American Grit – Season 2/Episode 7 – "Role Reversal"

Originally aired: July 23rd, 2017

If there is one thing my mother has taught me while growing up; it’s that not everyone can be trustworthy. DJ Khaled taught all of us to stay away from “they”. Now after last week’s episode, how does Alison fit into those two somewhat similar lessons? Let me explain everything and I’ll get to that soon enough. God speed to the remaining competitors.

Its after another double elimination and the competitors have butterflies swarming in their systems. Except for Richard in the form of flaturence and the mood is less nail biting. Now George gives a very enlightened but simple question to Alison; while getting sick, did she ever think that if Janessa didn’t return from elimination, she would end up being alone in the red cabin? I’m going to answer that in Vince McMahon’s voice: not a chance in hell. The competition is going to affect her greatly moving forward if she is ends up being a team of one. But on the other hand, I have hope. *Herman does a battle cry scream* I always speak way too soon. I thought I was going to fix that as my resolution. Meh, I’ll try again next year. It is easily revealed that Herman prevailed in the elimination challenge. Which means Scarlett and Janessa have exited the competition. “Its not your fault that you get sick but I still feel guilty”; with that note, excuse me while I scream into my pillow due to the elephant in the room. *screams and flops with a couch pillow* Ok. I’ve taken my moment to let loose, back to business. We are taken to the cadre compound where the cadre and John (Cena) are discussing the aftermath of the newest elimination. To sum it up: Alison can not be trusted. I agree with Burk but not including the fact that it was accidental. If I was lactose and I saw something that looked good but I know darn well I’m not suppose to eat it; I’m obviously not going to eat it. Even if I was in the same boat as an act of sabotage I still wouldn’t have done it. So for Alison to even do that, where can you even establish faith at that point? Risking your health just to not step up is a bad risk. At this point in the game, its time for some tough love. So for this weeks challenge, its about leadership. In true Cena host fashion, John gives the cadre seemingly unnecessary equipment and like his love for anime, he uses an imaginary smoke bomb and makes his exit. Its evening and the cadre wastes little time on camper gossip. Burk and Grady warn their teams of Allison’s behavior in hopes of neither of them falling under it.

It is the next day and before the team training the cadre were presented with equipment that would have at LEAST SOMETHING to do with the challenge for this week. No one has a clue as to what all of it is for so the cadre suggests that the teams come up with their own plan. It is time to gather the teams! First off is Riki; where in the world is Carla? Nobody kno–nevermind, she is busy getting ready. As explained by Richard, in the previous challenge, after choosing safety, Carla is automatically safe from this week’s elimination challenge. Which means if team Riki loses this week, Richard is automatically up for elimination. Hopefully Carla aides strongly in the hopes of her team winning this week. Onto team Burk; when it comes to Chris and Hannah, I really do feel as though they have both been learning a lot while also continuing to advance in the competition. Its good to see that. After Chris strangely takes the boat to a location that’s not near the water, Grady starts a water balloon fight. That was just too wholesomely fun and life moments like that bring me joy. Onto a more solemn mood, John (Cena) takes us back to Gator lake where it seems as though the clean up from the previous elimination is somewhat over. It will conveniently be used in the team challenge but with a hand twist. The team member must hang on to the provided hand bar while 45 degree water is being poured onto them above them and below them. The last one that is still hanging, wins the challenge. Simple and oh wait…I keep forgetting who the host is. The added twist is instead of the team members hanging from the wall, it’ll be the cadre who will be completing this week’s official challenge: leadership by example. Hope. Family. Faith. Silence. In that exact order. A lot of pressure is riding on the cadre; especially Chloe. Only extended time will tell as to how long they can dig deep. The challenge starts and so far everyone is gripping at a good position. Riki flexes one hand but she is still holding on. She even got Burk’s attention. I question if Grady is an actual adult male (alien theory?) because him not even flinching makes me scared for the others to be quite honest. Chloe and Burk are competing in the form of fidgeting so much. However it is Burk who ends up splashing first into the water.

