S10.E15: Las Vegas Season Finale

[Lantern7]

Quote

The season's best Ninjas tackle the toughest obstacle course in the world, vying for the $1 million prize.

Biggest concern for me: that Daniel Gil needs his hair dry to live, and he perishes in the first underwater obstacle ever done.

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, Lantern7 said:

Biggest concern for me: that Daniel Gil needs his hair dry to live, and he perishes in the first underwater obstacle ever done.

He has it pulled back! I almost didn't recognize him!

Edit: and he's out. Damn!

(Side note: Akbar saying the new obstacle is tricky immediately popped Run-DMC into my head. Now I will be singing that all night.)

Edited September 11, 2018 by ams1001

[Lantern7]

Just now, ams1001 said:

He has it pulled back! I almost didn't recognize him!

. . . and he dropped before he got anywhere near the final obstacle. Maybe his power diminishes if his hair is bunned up? Seriously, if he had run with the hair free,, he would've had more than enough time to fix his hair under a swimming cap.

[ams1001]

1 minute ago, Lantern7 said:

. . . and he dropped before he got anywhere near the final obstacle. Maybe his power diminishes if his hair is bunned up? Seriously, if he had run with the hair free,, he would've had more than enough time to fix his hair under a swimming cap.

(Heh...I edited my comment after he fell.)

Now I want to see one of them all prepared with swim cap, goggles, maybe some flippers...

[Hellga]

21 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

. . . and he dropped before he got anywhere near the final obstacle. Maybe his power diminishes if his hair is bunned up? Seriously, if he had run with the hair free,, he would've had more than enough time to fix his hair under a swimming cap.

It was all in the hair!  He definitely jinxed himself by tying it all back! 

I wonder if Chris Wilczewski failed on wingnuts because he was subconsciously nervous of facing the underwater obstacle...

[Lantern7]

Looks like water is enough to thwart a Phoenix. Poor Najee. No return to Stage Three for him. I don't think he was jobbed but that obstacle makes shit go sideways.

[Hellga]

13 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Looks like water is enough to thwart a Phoenix. Poor Najee. No return to Stage Three for him. I don't think he was jobbed but that obstacle makes shit go sideways.

He was so close!  Poor guy.

[Hellga]

Grant McCartney is once again getting more air time than half the actual competitors! 

[Courtney]

That water obstacle is freaking insane.

I do like the new obstacle, Deja Vu.  It's a cool combination of problem solving, strength, and timing.

[Lantern7]

Holy cow . . . Sean Bryan goes to Stage Three in consecutive years. You think he'll get attention from the Vatican? Maybe get an 8x10 of the Pope, with "You call yourself 'Papal'? Ninja, please!" And he'd be making finger guns and winking, because Pope Francis I is that chill. Well, as chill as a Pope can get.

Stage Two in the little window? That's cold, man. Seriously, I hope that is retired next year. It worked in Ninja vs. Ninja because they were showing highlights in slowmotion.

[Hellga]

Well, at least Sean Bryan did it!  He is good.  And all the prayers probably didn't hurt either! :)

7 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Stage Two in the little window? That's cold, man. Seriously, I hope that is retired next year. It worked in Ninja vs. Ninja because they were showing highlights in slowmotion.

It's worse than the "while you were away" thing, the ads are distracting from whatever is happening in the little window, especially the sound.  I found it's not as terrible if I mute it.

Edited September 11, 2018 by Hellga

[ams1001]

The little window is even worse when you're watching on a little TV. I'm watching in my parents' kitchen while I fix lunches for the next couple days. On a 13" screen, I could barely see what was happening.

[Hellga]

Yay!  Drew Dreschel is the second finisher!  

 

And I am really glad they are now giving consolation prize to the best of the season even if they do not complete the course.  That feels more fair.

Edited September 11, 2018 by Hellga

[Lantern7]

4 minutes ago, Hellga said:

Yay!  Drew Dreschel is the second finisher!  

And given that Sean got WWWAed earlier this season, I'm betting Drew gets the $100K.

