Gymnasts in SEALS reality Show
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- Feb 2, 2021
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I’ve never watched beyond the gymnast being out before, so this is my first time seeing past Day 4. There have certainly been less medical withdraws this year.
Jordyn Wieber would have perhaps faired better on this season. She withdrew last year because she was afraid of going underwater. Her season was entirely water themed, while this season’s theme is Urban Warfare and only had one real underwater challenge.
I think it’s odd this season that they have two couples on together and a mother/daughter pair. Part of this thing is suppose to be the mental component, but six people have the advantage going in with a built in support system.
If Wieber had Chris Brooks there pumping her up, and less underwater adventures, maybe she would have made it to the end.
Nastia who knows. She quit because of issues with her cast mates. Imagine seeing her on this paired with Valeri though lol.
Jordyn Wieber would have perhaps faired better on this season. She withdrew last year because she was afraid of going underwater. Her season was entirely water themed, while this season’s theme is Urban Warfare and only had one real underwater challenge.
I think it’s odd this season that they have two couples on together and a mother/daughter pair. Part of this thing is suppose to be the mental component, but six people have the advantage going in with a built in support system.
If Wieber had Chris Brooks there pumping her up, and less underwater adventures, maybe she would have made it to the end.
Nastia who knows. She quit because of issues with her cast mates. Imagine seeing her on this paired with Valeri though lol.
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Today Shawn claims that smiling would get you kicked off the National Team.
Season 4 - Shawn Johnson and Andrew East - Episode 7
Day 7, we start with everyone waking up as usual, but throughout the night Christie Pearce Rampone has been coughing heavily and is still coughing upon waking (a very wet sounding cough.) Just listening to her is making me want to cough to clear my own throat, it sounds bad. Mark Estes' ear is also red and swollen, he thinks it's cauliflower ear. There's general grumblings about everyone's aches and pains.
Kody Brown: We have gone six days. Every challenge seemed tougher than the last and we still did it.
Andrew: Are we the toughest or the dumbest?
Christie goes to the medical room. The doctor says her chest sounds really tight and she has a lot of crackles on her lungs as well. He diagnoses her with a chest infection. Christie is medically withdrawn and is out. 7 remain.
We get a conversation in the bunk:
Brianna: When did you stop, Shawn? Being in the Olympics?
Shawn: 16 the first time. And then I went back because I got so lost and just like, depressed and desperate, that I didn't know what else to do.
Randall: So you went back to the gym?
Shawn: And then retired again at ..19.
Shawn cutaway to camera: When I competed, I was obsessed with perfection. and in gymnastics, in a sport that favors the perfect score.. I was obsessed with that idea. I wanted to be perfect in every way.
Randall: What was that transition like for you? What was the toughest part?
Shawn: Hell. I felt like I had no value.
Time to line up. No drama today Staff just give a little speech about motivation and teamwork then sends everyone off to the cars to drive to the first challenge. In the cars Andrew and Shawn are next to each other.
Andrew: You're a beast. You haven't even flinched this whole time.
Shawn: Pays to win, Andrew.
Challenge 1: They are taken to a remote Moroccan village. Before anything else happens Staff pull Mark Estes out of the cars and send him to a military medic standing on the side of the road?? She says his ear is swollen and could cause long-term disfigurement if not treated. Says he has to go to hospital for a procedure to be done by a specialist ENT. Staff medically withdraw him. Why wasn't this done before they left camp? Like.. what? This is bizarre timing. Down to 6 now I guess.
Back to the challenge. They're going to be doing a hostage rescue in pairs. Shawn and Kody Brown are paired together first and told to put gas masks on. Their part of the mission is to clear a compound that has been commandeered by the "enemy" and filled with smoke. They need to rescue the hostage in the compound and retrieve a critical piece of equipment that is inside a building. Staff tells them the equipment is in a small box with the number 0749 on it.
Shawn cutaway to camera: In gymnastics, the only way I competed and was successful in my career was by being a one-man show, and like, doing it myself.
They have a two minute timer to get in and out with the hostage and the equipment before the building "explodes." Shawn and Kody run in and forget the instructions. They were supposed to clear the buildings inside the compound first but they skip it. Staff yells at them to go in the building and they almost do, then turn around at the door and go the other way. They never put their gas masks on, they're just running around holding them. They find the hostage and get him up. They then go into the building, taking the hostage inside with them. Once inside they finally put their gas masks on, but the hostage doesn't have one. Staff is yelling at them that the hostage doesn't have a mask, but Shawn and Kody ignore them and just keep searching for the equipment with the hostage in the smoke. Kody gives up and runs out of the compound with the hostage, leaving Shawn alone still searching the building as it "blows up" (some dirt outside jumps up.)
Staff yell at them for a bit about how bad they did. Kody says he left because he figured the hostage was more important than the equipment (the hostage they had already gassed to death) and says it's his bad for not communicating that to Shawn. They fail.
Shawn cutaway to camera: Having control is very important to me. When I can't control everything around me, I start to lose my sanity a little bit.
Next up is a montage of Andrew paired with Gia Giudice and Randall Cobb paired with Brianna LaPaglia. Both pairs enter the buildings first and spend the majority of their time searching for the equipment. Randall/Brianna find it, go outside and get their hostage, then get out the door with him with 1 second to spare. Andrew/Gia never find the equipment, but they run out and get the hostage out right as the compound is "blowing up." Randall and Brianna pass, Andrew and Gia fail.
Outside the compound the group is talking:
Kody: Did you guys succeed?
Brianna: Yea, we passed.
Gia: We failed, but we got the hostage out.
Kody to Andrew: Yeah, I got your wife killed. I'm sorry. It was a dereliction of duty.
Andrew: What happened?
Shawn: We got the hostage.. but then we took him with us. And killed him.
Brianna: So you guys looked for the hostage first?
Kody: Yes.
Shawn: And then he left with the hostage, and I stayed and looked for the equipment.
Andrew: You just freaking ditched her?
Kody: I did. I did not communicate as I was leaving with my partner to forget about the equipment and just get out with the hostage.
Shawn: We didn't say a single word to each other the entire time. We didn't communicate at all.
Kody: Yeah, it's just the mouth closed when we got in there.
Brianna: Yeah it's key. You gotta talk. I think for challenges moving forward you need to stop trying to take leadership and follow behind.
Kody: I'm fine with that!
Brianna: I think you get a little, I don't know, wrapped up in it, and then you forget about the team component.
Kody: You're right Bri, I'm not much wits about me!
Brianna: No, you're not!
Brianna laughs and shakes Shawn's shoulders lightly: You're good. You're good.
Shawn: I know. I'm just pissed. It was miserable.
Angry Shawn
Back in the cars, driving back to camp. Andrew and Brianna are in a car alone together.
Brianna: Shawn was pissed!
Andrew: Dude, she was pissed.
Brianna: She was steaming from the ears!
Andrew laughing: I've seen that look many times.
Brianna laughing: I'm sure you have, yeah.
Andrew: That was not good!