A valiant effort but still not enough to keep his team safe from elimination. Next up, all eyes are on Chloe. All cheers are being aimed at her in order for her to dig deep. As for Burk he shouldn’t have tried to apologize. What mattered was that he gave it his all for his team. The time elapsed is now 15 minutes. Chloe is looking like a fairly odd parent that is about to explode if she isn’t able to move as much. By now I’m on the edge of my seat screaming for no one (well, maybe Grady) to not freaking move. I promised myself I wouldn’t get emotionally invested in this season but dang it between Natahlie’s departure up until this moment, I give up. And then just like that there were two because Chloe was the second one to drop. Now its between Riki and Grady. This is where I just incoherely scream Riki until something happens. You got John (Cena), Burk, Chloe, the teams, even Grady, hoping that Riki takes the win for this week. The suspense is there; she’s arching her body in different positions. Shaking her hands at separate times in order to still get a grip. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough; Riki ends up dropping and team Grady gets ANOTHER win. Now at this time John informs Burk that he will have to choose which member of Team Burk has to go up for elimination since Richard and Alison will automatically be sent in due to their team circumstances. Instead though, that power is given to Herman, Gig and Michael. They will have to be the one to choose which team blue member is up for elimination. They are strongly debating on whether or not to send their former teammate, who is now team Burk, into elimination. I mean, its just a web at this point if they do that. Meanwhile, George is teaching Chris how to fight. I’m just going to shake my head lightly and chuckle lightly. On a serious note though, Chris is actually apart of my top 5 or 10 favorite competitors of this season. I see a fighter in there somewhere like where was George back when I myself was still in the public school system. Like legit I could’ve used some muscle like that; unbelievable. I had some confidence but nothing compared to what I’m seeing right now. Meh, moving on because Riki’s cornflakes were seriously peed on during the challenge. Riki was super confident before going into the challenge. So much salt is being poured, it hurts me as a viewer too to see that. Later in the evening, the remaining members of Team Burk get a visit from the remaining members of Team Grady to see which Team blue member is heading into elimination. Compulsive, impulsive, Emulsive; is there a new challenge for defining words? This is a brain twister. It is time for team green to announce their decision and they have chosen…Chris. In a way that is perfectly spoken by Herman; this is their moment. This is not their moment to compete against each other but to compete against themselves. They came to camp grit to battle their own downfalls. Now its time to put them to the test. Its their individual grit that they came here to find. Like a blind man at an orgy, the elimination virgins will have to feel things out.

* Author’s note: keep in mind, Richard said what I just typed. TMI, Richard.

Next, we are sent on a trip to the local salon, Burk N’ file, for the latest camp gossip. Allison has not been sick entire time. Everyone knows she’s lactose intolerant. She knowingly ate the ranch dressing. She set Janessa up for elimination. Yet, the only one who isn’t buying it is Chris who is over hearing all of this information. I mean, I can understand that perfectly well on part but the proof is visible and the whole camp have seen it. The truth will come out to him sooner than later, I hope.

The next day, John reveals that obviously he hasn’t been very forthcoming with the elimination challenge clues this week. Somehow some rope and half a sphere is a way of him being a little more direct. John has a few tricks up his sleeve but I think Riki and Richard are getting the hammer and nail at what the elimination will be about. One can only hope that Richard survives the elimination challenge. Next we have Chris; who reveals to Alison that the other competitors don’t trust her. Now, I don’t necessarily see why mental illness had to be brought up. What Alison has been doing has zero zilch to do with mental illness. This is just becoming completely out of context at this point. Gigi reports to Hannah what Chris told Alison. At this point, I have my right as viewer to say that I’m mind fucked over the entire situation. To put it in Chloe’s words: damn homie. I have had people talk behind my back but in some circumstances, I’m glad that people have either approached me or not if they have any situations with me. It just sucks either way, no matter how you look at it. Ignorance is bliss but at what cost? This is just getting out of hand to the point where now, Hannah is being confronted by Alison and getting her thoughts on the situation. At this point, Alison’s laundry list keeps getting longer and longer by the minute. Could things get anymore worse? John Cena’s survey says: in Chloe’s case if Alison were to lose the elimination challenge, not only will she have to ring out but Chloe would have to ring out as well and leave the camp. That goes for the other members of the cadre as well. I meant what I said about being emotionally invested in this season and i gotta say I would be really sad to see any of the cadre ring out. Even Grady if at any surprising point his team is gone before the finale. This is not going to be an easy time moving forward. Then again with this competition, nothing is easy about it. Back at team Burk’s cabin, Chris starts to apologize to Hannah and everyone else about confronting Alison. When its all said and done Hannah inputs her 2 cents over the fact that she highly didn’t want to be involved in a conversations with Alison regarding this topic. My mind is in a tornado of indecisiveness. So many different outcomes could’ve happened. Thankfully though it led to good advice from Herman. Which I’ll pretty much always look forward to until the last episode. On the flipside we have Richard training hard for the elimination and also training in general which is always good. Chris and Hannah apologize to each other and to put it easily : they have surely both found their grit and I’m happy about that. Now comes the elimination challenge. Its very similar to what the competitors have been doing on dry land: balancing. Except it will be done on water on an actually ball. First competitor to drop must ring out. Let’s all just hope a favorite doesn’t end up dropping. Its several minutes and the competitors position themselves and start the challenge. Its a rough balancing act. Tags are jingling, feet are adjusting, ropes are being gripped, its anybody’s game. In a turn of quick events, it is Richard who falls in to the water first. This is where my emotional attachment comes in because I was really hoping that Richard was gonna pull through. I’m happy though that at least leaving camp grit, he sticks to his lifestyle change. It would be really good for him. Whelp, that’ll do it for me for this blog post. Until the next episode, god speed!

#RealityCompetition #AmericanGrit #Review #FOXNetworks #JohnCena #TV