This week’s episode begins with the teams competing in the Force Field challenge, which is kind of like human bumper cars. The remaining team members of each season must stand on a platform in padded inner tubes and try to knock the other teams off into a moat. Chet convinced the fuming Dustin, who wanted to vote himself off the island to protest Trishelle’s existence, to play nice.
Despite Vegas’s renewed efforts, Trishelle and Dustin come in last and automatically go into the arena. The former clown car San Diego somehow transforms into a well-oiled machine and become the power team yet again. Actually, the round probably went to San Diego, because Zach is huge and Frank is crazy, so no one else stood a chance.
Zach wants to throw St. Thomas into the elimination round because of Marie’s unprovoked attack on Sam last week, but Frank wants to go after Brooklyn. While speaking to the team members of both St. Thomas and Brooklyn, Frank of San Diego tells them that he really wants Vegas gone, so he asks both teams what challenge they would prefer to give them an edge over Vegas. San Diego decides to send St. Thomas into the ring, but — uh oh — choose the challenge that Robb specifically didn’t want.
On the bus ride back from clubbing Marie loses it and tells Frank they are no longer buddies.
Then back at the house, Marie picks fights with everyone, Jersey Shore style. Robb comes to her defense, even ripping his shirt off like Hulk and challenging people to fight him, but alas, he does it with less panache than Dustin last week, no one gets sent flying into shrubbery, no one’s gay porn past is publicized for the umpteenth time, so the entire scene is forgettable.
The elimination round is a mental challenge, Water Torture, which we have become familiar with this season. The guy hangs upside down from a rope and holds his breath in a water tank while the girl solves a puzzle. Both teams communicate well, and they are neck and neck for the most part, but Vegas ekes out a win.
Later, the remaining housemates are told that the final challenge will be held in Namibia, except no one seems to know what it is. Zach is one of the brighter ones and understands that Namibia is a place. “Where’s Namibia?” he asks. Trishelle is less astute. “Is it an animal? Is it a state of mind?” asks Trishelle.
Well, there never was a standardized test to get into The Real World, so next week, the teams will compete in the final challenge in a lovely country in Africa. They can leave their No. 2 pencils at home.