Shawn cutaway to camera: I don't like to fail. I am very hard on myself, so I will probably internalize a rough day or a bad decision or a mistake or a fail.
Shawn is riding in a car alone with Gia.
Shawn: I felt so freaking pissed when I turned around and I ran all the way back through the entire compound looking for him. Only to find him standing outside.
Gia: That would have infuriated me.
(continued below)
Season 4 - Shawn Johnson and Andrew East - Episode 7
Day 7, we start with everyone waking up as usual, but throughout the night Christie Pearce Rampone has been coughing heavily and is still coughing upon waking (a very wet sounding cough.) Just listening to her is making me want to cough to clear my own throat, it sounds bad. Mark Estes' ear is also red and swollen, he thinks it's cauliflower ear. There's general grumblings about everyone's aches and pains.
Kody Brown: We have gone six days. Every challenge seemed tougher than the last and we still did it.
Andrew: Are we the toughest or the dumbest?
Christie goes to the medical room. The doctor says her chest sounds really tight and she has a lot of crackles on her lungs as well. He diagnoses her with a chest infection. Christie is medically withdrawn and is out. 7 remain.
We get a conversation in the bunk:
Brianna: When did you stop, Shawn? Being in the Olympics?
Shawn: 16 the first time. And then I went back because I got so lost and just like, depressed and desperate, that I didn't know what else to do.
Randall: So you went back to the gym?
Shawn: And then retired again at ..19.
Shawn cutaway to camera: When I competed, I was obsessed with perfection. and in gymnastics, in a sport that favors the perfect score.. I was obsessed with that idea. I wanted to be perfect in every way.
Randall: What was that transition like for you? What was the toughest part?
Shawn: Hell. I felt like I had no value.
Time to line up. No drama today Staff just give a little speech about motivation and teamwork then sends everyone off to the cars to drive to the first challenge. In the cars Andrew and Shawn are next to each other.
Andrew: You're a beast. You haven't even flinched this whole time.
Shawn: Pays to win, Andrew.
Challenge 1: They are taken to a remote Moroccan village. Before anything else happens Staff pull Mark Estes out of the cars and send him to a military medic standing on the side of the road?? She says his ear is swollen and could cause long-term disfigurement if not treated. Says he has to go to hospital for a procedure to be done by a specialist ENT. Staff medically withdraw him. Why wasn't this done before they left camp? Like.. what? This is bizarre timing. Down to 6 now I guess.
Back to the challenge. They're going to be doing a hostage rescue in pairs. Shawn and Kody Brown are paired together first and told to put gas masks on. Their part of the mission is to clear a compound that has been commandeered by the "enemy" and filled with smoke. They need to rescue the hostage in the compound and retrieve a critical piece of equipment that is inside a building. Staff tells them the equipment is in a small box with the number 0749 on it.
Shawn cutaway to camera: In gymnastics, the only way I competed and was successful in my career was by being a one-man show, and like, doing it myself.
They have a two minute timer to get in and out with the hostage and the equipment before the building "explodes." Shawn and Kody run in and forget the instructions. They were supposed to clear the buildings inside the compound first but they skip it. Staff yells at them to go in the building and they almost do, then turn around at the door and go the other way. They never put their gas masks on, they're just running around holding them. They find the hostage and get him up. They then go into the building, taking the hostage inside with them. Once inside they finally put their gas masks on, but the hostage doesn't have one. Staff is yelling at them that the hostage doesn't have a mask, but Shawn and Kody ignore them and just keep searching for the equipment with the hostage in the smoke. Kody gives up and runs out of the compound with the hostage, leaving Shawn alone still searching the building as it "blows up" (some dirt outside jumps up.)
Staff yell at them for a bit about how bad they did. Kody says he left because he figured the hostage was more important than the equipment (the hostage they had already gassed to death) and says it's his bad for not communicating that to Shawn. They fail.
Shawn cutaway to camera: Having control is very important to me. When I can't control everything around me, I start to lose my sanity a little bit.
Next up is a montage of Andrew paired with Gia Giudice and Randall Cobb paired with Brianna LaPaglia. Both pairs enter the buildings first and spend the majority of their time searching for the equipment. Randall/Brianna find it, go outside and get their hostage, then get out the door with him with 1 second to spare. Andrew/Gia never find the equipment, but they run out and get the hostage out right as the compound is "blowing up." Randall and Brianna pass, Andrew and Gia fail.
Outside the compound the group is talking:
Kody: Did you guys succeed?
Brianna: Yea, we passed.
Gia: We failed, but we got the hostage out.
Kody to Andrew: Yeah, I got your wife killed. I'm sorry. It was a dereliction of duty.
Andrew: What happened?
Shawn: We got the hostage.. but then we took him with us. And killed him.
Brianna: So you guys looked for the hostage first?
Kody: Yes.
Shawn: And then he left with the hostage, and I stayed and looked for the equipment.
Andrew: You just freaking ditched her?
Kody: I did. I did not communicate as I was leaving with my partner to forget about the equipment and just get out with the hostage.
Shawn: We didn't say a single word to each other the entire time. We didn't communicate at all.
Kody: Yeah, it's just the mouth closed when we got in there.
Brianna: Yeah it's key. You gotta talk. I think for challenges moving forward you need to stop trying to take leadership and follow behind.
Kody: I'm fine with that!
Brianna: I think you get a little, I don't know, wrapped up in it, and then you forget about the team component.
Kody: You're right Bri, I'm not much wits about me!
Brianna: No, you're not!
Brianna laughs and shakes Shawn's shoulders lightly: You're good. You're good.
Shawn: I know. I'm just pissed. It was miserable.
Angry Shawn
Back in the cars, driving back to camp. Andrew and Brianna are in a car alone together.
Brianna: Shawn was pissed!
Andrew: Dude, she was pissed.
Brianna: She was steaming from the ears!
Andrew laughing: I've seen that look many times.
Brianna laughing: I'm sure you have, yeah.
Andrew: That was not good!
Shawn cutaway to camera: I don't like to fail. I am very hard on myself, so I will probably internalize a rough day or a bad decision or a mistake or a fail.
Shawn is riding in a car alone with Gia.
Shawn: I felt so freaking pissed when I turned around and I ran all the way back through the entire compound looking for him. Only to find him standing outside.
Gia: That would have infuriated me.
(continued below)
- Feb 2, 2021
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Back at camp now, Staff are in their dorm discussing Shawn. They decide to have a one on one with her. The following conversation was in the one on one:
Staff: Today was an absolute cluster. What happened out there?
Shawn: I don't know. I haven't pushed myself in a very very long time. When I competed, I never had to do a full team thing. I'm so used to isolating myself.
Staff: Your visual personality to us.. "stay robotic robotic" .. I don't need a robot. I want a true character. And I don't know where it is right now. In fact, we- none of us do. You still are stoic and behind some barriers for some reason. I don't know why.
Shawn: I don't know how to filter that. My entire career was fear based. I had a lot of people very high up telling me that I was worthless and not wanting to see me succeed in gymnastics who controlled my fate. And if I showed emotion, I was cut. The only emotion you could ever show was a smile. But if you did that while lined up, you were no longer on the National Team. So being able to shut off all emotion is kind of what I'm used to.
