S25.E12: A Walk In The Clouds

[Tara Ariano]

The final six competitors race up an active volcano.

[Stinger97]

The two most unlikeable competitors won? Seems about right for this show. 

[TiffanyNichelle]

Thanks for reminding me why I used to hate Zach so much. He was so lowkey and cute this season (the Sleeping Beauty thing) that I forgot. I hate that Laurel won but I loved her treating him like he treated Sam.

Of course Johnny won. Of course. I don't know why he has to be such an ass about everything when he can actually physically compete.

Good for Devyn for finishing.

Edited June 27, 2014 by TiffanyNichelle

[jsm1125]

Say what you will about Laurel in general, but I was SO happy that somebody finally brought up the incredibly shoddy treatment of Sam in Battle of the Seasons.

[mojoween]

Damn it all to pieces. I didn't realize until Teej was getting ready to announce the winners how much I wanted Johnny and Nany to win. Nine minutes ugh.

I wish I knew the time difference between the guys.

Those noises Zach was making! I mean, I am totally sure he was in massive amounts of pain with that big body and that altitude. But it was also sweet, sweet justice for how much of a dick he was to Devyn.

At least Devyn didn't have a crying fit on the bikes. I give her total props for finishing. Four and a half hours is a long ass time to do something so shitty.

[KerleyQ]

Sam must have been watching that and cheering.  I mean, I liked Zach this year, but, yeah, he and Frank were total shits to Sam, so karma came calling. 

 

And, yeah, the two I least wanted to win won.  Of course. 

 

Did Laurel use her money to get some work done?   She looks different on the reunion. 

[Charmqn]

Man, if nany didnt throw that tantrum on the bike, she probably would of won. I didnt even know I was rooting so hard for nany and Boston johnny until I was watching the show throughout the night. nany impressed the shit out of me.

 

But, I wished Ev or Emily would have been on this challenge. I feel like they would have knocked Laurel down several pegs.

[ShadowSixx]

Dammit, I was so hoping that Portland would win the whole thing, he sure as hell had a shot. I'm really hoping that by winning five, Bananas retires and let someone else enjoy some victory. Bow out gracefully like Mark did. Nany screwed up by having a complete meltdown on the bike, she should have stayed on and continued.

 

I will say that I'm proud of all of them for finishing and none of them quitting even though Zach and Devyn seemed like they were about to just give up and no longer continue. Devyn more than Zach cause she really pushed herself to finish. Still find her annoying though.

 

I really hope Zach doesn't sound like that in the bed and I think MTV overplayed those sounds as I don't think he made them that often. I was glad Zach was able to laugh at himself while watching and hearing himself.

 

I know it's different watching it than seeing what they have to go through but I can only imagine climbing up that volcano in the freezing cold and riding a bike when your body already feels like giving out on you.

[ghertigirl]

 

Dammit, I was so hoping that Portland would win the whole thing, he sure as hell had a shot. I'm really hoping that by winning five, Bananas retires and let someone else enjoy some victory.

No, that won't happen.  Bananas confirmed on the reunion that he hasn't had a real job (or any job) since college.  This is how he supports himself.

 

I surprised myself by crying when Devyn finished.  I loved that.  She had no chance in hell at winning but she finished which was such a proud moment for her.

 

Loved Laurel for bringing up Sam to Zach.  I'm not sure that the lesson got through to him though.

[Lantern7]

Of course, Johnny Fortune and the Killbot win. So much for last season and CT winning in spite of Wesley. Nice that we're back to the sucking.

 

Honestly, I can't give Johnny any credit. Even the whole "put the pieces of the trunk back together" thing that probably won it for him, I'd chalk it up to frustration. It would hurt me to give him credit, because he's a shithead who constantly needs to be knocked down a peg. This season, Jordan came the closest, but nothing bad sticks to Johnny, and I fucking hate him for it. And I can't believe he broke Darrell's record with his fifth Challenge victory. That alone is proof that the show is broken.

 

[Quick tangent: It's okay to refer to Darrell as "Pootie Tang," right? He had the crazy-ass sideburns, and he coined the phrases "Inforuno," "Poorlest," non-flexibilist cat," and "I ain't come at you foul!"]

