phone and saw they were at the puzzle.  But then I rewound and saw that she just ran out of time, lucky for her.  

[yogi2014L]

Cara Maria was hauling ASS on the last leg of the mini finale. You go girl. She is a beast and deserves the final

I was so impressed with Aneesa and Rhianna and yeah I am glad they timed out because if you can't do the monkey bars on the first 10 tries you aren't going to get sumo strength and power through it at the end. Not happening.

 

Also Brianna and Jenna are total beasts. I like them. I hope they get 2nd in the finale. I wan't Cara to win.  I really enjoy Jenna and Briana because they are tough but stay out of the drama

 

Glad she sent Bananas packing but I too was really impressed with John being a gracious loser. It seemed genuine and if he was acting he was good at it LOL.

 

And I also had to laugh at John trying to save himself from the pit. In what world would Cory and Mitch ever throw Briana and Jenna in against Cara and leave themselves in a final with Cara and Bananas? At least John tried lol. But that would have been hands down the dumbest move in all of history.

[sugarbaker design]

I don't know much about athletic prowess, I have never been to a gym, I wouldn't know a pull up from a push up, so can someone explain to me how someone as slight as Brianne's cousin can carry her bag and someone as seemingly fit as Corey can't carry his bag?

[Lola82]

I don't know much about athletic prowess, I have never been to a gym, I wouldn't know a pull up from a push up, so can someone explain to me how someone as slight as Brianne's cousin can carry her bag and someone as seemingly fit as Corey can't carry his bag?

 

The girls' bag was 40 lbs and the guys' bag was 75 so that made a difference. Also, it looks like Corey has a problem with his leg or knee.

[Primetimer]

The Challengers compete in a mini-final full of heavy lifting, puzzle-solving, and gratuitous closeups of puking.

Read the story

[WhosThatGirl]

Well, at least I can now say "Mitch is the guy who won the puzzle and won that one challenge!" because most of the time he would come on screen and I would be all, "who the hell is Mitch?" the fact that he's now one of the final four teams is hilarious because for a while there I didn't even know him. 

[Jobiska]

Also, it looks like Corey has a problem with his leg or knee.

 

He said something like he was missing an ACL?  

I wish they would have done like on Survivor and had the packs be a percentage of each person's body weight.  But then they'd have to have more packs available.

I think maybe I could do monkey bars when I was about 6.  Never since. 

[MaggieG]

That scream that CM did at the end was pretty horrendous. I'm kinda rooting for Jenna and Brianna at this point. Brianna's glee at the monkey bars was cute.

I thought it was nice that even though CM and Johnny are enemies in the game, he seemed genuine when he hugged her

[rho]

Drinking game for next week: take a shot every time Cara Maria says "cousin." Good gosh.

 

I was so glad Aneesa brought that up in her talking head. It's so creepy and weird. Who talks like that?

[SunshineOnMe]

I must have missed it. Did Cara Marie have the same weight of a bag as the guy's teams? Because her cousin acted like it was super heavy. 

[hilaryvm]

I thought it was pretty funny that Corey thought he and Mitch were the ones to beat after winning the last challenge, when they were dead last the whole time, he almost couldn't make it, and they only won because Mitch figured out the puzzle in superhuman time.

 

And while Cara Maria was a little obnoxious after she won, I was glad that she knocked Johnny out.  Also, she killed that challenge - I couldn't believe she sprinted the last leg.

 

 

I must have missed it. Did Cara Marie have the same weight of a bag as the guy's teams? Because her cousin acted like it was super heavy.

I believe girls had 40 pounds and guys 75, and Cara Maria and Jamie switched between them - so Cara Maria carried a 40 pound bag, and Jamie a 75 pound one.

[Jenkins]

Which I actually thought was unfair at first. Someone like Jenna carrying 40lbs vs a guy like John carrying 75lbs is a massive difference. But it actually ended up not mattering. Though as someone mentioned, the weights should have been a percentage of body weight.

 

And wow, was that a satisfying pit or what? I personally feel it was more satisfying than the Banana Backpack. Simply because John and CT didn't have a long standing feud like John and CM do. CM has to feel AWESOME after that, even if she doesn't win the entire game. Though the Backpack was certainly more humiliating...

