The Challenge: Free Agents - The $350,000 Pyramid

I was disappointed by devyn's attitude because cara and Theresa both deserved a spot in the finally and she says she just wants to finish whereas the other girls would give laurel a run for her money. It also sucks that she basically cost one of the guys first place whereas even with a broken hand cara would give it 150%. it just seemed as though devyn didn't care that much...

[QUOTE=Xojackiexo;423618]I was disappointed by devyn's attitude because cara and Theresa both deserved a spot in the finally and she says she just wants to finish whereas the other girls would give laurel a run for her money. It also sucks that she basically cost one of the guys first place whereas even with a broken hand cara would give it 150%. it just seemed as though devyn didn't care that much...[/QUOTE]Devyn never cares that much. Hard to believe she's made two finals. Her goal is to host a talk show ~ more power to her, she'd be great. As a Challenge finalist, not so great.

I'm not one to call shenanigans, but I'd be lying if I didn't find it just a little fishy that the kill cards just happened to go to CT/Bananas and Theresa/Laurel. I'm not saying there was foul play, but it just seemed TOO perfect. But then the fact that the 4 arguably best there have to compete in a puzzle? Sheesh. I liked the elimination though, but it should have been in rotation the whole time IMO.

Woah now. Devyn may not be athletic and she may carry herself less dramatically than others, but to say she doesn't try her best when directly paired with others and therefore their money won is insulting. Her goal is to finish, and looking back at seasons theres not a chance in **** I could do what she did regardless of what pace she was going at.

My thoughts on the Final 6 with what we've seen so far, ranked from most love to least love. (Wow I really like 5 of them) 1. Laurel- People mad at Laurel for being mean to everyone and acting like she's better than them: Get over it. She is an incredible reality TV character. Time and time again, no one stops Laurel. She has never gotten the free ride and always kills her opponent. I know Aneesa and Cara Maria are "elimination queens" but Laurel has done far better than them and doesnt need a qualifier, she is the literal ******* queen of the season. Like honestly without her, what would they have done. It would have been about 3 hours of usable, interesting footage. I don't care if Emily can crossfit better, Laurel is FOUR MILLION TIMES better TV and an absolute bad *****. I love Laurel. 2. Johnny Bananas- The funny thing about this season is that now I just completely accept Johnny Bananas and am 100 ready for him to win everytime. Part of me thinks maybe this is what has killed the show's popularity. One person's absolute dominance. But then I say no; Johnny Bananas is truly a great reality TV/ general person. He had the Tom Brady arc of starting at the bottom of the food chain and having to work for what hes gotten. And I know there have been seasons where he has had a stacked deck in his favor (Rivals, Rivals 2, The Ruins, etc.) but I think it was enjoyable watching him have to earn it, even if he was miles above every challenger until the very last elimination. 3. Zach- He has well rehearsed one liners and really honed on that Channing Tatum ostensible cool dude who is secretly a goof quaity this season. As a pound for pound competitor, I think Zach ranks about 9th this season. Zach has no strategic strength whatsoever, and despite his stature, is not a leader or a good teammate. Everytime he was calling the shots on a team, they crumbled with near immediacy. The ridiculous cliffhanger proves this, as him and Devyn's fiasco was equal parts her incredible inability and his lack of directing her well. From the foreshadowing (Devyns tweet, a PA heresy written in this forum), I think the finale episode is going to prove my theory right agai. 4. Devyn- Okay I'm gonna try to sum up what I think the collective problem v. Devyn is this season; That she did the same exact thing twice, except this time it lacks the surprise factor.I like Devyn, I think she is the funniest girl and has a NICE body, and I surmise that the BM producers must like her as well. Her strategy was; Befriend Laurel. Combined with her (lack of a) skill set, this ended up being a terrific strategy. But I do understand the insanity of how she did not IMPROVE at all, she regressed from BOTS with what we've seen so far, which I assume was somewhat her plan. And I don't feel bad for the more "deserving" Theresa and Cara Maria, because they were perfectly happy keeping Devyn around as sure thing in the final, and not going after her ended up biting them. Keeping the weak person around in a 3 person final doesn't solve the problem (You still have to go against and lose to Laurel) anyway. 5. Johnny Reilly- Again, I am 100 percent ready and happy for whatever Johnny Reilly gets in this finale. He is super lucky however, and did not really stick to "the keeping his head down and aligning with the kingpin" strategy most rookies have to abide by. He was slightly above average athletically and played a mediocre political game. Still, He's gotten to bang Averey and Nany and make the final, despite not really doing anything deserving those things. I suspect that he must have an intense amount of pheromones and probably has literal God on his (and only his) side. 6. Nany- I don't really have any feelings for Nany. If two girls had to lose to Laurel in the finale, At least it was 2 of the hotter ones? If Devyn wasn't here, you would all be harping on how ****ty Nany is- which much like when you do it to Devyn- is unfair. Nany isnt ****ty but so intensely middle of the pack. Like if I were to make a power ranking for every episode from week 1 until now, she would always be at the 50 percent mark, and It seems pretty obvious she will be second in the final. REAL TALK: As a person, I am completely against Nany and hope she starts prematurely aging via gray hair, skin damage, warts on her nose et. al. After 3 shows of watching her, I am just bored with Nany's dramatics at this point.