 

As for the Killbot? Well, thankfully, Zach didn't lose it for her; otherwise, all the Disney princesses in the world wouldn't have been able to save him. And I did love her for bringing up Sam in the BOTS finale, because it was soooooooo fitting. Can you imagine the reaction at Sam's house? Shit, do you think Sam still follows BMP after Zach and Frank tried to shred her mentally? I'd like to think she saw it and grinned.

 

Devyn should host the show. Honestly, screw Teege. She's the closest to Melissa and Coral that we're going to get, and she's funny as hell. Why subject her to brutal final missions where she's doomed to finish third and get whatever is in Jon Murray's couch? Fuck Teege.

 

"Whatever" to Nany. I'm sure Hutty can do better. And I wouldn't mind seeing Other!Johnny in a future Challenge. Actually, it's kinda weird that we're not getting anything BMP-related after this season. I feel we need a palate-cleanser to wipe away the stink of Johnny's fifth win, even though anything BMP is destined to suck. At least we'll be getting a double dose of Rob Dyrdek goodness in two weeks, even if he's just producing one of the shows.

[TD3000]

I was prepared for Laurel to win from the start, so I wasn't quite as disappointed as I could have been. I kind of doubt Nany's meltdown cost her; she was probably only off her bike for a couple minutes. She might be thinking about that for awhile though. Still a great performance, especially considering she's not much of a workout warrior.

 

Quite the run for Johnny as a rookie, even with the luck he received along the way.

 

Zach cramping up reminded me of LeBron James in the NBA Finals. Maybe it doesn't pay to be a huge, physical specimen in certain environments?

 

Gotta hand it to Bananas, he may not be the biggest, fastest, or strongest, but he's a well-rounded competitor who has the attributes to keep succeeding in these Challenges.

 

I'm so happy about Deyvn finishing. Sure, she was dragging behind the entire way, but knowing what we knew about her, did anyone expect her to finish? I'm open to discussion, but I tend to agree that this was the hardest Challenge final ever. Only thing that would've made it worse was if they had to eat gross stuff in the middle of the race.

[Charmqn]

 

And I can't believe he broke Darrell's record with his fifth Challenge victory. That alone is proof that the show is broken.

 

i;m still mad that Darrell punched Brad on the Ruins. He would have been 5-0. But, I still see Darrell and Landon as the GOAT.

Edited June 27, 2014 by Charmqn

[TiffanyNichelle]

We can talk about the reunion here? Theresa is a punk. Don't threaten to punch someone and when they step up to you say that you won't give me them the satisfaction. Never make a threat you can't back up.

I want a Cohutta of my own.

[ShadowSixx]

I think with Zach, he wasn't breathing correctly since his muscles wasn't getting any oxygen and he was cramping up, I'm thinking he may not have been breathing correctly to have the oxygen pass through his muscles so that his muscles can breathe. Bananas is muscular in his own right but I think Bananas has more of those lean muscles and not have those stacked muscles like Zach.

[SophiaPehawkins]

Those noises Zach was making. Oh my gosh. He was probably in a lot of pain, but he sounded so wimpy. Good for Laurel for calling him out on the way he treated Sam. Doesn't feel too good, Zach right, when the shoe is on the other foot?

I was really impressed by John Reilly. Not only was he low-key and left the drama at home, but he was so positive when he did all the different a heats with the three girls. Didn't blow up at Devyn and even told her there was nothing to apologize about after she kept saying sorry. Even in his THs, he didn't bash her. Maybe he did, and they didn't show it, but I want to believe he's that nice of a guy. I was super impressed that he finished the mountain climb first. I'm also interested in knowing what the time difference was between him and Johnny.

[RedheadZombie]

Zack probably had an electrolyte imbalance and/or dehydration. People often underestimate the need to stay hydrated when exerting in the cold.

[LoLo]

   Devyn is a terrible competitor but I thought she handled it well & i'm proud she finished. Zach cannot blame his loss on her. He was not rowing correctly, it wasn't her fault the canoe flipped. He was terrible at this final. He was worse than Wes being carried by Kenny or CT running out of gas. He stunk from the start.

