Random Tough Enough Bio Tidbit: Chris No.'s bio claims he was "trained by the NFL" which makes absolutely no sense. He also never looses his temper and is "very deep." (Hey Cubs, did you know your hyperlink doesn't match that name there? Is this a test? I *do* know the "i" key is next to the "o" key, so..... ;-) - CRZ)

The first time this aired, on Thursday, the sound was awful (MTV is dumb) so I tried taping a replay of it and of course MTV can't manage to start shows on time.

Previously: Chris No. thinks he's more mentally and physically prepared than everyone else in the house. Maven thinks Chris is pompous. That's all new. Shadrick is cut and Paulina's worried about her knee. That's old.

Trax. We watch the injuries pile up - Josh's right knee, something with Taylor we don't see, Greg's right ankle, Nidia's right hip. And then there's Paulina, who's not only wearing the shirt that makes her look rail-thin, but her knee's bugging her. Actually, she hurt her knee last Wednesday, didn't tell anyone and hoped it'd heal enough over the weekend. Guess not. Al says it doesn't impress him to be going through the practices while still hurt; it's better for her to sit and watch and not making things work.

Back to the mansion. Maven talks to his mom. Nidia talks to someone. Is that Greg? Taylor explains to someone that on Monday, they'll draw two contestant names and the winners gets to have a friend from home visit that Friday. Josh is all "uh huh" on the phone.

Morning. No one eats. Or at least it's not shown. Back to Trax, and warm ups. In the midst of jumping jacks, Al mentions that they have a special guest today. Josh tells us that he felt someone looking at him, turned to his side, and saw Kurt Angle. Much to my surprise, Josh doesn't drop his jaw like last time. Nidia does go nuts, but only in an interview.

Here's some pictures of Kurt Angle in case you don't know who he is. There's the top cage moonsault that no one talks about. 

Kurt talks to the group, introducing himself and bringing up the three Is. Tazz watches, remembering to himself the time he choked Kurt out and ended his winning streak. That's my guess, at any rate. Kurt was an Olympic Gold Medallist! I did not know that. Anyway, Kurt tells the story about how he through he was too good for the WWF (because the WWF wasn't any good, in his mind) because he didn't understand what it was about. But then, one magical day two and a half years later, he just happened to watch RAW and suddenly grew respect for the WWF after one show! They must've clipped out the part about ECW, being a sports commentator, and Memphis, sadly. Kurt sees he's addicted to the adrenalin of performing in front of so many people. 

Now, let's practice. Kurt does a lot of watching. Hiptosses! Josh gets a bloody nose some how. Kurt says he's impressed with what they've done, but some of the little things need to be improved, like selling the move after you've been hit by it. "When someone's working your body, sell it."

Kurt has a new I for the contestants. He gives everyone sunglasses - they're going to an Island, Paradise Island in the Bahamas. They're happy, Kurt's happy for them.

Everyone packs for the trip. Nidia helps Josh dye his hair. Josh is losing points. Chris No. is reading "The Fountianhead" by Ayn Rand. In the fireplace room, Maven asks which ocean the Bahamas are in? Josh looks at Taylor, and Taylor says "that's a good question." On one hand, if you haven't gone and if you're not planning on going, I don't know why you'd need to know. But on the other, some of these people are actually college students and that's quite sad that they can't handle simple geography. Chris No. tells us he's much too cool to hang out with the rest of the house. Josh tells us that hanging out is maybe not Chris' thing. Back by the fire place, Greg walks in and he gets asked - he laughs at them, and they laugh back. Chris tells us that they talk about stupid things, stuff that's unimportant. Josh tells the group that he told someone people in the Bahamas speak "Bahamian." Chris No. says this is the greatest opportunity ever - he's here's to do a job, and he's trying out for it the whole time.

Paulina tells us that she's not sure how much more her body can take. She's got a box with "MRI" on it as she walks back in. Paulina explains to Chris Ni. what a MRI is. You know, I used to know what MRI stood for ("Magnetic Re-something Imaging"), but I do what it is - a high tech scan to look at the interior of a body. And I know what ocean the Bahamas are in. I share this with you because I've got nothing better to do. Nidia and Paulina look at the images but can't tell if they're good or bad or the right side up.

