I love team Brooklyn! That game show idea was great and is very much a throwback to the old challenges in my opinion. Sarah's right, it's what challenges need to be about amidst the fighting.
Brooklyn had a great strategy solving the puzzle at the bottom of the mountain where it was fresh in their memory. However if I was on another team I would have rearranged their puzzle if given the opportunity the next trip down. Then again, perhaps no one noticed?
Nice to see the most common factors in all of the fights finally fight with each other for a change. The fake letter was priceless! However, I'm glad Ashley handled it appropriately and understood the story happening behind the scenes as just a prank. Could have been very embarrassing for CJ :-P
It was refreshing to see a heart to heart moment with Frank and Sam, although I don't think it really did anything to cheer Sam up, she still knows Frank thinks she sucks. Although I think Ashley should have gone in since they would have had a better chance at staying, I feel it was best that Zach went in. He has the most muscle to pull the teammate up to see the puzzle. The puzzle itself is quite simple. The guys are the ones that are actually doing the work to complete it in a way. Those pieces look way too different to mess up. I feel Frank would do better at Endurance.
[quote][B]Zach[/B] (The Challenge, Lisanti), 20 points: Zach and soccer goalies have something in common — neither is a big fan of positive reinforcement. Have you ever tried to get someone to do something they didn’t want to do? There are a lot of different approaches: You can reason with them. You can incentivize them. You can manipulate them. Or you can do what Zach and Frank the Alcopsychoholic attempted this week on The Challenge: insult, disrespect, and belittle them until they are so fed up, they do it just to shut your face. Let me set the scene:
Team San Diego is comprised of Zach (the football meathead HGH-ish one), Frank the Alcopsychoholic (the Alcopsychoholic one), Ashley (the dumb one with a body so ridiculous both me and my wife gawk at it), and Sam (the one with the Mohawk who looks like a dude but isn’t a dude). The four of them have been tasked with memorizing a pattern, finding the pattern on logs, carrying the logs up a mountain, and then re-creating the pattern at the top. Nothing in that last sentence really mattered aside from “carrying the logs up a mountain.” I have never done it, but from the looks of it, carrying logs up a mountain is not a relaxing recreational activity. Who knew?
During their second or third trip up the slope, Sam started to fatigue. Crazy, right? Now, imagine what you would say if you were in the middle of Turkey, wearing an Under Armour T-shirt with your name on it and doing some stupid team challenge and one of your teammates started to flag. Something supportive, motivational, goal-oriented, perhaps? Ya know, the usual “you can do it, go get ‘em” bull**** you’ve been hearing your whole life? That isn’t what Zach and Frank the Alcopsychoholic did. They veered left. Way left (2 x 5 = 10 verbal fighting points):
Event No. 1: Sam starts falling behind and drops her log.
How a balanced, considerate human would react: “Come on, Sam! After a quick break, pick up the log and finish this with us. Only a bit more — I know you can do this! You’re a bad *****!”
How Zach and Frank the Alcopsychoholic reacted:
Frank the Alcopsychoholic: “Sam, you’re going home if you don’t finish this. You know that, right?”
Sam: “I am bleeping exhausted, Frank.”
Frank the Alcopsychoholic: “I need you to stop complaining and try.”
Sam: “I am bleeping trying!”
Zach: “Sam, quit throwing a temper tantrum and WALK UP THE DAMN HILL!”
Frank the Alcopsychoholic: “BLEEP YOU, *****. STOP BEING SO BLEEPING SELFISH!”
Which motivational technique is superior? In terms of motivating someone to carry a log up a hill, I am giving this round to “balanced, considerate human.” However, if you ever want to motivate someone to have a temper tantrum, Zach and Frank the Alchopsychoholic proved that one surefire way to ensure someone throws a temper tantrum is to tell someone on the cusp of a temper tantrum that they are throwing a temper tantrum.
Event No. 2: On the last trip up the mountain, Sam stops and looks like she is in serious physical trouble.
How a balanced, considerate human would react: “Sam, are you OK? Maybe we should rest up a bit. We will get this done, girl, I promise.”
How Zach and Frank the Alcopsychoholic reacted:
Frank the Alcopsychoholic: “Let's go!”
Sam: “No. You are not going to degrade me just because we are in a bleeping challenge.”
Frank the Alcopsychoholic: “You are ruining it for all three of us! Let's go! Stop being so selfish!”
Zach: “Pick it up, pick it up. You’re almost there.”