If Nany wouldn't have wasted time on the spider & crying off the bike she would have won. I was surprised she did as well as she did. I think both Johnny's motivated her as well. I was impressed with both Johnny's patience with her & Devyn.

 

   Johnny R did an all around fantastic job & I didn't see that coming. He was also gracious & humble. I could not stand him on his season of the RW but he came in here & besides luck, he was a nice guy & aligned with the right people. He knew his place as a rookie & accepted it.

 

   I'm sick of the Bananas complaints. He's a much calmer, nicer person now & he proves time & time again he can win. He didn't have back up this season, none of his usual friends & he delivered. I feel the same way about CT. He's more mature & likable. People do change. Bananas said it on the reunion, he's never once said he was the best.

I didn't feel this was the hardest final ever. Do they say that every season? I thought Battle of the Exes was much more physically demanding, mostly due to the temperature & altitude. The entire race was in the snow.

 

   The reunion was nothing special for me. Devyn's story about being in the van ran way too long. They glossed over Jordan's douche behavior. Nany getting mad at Bananas for talking to his roommates about her was insane. She's the one that did it. They felt bad for their friend & she's mad at him? 

I was prepared for Laurel to win from the start, so I wasn't quite as disappointed as I could have been. I kind of doubt Nany's meltdown cost her; she was probably only off her bike for a couple minutes. She might be thinking about that for awhile though. Still a great performance, especially considering she's not much of a workout warrior.

 

Quite the run for Johnny as a rookie, even with the luck he received along the way.

 

Zach cramping up reminded me of LeBron James in the NBA Finals. Maybe it doesn't pay to be a huge, physical specimen in certain environments?

 

Gotta hand it to Bananas, he may not be the biggest, fastest, or strongest, but he's a well-rounded competitor who has the attributes to keep succeeding in these Challenges.

 

I'm so happy about Deyvn finishing. Sure, she was dragging behind the entire way, but knowing what we knew about her, did anyone expect her to finish? I'm open to discussion, but I tend to agree that this was the hardest Challenge final ever. Only thing that would've made it worse was if they had to eat gross stuff in the middle of the race.

She was only 9 minutes behind Laurel. Add a few minutes off her bike with a few minutes freaking out over the spider. It might have been enough. We don't know how it was edited.

I think with Zach, he wasn't breathing correctly since his muscles wasn't getting any oxygen and he was cramping up, I'm thinking he may not have been breathing correctly to have the oxygen pass through his muscles so that his muscles can breathe. Bananas is muscular in his own right but I think Bananas has more of those lean muscles and not have those stacked muscles like Zach.

I felt for Zach. I know what it's like to be like that where you literally cannot move. But, then I remembered how badly he treated Sam. He even shoved her at one point. Maybe it was karma paying him back. Then when you watch the canoe part, he was very bad at that too. It was not all Devyn's fault. He was rowing incorrectly & freaking out. He panics easily. He basically sucked at every part of this final.

Of course, Johnny Fortune and the Killbot win. So much for last season and CT winning in spite of Wesley. Nice that we're back to the sucking.

 

Honestly, I can't give Johnny any credit. Even the whole "put the pieces of the trunk back together" thing that probably won it for him, I'd chalk it up to frustration. It would hurt me to give him credit, because he's a shithead who constantly needs to be knocked down a peg. This season, Jordan came the closest, but nothing bad sticks to Johnny, and I fucking hate him for it. And I can't believe he broke Darrell's record with his fifth Challenge victory. That alone is proof that the show is broken.

 

[Quick tangent: It's okay to refer to Darrell as "Pootie Tang," right? He had the crazy-ass sideburns, and he coined the phrases "Inforuno," "Poorlest," non-flexibilist cat," and "I ain't come at you foul!"]

