When the shock of the "Battle of the Exes" premise first hit the Challengers, many had no choice but to sublimate the pain of their sordid pasts and move forward. But when the novelty of the game started to wear off, the cracks in the foundation became too pronounced to ignore and those old issues started to come to light. For Diem, it meant worry that she'd never be able to trust CT; for Mark, it meant worry that he'd never be able to trust that Robin was of sane mind (vampires are animals!); and for Jasmine, it meant dealing with Tyrie, who always seemed ready for a fight.
With three separate Power Couples after three different missions, "Rolling in the Deep" was anyone's for the taking. Teams were challenged with holding onto a spinning log as it zipped over a lagoon, as well as swimming to a flag on a bank once they dropped. For Aneesa, the fall's resultant pain was all too familiar, but for Jasmine, the hurt was brand-new. After she made her initial descent, a hulking Tyrie plummeted down directly onto his mini-teammate. It wasn't yet confirmed for the mission's guinea pigs, but it was pretty clear--after a disorienting swim--that a trip to The Dome was in the cards.
The race for first place was a different story, however. Emily and Ty proved the theory that their relationship was based on competition by making a strong showing. It would only earn them second place, though, and Johnny and Camila earned their second Power Couple standing, besting the D.C. couple by a narrow margin. Paula, who worried Emily was out for vengeance, breathed a sigh of relief.
Rachel, on the other hand, was dealt her first dose of anxiety when Mark told her Johnny was considering throwing her to the wolves. Evidently, Bananas was still not over Rachel's voting against him on "The Island," but the "Duel 2" champ thought he was whiny and pious for crying over spilled milk, especially that which was spilled four years earlier.
Unfortunately, her troubles had just begun with Team Teal, as Camila later revealed that Rachel had tried to convince her to vote Mark--who considered himself a friend of Rachel's--into The Dome to spare the same-sex exes the risk of elimination. Rachel denied it, but Mark's trust for the girl immediately fell to the wayside. Johnny called Rachel a manipulator, but Aneesa jumped to her former girlfriend's defense and called the accusation a striking case of the pot calling the kettle black.
No surprise: Rachel and Aneesa got the Power Couple's vote to The Dome and Camila stood by her story that Rachel had tried to throw Mark under the bus by labeling his partner a liability. When Robin broke down in tears and explained how her approach to the "Challenge" had changed since she became a mother, it seemed the former party girl had sincerely turned over a new leaf. Either way, she could safely wait for the next mission.
While the group gathered beneath The Dome, Tyrie and three chicks were told "X Knocks The Spot," the game that sent newbies Nate and Priscilla packing, was the deciding factor in whether they'd stay or leave. Rachel sought out to win the game for everyone that had been discredited by the loudmouths of the world, but Aneesa didn't make it easy for her partner with an early duck-out. Tyrie stumbled off his ledge shortly thereafter, and though Jasmine was getting knocked in her already sore head more often than not, she gave her lone athletic opponent a run for her money. Ultimately, though, she was no match for the vet, and Rachel got the redemption she'd been striving for.
"I guess the house is just going to have to deal with my character for a little longer," Rachel cheekily remarked as she made her way back to the comfort of a bunk bed. But the question is, as newly appointed outsiders, will Rachel and Aneesa last?
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