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THE CHALLENGE: RIVALS 2 Finale Recap

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Hold on.  Let me just catch my breath.  My heart is still pounding.

Final episode nights of competition based reality television programs (and I realize that The Challenge is so much more than that, but for purposes of my argument, let us buy in) are often a bit anticlimactic.  First, the trials, tribulations, and extracurricular nighttime activities that stretch the heart of the season frequently seem to have more pickles in the fish soup jar than the season’s culminating act.  The journey to get there is more engaging than the there.  Once the winner is no longer in doubt (I cannot remember a final challenge that was a real nail-biter), the momentum is drained from the proceedings faster than a Tyrie elimination.  Second, if there is a “reunion special,” it is usually a perfect excuse to practice DVR fast-forwarding skills.  Either the host is out his league (more on this in a bit, think Donald Trump on The Apprentice whose live finales are an exercise in why) or the over abundance of segments and network micromanaging (I am looking at you every Survivor reunion – can we please just let the great Jeff Probst do his thing?) yields a clunky, poorly constructed, commercial interruption-fest.

Last night was the final night of this season of The Challenge: Rivals 2, the universally accepted fifth American professional sport.  The Final itself, an at times cruel and unusual punishment of a checkpoint completion based Thailand run around “Nightmare Island” (it had to have been named for the third idol station that Wes deemed “the worst restaurant” ever) had its memorable moments (a play by play to come), but the real mouth burning came in the live reunion special, hosted unintentionally comedically by Jonny Moseley who did his best impression of a human train wreck throughout the epic proceedings.  Also, as a point of clarification, the reunion special was LIVE (from New York!), often a clichéd forum for “anything to happen” that most commonly means dull and boring (risk aversion persists when the edit is only on a five-second delay), but this live reunion special was different.  Shocking interactions, disturbing acts of violence, beautiful shows of emotional support, and the Moseley factor made this live reunion the story of the night and one that could have lasting implications for this series.

Before we delve into the lessons learned from the reunion special, we have a Final to deconstruct (SPOILER ALERTS TO COME) in which our final four teams, CT and Wes, Johnny and Frank (Jordan and Marlon were in fact the capsizing culprits and did not make it to the super yacht in time – your Rivals 2 brilliant rookie season will be better encapsulated in my forthcoming postseason awards column), Paula and Emily, and Cooke and Cara Maria, after a brief swim from the super yacht, battle through five idol acquisition stations on “Nightmare Island.”  The first men team and the first women team to collect all idols and then complete a final canoe trip to the super yacht would win the first place prize (the second place teams are comically forced to wait on “Nightmare Island” and watch as the winners sail off into the sunset).

Paula and Emily

CHECKPOINT #1: It’s a Skull Puzzle.  There are fourteen spikes on a board and one open peg.  You have to jump one skull over another, eliminating spikes as you go.  The point is to end up with one spike left.

QUOTE: “This puzzle is the same puzzle I play when I am hungover at a country breakfast restaurant that I like to go to.” – CT

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Although it may depend on how much time you spend at a country breakfast restaurant (what does this even mean?) hungover, I think it is relatively straightforward.

BEST PERFORMANCE: CT (“The Puzzle Master”) and Wes dominate and build a substantial lead over Johnny and Frank.

WORST PERFORMANCE: Paula and Emily lose their lead on Cooke and Cara after the initial swim and seem to be doing what Paula declares they do best: “freak out.”

KEY MOMENT: Cara’s “sees something in her head” and figures out a successful puzzle strategy.

ORDER OF FINISH: 1. CT/Wes  2. Cooke/Cara Maria  3. Johnny/Frank  4. Paula/Emily

Cara Maria

CHECKPOINT #2: “What’s Mine is Yours” features a math problem using the Pythagorean theorem that asks you to solve for the hypotenuse and then cut the corresponding rope that has the correct value attached to it.  If you read the fine print, only one player is allowed to do the math.  If you cut the wrong rope, you have to cut all five ropes.

QUOTE: “We have to solve a pythagoree theorem which is…I don’t know because I haven’t been to school since the ‘80s.” – Paula

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Math is really hard for the competitors.

BEST PERFORMANCE: Tie. CT and Wes (apologies to his sixth grade geometry teacher) bypass the math and successfully gamble on the correct rope cut.  Cooke and Cara bypass the math and realize that the color of the rope is important and mirror the CT and Wes cut.  Astute work, ladies.

WORST PERFORMANCE: Frank’s ninth grade calculator over dependence comes back to haunt him.

KEY MOMENT: CT realizes that his “fat fingers” make for lousy pens.

ORDER OF FINISH: 1. CT/Wes  2. Cooke/Cara Maria  3. Johnny/Frank  4. Paula/Emily

Cara Maria

CHECKPOINT #3: “Food Test” features the consumption of, in order, a plate full of chili peppers, pickled fish soup (as disgusting as it sounds), a plate of worms, crickets and maggots, this fruit called durian that is known for smelling awful, and fried squid.  “Food Test” features vomiting (and lots of it!).

QUOTE: “Eating disgusting shit is my kryptonite.  Walking into this mad scientist laboratory, I literally felt like I just walked into my absolute worst nightmare.” – Bananas

“It’s a chorus of people puking their guts out.” – Bananas

“Goodbye…worst restaurant…ever.” – Wes

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: It is a nightmare – the most impossible of missions and should have been worth so much more money than the final prize.

BEST PERFORMANCE: Paula (“What do you eat on a regular basis Paula?” asks Emily), fueled by Cooke and Cara’s desperation, eats (and vomits) at a record pace, overtaking the women team lead.

WORST PERFORMANCE: Team Cooke and Cara Maria admirably struggled to eat what appeared to be the worst meal ever conceived.

KEY MOMENT: When Wes and CT decide to swallow the chili peppers like pills.  When Paula decides to dominate.

ORDER OF FINISH: 1. CT/Wes  2. Paula/Emily  3. Cooke/Cara Maria  4. Johnny/Frank

Emily and Paula

CHECKPOINT #4: “Body Issues” involves carrying twenty heavy body bags across a rice field on a stretcher with hot handles.

QUOTE: “Paula – focus, get your shit together, and help me.” – Emily

“I see Cooke and Cara struggling.  I see them stopping all the time.  I see them yelling, and this is just bringing me back to life!” – Paula

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Frustratingly annoying.  The bags were heavy, the food ingestion was fresh, and the repetition was killer.  Wes was almost a casualty.

BEST PERFORMANCE: Johnny and Frank who did a very nice job (“second wind”) closing the gap on Wes and CT.

WORST PERFORMANCE: Cooke and Cara, who were forced to work on teaching each other the “1-2-3 lift” process a few too many times.

KEY MOMENT: When Paula got her shit together (in this checkpoint and, in truth, for Challenge historical reasons, in general).

ORDER OF FINISH: 1. CT/Wes  2. Johnny/Frank  3. Paula/Emily   4. Cooke/Cara Maria

Paula and Emily

CHECKPOINT #5: “Tunnel Vision” asked competitors to dig a whole to a trap door tunnel that leads to the idol.  Compared to the previous checkpoints, this was a cakewalk.

QUOTE: “This is it, brother.  Everything we have worked for.  This is it.” – CT

“This is happening.  This is happening.” – Emily

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Too easy.  Way to not finish with a bang, Bunim/Murray production.

BEST PERFORMANCE: Wes and CT remained a consummate team to the end.

WORST PERFORMANCE: Production for a lame final checkpoint.

KEY MOMENT: CT and Wes and Emily and Paula finished first and won Rivals 2.

ORDER OF FINISH: 1. CT/Wes  2. Paula/Emily  3. Johnny/Frank  4. Cooke/Cara Maria

CT after nine previous attempts and almost a decade of Challenge appearances, wins his first Challenge.

Wes, who hasn’t won in a “solid six years,” wins for a second time.

TJ gives over the check

Paula wins her second Challenge and her second straight Rivals.

Emily, after several previous attempts and third place finishes, wins her first Challenge.

Shout out to all of you.

A few lingering thoughts and quotations from the final episode:

  • Johnny and Frank both acknowledged that they walked away as good friends.  Cooke and Cara are “grateful” for even making it to the finals and know how unlikely they were to have made it this far (do we even remember Naomi’s brief appearance on the show?).  Both second place teams walked away with tremendous dignity and were so gracious in defeat.
  • When I reflect on the season next week in my forthcoming postseason awards column, I will put CT’s win this season in some kind of historical context.  For now, the great Johnny Bananas, in such an eloquent and generous manner, gives respect to his longtime rival (set to a wonderfully produced montage of CT’s career highlights):  “You win some and you lose some, but I hate to say it, but I think that the team that deserved to win won today.  Rivalry between me and CT aside, the guy’s put in his time.  We’ve spilled the same blood in the same mud.  It’s only appropriate for him to at some point get a win.”
  • I gained so much respect for Wes this season for many reasons, but above all else, he was a phenomenal partner to CT.  He created a perfect balance, performed when it mattered, and never strayed from the task at hand of winning money at the end.  Congratulation to you.  Count me as one of the impressed.
  • You have to appreciate the simplicity of CT’s take: “I did it.  I finally won The Challenge.  It took me ten years, but me and Wes, we made it.  It is fair to say that me and Wes are no longer rivals.”
  • A tearful Paula: “I am always at, as I don’t know, not that good at shit.  I’m not good at Challenges.  I’m not good at elimination rounds, but I never wanted to let Emily down, so I did the best that I could, and I just hope that I made her proud to have me as a partner.”  Hey Paula, mission accomplished.  You rock.
  • Emily, third place will not be your destiny.
  • As TJ stated, these were the “two best teams all season” and they deserved to win.  Sometimes it is comforting to have the resolution make so much sense.  It was their time.

The Cast

The Challenge: Rivals 2 Live Reunion Special was live TV at it’s absolute best (and I am not even referring to Preston’s Amish hat) and absolute worst (violence is really scary and the choice of Jonny Moseley as the host is almost equally scary).  There were some clear lessons learned throughout.  Here are the most important takeaways in chronological order:

The hot seat was a fail.  Throughout the show, Jonny would have more intimate conversations on the “hot seat,” a faux-leather coach off to the side with a few competitors.  The groupings rarely made sense (CT/Wes and Jemmye/Camila, Frank, Knight, Emily, and Cara), the topics almost immediately went back to the big group (so why even be there in the first place), and there was violence (more on this shortly).

When Knight refers to Preston as “Mr. Rodgers” in what appears to be a state of some kind of “under the influence,” he probably is and has no idea what he is saying.

When you appear on live TV, you want your makeup to be more subtle, Marlon.

Knight is unsafe, belligerent, dangerous, and an embarrassment.  While discussing some steamy twitter conversations (another hot seat fail), Frank and Knight trade barbs.  Frank is calm, cool, and articulate, but still backs some verbal bite.  Knight returns the favor (not as articulately) a few times.  He then stands up, mentions some unrest about some of the things that Frank said about Jemmye, and then, out of what felt like complete nowhere, punches Frank in the face.  Here is the video:

Knight punches Frank

It was a shocking and disturbing display of unprovoked violence.  The air was completely taken out of the room.  Thankfully, Wes and Emily, aided by the studio security staff, restrain Knight and remove him from the stage and the proceedings.  All Jonny can say (and this really happened) is, “Anyone else have anything to say to Frank?”  Tough moment, Jonny, but really, tough moment Knight.  Admittedly, from the edit these past two seasons, I have not been Knight’s biggest supporter.  I find his humor tasteless and his attitude leaves something to be desired, but I often enjoyed his presence on Real World: New Orleans and have been open to the possibility of a tough edit.  This violent incident was on unedited live TV and, despite how you might feel about Frank, showed the act of a person who is really struggling with decision quality.  I hope he finds help and fast.  This was an embarrassment.

Frank IS the bigger man and from all accounts in real life, a great person.  Frank is great at being a divisive, yet essential polarizing figure on The Challenge, but especially now having seen his reaction to Knight’s attack, he is a man of integrity.  To answer your question Mr. Moseley, “Frank – Your handling of the situation was so impressive.  I applaud you for your courage and fortitude.”  His sincerity and general remorse in his apology to Jemmye was equally heartwarming.