[Hellga]

I see Geoff Britten on the sideline!  Hope it's a good sign that someone finishes the whole thing this year!

[EllenB]

C'mon, Drew, save me from the Papal Ninja Twit!

[Hellga]

I don't exactly want to see Grant's llama face in the middle of Drew's run - which is, I suppose, had to be the omen of the fall to come in the next couple seconds.

At least Drew got something for his years of consistently good performances in this sport.

[mtlchick]

Drew wins! Ok not win it ALL but I was hoping he would be the last one standing so I'm good.

 

See you next year kids! 

[Lantern7]

Is it good or bad that I don't think Matt and Akbar rehearsed their reaction to Drew's fall? That's gotta be in the top five for 2018, right? Not as epic as the one with Jessie's wipeout, but still reeking of gobsmack. And can you blame them? I know Ultimate Cliffhanger isn't a "gimme," but I would've thought Drew would have cleared it, redesigns and all.

14 minutes ago, EllenB said:

C'mon, Drew, save me from the Papal Ninja Twit!

He's not pompous or godbothering. Okay, "Papal Ninja" is a little much, but he seems nice. Same for Daniel Gil, only he's so much lovelier to gaze upon.

Who wants to start the countdown to USA vs. The World? Or Ninja vs. Ninja? Would anyone here watch the kiddy version? I'm on the fence with that one.

[slf]

I dislike the underwater doors. I feel like putting that last, when the competitors will already be short on breath is just wrong.

I was rooting for Drew so I'm happy he at least got the 100k.

[enoughcats]

For me, the Finale was not at all satisfying to watch. 

Why did TPTB decide we needed to see rehashes of some of he same old PR stories?  And I felt sorry that the competitors got short shrift (WWWA) while minute after minute was wasted:  some on how the guys had failed previously and some on the same old stuff.

One kidney guy may have gotten the largest number of air minutes this season.  His kidney's new home is a pretty girl, but, come on guys,  enough is enough, even for you.

The water challenge didn't require swimming.  That is silly, it's like a climbing challenge wouldn't let you use your hands.  That water challenge was very like the old land lifting of doors, except they had to wade through really thick air.

When I think of the millions that NBC and others have paid actors for each episode of some shows, the awarding of a 100K runner up check really seems cheap. 

[mlp]

I couldn't believe they started the finale with a very long and boring background story about some guy's girlfriend and he didn't even get through stage 2.  That did not bode well especially when there was so much of interest going on.

I was so hoping that Daniel Gil would make it all the way this year.  Maybe he's like Samson and needs his hair flowing.  

I had no idea that Najee  has asthma.  It's no wonder he was worried about holding his breath.  I don't remember ever seeing him check his heart rate before.  The ninjas don't have to be under water as long as I expected but having to deal with the heavy doors against the water pressure when they're already winded from running the course has to increase the difficulty tremendously.  

It seemed like most of the excitement this season centered on falls and failures which can't be helped I guess but I enjoy it more when my favorites succeed.

[Nonja]

4 hours ago, Hellga said:

And I am really glad they are now giving consolation prize to the best of the season even if they do not complete the course.  That feels more fair.

Me too, I think it makes all the difference in the vibe of the finale. It was so anti-climactic the last two years with no winner, feeling like ".....Yay?".  At least with this Last-Ninja-Standing prize we still have a reason to celebrate for someone. 

[chitowngirl]

9 hours ago, Hellga said:

Yay!  Drew Dreschel is the second finisher!  

 

And I am really glad they are now giving consolation prize to the best of the season even if they do not complete the course.  That feels more fair.

And as soon as they announced that, I knew no one was going to win the million dollars.

[ProfCrash]

6 hours ago, enoughcats said:

One kidney guy may have gotten the largest number of air minutes this season.  His kidney's new home is a pretty girl, but, come on guys,  enough is enough, even for you.