 

As for the Killbot? Well, thankfully, Zach didn't lose it for her; otherwise, all the Disney princesses in the world wouldn't have been able to save him. And I did love her for bringing up Sam in the BOTS finale, because it was soooooooo fitting. Can you imagine the reaction at Sam's house? Shit, do you think Sam still follows BMP after Zach and Frank tried to shred her mentally? I'd like to think she saw it and grinned.

 

Devyn should host the show. Honestly, screw Teege. She's the closest to Melissa and Coral that we're going to get, and she's funny as hell. Why subject her to brutal final missions where she's doomed to finish third and get whatever is in Jon Murray's couch? Fuck Teege.

 

"Whatever" to Nany. I'm sure Hutty can do better. And I wouldn't mind seeing Other!Johnny in a future Challenge. Actually, it's kinda weird that we're not getting anything BMP-related after this season. I feel we need a palate-cleanser to wipe away the stink of Johnny's fifth win, even though anything BMP is destined to suck. At least we'll be getting a double dose of Rob Dyrdek goodness in two weeks, even if he's just producing one of the shows.

How did Jordan come close to knocking Johnny down a peg? He called him out & didn't back it up. I don't see that as coming close.

[LoLo]

Damn it all to pieces. I didn't realize until Teej was getting ready to announce the winners how much I wanted Johnny and Nany to win. Nine minutes ugh.

I wish I knew the time difference between the guys.

Those noises Zach was making! I mean, I am totally sure he was in massive amounts of pain with that big body and that altitude. But it was also sweet, sweet justice for how much of a dick he was to Devyn.

At least Devyn didn't have a crying fit on the bikes. I give her total props for finishing. Four and a half hours is a long ass time to do something so shitty.

The times were all listed. If you add the together Bananas total time was 8 hrs 16 minute. Johnny R's was 8 hrs 43 minutes. Zach's was 10 hrs 25 minutes. What really put Bananas ahead was his bike ride finishing at 61 minutes vs Johnny R's finishing at 1 hr 23 minutes.

Both Johnny's had Devyn for the harder part too.

Edited June 27, 2014 by LoLo

[Tara Ariano]

Here's Lilit's post on the finale!

[riggins]

"But the puzzle is also a carnival of ignorance. Laurel flat-out admits she doesn't know where La Paz is. I bet Cara Maria does."

 

Since Cara Maria couldn't even remember what a continent was, I'm going to go with her not knowing where La Paz is lol.

 

I'm SO HAPPY Laurel won. She deserved it this season, and honestly, I didn't find her to be as bad as everyone else does. I find her ruthless/no feelings thing pretty entertaining. And after they showed her and Cara's fight in the mid season trailer, I assumed that Laurel threw Cara Maria in, and when  that didn't happen I was kind of like 'Oh that's it? That's not really so bad...." 

 

Zach should thank his lucky stars that he didn't cost Laurel the win, because she probably would have thrown him off that mountain.

I've never been a huge Bananas fan, but I'm giving him major props for his performance in the final. He never got frustrated with any of his partners, and he became a 5 time winner. Definitely a champ.

[sunrisepink]

If I wanted to watch professional athletes compete, I would watch sports. I miss the days of the first Battle of the Sexes when the competitors were amateurs and the ending wasn't so predictable.

[Universalhunter]

I like Laurel a lot as well. Maybe there was something that wasn't shown, because that fight they had looked to me like a fight a lot of best friends would have and be over and laughing about it in 5 minutes.

I was impressed by Nany on the volcano climb, but if Zach hadn't crapped out, the margin between Laurel's and Nany's time would be larger. He came close to costing her the win and that's why I hate that they partnered them up. She probably would have actually punched him in the face.

[yogi2014L]

Here's Lilit's post on the finale!

 LOVED the recap..too funny, loved the soccer reference :-)

 

My thoughts:

Nany- I am so glad she nearly beat Laurel. It was actually a close race! Obviously I would have preferred she won but at least Laurel didn't blow her out of the water. I felt you on the spider girl. Terrifying

 

Johnny Portland- I really like him , was sorry he didn't win. Johnny B killed it on the bike tho- he had 20 minutes on Johnny Portland. I thought he was really supportive and nice to Devyn during the hike/climb whatever. Other challengers take note. Please don't ever change

 

Devyn- glad you finished, but I still wish this was not a partner thing. I feel like it would have been so much better if this was a flat out individual race.