 

John did gain a couple of points in my eyes for the classy way he handled defeat from someone he doesn't care for. Too bad he couldn't have handled it the same way with Sarah. Which I think is probably a major reason WHY he handled it better this time (the backlash he got from how he treated Sarah).

 

While I like Mitch, Cory is just a douche. My memory isn't great, but did Cory and Mitch win a damn thing all year? They never even went in the pit.

 

Definitely pulling for Cara Maria, her cousin (yes, even as much as I love CM, her saying cuz and cousin all the time is grating) and Jenna and her cousin. Which is the biggest surprise for me this season...that I am actually rooting for JENNA. I normally don't like airheads, but she has been kind of endearing this season with the overall game she has played.

 

And I know teams are probably already set for the next Challenge, but please...no more Vince! Talk about a lawnmower engine in a Ferrari body....has anyone in Challenge history with his body type sucked THAT much at the game?

[shelley1234]

I don't know much about athletic prowess, I have never been to a gym, I wouldn't know a pull up from a push up, so can someone explain to me how someone as slight as Brianne's cousin can carry her bag and someone as seemingly fit as Corey can't carry his bag?

 

A couple of things IMO.  One, Cory has a torn ACL which is why he was wearing that knee/leg brace.  It would make the run that much harder, let alone a weighted run.

 

Two, being strong and muscular and having endurance to run long distances are two completely different things.  Those who lift heavy and have lotsa muscles often have trouble with intense cardio and those who are lean and lanky tend to do better.  Let's remember one of the Battle of the Exs challenges when they were out in the snow and CT and Diem are climbing up that mountain and CT is totally gassed out and Diem is basically trying to drag him...while he falls down every couple of feet.  CT being gassed out lost them the win.  It doesn't mean that CT is a joke and Diem is a beast, it means that challenge was better suited for her endurance and body type.  Same situation here IMO.  

 

Training is the thing that I am always surprised with who doesn't do it.  Some of the legends or the lifers clearly do endurance running before they come....because they know what a final is and how to prepare.  Another challenge...I think it was one of the Rival challenges where they showed some of the "serious" challengers running miles and miles at night while the "fun party" challengers drank and tried to be obstacles for them to run around and over.  I *think* that was the Rivals that CT and Wes won...and they both said they basically started training for the finals from the moment they got there.  

 

The more I thought about it, the more I liked the challenge they had to do this week.  It seemed very Amazing Race to me.  Why I think that is because they have to switch off and one person has to just sit there and watch while the other one either excels or struggles.  That would drive me crazy if I was in that situation.  It was especially evident with Bananas....when all he could do is sit and watch Vince suck.  

[jmonkey]

HAHAHA YES! THE INSUFFERABLE BANANAS AND HIS NEANDERTHAL COUSIN VINCE ARE GONE!!! Thank you, Cory and Mitch!!! I don't know what surprises me more. The fact that Bananas got thrown into the pit and lost or the fact that Bananas wasn't a complete bitch baby about being thrown into the pit and losing to Cara Maria. Yes, he took going into the pit well and was a gracious loser, but that doesn't make up for the hundreds of time when he was such an insufferable uberdouche on past seasons.  What makes it even sweeter is that they lost to Cara Maria and that they thought they had it won.

 

As we saw with Cory and Mitch who were dead last for most of the challenge, puzzles are the great equalizer. Is Mitch really that smart or did he just get lucky? It seems like sometimes the challengers get lucky and solve the puzzles right away while it can take hours other times. I thought Cara Maria and Jamie were doomed when I found out it was a puzzle since they had just lost a challenge because of a puzzle. Bananas also eliminated CT on a puzzle a couple of seasons ago, and I figured he would luck out again. I knew Vince would be worthless on a puzzle just like he is with most aspects of the game. He was like, "what's with all these shapes and colors?" LOL! I'm really surprised Bananas saddled himself with that deadweight. Yeah, Vince looked good on paper being an ex-NFLer, but that didn't translate well to this game. I'm sure we'll regrettably be seeing Vince for the next several challenges, and I'm sure Bananas won't team up with him again since it proved to be a bad career move.