Bahamas. Play island music. Maven says it's the most beautiful place he's ever been to. Nidia says they're all in pain and hurt and it's perfect timing. They go swimming with sting rays.  Josh (with blond hair) and Greg go walking along the beach. Nidia and Chris No. feed dolphins. People go down a really big water slide. Canoing. Boating. That's a lot stuff fit into a under a minute.  

Now they're at a flea market, and Josh has picked up a wooden recorder (the flute like thing they let you play with in grade school - if your grade school still had a music department.) Josh, not far from grade school, plays Hot Cross Buns. People laugh. I get distracted and hit stop for about five hours. (The episode's not that bad, though.) Actually, for the purpose of the rest of the show, Chris No. was only slightly amused. Greg tells us that Josh is awesome to be with. I wonder if these interviews are like the trainers talking about cuts, with the interviewer holding up a Polaroid. Greg likes Josh because he's not serious all the time. Josh plays the recorder for tourists. Paulina: "I love Josh - I mean, who doesn't love Josh?" Chris No. immediately tells us that Josh hurts himself with his immature behavior. Kinda like the trainers said last week. Chris doesn't want to deal with him playing the flute all the day when he's in the Bahamas. Greg suggests that Chris is trying to be professional, and it annoys him that other people are fooling around. Shots of the group and Chris not being together.

Paulina looks out her hotel balcony. She had trouble keeping up with everyone on the first day, because of her knee. At the water slide (or maybe Paulina's wearing her bikini around for no reason), she and Big (oh yeah, he's chaperoning all of this.) talk. Paulina asks if wrestlers get scared to get back in the ring after an injury. Big says yea, and there's only so much he can do about it, but Paulina has a superstar look, and she needs to decide what she's going to do with that. Paulina thinks she's has to be a wrestler - she's way to big to be a manager. Oh-kay. It's very exciting but very scary.

Back at the hotel. In homage to old WCW's booking strategies, and as the easiest way to take care of the "two people get guests" contest earlier than Monday, Big suggests pulling names out of a hat. Close up of Josh and his recorder for some reason. Chris No. says he was really hoping he'd win, because he really wants to see his girlfriend. Names pulled - Josh and Greg. Chris was happy that Greg's name got pulled - Greg's girlfriend can't come (she's having surgery), so Greg would be able to hand it over to him. Chris and Greg discuss this, but every time I rewind to watch, I'm distracted by Nidia sticking her breasts out as she yawns. Josh is barely on camera doing a baton twirl with his recorder, so there are many more interesting things to watch. But I think Greg said yea - that's what Chris thinks, at any rate. Back on the balcony, Josh is softly playing his recorder and telling Chris Ni. (hi!) that he should've got one. I think Chris is sick of hearing it. Josh plays snakecharmer while Chris No. reads (on a totally different couch than the one in the room Josh was in, so who knows what the two shot have to do with each other.)

So then everyone goes out to eat and goes out to a club. Chris No. looks toasted, and Greg the Narrator tells us that Chris has become distant from the other seven who are left. Chris stumbles into the hotel by himself and can't get his door unlocked. He knocks on the door but no one's home. Chris Ni. tells us that people aren't as found off Chris No. as he thought they might be. Greg thinks it's been a long time coming for Chris No.'s personality to be unveiled. Next door, Nidia hears the knocking and tells Chris to come in. All the other guys are sitting around (why does Maven have his shirt off?) Nidia almost shuts the door on the camera man, ha. 

Josh tells us that he heard that Chris got "a little inebriated." Of course, he says it to Chris more like "I heard you made an ass of yourself tonight!" Chris, who walking towards towards his suite (there's a door between the two rooms, I guess), turns around and heads back. He walks over to Josh, who's sitting on the couch, and grabs him by the shirt. Chris speaks softly. Josh tells him a couple times that he better let go and he eventually does. In the midst of this, Josh says that he only ticked of Chris because Chris was acting like an idiot, Chris was mad because it hurt his professional image and that now that he knows what to do, next time he gets bored he might do it again. Nidia looks all sorts of out of it during this whole thing. Chris collapses on his bed, then changes clothes and slams the door on the camera. 

