reality tv – Page 53

Survivor: Cagayan Episode 3

After the awesome (because of the sheer amounts of stupidity displayed) first week, Brice was eliminated in Survivor: Cagayan Episode 2 with little fanfare.

Reward is three egg laying hens and a rooster for the first tribe or a dozen eggs for the second tribe to finish. Woo and Sarah sit out for Brawn; Morgan sits out for Beauty. A caller will guide two blindfolded and tied together members to retrieve items and hoist them. The men are having no luck in this challenge avoiding running into posts. Beauty tribe is in the lead, while Brains tribe is right behind them. Brawn is falling behind. Throwing all caution to the wind and repeatedly running into obstacles, Brawn makes a big comeback as Brains somehow blow a good lead. Beauty places first, and Brawn comes in second.

The Beauty tribe is left to wonder how chickens are born and where eggs come from. They have enough of them, though, so Jeremiah rips one of the heads off and watches it keep going. They don’t even need brains to function. I think that’s supposed to be a metaphor.

Woo and Sarah hatch a plan to throw the challenge to get rid of Cliff. Because Sarah trusts Woo, Tony reluctantly agrees to trust him, too. Cliff is on the opposite side with Lindsey, so Sarah especially wants to eliminate him before the merge. It’s a little early to be thinking about that. Woo may be talking about this, but he’s not overly thrilled about it. He’ll side with the majority if it comes down to it.

The immunity challenge is a basket game. Cliff is in the top 10 of any player for games played in the NBA, so this is up his alley as much as any challenge has been. Their task is to free up buoys from underneath the water, and then score baskets with those buoys. Tony and Lindsey sit out for Brawn; Alexis sits out for Beauty.

Beauty tribe is running away with this one again. Brains suck as usual. Brawn are falling apart, but if they want to throw this, they are going to have to try harder because the other tribe sucks so bad. Beauty wins immunity easily. The only useful member of the Brains tribe, Spencer, helps put them into a competitive position, but Brawn eventually catches up. This is a lost cause now. J’Tia sucks in the water as a rebounder, and Cliff is shooting baskets for his team. Brawn places second.

Brains are finally starting to use their brains. They plan to get rid of J’Tia. Way too late for that. Of course, it’s only a matter of time before Tasha goes back to being a moron and talks about wanting to keep J’Tia, who is loyal to her.

J’Tia defends herself at Tribal Council. Swimming is just not her thing. Oh, I’m sure the list of things that are her thing would be an easier one to make.

As they sit there, Kass and Tasha continue to discuss who they plan to get rid of.

Votes
J’Tia
Spencer
J’Tia
J’Tia

With 3 votes, J’Tia has finally been voted off the island. The fact that this was a decision that caused a moment of consideration just demonstrates how terrible this tribe is. Not only was she just generally awful, but she deliberately destroyed all their food.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of Survivor: Cagayan Episode 4, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on CBS.

The Amazing Race 24 Episode 3

Struggling to work as a team after being put together just days before, Mark & Mallory were eliminated in The Amazing Race 24 Episode 2.

Teams depart in the order in which they arrived.

First: Brendon & Rachel – 6:22PM
Second: Luke & Margie – 6:23PM
Third: Caroline & Jennifer – 6:24PM
Fourth: Dave & Connor – 6:26PM
Fifth: Flight Time & Big Easy – 6:27PM
Sixth: Jet & Cord – 6:28PM
Seventh: Leo & Jamal – 6:36PM
Eighth: Jessica & John – 6:49PM
Ninth: Joey & Meghan – 6:50PM

Teams must now fly to Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. The first flight has space for six teams, and the first six teams are all right on top of each other, though the others are not too far behind. The second flight departs three hours later. Brendon & Rachel get stuck in traffic just long enough to put them behind Leo & Jamal and on the later flight.

The first flight has no delay that would make things intersting, which means the majority of the episode is going to be pretty much irrelevant.

The road block requires teams to rapel 10 stories down a waterfall.

Road block (in order of arrival): Dave, Jamal, Cord, Luke, Flight Time (Big Easy is too big), Jennifer, Jessica, Rachel, Joey

It’s here that the biggest mistake of the leg happens. Brendon & Rachel and Jessica & John know enough to have their cabs wait for them. Joey & Meghan are left to walk back to find a replacement.