 

Most of the women impressed me during the obstacle course challenge. They seemed to have much better endurance than the guys and kicked ass for the most part. I was really surprised to see Aneesa beast that first leg of the race and if her cousin could've completed the monkey bars (which seemed to be the easiest obstacle), they would've had a good chance of winning. Jenna rocked that obstacle with the rope and balance beam. And Brianna killed the monkey bars. Cara Maria did awesome too. It seemed like all of the guys outside of maybe Bananas and Mitch were about to die. I know Cory has no ACL, but I'm not sure what the other's challenger's problems were. I knew Vince would be horrible, but I didn't think Jamie would have such trouble carrying the heavy bag. 

 

It's tough to say who I want to win this. I guess Cara Maria and Jamie since Cara Maria is probably going to go home to a psychotic shitstorm when Abe sees the footage of this season. She seems the most driven to win this and she should at least get a win and money out of this since she destroyed her dysfunctional relationship this season. She did take out Bananas too. Whoever does that should get the win in my book. I do like Cory and Mitch for throwing Bananas in, but I've never been much of a Cory fan. Mitch is cool, but he's just kind of there like Aneesa's cousin. I'd be all for Aneesa winning if that meant she retires permanently from The Challenge. It's not that I don't like her. I just think it's time for her to move on. I like Jenna and her cousin, but I can't root for them because Jenna is dating Zach. I'm just splitting hairs at this point. I'm really fine with anyone winning now that Bananas is gone.

Edited January 28, 2016 by jmonkey

[OnceSane]

Cory and Mitch finally do something useful and throw John into the Pit. And Cara Maria defeating him was fantastic.

[jmonkey]

Which I actually thought was unfair at first. Someone like Jenna carrying 40lbs vs a guy like John carrying 75lbs is a massive difference. But it actually ended up not mattering. Though as someone mentioned, the weights should have been a percentage of body weight.

 

And wow, was that a satisfying pit or what? I personally feel it was more satisfying than the Banana Backpack. Simply because John and CT didn't have a long standing feud like John and CM do. CM has to feel AWESOME after that, even if she doesn't win the entire game. Though the Backpack was certainly more humiliating...

 

John did gain a couple of points in my eyes for the classy way he handled defeat from someone he doesn't care for. Too bad he couldn't have handled it the same way with Sarah. Which I think is probably a major reason WHY he handled it better this time (the backlash he got from how he treated Sarah).

 

While I like Mitch, Cory is just a douche. My memory isn't great, but did Cory and Mitch win a damn thing all year? They never even went in the pit.

 

Definitely pulling for Cara Maria, her cousin (yes, even as much as I love CM, her saying cuz and cousin all the time is grating) and Jenna and her cousin. Which is the biggest surprise for me this season...that I am actually rooting for JENNA. I normally don't like airheads, but she has been kind of endearing this season with the overall game she has played.

 

And I know teams are probably already set for the next Challenge, but please...no more Vince! Talk about a lawnmower engine in a Ferrari body....has anyone in Challenge history with his body type sucked THAT much at the game?

Great description of Vince! He talks a good game and looks the part, but he really sucks at this game. I look forward to seeing him eliminated first the next 5 seasons all while maintaining that he's a top competitor.

 

Mitch won that tug of war pit against Raphy after Dario bumped Raphy during a premature celebration. Cory and Mitch were literally inches from being out of this game.

[Koala]

I really enjoyed this episode, perhaps because it focused more on the actual challenge rather than the drunken screaming/crying/fighting drama we see so often.

 

Props to Cory and Mitch for winning the challenge and kudos to Cory for simply completing it. I can't imagine running up a mountain with a torn ACL...and carrying 75 pounds to boot! Like him or not, that takes some serious drive. My leg hurts just thinking about it.

 

I was super impressed by Jenna and Brianna's performance. They did so well and they didn't complain once. I think Jenna mentioned that Brianna is an endurance runner, so I can see how that type of training would come in handy on a show like this. Part of me wants them to win it all -- they've been underestimated since Day 1 and Jenna has been in three elimination rounds on this season alone. She might be occasionally ditsy, but she's definitely an athlete.

 

I'm looking forward to next week's episode so much!

Edited January 28, 2016 by Koala

[Lantern7]

Found this on Bill Simmons' Twitter: "I think MTV tanked this Challenge season to try to get a high reality lottery pick." I'm thinking he's butthurt that his boy Johnny is out.

