Spoilers for Invasion of Champions

[annoyingone]

Here is the newly released trailer!

 

Someone also said the following person ends up winning which i am personally ok with...

Spoiler

CT wins

[Tatum]

13 hours ago, Sonoma said:

Men:  CT, Cory, Nelson 

Women:  Ashley, Camila, Nicole.

This season was set up so badly. I don't see the point of bringing in the Champions if the Challengers did not have to go up against them in an elimination. Fans wanted to see CT, Darrell, Laurel, and Cara Maria knock around the irritating newbies in eliminations, not each other! Most of the Challengers who made the finals basically slid in based on the set-up. The only positive was CT winning although I don't think he would have won the final had Darrell or Johnny made it in. I really wish it had been 1) Darrell, 2) CT, 3) Shane and 1) Laurel, 2) Jenna, 3) Cara Maria.

The good news is that with the social media excitement the Champions brought to the season they will probably bring more old-schoolers back in the future.

Which Ashley?

[OnceSane]

52 minutes ago, Tatum said:

Which Ashley?

It better be No Win Ashley.  If Champion Ashley once again does almost nothing and is rewarded again with money from a Challenge, I'll be annoyed.

[Tatum]

3 minutes ago, OnceSane said:

It better be No Win Ashley.  If Champion Ashley once again does almost nothing and is rewarded again with money from a Challenge, I'll be annoyed.

But she does cross fit!!

[Unclejosh]

It is Smashley from Explosion.

Discounting how anyone may feel about Chris Tambuerllo personally, has there ever been a better character arc then CT from the Real World to the current challenge?  From the first appearance of the cocky Boston Bad boy causing trouble to his amazing athletic prowess right from the start of his appearing on the challenge, to the fairy tale romance, break-up, romance, with Diem, all the fights, getting kicked off multiple shows and almost trying to murder a castmate only to come back in the best challenge moment of all time cementing his status as the most intimidating physical competitor ever on the show, to the kinder gentler wiser veteran begging for forgiviness from the guy he almost tried to kill years before (I mean he forgave Adam for throwing the last challenge in Rivals 1 which cost him going to the finals which they would have won), his caring of Diem when she got sick and being heartbroken when she passed, only to finally "grow up" and is now a father, comes back on the show after a long absence when it was possible he would not come back, only to win it all?

I know the above is a big run on sentence, but I cannot think of another reality show character that has reached such highs and lows hitting all emotions and finally achieving redemption after being in such a bad place and finally finding apparent peace and happiness as a father.  To win it all now is so much more impressive to me than Bananas 6 wins.

Amazing.

[Unclejosh]

Also interesting is that Jenna was kicked out for not completing some sort of challenge not elimination. Wonder if it is food related?

Considering the amount of money these Vets get in some cases, sometimes just going is good enough.  I have heard rumors going back years that people like Johnny, Wes, CT, Nany, etc get paid way more than everyone else just for appearing because they have big fan bases or are known to cause drama which is specifically encourage by the producers.  A lot of the behavior that many of us hate and rant about is stuff they are doing based on producer direction or suggestion.  I know Kenny or Even recently said that Johnny gets more than 60K just for showing up.  Nany has said she got a years salary for going in previous years.  

It isn't like the old days that is for sure.  Probably one of the reasons the Win Money has gone down from prior years, because they have to pay so much just to get certain people back on the show.  I mean you have to think CT gets at least what Johnny does if not more considering he has a higher Q rating and causes a bigger ratings bump when he is on.  I know at one point he got more than Wes and Johnny but that was before Johnny won a few more titles.  

So right there you have $120K just for 2 people in cast salary.  Figure Darrell and Laurel got a big chunk to come back and since Cara Maria and Camila have done so many they must be getting decent money too by now and you have just with the returning champions alone cast salary probably over or close to the total win prize.

Much easier to offer 500K in prize money when you are paying the cast $1,500 a week like they used to.

Dunbar specifically came back on his last challenge with the complete intention of leaving the first week because as a vet he got paid a big amount of money.  Who wouldnt take a trip for a week in some foreign locale and earn tens of thousands of dollars without having to really compete or be driven crazy by living in that house for 6 weeks?  