The detour is a choice between river delivery or run through the jungle. River delivery requires them to transport goods to a village. Run through the jungle requires teams to hit a target with blow darts. Before departing for the detour, they must build a raft that they will use to head down the rapids.

River delivery: Dave & Connor, Leo & Jamal, Margie & Luke, Jet & Cord, Jessica & John
Jungle run: Caroline & Jennifer, Flight Time & Big Easy, Brendon & Rachel, Joey & Meghan

There’s a lot of drama throughout the day on the river, but none of it ultimately makes any difference. The flights and the cab mishap have already determined the outcome. It’s just a question of whether this is a non-elimination leg.

The pit stop for this leg of the race is Tanjung Aru Water Village.

First: Dave & Connor (win a trip to Budapest, Hungary)
Second: Jet & Cord
Third: Leo & Jamal
Fourth: Margie & Luke
Fifth: Flight Time & Big Easy
Sixth: Caroline & Jennifer
Seventh: Jessica & John
Eighth: Brendon & Rachel
Eliminated: Joey & Meghan

Joey & Meghan have been eliminated from the race.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of The Amazing Race 24 Episode 4, which airs Sunday at 8/7c on CBS.

Survivor: Cagayan Episode 2

Proving book smarts do not translate to intelligent or even semi-coherent decision making in Survivor, the Brains tribe started off with a whimper in Survivor: Cagayan Episode 1. First, they got rid of David, the idiot who tried to get rid of their only challenge asset. Then they got rid of said asset, Garrett, the whiny but buff guy who could beat down any member of the Brawn tribe. And in all the chaos, they refused to get rid of the raving lunatic who burned their entire food supply after being single handedly responsible for losing the challenge for them. I hope these stupid people keep losing.

Spencer talks about how it’s Garrett’s own fault that he got sent home. Really, it’s his fault he’s on a tribe of morons? Meanwhile, the women are all coming together, and Spencer is the only man out. Of course, to be fair, Garrett was dumb, too.

Tony finally comes clean to Sarah, telling her what she already knows: he’s a cop. Now she trusts him, while he tells us that words don’t matter. He makes up a story about how Cliff and Lindsey were talking about Sarah.

Now the miserable rain starts. For the women on the Beauty tribe, it’s an excuse to do nothing while the men work. While they cower in the shelter, LJ gets the opportunity to find a hidden immunity idol. Yes, the third in two episodes.

For the immunity challenge, they will use a bucket to scoop water out the ocean, and they will toss that water from one tribemate to the next trying to fill a container to release a ball utilized in a maze. Tony and Lindsey sit out for Brawn; Jefra and Alexis sit out for Beauty. Brain tribe is in last. As usual. Beauty easily wins the first part of the challenge. Brawn tribe is a relatively (compared to Brains) close second. Pulling ahead on the maze, Brawn wins immunity. Though they had a large lead, Beauty falls apart on the maze. Spencer and Kass take center stage on the maze, and without J’Tia to screw them over, Brains place second.

Tony immediately grabs his tribe’s reward again. He takes the hammock and finds the clue hidden inside, unable to figure out why nobody else on his tribe can seem to understand that there are advantages in the rewards.

So much of the show has been focused on the lot of fools on the other tribe that I have no idea what’s happening with these people who are about to go to Tribal Council. LJ tells us Brice and Morgan are on the outside. Morgan differs, saying Jeremiah is with her and Brice. LJ wants to vote out Brice; Morgan wants to vote out Alexis. Brice just wants to get rid of a girl. Though Morgan thinks she is in an alliance with Jeremiah, and Jeremiah thinks he is the swing vote, Brice does not seem to share the concept that he’s with anybody other than Morgan.

Being on the chopping block is not preventing Alexis from coming up with a plan to split the vote.

Votes
Alexis
Brice
Morgan
Alexis
Brice
Morgan

It is a three way tie. LJ, Jefra, and Jeremiah, who have made their alliance clear with this vote, now control the outcome.