[QUOTE=Rockstar;423641]REAL TALK: As a person, I am completely against Nany and hope she starts prematurely aging via gray hair, skin damage, warts on her nose et. al. After 3 shows of watching her, I am just bored with Nany's dramatics at this point.[/QUOTE] Omg.... What has she done to You? If you don't like her don't watch her, ****.

[QUOTE=hannamez8;423652]Omg.... What has she done to You? If you don't like her don't watch her, damn.[/QUOTE] is what I said not ridiculous enough to seem like I am over exaggerating? lol.

[QUOTE=Rockstar;423654]is what I said not ridiculous enough to seem like I am over exaggerating? lol.[/QUOTE] Haha it seemed pretty personal, didn't know you were exaggerating.

[QUOTE=PinkRose;423638]Well, Devyn strategy to picking the kill card was smart. I also heard that Johnny R memorized that behind part of the kill card for the males, no idea if it's true.[/QUOTE] What was her strategy?

[QUOTE=hannamez8;423652]Omg.... What has she done to You? If you don't like her don't watch her, damn.[/QUOTE] Well, she got a lot of airtime this Challenge.Way more attention than any other season. I get what Rockstar's point is ~ if Nany wasn't such a pretty woman, we wouldn't have to see her so much as she is as boring as watching paint dry. She's not funny or particularly smart in the confessionals but by God, she's got red lipstick on! Not much of a political game except for banging Johnny R. and smooching w/Cohutta. I don't see her lasting like this on either Duel I or Duel II. She got a break w/all the pairs and teams.

[QUOTE=yankeegurl93;423678]What was her strategy?[/QUOTE] She would keep track of the position of the kill card and assume that in every draw it was moved to a different position. It's not foolproof, but it's definitely better than going in blindly. And it seemed to work for her too.

Pretty sure based on Cara's spree cast thing that next season will be Exes 2. She just said something like "If only I had another Ex..."

Devyn said Bananas was all around the best player not neccesarily the best athelete but the greatest player and I agree with that 100%. There are some things back in the day that proved how smart he was. He was the only one on the gaunlet 3 to say get rid of Big Easy he will cost you the final. On Inferno 3, he realized the trick to the dinosaur pieces or whatever they were when Cara & Susie were falling all over the place. On the Ruins he was the one who came up with the idea for Wes & Ibis to drop so Wes couldn't throw it. Even in the beginning of his challenge days he knew what he was doing.

[QUOTE=JEKFAN;423686]Devyn said Bananas was all around the best player not neccesarily the best athelete but the greatest player and I agree with that 100%. There are some things back in the day that proved how smart he was. He was the only one on the gaunlet 3 to say get rid of Big Easy he will cost you the final. On Inferno 3, he realized the trick to the dinosaur pieces or whatever they were when Cara & Susie were falling all over the place. On the Ruins he was the one who came up with the idea for Wes & Ibis to drop so Wes couldn't throw it. Even in the beginning of his challenge days he knew what he was doing.[/QUOTE] Well the thing with Big Easy situation is that that should've been obvious to the whole team. But I didn't know he had that Idea on The Ruins. See if more stuff like this was revealed about him I would give Backpack more credit as a player. But stuff like that is not shown/talked about. it seems like he just has a lot of people on his side that will help him so he walks to the final everytime.