Staff: I see.
Shawn: I was so obsessed with perfection, and I think that was part of the reason I was scared going into this of like, what would that bring out in me? Tapping into that side of me back when I competed worked for a purpose with gymnastics. And then every time I tried to tap into it after gymnastics, it resulted in something bad, whether it was..
Staff: Like what?
Shawn: Depression, eating disorders, obsessions. I lost my identity for a long time. Whenever I'm around you guys I try to go numb so I don't mess up.
Staff: ****ing forget us. Drop it. It's, who are you? It's okay to cry. It's okay to be who you are. It's okay. That's what we're not seeing at the moment.
Shawn smiling: I think that part terrifies me.
Staff: Let it terrify you. You know what? Being ****ing scared is good.
2nd Staff: You've been a great performer physically and on task, but being human, because you got to connect as well, that's what we need to see from you.
Staff: The question at the end will be, would I have you stood next to me. And if I don't know you, I wouldn't. We want to see more of the human side. Two days, that's all you got left to be, be you.
Shawn: Thank you.
Then she's sent back to camp.
Shawn cutaway to camera: I don't think I learned how to show emotion until I was an adult. In competition, in my job, I was a machine. I'm really afraid of feeling vulnerable. I don't know how that will manifest itself.
Randall back at the bunk: What was that? What was that?
Andrew: What'd they say?
Shawn sighs: They said I'm way too robotic. They said, at the end of the day, I can't choose a team member if I don't know them. He's like, you're not letting us know you at all.
After that they spend some time on everyone being annoyed with Kody and he's made the duty recruit. Then they're called to line up.
Challenge 2 will be inside the camp. They have a little obstacle course set up in the middle of camp where they have to climb over and under hurdles, cross monkey bars, do 20 push ups, and then pick up a giant tire and push it over three times. They race through in pairs and whoever wins their pairing is released back to the bunk. The loser has to start the circuit over. Shawn and Randall win first and go back to the bunk to rest. Everyone else goes around again, Andrew and Kody win the second round. Brianna and Gia are left to go through a third time. Gia wins, Brianna can barely make it across the monkey bars.
Gia walking into the bunk: It wasn't fair, I'm stronger than her strength wise.
Shawn: There's no such thing as fair.
It's just over after that I guess, they don't show Brianna going through a fourth time. Everyone goes off to do their odd jobs around camp and Staff have a one on one with Kody.
Later that night Staff walk into the bunk and explain that when they go away on operations there's no communication back home. So what they do is write death letters. Before every operation they write all their last words they want to tell. If something goes wrong, those letters are sent to their families. He hands out clipboards to each recruit and tells them to write their death letters.
Everyone writes the letters and then sitting in the bunk they read them aloud to the group (Staff is not there, it's just them.) Shawn finally cries listening to the others read their letters. They're cutting most of these letters for the show because they all have multiple paragraphs on their clipboards but are only shown reading a few lines each.
Andrew's (abridged) letter: Shawn, I'm going to leave ya the same way I got ya, with a subpar , over-sappy poem. Some say they fall into love. I don't think that's right. I say we struggled into love. We both had to fight. You chose to humbly be together. Nine years later, we're still choosing each other. I love you. You will be fine without me and all my nonsense. I love you, bro.
Shawn's (abridged) letter: You're my absolute world, my best friend, my teammate in life, and the greatest father to our beautiful babies. You're a greater man than you could ever know. I love you. Squeeze our babies for me, please, every single day. And to all three, I love you to the moon and back. Everything about you is absolutely perfect. You made me a mommy, and it's the greatest job I've ever had in my life. No matter what you do, I will always love you. ... There you go.
That's the end of the letters. Scene cuts to everyone in their beds.
Andrew: All right, let's go to bed and get ready to get our butts kicked tomorrow, right?
People say their goodnights and the episode ends. 12 down, 6 remain.
Staff: Today was an absolute cluster. What happened out there?
Shawn: I don't know. I haven't pushed myself in a very very long time. When I competed, I never had to do a full team thing. I'm so used to isolating myself.
Staff: Your visual personality to us.. "stay robotic robotic" .. I don't need a robot. I want a true character. And I don't know where it is right now. In fact, we- none of us do. You still are stoic and behind some barriers for some reason. I don't know why.
Shawn: I don't know how to filter that. My entire career was fear based. I had a lot of people very high up telling me that I was worthless and not wanting to see me succeed in gymnastics who controlled my fate. And if I showed emotion, I was cut. The only emotion you could ever show was a smile. But if you did that while lined up, you were no longer on the National Team. So being able to shut off all emotion is kind of what I'm used to.
Staff: I see.
Shawn: I was so obsessed with perfection, and I think that was part of the reason I was scared going into this of like, what would that bring out in me? Tapping into that side of me back when I competed worked for a purpose with gymnastics. And then every time I tried to tap into it after gymnastics, it resulted in something bad, whether it was..
Staff: Like what?
Shawn: Depression, eating disorders, obsessions. I lost my identity for a long time. Whenever I'm around you guys I try to go numb so I don't mess up.
Staff: ****ing forget us. Drop it. It's, who are you? It's okay to cry. It's okay to be who you are. It's okay. That's what we're not seeing at the moment.
Shawn smiling: I think that part terrifies me.
Staff: Let it terrify you. You know what? Being ****ing scared is good.
2nd Staff: You've been a great performer physically and on task, but being human, because you got to connect as well, that's what we need to see from you.
Staff: The question at the end will be, would I have you stood next to me. And if I don't know you, I wouldn't. We want to see more of the human side. Two days, that's all you got left to be, be you.
Shawn: Thank you.
Then she's sent back to camp.
Shawn cutaway to camera: I don't think I learned how to show emotion until I was an adult. In competition, in my job, I was a machine. I'm really afraid of feeling vulnerable. I don't know how that will manifest itself.
Randall back at the bunk: What was that? What was that?
Andrew: What'd they say?
Shawn sighs: They said I'm way too robotic. They said, at the end of the day, I can't choose a team member if I don't know them. He's like, you're not letting us know you at all.
After that they spend some time on everyone being annoyed with Kody and he's made the duty recruit. Then they're called to line up.
Challenge 2 will be inside the camp. They have a little obstacle course set up in the middle of camp where they have to climb over and under hurdles, cross monkey bars, do 20 push ups, and then pick up a giant tire and push it over three times. They race through in pairs and whoever wins their pairing is released back to the bunk. The loser has to start the circuit over. Shawn and Randall win first and go back to the bunk to rest. Everyone else goes around again, Andrew and Kody win the second round. Brianna and Gia are left to go through a third time. Gia wins, Brianna can barely make it across the monkey bars.
Gia walking into the bunk: It wasn't fair, I'm stronger than her strength wise.
Shawn: There's no such thing as fair.
It's just over after that I guess, they don't show Brianna going through a fourth time. Everyone goes off to do their odd jobs around camp and Staff have a one on one with Kody.