Brad will come back now that he is not with Tori anymore I think. Same with Derrick. Funny how as soon as both got separated/divorced they are trying to get back on the challenge.

[Tatum]

1 hour ago, Sonoma said:

Another interesting tidbit-- Derrick was an alternate and Brad is interested in returning as well.  I really hope they keep the kinda sorta old-schoolers coming since I think the true old-schoolers may have aged out unless they change the game back to more of what it was when it first began instead of the hard-core fitness contest and sole survivor type show Justin Booth turned it into. 

Yeah, we were lucky to get as old as Darrell and Derrick (potentially), honestly. (Old as in how long it's been since their show aired, not their actual ages). I mean, Campus Crawl was 2001, I think. Considering RR aired in 1994, Campus Crawl was actually closer to the debut of RR than it is to the Challenge today. But even mid 2000s regs like Paula and Robin are probably long gone.  Having kids, having real jobs that don't let you take 6 weeks off, and just generally being in your 30s and 40s and no longer wanting to sleep in bunk beds with a bunch of drunken idiots will have precluded the majority of old cast members from ever coming back.

 

A little surprised Brad, Derrick, and Darrell were interested in coming back, as they all have school age kids. I can't imagine that's too easy on the kids, losing one of the parents for that long.

[Unclejosh]

I would think that earning say 30K for 5 weeks max (if they get to a final it is even more) is worth it. Probably a big percentage of their yearly income in a very short period of time.

Actors and actresses do it all the time.

I think the restrictions and fines have more to do with some cast members not coming back more than being away or surrounded by the drunken idiots. You forget these are not regular people like you and me. There are fame hungry weirdos for the most part who if production treated the cast the way they used to would love to come back and get drunk and whoop it up like their glory days for a few weeks.

Trishelle was pissed that production no longer pays for their bar tabs and all alcohol and was a big factor in her not coming back.

[Unclejosh]

I think Cory comes in third not that it makes much difference.   Nelson is 2nd based on spoilers from another site.  

I bet they were hoping for good things from Theo. D1 athlete, cocky, loud, but he turned out to be a bust. I doubt he gets called back.

[Tatum]

35 minutes ago, Unclejosh said:

I would think that earning say 30K for 5 weeks max (if they get to a final it is even more) is worth it. Probably a big percentage of their yearly income in a very short period of time.

Actors and actresses do it all the time.

 

Even if the average person could get $30K for 5 weeks (not factoring prize winnings, and I think those that get a $30K sign up bonus are the exception, not the rule), after taxes, that's what, $20K? Not bad for 5-6 weeks, but then that means they can't have a regular job if they need to be out for 5-6 weeks. Plus, no health or retirement benefits. For someone with no dependents, waiting tables or working at Kohls, sure, that's worth it. They can always just quit their jobs if they can't get the time off. But for someone with kids to raise, and presumably a full time job so they can support their kids? I don't see how it's possible.

[Unclejosh]

Well me personally, I get 6 weeks vacation every year and that payday is more than I take home in a year after taxes, benefits, etc and I have 2 kids.  So theoretically if my work would allow me to take all my vacation time at once it would well be worth it.

Edited March 2, 2017 by Unclejosh

[Tatum]

I guess. I think six weeks vacation a year though is probably also unusual. I get 2 weeks. And it's usually not even worth it to take that, since I still have to do all the work anyways that amasses over my time away. But probably not a lot of credit risk analysts within the BMP crowd.

It does crack me up though if the real reason Trishelle has never come back is because she has to pay for her own alcohol.

 

When did BMP stop paying for alcohol? I remember on the Ruins and the Islands, that was a sore spot that they provided lots of alcohol and very little food, leading to a bunch of cranky drunk drama queens. Was it a liability thing? 

[Unclejosh]

Yeah I do get more than average. The benefits are great which sort of offset the low pay.

 

I dont think it was the only reason but I know she was pissed and ranting about it.  The whole atmosphere has changed. It used to be like a vacation and now it is like a prison stay just in an amazing locale they can't even use most of.  I know they get fined if they go outside of a small section of the property for example. No phones, no computers, no music, no tv, on cast nights out they must go or they get fined.

