Former Big Brother alum and The Challenge: Final Reckoning cast member Paul Calafiore will be blogging exclusive with Us Weekly each week, sharing his opinion and what really went down.
Well since some people couldn’t help their Twitter fingers last week, I think I’ll start this week off with a PSA: This recap is intended to be written from a viewer’s standpoint A.K.A. MY viewer standpoint. Also, I didn’t have to cry to my favorite company to give me a blog because I was jealous that my partner was writing one … just kidding ya betch! Marie, your blogs are actually hilarious but that’s neither here nor there so let’s begin, shall we?
The episode begins with the boys having boy talk regarding Kyle and Ashley. I find this hilarious because just last episode Shane was confronted for his actions against Cara … yet this is the same group that has allowed Kyle since day one to not only play games with her and joke about him sleeping with other women, but they also said nothing when he got in her face and punched a wall right next to her head in anger (remember his wrapped up hand in previous episodes?). Everyone staying silent during instances like this is very telling of their character and very similar to all of them doing multiple seasons with Cara and yet a rookie (me) was the only person to stick up for her and risk my game in the beginning.
Next, I want to break down Marie’s gameplay being the super fan that I am. Marie’s problem has always been this: She lets her paranoia get the best of her which, in turn, causes her to burn someone trying to help her in the game. (Cue me telling her this before entering the house then watching her turn around throw me under the bus to Kyle and Johnny.) Shane hits the nail on the head with his firecracker reference. It’s always been frustrating for me to watch Marie because she does have the potential to play the best social game but then Marney takes over and BOOM! Everyone needs to watch out, including herself, which is usually why she gets thrown into elimination – nobody likes to work with a loose cannon.
Case and point: She realizes that Ashley coming into the game puts her lower on the Lavender Ladies’ totem pole. Rather than freak out the way she did in front of Shane and Ashley, all she had to do was hold on to that information until the time was right – when the numbers started dwindling more and immediate threats were no longer in the game – to use it.
Now, let’s skip right to Armageddon. Listen Da’Vonne, I know what it feels like to want to go against someone else in elimination and have your partner switch it up on you! I want to preface this elimination with this little fact: Where we were in South Africa, the temperature at night would plunge tremendously. So the fact that Da’Vonne and Kayleigh were getting dunked in and out of the water like the scene from March of the Wooden Soldiers for over 45 minutes is f—king insane! The mental fortitude it took for them to stay locked in while the natural reaction of the body is to enter hypothermia in order to protect the internal organs, just shows how badass those two truly are!
Kam and Kayleigh prevail, which makes them now two for two in eliminations this season and a team you definitely don’t want to be lined up against. Shout-out to my Big Brother family for one hell of a performance and playing the game! Although they are definitely the last team I wanted to see in Redemption, having another team in your corner definitely ups the odds when it comes to the double cross … which is exactly where this episode ends. The double cross picks the wizard himself, Jozea. It’s fate that at least one Big Brother team is staying in this game no matter how hard everyone tries to exterminate us.
The Challenge: Final Reckoning airs on MTV Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
