RECAP: Survival of the Richest, episode 5

buddytv · 05-09-2006, 11:47 AM

Survival of the Richest, Season One Episode Five, "Surprise Guests"
Originally aired on Friday, 05/05/2006

Written by BuddyTV Staff Columnist

Episode Rating: ** (2 stars out of 5)

Episode Overview: The two remaining teams enter their final challenge: renovating a South Central L.A. community center. The winner is then picked by a “surprise” panel – the eliminated players.

Episode Highlights:

The teams find themselves bonding in their final challenge, renovating a recreation room for a community youth center in South Central, L.A.
The eliminated players return! And decide the fates of the remaining players.
Each of the remaining four has to plead their case before the eliminated players.

Recap:

Only two teams are left: Rich Kid/portly jokester T.R. Youngblood, paired with Poor hottie Jim Perkins; and Rich Kid/occasional tool Hunter Maats, paired with Poor hottie/single mom Johanna Aillio.

The teams return to the house. Waiting for them in the foyer are a set of four gift-wrapped packages containing painting outfits and a note telling them to be ready by five in the morning. None of the kids is looking forward to the early start or the physical labor the outfits promise. They are looking forward to finally having a winner. Jim thinks he has “about a fifty percent chance to win.” Umm, actually, Jim, there are only two teams left so you have exactly fifty percent chance to win.

The next day, the exhausted teams are driven to a South Central L.A. community center called “A Place Called Home.” It’s an after school haven to keep kids off the streets. Host Hal Sparks tells the teams they will be renovating the recreation room. The teams are under the impression that this will be the challenge to determine the winner, but as a viewer, I felt no sense of suspense since previews have already alerted the audience that it will be the previously-eliminated teams making the decision.

Nevertheless, the teams throw themselves into the task, painting the room and assembling furniture. Eventually, in the rush to get things done in time for the arrival of the kids after school, they even lose sight of the division between the teams, and all work together to meet the deadline. When the kids arrive, they’re thrilled. The enthusiasm of the kids seems to affect T.R. and Hunter, and they seem to take real pleasure in goofing around with them.

After the big reveal of the room to the kids, Hal has another surprise: They won’t be learning the winner here. They all have to return to the house to get the results that evening. OK, again, yawn, the audience already knows this. Reality Show 101: if you want something to be a surprise twist, don’t show it to us in the previous week’s preview.

Back at the house, all of the players reflect on their experience, what they’ve learned and their hopes for the future. T.R. seems the most genuinely affected. He says the pepper-picking challenge, where the teams did farm work in the hot sun, really made him think about and truly appreciate all the work that goes into things he’s taken for granted. Hunter says he’s learned he can respect people with opinions different from himself.

Johanna’s thoughts are with her daughter, and about how the prize money will help her as a single mother. Jim thinks about the winnings and about the pact he made with Jacob LeBlanc and Marcus Foy that if one of them won, they would share the winnings with the “other three.” Other three? Jim’s bio says he is a student, but I am starting to suspect his major is not math. To my count, if he wins, he’ll have to share with the other two.

That night, Hal greets the teams at the usual elimination spot by the pool. He drops the bombshell-to-them/old-news-to-us that the other, eliminated teams will be making the decision, and all of the eliminated kids appear. Hunter has some immediate chagrin about his past machinations coming back to bite him.

Hal tells the remaining players that they will have to, as ind

kaycee · 05-22-2006, 10:13 AM

I agree that if Jim had a pact with the other poor kids, obviously they would vote for him, and not for Johanna who did not want to share her winnings.

That's just messed up!!

anyone know if there will be season 2?

05-09-2006, 11:47 AM	#1
buddytv Administrator Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 11,778,731	RECAP: Survival of the Richest, episode 5 Survival of the Richest, Season One Episode Five, "Surprise Guests" Originally aired on Friday, 05/05/2006 Written by BuddyTV Staff Columnist Episode Rating: (2 stars out of 5) Episode Overview: The two remaining teams enter their final challenge: renovating a South Central L.A. community center. The winner is then picked by a “surprise” panel – the eliminated players. Episode Highlights: The teams find themselves bonding in their final challenge, renovating a recreation room for a community youth center in South Central, L.A. The eliminated players return! And decide the fates of the remaining players. Each of the remaining four has to plead their case before the eliminated players. Recap:** Only two teams are left: Rich Kid/portly jokester T.R. Youngblood, paired with Poor hottie Jim Perkins; and Rich Kid/occasional tool Hunter Maats, paired with Poor hottie/single mom Johanna Aillio. The teams return to the house. Waiting for them in the foyer are a set of four gift-wrapped packages containing painting outfits and a note telling them to be ready by five in the morning. None of the kids is looking forward to the early start or the physical labor the outfits promise. They are looking forward to finally having a winner. Jim thinks he has “about a fifty percent chance to win.” Umm, actually, Jim, there are only two teams left so you have exactly fifty percent chance to win. The next day, the exhausted teams are driven to a South Central L.A. community center called “A Place Called Home.” It’s an after school haven to keep kids off the streets. Host Hal Sparks tells the teams they will be renovating the recreation room. The teams are under the impression that this will be the challenge to determine the winner, but as a viewer, I felt no sense of suspense since previews have already alerted the audience that it will be the previously-eliminated teams making the decision. Nevertheless, the teams throw themselves into the task, painting the room and assembling furniture. Eventually, in the rush to get things done in time for the arrival of the kids after school, they even lose sight of the division between the teams, and all work together to meet the deadline. When the kids arrive, they’re thrilled. The enthusiasm of the kids seems to affect T.R. and Hunter, and they seem to take real pleasure in goofing around with them. After the big reveal of the room to the kids, Hal has another surprise: They won’t be learning the winner here. They all have to return to the house to get the results that evening. OK, again, yawn, the audience already knows this. Reality Show 101: if you want something to be a surprise twist, don’t show it to us in the previous week’s preview. Back at the house, all of the players reflect on their experience, what they’ve learned and their hopes for the future. T.R. seems the most genuinely affected. He says the pepper-picking challenge, where the teams did farm work in the hot sun, really made him think about and truly appreciate all the work that goes into things he’s taken for granted. Hunter says he’s learned he can respect people with opinions different from himself. Johanna’s thoughts are with her daughter, and about how the prize money will help her as a single mother. Jim thinks about the winnings and about the pact he made with Jacob LeBlanc and Marcus Foy that if one of them won, they would share the winnings with the “other three.” Other three? Jim’s bio says he is a student, but I am starting to suspect his major is not math. To my count, if he wins, he’ll have to share with the other two. That night, Hal greets the teams at the usual elimination spot by the pool. He drops the bombshell-to-them/old-news-to-us that the other, eliminated teams will be making the decision, and all of the eliminated kids appear. Hunter has some immediate chagrin about his past machinations coming back to bite him. Hal tells the remaining players that they will have to, as ind

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05-22-2006, 10:13 AM	#2
kaycee Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: , , . Posts: 373	I agree that if Jim had a pact with the other poor kids, obviously they would vote for him, and not for Johanna who did not want to share her winnings. That's just messed up!! anyone know if there will be season 2?