Votes
Brice
Brice

With 2 votes, Brice has been voted off the island. Unlike last week, I have no opinion. This was… dull.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of Survivor: Cagayan Episode 3, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on CBS.

The Amazing Race 24 Episode 2

Twinnies Natalie & Nadiya couldn’t stop yelling at each other in The Amazing Race 24 Episode 1 and ended up being eliminated.

Teams depart in the order in which they arrived, more or less. The order is somewhat bungled for some unexplained reason, but everybody is within about an hour of the leaders.

First: Jet & Cord – 8:16AM
Second: Brendon & Rachel – 8:23AM
Third: Margie & Luke – 8:39AM
Fourth: Dave & Connor – 8:46AM
Fifth: Leo & Jamal – 8:53AM
Sixth: Mark & Mallory – 8:56AM
Seventh: Flight Time & Big Easy – 8:57AM
Eighth: Jessica & John – 9:09AM
Ninth: Joey & Meghan – 9:13AM
Tenth: Caroline & Jennifer – 9:19AM

Jet & Cord ran a strong leg last time, but this time they are starting off weak as things get lost in translation. Everybody they meet tells them their destination is very far, but they just keep right on jogging, not wanting to spend money on a cab (most teams take the subway).

At Chen Clan Academy, they watch a demonstration and then get their next destination stamped on their foreheads.

The road block requires teams to build a kiddy car. The instructions are all in Chinese.

Road block (in order of arrival): Dave, Margie, Jamal, Brendon, Mark, Flight Time, Meghan, John, Jet, Caroline

The blondes finally arrive, already in last place, and both of them consider the task to be a lost cause. Their only hope is to charm Jet & Cord into giving them an express pass. They make a compelling argument: give the pass to an incompetent team rather than a good one. Jet finishes the task quickly, putting them in a reasonable sixth place, and if they give it away, it means that the second express pass will be gone right now with no more worries. With that, they give the express pass away.

Once they build their car, they will deliver it to the children’s cultural center.

Mark blows through the road block, but in the chaos of trying to load their toy into the taxi, Mark forgets his backpack. At least Mallory has his passport, but he’s going to have to go back if he wants the rest of his stuff. They realize it on the way to the detour, and when they get there, Mallory keeps arguing with him in an effort to avoid returning. Just go back already. This arguing is just wasting time and isn’t helping this newly formed team bond any, no matter how valid Mallory’s point about this potentially costing them the race may be. He’s clearly not budging. They end up very close to the bottom of the pack, but the worst thing about it is that they won’t stop fighting, even as they arrive at the detour. Mark tells her people from Kentucky don’t act like this.

After all the other teams are gone, it’s just Joey & Meghan and Jessica & John. Meghan figures it out first between the two, but rather than taking second to last place and running, she stops to help him with his car.

The detour is a choice between feather-ball and china cup. Feather-ball is China’s version of hacky sack, and teams will need to complete ten passes. China cup requires them to get Chinese therapy.

Feather-ball: Mark & Mallory, Margie & Luke, Brendon & Rachel, Dave & Connor, Caroline & Jennifer, Jet & Cord, Leo & Jamal, Flight Time & Big Easy, Joey & Meghan, Jessica & John

Nobody has any interest in the therapy session that looks like it could be painful.

The pit stop for this leg of the race is Shamian Island. The top 7 teams all arrive so closely that everybody is standing on the mat at the same time. This leaves the two trailing teams and the team that went back for the backpack to fight for last place.

First: Brendon & Rachel (win $2500 each)
Second: Luke & Margie
Third: Caroline & Jennifer
Fourth: Dave & Connor
Fifth: Flight Time & Big Easy
Sixth: Jet & Cord
Seventh: Leo & Jamal
Eighth: Jessica & John
Ninth: Joey & Meghan
Eliminated: Mark & Mallory

Going from first to last, Mark & Mallory have been eliminated. They did make what would often be considered a game ending mistake, but perhaps more glaring is that this team, manufactured by the producers just days earlier, never really was a team to begin with.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of The Amazing Race 24 Episode 3, which airs Sunday at 8/7c on CBS.

Survivor: Cagayan Episode 1

Survivor: Cagayan is all about brawn vs. brains vs. beauty. So we’re told. Three tribes of six people each divided into those three categories, in some cases seemingly at random, make up the cast of 18 new contestants.

