Disclaimer: See prologue
"Last time on the Ridonculous Race, New Zealand took many of our teams on a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Dwayne tried to become more chill to impress his son, Noah and Emma hit a roadblock when Emma put the brakes on their relationship, and Devin's sadness turned to anger which he channeled to complete the challenge. In the end, the Ice Dancers claimed their long-desired win and Father & Son left the race closer than ever. We're down to ten teams, and it's soon to become nine. Who will come in the bottom of the top ten? Find out here on… the Ridonculous Race!"
"We're back in New Zealand, and our king and queen of Ridonculous comebacks, the Ice Dancers, are receiving today's first tip." Don informed as the Ice Dancers approached the episode's first Don Box.
(Confessional- Ice Winners)
"After enduring a much too long non-first place streak," Jacques stated in the confessional with a frown before it turned into a smile, "we're finally back where we belong. On top of all the others!"
Josee smirked darkly. "And we're going to stay on top of everyone else all the way to the finale. That's a guarantee!"
(End confessional)
Josee pressed the button on the Don Box, and retrieved the next tip. "Go to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump."
Jacques raised an eyebrow perplexedly. "Eh? Is that a place or a threat?"
"A little bit of both," Don answered over a slideshow of location pictures, "It's located here in the Rocky Mountains of Lethbridge, Alberta. Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump was going to be called Concussion Valley, but the name was already taken. Once there, teams will have to drive to this spot to receive their next tip." He finished at a ranch, wearing a cowboy hat on his head.
As the Police Cadets left the starting point, the Rockers grabbed their tip. As they read it, Spud grinned.
"Sweet!" Spud commented. "We're going to a dude ranch!" He cheered, and then gained a confused expression as he looked to Rock. "What's a dude ranch?"
(Location Confessional- near the Chill Zone)
"A dude ranch!" Lorenzo whooped beside Chet. "My dad took me to some when I was younger. Every single trip was awesome!"
"Aw lucky," Chet told his stepbrother in awe, "I've never been to a dude ranch."
"Well get ready then, bro! You're in for the restaurant experience of a lifetime!" Lorenzo pumped his fist.
(End confessional)
Owen grabbed a tip, and read it quickly. "Okay, buddy! Let's get moving!" He picked up Noah, who had been laying on the ground with his face still frozen in an upset frown. As Noah made no response, Owen carried him off after the other teams.
(Confessional- Still broken)
"Noah's still upset about Emma. Poor guy…" Owen said in the confessional with an aside glance to his friend and partner. "He hasn't moved all that much so I've had to carry him everywhere. At first I dragged him along, but then I realized he probably wouldn't like that."
(End confessional)
"With the last of our teams grabbing their tip, it's a race to get a taxi and head to the airport." Don narrated as Rock and Spud were shown on a sidewalk.
"Taxi!" Rock called, trying to hail a cab. "Taxi!"
"Want me to try taking my shirt off again?" Spud inquired, reaching for the hem of his shirt.
"No, I think we can manage, Spud." Rock replied, motioning for Spud to not take off his shirt as he waved again. "Taxi!" A taxi stopped next to them. "Woohoo, rock and roll! Come on, Spud!" Rock whooped before he and Spud got in, and the taxi drove off.
Emma and Kitty arrived right where the Rockers had been, and Emma immediately hailed a taxi. They were about to get in when Kitty grabbed her sister's arm.
"Shouldn't we wait for Noah and Owen? I mean, we are in an alliance." Kitty asked concernedly.
The older sister pulled her arm away. "No, Noah and I are on a break, and as far as I'm concerned, so is the alliance." Kitty rolled her eyes, and followed her sister in entering the cab.
"The teams reach the airport, and it's a mad dash to get tickets." Don narrated as the Police Cadets were shown getting their tickets, and the Stepbrothers were about to when the ticket window closed on them. The Stepbrothers groaned as they along with the Sisters, Reality TV Pros, and Goths were shown waiting for the next flight. "Turns out there aren't enough seats for everyone on the first flight. The first flight is Alberta bound while the second flight will be arriving half an hour later."
On the second flight, Noah sat slumped over in a seat next to Owen, who had a bag of chips open. Across the aisle, Emma and Kitty watched in concern from their seats.
"I think Noah looks a little better, right?" Emma asked her sister uncertainly.
(Location Confessional- Plane aisle)
"I didn't want to crush my thing with Noah, but I had no choice. You saw it; love turns me into a total nightmare, and nightmares don't win races." Emma said while standing next to Kitty.
Kitty giggled. "Not unless you run really fast." She let out a playful scream to Emma's annoyance.
(End confessional)
On the first flight, Tom and Jen each had an ear up to a pair of headphones, listening with great attention. They bobbed their heads to the music, and nodded while smiling happily. After a few seconds of listening, they lowered the headphones.