Sam: “I am going. Please, please, please.”
Frank the Alcopsychoholic: “I AM JUST ENCOURAGING YOU! STOP WHINING! [Gritting teeth and using that “I am doing everything I can not to punch you” voice] WALK! WALK, RIGHT NOW!”
Sam: “Please lower your voice.”
Which motivational technique is superior? Again, I have to give this one to “balanced, considerate human being.” I also have to acknowledge Sam for her use of the word “please” in a high-stress circumstance. Not the first word that would come to my mind.
Event No. 3: On the way down the mountain, Sam is jogging, but a little slower than the rest of the team.
How a balanced, considerate human would react: “Sam, we are at the finish. All you have to do is lift your legs a little faster and let gravity to the work. You got this. We are literally steps away from the finish line.”
How Zach and Frank the Alcopsychoholic reacted:
Frank the Alcopsychoholic: “Get on my bleeping back, Sam! You’re slowing us bleeping down!"
[Frank the Alcopsychoholic reaches toward Sam to grab her. Sam pushes him away.]
Sam: “Get the bleep off me.”
Frank the Alcopsychoholic: “Bleep you, you bleeping lost it for us, you bleeping RUN! YOU FAT BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!" (For the record, Sam is not fat and she is running)
Which motivational technique is superior? Looks like a sweep for “balanced, considerate human being.”
Shockingly, Zach and Frank the Alcopsychoholic did not lead their team to victory and Zach ended up in the arena with Sam (10 points). They won, and Zach wore white leggings. It was easily the best high-pressure performance from an American man in white leggings since Brian Boitano in Calgary.
[B]Sam[/B] (The Challenge, Kang), 20 points: Look, I just hashed out how Sam scored for verbal fighting (10 points) and challenge-winning (10 points), so I won’t bore you with that. But there was a very important event this week that must be discussed. This event involves CJ (the punter from the Cancun season who is now “the TOP Punting Instructor in Florida”), and Ashley (she of the body at which both my wife and I gawk). CJ has a misunderstanding about courtship and a male-female relationship. He believes in romance. Allow me to present CJ’s plan for wooing Ashley:
Step 1, the groundwork: Following her around, laughing at her jokes, expressing interest in her topics of conversation and being attentive.
Step 2, preparing the move: Going out by himself and picking a bouquet of wildflowers. Writing a note to her that reads, “Hey girl, I thank God everyday for giving me such a beautiful woman inside and out to share this experience with. Seeing that your favorite number is four, that is why I chose four roses and added an extra three because seven is God's number and I was praying for his presence to be with you ... ”
Step 3, the move: Delivery of the flower and the note.
The Result: “CJ is a great guy, but I came into this with nothing but The Challenge on my mind. With CJ, I look at him as a friend and that is probably about it.”
Now, I don’t blame CJ for his misunderstanding of effective courtship. It's not his fault. For centuries it has been pounded into men's heads that things like attentiveness, caring, flowers, and corny crush notes are the way to a woman’s heart. I know it seems counterintuitive, but I would present another three-step plan to woo Lady Ashley of Amazingassington:
Step 1, set the trap: Flirt with her heavily at first, then flirt with other women in front of her, then stop flirting with her altogether. Her confusion and self-doubt are your wingmen.
Step 2, prepare the move: Apply alcohol, but not so much that either of you are drunk. The desired effect is “loosey-goosey.”
Step 3, physical move: Just lean in for a kiss. There really is no smooth way to do this. None. You cannot wait until there is a blob of mustard on her lip that you need to wipe off, you can’t wait until she drops something and you two bump heads both reaching for it; these things don’t happen in real life. Just kiss her. The first one will be kind of weird, but you will know in a millisecond if it worked.
The result: Could go either way, really. No one has a foolproof plan for this type of thing; I have no idea what I am talking about; none of this is actual advice that should be, ya know, followed. That’s crazy talk.
[B]Frank[/B] (The Challenge, Simmons), 10 points: Frank the Alcopsychoholic went inappropriately nuclear in a bunch of verbal spats with his teammates and ... and ... nope, that’s it (10 points).
[B]Jasmine[/B] (The Challenge, Kang), 5 points: How the hell did no one get drunk on The Challenge this episode? I've said it before and I will say it again: When I am running Bunim/Murray, I am putting a sign in the Challenge edit bay that reads, “No episode leaves this room unless the cast got so drunk in it we have to send it to the lawyers.”
