Random Tough Enough Bio Tidbit: Josh, the guy who has a ring in his backyard, is also a "computer nerd." While I'm not sure what that means, I betcha that if someone spent enough time, they might be able to come up with some sign of his (past) presence on this very Internet. 

No, I'm not okay. And my name's not Annie.

Hey, they started late enough that I could actually catch the opening this week. That's awful nice of them. Anyway, besides the names of our contestants and various clips, they've inserted barely noticeable phrases for whatever reason. I caught "This is not a rehearsal" this time, and other stuff I couldn't make out even in slow motion. 

Previously On: On the casting special, Jason said he just got a girlfriend and Bobby Jo wanted to do Playboy. Niadi's been close to Chris Ni. since the second day of audition. Greg's still got a chip on his shoulder about not being picked first.

Everyone's working out. I think we're supposed to notice that Jason (bald headed fellow who's just got a girlfriend - better to keep introductions until the group is paired down a bit, I think) is built. Everyone's working hard. Even Darryl (the big baby of last episode), who tells someone on the phone "this is the the roughest s[bleep] I've been through. This is f[bleep]cking asskicking." That bleep sure is effective. Bobby Jo (Playmate wanna-be) tells someone on the phone about all her cuts and bruises. Victoria (stuntwoman who took too many bumps to the head last week) says she can barely walk upstairs. Bobby Jo tells her phone person that "everyone says that no one wants to do this." Chris Ni. (the one we only know for his Christian beliefs) says he sees some people starting to crack.

Jason is not cracking - Shadrick (the guy who may or may not have a girlfriend) tells us that he's really into everything, and the one guy he'd most want to be like. Jason works out and he's very built. Darryl (I think) says that Jason walks into the workout room and he's all business. Maven (the guy who winked at Miss Jackie) says you have to respect and be a little awed by Jason's physique.

Driving to Trax. Here's the annoying MTV graphic for a song that wasn't actually on this week's show, I think. They get it out of there quicker this week, only to put another bar up top. Josh (the guy who has his own ring) tells us that he was really nervous beforehand. Nidia (the ex-exotic dancer) tells us when they got to Trax (the training center, they were told to sit down and look forward, not turning side to side at all. Jason thought it was some sort of mental test, to see who would crack first. He was close, but that's later.

Out from behind them (out of their view) walks Triple H. I think I rewound and watched this three times to watch Josh (backyard wrestler) and his "oh my god" reaction. Greg (the alternate) gives us a "holy sh[bleep]t, it's Triple H!" Here's a montage of him in action - he sure beats up Test a lot. 

Triple H stares them down. Most of them are still trying to stare straight ahead and not totally freak out. Greg is smiling like a goof. Bobby Jo isn't sure who this person is, I think, but does realize that he's someone important. Triple H asks them how they're doing and asks how many are sore - everyone we see raises their hand. He singles out Darryl - is he hurt? Darryl says yes, and Triple H says big f[bleep]cking deal. Josh's mouth is still wide open.

Triple H tells everyone to get in the ring. He asks some people to take back bumps. Maven and Josh are okay, Darryl still looks awkward. Triple H: "Just for further reference, one of your nuts is hanging out of your shorts; you've got a big hole." Triple H asks what's the difference between their bumps and (demonstration here) his bump? Someone mumbles "Intensity", but Triple H either doesn't notice or doesn't care? "What are we trying to do, from the time we walk to the  curtain to the time we walk through the curtain? We tell a story, but we don't tell it with words, we tell it with our bodies." Clips of Unforgiven '00, where Chris Benoit and Triple H tell a story - though these clips don't make it evident what it is.

Triple H tells Jason and Greg to come to the center of the ring, and he wants Greg to punch (without actually hitting him) Jason. Greg does and Triple H compliments him on the snap, then asks for Greg to try it on him. Greg does some, then Triple H does a couple (almost actually hitting Greg on the first one), with Triple H again complimenting Greg on the snap in his punch. Then with Jason (watch for the boom mic!) Jason stumbles on one, and Triple H tells him that if Jason stumbled in a match, he'd hit him for real. 

Moving on (clip here), Triple H is asking Bobby Jo why she wants to do this. She (lies and) says that she was looking for a challenge. Triple H doesn't believe it. He asks Maven - he loves the whole business, and Triple H takes that to mean what he can get out of the business. But that leads in to something Triple H has to say to them.

"The way I see it is, 250 days plus a year, you're on the road. You've got kids, they grow up, you're not there. Your wife, she's sitting home. What's she doing? Dunno. Your husband? He's home. What's he doing? Dunno. You get home, you've been gone, you're tired, you're beat up, you're not done, it just starts. You've got to be super husband, you've got to be super wife, you've got to be super dad, you've got to be super mom. It's not an easy life. Careers a short. Careers are fast. I'm not that tough. I'm no tougher than anyone else in our business. But I respect our business. I love our business. I put my life on the line, everyday, for our business, and I gladly do it, and I will continue to do it till I can do it no longer. You guys are all on the easy track, and you have to earn respect in this business. It's not given to you, you earn it. You pay your dues. And, right now, you guys a mile ahead of where you should be, paying dues. You guys have got the greatest opportunity in the world, in my opinion, to be in the greatest business in the world. Do no f[bleep] it up. Do not throw it away. Because if you do, you piss on every single person that has come before you. Every single person that has paid their dues, every single people that has busted their ass, everyone single old-timer that's fairly crippled, that can't stand up, that can't walk, you piss on them. Everyone single person like Darren Drozdov, who's a friend of mine, that sits in a wheelchair and can't feel a god[bleep]amn thing from here [neck] on down, you piss them. You either want this or you don't. And if you don't want it, don't waste our f[bleep]ng time." We got to break with a shot of Jason.