In case it was at all fuzzy before, Emily’s reaction to Knight (“Get the fuck off the stage!”) says everything about her.  She is a gem.

Johnny Bananas and CT are both really kind and sensitive human beings.  After coming back from a commercial break following Knight’s violence, production carried on with their segment order (a big mistake) and decided to grill Diem about her recent episode “craziness.”  Even though we know that Diem was on many post-chemo hormones and medications during the filming of Rivals 2, Diem was disrespectfully asked to defend her unevenness in Thailand.  She understandably broke down talking about it.  First, Bananas stepped to the plate to set the record straight: “What people don’t see when they watch this show and what the audience doesn’t understand is that we are subjected to an incredible amount of mental and emotional distress.  So coming on and being at the top of your game – it’s difficult enough.  Coming on in the position that she was in – I mean she just went through chemotherapy before she came on the show – she was being injected with all this stuff.  I mean, I’m a guy, and my emotions are all over the place, and I can’t imagine what it was like, so, if anyone needs to be given a get out of jail free card or a free pass, it is Diem in this situation.”  CT was next: “It is easy to take a highlight reel of someone’s worst moments and turn them into something they are not, and she didn’t deserve that.”  Thank you, gentlemen.

On a similar note, Aneesa and Paula are wonderful friends and wonderful people.  But we kind of already knew that.

Jonny Moseley should not be hosting a live event.  Yes, Knight’s violent stage eruption is a worst-case scenario and would rattle even a seasoned interviewer veteran, but his inability to audible away from exhausted topics or to understand that what was on his cue card didn’t have to come next doomed Moseley’s performance (where was Maria Menunous?).  When CT and Diem had a go on the hot seat to discuss their “relationship” things got very uncomfortable.  CT kept telling Jonny to “mind ya business,” but Jonny kept probing further.  At a certain point, CT had had enough and turned it back on Moseley:

CT: “I was playing a game.  This ain’t real life.  Make up your mind.  Are we trying to play the game or are we trying to be real life.  Are you trying to make me be a bad person?

Moseley: “No.”

CT: “No, then where are you going with it, bro?  Who’s in the hot seat now?  What’s up?

Then Moseley, instead of moving away from the topic, continued to harp on it.  CT was not done, referring to Jonny Moseley as “son.”

CT: “Nah, that’s why we don’t let you know anything about us.  You twist and turn it into something that it’s not.  What’s up now?  We’re live.  There’s nothing you can do about it…no, I know what you are trying to do, bro and I don’t even care.  Read and let us talk.”

It was excruciating to watch CT trample over Jonny Moseley’s inexperience.  Was TJ Lavin available?

The live reunion is a win.  Although some of the worst-case live reunion tropes clouded this event (violence, unintentionally comedic discomfort), it felt much more informative than the strangely edited reunion shows of yesteryear that always gave too little of what you wanted and too much of what you didn’t.

After all that happened last night, let us all catch our breath.  Stay tuned for my final column of the season next week featuring post-season awards and the final power rankings.  Until…

David J. Bloom can be reached on twitter @davidbloom7 and writes about MTV’s “The Challenge,” pop culture, and the NBA for Bishop and Company. 

"The Challenge", Television

THE CHALLENGE: RIVALS 2 Weekly Power Rankings – Week 9

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If this switch hadn’t already happened before last week’s metaphorical comparative team weigh-in (especially on the men side), the individual slant of these power rankings has become less important.  The final women Jungle elimination is this week and the beginning of The Challenge: Rivals 2 finals are a little over a week away.  It is a team game in which you are only as strong as your ability to successfully minimize your most vulnerable player’s failings.  In the finals you can’t hide Cara Maria’s inability to swim, Johnny’s vomiting after three minutes of heavy cardio (lest Wes let us ever forget), #teamsubtitles communicative shortcomings, or the potential destructive power of Wes’s monster truck (well, actually the last one is entirely irrelevant).  When the final three women teams are set after this week’s Jungle (and the Zapruder Analysis concludes that it may be a disappointing week for a team with player names that rhyme with time after noon and Da Vinci’s most famous painting), the power rankings will explore a more detailed team-by-team analysis.

Despite a depleting individual emphasis, the rankings shakeup on the men side this week does tell a story.  With two straight challenge wins (including the all important choose your own fate ticket in this week’s most difficult challenge that they unabashedly dominated) and a “don’t mess with my partner” burgeoning loyalty among the former foes, CT and Wes are the frontrunners with some distance between the other two teams.  Paula and Emily, locked into the first and second slots in the rankings since Emily moved up to second in week 2, won their sixth (!) challenge this week and are decisively the team to beat on the women side.  They will either win again this week (I predict that it will be Cooke and Cara) or avoid the men vote.

Some additional thoughts on last week…

PRESTON MAGIC! – Although Preston’s New Orleans dysfunctional partnership with Knight came in last in the challenge and the Jungle (forcing their inevitable elimination this week), Preston could not have been more of a star.  Often second guessed by his teammate, his peers, and, admittedly, yours truly, his final performances earned him major “you killed it!” credibility (did you see his initial hit of CT?).  For the second straight season, Preston ends his time in a Challenge on the highest of notes, but this season, with Knight floundering (maybe he was distraught and felt useless now that CT no longer needed a bodyguard, having undertaken full-time Wes protection duty?), Preston may have been given the wrong side of the edit and our subsequent interpretation of it.  Knight, perhaps flippantly, spoke of Preston’s running abilities in his preseason interview, and in this challenge that gassed out Bananas, Marlon, and Knight, Preston strutted his cardio endurance stuff.  In subsequent seasons, I will welcome back Preston with open arms and hope that he can be finally separated from his toxic housemate, Knight.

KNIGHT – His season was a major disappointment on all fronts.  Like Dane Cook’s film career, Dexter, or Donald’s Sterling’s tenure owning the Clippers, his is an act that has gone on far too long.

ROOKIE SUCCESS STORY – I will touch more on this in next week’s finals preview, but the Jordan and Marlon’s road to the finals could not be more impressive.  With two clutch wins in the final two men eliminations, early Jungle avoidance through strong political work, courageous and unpopular decision-making (who can forget Theresa’s charge of betrayal), and some incredible feats of athleticism, Jordan and Marlon are already the most successful rookie team in Challenge history (sorry last year’s Team San Diego who just had easier competition) and they have a legitimate shot to win the finals.  Congratulations to you both.

JENGA discussion – In a desire for objectivity and fairness, I argued that Wes and CT had the overall advantage in their epic battle with Johnny Bananas this week.  However, Frank’s point, while playing Jenga with Paula, was that such a defeat may have provided some much needed motivation for Johnny’s pursuit of a fifth title.  It will be interesting to see how, in challenge this week that has little to no consequence unless TJ throws us for another gameplay bit of sorcery, Johnny bounces back.

Without further hesitation…Here are the individual and team rankings after week 9 heading into the final women elimination…

RIVALS 2 INDIVIDUAL POWER RANKINGS

 NOTE: the rankings will again be based on my un Zach Lowe-like analysis/sabermetrics method known as “My subjective experience and observations watching all 24 seasons of the show.”  Weight will be given to how well teams and individuals do on competitions, on strategy and in the social game, and whether he or she is a “good competitor.” 

THE MEN

1. CT (9th season, last week: 2)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2 (although one was handed to them)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine

2. Johnny Bananas (9th season, last week: 1)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria

3. Wes (8th season, last week: 5)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2 (although one was handed to them)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine

4. Frank (2nd season, last week: 4)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria

5. Jordan (Rookie season, last week: 3)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Cooke/Naomi/Cara Maria), 1 (Jasmine/Theresa), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 3 (Jemmye/Camila), 2 (Paula/Emily), 2 (Diem/Aneesa)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine

JUNGLE: Beat Leroy and Ty in Week 7, Beat Preston and Knight in Week 9

6. Marlon (Rookie season, last week: 6)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Cooke/Naomi/Cara Maria), 1 (Jasmine/Theresa), 2 (Nany/Jonna), 3 (Jemmye/Camila), 2 (Diem/Aneesa), 2 (Paula/Emily)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine

JUNGLE: Beat Leroy and Ty in Week 7, Beat Preston and Knight in Week 9

ELIMINATED

7. Leroy (3rd season, last week: 7)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Theresa/Jasmine), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Diem/Aneesa)

VOTES FOR: Theresa and Jasmine, Nany and Jonna, Aneesa and Diem

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 7

JUNGLE: Beat Zach and Trey (DQ) in Week 5, Lost to Jordan and Marlon in Week 7

8. Preston (2nd season, last week: 8)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Paula/Emily), 1 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Jonna and Nany

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 3 (DQ), Week 9

JUNGLE: Beat Derek and Robb Week 3, Lost to Jordan and Marlon Week 9

9. Ty (4th season, last week: 8)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Theresa/Jasmine), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Diem/Aneesa)

VOTES FOR: Theresa and Jasmine, Nany and Jonna, Aneesa and Diem

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 7

JUNGLE: Beat Zach and Trey (DQ) in Week 5, Lost to Jordan and Marlon in Week 7

10. Knight (2nd season, last week: 7)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Paula/Emily), 1 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Jonna and Nany

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 3 (DQ), Week 9

JUNGLE: Beat Derek and Robb Week 3, Loss to Jordan and Marlon Week 9

11. Trey (2nd season, last week: 11)

12. Zach (2nd season, last week: 12)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 5

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria

JUNGLE: DQ against Leroy and Ty

13. Derek (3rd season, last week: 13)

14. Robb (2nd season, last week: 14)

VOTES AGAINST: 8 (Emily/Paula [2], Ana/Jess, Camila/Jemmye [2], Sarah/Trishelle, Diem/Aneesa [2])

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle

JUNGLE: Beat Tyrie and Dunbar Week 1, Lost to Knight and Preston Week 3

15. Dunbar (6 season, last week: 15)

16. Tyrie (6th season, last week: 16)

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 1

JUNGLE: Lost to Derek and Robb Week 1

THE WOMEN

1. Paula (10th season, last week: 1)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Knight and Preston, Jordan and Marlon, Jordan and Marlon

CHALLENGE WINS: 6

2. Emily (3rd season, last week: 2)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Knight and Preston, Jordan and Marlon, Jordan and Marlon

CHALLENGE WINS: 6

3. Diem (7th season, last week: 3)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Leroy and Ty, Jordan and Marlon, Jordan and Marlon

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

4. Cooke (Rookie season, last week: 4)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Zach/Trey), 3 (Johnny/Frank), 2 (Knight/Preston), 2 (Jordan/Marlon), 1 (CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Marlon and Jordan, Johnny and Frank, Knight and Preston, Johnny and Frank

JUNGLE: Beat Jessica and Anastasia Week 2, Beat Nany and Jonna in Week 8

5. Jemmye (2nd season, last week: 5)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Jordan and Marlon, Jordan and Marlon, Jordan and Marlon

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

JUNGLE: Beat Theresa and Jasmine in Week 6

6. Aneesa (9th season, last week: 6)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Leroy and Ty, Jordan and Marlon, Jordan and Marlon

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

7. Camila (5th season, last week: 7)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Jordan and Marlon, Jordan and Marlon, Jordan and Marlon

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

JUNGLE: Beat Theresa and Jasmine in Week 6

8. Cara Maria (6th season, last week: 8)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Zach/Trey), 3 (Johnny/Frank), 2 (Knight/Preston), 2 (Jordan/Marlon), 1 (CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Marlon and Jordan, Johnny and Frank, Knight and Preston, Johnny and Frank

JUNGLE: Beat Jessica and Anastasia Week 2, Beat Nany and Jonna in Week 8

UNFAIRLY SENT HOME

9. Sarah (7th season, last week: 13)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Derek/Robb, CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

FACT: Sarah continues to climb in the power rankings and has not been on the show in over a month.

