S25.E01: Live Free Or Die

[Tara Ariano]

Competitors arrive in South America to find they are playing individual games.

[Lantern7]

Chet, you hipster doofus douchebag. You quit the game because your face got cut, and you wanted to get stitches right away?!? Fuck you. Seriously, fuck you and your psuedo-career with MTV.

Okay, okay, I'll admit it . . . if Chet wasn't facing Frank, I wouldn't be as upset. Frank always needs to be knocked down a peg or five. Chet looked like he would hang in there, but then he gave up. And if Frank winds up winning, I'd like someone to feed Chet his own glasses.

I will admit that the gameplay idea is pretty sound, and that I like the "no one is safe" vibe. I didn't like the first mission, though, because there should've been more of an emphasis as to what failure would mean . . . like, say, the slowest overall time on the log plus five minutes.

The people blur together for me, so I don't have much of an opinion of the people I'm neutral on. I would not want to fuck with LaToya now that she's (figuratively) tasted blood. From the trailer, all I can remember is 1. CT is going to get voted into Elimination, and 2. Isaac is going to be stupid enough to piss him off. That sucks . . . I want to like both of them.

[Stinger97]

Not a terrible start to the season, though I hate when the game structure becomes too convoluted. It took me the entire hour and a half to figure out how people ended up in the elimination round. Thrilled, however, that somehow both Chet and Jemmye ended up in and then, well, out.

[pumpkinspice]

I loved it. LOVED it. Sure, I would have rather Frank go home than Chet, but Chet is annoying as hell too, so I'll take it. I think Frank may end up getting his with this new format.

When the challengers were flipping the cards, I was giddy. Giddy, I tell you. I can't wait to see how it all plays out. Should be interesting.

The only thing I would have liked to see differently. Secret vote, like on cutthroat. That needs brought back.

As for the challengers. I don't watch the real world, so I'm basing this solely on what I saw last night, as far as rookies.

Can't wait to see Latoya go. No class. At all.

Nia seemed pretty cool. But did it show a clip of her hitting people on her season? And she stayed around?

I liked how swift took up for his team.

New Johnny= boring

I've never liked Dustin. Seems sorta sleazy, so I didn't like to see him hooking up w Jess, I like her. And was SO proud of her!

Lose the beard, CT. Not a good look.

Grow some balls, Bananas.

Love Laurel. Hope she kicks ass.

Cara, you seemed up Camila's ass last night. That lost about 5 cool points with me.

STFU, Jordan. HATE.

Jasmine cracks me up.

Really like Jonna, and have no clue why.

Devyn's hair looked horrible. That was not hombre, honey.

Please let Brandon make it far.

Uggghhhhhh Teresa again? WHY?

Looking forward to next week :)

Edited April 11, 2014 by pumpkinspice

[katarzina]

I most excited to have Laurel and Issac back on our screens. Looks like its going to be an interesting season where no one is safe!

[Stinger97]

The only thing I would have liked to see differently. Secret vote, like on cutthroat. That needs brought back.

 

Agreed. The issue with a public vote is the mob mentality. While there's some of that in anonymous voting, it's so much worse here. If you know that X has 5 votes, and Y has 2, X obviously has a greater chance of going into the elimination and ultimately going home and, it's probably wise just to vote for X so as not to risk pissing Y off. Jordan basically said as much when voting for LaToya with his, "Since it seems to be trending..." If the vote was anonymous, sure everyone would strategize before heading into the vote, but there would be opportunities for blindsides and disturbance of the status quo. 

[NichD]

Absolutely. I pointed out to Joe Reid on Twitter that they actually went with his idea of preventing predictable alliances by changing the voting/team structure every week: http://previously.tv/the-challenge/angry-jonna/

But as he also pointed out, the public vote plus time to discuss it beforehand gives people a chance to get their ducks in a row, so to some degree, the alliances that make up the status quo will have a chance to defend themselves, which is too bad.

I'm looking forward to see how the new season is covered on the site, because I can't imagine anybody would attempt power rankings with dozens of individual players roaming around, many of them invisible in this first episode.

[hilaryvm]

I'm a little embarassed by how ridiculously excited I was for a new season of the Challenge.  I liked that they changed the format up, and tried to break up the need for alliances.  We'll see how successful they end up being.