Later that night Staff walk into the bunk and explain that when they go away on operations there's no communication back home. So what they do is write death letters. Before every operation they write all their last words they want to tell. If something goes wrong, those letters are sent to their families. He hands out clipboards to each recruit and tells them to write their death letters.
Everyone writes the letters and then sitting in the bunk they read them aloud to the group (Staff is not there, it's just them.) Shawn finally cries listening to the others read their letters. They're cutting most of these letters for the show because they all have multiple paragraphs on their clipboards but are only shown reading a few lines each.
Andrew's (abridged) letter: Shawn, I'm going to leave ya the same way I got ya, with a subpar , over-sappy poem. Some say they fall into love. I don't think that's right. I say we struggled into love. We both had to fight. You chose to humbly be together. Nine years later, we're still choosing each other. I love you. You will be fine without me and all my nonsense. I love you, bro.
Shawn's (abridged) letter: You're my absolute world, my best friend, my teammate in life, and the greatest father to our beautiful babies. You're a greater man than you could ever know. I love you. Squeeze our babies for me, please, every single day. And to all three, I love you to the moon and back. Everything about you is absolutely perfect. You made me a mommy, and it's the greatest job I've ever had in my life. No matter what you do, I will always love you. ... There you go.
That's the end of the letters. Scene cuts to everyone in their beds.
Andrew: All right, let's go to bed and get ready to get our butts kicked tomorrow, right?
People say their goodnights and the episode ends. 12 down, 6 remain.
Last edited:
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Season 4 - Shawn Johnson and Andrew East - Episode 8
Day 8 begins and we are reminded that only 48 hours remain for the recruits until the end of "selection," what they're calling this ten day course. Staff announces that breakfast is ready and we get a look at everyone eating a meal for the first time.
Shawn: Hey guys, good job making it to another meal.
Shawn's got a banana, a big chunk of bread with red jelly on it, and something else in a big tin container with a spoon I can't see. There's a large baskets of breads, a big bowl of hardboiled eggs, and a bowl of jelly on the serving table along with a large coffee dispenser, orange juice, and milk.
Randall: This is the longest I've ever gone in my kids life without talking to them.
Shawn: Same. We've never been away from our kids longer than three days.
Staff are discussing who they would select in the end. I guess that's how you ultimately "win" this. Not just making it to the end, but Staff have to pick you as someone they would be willing to have with them on a mission.
About Andrew they say "I don't think he understands when to be that lead dog, and I think some of it is to do with the fact that his missus is on the course. If he was on it on his own without a wife, he'd do better." They don't say anything else about Shawn.
Breakfast over, everyone lines up. Staff go on about how today's challenge will be physically and mentally draining, meant to drain everyone's tanks and expose their true selves.
Cut away to Andrew: If you're gonna be dumb, you got to be tough. It's kind of a saying I live by. I think I have that, where it's like, I'm not exceptional at anything. But I have a doggedness to just keep going when it hurts.
Cut away to Shawn: I think there is a big part of me that doubts if I'm capable of going something like this anymore. And now, being a mom, I want to prove it to my babies that I am.
Challenge 1: They are driven deep into the remote Moroccan highlands to face a brutal test of endurance called The Sickener. They're going to go on a climb that intensifies across three stages in 100 degree heat. They don't know where the end will be, the end is just whenever Staff calls it.
Stage one: They have to carry two 30-pound tires up a steep mountainside while staying together as a unit.
Stage two: They drop the tires and put their big backpacks back on. Now they have to race each other. Kody Brown and Randall Cobb are in the lead. They each have to pick up a giant coil of rope and start carrying it. Shawn and Andrew are coming up next.
Andrew: What do you need?
Shawn: I'm good, go!
Cut away to Andrew: For those who aren't familiar with how the NFL works, it's essentially like I got fired from my job nine different times in five years. There was a lot of shame, honestly. I felt like I'd let myself down and other people down. Yeah, it was really disorienting to experience that type of rejection.
Andrew is now carrying a rope coil and gaining on Kody and Randall. He passes them. Shawn gets to the ropes and tries to pick one up but almost falls over backwards. Staff tell her to carry one together with Gia Giudice. Brianna LaPaglia asks if she can carry it with them too and Staff allow it. So the three girls are all carrying one big coil of rope between them, while each of the three guys is carrying his own coil of rope.
Stage three: They drop the ropes and now they have to carry metal chains weighing 90 pounds, still hiking up the mountain path. Shawn is struggling just to get the chains over her shoulders.
Cut away to Shawn: Everything that made me successful in gymnastics was this idea of, like, no emotion. I didn't know how to be a normal human being. Andrew healed all of that. So when we're on the course and I need to tap into that solo competitor, I don't know how I'll handle it.
Shawn almost falls backwards again with all the chains on her but Staff catches her arm and steadies her. She continues on marching forward.
Randall and Kody are still together. Kody tells Randall to take small steps like a billy goat and just keep going. Andrew is still in the lead.
Cut away to Andrew: Shawn never really got to see me at my athletic best, when I was the guy. So I would like to, like, prove to her in a lot of ways that I can perform in these high-stress situations, just like I did before we started dating.
Andrew finishes the race part first. Kody 2nd, Randall 3rd, Gia 4th, Shawn 5th. Staff have to practically drag Brianna up the final stretch in 6th. They drop their chains and staff tell them to get in the cars. Placements in the race, as usual, ultimately meant nothing.
Back at camp Staff are discussing all the recruits again. They say they've broken them down physically, now it's time to break them down mentally. They're going to put them in a heightened emotional state before sending them to the 2nd Challenge.
They call Andrew first. They bring him to the one-on-one room but instead of a one-on-one he is seated in front of a laptop with a video. Staff tells him "On there is a message from home, if you want to watch it, press play."
Staff are watching them on a camera from another room.
Staff in other room: When people take the messages from home we're watching their emotions. Everybody's different. Everybody has different ways of dealing with vulnerability. We are watching every moment to see how they deal with it. It will either give them strength.. or create their downfall. If that is all that it takes to tip them over the edge, then they are not for us.
Cut to Shawn being brought in the room alone. We are shown Shawn's message, from her parents Teri & Doug.
Shawn's Mom: We are not surprised in the least that you've made it this far! We are so proud of you. I love you and cannot wait to see you.
Shawn's Dad: Keep up the good work. You know, you can tap out anytime if you want!
They show Andrew and Shawn individually watching the same video from their kids. Shawn is crying.
Staff in other room: She's going to struggle now from this. It's hitting her. Oh ****.
The video ends and Staff come in to remove Shawn from the room. She gets up and leaves.
Staff in other room: As soon as it's go time, she is just snap and pop. Snap and pop. So mentally strong, isn't she? God dang.
She walks back into the bunk where Andrew is. They are both laughing and Shawn is crying/laughing.
Andrew: You okay?
Shawn: Yeah.
Cut away to Shawn: A huge weakness for me is not seeing my kids. I believe, if I'm not, like, medically withdrawn, the thing that would make me quit is missing my kids too much.