[QUOTE=JL81790;423684]Pretty sure based on Cara's spree cast thing that next season will be Exes 2. She just said something like "If only I had another Ex..."[/QUOTE] If Abram was contacted and she wasn't then she may have a good idea about it being Exes. If Exes 2 is on the table, I'm sure BMP made a second attempt at Abram/Coral. After CM's storyline on FA, there is no way she wouldn't be contacted for season 26 unless she doesn't fit the intended format.

[QUOTE=LurkerNoMore;423694]If Abram was contacted and she wasn't then she may have a good idea about it being Exes. If Exes 2 is on the table, I'm sure BMP made a second attempt at Abram/Coral. After CM's storyline on FA, there is no way she wouldn't be contacted for season 26 unless she doesn't fit the intended format.[/QUOTE] Yeah Abram/Coral would be interesting but it won't happen. I really think Coral is done. What about CT & Bananas though. Who are they gonna be with or are they just gonna not be there. And very true about Heather. She received the first call last season but for them to really want her this time, they are up to something.

[QUOTE=PinkRose;423584]Devyn is not so sure about doing another one she think she can retired on top 2 seasons, 2 finals.[/QUOTE] YEEEEESSSSSS. Go home and STAY HOME, Devyn. GOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMEEEE!!!

[QUOTE=Livewitpeace;423696]Yeah Abram/Coral would be interesting but it won't happen. I really think Coral is done. What about CT & Bananas though. Who are they gonna be with or are they just gonna not be there. And very true about Heather. She received the first call last season but for them to really want her this time, they are up to something.[/QUOTE] I'm not sure if Coral is 100% done, I don't see her leaving her little girl just yet, but you never know. Unless Casey and Anastasia/Shauvon/Mandi say yes, I don't see CT and Bananas being on Exes 2. We'll see what happens though.

I don't know about you guys, but the way this Challenge is ending continues to reinforce my point about Free Agents joining Battle of the Seasons as one of the less favorable seasons in this latest era of Challenges. So much potential. I'm gonna do a full season recap sometime next week, or after the reunion airs (which may be next week?). But here we go. [CENTER] [ATTACH]5446[/ATTACH] [SIZE=1]Just four dudes in a hot tub, kicking it. Nothing weird about that.[/SIZE] [/CENTER] [B]Most Worthless Cliffhanger Ever[/B] I completely understand why MTV would want to pull a cliffhanger on the end of the last episode, especially considering they've been building up the feud between Cara Maria & Laurel and the blow off is something that you could pull a number out of. Secondary, CT & Leroy are two strong competitors who could also have one **** of a battle. However, neither happened. Considering we've seen CT punch holes through doors, I don't think anyone thought that Leroy was coming back from this elimination round. And considering Cara Maria was diagnosed to punch a wall with a cast on (thanks Challenge doctors), I don't think anyone thought she had a chance either. Period. [B]The Ballad of Dirty Pirate Dreads Girl[/B] There's no way that Cara Maria could've won that elimination, or really any elimination against Laurel I think. Despite Cara Maria being a strong competitor, sometimes there are things that are just out of your hands and I think perhaps the task of Laurel was a bit too tall for her (literally). But man, I don't think we've had an underdog performance this strong in a long long time. Her journey harkens tot he days of Sarah on the original Gauntlet, or Svetlana on The Duel -- people who have had to continuously prove, fight, and claw for victory. More than any other season prior, this one position Cara Maria as a true power player in the game. She's built her confidence ten-fold, she's in the best shape out of anyone there, and in any other format , she probably would've made it to the end. Cara Maria losing sucks, but I think from this season on out - she's made. [B] Zach: "I don't know what country that is...."[/B] You're reading my friggin' mind bro. I always love the venue change. Personally, I think they should start doing it twice per season -- one during the midpoint, and then the next one during the final. But budget and stuff. By the way, the venue change totally lacked ninjas. [B]CT vs. Bananas - renewed.[/B] How *********** was it of MTV to show CT throwing Bananas through a trashcan, but not that Rivals 2 and Exes win he had over CT twice after? That's not fair, albeit still incredibly hilarious. I absolutely hated that it came down to these two again, especially since Johnny has lucked his way through this competition - but it's the nature of the game. Same with Devyn, especially considering she had a chance to win the puzzle. [B]zzzEliminationzzz [/B] "They always save the bloodbath for last", is probably one of Bananas' greatest sound bites ever. I mention that because I wish we got the bloodbath. The blood bath would've totally made up for two GREAT competitors being shipped off instead of the other two who haven't exactly proven themselves, at all. That's really the only problem I had with it. Usually the final elimination is a war, and whoever comes out on the other side of it, it feels like they've actually deserved it. The puzzle didn't translate well for me. Neither the fact that two more solid competitors went home in this game leaving Devyn & Johnny, who haven't had to step into the elimination period. But, this has been a recurring theme throughout the season -- the guys side had quite a few potential players in the game, and look how it ended up. [B]The Final Where The Biggest Obstacle is Apparently Devyn[/B] So for the last 15 minutes of this show, they've been playing up the fact that considering all of the girls that showed up on this season - Devyn ranks as one of the worst athletically. She cost Team Brooklyn the final on Battle of the Seasons, and she made it through this game on 60% luck, 30% politicking, and 10% actual skill. Now for the first part of this Challenge, all of the guys are going to be tethered to Devyn at some point - which could completely ruin their game. Speaking of completely ruining their game.... [B]And the scariest sh** ever happens.[/B] Nothing like rolling down the rapids, and then your kayak tips over in the part where the current is ridiculously strong. As someone who doesn't swim (admittedly, I do not know how to swim - and would therefore be a horrible as Devyn on these Challenges), the kayak tipping over is scary as ****. To be honest, I'm beginning to think Zach jumped out and decided to swim for it.

