This week started off with the continuation of last weeks jungle between Diem and Aneesa and Jemmye and Camila. This final jungle was for the final spot in the final challenge. This jungle was the one where the teammates were hanging upside down, and they needed to use a little saw to cut through two ropes and drop their opponents in the water. At first it didn't seem like any of the girls could reach the rope at all, and it was a major struggle. But then Jemmye grabbed the rope for Camila to cut, and Diem did the same for Aneesa. By the team Diem finally got the rope for Aneesa, Camila was already halfway through her first rope. After everything was said and done, Camila and Jemmye prevailed in the final jungle, earning themselves a spot in the final. Aneesa and Diem were both very emotional as they lost. Diem's goodbye to C.T, was notable because he lifted her up and gave her a big hug, showing that there are still feelings there and the things he was doing for her were genuine. Diem said she has no "ill will" with C.T, and C.T, said he still cares about Diem, and that their is still something there, proving that he is not that bad of a guy.
Now that we had all six teams set for the final, the anticipation immediately started to be raised. T.J, told everyone to get some rest and prepare for the final, because they would need it. In the days before finding out what the final challenge entailed there was a lot of build up. From Emily being worried about running long distances, to Cara Maria worrying about not being able to swim, the tension was palpable. Paula compared final challenges to a ghost, Jordan expressed his confidence in he and his partner, and Johnny and C.T, relived their old rivalry that goes back a while. They shook it out and said may the best man win.
After all the anticipation was finally over Johnny received the much awaited text from T.J, saying where the final challenge will be, and the challengers were headed to Tokyo. Many of the challengers were excited about the final challenge being something different. Usually it involves a long trek through a mountainous place, but this one would be through the city. Paula and Wes seemed to be the only ones not excited about Tokyo. Paula because she said she is not good at all with directions, and Wes because he said that he and C.T, were prepared for a final in the hot temperature in Thailand. The roommates packed their bags and boarded the bus for their trip to Tokyo.
While on the bus to Tokyo, the bus got cutoff by a mysterious van and the bus came to a stop. A bunch of men in ninja costumes hopped out off the van and boarded the bus, one the ninjas was T.J, and he, along with the other ninjas, zip-tied everyone and put a bag over their heads. The challengers were than put into the vans and taken away. When they were taken out of the vans they were by water and T.J, addressed them and told them they were not headed to Tokyo, instead the final challenge would start now. This final challenge would have two legs. The first leg would require the teams to swim to the shore and then do a puzzle. The puzzle was to put together a huge shape (either a horseshoe, a cross, or a cube), with oversized building blocks. After the puzzle was done the team would get a key to a kayak and they would then have to row to a yacht where T.J, would be waiting for the teams to prepare for the second leg. As he was explaining this he threw in a twist. Only two girl teams, and two guy teams would be able to make it on the yacht, meaning that one team from each gender would be eliminated during the first leg of the final, which is a huge surprise because usually all of the teams that make the final get to at least finish it.
Before they got to starting the final Cara Maria and Marlon were both unhappy because they are the two worst swimmers in the final, and they didn't want to start with a disadvantage. The challenge started with the females first, and as you would expect Emily and Paula were the first team to reach the island, with Jemmye, and Camila next, and Cara and Cooke last. For the guys Johnny and Frank, and C.T, and Wes both made it there in close to the same time. Marlon and Jordan got there about a minute and a half after Johnny and Frank. All of the teams went in thinking the puzzle would be a piece of cake, but they were all very wrong. Every team struggled with the puzzle. C.T, and Wes were the first team, either gender, to complete the puzzle, by a long shot. They got the key to their kayak, and rowed over to the yacht where they secured their spot in the second part of the final challenge. The next team to finish was, surprisingly, Cooke and Cara. They got to the puzzles way after the other female teams, but because they are a well rounded team they were able to complete the puzzle, and be the first female team to get to the yacht. That left one spot for each gender remaining, which really put the pressure on.
They first showed the two female teams. They both seemed to be getting close to finishing their puzzles, but Emily and Paula, put their cube together first, and they made it to the yacht as the final female team. This meant that Camila and Jemmye were eliminated from the final challenge and earned $15,000, but they were both bummed that they didn't get to see the whole final challenge. The final two guy teams is where things really got intense. Neither Johnny and Frank nor Jordan and Marlon were able to complete the puzzle, so they just waited until their hour time limit was up, and made it a kayak race. Since Johnny and Frank got there a minute and a half before Jordan and Marlon, they had that much of an advantage. Unfortunately we didn't find out how this race ended this week, as they left us with a cliffhanger. They left us this week, with one of the final two guys teams, falling off their kayak. We don't know which team it was, but if it was Johnny and Frank, that opens the door for Jordan and Marlon, and will make for a great kayak race for the final spot on the yacht.
Next week is the end of Rivals two. We will finally find out who the big winners are, and what this final challenge has in store for all of the remaining competitors. All we really learned this week was that the two teams in the final jungle were eliminated, Jemmye and Camila won a little bit of cash, and that only four teams will be competing in the whole final challenge. Next week we will find out which guy team makes it onto the yacht, and which team from each side wins the big money. It will be an intense battle, and after watching the coming attractions I know I can't wait.
Which team do you think fell of their kayak? Which girl team do you think will win? Which guy team do you think will win?
All of these questions will be answered in one week. Stay tuned.
Photo credit to MTV Press