Shawn in the bunk, they're still crying/laughing: I lost it. I'm not like this! I don't cry!
Andrew: Ohhhh man!
They hold hands and kiss.
Staff in other room: They're so close. It could really work against them in interrogations.
They spend time showing everyone else's messages/reactions, then it's on to preparations for the 2nd Challenge.
(continued below)
Day 8 begins and we are reminded that only 48 hours remain for the recruits until the end of "selection," what they're calling this ten day course. Staff announces that breakfast is ready and we get a look at everyone eating a meal for the first time.
Shawn: Hey guys, good job making it to another meal.
Shawn's got a banana, a big chunk of bread with red jelly on it, and something else in a big tin container with a spoon I can't see. There's a large baskets of breads, a big bowl of hardboiled eggs, and a bowl of jelly on the serving table along with a large coffee dispenser, orange juice, and milk.
Randall: This is the longest I've ever gone in my kids life without talking to them.
Shawn: Same. We've never been away from our kids longer than three days.
Staff are discussing who they would select in the end. I guess that's how you ultimately "win" this. Not just making it to the end, but Staff have to pick you as someone they would be willing to have with them on a mission.
About Andrew they say "I don't think he understands when to be that lead dog, and I think some of it is to do with the fact that his missus is on the course. If he was on it on his own without a wife, he'd do better." They don't say anything else about Shawn.
Breakfast over, everyone lines up. Staff go on about how today's challenge will be physically and mentally draining, meant to drain everyone's tanks and expose their true selves.
Cut away to Andrew: If you're gonna be dumb, you got to be tough. It's kind of a saying I live by. I think I have that, where it's like, I'm not exceptional at anything. But I have a doggedness to just keep going when it hurts.
Cut away to Shawn: I think there is a big part of me that doubts if I'm capable of going something like this anymore. And now, being a mom, I want to prove it to my babies that I am.
Challenge 1: They are driven deep into the remote Moroccan highlands to face a brutal test of endurance called The Sickener. They're going to go on a climb that intensifies across three stages in 100 degree heat. They don't know where the end will be, the end is just whenever Staff calls it.
Stage one: They have to carry two 30-pound tires up a steep mountainside while staying together as a unit.
Stage two: They drop the tires and put their big backpacks back on. Now they have to race each other. Kody Brown and Randall Cobb are in the lead. They each have to pick up a giant coil of rope and start carrying it. Shawn and Andrew are coming up next.
Andrew: What do you need?
Shawn: I'm good, go!
Cut away to Andrew: For those who aren't familiar with how the NFL works, it's essentially like I got fired from my job nine different times in five years. There was a lot of shame, honestly. I felt like I'd let myself down and other people down. Yeah, it was really disorienting to experience that type of rejection.
Andrew is now carrying a rope coil and gaining on Kody and Randall. He passes them. Shawn gets to the ropes and tries to pick one up but almost falls over backwards. Staff tell her to carry one together with Gia Giudice. Brianna LaPaglia asks if she can carry it with them too and Staff allow it. So the three girls are all carrying one big coil of rope between them, while each of the three guys is carrying his own coil of rope.
Stage three: They drop the ropes and now they have to carry metal chains weighing 90 pounds, still hiking up the mountain path. Shawn is struggling just to get the chains over her shoulders.
Cut away to Shawn: Everything that made me successful in gymnastics was this idea of, like, no emotion. I didn't know how to be a normal human being. Andrew healed all of that. So when we're on the course and I need to tap into that solo competitor, I don't know how I'll handle it.
Shawn almost falls backwards again with all the chains on her but Staff catches her arm and steadies her. She continues on marching forward.
Randall and Kody are still together. Kody tells Randall to take small steps like a billy goat and just keep going. Andrew is still in the lead.
Cut away to Andrew: Shawn never really got to see me at my athletic best, when I was the guy. So I would like to, like, prove to her in a lot of ways that I can perform in these high-stress situations, just like I did before we started dating.
Andrew finishes the race part first. Kody 2nd, Randall 3rd, Gia 4th, Shawn 5th. Staff have to practically drag Brianna up the final stretch in 6th. They drop their chains and staff tell them to get in the cars. Placements in the race, as usual, ultimately meant nothing.
Back at camp Staff are discussing all the recruits again. They say they've broken them down physically, now it's time to break them down mentally. They're going to put them in a heightened emotional state before sending them to the 2nd Challenge.
They call Andrew first. They bring him to the one-on-one room but instead of a one-on-one he is seated in front of a laptop with a video. Staff tells him "On there is a message from home, if you want to watch it, press play."
Staff are watching them on a camera from another room.
Staff in other room: When people take the messages from home we're watching their emotions. Everybody's different. Everybody has different ways of dealing with vulnerability. We are watching every moment to see how they deal with it. It will either give them strength.. or create their downfall. If that is all that it takes to tip them over the edge, then they are not for us.
Cut to Shawn being brought in the room alone. We are shown Shawn's message, from her parents Teri & Doug.
Shawn's Mom: We are not surprised in the least that you've made it this far! We are so proud of you. I love you and cannot wait to see you.
Shawn's Dad: Keep up the good work. You know, you can tap out anytime if you want!
They show Andrew and Shawn individually watching the same video from their kids. Shawn is crying.
Staff in other room: She's going to struggle now from this. It's hitting her. Oh ****.
The video ends and Staff come in to remove Shawn from the room. She gets up and leaves.
Staff in other room: As soon as it's go time, she is just snap and pop. Snap and pop. So mentally strong, isn't she? God dang.
She walks back into the bunk where Andrew is. They are both laughing and Shawn is crying/laughing.
Andrew: You okay?
Shawn: Yeah.
Cut away to Shawn: A huge weakness for me is not seeing my kids. I believe, if I'm not, like, medically withdrawn, the thing that would make me quit is missing my kids too much.
Shawn in the bunk, they're still crying/laughing: I lost it. I'm not like this! I don't cry!
Andrew: Ohhhh man!
They hold hands and kiss.
Staff in other room: They're so close. It could really work against them in interrogations.
They spend time showing everyone else's messages/reactions, then it's on to preparations for the 2nd Challenge.
(continued below)
- Feb 2, 2021
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- 6,552
They are separated into two groups at camp. Team Alpha is Andrew, Randall, and Gia. Team Bravo is Shawn, Kody, and Brianna. They haven't really explained the Challenge yet but it's something where they will be hunted by the enemy and are going to be captured. Staff give them some training on how to survive behind enemy lines. They skip showing us that and we're shown everyone saying how nervous they are in the bunk waiting to leave for the Challenge. Andrew is trying to pump everyone up.
There's an explosion outside the bunk. Staff yell "The base is under attack! Let's go! Let's go! Stay together!" Everyone runs out and jumps into the cars.
Challenge 2: The recruits are being sent on the run. Their mission is to reach a safe house whilst evading capture from an enemy hunter force. It is night time now, everything is dark. The enemy force has a lot of barking dogs.
Staff: It's one of the worst scenarios you could ever imagine. You're fearing for your life, you're in survival mode. One wrong turn and you are done.