[QUOTE=LurkerNoMore;423699]I'm not sure if Coral is 100% done, I don't see her leaving her little girl just yet, but you never know. Unless Casey and Anastasia/Shauvon/Mandi say yes, I don't see CT and Bananas being on Exes 2. We'll see what happens though.[/QUOTE] If I had to take a wild guess, I'd say CT would turn down Exes 2.

[QUOTE=Meelz;423706]If I had to take a wild guess, I'd say CT would turn down Exes 2.[/QUOTE] Good. He needs a break. I might actually be somewhat excited for his return the season after.

[QUOTE=PinkRose;423688]She doesn't know the format, but like us she is assuming. Since it is shaping up to be just based on the people that have got an availability call so far and the ones that haven't received a [B]call yet[/B]. Plus they are being really persistent with Heather after she told them no a couple of times. Which raised the following question: If the format they have on their mind right now is not an exes 2, why would they want her so bad? Her/Dustin have the perfect ingredients to be a good team for Exes? Date, most popular couple on the last 7 seasons, went on couple therapy had a fight with the guy from girls gone wild, they are dating different people right now, had a bad break up and don't talk to each other no more.... Then again Rivals 2 was supposed to be The Duel 3, they change the format a couple of weeks before departure. Anything can happen from here to departure, But I doubt it they are thirsty for raising ratings.[/QUOTE] The calls have gone out to EVERYONE, even those who say they retired and meant it. Duel 3 would work or Mark Long's Old School v. New School.

I wish Heather Marter would come back. I'm a fan of sane, logical people on these shows. They're few & far in-between. Too far. But she's smart enough to know that it wouldn't benefit her to be thrown into the fire. I love her though.

Also, my guess is that if they don't get enough power couples for Exes 2 -- they'll just dump the whole format altogether and choose another one.

[QUOTE=Meelz;423706]If I had to take a wild guess, I'd say CT would turn down Exes 2.[/QUOTE] Yeah cause him and Diem seem happy and serious.

[QUOTE=nmanderson;423708]The calls have gone out to EVERYONE, even those who say they retired and meant it. Duel 3 would work or Mark Long's Old School v. New School.[/QUOTE] What are you talking about? Mark Long's Old vs. New.... I doubt Mark will even be on this challenge!