So I FINALLY got a chance to watch last Wednesday's episode of The Challenge: Rivals II! I know, BEYOND late, seeing as though the finale and live reunion premiered last night (that recap will be up today as well). It's been a crazy exhausting week and a half and I have a lot to catch up on in my writing life. The week before this episode, we were left on a cliffhanger as Diem and Aneesa faced Jemmye and Camila in the last Jungle, "Hanging By A Thread." The main objective of the game is to cut through two ropes while hanging upside down. Obviously, the winners will go on to the Finals! Diem struggles to even touch the rope and starts freaking out! Though Camila is short and can't reach the rope either, Jemmye uses her saw to bring the rope to her and they get through it. Once Diem and Aneesa figure that out, they begin to work through the ropes too! Unfortunately, they just couldn't pull it out in time. Jemmye and Camila win, sending Diem and Aneesa home right before the Final. It sucks because I really wanted to see Aneesa in the final, and it's hard to get that close and lose like that. Though they're both upset, they're grateful that they got to know each other better and become closer. Diem also holds no ill will towards CT (though me being the grudgeful person that I am, I definitely would!).Anyway, the final six teams have been decided! For the girls, we have Emily and Paula, Cara Maria and Cooke, and Jemmye and Camila. For the guys, we have Johnny and Frank, CT and Wes, and Marlon and Jordan. TJ gives everyone a few days to relax, but also tells them that he can't stand the heat in Thailand anymore, implying that they'll be going somewhere new! Back at the house, the teams train for the Finals. Emily is doubtful going into the challenge, worried that she may not be able to hack it. The housemates also talk about where they'll be going. They don't know what in the world's going to happen with them!
That night, the house gets a text from TJ: "I hope that you enjoyed your time off, as things are about to get interesting! Meet me in TOKYO tomorrow at 10 p.m and we're going to see how you handle the city for a change!" This is CRAZY! I feel like the Final Challenge has always been in a pretty remote place, so no one really knows what's going to happen! Wes is worried that they are going to be distracted in the big city and the Challenge will turn into something that anyone can win. Paula is stressed now too because she thinks it's going to be a puzzle scavenger hunt that doesn't require real skill.The next day, the house preps to leave for Tokyo when a van of guys get in front of their bus and jump on board! One of them is T.J. and he tells them that things have changed! The teams all get their hands tied together and bags are put over their heads. Then they get put in two separate vans! Turns out there is no Tokyo at all! The teams are still in Thailand, and have to run in that sweltering heat that they have come to know and adore. T.J. reminds them again of the stakes: 3rd place, both teams will split $15K. The 2nd place teams get $35 grand, while first place takes home a whopping $125,000 ($62,500 for each team member!).
There is a yacht anchored off the coast of what T.J. calls "Dream Island." The teams have to swim a mile to get to the shore and solve one of three puzzles to get a key to a kayak to get to the yacht. Another twist: there's only room on the yacht for two guys' teams and two girls' teams! So the last place teams in Day 1 don't even get to see the rest of the Challenge! The girls start first, and Emily and Paula take off! The boys start a few minutes later, and everyone is swimming hard to get to shore. Cara, of course, struggles because swimming is a real weakness of hers.
Emily and Paula are the first girls' team on shore, followed shortly after by Jemmye and Camila.They have to assemble one of three puzzles with huge Tetris-looking blocks within an hour. Because of their challenge with the swimming, Cooke and Cara have to seriously make up time. The guys all eventually get to shore, and start working on their puzzles. Everyone is struggling to get these pieces to work, and teams are already starting to crumble. However, CT and Wes figure out their puzzle first and get their key to advance to day 2! Johnny and Frank start arguing, while Marlon and Jordan try to make their puzzle work.
After everything, Cara Maria and Cooke surprisingly get their puzzle right and move on, making them the first girls' team to make it to the yacht. I wouldn't be upset if they won at all. For one thing, Cooke went to Loyola University Maryland as did I (I didn't know her, but Greyhounds stick together haha!). Also, Cooke and Cara have seriously the underdog and the scapegoat in this entire challenge. A lot of that stems from the fact that not a lot of people really like Cara Maria. However, they've managed to fight for their spot, and they deserve to move on to fight to the finish! Emily and Paula get their puzzle right finally and take off towards the boat, leaving Camila and Jemmye to take 3rd place getting $15K. Unfortunately for them, that ends their time in Thailand, and they don't get to see the rest of the Final. The guys' hour time limit expired and it's basically a kayak race between Frank and Johnny and Marlon & Jordan. As the teams race for the yacht, one of the boats capsizes and I'm pretty sure it was Frank and Johnny! Then...the episode ends. Ugh I hate cliffhangers!The SEASON FINALE of The Challenge: Rivals II premiered last night (I'm typing up the recap just as soon as this one is published). Definitely a good one that I hope you didn't miss!
Images via MTV
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