Team Alpha and Bravo have been dropped outside villages at opposite ends of the valley. They must navigate across three miles of unknown terrain and locate two rendezvous points, where they'll pick up instructions for their final safe-house location.
Staff tells each team to go into the village, get to a specific store, and the owner will give them something. On Team Bravo, Brianna and Kody keep butting heads over how they should be doing things. They ask locals for directions but are ignored. They disagree on where they should be walking and are doing a lot of standing around while out in the open.
Team Alpha are moving along a little faster with Andrew taking the lead. They find the store and are given a phone with directions on it to the rendezvous point. Randall says there's too many eyes on them here, they agree to get out of the village. They jog out.
Back on Team Bravo they are still looking for the store. They climb up a little hill and they see it. The store was yards away from their starting point. They get the package and theirs has a map with directions to their rendezvous point. Kody keeps trying to get them to hide more but the girls keep telling him they're fine. They have to follow a riverbed 1.5 miles to a mosque.
Shawn: Is that the river bed?
Kody: No. That is a ditch.
Brianna: It looks like a dry riverbed to me.
Kody: I'm sorry ladies. I know irrigation. That is an irrigation ditch.
Kody then.. pees in the ditch. The girls are annoyed.
Back to Team Alpha. They're supposed to be finding a woman by a campfire as their rendezvous point but are wandering around aimlessly, unable to find her. Andrew suggests that they walk back to the village. (Narrator cuts in to say they are unaware that they are only 50 yards from the woman.) Randall says he doesn't think they should go back to the village. Andrew asks if he has a better idea. He does not. So they're going forward with Andrew's plan to walk a mile backwards. Randall is annoyed, Gia has no opinion on anything.
They enter the village and are immediately spotted by men with flashlights and dogs.
Randall: Stop. I see lights. There's a dog, there's a dog!
Andrew: What the frick?
They run around a corner and dodge around buildings. They manage to escape capture. Randall keeps repeating that they need to get out of the village. Andrew now thinks they should go back the way they came, so off they go to retrace their steps a second time.
Back to Team Bravo. They're wandering around. Kody and Brianna still arguing. Shawn finds a path and they see the mosque. Once there they are handed directions to the final safe-house. They head off to the west.
Back to Team Alpha. After Andrew's three mile detour, they finally find the woman with the campfire. She hands them a paper map with directions to the safe-house and points which direction to go in. They start walking, but now they are in exposed territory.
Randall pointing: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Those two lights are following us. Those are dog lights.
They discuss running, but keep walking. An explosion goes off next to them. They are surrounded by men and barking dogs. Bags are put over their heads and their hands are ziptied.
Randall: VW! VW! VW!
Randall voluntarily withdraws and is out. He says it just felt too real and he panicked.
Back to Team Bravo. They get to a house. Brianna says it's the safe-house but Shawn isn't sure. Shawn says something doesn't feel right. She doesn't think this is the safe-house. They're standing outside of the house discussing this. An explosion goes off and they are surrounded by men and barking dogs. They're captured.
The episode ends there. 13 down, 5 remain. Next week is the finale.
There's an explosion outside the bunk. Staff yell "The base is under attack! Let's go! Let's go! Stay together!" Everyone runs out and jumps into the cars.
Challenge 2: The recruits are being sent on the run. Their mission is to reach a safe house whilst evading capture from an enemy hunter force. It is night time now, everything is dark. The enemy force has a lot of barking dogs.
Staff: It's one of the worst scenarios you could ever imagine. You're fearing for your life, you're in survival mode. One wrong turn and you are done.
Team Alpha and Bravo have been dropped outside villages at opposite ends of the valley. They must navigate across three miles of unknown terrain and locate two rendezvous points, where they'll pick up instructions for their final safe-house location.
Staff tells each team to go into the village, get to a specific store, and the owner will give them something. On Team Bravo, Brianna and Kody keep butting heads over how they should be doing things. They ask locals for directions but are ignored. They disagree on where they should be walking and are doing a lot of standing around while out in the open.
Team Alpha are moving along a little faster with Andrew taking the lead. They find the store and are given a phone with directions on it to the rendezvous point. Randall says there's too many eyes on them here, they agree to get out of the village. They jog out.
Back on Team Bravo they are still looking for the store. They climb up a little hill and they see it. The store was yards away from their starting point. They get the package and theirs has a map with directions to their rendezvous point. Kody keeps trying to get them to hide more but the girls keep telling him they're fine. They have to follow a riverbed 1.5 miles to a mosque.
Shawn: Is that the river bed?
Kody: No. That is a ditch.
Brianna: It looks like a dry riverbed to me.
Kody: I'm sorry ladies. I know irrigation. That is an irrigation ditch.
Kody then.. pees in the ditch. The girls are annoyed.
Back to Team Alpha. They're supposed to be finding a woman by a campfire as their rendezvous point but are wandering around aimlessly, unable to find her. Andrew suggests that they walk back to the village. (Narrator cuts in to say they are unaware that they are only 50 yards from the woman.) Randall says he doesn't think they should go back to the village. Andrew asks if he has a better idea. He does not. So they're going forward with Andrew's plan to walk a mile backwards. Randall is annoyed, Gia has no opinion on anything.
They enter the village and are immediately spotted by men with flashlights and dogs.
Randall: Stop. I see lights. There's a dog, there's a dog!
Andrew: What the frick?
They run around a corner and dodge around buildings. They manage to escape capture. Randall keeps repeating that they need to get out of the village. Andrew now thinks they should go back the way they came, so off they go to retrace their steps a second time.
Back to Team Bravo. They're wandering around. Kody and Brianna still arguing. Shawn finds a path and they see the mosque. Once there they are handed directions to the final safe-house. They head off to the west.
Back to Team Alpha. After Andrew's three mile detour, they finally find the woman with the campfire. She hands them a paper map with directions to the safe-house and points which direction to go in. They start walking, but now they are in exposed territory.
Randall pointing: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Those two lights are following us. Those are dog lights.
They discuss running, but keep walking. An explosion goes off next to them. They are surrounded by men and barking dogs. Bags are put over their heads and their hands are ziptied.
Randall: VW! VW! VW!
Randall voluntarily withdraws and is out. He says it just felt too real and he panicked.
Back to Team Bravo. They get to a house. Brianna says it's the safe-house but Shawn isn't sure. Shawn says something doesn't feel right. She doesn't think this is the safe-house. They're standing outside of the house discussing this. An explosion goes off and they are surrounded by men and barking dogs. They're captured.
The episode ends there. 13 down, 5 remain. Next week is the finale.
Last edited:
- Feb 6, 2021
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So glad it wasn’t Kody Brown who won 
- Feb 6, 2021
- 573
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Shawn also won Dancing With The Stars. That’s a lot of reality show winning for one person
- Feb 2, 2021
- 3,821
- 6,552
Season 4 - Shawn Johnson and Andrew East - Episode 9, Finale
We pick up the same night where everyone was captured. They've been brought back to base camp with black bags over their heads. Camp is now redesigned to be the "enemy camp." It's 2am, the narrator says they've been awake for almost 24 hours. The final phase of selection is interrogation.