[scrb]

Corey says he has no ACL but he didn't have reconstruction surgery?  That said, I got reconstructed ACL and the first couple of years, I could run and jump on it fine but if I did something I wasn't used to, like downhill skiing and trying to stop or cut hard, I would feel it.

 

Didn't have to wear the brace like he's wearing though.

 

The other thing is, it's true that bigger guys seem to have problems with these endurance challenges.  Vince is a trainer but he built up mass and isn't able to run uphill for that long.  Zack was used to sprinting from his football days but I think he had problems with an endurance portion of a finals or a challenge too.

[laschifosavita]

The other thing is, it's true that bigger guys seem to have problems with these endurance challenges.  Vince is a trainer but he built up mass and isn't able to run uphill for that long.  Zack was used to sprinting from his football days but I think he had problems with an endurance portion of a finals or a challenge too.

Free Agents.  The highlight was Laurel ripping into him as the rescue team checked to make sure he wasn't having a heart attack.  He also started out that final by almost drowning when his and Devyn's canoe capsized.  Devyn was the only one that finished after him, and he practically had to crawl up a mountain.  It wasn't his best performance.

[lidarose9]

Free Agents.  The highlight was Laurel ripping into him as the rescue team checked to make sure he wasn't having a heart attack.  He also started out that final by almost drowning when his and Devyn's canoe capsized.  Devyn was the only one that finished after him, and he practically had to crawl up a mountain.  It wasn't his best performance.

 

This show used to be so entertaining.

[Tatum]

 

Two, being strong and muscular and having endurance to run long distances are two completely different things.  Those who lift heavy and have lotsa muscles often have trouble with intense cardio and those who are lean and lanky tend to do better.  Let's remember one of the Battle of the Exs challenges when they were out in the snow and CT and Diem are climbing up that mountain and CT is totally gassed out and Diem is basically trying to drag him...while he falls down every couple of feet.  CT being gassed out lost them the win.  It doesn't mean that CT is a joke and Diem is a beast, it means that challenge was better suited for her endurance and body type.  Same situation here IMO.

 

I agree. CT stated in an interview that he was so heavy he had the added disadvantage of having to traipse through the snow on top of making the climb, while Diem was mostly on top of the snow because she weighed so much less. Of course Johnny didn't really have problems with the same course, and he probably didn't weigh that much less than CT. But to give the devil his due, Johnny has an impressive amount of both physical strength and endurance.

 

Speaking of Johnny, I am actually slightly disappointed he's not going to be around for the final. Johnny has spent most of his challenge time bitching about how all women are generally useless dumb bitches, and I am 99.99% sure his cousin would lay down and quit in the middle of the final. Would love to see Johnny have to explain how his partner, who is not only a dude but also a family member, can't finish out the final while Cara, Jenna, Brianna, Aneesa, or Rianna finish (I realize all of them wouldn't be there, but at least a few would be and for all of Rianna's struggles with the last challenge I'd still say she outperformed Vince on a daily basis).

[Drogo]

During the challenge, Jamie kept demanding that CM hand him "the triangle." In a puzzle made up of a dozen triangles.

[Mutant Twin S.]

Has anyone been talking about how there's the potential for the final to be Jenna+Brianna, Aneesa+Rianna, and Corey+Mitch. What if CM+Jamie lose next week Might be the weakest Challenge final field ever.

 

I can't believe I'm writing this, but Jenna+Brianna have really impressed me. Just knowing there will be something gross they have to do in the final really puts them at a disadvantage though. I pull for Cara most of the time and loved her "F*** Bananas" monkey bars moment. Hated how she celebrated after the Pit, but that was a major release. 

 

I have to agree with laschifosavita, Bananas has really just been using his brain more than everyone else. He must be one heck of a politician because he swayed some serious enemies to vote in his favor over the season. He dissed a couple people I never thought he would, Nany specifically, but he just plays the social side of the game better than almost anyone else. 

 

Cheers to Corey and Mitch!

 

So pumped to see the final two episodes.