"Yeah, this is really good." Jen told Rock as she handed back the headphones across the aisle to him. "You guys have some style. I'm surprised you guys haven't been signed to a record deal yet."
"The lyrics could use some slight adjustments. Tweak a few words here and there, and then you'll connect with your target audience for sure." Tom added, holding up a finger to interject.
Rock and Spud both grinned as Rock took the headphones. "Thanks," He handed the headphones to Spud, who gladly took them and started rocking out to his own tunes. "We've recorded our demo, and played a few gigs, but we just haven't had the luck, or the connections to get a record company to sign us yet."
"Well, with what you've got there, you're sure to get signed." Jen replied.
Tom smiled brightly. "If you'd like, we could upload a sample of your work on our blog after the race is over. Just give us a copy of your demo, and we'll do the rest."
"Really?" Rock questioned. "You'd do that for our band?"
"Sure," Tom shrugged, "our blog has had some influence in some circles that could definitely help you get that extra boost. Once some certain followers hear your music, you'll probably get contacted in a snap." He said with a snap of his fingers.
"Awesome, thanks!" Rock grinned, nudging Spud as he turned to his partner. "You hear that, Spud? We're getting closer to our record deal!"
Upon being nudged, Spud opened his eyes, and paused his music, taking the headphones off. "Sorry, did you say something?"
(Confessional- Missed some big news, dude)
"Those Fashion Blogger dudes are so awesome! Turns out they can critique more than just clothes." Rock said with a smile while Spud bobbed his head to his headphones. "It's cool that they're willing to sample our demo on their blog. We'll have to check it out sometime when we get home."
(End confessional)
"Flight number one carrying the first six teams has landed in Alberta, and the teams will drive a pickup into the wild west." Don said as the flight was shown landing, and quickly switched to the Police Cadets driving out on the open road.
It was all smooth driving until something bumped into them from behind, causing them to yelp. In one of their side mirrors, the Ice Dancers could be seen right behind them.
"Eat our dust, wannabe coppers!" Josee taunted as she and Jacques passed the Police Cadets.
The Ice Dancers' bumping into the Police Cadets caused the cadets to run over a small rock, and pop a tire.
"We're hit, tire wounded! Tire wounded!" MacArthur exclaimed as she tried to keep the truck steady. She pulled out a roll of duct tape as she drove, and tossed it to Sanders. "You're going to have to get out, and patch it up ASAP."
"You're not going to stop first?" Sanders questioned as MacArthur kept driving.
MacArthur groaned. "Okay, new plan." She floored the gas pedal, and caught up to the Ice Dancers. Tailing them with their own truck, MacArthur pushed the Ice Dancers off the road.
"Mama! Mama!" Jacques cried as MacArthur drove them off a cliff.
(Confessional- Truck driving, more like truck diving)
Sanders smirked as MacArthur made horns with her fingers, and held them on either side of her head. "What can I say? You mess with the bull, you get the horns." MacArthur quipped.
(End confessional)
As the two pickup trucks disappeared, a loud crash sounded out, and the Surfer Dudes soon passed the crash site with Geoff driving.
"Weird," Geoff commented, "no sign of the cadets, or the dancer dudes."
"Dude, two possibilities." Brody said. "Either aliens got them or…" He trailed off, "nah, I think I'll stick with aliens." Geoff smiled at his friend's thought processes.
"Flight number two has finally landed, and the teams know they'll be racing each other to avoid elimination. See the panic on their faces? Priceless." Don announced as the second plane landed half an hour after the first one. The four teams hurried off the plane, and into their trucks. Contrary to Don's statement, the Goths continued holding their stoic stares. Owen took the wheel of his and Noah's while his partner was still motionless.
"I've only got a learner's permit so I need to have a fully-licensed driver with me at all times." Owen explained as he started driving, glancing at Noah. "Noah's breathing so he counts, right?" He chuckled when a duck hit the windshield. "Whoa!" A rabbit then slammed onto the windshield, followed by a pig. "Oh boy, this wasn't taught in my driver's ed class."
At the dude ranch, Geoff and Brody parked near the Don Box.
"Dude, check it out! We're the only car here!" Geoff told Brody as they got out, and jogged over to the Don Box.
"We are so in first place!" Brody declared, and looked to the sky. "Thank you, aliens!"
Geoff took a tip, and read it. "It's an All-In! Tip your hat, and split your jeans and eat like a cowboy by all means."
In the ranch's kitchen, Don approached a stove while wearing a chef's hat. "Working together, teammates must eat an entire pot of pork and beans," he stirred a pot, "at the bottom of the pot, they'll find their next travel tip."
Inside the establishment, Geoff and Brody were given a pot, and a table to eat at.
"Whoa…" Geoff gasped in awe.
"My fav food to nosh on is totally pork and beans, dude." Brody said with pride.
