TV PG L open
Previously: Jonah is self-doubting. It's a verb now, okay. That's all that happened, apparently.
Outside of Trax, Jonah is talking to no one in particular: "I wanna get married. I wanna have kids. [...] But I want to be there for them." Jonah tell us about the crying girlfriend. "It's a huge commitment, dude. It's like 255 days a year." I guess he's telling Eric that - Eric says it's a huge commitment and it's scary. Eric tells us that he's close to Jonah and sees that he's emotionally drained.
Inside of Trax, Jonah takes Al aside to talk about this - because he's in the business so long. Outside, they chat near the yellow car. "I'm really starting now, to look at, like, the huge picture. And that-" "certain realities are starting to appear." "Yea, is there gonna be a life beyond wrestling, or is it gonna be my life period?" "That's really up to you." Al talks about only being two weeks away and the fact that they might actually win this and have their whole lives change is starting to click in the kids heads. And big thoughts aren't good for Jonah's head. Big, who seemed to wander over uninvited to tell them that Jonah needs to make his decision on his own, but he needs to be clear. Big isn't gonna select someone who don't want to do this. It's fine to be scared, but not to have doubt. Al tells Jonah that he needs to tell them, and tell them strong, if he's staying or if he's leaving. Jonah convinces them he wants to stay. Al tells him he believes him, but he better not screw him. Big [to Al, with Jonah gone]: "I think he's a load of [bleep]" Whoa - Big makes the point that he has five other people who he knows wants this, but has some major doubts with Jonah.
In the ring. Forearms, I think. We get clotheslines and taking gut wrench suplexes. Northern Lights Suplex. Eric notes how painful that was. Bill does the Flair non-handshake to Justin, and then tells him to start using his height. Justin says it's mentally draining, because you have to be so technically right. Justin takes a bad header on a clothesline. Jamie says the ropes hurt - "Every time I hit the ropes, I get bruises. Every time I hit ropes, I start to bleed on my back." Ivory says Jamie has a great presence but needs to step it up to match it with her ring abilities.
Big tells them that they're they're going to throw a dinner party, for the trainers and Special Guest Trish Stratus. Matt says when they found that out it was Trish and not just the trainers, things got "upscaled" a little bit. Wow, nice dinning room table. John explains everyone pitched in - Jamie made the table, he cooked the salmon/salads, Eric cooked most of the food, Justin/Matt cooked stakes and cleaned up the house. "Jonah did something too, but no one remembers." Jonah is currently begging out of sitting next to Trish because he's too nervous. No, really.
Hey, it's a limo. As "Hallalejulah" plays, out steps Trish. Eric says they were really nervous. Big introduces Trish - Jamie is first to shake her hand, and then we go to the video. Jonah gives us the verbal equivalent of a dropped jaw. Trish has a t-shirt for Jamie. Jamie is awed by how gorgeous Trish and Ivory and self-doubts. "It seems like such a long way to get to where they are." Trish tells us that her motto is "preparation meets opportunity." Trish talks about making your five minutes of two hours mean a lot. Jonah doesn't seem so nervous. They talk and eat and eat and talk. Matt says Jonah is back to normal. Trish says bye and good for me, her whole ape prance is one paragraph.
Big, in his deathly serious voice, tells them to sit back down. Cut announcement? Jamie picked up the same thing about the voice. Big's doing the cut speech and they all see it coming, no matter how he sugar coats. "Unfortunately, as you know, this is a competition." There's them magic words - they'll make "some" cuts tomorrow. Break.
Back in the house. Full moon. Jonah says he wouldn't change this for the world - it's been the best two months of his life. Oh, they're having a heartwarming goodbye discussion before someone(s) get cuts tomorrow. They all talk about how this group is so special because they all get along. Matt says it was uplifting, but they're all still nervous. Jamie cries in her bed to Matt because she's so scared - she's feels like she's so behind. Matt tells her he tries not to worry about stuff like that - just deal with it when it comes.
Trax - only the trainers. Let's go
Al: "I don't hold Jonah's conversation with me against
him."
Big: "That's unfair, though [sees Al holding up his hand in
protest] that's unfair."
Al: "I'm not saying you do, okay, I'm saying me, I don't think
Jonah has doubts. At this point in time, for Jonah, it would be a
disservice for him to be thrust in there, because, he'd panic, and he
wouldn't be read
A clip later, Big closes the discussion (noting that they've discussed this many different ways - Ivory's trying to be supportive here, so this must've gone on a little while and she's maybe trying to help end it) and goes to let the kids in. Outside, as Big greets the kids, Matt voice over about Big saying "cuts" way back last night. There's only six of them - will they be down to four after he morning. Inside, Al, to no one in particular: "I don't want to stand there and look at them. I don't want to stand there and look at them in the eye. I really don't. I really don't." Bill: "They wouldn't expect anything else from you." Al: "I know I know I know I know."