ELIMINATED

10. Nany (2nd season, last week: 7)

VOTED FOR: Knight and Preston, Marlon and Jordan, Leroy and Ty, Jordan and Marlon

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty), 1 Knight/Preston)

11. Jonna (3rd season, last week: 8)

VOTED FOR: Knight and Preston, Marlon and Jordan, Leroy and Ty, Jordan and Marlon

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty), 1 Knight/Preston)

12. Jasmine (4th season, last week: 7)

13. Theresa (4th season, last week: 8)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1 (although it was handed to them)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty), 1 (Jordan/Marlon), 1 (CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Leroy and Ty, Leroy and Ty

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 4 DQ

JUNGLE: Lost to Jemmye and Camila in Week 6

14. Jessica (Rookie season, last week: 14)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 2

JUNGLE: Lost to Cooke and Cara Maria Week 2

LEFT THE SHOW

15. Naomi (2nd season, last week: 15)

ELIMINATED

16. Anastasia (Rookie season, last week: 16)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 2

JUNGLE: Lost to Cooke and Cara Maria Week 2

QUIT

17. Trishelle (4th season, last week: 17)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Derek/Robb, CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

RIVALS 2 TEAM RANKINGS

Note: Team rankings are compiled by averaging the two individual rankings.  Teams with the lowest total average rankings are ranked better than the highest (i.e. you want as few points as possible).  First tiebreaker goes to number of total past wins.  Second tiebreaker goes to years of experience.

1. Paula and Emily – Team Average: 1.5, last week: 1.5

2. CT and Wes – Team Average: 2, last week: 3.5

3. Johnny and Frank – Team Average: 3, last week: 2.5

4. Diem and Aneesa – Team Average: 4.5, last week: 4.5

5. Marlon and Jordan – Team Average: 5.5, last week: 4.5

6. Camila and Jemmye – Team Average: 6, last week: 6

7. Cooke and Cara Maria – Team Average: 6, last week: 6

NO LONGER WITH US…

8. ELIMINATED: Ty and Leroy – Team Average: 8, last week: 7.5

9. ELIMINATED: Knight and Preston – Team Average: 9, last week: 7.5

10. ELIMINATED: Nany and Jonna – Team Average: 10.5, last week: 9.5

11. ELIMINATED: Zach and Trey – Team Average: 11.5, last week: 7.5

12. ELIMINATED: Sarah and Trishelle – Team Average: 13, last week: 15

13. ELIMINATED: Jasmine and Theresa – Team Average: 12.5, last week: 7.5

14. ELIMINATED: Derek and Robb – Team Average: 13.5, last week: 12.5

15. ELIMINATED: Anastasia and Jessica – Team Average: 15, last week: 14.5

16. ELIMINATED: Dunbar and Tyrie – Team Average: 15.5

LEFT THE SHOW: Naomi

David J. Bloom can be reached on twitter @davidbloom7 and writes about MTV’s “The Challenge,” pop culture, and the NBA for Bishop and Company. His “The Challenge: Rivals 2″ power rankings will post weekly starting on July 10.

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THE CHALLENGE: RIVALS 2 Weekly Power Rankings – Week 8

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Roxy Striar Not to destroy the obvious mystique that must consume the thoughts of my readers about the intricate processes and rituals that go into my weekly power rankings determination, I literally open up the notes app on my iPhone (often on the way to work) on the weekend after the weekly Rivals 2 airing and change the order of some names.  Yes, I would love the deliberation to be more of a series of calculations based upon statistical analysis, but often the most reliable source is something called my “gut.”   This week’s power rankings determination deliberation had the honor and the privilege of not only being a collaborative mission, but the collaborator was as close to a real insider and Challenge commentator as exists.  Miss Roxy Striar, the beautiful and insightful Afterbuzz TV co-host (also, in full disclosure, a most loyal friend of yours truly), lent her unique, passionate, and credible opinions to help determine this week’s rankings.  There were some lines I would not cross (until they lose in the finals, it is hard to see a reason that Johnny Bananas and Paula could lose their top spots in their respective gender rankings), but Roxy’s influence was most felt on these proceedings.

Without further procrastination…Here are the individual and team rankings after week 8 (down to the final 8 for each gender)…

RIVALS 2 INDIVIDUAL POWER RANKINGS

 NOTE: the rankings will again be based on my un Zach Lowe-like analysis/sabermetrics method known as “My subjective experience and observations watching all 24 seasons of the show.”  Weight will be given to how well teams and individuals do on competitions, on strategy and in the social game, and whether he or she is a “good competitor.” 

 THE MEN

1. Johnny Bananas (9th season, last week: 1)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Nany and Jonna

2. CT (9th season, last week: 2)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2 (although one was handed to them)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine, Nany and Jonna

3. Jordan (Rookie season, last week: 3)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Cooke/Naomi/Cara Maria), 1 (Jasmine/Theresa), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Jemmye/Camila), 1 (Paula/Emily), 1 (Diem/Aneesa)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine, Emily and Paula

JUNGLE: Beat Leroy and Ty in Week 7

4. Frank (2nd season, last week: 4)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Nany and Jonna

5. Wes (8th season, last week: 5)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2 (although one was handed to them)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine, Nany and Jonna

6. Marlon (Rookie season, last week: 6)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Cooke/Naomi/Cara Maria), 1 (Jasmine/Theresa), 2 (Nany/Jonna), 2 (Jemmye/Camila), 1 (Diem/Aneesa), 1 (Paula/Emily)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine, Emily and Paula

JUNGLE: Beat Leroy and Ty in Week 7

7. Knight (2nd season, last week: 7)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Paula/Emily), 1 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Jonna and Nany, Jonna and Nany

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 3 (DQ)

JUNGLE: Beat Derek and Robb Week 3

8. Preston (2nd season, last week: 8)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Paula/Emily), 1 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Jonna and Nany, Jonna and Nany

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 3 (DQ)

JUNGLE: Beat Derek and Robb Week 3

Although our final decision meant no changes this week for the men, Roxy and I really struggled to determine the order.  Knight and Preston, almost assuredly going home this week, are locks for spots 7 and 8 (although one could argue the Leroy eliminated should be ranked ahead of either of these NOLA roommates).  After Marlon gassed out and eventually stepped down from completing this week’s swim-off challenge, he was appropriately placed last week at no. 6.  The top five spots, when considering who has the most power, could go one of 120 ways (this is the actual number of permutations and a somewhat appropriate exaggeration).  Johnny struggled the most on his swim, but as the teams are currently constituted, it is hard to see any scenario (besides losing the challenge) where Johnny gets voted in the final Jungle (this is power!).  Without Johnny as a teammate, would Frank be in the same position?  Probably not (there is no love loss between Frank and Jemmye and Camila), even though his swimming performance may have been the most impressive among the guys  Wes and CT have been gelling beautifully (and just at the right time), but I still think they are one step behind Johnny and Frank (a small step albeit) in the voting minds of the women teams that determine their fate.  Jordan, a leading candidate for the most feared individual athlete not named Emily left in this game, is facing a next challenge where, because of Marlon’s forced DQ, may have to face a potentially damaging penalty.  If my Zapruder Analysis a few weeks ago was indeed accurate, the conversation will soon shift in the rankings from the power needed to reach the finals to who has the best chance to win the finals.  The three team candidates could be as evenly matched as any final group in The Challenge history.  We just have to get through the ceremonial elimination of Knight and Preston first.

ELIMINATED

9. Leroy (3rd season, last week: 7)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Theresa/Jasmine), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Diem/Aneesa)

VOTES FOR: Theresa and Jasmine, Nany and Jonna, Aneesa and Diem

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 7

JUNGLE: Beat Zach and Trey (DQ) in Week 5, Lost to Jordan and Marlon in Week 7

10. Ty (4th season, last week: 8)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Theresa/Jasmine), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Diem/Aneesa)

VOTES FOR: Theresa and Jasmine, Nany and Jonna, Aneesa and Diem

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 7

JUNGLE: Beat Zach and Trey (DQ) in Week 5, Lost to Jordan and Marlon in Week 7

11. Trey (2nd season, last week: 11)

12. Zach (2nd season, last week: 12)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 5

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria

JUNGLE: DQ against Leroy and Ty

13. Derek (3rd season, last week: 13)

14. Robb (2nd season, last week: 14)

VOTES AGAINST: 8 (Emily/Paula [2], Ana/Jess, Camila/Jemmye [2], Sarah/Trishelle, Diem/Aneesa [2])

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle

JUNGLE: Beat Tyrie and Dunbar Week 1, Lost to Knight and Preston Week 3

15. Dunbar (6 season, last week: 15)

16. Tyrie (6th season, last week: 16)

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 1

JUNGLE: Lost to Derek and Robb Week 1

THE WOMEN

1. Paula (10th season, last week: 1)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Knight and Preston, Jordan and Marlon

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Jordan/Marlon)

CHALLENGE WINS: 5

2. Emily (3rd season, last week: 2)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Knight and Preston, Jordan and Marlon

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Jordan/Marlon)

CHALLENGE WINS: 5

3. Diem (7th season, last week: 4)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Leroy and Ty, Jordan and Marlon

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

4. Cooke (Rookie season, last week: 7)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Zach/Trey), 3 (Johnny/Frank), 2 (Knight/Preston), 2 (Jordan/Marlon), 1 (CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Marlon and Jordan, Johnny and Frank, Knight and Preston

JUNGLE: Beat Jessica and Anastasia Week 2, Beat Nany and Jonna in Week 8

5. Jemmye (2nd season, last week: 5)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Jordan and Marlon, Jordan and Marlon

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

JUNGLE: Beat Theresa and Jasmine in Week 6

6. Aneesa (9th season, last week: 3)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Leroy and Ty

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

7. Camila (5th season, last week: 6)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Jordan and Marlon, Jordan and Marlon

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

JUNGLE: Beat Theresa and Jasmine in Week 6

8. Cara Maria (6th season, last week: 8)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Zach/Trey), 3 (Johnny/Frank), 2 (Knight/Preston), 2 (Jordan/Marlon), 1 (CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Marlon and Jordan, Johnny and Frank, Knight and Preston

JUNGLE: Beat Jessica and Anastasia Week 2, Beat Nany and Jonna in Week 8

Roxy’s keen insight challenged some of my previous held beliefs and thus was a serious determinant in some major changes in the women bracket this week.  With Paula’s outstanding swimming performance, Emily’s previous track record, and Cara Maria’s panic attack and hot mess of a performance in the challenge (the reason she and Cooke had to fight for their lives in the Jungle), numbers 1, 2, and 8 remained the same this week, but other changes had to be made.  Yes, Camila should be commended for winning the challenge (and highlighting her competitor skill set, particularly on the open ocean), but her early episode sanity explosion of an extracurricular nighttime activity could not be left without a dip in the rankings.  The possibility of a repeat performance of such a fiasco while participating in a final remains a real possibility.  Jemmye’s role in the whole fiasco did not do her any favors, but Cooke’s ability to excel and overcome her teammate’s contender for season’s worst performance in a challenge not by Tyrie or Preston was the determining factor for Jemmye remaining at no. 5 and Cooke rising three spots.  No one wants to face Cooke in a finals in the same way that no one wants to face Emily in a finals.  Now that she has made it this far, her long rise to the top few spots in the rankings has finally reached a deserved high point.  Through some of Roxy’s impressions, I was swayed to move Aneesa down a few spots and to move Diem up to no. 3.  Roxy argued that Diem is really calling the strategic shots (whether Aneesa likes it or not) and is carrying Aneesa in challenges.  If my prediction of a week 10 elimination is proved to be true, it will be Aneesa’s performance that leads them out of one of three finals spots.

UNFAIRLY SENT HOME

9. Sarah (7th season, last week: 13)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Derek/Robb, CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

FACT: Sarah continues to climb in the power rankings and has not been on the show in over a month.