Honestly, his is the only story that I like them repeating. The wait lists for transplants is pretty long so any air given to the idea of organ donation is a good thing. Kidney donation is risky but easier to broadcast because it allows you to discuss the donation without the donor dying before hand. I guess it is more dramatic then bone marrow donation.

Other then that, the back stories at this point are silly. We know who most of these people are by now. If we don't know who they are, then NBC needs to take that into consideration and give them a bit of air time, at least air their complete runs, before they get to the final episode. At this point, I really just want to watch the runs.

[Good Queen Jane]

I knew Drew was going down on Stage 3 when they started his run with only 5 minutes left in the show. C'mon, NBC, build some suspense. It's taped so they know how much time they have. Do a highlight show after the last run to fill in the time, but start the last run at least 15 minutes before the end.

[ProfCrash]

58 minutes ago, Good Queen Jane said:

I knew Drew was going down on Stage 3 when they started his run with only 5 minutes left in the show. C'mon, NBC, build some suspense. It's taped so they know how much time they have. Do a highlight show after the last run to fill in the time, but start the last run at least 15 minutes before the end.

LOL I guess DVRing the show and fast forwarding through so much stuff has it's advantages. I don't pay that much attention to how much time is left, I use the 30 second fast forward button so I don't see the time bar, so I had no clue how much time was left when they started Stage 3 or Drew's run. So it is a win-win-win. I get to watch on my own time, fast forward though the stories, and not have the suspense ruined because of the timing. WOOHOOO

I am glad that Drew won, he seems to be a good guy. I would have been fine with either of the Stage 3 folks winning but I know Drew's name and not the Papal Ninja so Drew ecks him out in my mind.

I wish Najee had finished but I don't tie the asthma to swimming. I know folks on swim team with serious asthma. I suspect that it is more a matter of being comfortable in the water. I think Drew said it best, he used to dive and knows that you can hold your breath for a period of time before your body really needs to go for air. I suspect that Najee is simply less comfortable in the water and has not done all that much swimming. He appeared to do fine with the doors, he simply wasn't comfortable with holding his breath under water. That is something that he can learn pretty easily.

[Fukui San]

I wish that the difficulty of the 2nd stage wasn't so ridiculously amped up. I want to see around 6-10 people try the third stage. Not just 2.

The difficulty level of the first stage is about right for this field. It's serious and can eliminate anyone, but 24 or so people cleared it. Third stage seems right but it's hard to tell with only 2 contestants. Drew Dreschel fell where he always seems to fall, though, in US or Japan.

[Taeolas]

So what I found funny is they outed the guy who made the two 'deadliest' obstacles on Stage 2. The same guy who made the Wingnuts that have become so popular, also made Deja Vu. 

 

He better be careful, or a mob of Ninjas will be visiting him in a dark alley before he submits his obstacle design ideas for next year. :) 

 

More seriously, I was a bit surprised Wingnuts took out so many people. I guess by the time you get there,  you've swung so much, you've got no gas left in the tank to go the distance. Still, most seemed to be making it to the 3rd and trying the 4th wingnut, so next year it will probably be better.

 

Deja Vu was a deceptively evil obstacle. I think more Ninjas will try to get it off the edge before doing their swingdowns, just so they won't have 2 hops to do. Maybe next year they'll change it so you have to move the first bar up to a locking lip before swinging around again. 

 

I do like the change to the wall climb task that ultimately took them out; making the walls clear does seem to make it a bit funner to watch. I think the footstep before the first leap makes that leap too easy; but it's such a killer task it's probably fine. Both Drew and Sean seemed to reach to the other side instead of leaping. 

[BarneySays]

16 hours ago, Hellga said:

Grant McCartney is once again getting more air time than half the actual competitors! 

There are some ninjas i don't care for, many about whom i'm agnostic, but only a few who really annoy me- because they are so extra.  And this guy is at the top of the list- along with the wiry one with the glitter and the one with the corn dog.  I think the three of them are all friends, no?  McCartney needs to learn to dial it down, because I imagine his charm[sic] is wearing thin with others as well. 

