by Gina Scarpa

It's been quite a while since the roommates of The Real World were reunited and lived together under the same roof but in Bodrum, Turkey, that's exactly what happened for The Challenge: Battle Of The Seasons! Some, like Cancun, seemed thrilled to be back together. Others, like New Orleans, San Diego, or especially Austin have some issues goin' on. Divorcees Danny and Melinda being back together anyone? The extra awesome grand prize of $500,000 to split among the first place team at the end of the season should be enough to keep them together and civil. Right???

In the first challenge on the season, "Don't Cross Me", teams have to climb a ladder 30 feet above the water, then cross a balance beam, and head back down the ladder on the other side. If you go past the 20 minute time limit, you're disqualified and if you fall, you and your partner on the side have to drop and start over. Cancun is up first and look like they practice this on the weekends together! Brooklyn is next and Chet takes big strides to start, almost tipping it, but they all make it across. Frank wobbly knees almost create a problem for San Diego but they make it as well. During Vegas's turn, Nany rushes across and the whole thing start to tip but the team makes a nice recovery.

Fresh Meat is up next and Eric falls off the ladder, then can't pull his body weight back up to the beams. Camila tries to give him advice but frustrated (and probably embarrassed), he yells at her to shut up. Soon after, the horn sounds and their team DQs. Marie struggles a bit for St. Thomas but she manages to get herself across the beam and the newbies survive. When New Orleans is up, Preston falls from the very top of the ladder and I seriously his leg was going to get caught and snap! His teammates didn't show much sympathy or encouragement, just annoyance. Impressively, Preston gets it together and ends up completing the challenge. Austin is the last team to go and though Lacey is a bit shaky, she's able to make it across for her team.

Because they were the only team to DQ, Fresh Meat is automatically up for elimination. Team Las Vegas came close but it's Cancun who because the first power team in the competition. Back at the house, St. Thomas approaches Cancun, knowing they're going to be a target. Jonna warns them to be careful who they side with and Jasmine doesn't trust Trey at all. Still, there's bad blood between CJ and Wes from Fresh Meat II so it's Austin who is thrown in up against Fresh Meat. An advantage to being the power team, besides choosing who goes in for elimination, is also being able to choose the type of challenge this season. That means you can basically give one team an advantage over another so Cancun decides that this will be a physical challenge.

After the nomination, Wes tries to hold a house meeting and play the victim card, but nobody is having it with him. Instead, everyone decides to party it up! Remember how Zach and Frank could barely be around each other during San Diego? Now, they're BFFs, running around wrestling and kissing each other on the lips. I wonder how Ashley feels about this friendship. Lord knows there is still bad blood between Frank and Ashley. Frank gets a little TOO drunk, getting in people's faces and acting like he wants to fight so he's literally carried off to bed and held down until he relaxes.

Once Zach is finally free of Frank, he spends some quality time with Jonna. My favorite quote of the episode was Jonna saying, "I finally got to kiss Zach." FINALLY!? You've been there five minutes! Oh, AND Jonna has someone back home. However, she does do the right thing (well, after cheating on him) and calls him up to end things. Well, better than Trey stringing two people along for an entire season, that's for sure!

Right before the elimination round, Cara Maria says she doesn't want to go in, even though she told Eric she would. It's a done deal now, especially since only two members from a team have to go in. Don't think Camila is going to volunteer in your place! The challenge is "Hall Brawl" and there will be two rounds - three, if necessary. The girls face off first and run down a short hallway, barrelling their way through in order to reach the other side and ring the bell. Cara Maria steamrolls over Lacey twice and then it's Eric's turn to prove himself after his performance in the challenge. Not only does he take Wes for a ride in the first round, he literally uses his head to ring the bell! In the second round, Wes plays smart and gets low to the ground. It ends in a footrace and by 0.2 seconds, Eric wins. The political mastermind (at least in his eyes) has been defeated and takes Lacey along with him empty handed.

The Challenge airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on MTV.

(Image courtesy of MTV)

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