ELIMINATED

10. Nany (2nd season, last week: 7)

11. Jonna (3rd season, last week: 8)

VOTED FOR: Knight and Preston, Marlon and Jordan, Leroy and Ty, Jordan and Marlon

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty), 2 (Knight/Preston), 1 (Johnny/Frank), 1 (CT/Wes)

JUNGLE: Lost to Cooke and Cara Maria in Week 8

12. Jasmine (4th season, last week: 7)

13. Theresa (4th season, last week: 8)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1 (although it was handed to them)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty), 1 (Jordan/Marlon), 1 (CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Leroy and Ty, Leroy and Ty

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 4 DQ

JUNGLE: Lost to Jemmye and Camila in Week 6

14. Jessica (Rookie season, last week: 14)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 2

JUNGLE: Lost to Cooke and Cara Maria Week 2

LEFT THE SHOW

15. Naomi (2nd season, last week: 15)

ELIMINATED

16. Anastasia (Rookie season, last week: 16)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 2

JUNGLE: Lost to Cooke and Cara Maria Week 2

QUIT

17. Trishelle (4th season, last week: 17)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Derek/Robb, CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

RIVALS 2 TEAM RANKINGS

Note: Team rankings are compiled by averaging the two individual rankings.  Teams with the lowest total average rankings are ranked better than the highest (i.e. you want as few points as possible).  First tiebreaker goes to number of total past wins.  Second tiebreaker goes to years of experience.

1. Paula and Emily – Team Average: 1.5, last week: 1.5

2. Johnny and Frank – Team Average: 2.5, last week: 2.5

3. CT and Wes – Team Average: 3.5, last week: 3.5

4. Marlon and Jordan – Team Average: 4.5, last week: 4.5

5. Diem and Aneesa – Team Average: 4.5, last week: 3.5

6. Camila and Jemmye – Team Average: 6, last week: 5.5

7. Cooke and Cara Maria – Team Average: 6, last week: 7.5

8. Knight and Preston – Team Average: 7.5, last week: 7.5

NO LONGER WITH US…

9. ELIMINATED: Ty and Leroy – Team Average: 9.5, last week: 7.5

10. ELIMINATED: Nany and Jonna – Team Average: 10.5, last week: 9.5

11. ELIMINATED: Zach and Trey – Team Average: 11.5, last week: 7.5

12. ELIMINATED: Sarah and Trishelle – Team Average: 13, last week: 15

13. ELIMINATED: Jasmine and Theresa – Team Average: 12.5, last week: 7.5

14. ELIMINATED: Derek and Robb – Team Average: 13.5, last week: 12.5

15. ELIMINATED: Anastasia and Jessica – Team Average: 15, last week: 14.5

16. ELIMINATED: Dunbar and Tyrie – Team Average: 15.5

LEFT THE SHOW: Naomi

David J. Bloom can be reached on twitter @davidbloom7 and writes about MTV’s “The Challenge,” pop culture, and the NBA for Bishop and Company. His “The Challenge: Rivals 2″ power rankings will post weekly starting on July 10.

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THE CHALLENGE: RIVALS 2 – A Good Old-Fashioned Week 8 Recap

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A letdown was inevitable.  Last week’s scintillating episode of The Challenge: Rivals 2 packed as much of what makes this Fifth Major Professional American Sport professional into its one hour runtime, capped off by a Jungle battle for the ages between two teams of superior athletes.  This week’s women elimination week episode begins with a similar “edge of your seat” momentum, but fizzles its way to a women elimination that was less than compelling.

Let’s begin from the top where our remaining competitors are living the Thailand nightlife dream to let off some endorphins after witnessing (or in Jordan and Marlon’s case, participating in) a most epic Jungle.  Frank must have had an off-camera dance floor run-in with Jemmye because he is venting his verbal attack to Jonna, his real life friend and LA roommate, in a well-lit sitting area.  Jemmye is on to Frank’s ways and wishes that Knight would lose his CT bodyguard post just for a minute to protect his old flame.  Jemmye addresses this desire to Knight back at the house.  Intoxication levels are high, which means that Knight is primed to take Jemmye’s request as an opportunity to do what he seems to do best, attempt to destroy her where it hurts the most (the pursuit of a new Challenge house hobby has eluded him thus far).  Camila, a #teamsubtitles loyalist and at present a blood alcohol level risk taker, comes to the defense of her Rival partner.  Knight, to the surprise of no one, sits in his “I didn’t do the deed” state of innocence, as Camila inches closer to the brink of her (as we saw one night on Battle of the Seasons) state of intoxicated insanity.

We all have our people who can really get to us.  For Jemmye it is Knight, and for Camila, it will always be Johnny Bananas.  Amidst a huddle of bro standing, Johnny says something to the effect of “she’s crazy, dude” as only Johnny can do.  Camila’s volcano of uncontrollable rage and violence literally erupts, but unlike Frank’s similar quick trigger from last week, Camila’s lava flow is just a bit messier.  Paula, Jemmye, and especially Emily, become team “help Camila simmer down.”  Camila kicks, screams, flails, and RAGES a monstrosity of animus toward Johnny.  If not for Emily’s Herculean efforts of restraint, Camila would have attempted to make Johnny a human bobble-head.  Jemmye’s moral of the story to Camila when active raging has ceased, “we can only trust ourselves.”  #Teamsubtitles is learning to understand one another.

All is well again on challenge day (alcohol’s role in extracurricular nighttime activities must not go unnoticed) and TJ is ready to present this week’s fun scenario involving competitors falling from great heights into water, production’s weekly go to (Hmm, would it be possible to try something different more often?  Last week’s Blind Leading the Blind shock-a-thon was awesome!).  This week it is Swingers, a challenge that begins with an impossible trapeze artist attempt followed by an endless swim through a nasty current (of the water kind, unlike the electrical kind from last week).  Cooke and Cara Maria are inevitably chosen to go first (Diem and Aneesa do not let them catch a break in the order – has their every been a team who was more consistently lower in the totem pole over the course of a Challenge season who has stayed this long as Cooke and Cara?  I think not.).  Despite Cooke’s incredible trapeze artistry, this challenge is really about the swim, and, apparently, Cara can’t.  Current or no current, Cooke spends the near twenty minutes of participation motivating her partner to breath and fight through the panic.  It is admittedly hard to watch Cara, self-effacing to a fault, struggle through an activity that is not in her stable of tricks.  They do finish (the journey to the final buoy seemed to take up an entire segment of the show between commercials), but without another women team disqualification, a trip back to the Jungle for Cooke and Cara seems to be near certain.

Two men teams, ignoring the $1000 reward, logic, or the potential repercussions next week, voluntarily tap out.  Although Knight already had finished, Preston is unfortunately swimming in the wrong direction (at least he is a great runner, right Knight?).  In a more surprising turn, rookie sensation Marlon gives in to the current (much to Jordan’s competitive juiced chagrin) and DQs as well.

Frontrunner teams have similar successes – Frank and Paula are beasts in the open ocean.  Both Johnny and Emily have more difficulty than their superstar partners, but compared to Preston and Cara, they look more like Ryan Lochte and Missy Franklin than Little John from Robinhood: Prince of Thieves.  CT and Wes, sneakily under the radar as a serious contender this season, swim to the best male team time.  Nany and Jonna compete, but both Aneesa and Diem and Jemmye and Camila excel (Who knew the #teamsubtitles catastrophe duo from the night before were trained lifeguards?).  In a mere five-seconds better than Aneesa and Diem, Jemmye and Camila win (my preseason prognosticating is proving to be accurate) and are safe from this second to last women Jungle.  No surprise, Cara Maria and Cooke were the last place women team and now must make their claim to stay in the Jungle.

This week’s voting deliberation focus is squarely on Frank and Jonna’s relationship.  We learn that they are LA roommates and that Frank was an instrumental support when Jonna broke up with Zach.  Unfortunately, as the alliances are currently constituted, the two teams Frank would have voted for are either safe (Jemmye and Camila) or already in the Jungle (Cara and Cooke).  He couldn’t possibly vote for Paula and Emily (expected from the Johnny bond) or Diem and Aneesa (unexpected, did CT and Johnny’s teams join forces after week 1 in a strategic game changer that the audience was not aware of?).  Jonna’s potential hurt is not enough to dissuade Frank from what he feels is in his team’s best strategic interest.  According to Diem, Jonna and Nany’s strategy has been too “wishy-washy” anyway (whatever this means).

The 3-1 vote (Jordan and Marlon, trying to stick it to Johnny and Frank, vote for Paula and Emily) settles the Jonna and Nany versus Cooke and Cara Maria Jungle battle.  This week’s game is Snapper, the one where Knight and Preston’s swordplay and verbal strategy (who can forget “Nola! Nola!”) eliminated Derek and Robb so many weeks ago.  Like most Jungle games, Snapper is determined by winning 2 out of 3 (could we at least go 3 out of 5 next season, please?).  Cooke beats Nany in the first heat because Cara’s directional code words are louder than anything Jonna says (maybe she is perplexed by Frank’s decision to wear her shorts with her name on it on his head in a show of solidarity.  Where was his solidarity in the vote?).  The second heat is as undramatic as the first.  Cara beats Jonna (cameras don’t capture these thin wooden swords too well in HD) and Jonna and Nany are eliminated, just like that (strangely unremarkable second season for Nany after such a promising rookie campaign in Battle of the Seasons.).

After last week’s Jungle elimination for the ages, the letdown this week is real.  Moving on…

There are now four men teams and four women teams left and one more elimination for each gender.  Next week proves to be the much anticipated physical altercation between Johnny and his actual rivals, CT and Wes and the much anticipated goodbye to Preston and Knight (or so I predict).  Stay tuned for a new power rankings before the episode next week…

David J. Bloom can be reached on twitter @davidbloom7 and writes about MTV’s “The Challenge,” pop culture, and the NBA for Bishop and Company. His “The Challenge: Rivals 2″ power rankings will post weekly starting on July 10.

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THE CHALLENGE: RIVALS 2 Weekly Power Rankings – Week 7

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MTV just had its biggest week of the year.  The VMA Awards, whether you outright question their historical relevance or yearn for the Red Carpet commentary of Kurt Loder and John Norris, are still a pop cultural yearly benchmark.  The “No Sleep ‘til Brooklyn” ad campaign, although too irritating and too unoriginal, did its job and wrestled up a healthy (in 2013) 10.1 million viewers.  Words like Miley, Cyrus, Twerking, and distasteful were all the rage in Sunday night Twitter news feeds and at Monday morning purified water coolers.  The VMA Awards were part of the conversation.  Along with all the love poured on Justin Timberlake by an unleashed Jimmy Fallon and the Barclays Center crowd, this MTV week of note was capped off by the best and most entertaining episode of the season for The Challenge.  It had it all – Johnny Bananas greatness flexing, classic Frank extracurricular nighttime activity, Aneesa running on the deck through classic Frank extracurricular nighttime activity, a shockingly good challenge, Phukie the dog, TJ Lavin on his “A game” (is there really any other kind?), and an epic Jungle battle between eventual rookie victors Jordan and Marlon and Leroy and Ty.  Before we get to these top heavy and increasingly difficult to determine positioning power rankings, I have a some lingering thoughts on MTV’s big night in Brooklyn…

  • Lady Gaga’s performance may have aroused the crowd, but you are kidding yourself if you think “Applause” and 2013 Gaga are anywhere near the potency of her former self.
  • Kevin Hart is irritating.
  • I continue to struggle with Jared Leto.  Why was he chosen to be a presenter?  Does MTV’s core audience have any idea who this artist formally known as Jordan Catalano is?
  • There was an abundance of current star power onstage (Justin Timberlake, Gaga, Katy Perry, Kanye), but I thought the two rows of audience celebrities were a little limited.  How many Taylor Swift and Rihanna reactions were necessary?  I love the Smith family and all, but maybe a little less Jaden and Dad (and I am not even referring to After Earth).  Why not show the competitors from The Challenge?
  • Justin Timberlake’s performance was noticeably long, but my two overwhelming reactions after watching were 1) that man is incredibly talented and 2) he has created, in a very short amount of time (considering his extended musical sabbatical before his new album), a surprisingly large number of hits.
  • The N’Sync “performance” cameo was a miss and further highlighted just how prolific JT has been post departure and how much distance is now between he and his former “band” members.  It was hard to watch to begin with, but especially when relegated to such a brief, smoke machine infested footnote on such a lengthy love fest of a performance.  We know the times have been rougher going for Mr. Bass, Chasez, Fatone, and Kirkpatrick, but did we need this highlighted so blatantly?
  • Thoughts of Miley Cyrus’ performance can’t stop making me uncomfortable.
  • I wonder what the audition was like for the guy who played Katy Perry’s boxing coach.  This must be a career highlight.
  • Speaking of Katy Perry, I re-watched her “Roar” performance this morning to make sure my initial thoughts held up.  They did – I thought it was sneakily good (poor sound design on the Brooklyn Bridge notwithstanding) and perhaps my highlight of the night.
  • I enjoyed listening to Mary Lambert and Jennifer Hudson sing together more than I enjoyed watching Mary Lambert and Jennifer Hudson sing together.  The former was inspiring.  The latter was abrasively awkward.
  • Which dad struggled watching more Sunday night: Billy Ray Cyrus or Alan Thicke?