[yogi2014L]

Free Agents.  The highlight was Laurel ripping into him as the rescue team checked to make sure he wasn't having a heart attack.  He also started out that final by almost drowning when his and Devyn's canoe capsized.  Devyn was the only one that finished after him, and he practically had to crawl up a mountain.  It wasn't his best performance.

Omg. That was the BEST ever. I laugh just remembering it. I kinda miss Laurel she was a beast. Her knocking Zach down a peg or ten after he was such a douche all season was AMAZING. Bring back Free agents and stack it with Laurel Brianna Jenna Cara Eve ( even tho she is now a laywer) Camilla ect. Girls would dominate. Or BOTS!!

 

The guys aside from CT John Abe Mike Wes seem to be all muscle but still completely useless LOL

[dangwoodchucks]

I loved this challenge and the fact that the leaders were constantly changing. It certainly exposed their strengths and weaknesses as nearly all the competitors performed differently than expected which made it interesting to watch. All the girls (save for Rianna and the monkey bars) were awesome. I bet Johnny was wishing he still had his team to compete with rather than his bloodline. Ha!

 

Regarding Cory and his ACL, I know he managed to complete this challenge, but the final is much longer and has lasted multiple days in the past. I don't understand why someone would come on a challenge with that type of issue. Is it worth blowing out a knee for? Or maybe they played it up as more of an issue than it really was and I'm wasting my time thinking about it.

 

The Pit result was worth having had to watch Johnny and his manipulations this season. I loved Cara's joy at winning. She beat Johnny and did it by solving a puzzle, something she's admittedly not good at. She didn't look like she was gloating to me, just so damn happy she couldn't stop smiling. She has a really beautiful smile. I couldn't help but notice the lack of enthusiasm for the winners from the other teams after the Pit was over. Would they have been happier to see Johnny back for the final?

[Tatum]

I loved this challenge and the fact that the leaders were constantly changing. It certainly exposed their strengths and weaknesses as nearly all the competitors performed differently than expected which made it interesting to watch. All the girls (save for Rianna and the monkey bars) were awesome. I bet Johnny was wishing he still had his team to compete with rather than his bloodline. Ha!

 

Regarding Cory and his ACL, I know he managed to complete this challenge, but the final is much longer and has lasted multiple days in the past. I don't understand why someone would come on a challenge with that type of issue. Is it worth blowing out a knee for? Or maybe they played it up as more of an issue than it really was and I'm wasting my time thinking about it.

 

The Pit result was worth having had to watch Johnny and his manipulations this season. I loved Cara's joy at winning. She beat Johnny and did it by solving a puzzle, something she's admittedly not good at. She didn't look like she was gloating to me, just so damn happy she couldn't stop smiling. She has a really beautiful smile. I couldn't help but notice the lack of enthusiasm for the winners from the other teams after the Pit was over. Would they have been happier to see Johnny back for the final?

 

I was thinking the same thing about Corey. That does not seem responsible to come on to a challenge like this with that kind of injury.

 

Regarding a lack of enthusiasm- I think Aneesa likes Johnny okay and probably doesn't mind having him stick around. I am wondering also if Jenna and Brianna were thinking that they would get some kind of final handicap going against a two guy team, and don't want CM around to mess it up. Or maybe due to how shitty Vince has performed, Jamie and CM are considered more of a threat than Johnny and Vince?

 

Count me in with the people who are baffled by people constantly dismissing Jenna as a weak player. Yes, she failed two eating challenges, but she consistently performs well in all other contests. And yes, she herself plays up the ditz factor, but NO ONE on this show is any position to throw stones at someone for being an idiot.

 

CM is usually pretty inoffensive, but she's really rubbed me the wrong way this challenge, not even counting the whole Abe mess.

[shelley1234]

As for people not seeming excited that CM sent Bananas home....I absolutely agree it is because they are a bigger threat than Johnny and Vince, especially since they just witnessed how much Vince sucked at the mini version of a final.  I also think Aneesa seemed upset because Bananas was in her alliance, but I guess that really doesn't matter anymore with so little time left.  

 

I think Cara and Cuz are the team to beat now.  

[RedheadZombie]

A couple of things IMO.  One, Cory has a torn ACL which is why he was wearing that knee/leg brace.  It would make the run that much harder, let alone a weighted run.