Staff: It's 12 hours of absolute mental and physical hell.
They have a different team of people pretending to be the enemy interrogators. Regular Staff is in their little room watching everything from the cameras. So far the interrogators are taking recruits into a room one by one, talking to them about themselves a bit, and having them change out of their clothes into a drab prisoner jumpsuit. Staff say the goal for the recruits is to build a rapport with their captors without revealing that they are in the military. When it gets to Shawn and Andrew's part, Staff say neither of them know what happened to the other. So they don't know yet they're in the same place (their heads were bagged until they get in the individual room)
Shawn's Interrogator: So why you here then?
Shawn: Uh, I was an athlete. My husband and I do family content and post about it.
Interrogator: Your husband and you?
Shawn: Yes sir.
Interrogator: Okay. What's he called?
Shawn: Andrew.
Shawn cut to camera: I don't think I'll do well in interrogation. I am so much better at, like, not talking and doing a physical challenge than I am dealing with emotions.
Interrogator: Okay, open the bag up. (pause) What's that?
Shawn: It's sand, sir.
Interrogator: Why have you got a bag full of sand in a bag??
Shawn: Rucking in the United States is really popular right now for fitness.
Interrogator: Rucking?
Shawn: Yes.
Interrogator: What is rucking?
Shawn: When you carry a lot of weight on your back.
Cut to regular Staff in other room: What I find positive is, she's building rapport.
Now we go to Andrew with his interrogator alone in the room.
Andrew's Interrogator: You've got a uniform on.
Andrew: They're my favorite pants.
Interrogator: Take your boots off first because it's quite hard to take your favorite pants off when you've still got boots on.
Cut to regular Staff in other room: Andrew is funny, I like him. Every now and again he tries to sort of like, pull back a little bit of control.
Interrogator: So what's your name?
Andrew: Andrew.
Interrogator: Andrew what?
Andrew: East.
Interrogator: Andrew East.
Andrew: What's your name?
Interrogator: Are you broken?? 'Cause you forget, you forget that I ask the questions??
Andrew: I didn't-
Interrogator: No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'll tell you what you do. You answer questions, don't you? You're in a lot of trouble.
Andrew cut away to camera: I came out of playing college football and I was the number one ranked person in my position. In my first year in the professionals, the stress brought out this different side of me. It was pretty much a panic attack type of situation.
Interrogator: Children. Have you got kids?
Andrew: I- I- I- I- do have children.
Interrogator: Who's looking after them?
Andrew: My mom.
Interrogator: Why's your missus not looking after them? Where is she?
Andrew: I believe she- I believe she's in the United States.
Interrogator: Oh, is she? Is she really? All you're doing to me at the minute, is pissing me off, isn't it? Do I look really happy? Do I look like I'm gonna go 'Oh tell you what, I think we've got a big mistake. I'll let you go!'
Andrew: I think you do have a- I think you do have a big mistake. (big pause) I think there has been-
Interrogator: NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. Let me tell you something. You've made the mistake, son.
He gives Andrew the prisoner jumpsuit and Andrew gets changed.
Andrew: I'm just confused with where I am.. or why I'm here..
Interrogator: Shh.. Shh. I do the talking here, don't I?
Now it cuts to everyone in their jumpsuits laying on the ground with their heads bagged. Narrator says the recruits have been held throughout the night and their interrogation is about to ramp up. Staff says the next scenario is to test the recruits on their lie. They are taken into rooms one by one again.
Flashback to their training from yesterday before they went on Challenge 2. Narrator says before going on the run, both teams received capture training. Staff is telling the two groups "You each need to come up with a credible lie about you. You've got to use deception, okay? You must build rapport and read the room. Why have you been caught in this place?"
They show Andrew telling his group that they're doing charity work to scout out the local soccer teams and improve their fields. Shawn tells her group that they've been hired and given the opportunity to come to Morocco as influencers. The groups were separated when they worked on this yesterday, so I don't think they know each other's lie.
Back in the present, we get Andrew brought back into the room first, now with a different interrogator.
Andrew's new interrogator: Tell me why you're in Morocco.
Andrew: I'm in Morocco on a charity trip.
Interrogator: Right. Keep talking.
Andrew: We're here to help restore soccer fields to good condition.
Interrogator: Right. And who's we?
Andrew: Myself and the local children.
Interrogator: The local children would already be here. So who's we? Who have you arrived with?
Andrew: We collectively restore the soccer fields to good condition.
Interrogator: And who is we?
Andrew doesn't answer. It shows us Gia Giudice's interrogation where she tells them that she is here with her friend Andrew.
Andrew's Interrogator: You're treating me like a fool.
Andrew: There's a lot of people passionate about sport.
Interrogator: Like, great! Fantastic! Who are these people that are out? Forget the ****ing local children, Andrew. The tone and pitch of my voice should be telling you something now! WHO IS WE?
Andrew: I'm not sure their names.
Interrogator: So I need you to really, really focus now, and just give me straight answers. So, married?
Andrew: Yes to- it's been a collective-
Interrogator: So let me get this straight. You've left your wife to come out and work with people, and you don't know their ****ing names? Is that what I'm hearing? Is that what you're wanting to tell me?
Andrew: (pause) Correct.
Interrogator: I think it's ****ing incorrect. I think you're talking utter (bleep).
Andrew: I'd love to get back to my family. I'd love to tell you the information you need.
Interrogator: Tell me the ****ing information then!
Staff in the other room are saying he's choking. He's overthinking a simple situation. They think he's wondering where Shawn is. Bits of Gia's interrogation were sprinkled in throughout Andrew's and staff say she did well. Now we move on to Shawn's interrogation.
Shawn's Interrogator: Why are you here?
Shawn: I do influencing, travel vlogging.
Interrogator: Think you're in the wrong place?
Shawn: I think I'm in the wrong place, wrong time.
Interrogator: So how long were you meant to be here for?
Shawn: Like, three days. In and out.
(Staff in the other room agree with each other that she's sounding credible.)
Interrogator: Have you got children?
Shawn: I do.
Interrogator: How many?
Shawn: I have three.
Interrogator: Noooo, how old are your children?
Shawn: Five, three, and one.
Interrogator: I hope you're getting paid a lot because they are some ages where they do need their mum.
Shawn just nods.
Interrogator: Do you feel guilty?
Shawn, voice cracking: I miss them.
Interrogator: So why is it you've come, then?
Shawn: I have to pay the bills.
(Staff in other room say she's believable because her emotions are raw and right there)
Interrogator: If you're lying, I'm not gonna be too happy.
Shawn: That's fair, sir.
Interrogator: Would you lie to me?
Shawn: No, sir.
Interrogator: Are you sure?
Shawn: Yes, sir.
Then it shows Kody Brown and Brianna LaPaglia's separate interrogations, using the same influencer lie. Kody says he's a podcaster. Brianna says TikTok. She calls Kody creepy and says she didn't like him.