 

I thought the vote strategy was interesting.  Do you get rid of the weak, but then have stronger competition at the end (but also, risk getting paired up with weaker players in future challenges), or do you try and pick off the strong, especially when you're already safe.  I'm looking forward to how this season will play out.

[Tara Ariano]

Here's Sarah's power rankings post for the season premiere!

[snarkpark]

Am I missing something with the kill card flipping?  How is the order determined?  Because it seems like the first girl/guy would have a 1/6 chance of getting the kill card...assuming they don't get it, the second person to flip has a 1/5 chance, so on and so on.  Why don't they all choose a card and flip them simultaneously?

[lilabennet]

I think it balances out OK.  If you go later someone very well may pull the kill card before you have to pick at all, while if you go first your odds are better.  In that situation which would you prefer?  I would definitely want to go last.  I am interested in learning how they choose the draw order, too.

[Radioactive Man]

It makes no difference if they do it one at a time or all at the same time. Picture it this way. If they all lined up in front of a card but instead of flipping it at the same time, they flipped the card in front of them one at a time. Everyone would still have a 1/6 chance. Now instead of doing that everyone stands back and walks up to the card that would have been in front of them anyway if they all lined up. The odds stay the same. That last scenario is essentially what they are doing. When they flip the card that would have been in front of them, where they stand and when they do it doesn't change the odds.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Radioactive Man

[lilabennet]

I think the draw order absolutely matters.  You are assuming that somehow everyone has a different card in their mind before they pick.  What if two people are planning to pick the same card, and it happens to be the kill card?  The first person to pick will go into elimination and the second person will be a little rattled but thanking their lucky stars that they weren't asked to pick before the other guy.  The scenario where they all flip at once is only equivalent to flipping one by one if production requires that they verbally point out which card they are each going to choose beforehand.

[KerleyQ]

We were discussing this last night, and, we were thinking it's best to go either first or last.  If you go first, you have a 1 in 6 chance, which is the best odds you'll get.  Going last means that you've got 5 chances ahead of you that someone else will pick it and you never even need to pick a card to flip.  I think, with 6 flipping, it would be the worst to be in that 4th or 5th spot.  Yes, there are chances that one of the first three get it, but if they don't, your odds suck by the time 3 or 4 blank cards have been flipped.  

 

As for the order, it should be random (and maybe it was and we just didn't see that process), like production drawing names out of a hat or the cast members drawing numbers from a hat.  

Edited April 12, 2014 by KerleyQ

[KraftEasyMac]

I didn't even realize the new season started until I accidentally happened upon it while flipping through the TV. *SO* excited to have Cohutta, Isaac and Laurel back on my TV. Even though they're always popping up, CT and LeRoy are always a plus for me. Barf to seeing the loathsome Johnny Bananas, Frank and Teresa again. I hope the individual format weeds those three off of my TV posthaste, but I'm sure they will (like always) find a way to politic their way into the finals. Although Johnny and Frank can campaign all they want, but the luck of the draw with the death card is the great equalizer, just like we saw tonight.

I feel like I don't know who about 1/3 of these fools are, as I've abstained from the past few seasons of RW. Didn't Dustin get in trouble for sexual assault? Guess that all went away...?

Either way, I'm excited to have this train wreck back on my television screen. I am the Challenge's bitch.

[Lantern7]

Actually, IIRC, Dustin did gay-for-pay porn before his stint in Vegas.

[Ladystardust]

Yeah, but I think Dustin also got arrested for sexual assault AFTER he was on RW for putting his hand up a girls skirt (without permission) in a club or something like that.

[Way Wes Jr]

It looks like Dustin may have done something In July of 2013.  But I'm too lazy (and frankly dis-interested) to fall into a Google-hole to get the particulars.  So, what a shock, a Challenge cast member may not be the best human being in real life.

While John is correct in saying that, "this isn't a team game, all of this changes tomorrow," it was interesting that Laurel's choices were the ones voted in.  Without his cadre/ groupies to hide behind, it looks like he'll be in trouble this season.  (Wishful thinking.)

