American Grit Season 2 Episode 8: Shady Grady
Hannah and Michael are discussing the silence of the camp while waiting for competitors to return. With all these double eliminations, the house is becoming quieter as the residence dwindle. Chris makes his way across the bridge. Hannah and George are excited to still be a team of 3. The remainder of the house wouldn’t be mad if Alison didn’t come home. “If Alison crosses that bridge, I will lose my Sh*t”, states Gigi. Low and behold, Alison makes her triumphant return. Carla is alone on Team Riki and is not happy that Richared was eliminated.
Cena pulls the Cadre together to remind them that, with two teams of one, if a loan competitor of the team rings out, the Cadre must also ring out. This is not being shared with the competitors as the Cadre do not wish to add extra pressure to them. Cena drops one of his notorious hints for the upcoming team challenge. “Aggression” (Ruthless Aggression. Wink*). To no one’s surprise, this is a DOUBLE ELIMINATION.
The Teams are preparing for the upcoming challenge with some dodge balls that Cena has provided. Grady calls Burk over with a proposition. He suggests that Burk’s team and His team work together to send Riki and Chloe’s loan competitors to Elimination. Grady gives Burk his word, but Burk does not trust Grady one bit. Chloe over hears this conversation and brings it to Riki’s attention. Riki and Chloe agree to form an alliance.
Elimination Challenge: Bungee Basket Ball
4 basketball-esque hoops attached to a rotating platform on one end. A reserve of dodge balls on the other. Bungee cord tethers in between. Competitors will start in the middle, sprint and fight the resistance of the bungee to retrieve their colored ball. Once they have obtained their ball they will then run towards the rotating platform and attempt to put their ball in an opposing team’s basket. The first 3 teams with 5 different colored balls in their baskets will go to Double Elimination. Cena announces that this is the first opportunity for teams to work together. Which they intend to do.
Grady approaches Burk reminding him of the plan to take out Red and Yellow. Burk flat out tells Shady Grady that he’s in alliance with Riki and Chloe. They are gunnin’ for Green!
Cena gives the go and the competitors scramble for the balls. The first few attempts at Green’s basket are failed. Finally Carla makes her first yellow ball in to Team Grady’s basket. Michael responds by sending a green ball down Blue’s basket. Chris gets ball 2 in Green, answered by Alison and again by Carla. Alison delivers the fatal ball in Team Green’s basket. Team Red and Team Yellow (Alison and Chloe) decided Blue is the next team to target. Carla delivers a ball, but Chris answers hers with one from Team Blue. George sinks a ball in Team Red, but Alison is right there to put her second red ball in Team Blue’s basket. Alison eliminates Team Burk. Carla and Alison are head to head trying to take each other out. Carla sinks her yellow ball in to the Red basket. “These Bitches need to go” is heard from Michael in the background. Carla sinks another ball in Alison’s basket, but Alison delivers twice make the challenge a tie. Alison makes the 5th and final ball in to Team Riki’s basket. She collapses in victory. Team Riki, Burk, and Grady will be headed to elimination.
Selection
Chloe is struggling with who she will choose to go to Double Elimination. Carla is an automatic. Should Chloe pick Gigi and Hannah, making the playing field even for Carla in order to keep Riki at camp? Or should she put in Herman and George, staying true to the purpose of the game. Chloe picks Herman and George. They are STOKED to be competing against each other (having previously been team mates) George is excited to prove himself against the two “most focused, most competitive team members” in the house.
Chloe returns to Cadre Compound to tell Riki who she has chosen. Riki is immediately upset by the news. She feels betrayed that Chloe did not pick Hanna and Gigi like she thought was originally agreed upon. Chloe tries to remind Riki of the purpose of the game, and that she was looking out for her teams best interest. Riki is not confident in Carla’s abilities to compete against the two strongest male competitors.
Over at Camp Grit, Carla is opening up to Alison. Carla shares a story about her sister in law that lost her battle to cancer. Carla is emotional explaining how much she misses her, and wishes she could tell her about her children. Alison feels closer to Carla after this conversation.
Riki breaks up the party to tell Carla not to trust anyone. Carla eases Riki’s fear by reminding her that she has taken out two male competitors before; she plans to do it again. Riki and Chloe have a tearful conversation. Riki forgives Chloe for her decisions and agrees that if anyone can beat Herman and George, it’s Carla.
Day before Elimination
Cena has taken it upon himself to bring Herman’s parents to Camp Grit. Herman has decided that he does not want to adhere to his family’s strict Indian culture, and has not had the opportunity to tell his parents. Herman’s parents make their way across the bridge and are greeted with one of Hermans signature hugs. He sits his parents down and reveals his extensive collection to his tattoos that he has been hiding for 2 years. His father does not approve of his tattoos and is a little disappointed. Herman then informs his mother that he does not want to have an arranged marriage. She agrees that she will stop looking for a spouse for him. Herman’s mom tells him that they are still proud of him. They end their visit with a group hug.
Cena takes the Cadre to Outback Steak house for a huge veteran/active duty dinner. This is to remind the Cadre that they are here to help people. John Cena discovers his rapper name will be “Lil C-note”.
Michael has created a Golden Eagle costume to get Herman hyped for the upcoming elimination. Herman is excited as this is his spirit animal. Michael hopes that this will help Herman “summon the power to take out that salsa Latina creature known as Carla”.
Elimination Challenge: End of the Rope
The ultimate double elimination! Each competitor is harnessed to an underwater pulley system that holds a box set at 50% of their body weight. In the water, they will hold on to a rope, balancing themselves and the box. The two competitors to fatigue first, and let their box hit the water, will be eliminated.
Carla, George, and Herman take their positions in the water. The water is cold, the rope is slippery, and as important as physical strength is; mental strength will be key. Herman’s box is set at 90lbs. George’s box is 102lbs. Carla’s box is not announced. Riki is looking nervous as Carla focuses in the water. After 20 minutes, dexterity begins to give due to the cold. Carla’s grip weakens as she loses her hold above the safety knot. Her box lunges. Carla is putting up a good fight as she struggles to keep her box above water. Carla is literally at the end of her rope Riki tells her to “Get F*ucking angry”. Carla loses her grip and is pulled back by the weight of her box. She is eliminated and rings out. 35 minutes in, George and Herman are battling it out. George is being eaten alive by a fish (not really) and Herman remains in the zone. 50 minutes in George begins to struggle. He struggles with everything he has left in him to maintain his hold on the 102lb box. George loses his grip and is pulled back by the weight of his box. George rings out and is eliminated. Herman is the loan competitor to survive the Double Elimination Challenge.