 

Johnny B- I like you now, I don't know why. Its a new thing I'm not comfortable with yet. I do think he is a nice person in real life, and so what if he's never had a job. I have a job I hate. If I could do something like this and make a living while traveling the world and working out and partying I would be happier than a pig in shit. Good for you Johnny B- living the dream lol

 

Zach- I really hope you learn something from this and change your douchebag ways. Other than that you were funny overall when you werent being a dick to your female partners and I enjoyed watching you/ogling you. Please never wear shirts. 

 

That being said, this would have been so much better if the contestants were against each other- no duel gender winners either, and no freaking partners. If that was the case I think the winners would have gone like this:

 

Johnny B

Laurel

Johnny Portland 

Nany

Zach

Devyn

[LoLo]

It honestly didn't matter who knew where La Paz was located, or any of the other cities for that matter. Obviously knowing that would have helped, but the other solution to that puzzle was putting the PIECES together. They were cut in a specific way.

Bananas was the only one to figure that out, and kudos to him because he and Devyn saved a lot of time there. Between not using the entire 30 minutes for the puzzle and absolutely killing it on that bike (I was seriously impressed with the stamina), he gave himself enough of a cushion to not have to go toe to toe with Reilly to the top of the volcano.

I find it hilarious that Bananas made it to the finals because of a puzzle and won the final partly due because of a puzzle. Who knew?

The puzzle & the bike ride put Bananas in the lead.  Round 1 (canoe) he beats Johnny R by almost 5 minutes, Round 2 (hike & puzzle) he's 11 minutes behind Johnny R, Round 3 (trail) he's beats Johnny R by 33 minutes, Round 4 (bike) he beats Johnny R by 22 minutes, Round 5 (volcano hike) Johnny R beats Bananas by 32 minutes.

 

Bananas beat Johnny R 3 out of 5 rounds. He won by about 27 minutes give or take. The puzzle was smart on his end. Some won't give him credit for being the only one to figure that out. It did save him time. 

 LOVED the recap..too funny, loved the soccer reference :-)

 

My thoughts:

Nany- I am so glad she nearly beat Laurel. It was actually a close race! Obviously I would have preferred she won but at least Laurel didn't blow her out of the water. I felt you on the spider girl. Terrifying

 

Johnny Portland- I really like him , was sorry he didn't win. Johnny B killed it on the bike tho- he had 20 minutes on Johnny Portland. I thought he was really supportive and nice to Devyn during the hike/climb whatever. Other challengers take note. Please don't ever change

 

Devyn- glad you finished, but I still wish this was not a partner thing. I feel like it would have been so much better if this was a flat out individual race.

 

Johnny B- I like you now, I don't know why. Its a new thing I'm not comfortable with yet. I do think he is a nice person in real life, and so what if he's never had a job. I have a job I hate. If I could do something like this and make a living while traveling the world and working out and partying I would be happier than a pig in shit. Good for you Johnny B- living the dream lol

 

Zach- I really hope you learn something from this and change your douchebag ways. Other than that you were funny overall when you werent being a dick to your female partners and I enjoyed watching you/ogling you. Please never wear shirts. 

 

That being said, this would have been so much better if the contestants were against each other- no duel gender winners either, and no freaking partners. If that was the case I think the winners would have gone like this:

 

Johnny B

Laurel

Johnny Portland 

Nany

Zach

Devyn

I agree on your entire comment. Bananas, I could not stand back in his Evan & Kenny days. I started liking him on Battle of the Exes. Like CT  he's matured. He will always be the clown & loud but I don't think he's an evil person. Funny how people can love CT who physically assaulted people & accept his change but not Bananas who only used words. I've read & seen interviews over the years where other players have said Bananas is a very loyal & good friend who is there if you need him. That speaks to me.