On to the rankings…Once again, as became tradition last year during Battle of the Seasons, the individual competitor power rankings and team power rankings will be released weekly sometime shortly before each new episode airs.  Here are the individual and team rankings after week 7…

RIVALS 2 INDIVIDUAL POWER RANKINGS

 NOTE: the rankings will again be based on my un Zach Lowe-like analysis/sabermetrics method known as “My subjective experience and observations watching all 24 seasons of the show.”  Weight will be given to how well teams and individuals do on competitions, on strategy and in the social game, and whether he or she is a “good competitor.” 

 THE MEN

1. Johnny Bananas (9th season, last week: 1)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria

STEPS TO THE FINALS: Won a difficult challenge, convinced the women to keep Preston and Knight out of the Jungle

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: Having to deal with Frank’s recurring volatility

2. CT (9th season, last week: 3)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1 (although it was handed to them)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine

STEPS TO THE FINALS: Learning to rely on and trust Wes more

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: Learning to rely and trust Wes more

3. Jordan (Rookie season, last week: 4)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Cooke/Naomi/Cara Maria), 1 (Jasmine/Theresa), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Jemmye/Camila), 1 (Paula/Emily), 1 (Diem/Aneesa)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine

STEPS TO THE FINALS: Showed great composure against Frank onslaught, came up clutch in the Jungle

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: May have to prove himself again in last Jungle, little voting support in the women teams

4. Frank (2nd season, last week: 2)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria

STEPS TO THE FINALS: Working so well with Johnny in challenges, won again

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: Emotional paranoia keeps getting the best of him

5. Wes (8th season, last week: 6)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1 (although it was handed to them)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine

STEPS TO THE FINALS: Led CT, Diem, and Aneesa to strong challenge performance, beginning to win CT’s trust

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: Still has one Jungle elimination left that Johnny and Frank will be try to get him thrown into

6. Marlon (Rookie season, last week: 5)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Cooke/Naomi/Cara Maria), 1 (Jasmine/Theresa), 2 (Nany/Jonna), 2 (Jemmye/Camila), 1 (Diem/Aneesa), 1 (Paula/Emily)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine

STEPS TO THE FINALS: A lethal pairing with Jordan in the Jungle, other teams fear their athletic abilities

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: The target remains on their back for the final elimination

7. Knight (2nd season, last week: 9)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Paula/Emily), 1 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Jonna and Nany

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 3 (DQ)

JUNGLE: Beat Derek and Robb Week 3

STEPS TO THE FINALS: It is week 7 and they are still here

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: The chance of them losing the next men elimination challenge remains high

8. Preston (2nd season, last week: 10)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Paula/Emily), 1 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Jonna and Nany

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 3 (DQ)

JUNGLE: Beat Derek and Robb Week 3

STEPS TO THE FINALS: His greatest strength may be the perception by all that he is week

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: It is going to be difficult to avoid the final elimination

ELIMINATED

9. Leroy (3rd season, last week: 7)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Theresa/Jasmine), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Diem/Aneesa)

VOTES FOR: Theresa and Jasmine, Nany and Jonna, Aneesa and Diem

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 7

JUNGLE: Beat Zach and Trey (DQ) in Week 5, Lost to Jordan and Marlon in Week 7

10. Ty (4th season, last week: 8)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Theresa/Jasmine), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Diem/Aneesa)

VOTES FOR: Theresa and Jasmine, Nany and Jonna, Aneesa and Diem

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 7

JUNGLE: Beat Zach and Trey (DQ) in Week 5, Lost to Jordan and Marlon in Week 7

11. Trey (2nd season, last week: 11)

12. Zach (2nd season, last week: 12)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 5

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria

JUNGLE: DQ against Leroy and Ty

13. Derek (3rd season, last week: 13)

14. Robb (2nd season, last week: 14)

VOTES AGAINST: 8 (Emily/Paula [2], Ana/Jess, Camila/Jemmye [2], Sarah/Trishelle, Diem/Aneesa [2])

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle

JUNGLE: Beat Tyrie and Dunbar Week 1, Lost to Knight and Preston Week 3

15. Dunbar (6 season, last week: 15)

16. Tyrie (6th season, last week: 16)

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 1

JUNGLE: Lost to Derek and Robb Week 1

THE WOMEN

1. Paula (10th season, last week: 1)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Knight and Preston, Jordan and Marlon

CHALLENGE WINS: 5

STEPS TO THE FINALS: Another strong challenge showing, Johnny will have her back over the next two eliminations

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: Knight and Preston remain a wildcard vote

2. Emily (3rd season, last week: 2)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Knight and Preston, Jordan and Marlon

CHALLENGE WINS: 5

STEPS TO THE FINALS: She and Paula continue to be aligned and work well together, tried to help Frank’s eruption case when talking to Jordan

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: CT and Wes could vote for them if they don’t win the next challenge

3. Aneesa (9th season, last week: 3)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Leroy and Ty

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

STEPS TO THE FINALS: She is working out on the deck (through fights), big “come together” win in the challenge

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: Still having tension with Diem, could be targeted in this week’s men vote

4. Diem (7th season, last week: 4)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Leroy and Ty, Jordan and Marlon

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

STEPS TO THE FINALS: Huge, galvanizing challenge win, in incredible shape

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: Still having some differences with her partner at this stage of the game is not a good thing

5. Jemmye (2nd season, last week: 5)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Jordan and Marlon, Jordan and Marlon

JUNGLE: Beat Theresa and Jasmine in Week 6

STEPS TO THE FINALS: Starting to trust and rely on Camila more, seems to have alignment with Johnny’s team

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: There are two eliminations left and they will undoubtedly have to go in at least one

6. Camila (5th season, last week: 6)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Jordan and Marlon, Jordan and Marlon

JUNGLE: Beat Theresa and Jasmine in Week 6

STEPS TO THE FINALS: Was the dominant force in her team’s challenge success

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: The scenes for next week’s episode

7. Cooke (Rookie season, last week: 9)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Zach/Trey), 3 (Johnny/Frank), 2 (Knight/Preston), 2 (Jordan/Marlon), 1 (CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Marlon and Jordan, Johnny and Frank, Knight and Preston

JUNGLE: Beat Jessica and Anastasia Week 2

STEPS TO THE FINALS: Nany and Jonna seem to be faltering at the right time, has been able to motivate Cara (at least after the challenge)

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: Two eliminations left, they will have to prove themselves

8. Cara Maria (6th season, last week: 10)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Zach/Trey), 3 (Johnny/Frank), 2 (Knight/Preston), 2 (Jordan/Marlon), 1 (CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Marlon and Jordan, Johnny and Frank, Knight and Preston

JUNGLE: Beat Jessica and Anastasia Week 2

STEPS TO THE FINALS: She has the perfect partner in this game for her

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: Seems to still be a bit all over the place (shocking will do that)

9. Nany (2nd season, last week: 7)

VOTED FOR: Knight and Preston, Marlon and Jordan, Leroy and Ty, Jordan and Marlon

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty), 1 Knight/Preston)

STEPS TO THE FINALS: She is a clutch performer

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: She and Jonna have yet to get it together

10. Jonna (3rd season, last week: 8)

VOTED FOR: Knight and Preston, Marlon and Jordan, Leroy and Ty, Jordan and Marlon

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty), 1 Knight/Preston)

STEPS TO THE FINALS: She can turn it on when she is motivated to do so

STEPS AWAY FROM THE FINALS: The worst challenge showing of the season not involving Knight and Preston

UNFAIRLY SENT HOME

11. Sarah (7th season, last week: 13)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Derek/Robb, CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

FACT: Sarah continues to climb in the power rankings and has not been on the show in several weeks.

ELIMINATED

12. Jasmine (4th season, last week: 7)

13. Theresa (4th season, last week: 8)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1 (although it was handed to them)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty), 1 (Jordan/Marlon), 1 (CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Leroy and Ty, Leroy and Ty

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 4 DQ

JUNGLE: Lost to Jemmye and Camila in Week 6

14. Jessica (Rookie season, last week: 14)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 2

JUNGLE: Lost to Cooke and Cara Maria Week 2

LEFT THE SHOW

15. Naomi (2nd season, last week: 15)

ELIMINATED

16. Anastasia (Rookie season, last week: 16)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 2

JUNGLE: Lost to Cooke and Cara Maria Week 2

QUIT

17. Trishelle (4th season, last week: 17)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Derek/Robb, CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

RIVALS 2 TEAM RANKINGS

Note: Team rankings are compiled by averaging the two individual rankings.  Teams with the lowest total average rankings are ranked better than the highest (i.e. you want as few points as possible).  First tiebreaker goes to number of total past wins.  Second tiebreaker goes to years of experience.

THE FRONTRUNNERS

1. Paula and Emily – Team Average: 1.5, last week: 1.5

2. Johnny and Frank – Team Average: 2.5, last week: 1.5

THE CONTENDERS

3. CT and Wes – Team Average: 3.5, last week: 4.5

4. Diem and Aneesa – Team Average: 3.5, last week: 3.5

5. Marlon and Jordan – Team Average: 4.5, last week: 4.5

6. Camila and Jemmye – Team Average: 5.5, last week: 5.5

7. Cooke and Cara Maria – Team Average: 7.5, last week: 9.5

8. Nany and Jonna – Team Average: 9.5, last week: 7.5

IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME…

9. Knight and Preston – Team Average: 9.5, last week: 11.5

NO LONGER WITH US…

10. ELIMINATED: Ty and Leroy – Team Average: 9.5, last week: 7.5

11. ELIMINATED: Zach and Trey – Team Average: 11.5, last week: 7.5

12. ELIMINATED: Jasmine and Theresa – Team Average: 12.5, last week: 7.5

13. ELIMINATED: Sarah and Trishelle – Team Average: 15, last week: 6.5

14. ELIMINATED: Derek and Robb – Team Average: 13.5, last week: 12.5

15. ELIMINATED: Anastasia and Jessica – Team Average: 15, last week: 14.5

16. ELIMINATED: Dunbar and Tyrie – Team Average: 15.5

LEFT THE SHOW: Naomi

David J. Bloom can be reached on twitter @davidbloom7 and writes about MTV’s “The Challenge,” pop culture, and the NBA for Bishop and Company. His “The Challenge: Rivals 2″ power rankings will post weekly starting on July 10.

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THE CHALLENGE: RIVALS 2 Weekly Power Rankings – Week 6

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This week’s midseason report column broke down the many sights and sounds of the at times too revealing “Still to Come on Rivals 2” preview.  A “Zapruder Analysis” of the tape yielded some unconfirmed SPOILER ALERT results.  In the power rankings this week with some positions locked for the time being, I try to differentiate among the facts, opinions, and predictions concerning each competitor.  With ten remaining men and ten remaining women and due for two more Jungle Eliminations for each gender before the Finals, there is so much season left to play and so much extracurricular nighttime activity to be had.

On to the rankings…Once again, as became tradition last year during Battle of the Seasons, the individual competitor power rankings and team power rankings will be released weekly sometime shortly after each new episode airing.  Here are the individual and team rankings after week 6…

RIVALS 2 INDIVIDUAL POWER RANKINGS

 NOTE: the rankings will again be based on my un Zach Lowe-like analysis/sabermetrics method known as “My subjective experience and observations watching all 24 seasons of the show.”  Weight will be given to how well teams and individuals do on competitions, on strategy and in the social game, and whether he or she is a “good competitor.” 

THE MEN

THE FRONTRUNNERS

1. Johnny Bananas (9th season, last week: 1)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria

FACT #1: As footage for the rest of the season proves, Johnny will appear in the Finals.

FACT #2: Johnny Bananas has had the most prolific career of any Challenge competitor in history and nothing else can happen this season that will in any way change this fact.

