Thin limbs: Jake and Matt win (with Anni just on the outside), if everything else works as it should. But last season taught us that everything didn't work like it should (it would've been, what, Jason and Paulina?) so if I really want to have a chance to get this right, I shouldn't go obvious - so I'll just randomly pick names and say, um, Kenny and Alicia. Riiiight.

Mention again: Toughenough.com is finnaly updating it's insider section, but I still prefer what MTV is doing in their Tough Enough area, with the kids getting to talk about what they want to talk about from the week and their experience (and the whole "updated each week" thing helps.) You've already missed Jessie, Danny, and Matt so read them after you read this. Last week, it was Robert shockingly being interesting despite not actually being on the show anymore, putting himself in the pro-Alicia camp among other things. Maybe there's hope for Aaron being relevant when his turn comes up. 

You didn't know there was a pro-Alicia camp? I guess I better get started then.

TV PG L open

Previously: Alicia wasn't able work out at the beach, because of her back injury, and wasn't altogether broken up about it. Big redubs Danny as Vanilla, and I should too but I really hate doing nicknames. In the "previously you didn't actually see before", Jessie says she'll give a 100%, and if that's not good enough [shrugs shoulders] "then I guess I could home." 

Surfing. House. They're in the same timezone. Danny on the phone, in that timezone, but I don't think his dad is. Danny tells pops that he's impressed Al with how much he's coming along. Danny tells us he's shown to the trainers how much he wants this opportunity, and the more he does this, the more he knows this is what he wants to do.

Trax West. Alicia tells us that she's "dreading getting in there [the ring]", because the muscle spasms are getting worse. A trainer loosens her back, but Alicia tells us her back is throbbing. 

Al says they're going to take the back bump a different way to warm up today. He calls Danny in to demonstrate - oh, they're doing the pushing fall bump and the hip toss bumps. I wonder how long till someone hangs on Bob's arm wrong and he kills him. Danny does a fine job. Here's a montage. Awesome job of melding from one person going into the bump to the next person taking the bump. It's like "wait, how did Pete become Kenny there? Oh, it was a great subtle camera cut." Points to the editing department! 

Unfortunately for Alicia, she gets the triple slow-motion replay on her bump, which can only mean horrible things. Her eyes bugging out of her head when she hits the mat may also be a clue that her back is only getting worse. She doesn't get over much on her own the second time, and Al tells her not to do that but she's so out of it (in pain) she probably didn't even realize what she did. Alicia describes the jabbing pain in her back when she landed.

Jessie does not get replays but we actually watch quite a bit of her bump taking - she gets up slowly and seems very winded. Jessie tells us that her hands, her feet started to go numb and her heart wouldn't slow down. Jessie's bent over outside the ring and Al goes out to tell her to breath in her nose and out through her mouth. She tells the trainer (I assume - she apparently won't get a name or a job title on this series) doesn't know what's wrong, but talks about the numbness. Jessie's heart rate is checked. We watch other people take bumps in the ring (not good bumps, mind you - hey Pete, when they mean "land on your back", that's not your butt) as Alicia's also almost out of it outside. Here's your "Hawk and Bob" interact moment of the episode, but we only get a blink of the bump taking. Al tells Jessie that when stuff like that happens, they need to know right away. Jessie (crying; I'm starting to lose hope for her) says she really wants this bad. Al and Jessie talk some more - Jessie explains her symptoms and Al thinks it sounds serious - he wants her to get it checked out.

House. Matt sleeps on the coach. Hawk checks his e-mail. Danny plays pool. Jessie calls her boyfriend and says she has to see a heart specialist tomorrow - she hopes she can just take some medicine and be back in the ring, but she's worried about it being worse. Jessie tells us that her boyfriend isn't happy, and her parents aren't happy. About her being on Tough Enough, I assume, though she never gets around to saying that. "I guess I'm not happy about the situation either." Okay, maybe not about Tough Enough, or she's not happy that they're not happy or just the heart condition or I don't know. Anyway, Jessie tells her boyfriend that she'll wrestle tomorrow and BoyfriendOfJessie wonders if that's a smart idea. "I love doing this." Jessie says she's at crossroads at what to do.

Alicia calls her dad. Alicia says her back isn't very good at all. Her spasms are getting worse, and she tells us that she's living off bottles of pain pills and muscle relaxants. That's very scary, you know? I mean, I know it's a once in a lifetime opportunity but I wonder if these people remember that there is a whole lifetime out there that they best not destroy here.

Morning. We show shots of Jackie, Kenny and Alicia in partial dress because this is MTV. Trax. They play loud music during the exercises to make it seem exciting, but it's really not. Ivory's wearing her WMX8 jersey today. I don't believe that Chavo's wearing a WCW PPV T-Shirt this week, but we don't get to see him that close up. Al informs the kids that they'll be making another cut in twenty four hours.