 

I did not like Johnny R during his season on the RW, or anyone on that season. The way he came in & accepted he was a rookie & wasn't pissed about it made me like him. He was respectful & wasn't scared to go in. People that say he didn't deserve to be there because he never went into an elimination are holding his luck against him. He really showed up at the final & I was impressed with how he treated everyone & how well he did. It seemed like they were all truly happy for one another & I like that.

 

I don't really agree with this being the hardest final ever. I think they say that each season. I still feel Battle of the Exes had a brutal final. The altitude was hard the entire time & everything was in the snow. I'm not saying this one was easy, it was much harder than Battle of the Seasons or last season's Rivals. 

I'm sorry, I will always dislike Bananas. He still makes it hard to like him. I don't know what it is but something about him. Over it that he won. Also that Laurel, too. Ugh.  The reunion show was,...also eh. Aside from the fact that Cuthhutta might be the most adorable guy ever on this show, I think Nany is going to break his break his heart.  I don't know. I was disappointed. The only thing kind of interest is that Zach got third when I thought he would get 2nd, everything else I could have predicted would happen a week ago. 

 

CT was hilariously at the reunion for no real reason. All the other people had segments that they were there for but CT didn't have one. I don't mind, I always love CT but they didn't really bring up a reason for him to be there. I mean, they talked about how Thersea lost to Laurel in the last draw but they didn't bring up CTs loss to Johnny(or did they? Maybe I'm not remembering right).

I felt the same way about the reunion. They focused too much on non important issues like Devyn in the van. Way too much time on that. Nany fidgeting & making weird faces, she always has strange behavior in interviews.

 

I did not like Bananas for many of seasons, but now I don't mind him & the fact that alliance, team or by himself he is good. Other people make more arrogant comments then him but he is held to a higher standard & everything he says is blown out of proportion. I find Jordan's behavior much more hard to watch or get over. 

[yogi2014L]

 

 

I did not like Johnny R during his season on the RW, or anyone on that season. The way he came in & accepted he was a rookie & wasn't pissed about it made me like him. He was respectful & wasn't scared to go in. People that say he didn't deserve to be there because he never went into an elimination are holding his luck against him. He really showed up at the final & I was impressed with how he treated everyone & how well he did. It seemed like they were all truly happy for one another & I like that.

 

 

ITA on the disliking Portland people on the season. Nobody was really likeable at the time ( Maybe Jessica). I like Johnny now but didnt during the season. I still dislike Jordan-him and Laurel can go on to have the worlds most speshul snowflake robo children who I hope i never meet....and if I never see Nia again I will be happy. I was happy she went home early so I didn't have to fast forward through her segments anymore. Maybe Johnny grew up since Portland?

Edited June 27, 2014 by yogi2014L

[Kat]

 

What really put Bananas ahead was his bike ride finishing at 61 minutes vs Johnny R's finishing at 1 hr 23 minutes.

Yep. I was practically screaming during the bike ride because Johnny R. was keeping up with Bananas at first and then dropped back. Considering the 32 minute lead Portland had at the end, if he'd biked even 10 minutes faster, he would have won. SO annoyed.

 

I really felt sorry for Zach...until he called Laurel stupid and all of the other misogynistic bullshit coming out of his mouth during/after the rock climb. Come on dude! He did seem appropriately chagrined during the reunion however. 

[Ladystardust]

I feel like some of the people that were awful on their RW season but not as bad on The Challenge is due to them having a shitty person who backed them up on RW. Johnny Portland had Averey (I almost quit watching that season because I couldn't stand her). Nia was an awful person, but Averey was just petty and underhandedly bitchy - she was like the mean girl in high school who never really grew up. Zach had that blonde girl on RW: San Diego that I can't remember her name who shared his homophobia. Zach is a completely different person here than he was on RW. I feel like neither Zach or Johnny would have been quite as awful if they didn't have another shitty person to distance themselves from the rest of the group with. Not that that is any excuse, but they both are really much more likable on their own. 

 

Also, I am not a Johnny Bananas fan, but I really have to give him some credit for the way he treated Nany and Devyn when he was partnered with them. I kept expecting him to start screaming at them or yelling insults, but he was really nice to them the entire time. A lot of the other guys really need to take note of this - a little positive reinforcement goes a long way on these things. If I had someone screaming insults at me the whole way I would probably have quit on the first half. 