(Solo confessional- Geoff)
"I can scarf most things, and Brody's got an iron stomach with the tastebuds of a dude that doesn't have any taste buds. We're golden." Geoff told the camera, pointing at Brody chugging beans from the pot over his shoulder.
(End confessional)
Rock and Spud arrived in the restaurant, slightly confused.
"We're the second team here? What happened to the Police Cadets? I thought they were ahead of us." Rock wondered out loud, scratching his bandana.
Spud shrugged. "Who cares, dude? We're in second place, we're killing it!" He looked off to the side, where a waitress was setting a pot of beans on an empty table intended for them. He gasped excitedly. "Pork and beans!" He ran over to the pot, grabbed a spoon, and started shoveling the pot's contents into his mouth.
Rock chuckled. "Hey, save some for me!" He ran over, and joined his partner in eating the beans, going at a speed that rivaled the Surfer Dudes.
Outside, the Best Friends arrived. Getting out of the truck, they stared up at the establishment. After a moment of gazing at it, Devin slouched as he let out a heavy sigh.
Noticing her friend's behavior, Carrie asked gently, "Devin, you okay?"
"Yeah," Devin answered, "it's just I wanted to take Shelley to a dude ranch for one of our dates, but she always turned the idea down since they weren't as classy as normal restaurants."
Smiling shyly, Carrie stated, "I would've gone to a dude ranch with you."
Devin perked up slightly at the comment, and gave Carrie an appreciative smile. They held a gaze until a horn honked behind them. They looked back to see Tom and Jen arriving.
"No offense to pickup trucks," Jen said as she got out of the passenger seat, "but I wouldn't drive one of these unless they matched what I was wearing."
"Agreed," Tom added as he got out of the driver's seat, "so, what's going on here?" He asked, noting how Devin and Carrie were standing outside the building instead of heading in.
Devin waved a dismissive hand. "Oh nothing," he answered casually, purposefully ignoring how he couldn't stop smiling a little or his face blushing. His eyes landed on the Don Box. "Oh hey, look! Don Box!" He jogged over to it.
Inside, the Rockers were gobbling down their pork and beans when they heard a loud belch. They looked over to the table with the only other team, and saw the Surfer Dudes with beards of bean remains.
"Done!" The Surfer Dudes chorused.
Geoff dug out the tip from the pot, and read it. "It's a Random Botch. Whoever isn't holding the tip has to ride a mechanical bull."
Brody beamed. "There's a mechanical bull?!"
The footage turned to Don, who walked up to a mechanical bull also in the building. "The Bull Buster 3000," he introduced the machine, "the most dangerous mechanical bull in the world. Riders have to stay on the bull for eight whole seconds. Once they do that, it's just a jog out that door," he pointed to a set of swinging doors in the back of the restaurant, "and down this path to the Chill Zone. Last team to arrive may be out of the race."
Brody climbed onto the bull with a grin. "This is going to be awesome!" He commented as he sat down. Almost immediately, the mechanical bull bucked him off as a buzzer sounded. "Was that eight seconds?" He asked Geoff, laying dazed on the floor.
Geoff glanced at the timer next to the bull, and then to his partner, gesturing to the timer. "It was like no seconds, bro." The show then cut to commercial.
When the show came back, the Police Cadets and the Ice Dancers arrived on foot at the dude ranch.
"The Don Box!" Josee called out.
"Hustle!" MacArthur ordered. Sanders reached the Don Box first, and grabbed a tip. "Hah, in your face!" MacArthur mocked the Ice Dancers as she followed her partner into the restaurant. The Ice Dancers followed with a scowl.
The Stepbrothers, Sisters, and Goths all arrived in their trucks.
"This is a dude ranch? Awesome!" Chet exclaimed as he and his stepbrother ran to the Don Box.
Meanwhile, Emma hopped out of the passenger seat of her team's truck. "We made it safe and sound!" She stated pleasantly before hearing a horn honk.
"Look out!" Owen shouted, driving his team's truck towards them. Oddly enough, the truck was loaded with animals.
Shrieking, Emma jumped back in her seat in her truck, watching as Owen plowed right over where she was just standing and ripped the passenger door right off. The truck crashed loudly off-screen as the Sisters winced. The Goths, who had been parked a few feet away from the Sisters' passenger side, watched the crash with interest.
"If we have to ride with him sometime, can he drive?" Ennui questioned out loud, presumably to his team. Loki chittered in response.
(Confessional- New pets?)
Owen sat in the confessional, surrounded by the animals that had been on his truck and the immobile Noah in his lap.
"Maybe I need to practice my driving a little bit more." Owen admitted. Next to him, a pig squealed in what sounded like agreement.
