Over on MTV.com: Linda...oh, it's been so long I don't remember caring the first time.

On the ball: If you want to keep this week's cut a secret, you shouldn't show footage of them back at Trax West in the commercial? Makes it really easy to eliminate people.

Hey let's start real late so I'll miss the last minute or so, swell.

TV PG L open

Previously On: They're Africa. Someone will get cut. Hawk sucks. No new footage!

Establishing shots of South Africa. I haven't said "Establishing shots" in a long time. Anyway, Al's still in mean mood, and Hawk reminds us that today's performance will factor a lot into that cut. Replay of the "Hawk sucks while wrestling Al" stiff from last episode - this is just to remind you that Hawk is your safe bet, I guess. Bonus footage of Ivory swearing to hammer home the point - Hawk goes if he doesn't get better.

Big announces that they're going to a water park at 3 today. And they do. Montage. The footage goes "people having fun", "Hawk is alone and moody", repeat as many times till you start talking to yourself. Or Hawk starts talking to himself. "My heart is not here, it's making it a horrible experience for me." Big explains that he knew something was up when Hawk was talking to himself. You don't say. Hawk's freaked out about the cut, but he's not crazy, he assures Big. Hawk explains to us that he wasn't feeling it today. Big reminds him there's another day tomorrow, and to talk if he's got a problem. Hawk walks off to have fun, or talk to himself in a quieter place. Big says something's getting to Hawk mentally.

Hotel. Dinner. Hawk says people think he's crazy. Big and others talk about Hawk talking to himself, with Al demonstrating the many people he was talking too. Jackie says it's funny, but there's probably something deeper that's coming to the surface. Hawk says he just played into being crazy, after they thought he was.

Clubbing. Pete and Kenny dance. Linda talks to some guy. Pete kisses some girl. Kenny: "Pete hooked up with a girl. I was just hanging out" - Hilarious shot of Kenny dancing in what seems to be an empty room here - and Kenny babbles some more about not hooking up tonight.

Morning. Pete asks Kenny why he didn't wake him up - they're both slow from staying up all night, but they show up before the meal is over. They're really tired, though. Al talks about Kenny being 20, and acting 20, but that's all you can expect from him at this point. 

Ring. Hey, there's a cut this week. Kenny explains that he's really tired, as he and Pete are in the ring. Weird Big voice-over says that Kenny has a lot of talent, but they wonder if he's giving it his all. Al tells Kenny that he's got to work with him better, he's acting oblivious. I guess we're establishing (mm hmm) another possibility here. I should note that some people (tourists?) are watching and wandering around the edges of the coliseum structure - not more than 30. 

Jackie tells us that some people (no names mentioned) came to South Africa to have a fun time, but she's here to train. She's in the ring against Anni. Ivory says that Jackie is really cut out for wrestling because she works hard, and she's got a great head on her shoulders. I think it may actually be working in her favor that she did what she did with Pete now, because she knows she's much better off focusing on the training - there are more problems for her when she's not.

Jake and Hawk. Ivory tells Hawk this is his chance to redeem himself. Big figures Hawk is mentally exhausted at this point. Pete kindly describes the match as "a mess." They tried hard, but they ended up bad. Hawk's zenith is throwing knees on Jake in the corner and Al loudly and coldly asking him if he's been taught to throw kneelifts - they haven't, and he shouldn't be using them. Hawk says that he felt like he was going to snap - "I'm my own worst enemy." Ivory offers a critique by telling them the people watching were laughing at them at parts. 

Al: "Hawk pulls me aside, says quietly 'Can I speak to you? I need to speak to you alone.' And I knew..." Hawk looks pensive as we go to break.

Well, obviously, we've learned nothing from Robert.

Sunday Night Heat features...hype for Undertaker and Hogan, yay.

Coliseum shots. It's a cloudy dramatic day in those shots, but it's all sunny when we look back at Al and Hawk. Al and Hawk talk a bunch, and I'd transcribe it if anything Hawk said any sense. Hawk wants to quit. Al asks him if he's cracked - "I guess." It's tough to crack something that's already cracked, maybe? Al wants a decent explanation if Hawk's going to quit, and so do I, but if there is one, Hawk's unable to vocalize it. Big wanders over at some point. "Somewhere inside, I'm hurting." Al: "What in the hell is causing you to hurt?" "That, I don't even know." Someone says "personal demons" in reference to Hawk again. Hawk says he wants to be a WWF (he) superstar but "now's not the right time" - that's what CK said too, and he didn't make a lick of sense either.

Hawk says goodbye to the kids - who are in some shock (though they probably figured out from seeing Al and Hawk talk over there. Pete says Hawk wasn't a quitter - he just cracked. Hawk says goodbyes to everyone - Anni says something to him. Anni: "The look in his eyes was like he had be torn out of something - he didn't want to leave." Then why did he quit? Hawk: "Peace, y'all." Hawk says that he's got to worry about himself first, and find that demon.

Station Break: If none of this is making any sense to you, you're not alone. I think he quit because he thought he wasn't good enough, and he thought he wasn't good enough because he was hanging on too tight to the mistakes he was making (and not focusing on the good things) and decided he sucked so much he should leave. Anyway, I guess this means they're not doing the cut.

Later, Big gives a "don't let the stress of this build up until you crack into piece like Hawk" speech to the kids. They've got to support each other while competing with each other - that's how it is in the WWF (ha) too. Kenny says he's going to miss Hawk, but you've got to move on. Jackie says it came to a surprise to all of them, and she doesn't believe in walking on out something that's supposedly your dream. 

