Retro Review: Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet 3...The Greatest Challenge EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Part 2

Very sorry for once again saying I was going to post something soon and then not doing it. A couple of things got in the way and you know the rest. Maybe I should quit my job and become a shut in.

On to part 2!!

Veteran Season Highlights:

Coral/Beth Duel: This was perhaps the most hyped Challenge Duel of all time. Two titans of bitchery, queens of drama, and hobos of actual athletic skill. Beth enters these challenges knowing everyone will hate her. She is a true conniving bitch who should have been put out to pasture years ago, but the MTV producers know gold when they see it. Hence, she is a Challenge regular. Coral is pretty much the exact same way. The good thing about Coral is she'll tell you right to your face she doesn't like you and everyone cites that as a reason they respect her. I actually have another take on that. We all say that we rather someone tell us they don't like us to their face rather than behind their back. Not me. I'd go the ignorance is bliss route. I would much prefer to think everyone liked me than to know the truth. Sure, in the long run it's probably better to know the truth, but on a reality show not so much. It's like what if your girlfriend/boyfriend cheated on you. Most people would want to know. Not me. I would rather be kept in the dark about it. Knowing would hurt me too much and lead to a breakup. I don't know, maybe it's just me.

Back to the point, the guys on the Vets want to start throwing challenges and putting in their females since they view them as a weak link on the team. It actually makes sense since the fewer people left on your team, the more money you're in line to make. Since no one seems to like either Coral or Beth, they eventually find their way into the Gauntlet together. They both dislike each other with a fervor so it made for great excitement. Unfortunately, I felt the actual confrontation didn't deliver. It wound up as interesting as you would expect two unathletic 30 year olds competing to be. The Beth/Coral duel served as Beth's permanent exit from the Challenge. I guess she got tired of it all. At some point, Real Worlders have to face their own mortality. Sure, they have to face it at 30 and normal people may do so at 50 or 60. But STD's and steroids significantly affect one's lifespan.

Danny vs Himself Danny is a perpetual loser who thinks and acts like he has actually won something on these challenges. Basically, he is Lebron James. But while Danny can be counted on to just bore the shit out of us and get eliminated early because he has so coordination or athletic skills, he actually played well above his head this season. Considering how much talent was on his team, this was quite a feat. I would say he was more interesting than Kenny this season. I know, I just blew your collective minds. Unfortunately, most of the entertainment came from Danny being a moron and shooting himself in the foot. Danny had two typical "Danny" moments which kind of define who he is. The first came when his girlfriend, Melinda, was voted into the Gauntlet. Danny assumed that Johanna stabbed her in the back, which didn't actually happen. Danny storms into the Rookies Deliberation Tent and berates her. Johanna counters that he is wrong and not funny. Danny comes across looking like a douchebag, made all the more amazing since they didn't know at the time he was completely wrong. Danny is just a douchebag. I wonder why him and Melinda got divorced?

The second "Danny" moment was when he was the last Veteran left in the second to last challenge before the finale. The male Vets decided to throw the challenge to eliminate a female. Danny thought he was going to make a smart strategic move by being the last person and making a deal to be saved. Unfortunately, Frank didn't agree with the deal and Danny eventually quit. The fellow Vets were suspicious, and Frank confirmed he tried to make a deal. And thus, Danny sealed his fate. The Vets sent him into the gauntlet against puny Adam, and Danny lost. He is definitely one of the worst regulars athletically and socially. But for the first time, his ineptness and idiocy actually was a positive.

THE FINAL CHALLENGE

The most memorable moment of the entire show, and one of the top 5 moments in Challenge history has to be Eric "Big Easy" and his near death during the final challenge. Some back story:

The Rookies were screwed going into the final challenge. They only had two guys left, and overall were fewer people than the Vets, who had the likes of Kenny, Evan, Evelyn, and CT still around. But they also had "big easy." Part of the rules for the final challenge was every member of the team had to cross the finish line. Because "Big Easy" ran out of breathe when he woke up that morning, the Rookies got out to a sizable lead. Eventually, "Big Easy" collapsed, the Vets yelled, and the Rookies won. But there is soooooooooooooo much more to this story.

1. During the entire season, we didn't hear one word about "Big Easy" holding the Vets back, then during the last two that was all anyone could talk about. Clearly the Rookies knew something but they never had many opportunities to save him. Clearly, there is a deficiency in smarts on the Challenge, which makes Frank even more valuable.

2. Big Easy pretty much died during the swimming portion of the competition. Beforehand he was saying how there was no way he would quit, and people seemed to be appeased. But don't you all see? We don't question "Big Easy's" heart, we question whether he is going to have a heart attack.

3. During the latter stages, Big Easy finally just collapses. The team starts berating him and crying about losing out on $30,000. Well, there are a couple of things wrong with this picture. First, this kid is about to die. Have some compassion. Second, it's $30,000, $15,000 after taxes. Not exactly life changing money. The only person who had the right mindset was Brad. And he also has never won a challenge. The world is just not fair.

4. Frank had said before there was no chance his team was going to win because they sucked. Very true. His team was literally handed victory but they almost snatched defeat out of the hands of triumph. When "Big Easy" was taken away in an ambulance, the Veterans hauled ass and actually caught up to the Rookies. They completed the competition first! Let me make this clear. The Veterans were held up by a guy being taken away in an ambulance, which usually takes at least ten minutes. And they had fallen behind by a supremely large margin beforehand. Frank was right, his team was god awful. To further this point, it was revealed in the reunion that after TJ Lavin told the Vets they lost, only Frank kept digging to get the chest and raise the flag. His team quit on him and told him to win them money. And he did.

5. It was also revealed in the Reunion show that after being released from the hospital, "Big Easy" was at the after party drinking beers. Maybe he didn't have the big heart after all.

All in all, a fantastic season of the Challenge. I was thoroughly entertained throughout. A Challenge beast was born (Frank), an all star team was shocked (The Vets), a person almost died (Big Easy), and we all grew a little bit (except for Danny because he just sucks). Word has it the Gauntlet 4 is the next Challenge. "Big Easy" will be there. I sure will be.

Of all the Vets, the person who played over their head this season the most was Danny. He is a perpetual loser who acts as though he is a champion. Essentially, he is Lebron James. This season, at least Danny was entertaining. And i'll be the first to give him credit for doing so in a sea of entertaining Veterans.