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WWF Tough Enough by The Cubs Fan

16.8.1

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Tough Enough is TV-PG (L), if you wanted to know.

Open.

Previously on Tough Enough: In the Bahamas (Atlantic Ocean), Greg's and Josh's names were picked to get to have guests visit later on. Greg sold his slot to Chris No. (o is larger like him, i is thin like Chris Ni.), unaware that Greg's girlfriend was actually available to come up. Last week, Greg gave Maven a hiptoss (or took one that we didn't see) and was in a lot of pain, having perhaps aggravated an old back injury.

Trax. Everyone runs the ropes. For such a basic thing in matches, it's weird to realize they're just now getting to it. Al blows a whistle and Chris Ni. has to change direction. Al stops the exercise and we look at everyone's right side. All have scratches and bruises (of varying intensity) below their shoulders and on their hip just from bouncing off the ropes repeatedly. Al declares Maven the winner - he's pretty scratched up.

Greg is at the doctor's again. He says he's feeling better today than he did the previous two days, as typical with herniated disks. Here's a shot of the doctor stretching Greg while Greg wears little for no apparent reason. The doctor shows the X-Ray to Greg and says that it shows no damage pre-existing damage. The doctor suggests that it's a sprain (make a note of that) and they should test that by having him take a MRI. Greg says that everyone seems optimistic, and he feels he will get back. The doctor says that as long as the MRI is okay, he can continue a tough physical workload. Here's Greg taking the MRI, as he says that the WWF has made him feel very comfortable and part of the family and blah blah blah. He feels he owes more than just to leave because he's a little hurt. Nidia says we saw another side of Greg - he's got willpower and a strong mind. 

Back to Trax, where they're adding bouncing off the ropes to other things they've already learned. There's no real other sense or pattern to the montage - just more of the same. Let's end it with Nidia and Taylor hurting each other too much on a shoulderblock spot.

WWF HQ's Fitness Center. Dig that old WWF logo. As we watch the kids work out and struggle with their pains, Al explains he wanted to give them something to do to take their mind off their injuries, and taught them the circle game. Chris No. adds nothing. Al talks up the game and then explains it - take your thumb and a finger and make a circle, hold it somewhere below your waist, and try and get someone to look at it. If they do, they're a loser. A good example of a loser is Chris No., getting fooled once by Josh (pretending to point to an injury) and Maven (pretending to help Chris with some situps, I think.) 

Chris explains that Maven started trash talking Al about the game, and they started to talk a bet. Chris walks over as Al explains Maven's price - Maven must wear women's lingerie (again?) and sit on a statue of a horse by a busy intersection. Chris explains that he was pressing Maven to take the bet, and Al points it out and pulls Chris into the bet too. Chris joins because he's a professional all the time and doesn't want to look bad to Al ever, but only hints at that. "There's nothing to lose, really, except for a little bit of pride."

Greg attacks Josh in his bed, and explains to us that Josh is like the the little bro he never had. Greg was happy for Josh, since Josh gets to have his girlfriend come visit. Then Greg starts to talk about how he wish his girlfriend could come up, but he blew that chance already so why is he acting like he didn't get the chance? Chris No. chats it up with his girlfriend about her impending arrival.

Next day (I guess) and Josh is antsy for his girl to be here. "It's 5:30, she should've been here already." Who's passed out on the bed? Maybe Chris No. Here's a girl walking up the driveway - it's Josh's girlfriend, Jamie. Josh gives her the jaw drop and they hug, while a camera crew is totally unprepared and gets in the picture twice! My illusions of reality are destroyed! Also Greg seems to be waiting for Josh to go back out for the pass, the way he's holding that football. Sometime, somewhere, Big opens the car door for Christine, who is Chris No.'s girlfriend. Hmm, Josh and Jamie, Chris and Christine. Alliterated relationships, that's weird. As we catch a camera crew in a bad position for a third time (these kids will not be allowed to frolic outdoors ever again) Chris explains that Christine is a Harvard admissions officer and they started dating his senior year. They're happy. The boom mic guy is doing a terrible job of hiding. Christine unpacks and Chris is shocked that Christine brought "War and Peace" to read - "you're such a nerd!" "I know!" Josh and Jamie hold hands and walk around the house. Josh is happy. 