OPINION: Johnny Bananas working partnership with Frank has already been more impressive than his partnership (that eventually led to a win) with Tyler on Rivals.

PREDICTION: Despite some respiratory difficulties in the Finals, Johnny and Frank will win the men’s bracket of Rivals 2.

2. Frank (2nd season, last week: 2)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria

FACT: As footage for the rest of the season proves, Frank will have appeared in the Finals of his first two The Challenge seasons.

OPINION: Despite some inexcusable verbal attacks on Battle of the Seasons and some emotional outbursts that leave something to be desired, Frank is a wonderful person whose off-camera self is thoughtful, insightful, and kind.

PREDICTION: There will be a moment in the Finals where Frank’s endurance and motivation keeps his team in contention.

THE CONTENDERS 

3. CT (9th season, last week: 3)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1 (although it was handed to them)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine

FACT: CT will be appearing in the Finals of Rivals 2.

OPINION: If the above “Fact” is indeed a fact, it would be hard to argue against CT and Wes as this season’s most unlikely, bur successful pairing of teammates who were actually rivals to begin with.

PREDICTION: Rivals 2 will not be CT’s first Challenge win.

4. Jordan (Rookie season, last week: 4)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Cooke/Naomi/Cara Maria), 1 (Jasmine/Theresa), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Jemmye/Camila)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine

FACT: Jordan is in serious contention for this season’s MVP.

OPINION #1: If anyone can prove my Johnny and Frank Finals prediction win wrong, it will be Jordan.

OPINION #2: The hoopla about Jordan’s vote shuffling this past week is not substantive.  Jordan and Marlon, by voting Theresa and Jasmine in to the Jungle, made the correct move.  Period.

PREDICTION: Jordan and Marlon outlast Ty and Leroy in the last male Jungle to make it to the Finals.

5. Marlon (Rookie season, last week: 5)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Cooke/Naomi/Cara Maria), 1 (Jasmine/Theresa), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Jemmye/Camila)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine

FACT: Marlon has stood up to both CT and Knight this season.

OPINION #1: I was impressed by both instances.

OPINION #2: Marlon, as honest and comfortable as he is about who he is, is a great thing for The Challenge.

PREDICTION: Marlon will be a beast in the Finals.

6. Wes (8th season, last week: 6)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1 (although it was handed to them)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Theresa and Jasmine

FACT: Wes has been to three finals in his Challenge career before this season.

OPINION #1: When he makes the Finals this season, it will be his most surprising trip since Fresh Meat.

OPINION #2: As much as they don’t get along, Wes is most enjoyable to watch when Kenny is around.

PREDICTION: Unlike in the Rivals Finals when Kenny literally carried Wes on his back, if CT and Wes lose, it will be due to incredible play by their opponents, not a less than performance by Wes.

7. Leroy (3rd season, last week: 7)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Theresa/Jasmine), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Diem/Aneesa)

VOTES FOR: Theresa and Jasmine, Nany and Jonna, Aneesa and Diem

JUNGLE: Beat Zach and Trey (DQ) in Week 5

FACT: As footage for the rest of the season proves, Leroy and Ty will face Jordan and Marlon in one of the final two Jungle eliminations.

OPINION #1: Leroy has had an underrated third season on The Challenge.

OPINION #2: If Leroy had been on Battle of the Seasons, the entire power dynamic would have shifted.

PREDICTION: Leroy and Ty will lose the final Jungle elimination to Jordan and Marlon.

8. Ty (4th season, last week: 8)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Theresa/Jasmine), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Diem/Aneesa)

VOTES FOR: Theresa and Jasmine, Nany and Jonna, Aneesa and Diem

JUNGLE: Beat Zach and Trey (DQ) in Week 5

FACT: There have been episodes this season in which the edit did not show Ty speaking.

OPINION #1: During those episodes, Ty didn’t have too much to say.

OPINION #2: I want to hear Ty sing more.

PREDICTION: Ty and Leroy will be in the Final Jungle because they lost the challenge, not because they were voted in again.

IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME…

9. Knight (2nd season, last week: 9)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Paula/Emily)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Jonna and Nany

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 3 (DQ)

JUNGLE: Beat Derek and Robb Week 3

FACT: Knight served as CT’s bodyguard during CT’s first several physical altercations.

OPINION #1: Knight is unnecessarily provocative and cruel at times.

OPINION #2: I wish he would more often highlight his better qualities.

PREDICTION: This will be Knight’s last week on Rivals 2.

10. Preston (2nd season, last week: 10)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Paula/Emily)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria, Jonna and Nany

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 3 (DQ)

JUNGLE: Beat Derek and Robb Week 3

FACT: Preston does look like Rajon Rondo.

OPINION: Preston has had a sneakily “ok” sophomore season.

PREDICTION: This will be Preston’s last week on Rivals 2.

ELIMINATED

11. Trey (2nd season, last week: 11)

12. Zach (2nd season, last week: 12)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 5

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria

JUNGLE: DQ against Leroy and Ty

13. Derek (3rd season, last week: 13)

14. Robb (2nd season, last week: 14)

VOTES AGAINST: 8 (Emily/Paula [2], Ana/Jess, Camila/Jemmye [2], Sarah/Trishelle, Diem/Aneesa [2])

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle

JUNGLE: Beat Tyrie and Dunbar Week 1, Lost to Knight and Preston Week 3

15. Dunbar (6 season, last week: 15)

16. Tyrie (6th season, last week: 16)

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 1

JUNGLE: Lost to Derek and Robb Week 1

 

THE WOMEN

THE FRONTRUNNERS

1. Paula (10th season, last week: 1)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Knight and Preston

CHALLENGE WINS: 5

FACT #1: Paula and Emily have dominated this season.

OPINION: Paula has had the best possible female competitor partner on both Rivals (Ev) and Rivals 2 (Emily).

FACT #2: Paula knew this when TJ announced her partners both times (go back and review the tape).

PREDICTION: Rivals 2 will be Paula’s second The Challenge win.

2. Emily (3rd season, last week: 2)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Knight and Preston

CHALLENGE WINS: 5

FACT: Emily and Paula have one five of six challenges this season.

OPINION: This is the first season that Emily’s fate has not been so intertwined with her relationship with Ty (most potently in Battle of the Exes) and this has only been a good thing for Emily.

PREDICTION: Rivals 2 will be Emily’s first The Challenge win.

THE CONTENDERS

3. Aneesa (9th season, last week: 3)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Leroy and Ty

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty)

FACT: This is Aneesa’s 9th season on The Challenge.

OPINION: Whether she makes the Finals or not, this has been Aneesa’s best season.

PREDICTION: Aneesa and Diem will lose in the final Jungle Elimination to Jemmye and Camila.

4. Diem (7th season, last week: 4)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Leroy and Ty

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty)

FACT: Diem is the second most successful women from the original Fresh Meat season (after Ev).

OPINION: Diem’s heroism and model of courage in the face her two cancer battles has been one of the most important stories Bunim/Murray have ever shown.

PREDICTION: Diem and Aneesa will be voted in to the Jungle that eventually eliminates them.

5. Jemmye (2nd season, last week: 5)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Jordan and Marlon

JUNGLE: Beat Theresa and Jasmine in Week 6

FACT: Jemmye suffers from mortuusequusphobia.

OPINION #1: Jemmye has been consistently (along with Jasmine and Johnny Bobble-head) my favorite sound byte of the season.

OPINION #2: If Jemmye makes the Finals, her performance will the most unexpected of the season.

PREDICTION: Jemmye and Camila will beat Diem and Aneesa in the final Jungle Elimination to make the Finals.

6. Camila (5th season, last week: 6)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Jordan and Marlon

JUNGLE: Beat Theresa and Jasmine in Week 6

FACT: Camila, according to the “Still to Come on Rivals 2” preview, will have a extracurricular nighttime activity blowup.

OPINION: This was bound to happen at some point.

PREDICTION #1: It will probably be about Johnny.

PREDICTION #2: After missing out during last year’s Battle of the Seasons debacle, Camila will make a return trip to the Finals on Rivals 2.

7. Nany (2nd season, last week: 9)

VOTED FOR: Knight and Preston, Marlon and Jordan, Leroy and Ty

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty), 1 Knight/Preston)

FACT: Nany did not make the Finals on Battle of the Seasons.

OPINION: Nany deserved to make the Finals on Battle of the Seasons (and would have had she not stepped up to go into an elimination).

PREDICTION: Nany will not make the Finals in Rivals 2.

8. Jonna (3rd season, last week: 10)

VOTED FOR: Knight and Preston, Marlon and Jordan, Leroy and Ty

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty), 1 Knight/Preston)

FACT: Jonna did not make the finals on Battle of the Seasons.

OPINION: Jonna deserved to make the Finals on Battle of the Seasons (and just missed out).

PREDICTION: Jonna will not make the Finals on Rivals 2.

9. Cooke (Rookie season, last week: 11)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Zach/Trey), 3 (Johnny/Frank), 2 (Knight/Preston), 2 (Jordan/Marlon), 1 (CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Marlon and Jordan, Johnny and Frank

JUNGLE: Beat Jessica and Anastasia Week 2

FACT: Cooke and Cara Maria have received more votes to go into the Jungle than any other team in the competition.

OPINION: Cooke has had a sneakily good rookie campaign.

PREDICTION: Cooke and Cara Maria will beat Nany and Jonna in the next women Jungle Elimination.

10. Cara Maria (6th season, last week: 12)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Zach/Trey), 3 (Johnny/Frank), 2 (Knight/Preston), 2 (Jordan/Marlon), 1 (CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Marlon and Jordan, Johnny and Frank

JUNGLE: Beat Jessica and Anastasia Week 2

FACT: Cara Maria has been a late game addition to the last two The Challenge seasons.

OPINION #1: This has not helped her be successful.

OPINION #2: I would love to see her compete with Laurel again.

PREDICTION: Cara Maria and Cooke will make the Finals.

UNFAIRLY SENT HOME

11. Sarah (7th season, last week: 13)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Derek/Robb, CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

FACT: Sarah continues to climb in the power rankings and has not been on the show in several weeks.

ELIMINATED

12. Jasmine (4th season, last week: 7)

13. Theresa (4th season, last week: 8)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1 (although it was handed to them)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty), 1 (Jordan/Marlon), 1 (CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Leroy and Ty, Leroy and Ty

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 4 DQ

JUNGLE: Lost to Jemmye and Camila in Week 6

14. Jessica (Rookie season, last week: 14)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 2

JUNGLE: Lost to Cooke and Cara Maria Week 2

LEFT THE SHOW

15. Naomi (2nd season, last week: 15)

ELIMINATED

16. Anastasia (Rookie season, last week: 16)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 2

JUNGLE: Lost to Cooke and Cara Maria Week 2

QUIT

17. Trishelle (4th season, last week: 17)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Derek/Robb, CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

 

RIVALS 2 TEAM RANKINGS

Note: Team rankings are compiled by averaging the two individual rankings.  Teams with the lowest total average rankings are ranked better than the highest (i.e. you want as few points as possible).  First tiebreaker goes to number of total past wins.  Second tiebreaker goes to years of experience.

THE FRONTRUNNERS

1. Paula and Emily – Team Average: 1.5, last week: 1.5

2. Johnny and Frank – Team Average: 1.5, last week: 1.5

THE CONTENDERS

3. Diem and Aneesa – Team Average: 3.5, last week: 3.5

4. CT and Wes – Team Average: 4.5, last week: 7

5. Marlon and Jordan – Team Average: 4.5, last week: 5.5

6. Camila and Jemmye – Team Average: 5.5, last week: 6

7. Ty and Leroy – Team Average: 7.5, last week: 6

8. Nany and Jonna – Team Average: 7.5, last week: 9.5

9. Cooke and Cara Maria – Team Average: 9.5, last week: 11.5

IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME…

10. Knight and Preston – Team Average: 9.5, last week: 11.5

NO LONGER WITH US…

11. ELIMINATED: Zach and Trey – Team Average: 11.5, last week: 7.5

12. ELIMINATED: Jasmine and Theresa – Team Average: 12.5, last week: 7.5

13. ELIMINATED: Sarah and Trishelle – Team Average: 15, last week: 6.5

14. ELIMINATED: Derek and Robb – Team Average: 13.5, last week: 12.5

15. ELIMINATED: Anastasia and Jessica – Team Average: 15, last week: 14.5

16. ELIMINATED: Dunbar and Tyrie – Team Average: 15.5

LEFT THE SHOW: Naomi

David J. Bloom can be reached on twitter @davidbloom7 and writes about MTV’s “The Challenge,” pop culture, and the NBA for Bishop and Company. His “The Challenge: Rivals 2″ power rankings will post weekly starting on July 10.

