The Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet 2, Episode 5: The New Miz

Previously on The Gauntlet 2: Robin and Mark have a strange relationship. They’re not dating but they still sort of hook up. Danny went crazy on Jodi and found himself in the Gauntlet with Alton. Alton then humiliated Danny and sent him home.

The cast gets off of a bus at a bar. Various people dance with various other people. Jodi is sitting at the bar, sad. Robin and Mark are dancing together. Jodi tells us that before they got here, she and Mark dated for three weeks and broke up. She was never told why they broke up, especially because Mark told her he loved her. She says here he’s a totally different person. Mark tells us that they only dated for three weeks because once he was removed from the situation, he realized he just didn’t want to go there. Well, that’s nice.

Jodi is now at the bar crying and she goes outside with Susie and Aneesa. Susie plays the role of supportive friend when she tells her that Mark doesn’t deserve Jodi and that she is everything anyone could ever want. Susie tells us that Jodi being at the challenge where Mark and Robin have a lot of chemistry is too much for Jodi because she’s vulnerable and got her heart broken.

Susie and Jodi move into the bathroom, where Jodi sobs to her that she told Mark she loved him because he told her he loved her, too. Susie continues her role, telling Jodi, “He sucks. You’re great. Period.” She tells us that Jodi is a great girl and deserves better and “it’s a shame that someone like Mark, who is 5,000 years old, is breaking her heart.” Ha! That’s great. I think the only person older than Mark is Eric Nies.

Outside of the bar, Beth goes to Robin and says that she was outside of the bar, minding her own business. Uh, oh. Remember what happened last time Beth got involved in a Mark/Robin debacle? Tonya threw her clothes in the pool. Beth says Jodi grabbed her and told her, “Beth! I was dating Mark Long and we f***ed!” Robin then starts shaking invisible red flags. Beth tells us that she is trying to start sh*t up. I don’t really believe it but I love her for it anyways. She feels she has a loyalty to Robin, and if someone was messing around with her guy, she would definitely want to know. Robin is taking this all pretty well until Beth throws out the L word. She says Jodi told her that Mark said he loved her. Then Robin gets pissed.

On the bus back home, Ruthie hugs Jodi. In an interview, Jodi tells Mark to go f*** himself. Mark, clearly drunk, gets angry at Robin, who is a little less drunk but still clearly drunk. He tells Robin to deal with the future and the present and not the past. Throughout all of the ramblings there are some great looks from Beth, Jamie, and Julie, but Montana wins the eye-rolling competition. She seems like someone who would tire of this entire BS easily, as would I.

Mark then stands up and starts turning into a crazy person. He shakes the camera and tells the bus driver to stop and let him out or he will punch a hole through the bus. Fast forward to the emergency room.

Okay, that didn’t happen, but you know that some people would’ve wanted that. Jodi, maybe Montana, and probably Tonya, too. I know Tonya isn’t there, but if she can’t throw Beth’s possessions into a pool, then she’s going to have to wish for something, right? The woman is crazy. She had sex with Jonny Fairplay, remember that.

But I digress.

The driver does stop and lets Mark out. Back at the house Mark talks to Jamie (who’s also clearly drunk), Landon, and Montana. Jamie explains that Robin is young, and Jodi, who is even younger, throws out a “seventh grade reaction,” since Robin thinks of Mark as an Adonis. All right, I think I’ve had enough. Jamie continues that Robin reacted to the depth of Jodi’s emotion. Okay, I agree with that last part. But I think that Jodi was telling the truth. I think she was really hurt and I think Robin was trying to see both sides of it. Mark, on the other hand, probably dated Jodi as a little fling and realized he didn’t want to be with her anymore and went back to Robin. And that, dear readers, is my expert opinion.

Later on that night (or whenever; it’s dark, so I’ll go with that) Susie reads in a Fargo voice the clue to the next mission. As someone from the Chicago area, I’m very used to that style of talking. The whole Minnesota/Wisconsin/Chicago accent, yup, I’ve got that. It’s not as bad as the SNL super fans or Sue Hawk, but it comes out sometimes. Susie is quickly becoming a favorite of mine along with Montana and Julie.

Kina and Ruthie arm-wrestle on the ledge. Ruthie points out Kina’s muscles while Kina calls Ruthie an Olympian. Kina says it must be hard for Ruthie because everyone sizes her up (Ruthie is one of the smallest girls in the challenge).

The teams meet at the mission site. Their fourth challenge is called “Sponge Worthy” and the teams have to deposit water from the ocean and put them into containers at the top using belts with sponges on them. They have to divide into three groups: Soakers, Transferors, and Collectors. There can be any amount in each group. The trick is nobody can use their hands. T.J. reminds the teams that it is a female Gauntlet day and the losing team will have to vote someone in to face their captain (Kina and Ruthie). The winners will receive $10,000 for their bank and the winning captain gets a Nintendo DS, whatever that is.