13 hours ago, enoughcats said:

Why did TPTB decide we needed to see rehashes of some of he same old PR stories?  And I felt sorry that the competitors got short shrift (WWWA) while minute after minute was wasted:  some on how the guys had failed previously and some on the same old stuff.

Amen.

[enoughcats]

51 minutes ago, Taeolas said:

More seriously, I was a bit surprised Wingnuts took out so many people. I guess by the time you get there,  you've swung so much, you've got no gas left in the tank to go the distance. Still, most seemed to be making it to the 3rd and trying the 4th wingnut, so next year it will probably be bette

Riddle me this:  the Ninjas who train in Ninja studios know the Wingnuts and are somewhat more comfortable with them than other contestants.  BUT with comfort comes (perhaps) a relaxation, a letting down ones guard, and the distraction of thinking ahead.  Meanwhile the makers of the course are changing Wingnuts and some other 'standard' obstacles in little ways:  the orientation of the nuts, the strength  needed to move some of the ratchets, distances between landing posts. 

Hanging by your finger tips...make the last part such that they've gotten used to propelling with their leg muscles and when the legs don't hit anything to slow them down....then the legs lead and the fingers slip off the ledge and the body goes down.  Wet.  

If you expect an obstacle to be a+b, and it is, but has a twist at the end, an*, you make it through a+b but the * at the end hits you unexpectedly.

If you are a novice, it's all newish to you, you keep your guard up and you become unexpectedly one of the 20 to finish stage 1, as the more experienced are wringing the water from their t-shirts.

[ClareWalks]

Grant McCartney used to be one of my favorite ninjas. I loved it when he got that haircut and looked really good and wasn't yet a total whore for cameratime. Now it's at the point where I can't even stand to look at him. Whenever he and/or Natalie Duran is on the screen I turn away.

Congrats to Drew for a job well done! I felt bad for Najee. I agree that he looked really uncomfortable in the water and that was more his downfall than the asthma itself. I think he was defeated by the water before he even got to it, which sucks. I hope he practices in a pool before next season in case they have a water obstacle again.

[ketchuplover]

I think they should take into account where someone actually fell off rather than the last completed obstacle.  

[ams1001]

5 hours ago, Taeolas said:

More seriously, I was a bit surprised Wingnuts took out so many people. I guess by the time you get there,  you've swung so much, you've got no gas left in the tank to go the distance.

Also they have to get swinging side to side almost from a dead hang; a lot of them seemed to have a little trouble getting a good swing going.

 

5 hours ago, Taeolas said:

Deja Vu was a deceptively evil obstacle. I think more Ninjas will try to get it off the edge before doing their swingdowns,

I was a little surprised they were allowed to move it down while still holding onto the other bar. Maybe next time they'll have to have both hands on it before they can get it off the upper hooks. (I have to say, I was pretty impressed by the first guy who did it; that swing around looked cool.)

 

4 hours ago, BarneySays said:

McCartney needs to learn to dial it down, because I imagine his charm[sic] is wearing thin with others as well. 

I liked him a lot at first but he's gotten a little eye-rolly with the antics.

 

4 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

Grant McCartney used to be one of my favorite ninjas. I loved it when he got that haircut and looked really good and wasn't yet a total whore for cameratime.

He looked so much better with the short hair.

[Destiny74]

I have loved Grant for years.  I find him adorable.  However, I really need him to show well next year.  I can't with the antics from the sidelines...it's a bit too much.  If he was doing well on the courses, he might be somewhat more focused and not as goofy on the sides.  He was always a cheerleader for his friends but never quite so visible as this year. 

[Ilovepie]

On 9/10/2018 at 6:58 PM, Hellga said:

At least Drew got something for his years of consistently good performances in this sport.

I bet Joe M is kicking himself for wiping out on Stage One this year when he has been last man standing multiple times.....I am glad it was Drew though, he deserves it. "Papal Ninja" seems like a nice guy, but the nickname drives me nuts considering he is an IT guy and not a priest. I did like how supportive he was being of Drew considering he was so close to earning $100,00.