When they hit the beach, they must pick a leader, a potentially terrible position for those who are chosen. LJ (beauty), Sarah (brawn), and David (brains) are picked. Why is David wearing a suit?

Now the leaders must pick the weakest person from their group. LJ chooses Morgan, Sarah chooses Trish (the first person to vote for her as leader), and David chooses Garrett (who’s probably the fittest person on the island, even better than the brawn tribe). The chosen weakest links will head to camp by helicopter while the others make the long trek.

They can either help the tribe or help themselves to a clue to the hidden immunity idol. David quickly opts for the idol. Morgan likewise goes for the idol without hesitation. Trish helps the group instead.

David finds an idol. 16 minutes into the show. This is pitiful. I’ve got an idea. Why not just put up a flashing neon sign that says “Idol Here”? Or just use one of the American Idol signs. It’s not like people watch that show any more. Morgan does not find one as well, but she is smart enough to pretend she chose for the group, getting them all the stuff that’s on the beach, which they have no way of knowing they already had regardless.

The beauty tribe manages to make fire on day 1 without flint.

Sarah knows what cops look like. She confronts Tony about it. He denies anything, claiming he’s in construction. She at the very least knows she can’t trust him.

David’s tribe is unimpressed with his selfish decision to try to get rid of the biggest threat rather than the weakest link. It’s way too early to be playing an individual game already.

Though J’Tia fancies herself the smartest person on the island, the rest of her tribe is not impressed. She tries to take the leadership role, and they just smile and nod.

For the immunity challenge, they must load chests on carts, unlock the chests, take the carts apart, get everything through a set of obstacles, then solve a puzzle at the end. Reward is a fire making kit (the second tribe to finish will get flint instead of the full kit). The results are pretty much as one would expect in a physical challenge: brawn then beauty then brains. The Brains better hope they can catch up at the puzzle because they suck at the first part of this. But really it’s the Beauty tribe that benefits most from this puzzle, as they win immunity. Brawn places a close second. The Brains tribe seems to lack any.

Who does David want to get rid of? Garrett of course. Why not get rid of the only brawn you have?

J’Tia realizes she’s a big target because she doesn’t do much. She even admits to being the (bad) planner (such as her shelter, which collapsed), not the worker.

Votes
J’Tia
J’Tia
David
David
David
David

With 4 votes, David has been voted off the island. The right person went home, even if J’Tia is useless. He played too hard too fast. It’s not even like he was playing smart. He just made an idiotic move within the first five minutes. Kass, who pushed for the J’Tia vote, is the lone outsider to the majority.

When they return to camp, Garrett starts whining. He doesn’t like the survival aspect of a show called Survivor.

Trish was already low on the totem pole. Complaining to Lindsey about how she doesn’t do anything is not going to do her any favors.

Now for another immunity challenge, this one at the beach. They will swim out to a large bamboo cage, dive under and untie knots to release the gate, and return back to shore with fish traps, which one tribe member will use to solve a puzzle. Reward is a large fish kit. Second place wins a smaller fish reward. Cliff sits out for Brawn; Brice sits out for Beauty.

Once again, the Brawn tribe takes the lead, but this time the Brains are not far behind despite a slow start. As the others fall apart in the water, the Brains take a large lead back at shore, giving J’Tia an opportunity to shine as puzzle solver. Brawn catch up to them with Sarah as the solver of her bloody puzzle (following Tony’s terrible cut on his foot). Beauty is dead in the water, quite literally. Brawn tribe wins immunity and reward as J’Tia falls apart on the puzzle. Somehow, LJ smokes her on the puzzle, and Beauty places second, sending Brains to Tribal Council for the second time in a row.

Without question, J’Tia has to go. She got lucky last time, but there’s no saving her now.

Tony is the only one smart to enough to think that there must be a clue in the reward basket. He sneaks the clue out of the basket then goes searching. Now he has a hidden idol, too. This is getting dumb.

When they return to camp, Garrett takes issue with his tribe wanting to go talk separately about how to vote. This is the guy who said he was bored because he wanted to outwit and outplay. Now he just wants to make a decision and sit around the fire until Tribal Council.