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THE CHALLENGE: RIVALS 2 Midseason Report

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TJ: “Alright everybody, we are halfway home.”

With TJ’s declarative words after the Theresa and Jasmine Jungle elimination (by the way, apparently it wasn’t even close – Jemmye and Camila won in a landslide, but the edit did not afford them the time), we have reached the midseason of this fifth major professional sport.  Like in the NFL, an All-Star game would be premature at this point (notice how I did not say, “Like in the NFL, an all-star game would be unnecessary”), so a check-in on preseason predictions and the dolling out of midseason awards seems to be an appropriate direction for this week’s column.  Thus far, it has been a season of production mishaps and missteps, unexpected turns, game conceit questions, CT early night drama, and an education in obscure phobias.  This week’s return to a good old-fashioned elimination without fear of a “game twist” or a rule violation set the tone for what is to come (a revealing “still to come on Rivals 2” gave some great pieces of intel – more on this in a bit) and Phuket is certainly heating up (the poor competitors did not know it could get any hotter than it already was!).

MIDSEASON AWARDS:

MVP

Preseason Prediction – Men: Johnny Bananas (runner up: Leroy); Women: Emily (runner up: Sarah)

Midseason Award – Men: Johnny Bananas (runner up: CT); Women: Emily and Paula (tie)

Unlike the undeserved Karl Malone MVP of 1996-1997, I am not going to refrain from giving Johnny this distinction just because he has won before and another competitor deserves a turn.  Johnny, despite a smaller foothold at the top than in previous seasons, is still running the show, has managed to make his Bobblehead a key contributor to production interviews, and has been able to work beautifully next to Frank.  CT deserves some attention for the award because, after some early season extracurricular nighttime activity, he has mellowed out and found an almost humorous Zen with Wes while managing to position himself away from viable threats on the women side.  Both CT and Johnny appear to be out of the Jungle as long as they don’t lose the challenge (i.e. their placement on the voting totem pole will keep them out).  Emily and Paula, now winners of four of five challenges (the one they lost was gifted to the now departed Jasmine and Theresa), have shown no signs of letting up.  As the preview of the rest of the season seems to show, it is hard to conceive a scenario where they are not in the finals.

Emily

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

Preseason Prediction – Men: Trey; Women: Jemmye

Midseason Award – Men: Frank; Women: Aneesa

Trey had a great run and, until his elimination last week, was definitely a contender for this award, but, after several weeks second in the power rankings and several weeks free of any unnecessary extracurricular nighttime activity, Frank has become the competitor in this game that he always had the potential to become.  Last season’s at times hot mess en route to an eventual win was too sloppy and dirty a ride, but this season he has played his cards well, demonstrating incredible humor, emotional restraint, and unwavering partner support.  His potential outbursts could have been the thorn in Johnny’s side, but besides an early blowout with CT (it was inevitable), Frank has been on more than best behavior.  His falling out with Zach, often a relationship where both parties could take responsibility for its toxicity, seems to have been entirely one-sided.  Frank handled himself with honor and class and wishes his San Diego compadre could have done the same.  Aneesa’s central role in the game thus far and her wonderful presence in a house of mostly younger players has been a bit of a revelation and a definite surprise.  She is the best physical shape of her long Challenge career, has constant strategic awareness (she was on to how CT/Diem drama had to be extinguished immediately), and seems to have found a enjoyment of the festivities that had not been thought possible.  Her “Trashelle” fight will go down as one of the season’s high points (even if the resulting eviction of Sarah low point was the result).

Frank

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Preseason Prediction – Marlon

Midseason Award – Jordan

The most surprising aspect of this award looking back at the first half of the season may be that you could make a somewhat legitimate argument for all four Real World: Portland candidates as Rookie of the Year.  If drama and violence is your thing (it is not mine), you could argue that Anastasia packed more drama and violence into her two episodes than any other competitor.  More up my alley of admiration, Jessica’s Princess Hulk performance in her last challenge and her “knock some sense into her” pep talk will continue to be iconic and lasting moments of this Rivals 2 season.  Marlon has at times loudly (his CT fight night one, the Knight fiasco, his stand up to Johnny interruptions this week) and at times smoothly (his hookups with Derek and Nany) stepped up in a way that no other rookie has so successfully done before him, but Jordan’s rookie campaign continues to impress both the viewer and his fellow castmates each time they are exposed to another aspect of his competitor bag of tricks.  Season highlights include his closet hookup with Sarah, several impressive athletic feats in challenges (most recently his handling of the beam on last week’s challenge), incredible showings of strength (Zach’s weight lift), and this week’s holding his ground against the onslaught of women persuasion.  Although an image from the “later this season on” preview shows a Jungle participation, to have reached this point (and outlasted three other teams) is an accomplishment in itself for Jordan and Marlon.

Jordan and Sarah

BOLD PREDICTION CHECK-IN – Here is a look at what I predicted in my preseason power rankings column and the quality of said predictions…

Both Marlon and Jordan and Camila and Jemmye will come very close to making the finals, but fall short.

We haven’t reached this point yet, but it is still very much in play.  With either two or three teams in the finals, Marlon and Jordan and Camila and Jemmye are either in or will just miss.

Prediction Quality: Strong

Camila and Jemmye

Dunbar and Tyrie will learn each other’s last names, but will not be able to avoid an early elimination.

They were the first two competitors sent home (although I am not sure if they had the opportunity to catch each others last names!).

Prediction Quality: Excellent

There will be a moment in which Johnny, Frank, and Trey strategize together.

After some clear strategic leanings in Battle of the Seasons, I thought we would see more of this from Trey in Rivals 2.  I also assumed that the Zach/Frank bond would be more relevant (the flipped gender voting made this point moot) to a power alliance.  Conversations like this were not really shown while Trey was in the game.

Prediction Quality: Questionable, although game rule unpredictability played a part

Jasmine will not do too well in terms of competition, but will continue to showcase a more mellow version of herself.

As predicted, Jasmine did not do too well in competition (although she was not asked to really prove herself too much before last week’s eventual elimination), but also as predicted, did continue to grow into a much mellower version of her earlier Challenge self.  Her interviews were must watch, her partner relationship was one of the strongest and most loyal on the women side, and she figured out how to use her hair as a intimidation tool.

Prediction Quality: Excellent

Jasmine

Cooke will have a moment on the show that everyone is talking about.

I would consider her peeing while waiting for the Jungle to begin such a moment.

Prediction Quality: Uncanny

CT and Wes will be on the wrong side of the alliance and will have to prove themselves in an elimination early on.

This did not happen both because traditional alliances did not really form and the women teams have yet to come together in any semblance of an organized fashion.

Prediction Quality: Poor

TEAMS IN THE FINALS

Preseason Predictions – Men: Johnny and Frank, Ty and Leroy, Zach and Trey; Women: Paula and Emily, Sarah and Trishelle, Nany and Jonna

Midseason Predictions – Men: Johnny and Frank, Jordan and Marlon, CT and Wes; Women: Paula and Emily, Cooke and Cara Maria, Jemmye and Camila

WINNERS

Preseason Predictions – Men: Johnny and Frank; Women: Sarah and Trishelle

Midseason Predictions – Men: Johnny and Frank; Women: Paula and Emily

A Zapruder Analysis of the “Still to Come on Rivals 2” Preview:

Things I saw (potential spoilers ahead):

  • Marlon and Jordan “fighting for survival” against Ty and Leroy in the Jungle
  • CT yelling in Johnny’s face
  • Johnny and Frank competing in what looks to be the final challenge
  • Johnny receiving medical attention because he “can’t breath” in what looks to be the final challenge
  • CT kissing Diem, cuddling with Cooke, and then Johnny telling Diem that “nobody trusts” CT and that “his heart is not in the right place, dude”
  • A fight between Jemmye and Diem where Jemmye calls Diem a “fake-ass bitch”
  • Paula tells Camila that “people will not be friends after this”
  • A fight between Jordan and Frank about who is scared of whom
  • Knight gets angry at Preston
  • Jonna and Nany struggle with communication in a challenge
  • Camila asks Diem if she “really thinks that [she] can’t beat her ass”
  • Paula and Emily “trying so hard” in what looks to be the final challenge
  • Leroy tells Jonna that they “don’t have our back, bye”
  • Jonna “can’t deal with this”
  • Camila seems to have a massive extracurricular nighttime activity blowup at Johnny (as expected at some point this season)
  • Cara Maria’s cries and is consoled by Camila
  • Aneesa and Diem versus Jemmye and Camila in a Jungle
  • Jordan diving for a win in a Jungle round against Ty and Leroy
  • A Jonna and Cara Maria sword fight in the Jungle
  • Someone puts a black bag over Frank’s head
  • Camila puts her hand in Emily’s face
  • CT and Wes run threw a puff of smoke on what appears to be the final challenge
  • As long as CT and We stay “cool, calm, and collected” they are good
  • Wes and CT don’t take this to heart

Ten teams are left.  Four more will be going home.  Rivals 2 has only just begun.

David J. Bloom can be reached on twitter @davidbloom7 and writes about MTV’s “The Challenge,” pop culture, and the NBA for Bishop and Company. His “The Challenge: Rivals 2″ power rankings will post weekly starting on July 10.

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THE CHALLENGE: RIVALS 2 Weekly Power Rankings – Week 5

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The weekly The Challenge: Rivals 2 power rankings are a way of comparing where each competitor stands relative to one another.  If you were to take someone like Frank (ranked second again this week) and Preston (ranked tenth and again last for the men this week), Frank has a higher standing than Preston in this point in the game.  He is in better physical shape, will perform better at challenges, has more support from the women teams, has a better relationship with his partner (poor Preston seems to be eternally linked to his New Orleans roommate), and is ultimately in a better position to reach and succeed in the finals.  Frank has more power than Preston and is therefore ranked above him in the standings.

What the rankings do not measure and the women vote debacle further highlighted last week, is an assessment of how powerful are the powerful?  Most seasons in the modern age of The Challenge, spearheaded by the J.E.K. Empire and its many soldiers for the cause, have been about the power alliance and its ability to effectively control the game.  Their have always been outliers (Landon and Carley on Fresh Meat II, Cuthroat’s format), but the process of reaching the finals have been carefully dictated by the ruling class.  Even in the J.E.K. Empire power vacuum that was Battle of the Seasons, Frank and Team San Diego’s playbook to success was based upon creating an aligned voting block that could dominate game decisions.

Rivals 2 does have clear power distinctions between different players and teams, but what is most striking at this point of the season heading into tonight’s sixth episode, is that no team is all that powerful and there isn’t one clear alliance controlling the game.  This reality means that votes may be arbitrary, decisions may be unexpected and misguided (production has certainly been a prime culprit of this), and the road to success is wide open.  It is really anyone’s game to win (almost anybody, Knight and Preston) where inevitability is a misnomer and possibility is a constant.

Before we hit the rankings, I wanted to briefly touch on the power relationships of a few other key pop culture touchstones of the moment…

Pop star new single battle: Lady Gaga’s “Applause” versus Katy Perry’s “Roar”:

In successive days this week, Katy Perry and then Lady Gaga released first singles from their upcoming (and much anticipated) fall album releases.  Katy Perry’s “Roar,” despite its too obvious musical similarities to Sara Bareilles’ recent single release, “Brave,” hits the uplifting anthemic sweet spot of “Firework.”  It is infectious, potent, and melodically memorable – it peers into your consciousness with each new listen.  On the other hand, Lady Gaga’s “Applause” is apparently titled for what I am never going to give it.