(End confessional)
The Police Cadets, Ice Dancers, Stepbrothers, and Goths gathered in the entryway, immediately seeing the two components to their challenge. On one side of the room, they saw the teams before them eating beans from their large pots, and on the other side of the room, they saw Brody on the mechanical bull.
Noticing the new arrivals, Brody immediately singled out one of them. "MacArthur, over hee-ahh!" Brody tried to wave to her, and the distraction allowed for the bull to buck him off, and cause him to crash into an unused bar area.
Sanders cringed while MacArthur nodded in approval. "Nice impact positioning."
Pulling himself over the counter, Brody grinned in a daze. "I like her." He then collapsed unconscious.
The newly-arrived teams arrived at their tables, and were greeted with large pots of pork and beans. MacArthur took a whiff of the pot's contents, and grinned. "A disgusting amount of beans, for free?!" She grabbed a spoon, and immediately began to dig in. Sanders sat on the opposite side of the table, watching with disgust. She was about to reach over to take a spoonful, but MacArthur held out a hand to stop her. "Get your own pot!"
(Confessional- Lots o' beans)
"Somebody has a bit of a sharing problem." Sanders noted in the confessional.
"You're right," MacArthur agreed, "and I forgive you."
(End confessional)
Lorenzo and Chet took a table, and Lorenzo glanced around. "You know, this place looks familiar."
"Maybe you've been here before?" Chet suggested with a shrug.
Lorenzo shrugged while a waitress put a pot of beans on their table. "Check it out, pork and beans!"
"Sweet!" Chet grinned. He heard a loud belch, and looked over to the Rockers' table.
"Done-zo!" Rock announced, and was about to start a victory riff until the sudden movement caused him to hold his stomach instead. "Ooh, too full to rock out."
A country tune started to play in a montage of the challenge. The Sisters and Reality TV Pros entered the room as it began. Brody yelped as he hung onto the bull, and was eventually bucked off. While wearing napkins around their necks, Tom and Jen ate at a pace that was quick, but allowed them to keep bean juices from splattering onto their clothes. Carrie ate by the spoonful while Devin had his head in the pot, eating face first. Owen ate most of the beans, but spoon fed Noah some as well. Rock hollered as he tried to stay on the bull, eventually getting bucked off. The Goths ate emotionlessly while Loki watched from Ennui's shirt. Chet burped once throughout the meal. Brody rolled off the bull, and crashed into some nearby hay bales. MacArthur just kept on chugging down the pork and beans. Looking into their pot, the Ice Dancers cringed.
(Location Confessional- the restaurant)
"There are worse things to choke down." Jacques said, holding up his index finger matter-of-factly.
Josee winced, and hugged herself. "Like a silver medal."
Both scrunched up at the thought of a silver medal, but were soon distracted by the scream of Rock flying into the same unused bar that Brody had.
(End confessional)
"Here comes the choo-choo train!" Owen chuckled as he fed Noah another spoonful of pork and beans.
At the next table, the Sisters watched them as they ate.
"Maybe it's a coincidence that he went into a state of shock and despair the moment I broke up with him?" Emma wondered, and looked to her sister for help. Unfortunately for her, Kitty stayed quiet as she continued to eat. "Could you just agree with me at least?" She asked her sister while reaching for another scoop. While she did so, Kitty rolled her eyes.
"While most of the teams choke down on pork and beans, our current leaders are trying not to choke." Don narrated as the footage switched back to the bull.
Brody kept on trying to conquer the bull, but he only ever got halfway to the eight second requirement.
"Brod-man isn't doing so hot, but hey, besides the Rockers, no one else has tried the bull so we're good." Geoff commented while standing beside Spud.
Spud shrugged. "That bull is just really tough." Almost immediately after he finished his sentence, he was knocked down by Rock falling onto him.
At the Stepbrothers' table, the boys were in a race to beat each other, not in a way to prove who's better, but just for good, brotherly fun.
After a moment of being shown eating, Chet swallowed and smiled at his stepbrother. "These are some really good pork and beans."
(Confessional- Stepbrother Beans)
"My mom makes the best pork and beans!" Chet boasted. "As good as restaurant pork and beans are, they still can't beat my mom's."
Lorenzo grinned. "I can agree to that! Back when I hated Chet, I used to say that her pork and beans were awful just to tick him off."
Chet looked at him incredulously. "What?! You were lying about not liking them this whole time?!"
(End confessional)
Owen's stomach gurgled, a sign that all the non-TD veterans had yet to become familiar with. "Uh oh." Owen said blankly. "Beans are shifting."
Not a moment later, he let out a fart so high-pitched, so foul-smelling, and so long that it had to be a record for him. Emma covered her nose and mouth, MacArthur watched in awe, and Loki, who had been covering up his nose, gagged and retreated into Ennui's shirt. One of the restaurant windows even shattered, a car alarm blaring outside. The fart came to an end, and all was silent with the exception of the car alarm. All the occupants of the dude ranch made no sudden moves in fear of setting off an aftershock to some effect.