Al demonstrates how to throw your opponent out of the ring (between the ropes) on the kids. Pete's been wearing a handkerchief on his right shoulder for some reason - I can't tell if it's supposed to be a Zumbido-like shoulder brace or weird fashion statement. Now Jackie throws everyone out. Big says Jackie's put her whole heart into the competition - she's grown a lot. Linda throws Jake out - Jake twitches. Al throws out Kenny and he rolls a couple times. Al decides that's enough for the day. 

Pete: "Me, Linda and Kenny went out, because everyone else was lame, and everyone else wanted to stay in." Dancing. Linda and Pete and Kenny dance together. You know, this looks like the same footage from last night. There's Kenny dancing by himself - though now there's a guy in the background. Kenny dances somewhat near a girl. And apparently they hook up. Linda: "King Kenny is walking out of here with his princess." Wha? So, they go back to Kenny's room. We fade out on that.

Sometime later, Linda and Pete get back. Linda explains that they decided to check up on Kenny, in his room. Very quietly, and maybe Pete's room connects to Kenny's? That's what it looks like they're doing - we're looking at it so we can't see through that door . Kenny walks in, and opens the adjoining door, like he's just checking to see if Kenny's awake. Linda casually walks by the open door to sneak a peak - and now she's running all the way out of Pete's room, trying to keep from laughing till she's away. Pete says: "Whoa." Linda: "Kenny becomes King Kenny of Africa, all in one night." We see Kenny and the girl asleep in his bed.

In the morning, Kenny says goodbye to the girl - we never get her name, I hope Kenny did - and tells us "I had a little taste of Africa last night", thanks for that. Jackie: "It was kinda good for him - I think it kinda helped! Now, he can put things in perspective and find out what's important in life." Huh?

Back to the ring. Warm up with somersault back bumps. Al tells the kids that they're working five minute matches - use everything they've learned. Big says they're making a cut (still?) and he expects a lot - this is a golden opportunity for them to shine. Big says it's very close right now, and this is an evaluation. Dramatic music to the break.

Repeat what was just said. Anni says she's not sure who'll get cut - no one gets cut. Everyone gets ready. There are about a dozen ten year olds watching near ground level, and the (TE) kids work off of them a little bit - Anni gives them all fives on way to her entrance. Our three matches (and it works out even now that Hawk's gone) are Pete/Jackie, Anni/Kenny and Linda/Jake. Montage of all the matches, comparing similar spots. I think Jake has the best "oh wow that was a hard whip into the corner. Kids cheer. Al says everything comes together when you start to do it in front of people - even when it's a few people, I guess. Big: "Jackie kicks ass. She's strong, determined, self-confident and I think she can make the next step." Jake's a lot bump taker than move giver - or at least his encounter with Linda seems to show that. The crowd (which now seems bigger) reacts on some of the bigger moves, and Kenny talks about how cool getting an "ooooh" from the fans is. Kenny says the cheering made him want to take even bigger bumps. Big says Kenny makes the other guys look good, he's got good speed, and he takes the best bumps. Kenny says it gave them a small taste of what it was like to be in the WWF. Your winner are Anni, Jake (Ivory calls him Jacob), and "Petey!" Haha.

Hawk tells them all good job, and "there's not gonna be a cut here, in case you were wondering." In other words, they were going to cut Hawk. Or they were just threatening the cut to make sure they'd work. Probably, they were cutting Hawk. Jake says they told him they were all so good that they didn't want to cut them. The kids thank their fans. 

One last night in South Africa. The Tough Enough crew get a traditional African dance for them - Big didn't realize they were doing it just for them. Lots of dancing. Food. The kids dance and hang out with African dancers. Everyone talks about what a wonderful experience South Africa's been. Jake can't dance. Everyone dances. The lead dancer wishes them a safe trip home.

Plane.

Trax West. Chavo is even more invisible than when we last left him, but Bob's got some questions. "Did Hawk talk to any of you why he decided to quit?" Jackie says Hawk said something about it being the Day Of Reckoning and "whoever goes, goes." Bob says he wants to take Hawk's chair and throw it through the wall. No offense to Al or Big (who did try), but Hawk wouldn't have gotten away from Bob without a explanation or a beat down of something. Bob says he really did like Hawk, and he was really disappionted when he didn't come back from South Africa. We fold up Hawk's chair to a montage. 

Ivory says they'll miss Hawk, but there's a new energy in the group without him. Jackie says she's excited to start training again. More matches. Bob says they were much improved - "a completely different group of people." Kenny pulls of a sharp looking roll from a single leg takedown to a side headlock. Al, after Linda and Kenny finish: "I am so happy right now." Jake and Jackie. Jackie said everyone was full of energy - and then

Slow motions triple replays! Someone's in trouble. It takes me a couple times to figure out why Jackie was taking a bump while giving a shoulderblock to Jake, and then I noticed her reaching right for her knee when she hit the mat. That's what you might call terrible luck (and also an explanation of the Jackie hype.) "My knee is hurt!"

Coming Up: Al says it would suck for Jackie to come this far and a freak accident took her out. Big announces that they'll be having another cut. Anni is surprised that they'd have another cut. Jake looks physically good, acts mentally dumb.

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. Jackie and Kenny as favorites, wow.