I enjoyed the discussion on what the better strategy would be: try to vote of strong players, so that you'll have easier opponents in the final (which may be too forward thinking when the death card is in play.  Or in John's case, when you don't have most of your dependable alliance mates around.,) Or vote out the weak, so that when you are in a team or pairs challenge, you don't have a "Big Easy" like anchor around your neck.  John favors the former, as he is approaching "weak" status in comparison to his cast mates, Laurel favors the latter, as she's a beast.  (In the most positive way possible, folks.)

Edited April 13, 2014 by Way Wes Jr

[xfuse]

 

It looks like Dustin may have done something In July of 2013.

He was charged with sexual battery and resisting an officer with force. I remember the with force part because it sounded so stupid. Basically he was drunk at a bar with friends and a girl bent over and he lifted his leg and put his foot under her skirt. When the cops tried to arrest him he pulled on the cop and fell down.

I think the better idea was to vote in the strong players. You may be stuck with a weak teammate but so could the other side.

Edited April 14, 2014 by xfuse

[shelley1234]

Hi All!  I'm a TWOPer who has come over here to play.

I love The Challenges and all of their drunken dramatics.  

As for CT and his beard.....1) CT looks mighty fine, no matter what he does IMO.  2) He's from Boston and the beard is a thing these days.  

I do think this type of challenge would be better with a secret vote.  It makes it so that people can truly vote as they want to and not worry about the alliances that will still be there if it was anonymous.  I'd love it.  And of course the secrecy would also add to the drama and fighting.  

Chet.  What a douche.  I knew he was going to quit as soon as TJ gave him the option.  And Chet is the only guy who could make Frank look more likable.  Chet making some comment like "Thanks Frank" as if he cut his chin on purpose.  Boo.  I am so glad Chet is gone.  He's obnoxious and thinks he's better than everyone else, while having no actual skills. 

I did laugh that Bananas tried to control the voting in the first round and it totally didn't work.  Dude, you are not in charge...at least this time around.  

[Quality]

Am I missing something with the kill card flipping?  How is the order determined?  Because it seems like the first girl/guy would have a 1/6 chance of getting the kill card...assuming they don't get it, the second person to flip has a 1/5 chance, so on and so on.  Why don't they all choose a card and flip them simultaneously?

The order makes absolutely no difference. It's a 1/6 chance regardless.

Imagine it being only two cards. Would you say the first person has a 1/2 chance and the second person has a 1/1 chance so it's totally unfair for the second person? No, because your second 1/1 probability is already assuming the first person drew a blank.

[Stinger97]

Chet.  What a douche.  I knew he was going to quit as soon as TJ gave him the option.    

I totally agree that Chet is a douche, however I had to give him a pass for quitting in light of his injury. As he said, his face is more important than the slim chance at a big payoff down the road. And, don't get me wrong, I don't think Chet is some supermodel adonis like he seems to fancy himself, but I also know that if I had a gaping wound on my chin, I would elect to get stitches immediately rather than risk making the injury worse in some wrestling competition (that I'd likely lose anyway). But I've never been that competitive.  

I always laugh when TJ gets super indignant about someone quitting the competition (and this goes for Jeff Probst from Survivor as well). If you're so sick, or so injured and you're worried that it may actually affect your life beyond the game, you're totally justified in quitting. The Challenge is a silly TV competition, which, to my mind, isn't a great reason to be scarred (literally) for life.

[shelley1234]

 

As he said, his face is more important than the slim chance at a big payoff down the road.

True especially since the probability of Chet actually winning this thing is about 0.05%.  I don't know why MTV couldn't put some liquid stitching on it and then bandage it up and then Chet could probably continue without much of a chance of major continued damage, but well...watching the women, it was a beast of a competition.  And Chet wasn't even up against some of the bigger, badder guys.  I imagine he'd be dead if he was up against the likes of CT, etc.  ;)

[Lantern7]

Like I said, I'm mostly mad because Chet might have been able to beat Frank, and Frank getting eliminated first would've been awesome. Every time he opens his trap, he sets LGBT rights back about fifty years.

[joanne3482]

And Chet wasn't even up against some of the bigger, badder guys.  I imagine he'd be dead if he was up against the likes of CT, etc.

