For What It's Worth: If I say "tells us", that means it's a sit down camera interview or a voice over. They're not really telling us this - they're telling some MTV interviewer we never see, but the rest of the people in the scene aren't hearing this, only those at home. So you know.

I also do most of this recap on video tape - easier to accommodate every MTV quick cut this way.

Last week: There was a casting special. Chris (the Harvard one) had already been trained, but he says he can forget. Steph announces the people. Tom doesn't show, Greg takes his place. Big's speech to them about the rules. "They have no idea how tough this gonna be."

Later that same night, everyone's hanging out and enjoying the new place. We see Taylor, Jason (bald guy with a girlfriend), Bobbie Jo calling home. Bobby Jo (the woman who's goal is to be in Playboy) brings up Chris' previous training, and we see Chris helping Nidia (the one-time exotic dancer) learn something and Chris tells us that he's the only person physically and mentally prepared, so he's there to help everyone else. Nidia talks about learning from Chris. Watch the boom mic get into the shot (as Chris and Nidia try to be cute)! 

Darryl (the 6' 7", big black guy) tells us that, by far, this contract is his to lose. Because he's the biggest person? I dunno. Then we here him telling someone that he caught a cold from a baby on the plane ride here. No one seems impressed. 

Later, some people talk and compare arm muscle in the hot tub. Maven calls home. Maven says it's gonna be hard for the trainers to break him, because this seems like fun.

Morning. People do morning type stuff. They have problems finding a pan. Darryl is sick. Darryl whines about being sick - he's says he's not gonna tell anyone he is sick but he he's telling someone he's sick so it's confusing. But he's gonna get through this.

"Big" shows up in the Hummer. Check out the XFL sweatshirt - I bet they're trying to give all that away to homeless people now. They all assemble on go to the training center.

Victoria (in her audition interview - the person who's been lit on fire) tells us she's not afraid to try something, because she's tried so much. Taylor (later - she's the one with the parents who think that wrestling is for dumb people) is impressed by Victoria's training. On the car ride to the training center, Victoria tells her stuntwoman stories - going through a window, being on fire, the normal stuff. Victoria thinks this will be fun.

Trax Training Center - the place with the WWF ring and such. Waiting for our trainees there are Al Snow, Jackie and Tori. Hey, Tori found time in her busy schedule to show up! (I forget the time line - was she still rehabbing her shoulder right during this?)

Al introduces this place as their home away from how. "This is gonna be tougher than you can imagine." They all look a little awed. Nidia feels like she knows the trainers already because she sees them on TV. 

Al explains that they're gonna start from ground zero, and there are things they will be teaching that they will not understand why they're doing them until later. Tori introducers herself - she reminds them that not only are they responsible for their own bodies, but they have to remember that they may be responsible for other people's safety and they need to keep that in mind. "Ya'll gonna call me Miss Jackie." Alright. Anyway, Jackie says she's gonna be mean but she don't care. Maven said, at first, it was "unbelievable" that he was with three people he saw on TV.

Calisthenics. We see jumping jacks, sit ups and push ups but there was probably more. I could do that. But then I'm done for a long while. Some girl (I still can't recognize all the people) struggles with push ups and proper work out gear. Al says they're gonna be doing this every morning.

Al shows them how to take a back fall - he says that they have to learn this before they can learn anything else, and it will hurt a lot. Al does one and everyone winces. "Just so you know, even if you do it right, I'm gonna make you do it a 100 times." We watch Chris try it as Darryl talks about Chris' wrestling training and the need to catch up. Shots of people trying. Nidia does a real bad one. Victoria keeps bouncing her head off the mat - she needs to keep her chin tucked in but she's having problems. Al asks her if she wants a crash helmet. Victoria tells us that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get it. She felt frustrated. Al: "You'll get it tomorrow. It'll all come together, or you'll end up a vegetable." Break.

Now that the in-ring stuff is done for the day, it's time to work out. They all head to WWF Headquarters and their gym. Big gives them a program that they all have to follow - Jason says he wish he could fix the program up more to his liking. Big reminds them this is a competition. 

Montage of people working out. Lifting weights, treadmill, you know. Darryl not as much - he's still seems sick.

Back at the house, everyone's trying to recover. Josh (the short one) asks if any one has any pain medication. Jason tells someone at home that the falls felt like someone was hitting in the head with a baseball bat. Darryl talks to someone on the phone and tells them about his cold. We're really not supposed to think Darryl has a chance here, I guess. Greg (the loser-turned-substitute) says he feels like [bleep] but it was the best day of his life. Everyone goes to bed.

Morning. Darryl's checking his temperature. Some of the girls are hurting so much they don't want to get out of bed. Darryl's telling more people about his cold.

Day 2 of Trax. You know, all things considered, it's a pretty good achievement that no one dropped out after day one. Usually seems to be at least one person who quickly finds out they have no business being there. Calisthenics. Miss Jackie gets on Darryl for being slow and calls him a baby. I wonder if he told her about his cold too.

Al says they're gonna learn how to do a collar and elbow lockup. Chris and Al demonstrate in the ring and Chris accidentally hits Al with a forearm.

Everyone pairs up and practices - I guess Maven (the guy who winked at Miss Jackie) ended up with Tori, which seems normal with this guy. I guess they're learning how to do this into the standard side headlock position, because people are doing that too. Jackie shows Bobby Jo how to do while Nidia watches on. Chris starts teaching Jason about the way he was previously taught how to do stuff and Tori gets ticked at him - they told him to do it there way a few times already and this is the last time they're telling him. Chris tells us that she's absolutely right and he was being "dull-headed."  