Greg is not - he talks to someone (his girlfriend) and explains his situation. Did we clip out another MRI definition? Greg says he's grinding it out - "balls out." Greg (wearing an Indians cap) says he's trying to make it through, because if he walks out, there's no coming back. Let's take a break.

The Club. What is Nidia doing? Maven is chatting up and grinding a young woman. Greg may be too hurt to get funky with his bad self. Chris and Christine dance, and Chris talks about juggling his work with his relationship. Chris says that he feels he's at work, and the boyfriend side of himself is completely pushed aside. Josh and Jamie talk, and Josh explains that being there puts a strain on their relationship, because they're apart.

How big of a strain? To find out, let's have the camera back away and leer from the far side of a dimly parking lot while Jamie uses a voice barely less than yelling voice to express her feelings to Josh.  "You're everything to me...so when it comes down to it, I'm gonna be sitting at home by myself, twiddling my thumbs, saying 'where's my husband at? Is he at this bar? Well that's a shame, because I'm at home.'" "We're in the reality now to the fact that I could win this thing." Pause, so Josh can let us know they hadn't gotten around to this conversation before. Continue, Jamie. "The wife of a WWF wrestlers - they have the worst lives! [Josh is trying to get a word in but no chance - clip here] If you expect me to sit at home, and watch you wrestle, and raise my - our kids - I don't care if you're Tough Enough or whatever the f[mute]k you want to call it, I don't care the biggest rock I have on my finger or the biggest home I have, it's not gonna happen!" Hmm, Josh smokes. 

Mansion. Sleeping people. Chris No is the one who fixes breakfast. Vans. Trax.

Chris explains that he's involved with the circle game, but he doesn't know what his terms are. Al helpfully explains that Chris will carry a sign around Yale, "Harvard Sucks, Yale Rules." Also, he's gonna to congratulate the students for picking the right college. Chris and Maven argue who has it worst - they disagree. Guess it's a Harvard thing.

WWF HQ, Fitness Center. Al explains that game started, with the rule they could only play at the Fitness Center, not at Trax. Chris explains that the rules were that the first to three catches lost and also [clip that was shown earlier, when Josh was setting up Chris for a loss and doesn't fit here at all except the right people are included] Maven and Chris wanted to team up to get Al. Maven explains that he figured out that Al wasn't getable. Al explains that he got Chris twice, quite easily - he got a picture of himself with making a pair of circles on a piece of paper, and handed it to Chris to read - Chris didn't realize it till it was too late. Maven explains that he got the paper too and decided to turn on Chris rather than risk wearing female undergarments. Chris explains that he lost, and now he'll have to go to Yale sometime soon. You know why I kept saying "explains"? They kinda forget to show ANY of it and put it together by narration alone. Makes for a much less exciting (and much more pointless) story.

Trax. Ahh, the very important sign making class. Sadly, no guest lecture from Lodi. Chris Ni. (nice to see you this week) writes "I AM YALES BITCH" and Chris No. complains about the lack of apostrophes. Actually, it's better that way. Taylor fills in a "HARVARD SUCKS" sign. Chris proposes a "HARVARD < YALE" sign but no on seems to care. Al (wearing a Job Squad button shirt) says he's going to enjoy this.

Back at the mansion, Greg hugs himself. Dude must really miss his girlfriend. (Okay, he's probably doing it to stretch his back out.) He explains he's every emotional - he's been waiting for this opportunity all his life and believes he's on the planet to do this. Black and white shots of him interacting with Triple H and Hardyz to remember that he wasn't that bad. 