It was eventually Spud who broke the silence as his delayed reaction finally kicked. "Oh man! That was killer! Who cut the cheese?!" He looked around expectantly.
(Confessional- Owen did it)
Sanders and MacArthur sat in the confessional. The only difference from normal was the fact that Sanders had a gas mask on.
"Man can that guy airbrush his boxers." MacArthur commented, proud of Owen's ability.
(End confessional)
Devin at long last pulled his head out of the pot, breathing heavily. "Whoa, that was a lot of pork and beans." He quipped as Carrie pulled out the tip. "What's the challenge?" The pair turned their heads to where the Surfer Dudes and the Rockers were still trying to conquer the bull. He groaned when he made the connection that whoever wasn't holding the tip had to ride the bull.
"Looks like Carrie and Devin are done," Jen noted at the table next to them, turning to Tom. "Pick up the pace?"
Tom nodded. "Yep, let's do this, but let's still be careful not to get any scraps on our clothes, or in our hair."
At the Police Cadets' table, MacArthur continued to hog all the beans.
"MacArthur, it's an All-In. We both have to eat." Sanders pointed out when MacArthur swatted her hand away.
"You want some? Prove it." MacArthur answered bluntly before scarfing down more.
Sanders gawked at her. "Prove it? How am I supposed to-?" She trailed off, her words turning into a gasp mid-sentence. She pointed at something over MacArthur's shoulder. "Is that guy stealing from the cash register?"
MacArthur's eyes went wide. "What?!" She stood up, and turned to confront the perpetrator. After a moment, she heard the sound of a spoon scraping the side of a pot, and the telltale noises of chewing and swallowing. With a smirk, she noticed Sanders shoveling beans from the pot into her mouth. "Well played, partner." MacArthur complimented, causing Sanders to smile in response.
Devin clung onto the bull, chanting "First place!" He held on for a few seconds until he was thrown off, and flew into the kitchen.
On the opposite end of the building, Geoff helped Brody out from behind the bar. "See," Geoff told his partner, "that bull is not beatable, like at all."
As Ennui and Crimson finished off their pot, Crimson sighed.
(Confessional- She looked so sad)
"This place felt a lot like my grandmother's farm house. I spent a lot of summers out there." Crimson spoke up while Ennui sat beside her, holding Loki between them.
(End confessional)
Their pot finally emptied, the Stepbrothers cheered.
"We did it!" Chet pumped a fist.
"Yeah, we did!" Lorenzo agreed with a brief laugh. His cheer quickly morphed into disgust as he held a hand to his stomach. "Maybe tell your mom that pork and beans are off the menu for a little while…"
Similarly, Chet held a hand to his stomach while hunched over a little. "Yeah, definitely doing that… now who gets the tip?"
Lorenzo glanced over at the teams waiting to take on the bull. Jen held the tip while Tom waited to take his turn, Ennui and Loki held the tip while Crimson waited in line as well. "Looks like whoever doesn't take the tip rides the bull." He turned back to his stepbrother. "Since you've never ridden a bull before, I guess I'll grab it so you can try." He reached into the empty pot, and pulled out the tip. The Stepbrothers then went to join the growing line of teams.
Back at the Police Cadets' table, Sanders groaned as she put down her spoon, and clutched her stomach.
"Nice job, partner! You finished all the beans!" MacArthur praised her proudly before knocking the pot over. "Now, grab the tip. I'm so riding that bull."
Sighing exhaustingly, Sanders huffed, "Fine." She tiredly got the tip out.
"Let's do this!" MacArthur hefted Sanders onto her shoulder, and got into the line.
Crimson rode the bull without even trying, and soon became the first to reach the eight seconds. Once the timer dinged, the bull stopped moving, allowing her to slide off. The Goths wordlessly walked past the other teams out the door. The teams gawked as they passed.
"What? How did they?" Tom stammered.
"Are you serious?" Rock echoed the Fashion Blogger's sentiments.
(Confessional- Bull Rider Crimson)
"Riding mechanical bulls is way easier than riding real bulls." Crimson stated bluntly. Both Ennui and Loki gave her questioning looks. She held up a hand. "I don't want to talk about it."
(End confessional)
Brody groaned as his turn came up again. "I'd throw in my hat, but I don't have one." He lamented.
It was then Geoff got an idea. "Wait! Bro, I have a hat!" Geoff pointed to his own trademark cowboy hat. He took it off, and placed it on Brody's head. "Wear it with pride, there's no way you can't lose now."
"Dude…" Brody tried to say, but was too touched by Geoff's gesture. He climbed onto the bull for the umpteenth time, and as it began to flail around, he wrapped his arms around it tight. "Duuude!" He shouted with glee as he managed to stay on longer than any of his previous runs. The timer dinged, and he got off. "I did it!" He cheered, giving back Geoff his hat.
