C.T.!!!!!!!!!!! Kind of...

I suppose I should have been angry. For weeks upon weeks, I patiently waited for the most charismatic and unpredictable Challenge competitor to be “let out of his cage.” Then, when the moment finally happens, the episode ends. And, to top it off, it is made abundantly clear that he won’t be participating in any further episodes. But when the credits started rolling last Wednesday night, all I could say to myself was “I’m so happy.” And I was. I was genuinely giddy. Because I have no choice to look at C.T.’s cameo on this season as just that; a cameo. An extra, if you will. We didn’t expect C.T. to be on this show, so when it was revealed that he would be appearing, it was simply the perfect extra for a mediocre season thus far. In one 5 minute segment, C.T. just made this season worthwhile. We get an another 5 to 10 minutes next episode, too.

Drawing some sort of parallel between this fleeting moment of greatness for Cutthroat and the Real World franchise as a whole, I think this is indicative on how most of the past 5+ seasons of the Real World have been. For the most part, every Real World season is mundane. Not much happens aside from drunken nights and fights over who didn’t do the dishes. But there almost always is one or two crazy moments that make you overvalue the season. Take Real World: Austin. If you really watch that season, it wasn’t very entertaining. But it had a major moment in Danny getting knocked the eff out* and maybe another when Nehemiah and Wes almost gang-beat Rachel because she was annoying.

* I had always contemplating doing a Profile in Courage on Danny. But he just doesn’t make the cut for me. Still, I have plenty to say on this guy. So let’s use the opportunity to rag on him right here. Danny struck me as the good looking meathead from Boston who seemed to get girls and enjoy the good life while being a douchebag. He’s just one of those guys that you feel angry that he is successful. And Danny did get a very hot Melinda so the anger further stewed. Considering he was on the Real World and was now going to have at least a 10 year window of getting paid to party and drink a ton, suffice it say I felt the world was incredibly unfair for giving such a man a free ride to fun. But the Real World has a way of balancing everything out. Danny gets knocked out on television for millions to see. He spends a significant chunk of the season with a caved in face. Sure he hooks up with Melinda, but he winds up with a hot girl who has a very bland personality and eventually that gets old. Meanwhile, all his roommates are getting with a lot of other girls and enjoying being mini-celebrities in a fun city. Then, he starts appearing on the Challenges. He talks a big game and tries to act like an alpha-male, but there is one glaring problem. He sucks. Seriously, he can’t win a challenge or an exile, he isn’t smart enough to scheme his way to victory, and is easily screwed over by others. Finally, he gets divorced by Melinda, and now he has nothing and likely won’t be invited back on the show. Karma is a bitch, but it works.

But let’s get back to C.T. He walks out with Tina (who winds up losing her first match. Again, why did they pick Tina to be the ringer? What convinced the producers she had that aura?) and you can tell he is in his own world. His eyes are puffy and red and he is swaying back and forth like a rapid polar bear or something. As C.T. says himself “I don’t even know where I am. I just want to be let out of my cage.” He relishes being an animal, a soon-to-be-uncaged beast. Ultimately, this Challenge means little to C.T. He isn’t getting to stay on the show. He is just coming in for a free trip and quick paycheck. Yet he is so intense about the whole thing that you can tell this guy is just insanely competitive and, well…just insane! Perfect for us, the viewer. Would Vegas even put odds on whether C.T. was taking steroids or is it too much of a lock?

Wednesday’s episode will see C.T. fully unleashed. It will be epic. The only potential drawback to having C.T. on the show now is that the rest of the season might just pale in comparison. Kind of like when Ryan was voted out of the New Orleans house. But we’ll just have to watch and see what happens. Either way, I now get to look forward to another episode of the show with gleeful anticipation.