Triple H has this presence here (and pretty much everywhere), like a mountain that's seconds away from blowing it's top. You know it's coming and you know it's gonna destroy everything in it's past.

As we watch the contestants leave, it's time for some reactions about the above. Greg is on cloud nine - not only did he get to meet his idol, Triple H got to interact with him and he even complimented him. Greg tells others that the only other thing he wanted to do was shake Triple H's hand. Darryl's a little surprised - he tells us that he was in awe, but he wasn't "shaking in the ring after he left." Greg tells us that what Triple H said went in one of Darryl's ear and out the other - Triple H was talking about respect, and the second he left, Darryl started horsing around. We see him putting a headlock on Victoria - Darryl says he was trying to break some tension. And he did it to Victoria because he knew her head was hurting. What a loser. In her interview, Victoria calls him dumb; even though he's 25, he acts like an overgrown 16.

Back at the mansion, Jason's telling the story to someone on the phone. "He's just a ball of muscle." Nidia tells someone that Triple H was "so beautiful." Jason has to surrender the phone, mostly unwillingness. Jason says Triple H really got through to him - never being home, not being to see those who they love, it really got to him. Greg explains that Jason somewhat separates himself from the group. Jason says the same, saying he's pushed people away and didn't expect it to be like this. Nidia chalks up his staying away from the girls to not wanting to damage his relationship with his girlfriend.

And now the show takes a turn for the very bad. Nidia explains to us that Chris Ni. is her favorite - they met and hung out during the initial audition process, and here's some clips to prove it. I think I even saw these the first time but didn't recognize them. Let's watch them play with the CDman. Chris calls her a chick in his interview, and they seem to be getting along fine.

Changing course, Nidia explains that the WWF is taking them all out to dinner, and she's got to look pretty. Montage of the women getting ready. There's Big (the WWF Talent guy.) People are ready. And bored. Meanwhile, Bobby Jo is still getting ready. Victoria (wearing the same outfit in the interview as for the dinner) tells us they were told to be ready at 8:30, and Bobby Jo wasn't till 9:00. "Why does it take you two hours to get ready? Her hair doesn't even look that good after two hours of work." She's got a point.

Bobby Jo dances and talk about dancing. "I like having big breasts." Greg gives us disgust over Bobby Jo just wanting to use it as a springboard to Playboy. I get the impression that, from his standpoint as the alternate, he finds it unfair that she got in while someone wanting it more did not. Greg explains Taylor (um...her parents don't like wrestling and she doesn't get much camera time) that he's bitter and his goal is to prove whoever decided to cut him wrong. Back to Bobby Jo talking about dancing. Back to Victoria: "Bobby Jo's kinda like an airhead. A lot, actually. I don't think she's that smart."

Were you looking for a scene that involved Nidia and Chris Ni. talking to us about their relationship as they vaguely touched on the subject themselves in the hot tub? You should've watched this show. The lesson is that Chris acts like a jerk (by pretending to drown them) to push people away, or at least Nidia. I wonder if Chris' beliefs have something to do with it, but no one brings it up.

We get an interlude where Jason talks to his mom about his knee - it's okay. His mom asks about his heart and his mind and, after he gets over the oddness of being asked that question, he's not so sure. Jason always thought of the glamour of wrestling, but never the costs of it. It's been a battle in his mind afterwards. He tells his mom that he started packing his bags for a couple hours but then stopped, trying to figure out what he was doing. Break.

More of the pool scene but I covered it all up there. I didn't mention before that Chris does admit that he pushes away girls.

Morning. Wake up sleepy heads. Why are people sleeping on the couches? Don't they have beds? Jason is still thinking about what Triple H said. He talks to his girlfriend - we see them together. He says going on the road from her, 250 days a year, would be crushing.

Later on, Nidia's is hanging close to Chris No. (the Harvard guy who's had wrestling training) and Chris Ni. explains that there's now tension between Nidia and him. She seems to have moved on, though.

Big arrives at the house, and Jason asks to talk to him. Jason brings up the "if you don't think you can life our life, you shouldn't waste our time" speech, and tells Big that he doesn't think he wants it. Big repeats what Triple H said about the life, and it feels like we cut to Jason repeating the "hard life, don't waste our time" story again right when Big's about to try to convince him to stay. Big and Jason shake.

Jason packs. He says he doesn't want it to be said that he's giving up - he just knows he wouldn't take the contract. Chris No. (who's just the just the guy tying the plots together this week) says he respect Jason's decision but it's not one he's about to make. As we see Jason saying his goodbyes, Darryl thinks he should be happy, because his shot of winning just went up. Jason says he's gonna miss some of the people. Maven says Jason is a great guy. Jason brings up a quote he heard, "I chased my dream, and when I got there, I realized it was only a dream."

Driving to Trax. Chris No. says that everyone had a little bit of a gutcheck, wondering if this was right for them. Except him, because he's already made up his mind.

Trax. Al Snow takes Jason's chair and folds it up. Paulina tells us that it made her think - Jason was doing so good, and he left, so why should she think she's cut out for this. Montage of training clips. Bobby Jo asks the same thing - does she really want this?

"During the May 21st episode of WWF RAW, Triple H suffered a career-threatening leg injury. Surgery revealed a severely ruptured left quadriceps. He will be out of action six months. Despite the injury, Triple H finished the match."

That's it for this week. Next week, they go to Smackdown. Al and Darryl don't get along. Bobby Jo thinks this is crazy. Tazz says they weeded out the trash. They re-use the same Paulina quote.