Geoff gave him a high five. "Let's boogie, dude!" The pair then ran off in the same direction the Goths went.
"Way to vice that pile of bolts with your beefy thighs, Brody!" MacArthur told them as they left.
"You know," Jen piped up as they passed by, "Geoff makes his appearance work, hat or no hat."
"Totally," Tom nodded, "the only difference is without the hat, he looks more… mature."
Rock steeled himself for his next turn. "I'm up! I can do it this time!" He jogged over to the bull.
"Rock and roll, Rock! Rock and Roll!" Spud encouraged his friend.
"Rock and roll!" Rock repeated from on top of the bull just as it started up.
Seeing as more teams were beginning to pass the second component of the challenge, the Ice Dancers found reason to pick up the pace with their beans, being one of the last few teams still eating, the other teams being the Sisters and the Reality TV Pros. "As more teams complete the challenge, the Ice Dancers find themselves further behind the competition. Meanwhile, the Goths and the Surfer Dudes are neck and neck for first place." Don mentioned.
The Goths and the Surfer Dudes ran up the path to the Chill Zone. When the camera cut to the Carpet of Completion, the Surfer Dudes were first on the scene to meet with Don. "Surfer Dudes, it pleases me mildly to tell you you're in first place." He told them. Geoff and Brody began to celebrate, not only had they conquered the almost impossible mechanical bull, but they had also obtained first place for the second time in their racing history. They wrapped their arms around each other, and began to hop up and down while hugging. After hugging a little bit, they broke the hug to invite Don in. "I don't do emotion." He held up a hand objectively. The pair ignored that, and pulled him into the hug. They continued their celebratory hug with Don uncomfortably sandwiched between them.
At the Sisters' table, Kitty got out her phone. "Selfie with finished pot of beans," she tilted the empty pot over, and positioned her phone with her other hand, "check!" She announced as she clicked her phone to snap a picture.
Emma wrenched the pot away from her sister, and took the tip from it. "I've got the tip. Let's join the line."
"While the race for first may be over, the race for not last is just heating up." Don narrated.
Devin screamed for his life as he rode the bull a second time. When the timer dinged, he quieted down upon the realization. "Yes, I did it!" His stomach gurgled, and his face turned green. "Uh oh." He hopped off the bull to find a place to puke.
"Woohoo!" Rock whooped as he and Spud ran past Don across the Carpet of Completion.
"Second to the Rockers!" Don informed them.
As the Rockers joined the Surfer Dudes, Rock looked to his partner. "That had to be the second most awesome challenge this season!" He grinned.
"Second most? What's first?" Spud asked, appearing confused.
"Come on," Rock continued to grin while nudging his partner. "You know the one I'm talking about."
It took Spud a moment, but he caught on. "Oh right! The air guitar challenge. Yeah, that one was cool." He smiled lazily while remembering said challenge.
Back at the bull, Tom handed his glasses over to Jen. "Hold onto these, will you? I don't want them breaking if I fall off." With a little guidance on Jen's part after that, Tom was soon on the bull. One would think not having one's glasses on would be an added hindrance to performing the challenge, but Tom did not have that problem. The moment his ride began, he wrapped his arms around the bull's neck and horns while doing his best to keep his legs pinned to the robot's sides. He screamed shrilly as he rocked back and forth. Soon enough, the eight seconds passed, and the Fashion Bloggers were allowed to move onto the Chill Zone.
Jen squealed as she helped a dizzy Tom keep his balance, and put his glasses back on his face for him. "You did it!"
"Way to go, guys!" Carrie praised them from by the exit, where she and Devin had waited to see if the Fashion Bloggers would have to wait another turn. Devin still seemed a little green and frazzled, but otherwise fit to run.
With the girls guiding their male partners out the door, they were able to run to the Carpet of Completion at a decent pace.
(Solo Confessional- Chet)
"I've never really rode a mechanical bull before." The Stepbrother scratched the back of his neck awkwardly while standing in the room away from everyone else. "You know how moms are. They don't want their kids getting hurt, and stuff. Even if there was padding on the floor around the bull, my mom still wouldn't let me ride it. With all the other teams waiting behind us, I have to get this done on the first try, or Lorenzo and I could be done for!"
"Could you hurry it up over there? Some of us still need to ride!" MacArthur called from off-screen.
"Hey, I'm trying to do a solo confessional over here! You shut up!" Chet glared at her.
(End confessional)
"You've got this, stepbro! You're related to me by marriage so you've got my bull riding skill!" Lorenzo encouraged his partner as Chet climbed onto the bull.