 

Two, being strong and muscular and having endurance to run long distances are two completely different things.  Those who lift heavy and have lotsa muscles often have trouble with intense cardio and those who are lean and lanky tend to do better.  Let's remember one of the Battle of the Exs challenges when they were out in the snow and CT and Diem are climbing up that mountain and CT is totally gassed out and Diem is basically trying to drag him...while he falls down every couple of feet.  CT being gassed out lost them the win.  It doesn't mean that CT is a joke and Diem is a beast, it means that challenge was better suited for her endurance and body type.  Same situation here IMO.  

 

Training is the thing that I am always surprised with who doesn't do it.  Some of the legends or the lifers clearly do endurance running before they come....because they know what a final is and how to prepare.  Another challenge...I think it was one of the Rival challenges where they showed some of the "serious" challengers running miles and miles at night while the "fun party" challengers drank and tried to be obstacles for them to run around and over.  I *think* that was the Rivals that CT and Wes won...and they both said they basically started training for the finals from the moment they got there.  

 

I agree.  I think endurance is the absolutely crucial element.  I remember Wes cramping in a final, and Kenny throwing him over his shoulder and carrying him.  Also, Tyler threw up all night from food poisoning or the flu, and he and Johnny managed to win that final.  Neither Jenna nor Brianna are particularly strong or smart, but they're obviously very aerobically fit, and have worked on endurance.

[hilaryvm]

I would say in defense of Jamie - he was carrying 75 pounds like the other guys.  While he probably has much better endurance than most of the guys that were left, 75 pounds is proportionally much heavier for him than the others.  I felt bad for him when he was struggling so hard. 

 

After the big Jenna/Breanna blowout, I didn't like Breanna much, but now I like them.  They've been relatively inoffensive after that, and because they act a little ditzy, they get dismissed as competitors.  But, nobody wins three (?) times in the pit without being athletic.  While I'm rooting for Cara Maria, I wouldn't mind if they win (or, really anyone but Corey/Mitch at this point).

[WhosThatGirl]

After the big Jenna/Breanna blowout, I didn't like Breanna much, but now I like them.

 

Really? After their fight, I liked Jenna less. Well..less than I already did. I remember Breanna not having a good time at the club, which for some people isn't very fun and then Jenna telling people that Breanna is mean and thinks she is the best and better than everyone else. I hadn't heard Breanna say anything like this and then Jenna started yelling at her once they got back to the house, Jenna started screaming at her. But I hope they do well. I've grown to like Breanna in the time she has been away from Jenna. 

[choclatechip45]

To be fair CT smokes like a chimney (at least from watching him on these shows) it is no surprise he would have issues with the BOTE final plus with the altitude.

Edited January 30, 2016 by choclatechip45

[rho]

Count me in with the people who are baffled by people constantly dismissing Jenna as a weak player. Yes, she failed two eating challenges, but she consistently performs well in all other contests. And yes, she herself plays up the ditz factor, but NO ONE on this show is any position to throw stones at someone for being an idiot.

 

This season made me love Jenna. I still side-eye her decision to date Zak. He's not horrible looking but two minutes with him and I would probably have an aneurysm from rolling my eyes so hard. There's obviously stuff going on in her family with Breanna but I'm really in no position to judge. I have two cousins I don't even talk to anymore. But at the end of the day she's been rather inoffensive. Even in the exes challenge she and Jonna weren't going at it. And from what I remember of her RW season, she never blew up at anybody, even when goaded by production. She's really level headed and she doesn't get wrapped up in the politicking. I like that she just powers through it and has the confidence to win on her laurels instead of skating through the the finale (side-eyeing the Bananas). She's just like "Another pit? Whatever!"

[scrb]

I think the reason they underestimated her that they didn't know about her athletic prowess.

 

Someone on the previous challenge she was on said the only exercise she probably did was to make her butt shapelier.

 

But Jenna was a pushover or doormat on the RW season with Jay and then she quit on the previous Challenge (was it the Finals?) where they both refused to eat something.

 

But she's tall, in pretty good shape so probably is stronger than many of the girls.  The question is whether she has the heart or toughness to push through in cases of adversity.  She won those Pits but I'm not sure if it isn't because some of her opponents performed particularly  badly.