The kids walk in and shake hands. While I assume they're far away, Bill notes that they're all "mentally done today" and we see as much with Jamie crying into Jonah's shoulder. She's scared - she doesn't want to go out there. She eventually does, of course.
Stand up. Al: "Know that we're all proud of all you. And we've become attached to each and every one of you. It's a very necessary evil that we have to do, but it doesn't make it any easier on us, especially as we get closer to you. [Jonah especially, but also Eric aren't able to make any eye contact with Al right here - looking down, looking to the side, just not looking straight ahead. Jamie is not crying but you can see her tear streaks on her face.] So...let's get this done, shall we." Matt talks about high tension and suspense. WHOA, no break.
Matt, sit down. He was pretty confident. Jonah is not. Al walks past him. Eric, sit down. Eric is trying to keep his happiness inside. Look at Jamie. Look back at John. John, sit down. John is confident. Jamie is about to cry and scared out of her mind. Back to Jonah, who's nervous as heck. Justin is looking at a death march. Jamie, sit down. She's crying anyway. Of course. Jonah and Justin back up. "Justin, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, you're cut." "Thank you." Justin takes it well, but it doesn't seem like it's hit him left. Jonah is still standing. Back over to him. Please sit down. He can not believe it. "I just kinda just like sat down, in relief, took a deep breath, and I was, like, 'oh man, I can't believe it.' You know, I'm still here. Jonah wipes the tears out of his eyes while everyone says goodbye to Justin with tears in their eyes.
Justin: "It'll - It'll be tough tomorrow without seeing everybody, without having Big say 'It's a great day to be alive' even though it still is." Justin is tearing up as he hugs the trainers good bye. Justin kisses his hand and slaps it on a turnbuckle as he walks by. "When Big says, you know, 'experience of a lifetime', it really does this no justice, because it's more than that. It's - it's the most indescribable feeling - the most indescribable experience and unless you get her and live it and do it, you don't know." Al tells them it's just business - the show must always go on. Except for commercials.
Back at Trax. They're recovering from the cut and feeling awful. Al says they needed to do something to change the mood, get the morale back up. They all go to Yankee Doodles, to get lunch. Hey, Bradshaw. Jamie quite nearly runs into a pole in shock of seeing him there. Video. Bradshaw is like Bradshaw normally is, just with one less working arm. He notes that Jamie is the cutest one of the bunch. Beers for everyone. Ivory explains that Bradshaw visited the day after his bicep surgery - he was just "beaming" talking about the business. I put that in quotes because, in case Bradshaw ever read this, I don't want to be the one who uses the word "beaming" in reference to him. Bradshaw focuses on this being an opportunity, but not a lifetime deal - they have to make the most of the opportunity. Matt notes that everyone was trying to keep up with Bradshaw's drinking, and that didn't work out so well. They do a toast which is good, because they're all toasted. John runs to the bathroom - "I'm not puking" - to go puke. Al decides that it for tonight. John admits to Al that he threw up a little bit, in a drunken way.
Jonah says they had the rest of the day off form Trax, but when they got back, it was all business. Al: "So...who wants to do something off the top rope?" Gee, I wonder if that was John's arm that shot up. Al says they're gonna start doing stuff that they dreamed they could do but didn't think they ever could or would do. In this case, it's top rope plancha onto crash pads. Matt talks about how scary it is, on the top rope and six feet up. Of course John poses up there before jumping and gets yelled at for being cocky. Jamie self-doubts, bailing on the move and landing on her knees. But she hits it eventually.
Moonsault time. "I trust you that you can do this, or we wouldn't be doing this. You will never land on your head." Scared Jonah is cared but doesn't kill himself. Eric says the anticipation is the worse part - just to have the guts to do it is more than half the battle. Matt almost is too short of the pad, but okay. John has no issues. Jamie isn't sure if she can physically can do this, but I guess she did. Al removes the crash pad and you would not believe how thrilled he was that they walked up and did it again without questioning having no pad. That kinda of commitment is more important than learning move to Al, I'd think. Al takes Jamie by the head and demands that she quits holding back. And of closure she does a perfectly fine moonsault. Jamie says the moonsault was the defining moment for building her confident in her ring. She actually kinda sounds more confident right there. John talks about everyone doing the moonsault together is all about trust and unity and blah blah.
Next Week: "I see his boot go straight into Matt's jaw" "Blood like flew out of his mouth, onto the mat." "Everyone pretty much just wants him to run out of the ring, make a tag, something. Anything."
What we've all learned is not to tell Al if you're having issues because they might kick them out for them. I don't know if that sequence of events leading to Jonah's dismissal ever clicked in his head (I think he was thinking more the bad performances would do that), so I wonder what he thought watching that.