Though nervous, Lorenzo's motivation speech appeared to be helping as Chet started to smile. "You're- you're right. I do have your bull riding skill. I will ride this bull!" Chet declared, and the ride started. Chet yelped as he was caught off-guard by the initial movement. After a bit of rocking around, Chet's grip slipped on the bull, and he flew off. He screamed as he landed on some hay bales.
"Chet!" Lorenzo ran over to him. "Are you okay?"
Chet sat up while groaning. Holding his head briefly, he was able to gather himself. Once his mind caught up with him, he grinned. "That was awesome!"
"I know, right?" Lorenzo chuckled.
"Third, fourth!" Don stated as the Best Friends and the Fashion Bloggers crossed the carpet respectively. Then the Goths arrived at a walking pace. "Where were you? You were the first to finish the bull ride." Don inquired.
"Yes, but then we found a cow skull rotting in the sun so…" Ennui drawled out the explanation. He would've finished, but Don cut him off.
"Nope! No, stop talking, forget I asked. You're team number five. Go!" He shooed them away.
"Back at the restaurant, the Ice Dancers finally finish their beans, and line up to take on the Bull Buster." Don narrated as the two disgusted Ice Dancers swallowed their last spoonsful of beans, and Josee snatched the tip.
MacArthur took her turn on the bull, and latched her arms around its neck as if she was putting it in a headlock. "Slow your roll, meatball." She grunted as she fought to keep her grip. The eight seconds passed, allowing her to get off. "Eight seconds, nailed it!" The Police Cadet boasted, taunting the Ice Dancers before running out with her partner.
The Ice Dancers growled in hatred, then turned their attention back to the bull when they heard giggling. Kitty was on the back of the machine, giggling as if she was being tickled. On the sidelines, Emma had Kitty's phone in her hands, snapping a picture before the timer dinged. Kitty hopped off once the ride was over, and high-fived her sister.
(Confessional- Cowgirl Kitty)
Emma smiled in approval as Kitty sat beside her, fiddling with her phone.
"I have to say," Emma began to say, "I'm very impressed, Kitty."
Kitty laughed as she held up her phone to take a selfie, holding up a peace sign while she did so. "Finally!" She remarked while her phone camera flashed with a click.
(End confessional)
The Sisters were just leaving when the Reality TV Pros approached the bull.
"Okay Noah," Owen told his partner, "you can do this, just stay loose." The moment he let go of Noah, the shocked sarcastic genius fell forward, slumping over the machine's head. "Yeah, like that."
Noah's continued state of shock had Emma staring at him in concern. "Noah's faking it, right? He has to be, otherwise I've broken the most amazing piece of perfection to walk the Earth! There's no way I did that, right? That would make me feel terrible!" She questioned in a panic, shaking her sister frantically for an answer. The pair heard the bull starting up, and watched it buck around, easily throwing the frozen Noah off. After a moment of staring at Noah being bucked off, Emma started shaking her sister again. "This is where you tell me it's possible!"
"It's down to three teams, one of which will be failure of the day." Don mentioned, noting the Stepbrothers, Ice Dancers, and Reality TV Pros.
Lorenzo stood supportively next to the timer while Chet mounted the bull for the second time. "Alright, that bull took you by surprise the first time. Now that you have a feel for it, there's no way you can't fail this time."
"You're right. I'm so doing it this time! Go, Stepbro-ah!" Chet's cheering was cut off by the Bull Buster throwing him off for the second time.
With the Stepbrothers returning to the back of the line, Jacques mounted the machine. He grabbed the harness, clenched his butt cheeks for some weird reason, and put on a smile. The smile was instantly wiped off his face when the ride began. He screamed shrilly, perhaps at even higher pitch than Tom, and continued to scream even after the eight seconds passed. Before he could let out another short scream, Josee cut him off.
"Are you done?" She quipped with a raised eyebrow.
Realizing the ride was over, Jacques awkwardly got off the bull, and the Ice Dancers exited the building.
Noah's turn came again, and by some miracle of luck, he completed the challenge all without lifting a finger in his motionless body.
"Way to go, buddy!" Owen cheered, hoisting his partner off the bull.
Don greeted the Police Cadets at the Carpet. "Sixth!" They left, only for their spot to be taken up by the Sisters. "Seventh!" Kitty let out a cheer while the team moved aside for the next team that showed up.
Sighing, Chet looked at his stepbrother. "I'm sorry I'm not a good bull rider."
"Hey man," Lorenzo smiled comfortingly, "it's okay. If we do go home today, we can just ask Dad and your mom to take us to another dude ranch so you can practice."
"Thanks, stepbro." Chet smiled back.
"You're welcome. Now get on that bull, and ride. If we hurry, I bet we can beat that tub of lard and his weird partner."
Chet's smile became more determined, his eyes narrowing in fierceness. "You're right! Let's do this!" He mounted the bull for the third time. "I'm riding you, bull!" The ride began, and this time, Chet held on extra tight, not allowing his resolve to fail him. The eight seconds passed, causing Chet to cheer.