[mojoween]

I wonder though how the ladies feel after the fact when Bananas is so nice to their faces and then they see the confessionals where he's such a dick.

At least Zach said "fuck you" directly to Nany's face.

[KerleyQ]

Zach cramping up reminded me of LeBron James in the NBA Finals. Maybe it doesn't pay to be a huge, physical specimen in certain environments?

 

You know what occurred to me in both instances (LeBron and Zach)?  Steroid use can make it easier to dehydrate (thus leading to cramping).  And steroid use wouldn't shock me in either guy. 

[LoLo]

ITA on the disliking Portland people on the season. Nobody was really likeable at the time ( Maybe Jessica). I like Johnny now but didnt during the season. I still dislike Jordan-him and Laurel can go on to have the worlds most speshul snowflake robo children who I hope i never meet....and if I never see Nia again I will be happy. I was happy she went home early so I didn't have to fast forward through her segments anymore. Maybe Johnny grew up since Portland?

He probably did grow up & away from his roommates behaves differently. I too can't stand Nia. When I saw she was cast I was like "ugh". Then I thought, well maybe we will see another side to her & she looked physically like a threat. But then, just like Jordan she didn't do anything. Poor performances. Then her flirting with the guys in hopes they would keep her made it even worse. They won't keep you because you're cute or sexual if you can't help their game.

We can talk about the reunion here? Theresa is a punk. Don't threaten to punch someone and when they step up to you say that you won't give me them the satisfaction. Never make a threat you can't back up.

I want a Cohutta of my own.

Much like Jordan's threat, "I will send you home". 

They probably feel the same way he feels when he sees and hears them talking crap about him in the confessionals. They ALL do it. It's part of the show, for better or worse. Now who the producers decide to show talking mess in the confessionals once the show airs is out of their control.

That's why the majority of these castmembers don't take most of these confessionals personally. Also, a lot of the commentary is purposely taken out of context or from another session that has nothing to do with the situation they're showing.

I agree. Everyone talks about everyone. For some reason Bananas comments are always blown up. It was ok when CT when & got Johnny's boxers  & Bananas wasn't talking about Cohutta alone. But he takes the brunt of it. Just like when Bananas beat Jordan & celebrated. People said that was arrogant. I thought he celebrated on a low level for what Jordan said & did in the house. If Jordan won, he would have erupted & would be boasting about it forever. I thought Bananas handled it well & even shook his hand afterwords. Bananas caught flack for yelling at Camila to "hurry up & not give up" but Zach doesn't catch anything for shoving Sam or telling her he would "beat the gay out of her" or "bite her face off".

 

Most of them tell each other what they said in interviews before they are aired. If you read their tweets, they are all mostly cool with each other. 

[RedheadZombie]

I found it interesting that Zach and Devin had opposite strengths and weaknesses.  Devin was weak physically, but strong enough mentally to finish.  Zach was the strongest guy there, but very weak mentally.  I think Zach was unable to shake off the disastrous canoe leg and his absolute certainty that he was going to drown, freeze to death, fall off a cliff, etc.  He's like a doomsday hypochondriac.

 

I agree that this wasn't the most difficult challenge ever.  Probably the biggest reason why - they didn't have to eat huge amounts of disgusting food that they either vomit back up (causing dehydration) or carry around like a brick in their stomachs.  Also, they did have a period of sleep and warmth.  I think it was in Rivals II when they spent the entire night with one partner standing on a rock while the other slept.  Neither partner ending up sleeping much, and they seemed cold through the night.

 

I don't like Nany, at all, but for a girl who's not super athletic, she was impressive.  Her crying was extremely annoying to me, and I bet Devin was pissed that the producer talked her out of it.  In fact, there's no way the producer could have refused to allow Nany to quit.  All she had to do was march over to the tent and lay down.

 

I like Laurel, although not as much as Rivals I.  Her trash talking and intimidation are often seen from males, and I think it works for her.