Tasha proposes an all female alliance to Kass. She is on to something: they are outnumbered. The problem is that J’Tia, Tasha, and Kass would be the most pathetic tribe in history. You think the Brains are bad now? Picture them without the men.

So now that she’s done being told by her tribe that she is going to be voted out, J’Tia dumps all the rice into the fire. Dumbass. What little chance she may have had is gone now, and on top of that she comes off as a psycho. Ironically enough, though Garrett was being mocked for it earlier, his plan for everyone to stay together would have prevented this. Then Kass blames him for the rice being dumped out because he wanted to hear what they were saying rather than staying behind to babysit J’Tia.

Votes
J’Tia
Garrett
J’Tia
Garrett
Garrett

With 3 votes, Garrett has been voted off the island. How is what just happened even possible? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Sinking ship of fools. You just got rid of your greatest (only) challenge asset and kept the weakest link on any tribe, who dumped all your food.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of Survivor: Cagayan Episode 1, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on CBS.

The Amazing Race 24 Episode 1

The Amazing Race 24 cast consists of 11 teams who have competed on at least one prior season. A couple of these teams have earned the right to be called all stars, but most of them are just here because of their big (annoying) personalities.

The UCLA Bruin marching band kicks things off.

Jet & Cord say things will be easier this time because their lives have settled down. Caroline & Jennifer claim they won’t be as boy crazy. Natalie & Nadiya acknowledge they can be obnoxious. Brendon & Rachel are married now, so they plan to fight just as much as before. Jessica & John are recently engaged and realize they were dumb last time. The Harlem Globetrotters win every game… but they lost this game twice. Dave & Connor are favorites to go home early, but they get credit for giving it another go. Being annoying has not prevented Joey & Meghan from explosive Youtube subscriber growth. Leo & Jamal were liars last time, and they seem intent on being just as “creative” this time. Margie’s worried that she is 5 years older, but Luke hopes to make up for his mistake last time. Bopper & Mark hope to make money the old fashioned way… by winning a reality TV show.

The night before the race even starts, Bopper had a pancreas attack. The doctor determined he is not healthy enough to race around the world. They offer to find Mark a new partner: Mallory. She is also from Kentucky and previously raced with her father Gary in seasons 17 and 18.

Before heading to their first destination of Guangzhou, China, they start with a searching task of Chinese symbols to determine who will get on the earliest flight.

First flight: Leo & Jamal, Jet & Cord, Dave & Connor, Natalie & Nadiya

Their first task upon landing in China is to search through a street full of wedding dresses, where three shops contain clues. Natalie & Nadiya and Leo & Jamal decide to team work with each other, and the twins end up deciding that the guys are stupid and even worse than they are.

This takes them to Canton Tower, the highest tower in China and home to the world’s highest ferris wheel, where they must select random seats and hope they are not told to try again. Either that, or they can just watch the people in front of them who got it right and then just go in the same bubbles they were in.

Within the final flight, three teams get stuck on the second train: John & Jessica, Joey & Meghan, and Caroline & Jennifer. Luckily for them, the twins and Afghanimals are pathetic and join them at the back of the pack. The twins bail on them and start searching with the equally clueless singers.

The road block requires teams to perform five high wire flips 300 feet in the air. It’s actually an extremely quick and simple road block for those who can overcome the fear.

Road block (in order of arrival): Cord, Brendon, Connor, Margie, Leo, Mallory, Flight Time, two teams they don’t show, Joey, Natalie

The pit stop for this leg of the race is Guangzhou Opera House. There is no detour, and the pit stop is within walking distance, so it all comes down to the dumb luck of the ferris wheel.

First: Jet & Cord (win an express pass plus another to give away)
Second: Brendon & Rachel
Third: Dave & Connor
Fourth: Margie & Luke
Fifth: Leo & Jamal
Sixth: Mark & Mallory
Seventh: Flight Time & Big Easy
Eighth: Jessica & John
Ninth: Caroline & Jennifer
Tenth: Joey & Meghan
Eliminated: Natalie & Nadiya

Following a day of arguing and going the wrong way with terrible partners, Natalie & Nadiya have been eliminated. They will not be missed.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of The Amazing Race 24 Episode 2, which airs Sunday at 8/7c on CBS.

