Road Rules X-treme, Episode 10: Goodbye... Nice to Know You

Last time on Road Rules: When Nick arrived, he was told that he needed to step up, but when Angela arrived, the alpha males could barely keep their tongues in their mouths long enough to form words. New girl... pretty. Kina, who? Oh, and the Roadies managed to walk across tightropes 150 feet in the air and not die.

This week, the Roadies sit in the R.V. discussing their evening plans. Nick announces that he is going to do some cleaning before they head out, and he and Derrick have a few frigid exchanges, though it's not entirely clear what either is saying that could cause offense. Still, once Nick has departed the R.V., Derrick and Jodi start laughing, and Derrick says that he hopes Nick can't find his way back. Along with Ibis, they complain that Nick makes a lot of little stabbing comments that rub them the wrong way.

Angela, being mature herself, naturally took a liking to the only other member of her species. She wonders why Nick isn't more a part of the group. Think back to your first impression, Angela, and you'll have answered your own question. What's funny is that had Kina stayed instead of Jodi, I could see Angela sharing Nick's experience. Her strong, tough personality would have clashed with Kina's repeatedly. And would Kina have stood by while Derrick drooled all over The New Girl? Hell, no. Lucky for Angela, Jodi and Ibis have comparatively mild personalities, so the conflict has been minimal. When Angela asks about Nick, the other Roadies grudgingly tell her that he's "different," that he pulls his weight on the challenges, but the problem is living with him.

Patrick announces in confessional that if they lose the next mission, they might vote on something other than performance this time. Whatever. So someone who has screwed up badly or not shown the proper "heart" would get a free pass just so you could ditch a guy who threatens your masculinity? God, I just want to slap that smug expression off of Patrick's face. Zip it, frat boy!

That night at a club called The Inferno in Cordova, the Roadies ply up on booze while sticking Nick with the unpleasant task of being the designated driver. Nick is annoyed, stating that this is only the second time they've been out to a club since he's arrived, and he's "a little surprised" that the others don't try to include him more. The next morning, he receives another rude surprise when the Road Rules clue states that they need to drive to Buenos Aires, 750 kilometers away, their longest distance yet. Patrick and Derrick giggle and slobber about their inability to drive, while Nick fumes.

That night, in Buenos Aires, the Roadies receive a clue telling them not to "fall to pieces." Since their last (rather difficult) mission was a success, they are psyched up about completing this one. And that's never a good thing in Bunim-Murrayland.

The new mission consists of the Roadies having to be paired off, while each pair stands on an eight-foot tall tower. The tower is attached to a rope, which will get pulled by a big rig as it rolls by. The tower will then get yanked away and the Roadies will have to land on their feet, holding hands, within the designated square. Each pair will get two tries to do it successfully. The Roadies match themselves up by size, reasoning that two people the same size will come down at the same time. Ibis questions this strategy, thinking it should have been boy-girl, boy-girl, and I think she does have a point. The stronger guys could hold up the lighter girls and keep them from falling over.

Nonetheless, Ibis and Angela become the sacrificial lambs. Ibis sees an ambulance parked nearby and wonders nervously if there was one for every mission, or if this one was particularly dangerous. (In my mind, you just can't top tightrope walking 150 feet in the air. Unless it's bungee-cord jumping over a volcano.) The big rig rolls up, the rope gets pulled, and the tower gets yanked out from under them. Ibis and Angela come crashing down, outside of the square. The other Roadies are horrified at this bad start. Angela bursts into tears, while Ibis soothes her that they will do better next time. "But we have to do it again," quavers Angela, probably thinking that if she hadn't flubbed the interview, she could have been on Big Brother instead.

Next are Patrick and Nick. Realizing that his head is on the chopping block, Nick knows he has to... say it with me... step up! He and Patrick manage to land gracefully, making their portion of the mission a success. Derrick and Jodi follow, managing similar success. Now it's Angela and Ibis's turn again. The screen goes all slo-mo dramatic as they fall to the ground. Then... success! They manage to stay upright in the square, and Angela and Ibis hug wildly.

However, it turns out their joy is premature, as the MMs decree that Ibis's butt touched the mat when she landed, which means that the Roadies lose the mission and have to vote off another team member. The MMs wear this weird little smirk, and it's hard to tell whether they are extremely uncomfortable, or just trying to hide their pleasure at making the kids squirm.

Nick grows nervous, knowing that he could be the one to go. Derrick smirks that "the four of us [original Roadies] are gonna stick together, and this new douchebag is gonna get voted off." Groan. Go away, Derrick. I hate you. Hate!

Ibis, however, has a different plan. Feeling that she is mainly to blame for failing the mission, she believes only she deserves to get sent home. Ibis... no! You're the only original cast member I genuinely liked! Don't go!

That night, after Ibis shares her feelings, the Roadies dissolve into tears once more and one, by one, vote her off. Good-bye... nice to know you, Ibis. You may not have stuck out as much as Kina or Danny, but you were pretty, nice, and completely lacking in annoying qualities.

After Ibis's cab has drifted off into the distance, Jodi sits outside with Derrick and frets that "they" (I'm assuming the original bunch) won't be there until the end, which is upsetting because they are so close. She feels like they will never pull together to win another challenge. Oh come on, Jodi: You've always managed to pull together to win challenges after losing one. It's the challenge after that you have to worry about, because those seem to be your team's downfall. Just approach each challenge with the same air of fretful nervousness, and the Bunim-Murray karma will descend, ensuring that you'll ride a winning streak to the very end.

Derrick gets one of his blue-moon insights and realizes that with the team dynamic constantly changing, what is most important is accepting everyone for who he/she is and being a team. Which means Nick can stop getting the cold shoulder. Nick feels glad that his teammates are (now) interested in getting to know him, and hopes that if he puts in the effort, he can be "one of the guys." I hope that one by one, the originals get voted off, until Derrick finds himself surrounded by 22-year-olds more mature than their years, who can have fun without flirting with alcohol poisoning. What a strange new world that would be.

Next week, on Road Rules: Kara's wish looks like it will be snuffed in a hurry, as The New Girl arrives and she's cavorting about with Patrick. Angela (perhaps a bit jealous) calls her a "little sexpot," and Patrick tells her to chill. The New Girl wonders how she'll do on her first challenge, which involves hanging from wires of some sort.

Kara doesn't care if you agree with her. She considers herself to be a contrarian, which means she's technically not allowed to agree with anyone. You can reach her at kara_wild@dslextreme.com, or visit her website, The Contrarian's Corner.

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