Now we're back to taking falls in the ring. I sure hope Darryl dumped water on himself and that's not all sweat. Anyway, Al gets on all fours and Miss Jackie pushes Darryl back over him. Same for everyone. Now they do them without Al behind them, so that Tori and Jackie are just pushing them down and they have to land right. Al takes Shadrick (the guy who's not sure if he has a girlfriend) aside and explains that he needs to position his legs better. Victoria's still having problems. She has trouble even standing up because she's so dizzy. "That scared me - maybe I could really get hurt!" No way, someone get hurt?

Back to the fitness center. Maven, of course, ends up doing a Stairmaster right next to were Stephanie McMahon-Helmsely is doing a treadmill. Maven's impressed and tells us that Steph kinda made fun of him.

Over at the water fountain, Victoria's refilling her water bottle and Steph starts to talk to here; Victoria looks shocked that she's talking to her. Anyway, Steph heard about Victoria's problem with taking the back bumps - she had the same exact thing when she was trying, and you start to over think it. Victoria starts crying during this - probably worried. Steph tells her to keep trying - don't think you're not capable of doing it. Victoria says that meant a lot to her. They hug. Awww.

Day 3 of Trax. They're taking the back bumps from a headstand position. First time through, they all try basically a forward roll, and have no problem. It gets tougher when they actually lift themselves up a little bit before doing it. Now a forward flip into a back bump. Victoria has problems with this, but nails it in the end. Greg tells us that Victoria must be tough.

Pauline (the tall one) tells us that they've got tomorrow off and it's a three day weekend. Bobby Jo says this is what she needs.

Everyone goes out to dinner at some restaurant. Maven orders a lot of food. Everyone talks about taking the bumps the pain they're in. Jason says it doesn't look like it hurts at all when he sees it on TV, because they just get back and do it again, but it definitely hurts. People exchange pain medication.

Day 4. No Training Schedule. Everyone's enjoying a nice peaceful sleep. Oh, what could disturb this.

Tazz in a hummer, that's what. Jason stares at the approaching vehicle from bed as someone says "He's gonna kill us!" I think Jason and wrestling school Chris were the only two people even slightly awake - everyone else gets woken up by Tazz. Chris (the one Christian one) tells us he thought he was gonna die. Tazz tells them all to hurry and go downstairs. Some people apparently make their bed and Tazz unmakes it, because he didn't tell them to do that. Jason or Chris have a magazine picture of Goldberg taped up in their room - Tazz rips it down and crumbles it up. Darryl is slow - Tazz finds about his cold and promises to make it worse.

Everyone is downstairs in long underwear type outfits - dressed warm. Tazz gives them a speech. "When I'm training you people, I will give you the same amount of respect you give me. If you have a question, it better be a good one, because if it's a stupid one, I will kick your ass in more ways than one. I'm a [bleep] but I'm fair. You mouth off to me, it'll be worse thing you ever did in my life. Do not act stupid. You're now taking the first step to becoming one of us. We're going outside now. All I can tell you if you don't believe in God now, you better start." Break.

Everyone's gathered at a farm. Basically, they're gonna wrestle in a pig pen. One person is supposed to protect a cone, the other person tries to get it. They lock up and go at it - no punching, kicking, eye gouging or hair pulling. And they start from their knees. Jason tells us it's not very often you get to wrestle in "pig stuff." Maven said they'll see who really wants it. 

Various people fight and get muddy. Victoria tells us that she didn't have any strength. Tazz takes her aside and gives her some advice. It works and she takes down Bobby Jo. Someone (Jason?) gets their shirt ripped up but still keeps going for the cone. Darryl locks up before he's supposed to and pisses off Tazz. We get an MTV ad graphic that takes up one-sixth of the screen (to promote the song that was used when Tazz showed up.) That's so annoying. Anyway, Jason wins that encounter, though he jams his knees. He says he's allight.

Pauline and a girl I don't immediately recognize (though she has a big ol' tattoo on her back) are fighting and Pauline lands hard on her knee, messing up her knee. Tazz tells everyone that this isn't ballet, and people get hurt everyone night. Big tells everyone to clean up any wounds they have right now, than they're moving on. They do get blankets to cover their muddy self.

That doesn't last long. Tazz tells them they're gonna take a walk/light jog. There's no supposed to run, but they do have to give up their covers. Jason says, after all that and now running in mud covered clothes, he was dead after 500 feet. Bobbie Jo says running uphill was hard. We see Darryl lagging behind. And he's still behind. And now he's walking. Tazz gets on him. "Don't look at me with that hard look - I'll get out of this car and whoop your ass! Try me, Darryl! You ain't s[bleep]it!" Greg says the reason that Darryl has gotten to him so quickly (huh? We haven't seen them interact really) is his poor attitude; he's the oldest people here but he acts like a three year old. And look, there's Darryl kicking dirt like he's a fourth grader or major league manager.

Back at the house, Tazz tells them that he really does want to see all of them make it, but they're not all going to make it. Everyone in the WWF paid their dues and proved themselves - we see various people showing and checking out their injuries (as well as the MTV graphic of sheer hatred) during Tazz's speak. Josh says the long run wore some people out - they were tired. 

Nidia complains to someone (Victoria?) that they were supposed to work out and they weren't to do THIS. They look like they're about fall asleep. Bobby Jo talks about just laughing about everything, and not being sure if she has a body part that doesn't ache. Jason says his wasn't sure if he could take anymore - his knee isn't looking good. Darryl - get this - complains about his cold to someone on his phone. Paulina's worried about her knee - what if she couldn't go on? Victoria talks about her head paint someone on the phone. Chris uses frozen vegetables to cold of his shoulders. Victoria tells us she's not sure she likes this.

Next week - Triple H shows up. oOsh is awed. He's in his normal cheery mood. Pauline isn't sure if she belongs here.