 

Not sure when it started, but I know they have to pay for it themselves now. Remember when CT got pissed he got stuck with a big bill a few seasons ago?  I also think they can only drink beer, wine, and clear alcohol and they have to sign out the bottles 1 at a time or some such regulations like that.  In earlier challenges they had full bars and pretty much all the free booze of every type they could ever want.

I think the food also is awful which is why you see the winners who got the special meal being a big deal to them.

Edited March 2, 2017 by Unclejosh

[Tatum]

3 minutes ago, Unclejosh said:

 No phones, no computers, no music, no tv, on cast nights out they must go or they get fined.

 

 

Wait a minute. It's mandated that they have to go out, but they still have to pay for their own tabs? That is super unfair.

 

You know what I think is funny about that? They act like it's so fun to go the local bars, but they close them down now so these kids are still just stuck with each other, no other locals to mix with.

I would laugh so hard if they offered a 5 figure sum to some of the older vets like Paula and Susie and Veronica, just to entice them to come, and the vets get on a plane, pocket their money, then spend every mission trying to get eliminated so they can leave. Teege would lose his mind.

[Unclejosh]

Yeah pretty sure Sarah or Susie or someone else on a podcast said that they have to go out or get fined. They also get fined if they dont put their mic pack on the minute they get up and keep it on until they go to bed.  If they take it off without permission they get in trouble.

 

I think Johnny knocking out one dude in  a bar and Camilla supposedly doing coke with another local on later challenge probably led to a lot of that.

 

I think if they made it obvious they wouldn't be allowed back.  I still think it is funny that they took back (or withheld) Dunbar's winnings from one challenge because of that porno he did.

[Keekski]

Wait, Brad & Tori got divorced? I am woefully behind on RW/RR/Challenge people.

[Decider]

Last report I saw was that Brad and Tori were separated, but that was a while ago so they could be divorced by now.

[luckyroll3]

Good for Brad.  She was awful.

[NoirDetective]

Wait, so how is this final going to go down?

The 2 Champs vs. 4 Challengers in the final worth a large lump sum to add to and ultimately split their team bank account? 

Then how do we get a CT/Nelson/Cory - Ashley/Camila/Nicole ranking? Who gets the team money?

[jsm1125]

I guess CT and Camilla are the 2 champs, and Nelson, Cory, Ashley, and Nicole are the 4 challengers. I hope that it becomes individual soon, as it seems awfully silly to not allow more than one champ of each gender in the final.

[Unclejosh]

I think this is the results.

 

1st Place - CT and Ashley

2nd Place - Nelson and Camilla

3rd Place - Cory and Nicole

[BK1978]

I wonder how Camilla beats Laurel.  Heck I wonder how Camilla manages to make it into the latter part of the season every season.  Same goes for Jenna. 

[Tatum]

I think Camila and Jenna are both decent athletes. Jenna didn't look too great during her first season (Battle of Exes 2- I still say had Jay not refused to drink the whatever gross thing it was, Jenna would have quit during either the next eating challenge, or the running and biking part), but she was a good competitor during both Bloodlines and Rivals III. Camila is a shrieking psycho, but she's a good swimmer/runner/can withstand extreme cold and other discomforts, and that's what 90% of these challenges are anyways.

[Unclejosh]

Reunion spoilers are out now.  Apparently Amanda hit Camilla (again!) and they had to be separated. Laurel had a breakdown and flipped out on Cara Maria over Nicole.  Cara Maria said Nicole reminds her of Abram and his controlling ways.  CT said the champions felt like they were punked and the format was not how they were told since it wasn't really an invasion since they just competed against each other instead of the underdogs which was what they were led to believe.

[luckyroll3]

14 minutes ago, Unclejosh said:

CT said the champions felt like they were punked and the format was not how they were told since it wasn't really an invasion since they just competed against each other instead of the underdogs which was what they were led to believe.

Glad we aren't the only ones disappointed and baffled by this.

[Unclejosh]

Oh and CT only won by 2.5 minutes over Nelson.  Ashley destroyed Camilla.  Nicole and Cory were knocked out early by a puzzle.