It was heartbreaking to see Najee time out so close to the end. I couldn't tell if it was his asthma or just being gassed out. It almost looked like a panic attack - maybe the underwater stuff stressed him out?

I can't believe so many wiped out on the wingnuts - I thought all the ninja gym people would have spent the last year practicing on them. ANW should just hire the kid who designed them - he seems to have a gift for designing diabolical obstacles.....

I'm sad the season is over, it kind of signals the end of summer for me. Oh well, there's always next year.......

[eel2178]

On ‎9‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 7:14 PM, Hellga said:

It's worse than the "while you were away" thing, the ads are distracting from whatever is happening in the little window, especially the sound.  I found it's not as terrible if I mute it.

I think the are expecting all of us to have 48" TV screens.

[eel2178]

On ‎9‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 8:04 PM, Lantern7 said:

 I know Ultimate Cliffhanger isn't a "gimme," but I would've thought Drew would have cleared it, redesigns and all.

I knew they wouldn't get past it because neither of them have a background in rock climbing. That's what it takes to get past the "hang by your fingertips" obstacles.

[MelinaBallerina]

For some reason, this finale is more disappointing than normal.  I mean, we pretty much expect no winners, but only having 2 people make it to stage 3 was a letdown.  Maybe I'm still just feeling bummed that Moravsky fell so early.  He's always been a favorite of mine.  If Drew hadn't of made it to 3, I think I would have turned off early.  No offense meant toward whats-his-name, but I like to watch the people who've caught my eye and he just hasn't.

[eel2178]

On ‎9‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 8:23 PM, slf said:

I dislike the underwater doors. I feel like putting that last, when the competitors will already be short on breath is just wrong.

I think it is just plain dangerous. The possibility of Shallow Water Blackout is way too high. Drew touched on that briefly when he was talking about free-diving.

http://www.shallowwaterblackoutprevention.org/how-it-happens/

On ‎9‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 12:16 PM, ClareWalks said:

 I felt bad for Najee. I agree that he looked really uncomfortable in the water and that was more his downfall than the asthma itself. I think he was defeated by the water before he even got to it, which sucks.

Swimming is actually a very good type of exercise for asthmatics.

[enoughcats]

Speaking of rock climbers:  the phrase professional rock climber is sometimes used.  I googled and found my state (TN) has several.  Who knew?

But I can't help asking what makes one rock a professional rock and other rocks just amateurs.

[ClareWalks]

28 minutes ago, enoughcats said:

Speaking of rock climbers:  the phrase professional rock climber is sometimes used.  I googled and found my state (TN) has several.  Who knew?

But I can't help asking what makes one rock a professional rock and other rocks just amateurs.

Good question! I think there are competitions, maybe they are sponsored athletes like with Spartan races and stuff. And they might teach at or own a climbing gym, or do guided climbs and hikes.

[Hellga]

3 hours ago, enoughcats said:

But I can't help asking what makes one rock a professional rock and other rocks just amateurs.

LOL.  Professional rocks are snazzier and better dressed, of course! 

On ‎9‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 10:04 PM, Lantern7 said:

Who wants to start the countdown to USA vs. The World? Or Ninja vs. Ninja? Would anyone here watch the kiddy version? I'm on the fence with that one.

I think I will pass on all the spin-offs except the USA vs. The World.  Definitely no interest in the kids competition.  

[VartanFan]

I think you're a 'pro' when you get any money from competing (i.e. sponsor and in some sports you get a 'pro card').

Quote

Riddle me this:  the Ninjas who train in Ninja studios know the Wingnuts and are somewhat more comfortable with them than other contestants.  BUT with comfort comes (perhaps) a relaxation, a letting down ones guard, and the distraction of thinking ahead.  Meanwhile the makers of the course are changing Wingnuts and some other 'standard' obstacles in little ways:  the orientation of the nuts, the strength  needed to move some of the ratchets, distances between landing posts. 