The Bahamas have a morning shot too. This case, it's a packing to get ready to go back home morning shot. We even get a retrospective of their ten minute vacation (complete with all new footage!) as Taylor says that they needed the break to pick their spirits up. Chris Ni. wants it very hard. Big tells them this competition changes a lot from hear on out - it's gonna be even more intense.

Anyway, it's phone call time - Chris No. talk to his girlfriend, and tells her that he bought the flight from Greg. Greg talks to his girlfriend - her surgery got cancelled. There's the CD ad. You know, they should make Josh and the recorder a secret track on the CD. Or maybe not. Greg's girlfriend asked if he got the money yet (for the spot), he says no, she says "well then, take that [mute] back!"

Greg, apparently WHIPPED, goes to Maven for advice. Maven tells him that he's got get the slot back. Chris and Greg argue about it - Chris doesn't like the idea of having to tell his girlfriend that he can't come and that Greg should've called first and pretty much no, but Chris is not wearing his shirt and not looking to good so I'm not really interested in watching this scene any more.

In the morning, Paulina took her MRI results to her doctor. Her knee still doesn't feel right, so she's worried.

Meanwhile, at Trax, Al's cracking on Josh for looking so weird after he came back. I think Al's talking about the hair, but Josh points out the big sun blister he got on his nose. Al has a solution for that, and puts some scotch tape over his nose. "I'm just trying to make you look fashionable." Even better, he's got a marker and draws in kitty-kat whiskers.

Practicing. Josh isn't wearing the tape here but he is later so who knows. Afterwards, Big's asking Josh and Greg who they're bringing up. Josh says "Jaime" and I assume he said more but we weren't allowed to hear it because it would be tough (enough) booking a flight for someone with no last name. Well, maybe not if you're the Undertaker. I wonder if Jamie is a guy or a girl.

Oh, yea, Greg. He passes it to Chris No., while Josh explains to us that Greg to be stand up guy, but maybe expecting Chris to be the stand up guy back. Chris wasn't. Maven says that Chris should've let Greg's girlfriend come. Chris No.: "It was just an ugly, unfortunate situation. It could be considered that I'm a jerk but...that's just the way that it is."

Paulina, in a van, post-crying. That can't be a good sign. Big starts talk about her injury, but then, because MTV CAN'T TELL TIME, my VCR cuts out two minutes early.

(A week later for me when I get the full episode), Big explains the situation to the trainers: Paulina saw two doctors. The first doctor looked at the MRI and said that she had a partially torn ligament, a partially broken bone in her leg and a knee sprain. The doctor told her to stay off it - if she keeps working it, it might be okay but there's a good chance of big damage. We don't hear what the other doctor says. Miss Jackie says that Paulina wants this chance, but doesn't think she should go on. Al thinks Paulina's probably looking for permission. Big says he suggested she talk to her family and friends and then sleep on it.

Back to the mansion. Chris No: "Paulina, do you have any indication of what they're gonna do with you?" Paulina says she has to decide. Paulina says it's a recoverable knee injury, no surgery required, but she doesn't know what the future will be.

Trax. Al asks how they're feeling and then sends them to get ready. Paulina gets up and talks to Al. Al asks about the knee. Paulina (using a hoarse whisper): "Not too good. I'm gonna withdraw." Paulina assures Al that she wants to and hugs him. And then gives him a card. Miss Jackie smiles at the cards, which she gives all the trainers. Paulina to Jackie: "You scared the crap out of me the first week!" "I'm sorry!" They hug, and then Paulina thanks Tori and they hug. We see Nidia (crying, Paulina's not, though she has a look like she might have spent a lot of last night doing that) and Paulina hugging, with Nidia asking "Why are you leaving me?" "I'm sorry." Taylor's well into tears too. Hug for Josh. Hugh for Taylor and Nidia. Hug for Big before she gets into the van. Paulina's final words: "Now I've wrestled with AL Snow and Tori and Jackie and I think I'd love to give it a shot again when I'm 100 percent again and I really could see myself being a superstar - I really could."

Next week: It's down to the final two girls and the Hardyz show up.