"That's my stepbro!" Lorenzo whooped. "Come on, let's go!"
"Ice Dancers, you're in eighth place!" Don told the antagonistic pair when they arrived.
"What?!" Josee snarled, clenching her fists while Jacques stared Don down in disapproval.
"With our final team besting the bull, it's a foot race to be not last." A flash occurred, and the two teams were seen racing up the path to the Chill Zone. Owen panted as he carried Noah while running as fast as he could. The Stepbrothers also ran their fasted, intent on getting to the Chill Zone first. The Chill Zone neared, and Owen was getting winded. Chet and Lorenzo's faces filled with fear and panic.
…
…
…
Don was shown waiting at the Chill Zone, and raised an eyebrow at the team that was the next to arrive.
Both of the Stepbrothers panted when they stopped on the Carpet of Completion.
"Sort of congratulations, Stepbrothers from different mothers, you're in ninth place!" Don told them with a smile.
Though winded, Chet gathered enough breath to turn back towards the Reality TV Pros, pointing at them mockingly. "Hah, in your faces, you Reality TV Dorks!"
"Hehe, yeah! We beat you!" Lorenzo added before the Stepbrothers walked off.
Soon enough, Owen raced onto the scene, hunched over in a sweat while dropping Noah to the ground.
"Reality TV Pros, you are the last team to arrive. I'm sorry, you're out of the race." Don informed the two before walking off in the same direction as the Stepbrothers.
Emma walked over, and kneeled down next to Noah. "Noah, I'm so sorry I broke you. I didn't mean to. I still really like you, and I want us to be together."
As if they were the magic words, Noah suddenly took in a huge gasp of air. "You… you do?"
"Yes," she nodded, "I just can't do the romance thing until the race is over. When I win, we are so on!"
"Great!"
"I'm sorry you have to leave now, so here's my parting gift until we see each other at the finale." Emma said, leaning in to kiss him. Their lips connected, and the two shared a loving kiss.
Any traces of tiredness left Owen the moment he saw his little buddy getting his first kiss. "Aw, that's so cute!"
After a few seconds, the two lovers broke away. "See you soon, Noah."
"See you soon, Emma." Noah said back with a smile. The shot of the two of them faded into Owen and Noah's farewell footage.
"As far as reality shows go," Owen started off, "that was as real as reality shows get."
"Before it started, I didn't have a girlfriend, and now I do so it's an easy favorite." Noah said.
"I mean, the million would've been nice, but money isn't everything. I already won a million."
"And I'm dating a lawyer, so I'll never have to work again."
Owen chuckled. "I bet Emma's going to love to hear that." The footage ended, and the two were seen taking seats at a table back inside the restaurant. "So, what reality show should we do next?"
"Didn't I tell you?" Noah asked. "We've been asked to do the next season of-" The footage was cut off there, going static.
Current Team Rankings:
1st: Geoff and Brody- Surfer Dudes
2nd: Rock and Spud- Rockers
3rd: Carrie and Devin- Best Friends
4th: Tom and Jen- Fashion Bloggers
5th: Crimson and Ennui- Goths
6th: Sanders and MacArthur- Police Cadets
7th: Emma and Kitty- Sisters
8th: Josee and Jacques- Ice Dancers
9th: Chet and Lorenzo- Stepbrothers
Eliminated:
10th: Noah and Owen- Reality TV Pros
11th: Dwayne and Junior- Father & Son
12th: Kelly and Taylor- Mother & Daughter
13th: Mickey and Jay- Adversity Twins
14th: Stephanie and Ryan- Daters
15th: Laurie and Miles- Vegans
16th: Ellody and Mary- Geniuses
17th: Gerry and Pete- Tennis Rivals
18th: Leonard and Tammy- LARPers
And so the Reality TV Pros get eliminated at a dude ranch. I felt their elimination in Got Venom was subpar, what with Owen getting venom in his eye and them losing because Noah got trapped under some rugs. When I looked where I could have them eliminated, I thought the way Emma and Noah made up in this episode was so nice that they should leave here. On the bright side, Owen probably got to eat more beans and Noah covered their meal with some of the money he got from the extra ring he took in Hawaii.
This episode was a blast to write. I developed the Stepbrothers, Devin seems to be snapping out of his funk, Emma made up with Noah, and the Surfers got to win just like in canon. I also really enjoyed writing the interaction between the Fashion Bloggers and the Rockers. I hope everyone looks forward to how the plotlines advance next episode.
Lastly, I'd just like to say so sorry for the wait. I was having technical issues with my computer. The issues are fixed now so hooray for that. Hopefully the issues don't crop up again in the future.
Remember to review, and tell me what you thought. Reviews are awesome!