The Biggest Loser Season 15 Winner

Following Rachel’s win at the triathlon in The Biggest Loser Season 15 Episode 14, Chelsea and Jennifer were eliminated.

Up first, the eliminated contestants weigh in to compete for the at home prize.

Jennifer: 162 pounds (-104, 39.10%)
Fernanda: 163 pounds (-84, 34.80%)
Hap: 322 pounds (-81, 20.10%)
Matt: 223 pounds (-133, 37.36%)
Chelsea: 146 pounds (-95, 39.42%)
Holley: 255 pounds (-96, 27.35%)
Tanya: 175 pounds (-87, 33.21%)
Craig: 223 pounds (-162, 42.08%)
Marie: 138 pounds (-111, 44.58%)
Ruben: 343 pounds (-119, 25.76%)
Tumi: 144 pounds (-175, 54.86%)
Jay: 183 pounds (-114, 38.38%)

Tumi Oguntala is The Biggest Loser At Home winner of $100,000. I wasn’t sure she was that much of a threat, but these numbers are huge. 54.86% is second only to season 8 winner Danny.

Now we get to the final showdown for the grand prize of $250,000. They all look like they have lost about half or more.

Bobby: 170 pounds (-188, 52.51%)
Rachel: 105 pounds (-155, 59.62%)
David: 187 pounds (-222, 54.28%)

And I thought Tumi’s numbers were impressive. The Biggest Loser Season 15 winner is Rachel Frederickson, who blows away all previous records, weighing in at just 105 pounds.

Based on the ratings for this season, it’s a pretty safe bet that this show will be back again for season 16. Eventually. Wherever NBC can find an hour or two to cram it into random weird time slots. Unfortunately, though the ratings were enough, they were relatively lackluster, down quite a bit from last season. This was a real rough season to get into, and as NBC shows it has lost interest in the show, the fans seem to be following.

The Biggest Loser Season 15 Episode 14

During makeover week, Marie and Tanya fell victim to the double elimination in The Biggest Loser Season 15 Episode 13.

The final five contestants will compete in a triathlon. Whoever wins will automatically be part of the finale. Is there even any reason for this challenge? It’s obvious Rachel is going to win.

Beyond that, this will serve as primarily a recap/reflection episode.

From her staring weight of 262 pounds, Tanya is now down to 174 pounds. She has decided to make a change from running a fast food restaurant to running one that serves healthier food.

The triathlon consists of a 0.5 mile swim, 12 miles of biking, and a 3 mile run. In addition to a place in the finals, the winner will receive a car. Beyond the fact that she has proved to be the best runner, this race starts off in a place where Rachel spent 10 years of her life, the water. Of course, she gets off to an early lead, and of course, David is second behind her. Chelsea is behind them in third. Jennifer and Bobby are bringing up the rear. Rachel retains her lead on the bike, far enough ahead that she can’t see the person behind her. As expected, Rachel wins the triathlon (in 1 hour and 32 minutes). The remaining places are the same as they were coming out of the water.

Marie has gone from 249 pounds down to 150 pounds today.

Having won the challenge, Rachel is immune at the weigh in. Two more people will be joining her in the finals.

Rachel: 150 pounds (-1, 0.66%)
Chelsea: 157 pounds (-7, 4.27%)
Jennifer: 182 pounds (-3, 1.62%)
Bobby: 231 pounds (-17, 6.85%)
David: 243 pounds (-16, 6.18%)

Had she not won the challenge, Rachel would have been eliminated at the very last hurdle after dominating the season so far. Instead, she joins David (who likewise has been very strong) and Bobby (who was eliminated once and then would have been voted out after that if they were smart) in the finals. Jennifer and Chelsea have fallen below the red line and are eliminated.

I would think that they would care enough to keep the scheduling simple for just one last episode. I guess not. Next week’s episode will begin 1 hour later than usual.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of The Biggest Loser Season 15 Episode 15, where we will find out who The Biggest Loser Season 15 winner is, which airs Tuesday at 9/8c on NBC.