Episode 6

Whenever you travel, a panic sets in when you realize you still have to buy gifts for people back home.  Not this time.  Nearly all of the crew scored in Mendoza: ordering crates of Argentine Malbec (or stuffing their suitcases with bottles to take home.)  A few hours later, the players were trying to find their very own bottles under the warm Mendoza sun.

It wasn't going to be easy.  I knew first hand because I'd prototyped the mission myself.  I'm a pretty avid runner, so I played the role of MARK and jogged on the treadmill while my "teammates" and I tried to solve the clues.  After we discovered our fifth bottle, the treadmill was going so fast it flat out broke.  With no time to wait for the replacement,  I just ran up and down the dirt roads until the seventh bottle made its way home.  Needless to say, it was hot and exhausting.  These guys had their work cut out for them.

Back at the chalkboard, things were getting a bit testy.  Did you hear Paul say Nicole has a "hairy" ass?  That's some really ugly 4th grade smack talk, if you ask me.  I think Paul did strike a nerve when he said, "I thought you were a Doctor?"  in response to her subpar performance on the brain teasers. Truth be told, Nicole DOES talk a lot about how she’s a doctor and how smart she is.  I think we were all a little disappointed in her performance that day.  Then again, Mark a.k.a "the Teacher" was pretty bad at Crusoe...

I also started to notice something quite bizarre:  a brewing romance between Nicole and Alex.  Yeah, you heard me!  When you're isolated with a strange group of people, weird things start to happen.  On the streets of Chicago, I doubt she'd ever give him the time of day.  Behind the scenes?   I started seeing playful touches to the shoulder, pinching and the like.  It was a little like 5th grade, where the girl has a crush but can't quite admit to herself that it's happening. But when you see Nicole's reaction at the execution, it's quite telling.  In fact, I think there may have been some reciprocity in the feelings department...(guess you'll have to wait for the reunion to see what I'm talking about). 

It reminds me a lot of what we call a "showmance"; a term often used in our line of work.  Basically, it refers to the odd and fleeting couplings that can occur during the production of a show.  Banish 100 twenty somethings to a distant corner of the earth for a few weeks and strange things are bound to happen.  Same thing with the players.  Of course, when the show ends ... the relationship typically does as well.  We'll see if Nicole and Alex have what it takes to make it last (or even get it started).

Then there was "Swing Out."  Scary stuff.  Yes ... we were all worried that the ropes were going to snap during Craig's jump.  To be honest, I was more concerned about the structural integrity of the bridge.  You could honestly hear the support beams of the bridge creaking and moaning under Craig's enormous heft. 

I also loved Mark's battle cry as he leapt off the bridge. "Shi-iikes!"  I think I might use that...

After the mission, Jon was crazy enough to try the jump himself.  As an athlete, he really wanted to see if he could score a bullseye.  Jon definitely had the best jump of the day.  Not only did he hit $4K, but he also did the old "Heisman" pose as he flew off the plank AND maintained solid eye contact with the camera.  The guy really is an all-star human.

So, we're down to five.  Even though some of my prime suspects have been executed, next week's episode was a REAL shocker for me...