American Grit Season 2, Episode 6: Camp Love
Sitting on the dock swing, Hannah and Gigi are discussing who will be returning. Everyone wants to see Herman and Melanie walk across the bridge. Herman makes his way. Green team is excited. Carla makes her return. Michael from Team Grady is not pleased with Carla’s return as he claims she is an “ugly beauty queen” and “Selfish”. He wants her gone. Richard is happy that his teammate has returned, despite their disagreement before the Elimination.
The Cadre are dining at their compound discussing the Elimination. Burk is tired of losing, having only two team members left. Cena drops a bomb on the group. He informs the Cadre that they will not be given the opportunity to train with their team before the Challenge. They also will not be involved in the challenge. Chloe is most concerned that she will not be able to support Alison and Janessa during the event. Oh, and there’s going to be another double elimination. (Damn Cena!?)
Herman honors Melanie’s “passing” by giving her a Viking ritual. With a homemade boat, and marshmallow torch, he sets the boat ablaze and the crew has a moment of silence as the inflamed boat drifts across the lake.
Team Challenge: Selfish vs. Selfless
The eleven remaining competitors make their way towards the challenge without their Cadre. Today’s Team challenge will have each competitor entering the woods one at a time. They will encounter a tree hosting a group of 8 boxes. Each box has a reward and a numerical value. Some rewards are for the benefit of the team, higher points. Others are for the betterment of oneself, lower points. The Team with the highest average wins the challenge. The competitor to get their medal in the box the fastest will win that reward. The teams will be unaware of what their team mates picked until after the challenge.
George from Grady is the first competitor to enter the woods. He rounds the tree looking at all of options. He passes on “Safety: 5pts” he also passes on a team Pizza party worth 45 points. He decides on “Automatic Selection” where he will automatically be selected for the Elimination Challenge. This box is worth 100 points.
Next up is Chris from Burk. He slams his medal in to the first high marking box he sees. The box chosen was to steal a competitor from another team. This is worth 75 points. Chris is pleased with his lighting quick decision.
Carla enters the woods. Without hesitation she chooses “Safety”. This will keep her safe from having to go to Elimination, but will only gain her team 5 points. She has no shame in this.
Alison chooses “Sleep on the floor” for 40 points. Gigi, Hannah, Scarlett, Janessa, Richard and Herman all make their way selections. Michael is the last to choose. Herman is shown picking “Automatic Selection :100pts”. Scarlett also picks “Safety: 5pts”. Janessa hurriedly selects “Automatic Selection: 100pts”. She is here for the team. Richard reluctantly passes on “Pizza Party” and instead chooses “Automatic Selection: 100pts”. (The only competitor from Team Riki that choose with the team in mind.)
The competitors return to Camp Grit to find their Cadre anxiously waiting to hear what happened. The teams split up and discuss their decision. This is the first time they have been together since the challenge started at 10:00am. Chris lets Burk and Hannah in on his decision, whispering to Burke his decision to steal a team member. Burk seems pleased, and Team Blue agrees that whomever they steal, they will be from Team Grady. On the flip side; Michael from Team Grady reveals that he too choose to steal a competitor from another. Since Team Grady already has 4 competitors, his thought was if he got his medal in the fastest, it could cancel out anyone else who might have chosen that box. Grady and the team compliment him on his tactics. Carla and Scarlett confess that they both picked Safety for their team. Richard thinks this is some “Shady S*it”. Carla calls Scarlet out for choosing safety, as she doesn’t see her having a reason to have chosen that.
Cena gathers the teams together to discuss the points.
Team Chloe: neither first or fastest. They are empty handed
Team Riki: Carla wins “Safety”
Team Grady: 70 points overall. Gigi wins Sleeping on the floor
Team Burke: 75 points and won the ability to steal a competitor.
Team Burk are the victors of the Team Challenge! Leaving their Cadre to pick a player from Team Chloe and Team Riki to compete with Herman (who chose to volunteer for elimination) in the double Elimination Challenge, and Chris to choose who will be joining Team Blue from Team Green.
Chris and Cena have a one on one to discuss his upcoming decision. Chris tells Cena that each competitor from Team Grady would be a huge contribution to their team of two. George, being a well rounded and smart athlete. Herman, being the “Melanie” that has just left the team. Chris thinks hard about his decision as it could potentially jeopardize his team if he doesn’t choose correctly.
“Shady Grady”, true to form, devises a plan with Team Green. Telling them that regardless of who Chris chooses to join Team Burk, they will still be playing for Team Grady. He instructs his team members to “throw the challenge” if they are to be on the opposing team. Burk finds out about Grady’s underhandedness and is furious. Burk calls Team Grady together and gives them the full on Drill Instructor lecture.
Team Grady is getting read to join Gigi on the floor to settle down for the evening. Team Burk enters to make their pick. Chris welcomes George to Team Burk. Grady admits defeat. George is honored that Blue Team finds him strong enough to be on their team and promises to work hard for Burk. Green Team is sad that they are losing a team member and feel they are being broken up.
Morning of Selection
Alison is conveniently sick the morning of selection. Janessa feels like Alison’s illness is intentional, and that she is being set up.
Burk arrives to make selection. He picks Janessa, not because Alison is sick, but because he feels Janessa is the strongest of Team Red. Carla cannot be picked again, and because Richard choose to put the team first, Burk chooses Scarlet for her selfishness. Herman will be going to Elimination regardless.
Riki meets with Scarlett to discuss the upcoming challenge. Scarlett is not ready to leave and is concerned with the challenge being a double elimination. She has confidence that her father, who passed away 4 years ago, will be with her in spirit through this journey.
Morning of Elimination
The Cadre discuss, not only, Grady’s mind games, but Alison’s manipulative ways as well. Chloe does not want to believe that her team mate would stoop so low as to make herself sick to avoid the challenge. The rest of the Cadre believe that Alison is playing games.
Elimination Challenge: Make a splash, lose the cash
A slide-esque rig, seated at 45 degrees, equipped with 2 grips for hand placement. Each competitor will take their marks with just the wedges to hold themselves up. Water will be constantly flowing making the rig and the hand grips slippery. The last remaining competitor will be the winner of the challenge.
Herman, Janessa and Scarlett take their places. Herman and Scarlett are laying flush with the rig, Janessa has herself seated forward. Janessa immediately begins to wiggle. At 22 minutes in Scarlett begins to lose form. Her entire body weight is being held up by her shoulders. Finally her muscles give out and she is eliminated
Herman and Janessa are battling through the pain. Their Cadre give them advice and requesting that they fight the cold, and the pain. Herman gives a few nerve wrecking wiggles as he adjusts his position. The competitors are looking strong 1:05:00 in to the challenge. Janessa begins to struggle. The water is cold and her arms and hands are beginning to cramp. Cena and Chloe encourage her to push through the pain. Finally the fatigue over comes her and she falls in the lake. She is eliminated, leaving Herman to return to Team Grady.
While admittedly biased, this was my favorite episode thus far! Thanks for another great recap, Haze!