Wristlock montage! Wow, wristlock. And bumps. And working into hammerlocks. Alicia stretches out on a taped body outline, that's weird. Anyway, everyone's worried about the cut - how many people, which people, am I safe? We hear from Alicia, Danny (thinks he's doing good in the physical challenges), Jessie (doesn't think they have any confidence, doesn't know if she should go in the ring.) I guess you have your suspects there. Break.

Chavo (no, it's a Nike basketball shirt) and Ivory demonstrate how to get to a wristlock, then reverse to a hammerlock, and then back to the wristlock. Danny says they were practicing their new moves, and then - Jessie says she saw two giant shadows with belts. Matt: "and I was like 'holy sh[bleep], that's the Dudley Boyz.'" Dudley Boyz montage. In one of those shout outs to me that Tough Enough loves to do (or only exist in my mind), much of the clips are from last year's Backlash Match (w/Spike, against X-Factor.) You could see me in one! If you had a microscope and great vision, maybe. As mentioned, they have the tag team belts with them.

Al introduces the Dudleyz to the kids. D-Von tells the kids that they're just at the beginning, they don't know much yet, but they've got a good teacher. They need to prepare right now, and Al explains that they don't mean just physically, but personality wise as well. Bubba agrees - "that's the most important part, having a personality." D-Von says without a personality, you should just pack it up and go. Bubba: "If you don't have that something special, that people want to see and buy into, forget it, you're done. You have to have a character, you have to want the people to like or hate you. The worst thing that could happen, is if you got out there, have a match, and you can't hear anything, 'cause if you don't hear anything, you're not getting a response whatsoever, and that's the worst thing that could happen to you. So, having a persona, a personality, a gimmick if you want to call it that, is what's truly important." D-Von tells them to take the opportunity, since they're lucky enough to have it. In the locker room, Jessie tells us that she's disappionted - the Dudleyz just got here, but she has to go to her doctor's appointment.

Al explains about the kids going to the Actor's Studio last week. This week, how about they demonstrate to the Dudley Boyz what they've learned (or, as it turns it out, what they haven't.) Pete's first, and he tries the "intensity by way of yelling a lot" Look at that vein bulging out on the side of his neck. He's yelling about not caring about how small he is, he's got heart. Pete explains that he went in the ring as short, angry guy from Jersey, and he wasn't really happy with himself. Bubba tries to same act, but talks quietly, uses the accent, and shows more of a character. 

Interview montage, and it's very very painful for the obvious reason - most aren't any good and it sticks out more here then when they're taking back bumps. Linda touches Bubba's elbow and Bubba forcefully tells her not to touch him. Jake's got a little bit of a Mike Tyson "higher voice than you expect from a tough guy". Kenny calls Bubba "D-Von" - I hope that's nerves. "I'm Bubba - he's D-Von. So if you're gonna look at me and call me D-Von, especially when he's the same color as you, you need to get your sh[bleep] straight." That probably didn't help the nerves. Matt's okay. Alicia's not very believable - it seems like she's gonna start cracking up any second. D-Von does his retort on Kenny's promo, right in Kenny's face. Hawk's a Raven wannabe. Surprisingly, this is not the "Jackie wiggles her head and displays attitude" clip from the open. Anni sounds like Chyna a little bit. Linda calls herself "Hot Mocca" and Bubba asks if she's a coffee. D-Von to Kenny: "C'mon, I'm gonna hit you so hard I'm gonna make you might b[bleep]tch." Kenny is cracking into a smile. Danny redoes his Danimial promo. Matt says Danny works hard, but your looks matter. Danny's got that neck vein going too. Matt thinks Danny didn't have too much character in his promo - he was jumpy and nervous, and seemed embarrassed. Bubba does not seem impressed. Danny starts talking about his Fanimals again, and points at Bob. "Don't point your finger at me." Ha. Linda says his character didn't fly. Danny: "I don't think you guys know who I am?" Bubba: "You're Fanimal, you've said it 900 times." Well, the point is right, anyway. Bubba says he felt like Danny was betraying his character - he didn't buy it. Jake says that Danny doesn't have flair - "he's got the normal haircut, the normal look." Perhaps he can cut and mold a little circle on his head. Linda agrees and gives a "he's not a threat to ME" look. Weird zoom and accordion sound effect on Danny for no good reason. 

Jessie at the hospital. Jessie's smiling at the doctor too. The doctor (who doesn't get a name) says it's Vesa Vego syndrome (I guess), where the heart doesn't keep up with up the blood pressure, and the blood pressure falls rapidly. Jessie says she did every test in America and she's going to wear a heart monitor for the next twenty four hours. So how did they fix the problem? I dunno. They didn't explain it to us.