[OnceSane]

Damn.  I really wanted Laurel to get second place again just for the look on her face.  Okay, to be honest, third place.  I would have fallen off the couch laughing if Devyn beat her.

 

 

I surprised myself by crying when Devyn finished.  I loved that.  She had no chance in hell at winning but she finished which was such a proud moment for her.

 

I teared up a little myself.  I'm so glad she didn't give up.

 

Johnny Portland impressed me so much this challenge, & not just during the final.  How did he do it?  By acting like a reasonable human being who thinks of others on occasion. 

 

Bananas & Laurel...not surprised.  Maybe now that Laurel's won one, she'll be done.  I kinda hope not because I'd like to see a powerhouse girl take her on.

 

ETA: I almost forgot.  Ha ha ha ha ha, Zach!  Now you've had a tiny taste of how you treated Sam.  & look, you almost quit on Laurel's ass too!  Now, did you learn anything? 

Edited June 28, 2014 by OnceSane

[Nena]

I think my issue with Johnny Backpack is they don't show the "new" him on the show.  We hear about it outside, or on the reunion, but on the episodes they still have the CM/Johnny rivalry.  Later we hear they've been working out together every day.  Show us THAT instead of them voting each other in with flashbacks to prior series.  With CT, we've seen him change.  They bent over backwards to show it on Rivals.  If CT sees something that 10 shows ago he would've been doing, he'll actually intervene and stop it.  Show us Johnny stepping into an argument telling someone else to lay off, or more scenes like the guys telling Laurel she was in the wrong.  Otherwise, it looks like he's intentionally putting on an asshole persona for the show.  Give them none of the old Johnny footage and only new, mature Johnny, and they can't do that anymore.

[Cherry Cola]

The final challenges are kind of boring to watch. Meh.  There is no way I could do what they had to do, but Zach being a big ole whiney baby was kind of funny, especially when he thinks he is such a bad ass. I am so glad that Devyn finished. I am proud of her. She is strong for doing that! The 25 mile bike ride was ridiculous. As much as I can't stand Bananas, he sure has proved he can do these challenges. 

[ladle]

Must be my post-partum hormones, but damn if Devyn finishing didn't bring a tear to my eye.  There was some weird editing with that, though. They kept showing the rest of the group celebrating being at the top, and then they would cut to Devyn by herself at the top of the mountain.  I wonder if they had let the others go home by the time Devyn made it up?

 

The flashback to the Sam incident and Zach getting his comeuppance was the single best thing about this whole season.

 

Is it just me or did one of the teams have Oaxaca north of Vancouver?  Just wow.

[kat165]

The best part of this episode was the call-back to Sam and Zack's treatment of her. Good for Laurel on that one.

[dangwoodchucks]

I had to lol at the start of the final. Devyn's in full makeup, Nany had some makeup on, but Laurel only had her game face on. I'm glad Laurel won, but I was impressed that Devyn finished.

 

I didn't watch Johnny R's RW season, but I was really impressed with how he was on this challenge. Drama free and I think even if he hadn't had the luck he did with the draws he would've accepted whatever came along for him. Like Cara pointed out at the reunion, he was agreeable with whatever order they wanted to do the draws and just happy to be there. He was also impressive with his performance in the final. He beat Johnny (I refuse to call him Bananas) up the volcano by 32 minutes, and even ran the last bit to the flag. A great job for his first challenge. Too bad he didn't win.

 

I liked how everyone cheered each person to arrive at the summit and the celebrating together at the end.  That view from the top looked awesome.

 

Johnny was right to acknowledge this was the most difficult challenge he's been on. Only he didn't mention that part of it was because he had no alliance protecting him and ended up in a few eliminations. That being said, he did win those eliminations and even if you get to the final you have to bring the physical to win. Which he did, and he wasn't mean to Devyn on that stage of the final, he even carried her. Still not happy he won.

 

I really enjoyed the format of this challenge. So many variables thrown in, even though they could still use friendships to not vote some people in. Glad players finally grew some balls and started saying Johnny's name for eliminations. I also loved loved loved that it was only luck which determined whether you went into that last elimination game, no physical challenge and vote beforehand.