More Powerful: Katy Perry in a landslide

The Walter versus Hank showdown in the garage:

Breaking Bad SPOILER ALERT: Hank’s much anticipated confrontation with Heinsenberg (once the brother in law that is now dead to him) is easily one of the best scenes I have seen on television this year.  In the moment when it went there, earlier in the season than any viewer could have anticipated, 5.9 million hearts (finally some ratings justice) stopped.  Walter’s subsequent and brilliant (Bryan Cranston yet again teaching a master class) transformation to Heisenberg (“tread softly” indeed) climaxed five seasons of dramatic irony between these two characters.  Well played, Vince Gilligan.  Well played.

More powerful: Heisenberg who seems to hold all of the Hank’s devotion to familial ties cards

Broadchurch versus the field

I am only one episode in to the first of eight in this BBC series about the investigation of a heinous crime in a southern England coastal town, but already it has the makings of all that The Killing and The Following failed to be.  With all due respect to Top of the Lake (a scintillating and beautiful dramatic achievement) and The Bridge (currently gaining some momentum on FX Wednesday nights), Broadchurch may be the best of the bunch of this series of “built on a crime and subsequent investigation” dramas.

More powerful: Broadchurch

On to the rankings…Once again, as became tradition last year during Battle of the Seasons, the individual competitor power rankings and team power rankings will be released weekly sometime shortly after each new episode airing.  Here are the individual and team rankings after week 5…

RIVALS 2 INDIVIDUAL POWER RANKINGS

 NOTE: the rankings will again be based on my un Zach Lowe-like analysis/sabermetrics method known as “My subjective experience and observations watching all 24 seasons of the show.”  Weight will be given to how well teams and individuals do on competitions, on strategy and in the social game, and whether he or she is a “good competitor.” 

 

THE MEN

THE FRONTRUNNERS

1. Johnny Bananas (9th season, last week: 1)

2. Frank (2nd season, last week: 2)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Cooke/Cara Maria)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria

One of the many takeaways of this week’s women vote sit-tu-at-tion was a reveal of the extent of interaction and integration of strategy between men and women teams.  The rogue voting results speak to, for the first time in many seasons, a lack of overwhelming power alliance.  Jasmine and Theresa and Nany and Jonna appear to be working on their own separate islands.  Cooke and Cara Maria are independently fighting for their life in this game and fully expect to spend some time in the Jungle next week.  Diem and Aneesa have separated themselves from the pack of loners with some co-ed strategy talk with CT and Wes (and a likely strong beneficial voting bond), but I am not sure how much further these two veteran teams go beyond their foursome.  Where does this leave Johnny and Frank?  They share an unbreakable alliance with Paula and Emily who made the one vote this week that made real sense (I am still unclear about why more teams did not vote for Knight and Preston.  Their ticket out of Phuket is long overdue).  Although an edit casualty so far, Camila’s Johnny connection seems to still have some weight in a “I won’t vote for Johnny” kind of way, but Johnny is certainly not influencing who Camila and Jemmye are voting for (their voting history seems to be as random as some of the other teams).  My twitter conversation with Kenny this week (“nobody running the house the right way”) spoke to the lack of strategic leadership, but I am beginning to question whether the personalities of these teams are even built for such a construct.  The combination of Trishelle and Sarah’s early departure and the relative inexperience in many of the other women teams has created a weekly strategic free-for-all calling upon each team to take care of their own business (as some of the power rankings frontrunners have done – Jordan and Marlon, two rookies, perhaps most notably) while hoping that the other teams won’t do anything crazy.  Last week, their was some unexpected arbitrary craziness in the women vote and for the sake of their ultimate success in the game, Johnny and Frank must reel in some additional teams to ensure that they remain out of an elimination.

THE CONTENDERS 

3. CT (9th season, last week: 4)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1 (although it was handed to them)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle

4. Jordan (Rookie season, last week: 5)

5. Marlon (Rookie season, last week: 6)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Cooke/Naomi/Cara Maria), 1 (Jasmine/Theresa), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Jemmye/Camila)

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria

6. Wes (8th season, last week: 10)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1 (although it was handed to them)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria

Both of these teams had very important weeks.  CT and Wes somehow managed a free pass on the challenge that speaks to how well they are fitting into the guy power structure.  The perception that Leroy was a threat (both as a player and as a bunkmate) likely had more influence on the women teams eventual vote than any other factor.  Although they have carved out a small amount of women vote real estate (Diem and Aneesa and then it is unclear), they are at least closing strategic deals while helping to force the elimination of a physical threat (Zach and Trey, but Ty and Leroy would have worked too) and helping to prevent the elimination of a non-factor team like Knight and Preston.  Three men eliminations have now come and gone and Jordan and Marlon have yet to be even close to the inside of the Jungle.  They will break their Jungle virginity at some point this season, but as each successive challenge proves, no one is going to want to face them in an elimination.  With Leroy and Ty’s vote exposing a certain randomness in women strategic dealings, Jordan and Marlon could attempt to take advantage by parlaying some Thai flings with Jonna and Nany into a working alliance.

7. Leroy (3rd season, last week: 3)

8. Ty (4th season, last week: 9)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Theresa/Jasmine), 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Diem/Aneesa)

VOTES FOR: Theresa and Jasmine, Nany and Jonna

JUNGLE: Beat Zach and Trey (DQ) in Week 5

Leroy and Ty were a Zach adrenaline-infused mistake away from being eliminated this week and were only in that position to begin with because of some women vote silliness.  The good news is that something like this is not likely to happen again or at least to happen so unexpectedly, but it does not dispel just how close to going home they were.  Some strategic triage is in order.

IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME…

9. Knight (2nd season, last week: 11)

10. Preston (2nd season, last week: 12)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Nany/Jonna), 1 (Paula/Emily)

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle, Cooke and Cara Maria

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 3 (DQ)

JUNGLE: Beat Derek and Robb Week 3

In a ranking of this week’s many “What the Phuket?” moments, how far Knight and Preston were from elimination has to be near the top (Zach’s extreme outbursts post challenge and post Jungle have to be considered near the bottom – it was only a matter of time…).

ELIMINATED

11. Trey (2nd season, last week: 8)

12. Zach (2nd season, last week: 7)

CHALLENGE WINS: 2

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 5

VOTES FOR: Cooke and Cara Maria, Cooke and Cara Maria

JUNGLE: DQ against Leroy and Ty

I could focus on the many aspects of Zach’s final week that are not good (helmet throwing, a few too many temper tantrums, cameraman attacks, rule violations), but instead, I would like to honor both Zach and Trey for building a connection and bond out of this experience that would have seemed unfathomable with the acute animosity that they had going in to Rivals 2.  Although the final moments were a tough way to go out, early challenge wins and the discovery of how to fuse their complementary physical strengths into an effective tandem will remain highlights of the first few weeks of this season.

13. Derek (3rd season, last week: 13)

14. Robb (2nd season, last week: 14)

VOTES AGAINST: 8 (Emily/Paula [2], Ana/Jess, Camila/Jemmye [2], Sarah/Trishelle, Diem/Aneesa [2])

VOTES FOR: Sarah and Trishelle

JUNGLE: Beat Tyrie and Dunbar Week 1, Lost to Knight and Preston Week 3

15. Dunbar (6 season, last week: 15)

16. Tyrie (6th season, last week: 16)

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 1

JUNGLE: Lost to Derek and Robb Week 1

 

THE WOMEN

THE FRONTRUNNERS

1. Paula (10th season, last week: 1)

2. Emily (3rd season, last week: 2)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Knight and Preston

CHALLENGE WINS: 4

3. Aneesa (9 seasons, last week: 3)

4. Diem (7th season, last week: 4)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Leroy and Ty

Paula and Emily’s vote for Knight and Preston made sense (thank you!) and they would have won the challenge if Jasmine and Theresa were not given an inexplicable free pass to win.  As lack of a strong power alliance becomes more evident, Paula and Emily must broaden their male team support base beyond Johnny and Frank.  Right after last week’s episode, I openly questioned the logic of Diem’s vote for Leroy and Ty (as did Aneesa), but if she did believe that Leroy and Ty were a potential wildcard against them, I can better see the justification.  It seems like both of these teams are playing right now at a higher level than their fellow female competitors.

THE CONTENDERS

5. Jemmye (2nd season, last week: 5)

6. Camila (5th season, last week: 7)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb, Derek and Robb, Jordan and Marlon

We are still waiting (mortuusequusphobia aside) for a #teamsubtitles breakout moment.  I sense that it is coming soon.

7. Jasmine (4th season, last week: 9)

8. Theresa (4th season, last week: 10)

CHALLENGE WINS: 1 (although it was handed to them)

VOTES AGAINST: 1 (Leroy/Ty)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Leroy and Ty, Leroy and Ty

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 4 DQ

9. Nany (2nd season, last week: 6)

10. Jonna (3rd season, last week: 8)

VOTED FOR: Knight and Preston, Marlon and Jordan, Leroy and Ty

VOTES AGAINST: Leroy and Ty

Despite being at the center of last week’s voting debacle, Jasmine and Theresa may have come out better than Nany and Jonna on the other side and certainly seem to be more ready to fight to win back favor.

IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME…

11. Cooke (Rookie season, last week: 11)

12. Cara Maria (6th season, last week: 12)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Zach/Trey), 2 (Johnny/Frank), 2 (Knight/Preston), 2 (Jordan/Marlon), 1 (CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Marlon and Jordan, Marlon and Jordan, Johnny and Frank

JUNGLE: Beat Jessica and Anastasia Week 2

UNFAIRLY SENT HOME

13. Sarah (7th season, last week: 13)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Derek/Robb, CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

ELIMINATED

14. Jessica (Rookie season, last week: 14)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 2

JUNGLE: Lost to Cooke and Cara Maria Week 2

LEFT THE SHOW

15. Naomi (2nd season, last week: 15)

ELIMINATED

16. Anastasia (Rookie season, last week: 16)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

CHALLENGE LOSS: Week 2

JUNGLE: Lost to Cooke and Cara Maria Week 2

QUIT

17. Trishelle (4th season, last week: 17)

VOTES AGAINST: 2 (Derek/Robb, CT/Wes)

VOTED FOR: Derek and Robb

RIVALS 2 TEAM RANKINGS

Note: Team rankings are compiled by averaging the two individual rankings.  Teams with the lowest total average rankings are ranked better than the highest (i.e. you want as few points as possible).  First tiebreaker goes to number of total past wins.  Second tiebreaker goes to years of experience.

THE FRONTRUNNERS

1. Paula and Emily – Team Average: 1.5, last week: 1.5

2. Johnny and Frank – Team Average: 1.5, last week: 1.5

3. Diem and Aneesa – Team Average: 3.5, last week: 3.5

THE CONTENDERS

4. CT and Wes – Team Average: 4.5, last week: 7

5. Marlon and Jordan – Team Average: 4.5, last week: 5.5

6. Camila and Jemmye – Team Average: 5.5, last week: 6

7. Ty and Leroy – Team Average: 7.5, last week: 6

8. Jasmine and Theresa – Team Average: 7.5, last week: 9.5

9. Nany and Jonna – Team Average: 9.5, last week: 7

IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME…

11. Knight and Preston – Team Average: 9.5, last week: 11.5

12. Cooke and Cara Maria – Team Average: 11.5, last week: 11.5

NO LONGER WITH US…

13. ELIMINATED: Zach and Trey – Team Average: 11.5, last week: 7.5

14. ELIMINATED: Sarah and Trishelle – Team Average: 15, last week: 6.5

15. ELIMINATED: Derek and Robb – Team Average: 13.5, last week: 12.5

16. ELIMINATED: Anastasia and Jessica – Team Average: 15, last week: 14.5

17. ELIMINATED: Dunbar and Tyrie – Team Average: 15.5

LEFT THE SHOW: Naomi

Next week is a women’s elimination (the first in forever – the last female Jungle elimination was amazingly Jess and Ana) and the preview clip showed Camila starting to freakout, more Theresa fallout from the Diem betrayal, and some Portland-esque Jordan confrontation.  It is anyone’s game…

David J. Bloom can be reached on twitter @davidbloom7 and writes about MTV’s “The Challenge,” pop culture, and the NBA for Bishop and Company. His “The Challenge: Rivals 2″ power rankings will post weekly starting on July 10.