Greg walks to the phone and talks to Dr. McGinniss, which is probably the doctor we saw before. Greg says he's not feeling as good as he did yesterday. The doctor explains that they could use a copy of the MRI from Greg's last back problem, because this one shows a herniated disc problem in the old problem site. Also another one herniated disc. So, if Greg's not too busy, could he get the people at home to pass along the old MRI? Greg is heartbroken, and explains "this is like having a car with two flat tires and trying to get somewhere." The doctor hopes that Greg feels better, and I'm sure that helps. Greg hides his face in his hat as we hear his previous words about coming back, even hurt. Break. 

New Haven, CT. Yale. Chris No. takes off his shirt. Al: "This a moment that we will cherish for the rest of our lives." Chris strips down to his Harvard boxers as Al makes a red H with tape on Chris' front and back. Taylor says Chris was a good sport about it. Chris gets to walk around holding the "I AM YALE'S BITCH" sign as Al instructs him on what to say. "Harvard sucks! Yale is #1!" Al: "Should've gone to Yale - that way you would've been smart enough to not go make the bet." Chris says meets many people and has to repeat his phrases many time. Al: "Yell it so they can hear it in the sucky halls of Harvard!" Chris says it hurt him to yell that stuff. Chris Ni. sagely remarks that he won't be making bets with Al.

In an airport parking lot somewhere, Jamie and Josh hug and kiss goodbye. Josh: "I am more in love with her than I can ever imagine" and I don't know what that means. Josh says they'll sit down after this is all over and figure out what they both want. Josh is wearing a tie! Chris only goes as far as the driveway with Christine, saying to us that it wasn't the same as normal because he was at work when they were together. Christine is a little misty eyed as she walks down the driveway and out of our lives forever. Chris is wearing a tie too, but it looses it's impact when you realize that it's one of those goofy WWF ties that Mick Foley might wear over a tattered shirt. 

Trax. The Tough Enough crew tries to make up for earlier gaffs with an edited metaphor: Josh and Chris No. wrestle each other, as we hear them wrestle to balance their relationships and career aspirations. It's so cosmic, yet it's also what they've repeated quite a few times already. Like in this match, Chris seems to be doing better. We hear Disturbed getting Stupefied for just long enough that they can add it to the Tough Enough CD. Given what Chris No. said back when Jason left, his decision to put career ahead of love shouldn't be a surprise.

Greg sadly drives a car and wears that Indians cap. Receptionist and Greg talk about Greg's bad back. Doctor McGinnis says the report says two herniated disc at that time, but comparing it to the old MRI, there's another herniated disc. That's three. Greg smiles the smile of a guy who wonders what else could happen to him, and explains that's he shocked. Dr. McGinnis tells us that Greg needs to stop. Greg: "Damn." Totally. "Can't win if you're losing."

Greg drives on to Trax, meeting the rest of kids right as they're at the other van. Greg explains his condition - he's should get surgery (!), and he can't continue. Everyone's sad and surprised - Taylor says it's the worst injuries so far, and he really wanted it to it. Greg goes inside and explains it to the trainers - Miss Jackie seems shocked, so does Tori - they all do. They were probably still thinking it was a strain. Greg says he's not totally done forever, but for the time being, there's no way he can be kept on. Al says it became heartbreaking, because he wants to see these kids succeed. Greg hugs everyone, trainers and kids, goodbye. Josh, his little bro, is saved for last and is crying. They hug for a while. Big says it was gutwrenching and sad. Nidia's crying as Greg leaves, for good, and we end the show with a long look at the newest chair added to the graveyard.

Next time, Mick Foley shows up. Chris Ni. is still having trouble and Al chews him out. Maven finds out his mom isn't doing well. Josh packs his suitcase - he says he doesn't want to be there anymore. In the end, someone goes to Al and talks about leaving - but who?

Hey, at least now Greg gets to see his girlfriend.

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