Jasmine, you used to be so much fun, punching mirrors, hooking up with Ty and then decking him. What happened to you this season? Now you just cry (5 points) — it's like Shaquille O’Neal coming out of retirement and being a 3-point specialist. I feel like in an upcoming episode Jasmine is going to get inslopsicated, give the entire crew a lap dance, stab a Turkish policeman, and finally restore balance to the force.[/quote]
[url=http://www.grantland.com/blog/hollywood-prospectus/post/_/id/61522/grantland-reality-fantasy-league-the-return-of-the-greatest-real-housewives-of-all]via[/url]
[QUOTE=UrbanTactics;325630]I would consider Vegas to be the only solid team, not great, solid. Every team had somebody holding them back. Big Easy with Fresh Meat team. Lacey/Melinda with team Austin. Team NOLA altogether. San Diego has potential to be good, but Sam holds them back and as show on the episode last night, they clearly lack respect for each other.[/QUOTE]
Ah, my mistake I thought by a decent team you meant other power teams from this season (SD and such). I still don't see the arrogance from them at all (aside from one confident comment from Jonna), but fair enough.
[QUOTE=jojorules;325705]Chet, Dustin and Devyn def have had the best interviews and one liners of the season so far. Not sure if that's good or bad for the rest, but at least those three have good personalites and are funny. Good way to be asked back[/QUOTE]
Not sure about Dustin, but totally agree on Chet and Devyn! I definitely hope to see them back again.
This was the best episode of the season.
Finally a combined physical/mental challenge that the alliance couldn't rig. Though I wish they wouldn't put the two person teams at a disadvantage.
Great to see Sarah outsmart everybody.
Great sequence with the CJ/Ashley love letters.
Two best quotes from the whole season:
"Either Sam's gonna pass out, or one of us is gonna kill her"
and Jemmye's "Knight, I'm about to climb this ladder and drown you" in a southern accent.
I love Jemmye and Knight. They are my favorites so I'm sure MTV brings them back because they are fan favorites. Well at least I hope. It was sad to see them go but I was impressed by them, they never gave up.
I find it pretty interesting how Zach kept saying Frank only wanted him and ashley there and wanted Zach and Sam gone. From what I've heard in interviews, it doesn't sound like Zach was that good of a competitor. He is more like a MJ. Huge and could beat you in something physical but isn't that great of a competitor.
[QUOTE=Calinks;325428]I just want them to show Alton randomly crawling upside down on a ceiling like spider-man in the background. Like right after the argument, the camera pans up to a corner and reveals spider-Alton with a sinister smile watching on.[/QUOTE]
I haven't finished reading this thread yet, but I can definitively say that this is THE best post in the entire thing. Cannot be topped!
I was definately bummed to see Knight and Jemmye go home although it was inevitably going to happen at some point with them only being a 2 person team. I've really liked the both of them and they have been two bright spots in a season that has been somewhat questionable from the start from a personality/competition standpoint. Knight can be a little immature and annoying at a few moments but for the most part he is real and you can tell he has a good heart. Really hoping they come back I was impressed by Knight's preformance this season I somewhat thought he looked kinda out of shape but he never quit and had a competitive nature. I expected Jemmye to complain and give up like alot of other "prissy" girly girls but she proved me wrong. They're definately entertaining and have shown that they have competitive drive. Think they got the short end of the stick by having Preston and Mckenzie as teammates and I expect them to do better and have lasting impacts in potential future seasons.
I've now finished the thread and it's true: Spiderman Alton was the best comment. Ha!
Frank and Zach were disgusting this episode, as usual. Blah blah.
Props to Sarah for outsmarting everyone in the challenge this week. Negative props to every other team (except one other I believe) for not realizing that there were more logs on the ground than were involved in the puzzle. Really guys?! Putting the puzzle together at step 2 instead of at the top of the mountain was super smart by Sarah...but realizing that there were extra logs and only taking up the right ones should've been realized by everyone. Duh. Some of these people are truly unintelligent.
I wish producers would make the challenges more evenly competitive for 2-person teams. It would make things more interesting if being a 2-person team wasn't looked at as being a massive disadvantage; then we'd see teams start to backstab their own people, trying to dump their weaker players before the final, instead of fighting to keep their team together.
[QUOTE=Sloan;325764]I haven't finished reading this thread yet, but I can definitively say that this is THE best post in the entire thing. Cannot be topped![/QUOTE]
Lol!!! Completely 100% Agree!!