 

He wouldn't have been injured if he had been up against CT. CT would've just picked him up and put him over the line. Or carried him like a backpack. 

[shelley1234]

 

He wouldn't have been injured if he had been up against CT. CT would've just picked him up and put him over the line. Or carried him like a backpack.

Giggles.  CT carrying Bananas like a backpack will forever be my favorite moment in Challenge History.  

[Nena]

Like I said, I'm mostly mad because Chet might have been able to beat Frank, and Frank getting eliminated first would've been awesome. Every time he opens his trap, he sets LGBT rights back about fifty years.

I don't pay attention to any of the off-season stuff, so I was surprised to see Frank even came back.  I thought the whole point of those interviews he was giving during last season was to get himself blacklisted.  The question is, are they that desperate or is he that much of a whore (or both)?

[KerleyQ]

I don't pay attention to any of the off-season stuff, so I was surprised to see Frank even came back.  I thought the whole point of those interviews he was giving during last season was to get himself blacklisted.  The question is, are they that desperate or is he that much of a whore (or both)?

I thought I had some vague memory of Frank saying he wasn't doing it any more, and comparing himself (favorably in his own mind) to the people who do them over and over.  Not that I'm shocked he's a huge old fame whore, but I thought I remembered something along those lines. 

[shelley1234]

Frank is guaranteed drama, so as long as he wants a place at the table...he'll get an invite.  He's basically the same as Beth.  Everyone hates her, but will be a Lifer on the Challenges.

I think the only thing that will get you blacklisted is if you and MTV get sued for sexually assaulting someone on the show...*coughs* Evan and Kenny *coughs*  I doubt we will ever see those two again, but other than that, MTV couldn't care less if they tried.  

[kat165]

Are Evan and Kenny definitely off the show forever? As in MTV won't let them back in because of the Tanya thing.

I no longer watch Real World either, but I know most of the folks on this challenge. And I can't wait to see Frank leave. He's my choice for most loathsome challenger ever. Great to see Laural again & I like how it seems that she and Cara are still friendly. Did not like Laura for what she said to Big Easy, but she's a great competitor & she really redeemed herself a lot in my eyes when she befriended Cara Maria on their last challenge together.

I miss Brad. I wish he'd come back. Without the wife. So is Aneesa the "oldest" competitor on this challenge?

[Jobiska]

Well, if they didn't have the kill card done this way, they wouldn't have had a chance at that scene in the "this season on..." preview where someone (Jordan?) goes and flips them all on his turn, because he wants to go in for some reason.  I'm actually looking forward to seeing that.

I honestly don't think Chet had any chance of beating Frank, and he obviously didn't either, which weighted his decision (which I have no problem with).  Then again, I'd never go on a show like this in a million years to begin with.

Other than the barfing challenges*, the one thing I hate is how disrespectul they are to their lodgings, which do belong to someone (who surely is getting paid for it, but still) and have to be cleaned up by someone (who surely isn't getting paid nowhere near what they deserve to clean up after these pigs).  So I kind of sighed at the reminder when Cara Maria? and someone were saying "how long till this place is trashed?"  "30 minutes?" 

*And by barfing challenge I don't mean the challenge to us viewers, though I agree with KraftEasyMac above:

 Barf to seeing the loathsome Johnny Bananas, Frank and Teresa again.

 

Thanks for the giggle.  Barf, indeed.

[Lantern7]

I forget . . . why is Theresa barf-worthy?

[Jobiska]

Well, I mainly barf at the first two, but I kept the quote intact.  I don't particularly care for Theresa (nor for most of the cast, actually, sigh), but I don't feel immediate rage like for Frank and Johnny Yellowfruit.  KraftEasyMac will have to explain their reaction to Theresa.

[KraftEasyMac]

In all honesty, I can't even recall what she did on her previous season that grated on me, but she just left a bad taste in my mouth that caused a visceral reaction when I saw her on my screen this go-round. Honestly, I could have thrown any number of female names into that spot (Camilla, Jonna to name a couple off the top of my head). 

Edited April 18, 2014 by KraftEasyMac

[NichD]

Yeah, Theresa's always come across as generally whiny and unduly impressed with herself. Her moderate competence in basketball is the first positive quality I can recall her ever demonstrating.