Everyone says goodbye to Bubba and D-Von. Alicia explains that she, Hawk and Linda were lifting afterwards, and drove back in one of the vans together. They talked on the car way home - Hawk asks why Jessie had to leave, and Alicia says "she's playing it out - that's who I think is leaving tomorrow." Alicia starts talking about someone who doesn't have much personality that might be going (Danny? I can't tell and I've watched a few times - need to tape this show with the captions on.) Hawk says he kept his mouth shut and listened to what she had to say about every one else in the house.

Kenny says that Hawk came in, and said "you should listen to the crap that Alicia's been saying." Hawk's a gossip. Hawk explains that he doesn't think he's a tattle tail, because everyone in the house has a right to know what other people think about them. What about the right to know that if you tell someone something (or if you just over hear it because you're being quiet while Linda and Alicia dish) you're going to tell everyone? Hawk calls Pete over so he can him, Danny and Kenny at the same time the stuff Alicia was saying about Jessie being too small and not tough enough (and too white?) to last. Jessie explains to us that they were talking so loud, she could her them upstairs, and we see her telling the boys the same thing - they might want to be quiet if they're saying these things. Pete says Alicia saying that Jessie would get cut bothered him, so he took it upon himself to inform Jessie what Alicia said. Man, this is what happens when you take away the TV sets - no one has a life. Except Pete's story is that Alicia said it when Jessie was in the ring and Alicia was out of it, talking to someone (Pete?) Jessie is aghast and goes back upstairs - she tells us that she was really ticked off. We see Alicia pop into the boys room (Hawk's not there anymore?) to ask them what's up - they get a "oh wait, did she hear us look", and someone (Kenny?) says "minding our own business, and you should do the same." Alicia complains about their attitude and leaves the room. Pete says "at least we did it to your face", which doesn't make any sense and I'm starting to wonder if Alicia said something about Pete too, because Pete's really had it out for her the last couple episodes. Alicia says she didn't expect Kenny and Pete to go running and start drama. 

Matt explains that he, Jake, Anni and Jessie went grocery shopping. Jackie says they just got back, and "World War III was breaking loose upstairs." We come in late - these camera people must've not paid attention if they didn't have a camera crew trained on Jessie the second she found out, because there's no other way not to see this argument with Alicia coming. Alicia: "I never ever said-" Jessie: "If I go tomorrow, I will go with pride, and if you go, and just so you know, I will smile tomorrow if you get cut , because if you want me to get cut, ["that's fine"] I want you to get cut!" "And you know what, you should talk to me before you bank on everybody else's words-" "No, because you know what, the people that I talk are my friends, and I know they're telling me the truth! And it pisses me off, because I give a 100%, and I might not look good, but you don't look good either. [arguing over each other] We're both on the same level, and for you to say that, that's f[bleep]cking rude!" Alicia looks as though she can't believe this is happening. Break.

How did "I think she'll get cut" get changed to "I want her to get cut", anyway? I know by the end of last season, everyone was friends and family, but it is a competition and not summer camp, right?

House. Alicia voice-overs that she was just about to go the bed, and then Jessie blew up. Alicia: "Just because I said that doesn't mean that I don't think anything of you, or that I don't care about you." "[with finger point] I don't f[bleeping]cking care!" Why are we having this discussion if Jessie doesn't care? Jessie (to us): "You're gonna get smacked if you keep talking crap about me." Alicia, trying again to defuse: "You're obviously taking this the wrong way." "Okay, I am taking this the wrong way!" "You know, it's not like I said 'you're the next way that's going home', I did not just straight up say 'she's the next one that's going home', either." Oh she kinda lost me there. HEY KENNY, why are you eavesdropping? Jessie: "If you go home tomorrow, I'll wave, and if I go home tomorrow, I go home with pride." Jessie tells us that she was kinda snotty - well at least she knows it. And Jessie made Alicia cry. Here's Alicia crying in the bathroom in case you don't believe it. Hawk says Jessie is starting to show her true colors - hey, what about you Mr. Secret Agent man? 

Jessie sits on the pool table, playing with the cue ball. Alicia cries out on a balcony, while Jake hangs out. Alicia says she's short of breath. Jake asks her what they were arguing about. Alicia explains that she said stuff earlier that she probably shouldn't have said, and while she's explaining, Alicia tells us that he helped her out and calmed her down. Alicia puts on a jacket and goes back out and Jake hangs some more. Jake firmly establishes himself as a Good Guy in this scene, and maybe I'll try to make less of "c'mon, he couldn't be a more obvious plant if he was sitting in that corner wearing a black dress when the Big Valbowski does a promo" comments. Maybe.