[QUOTE=Sloan;325790]I wish producers would make the challenges more evenly competitive for 2-person teams. It would make things more interesting if being a 2-person team wasn't looked at as being a massive disadvantage; then we'd see teams start to backstab their own people, trying to dump their weaker players before the final, instead of fighting to keep their team together.[/QUOTE]
It's actually kinda balanced. The olive oil challenge was easily rigged if you used your noggin, but with the right alliance a team of two could survive. Eric had a better grip with the rock challenge apparently, and Knight had less weight to carry in the chariot race (it was his fault for falling face first in the dirt at the starting line :sarcastic_hand:) It's kind of like the Gauntlet 3 where certian challenges benefited certain team compositions.
I'm wondering how far that hill was in miles. I'd like to see if I think I could perform well. :hypocrite:
I find it funny when Frank said, "They (Zach/Sam) haven't been able to win one challenge without me." One, that goes both ways, you haven't been able to win any challenges without them either. And two, they just did win a challenge, that you were supposed to go into, without you.
Ahhh, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who caught that. Frank is so obnoxious and self centered it'll just be annoying if they allow him to do another challenge. Can't wait to see the Dustin vs. Frank scene. Even though I did like him from RWSD, the more irrelevant arguments he stirred up the more I disliked him. Especially on Twitter...
I have it on good authority that this whole Zach/Frank friendship thing is phony as hell, at least on Zach's behalf, he doesn't like Frank. He knows Frank is a fragile little headcase and just did everything he could to kiss his *** and cater to him on this challenge. He wanted him to feel secure so that he wouldn't mentally unravel time and time again like he did on their Real World season, or be a liability standing between him and the money. If these guys are put on opposite teams on their next challenge together, I can 99.9% guarantee you that you will see the true colors of their relationship.
[QUOTE=townie;325832]I have it on good authority that this whole Zach/Frank friendship thing is phony as hell, at least on Zach's behalf, he doesn't like Frank. He knows Frank is a fragile little headcase and just did everything he could to kiss his *** and cater to him on this challenge. He wanted him to feel secure so that he wouldn't mentally unravel time and time again like he did on their Real World season, or be a liability standing between him and the money. If these guys are put on opposite teams on their next challenge together, I can 99.9% guarantee you that you will see the true colors of their relationship.[/QUOTE]
I completly agree with you townie this is exactly how I see it as well. I think Zach can at least tolerate him to a degree now unlike the RW season but he certainly still doesn't like him. In my honest opinion I don't have near as much of a problem with Zach then I do with Frank. Zach can definately be a douce don't get me wrong but he actually is a moraled sane human being and there are times where I actually find myself rooting for him (when he was talking about how he was going to go all the way to the bottom of the tank for Sam because Sam deserved to be there). It's kind of a shame that he kinda just gets included with Frank as "Zach and Frank ruined the challenge". It's not up to him that he's on Frank's team and you have to work together no matter how much you might hate someone in order to have any chance at winning. I definately wanna see how Zach comes across in a future season where he's not teamed with Frank and he can show his own personality and character without a psychopath having any influence over him.
I 100% think Zach is being manipulated by Frank, in almost every scenario of their challenge and out of challenge relationship, but Zach is no innocent. In fact he was the one who instigated throwing nanys clothes in the pool they just cut him out of the edit. He is still friends with Frank outside of the show, Frank is smarter than Zach he knows how to make Zach do what he wants. But is Zach better. Well I like him better and hes more enjoyable to watch, but he doesn't get a free pass just cause Frank is worse.
[QUOTE=El Scorcho;325804]I find it funny when Frank said, "They (Zach/Sam) haven't been able to win one challenge without me." One, that goes both ways, you haven't been able to win any challenges without them either. And two, they just did win a challenge, that you were supposed to go into, without you.[/QUOTE]
He actually won the "Chairman of the Board" without ANY help from Zach or Sam...
[QUOTE=SkylarGuy23;325795]It's actually kinda balanced. The olive oil challenge was easily rigged if you used your noggin, but with the right alliance a team of two could survive. Eric had a better grip with the rock challenge apparently, and Knight had less weight to carry in the chariot race (it was his fault for falling face first in the dirt at the starting line :sarcastic_hand:) It's kind of like the Gauntlet 3 where certian challenges benefited certain team compositions.