I think it's a mix of things - - maybe many can do wingnuts after a bit of a workout in practice....but not after all the grip obstacles beforehand.  Add to that some extra nerves and ***SPLASH***! 

I"m happy because Daniel Gil fell - and relatively early.  You gotta hurt for Najee - - even as he was checking his heartrate, I was thinking 'maybe do that for fewer seconds!'.  

Finally, I thought I had noticed it in prior episodes, but something was jarring for me in this final.  They're using fake Matt and fake Akbar for some of the voiceovers.  They're edited in on some of the back and forth.  

[Psychobunny]

I finally finished the season and here are my comments.

Drew has grown on me over the years, so not mad that he got some money. I also don’t hate the runs shown in the little window. I prefer it to WWWA since I get to see the entire run although they always seemed to show a run that was the length of the commercial so you could guess about how far they would get. Ever since I saw some episodes of Satsuke I have wanted a water challenge. A real ninja should be good at more than upper body strength. I need to see them do balance obstacles and the underwater one. I also like some of the new obstacles. Cane Lane is deceptively evil and a great addition IMNSHO. As with many others here, I am bugged by the sob stories. I particularly hate when they play up cancer cases or “tumors” as if they were life threatening. There were two examples that really bugged me. One was a woman with thyroid cancer. While nobody wants any kind of cancer, thyroid cancer can be treated with surgery to remove the thyroid and one pill of radioactive iodine to get any residual cells. The hardest part is that they sometimes have to go off any supplements for the pill so their thyroid is low and they can be exhausted but the pill has no side effects and you basically just have to stay home for 3 days until the radioactivity is out of your system. The total recovery is about 2 weeks, so it is hard to equate it with cancers like leukemia that require months of debilitating radiation and chemotherapy. The other was one whose wife was presented as having a brain tumor when she apparently had a pituitary adenoma which is a benign growth that affects your hormone levels, rarely requires surgery and is treatable with hormone supplements. Again, annoying to have but not a disease that will shorten your life span or significantly affect your functioning, once your levels are under control. I understand that they need back stories but they tend to sensationalize everything.

[jhlipton]

On 9/10/2018 at 7:04 PM, Lantern7 said:

Would anyone here watch the kiddy version? I'm on the fence with that one.

I have a niece who's abvout the right age so I'll definitely be watching!

On 9/11/2018 at 8:05 AM, Fukui San said:

The difficulty level of the first stage is about right for this field. It's serious and can eliminate anyone, but 24 or so people cleared it.

Exactly 30 cleared stage 1.  That's a good number, I think.

On 9/12/2018 at 5:57 PM, enoughcats said:

I can't help asking what makes one rock a professional rock and other rocks just amateurs.

Professional rocks get endorsement deals.  You can tell them by the decals they have plastered all over.

[Taeolas]

Yeah, Stage 1 was in the sweet spot for contestants. But one of the unexpected wrinkles was just how many veteren ninjas got taken out by Stage 1, and how many newbies got in. 

With 30 Ninjas, Stage 2 should have had about 5 finishers. And as a returning obstacle, Wingnuts should NOT have been as bad a killer as it was. But a perfect storm hit Stage 2. Lots of newish Ninjas running it, which means Wingnuts was basically 'new' again, and DejaVu being an unexpected Ninja killer as well; superficially there's nothing all that difficult about it, but a lot of ninjas went down on it. I didn't count, but DejaVu and Wingnuts probably took out almost 20 of the 30 Ninjas.  *checks* 11 failed on Wingnuts, 10 on DejaVu. 3 'finished' (or made it past Wingnuts), the remaining 5 were on the Salmon ladder and 1 on the first obstacle. 

I fully expect both Wingnuts and DejaVu to return next year, along with the Waterwalls. So Stage 2 should be mostly the same next year, other than swapping Catch and Release and maybe changing the leaping obstacle after DejaVu. 

[mlp]

So did they film a celebrity version after the finals again?  USA vs. the World?  Team NW?  Do we have dates for any of those?