Matt and Jake discuss the tension in the house - Matt chalks it up to everyone being tired and sore. Jake figures that'd bring them together. Jake says that the girls (actually, "chicks") bodies are more fragile and probably holding up worse under the circumstances. And he also thinks that Alicia's gonna drop out of the competition - from what he's seen, her back is very messed up, and he doesn't know how she's taken the punishment on it this far. "I seriously thought she was a done dizzy, a shizzy." Riiiiight. You might notice that we don't go to a scene where Matt tells Pete, Danny and Kenny what Jake just said - that's because Matt's also not a dork.

Morning. Jake's funny, wearing a backwards hat and looking like the meanest man in the world eating cereal. Jessie and Alicia shoot each other looks - it's actually doing Jessie doing most of the firing here. Jessie on Alicia: "She's A.J. Fiesty - I don't even think of her as Alicia anymore." I don't get that reference. Alicia's wearing a knit cap, of course. Jessie says Alicia is rubbing people the wrong way.

Trax. What's with the low ceiling above the ring? The trainers and Big sit around to discuss the cut. Jessie's first - Chavo says she's tough. Ivory says the physical is starting to wear on her, but not as much as Alicia. Al says Jessie concerns him, because she does have physical limitations. Ivory says she'd keep her. Bob says she's too much of a liability - if something happens to her in the ring, who's responsible? I think he's talking the heart condition here. Next is Alicia (either Big is incredibly lucky or we're just cutting to the suspects), Al says at one point, she'd say she's tough, but at another, he'd say she's a crybaby and bulls[bleep]ing her way through. Chavo says she's got her lockups and headlocks are great. Bob says she doesn't have that confidence, she's got a lazy look. Ivory says it might be that Alicia isn't Tough Enough. Danny's turn - Chavo says he's got heart and he's in shape. Is Chavo the guy who just doesn't want say a bad thing about any of the guys? Al says that Danny is vanilla, and Chavo points out that he came in as alternate because he lacked something. He got the chance - he'd have to wow us, and physically, he as. Al and Chavo says physically, he's good. Bob says he's doing everything right, but he's not worried about bringing that personality out. Big (holding two photographs) says it's a very difficult cut, and they did a good job with it. Bob: "But someone's got to go." 

Kids arrive. Danny explains that this is cut day, and one or two or any number of them are going home, so it's more somber than usual. Al has them line up the chair and stand up like last time - this is the way they're gonna run all the cuts, I guess. PLAY THAT POUNDING MUSIC. Pete, sit down. Linda, sit down. Matt. Anni. Walking by Alicia. To Jessie (who's got a tear): "I'm gonna keep my eye on you. I have concerns. Sit down." Hawk. Jackie. Jake (I think - we last saw him standing around here and he wasn't cut.) Looking at Alicia but not saying anything - just a mean, angry look on his face. One of those faces you never want people looking at you, because it means you're in deep [bleep.] Walking on past her. Alicia to us: "It's all mind games, so who knows what they're doing." To Danny: "You know how important personality is, in this business, and how you have to be a larger than life character. Yesterday, you didn't show that. It's not what we're looking for. You're cut." Danny is shocked and angry. Looking at Alicia again. The music gets louder and the drums get hit harder and that look and "sit down." I was so sure she was cut the first time - they totally pushed towards it in this scene. Alicia: "My heart was going a million miles an hour, and I was like very relived when he said sit down." 

Danny is your only cut. Ten remain: Linda, Pete, Matt, Jake, Jessie, Alicia, Anni, Jackie, Kenny and Hawk. Farewell interview with Danny (he's crying again) "Being a wrestler is something you always wanted to do - I got a chance to do it." Hug for Jessie. Hug for Alicia. Hug for Matt. Big walks him to the exit. Al puts his chair up next to Aaron and Robert. Play Gone Away! As he waits for his ride back to the house (and to the farewell interview), Danny talks and cries "This is pretty devastating. This cut, as opposed to the cut in Las Vegas, is a lot harder, just because I've got a lot more closer to these people, you know I've really got a taste of what it's all about, I really enjoyed it. And, I dunno, hopefully this isn't the end." Fade to black. Who's your executive producers?

Next Week: Matt hurt his knee on the beach (way back when Robert was around, it looks like), and wants to do what it takes to get back in the ring and get this contract. Tazz tells the kids that tonight, they'll be going to RAW. Hey, it's the annual Tough Enough/Jakked crossover. In stuff you care about, the kids get to meet and talk with WWF Superstars. Kurt Angle! The Rock! Hey, it's your Stone Cold sighting for the week! "It was just like walking into greatness."

Tough Enough episodes air Thursdays on MTV at 9pm CST, give or take three minutes and rerun a few times during the week (including right before Sunday Night Heat). Tough Enough's website is wwftoughenough.com. I know who A.J. Feely is, but not A.J. Fiesty.