I'm wondering how far that hill was in miles. I'd like to see if I think I could perform well. :hypocrite:[/QUOTE]
True...but with the olive oil thing, you'd still have to wrestle twice as often as everyone else. Maybe your alliance could help, but being in that situation with two people is still worse than being in it with four. Eric did have a better grip on the rock challenge, but at the same time only had one person to carry rocks and drop them in other team's buckets. You are right about Knight and Jemmye in Insane Games...that is one challenge where being a two-person team wasn't a disadvantage.
It's plain to see though that the cast sees being a two-person team as being a massive disadvantage, because so far it has been. It would be interesting to see how that would change if challenges were created where it didn't make a difference how many people were on your team. I bet we'd see more teams trying to eliminate their own weak players.
[QUOTE=El Scorcho;325804]I find it funny when Frank said, "They (Zach/Sam) haven't been able to win one challenge without me." One, that goes both ways, you haven't been able to win any challenges without them either. And two, they just did win a challenge, that you were supposed to go into, without you.[/QUOTE]
That last part is so true...WTF?! I was thinking the same thing..."Umm, they just did..."
[QUOTE=townie;325832]I have it on good authority that this whole Zach/Frank friendship thing is phony as hell, at least on Zach's behalf, he doesn't like Frank. He knows Frank is a fragile little headcase and just did everything he could to kiss his *** and cater to him on this challenge. He wanted him to feel secure so that he wouldn't mentally unravel time and time again like he did on their Real World season, or be a liability standing between him and the money. If these guys are put on opposite teams on their next challenge together, I can 99.9% guarantee you that you will see the true colors of their relationship.[/QUOTE]
I really hope that's true, but what about their Twitter feeds? Judging from that, they still spend a lot of time together, outside the challenge. There have also been several interviews with Zach where he's indicated that he's still friends with Frank and likes him. That said, nobody would be happier than me to learn that that isn't actually true!
[QUOTE=alaskak94;325956]"I'm sorry but you guys got it"
LMAO TJ ... and Robb's reaction.
Happy that St. Thomas made it out alive this episode![/QUOTE]
I agree that was really cute!
[QUOTE=dylan76;325471]Gonna miss Jemmye, & to a small extent, Knight.[/QUOTE]
I agree. for those who haven't watched NOLA go back and watch it. While I can do without the whole pathetically petty Ryan/Preston junk ad most of the castmates being nonexistent the Jimmye Knight romance was one of the best stories in a while. For those who think Knight was a ********* ( and he was to Nany) watch how he treats Jimmye when he is courting her. He definitely has his bad moments, but the guy for the most part is funny and good guy. Jimmye is awesome. I was so sad to hear that they had broken up because if you see them on NOLA they become a very close couple and they stayed together for a couple of years afterwards. I was so glad to see them on a challenge they were their season ( at least the good part of the season), and I wanted them back on my television. I was sad to see them go, but it probably was their time.
And yes Knight needs to get in better shape, but he looked like that in his season too. I have always been suprised they said he had lost his athletic scholarship to his addiction because he never has looked that athletic to me.
[QUOTE=limax;326076]I agree. for those who haven't watched NOLA go back and watch it. While I can do without the whole pathetically petty Ryan/Preston junk ad most of the castmates being nonexistent the Jimmye Knight romance was one of the best stories in a while. For those who think Knight was a ********* ( and he was to Nany) watch how he treats Jimmye when he is courting her. He definitely has his bad moments, but the guy for the most part is funny and good guy. Jimmye is awesome. I was so sad to hear that they had broken up because if you see them on NOLA they become a very close couple and they stayed together for a couple of years afterwards. I was so glad to see them on a challenge they were their season ( at least the good part of the season), and I wanted them back on my television. I was sad to see them go, but it probably was their time.
[B]And yes Knight needs to get in better shape, but he looked like that in his season too. I have always been suprised they said he had lost his athletic scholarship to his addiction because he never has looked that athletic to me[/B].[/QUOTE]
Well while not playing hockey and excerising he was probably eating and drinking a ton...tearing a ligament in your shoulder is a serious injury. My dad tore his and he doesnt get his sling off for 10 weeks and your shoulder is obviously very weak even after the surgery...athletes lose their careers over it.
[QUOTE=Sloan;325790]I've now finished the thread and it's true: Spiderman Alton was the best comment. Ha!
.[/QUOTE]
Lmao, That is priceless. And I didn't care too much for this episode like many others. It was just...there. I'm surprised Sam didn't go off more when Frank was obviously "riding" her. God I can't stand him nor Zach. Ashley and Sam are the only reason why I haven't completely written off this team.
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