Now it's onto the next part, staff say they need to ramp up the stress. Brianna and Kody are taken outside to be stress-tested together. They use what Brianna said in the interrogation against them and dump dirty water on their heads.
(Continued Below)
We pick up the same night where everyone was captured. They've been brought back to base camp with black bags over their heads. Camp is now redesigned to be the "enemy camp." It's 2am, the narrator says they've been awake for almost 24 hours. The final phase of selection is interrogation.
Staff: It's 12 hours of absolute mental and physical hell.
They have a different team of people pretending to be the enemy interrogators. Regular Staff is in their little room watching everything from the cameras. So far the interrogators are taking recruits into a room one by one, talking to them about themselves a bit, and having them change out of their clothes into a drab prisoner jumpsuit. Staff say the goal for the recruits is to build a rapport with their captors without revealing that they are in the military. When it gets to Shawn and Andrew's part, Staff say neither of them know what happened to the other. So they don't know yet they're in the same place (their heads were bagged until they get in the individual room)
Shawn's Interrogator: So why you here then?
Shawn: Uh, I was an athlete. My husband and I do family content and post about it.
Interrogator: Your husband and you?
Shawn: Yes sir.
Interrogator: Okay. What's he called?
Shawn: Andrew.
Shawn cut to camera: I don't think I'll do well in interrogation. I am so much better at, like, not talking and doing a physical challenge than I am dealing with emotions.
Interrogator: Okay, open the bag up. (pause) What's that?
Shawn: It's sand, sir.
Interrogator: Why have you got a bag full of sand in a bag??
Shawn: Rucking in the United States is really popular right now for fitness.
Interrogator: Rucking?
Shawn: Yes.
Interrogator: What is rucking?
Shawn: When you carry a lot of weight on your back.
Cut to regular Staff in other room: What I find positive is, she's building rapport.
Now we go to Andrew with his interrogator alone in the room.
Andrew's Interrogator: You've got a uniform on.
Andrew: They're my favorite pants.
Interrogator: Take your boots off first because it's quite hard to take your favorite pants off when you've still got boots on.
Cut to regular Staff in other room: Andrew is funny, I like him. Every now and again he tries to sort of like, pull back a little bit of control.
Interrogator: So what's your name?
Andrew: Andrew.
Interrogator: Andrew what?
Andrew: East.
Interrogator: Andrew East.
Andrew: What's your name?
Interrogator: Are you broken?? 'Cause you forget, you forget that I ask the questions??
Andrew: I didn't-
Interrogator: No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'll tell you what you do. You answer questions, don't you? You're in a lot of trouble.
Andrew cut away to camera: I came out of playing college football and I was the number one ranked person in my position. In my first year in the professionals, the stress brought out this different side of me. It was pretty much a panic attack type of situation.
Interrogator: Children. Have you got kids?
Andrew: I- I- I- I- do have children.
Interrogator: Who's looking after them?
Andrew: My mom.
Interrogator: Why's your missus not looking after them? Where is she?
Andrew: I believe she- I believe she's in the United States.
Interrogator: Oh, is she? Is she really? All you're doing to me at the minute, is pissing me off, isn't it? Do I look really happy? Do I look like I'm gonna go 'Oh tell you what, I think we've got a big mistake. I'll let you go!'
Andrew: I think you do have a- I think you do have a big mistake. (big pause) I think there has been-
Interrogator: NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. Let me tell you something. You've made the mistake, son.
He gives Andrew the prisoner jumpsuit and Andrew gets changed.
Andrew: I'm just confused with where I am.. or why I'm here..
Interrogator: Shh.. Shh. I do the talking here, don't I?
Now it cuts to everyone in their jumpsuits laying on the ground with their heads bagged. Narrator says the recruits have been held throughout the night and their interrogation is about to ramp up. Staff says the next scenario is to test the recruits on their lie. They are taken into rooms one by one again.
Flashback to their training from yesterday before they went on Challenge 2. Narrator says before going on the run, both teams received capture training. Staff is telling the two groups "You each need to come up with a credible lie about you. You've got to use deception, okay? You must build rapport and read the room. Why have you been caught in this place?"
They show Andrew telling his group that they're doing charity work to scout out the local soccer teams and improve their fields. Shawn tells her group that they've been hired and given the opportunity to come to Morocco as influencers. The groups were separated when they worked on this yesterday, so I don't think they know each other's lie.
Back in the present, we get Andrew brought back into the room first, now with a different interrogator.
Andrew's new interrogator: Tell me why you're in Morocco.
Andrew: I'm in Morocco on a charity trip.
Interrogator: Right. Keep talking.
Andrew: We're here to help restore soccer fields to good condition.
Interrogator: Right. And who's we?
Andrew: Myself and the local children.
Interrogator: The local children would already be here. So who's we? Who have you arrived with?
Andrew: We collectively restore the soccer fields to good condition.
Interrogator: And who is we?
Andrew doesn't answer. It shows us Gia Giudice's interrogation where she tells them that she is here with her friend Andrew.
Andrew's Interrogator: You're treating me like a fool.
Andrew: There's a lot of people passionate about sport.
Interrogator: Like, great! Fantastic! Who are these people that are out? Forget the ****ing local children, Andrew. The tone and pitch of my voice should be telling you something now! WHO IS WE?
Andrew: I'm not sure their names.
Interrogator: So I need you to really, really focus now, and just give me straight answers. So, married?
Andrew: Yes to- it's been a collective-
Interrogator: So let me get this straight. You've left your wife to come out and work with people, and you don't know their ****ing names? Is that what I'm hearing? Is that what you're wanting to tell me?
Andrew: (pause) Correct.
Interrogator: I think it's ****ing incorrect. I think you're talking utter (bleep).
Andrew: I'd love to get back to my family. I'd love to tell you the information you need.
Interrogator: Tell me the ****ing information then!
Staff in the other room are saying he's choking. He's overthinking a simple situation. They think he's wondering where Shawn is. Bits of Gia's interrogation were sprinkled in throughout Andrew's and staff say she did well. Now we move on to Shawn's interrogation.
Shawn's Interrogator: Why are you here?
Shawn: I do influencing, travel vlogging.
Interrogator: Think you're in the wrong place?
Shawn: I think I'm in the wrong place, wrong time.
Interrogator: So how long were you meant to be here for?
Shawn: Like, three days. In and out.
(Staff in the other room agree with each other that she's sounding credible.)
Interrogator: Have you got children?
Shawn: I do.
Interrogator: How many?
Shawn: I have three.
Interrogator: Noooo, how old are your children?
Shawn: Five, three, and one.
Interrogator: I hope you're getting paid a lot because they are some ages where they do need their mum.
Shawn just nods.
Interrogator: Do you feel guilty?
Shawn, voice cracking: I miss them.
Interrogator: So why is it you've come, then?
Shawn: I have to pay the bills.
(Staff in other room say she's believable because her emotions are raw and right there)
Interrogator: If you're lying, I'm not gonna be too happy.
Shawn: That's fair, sir.
Interrogator: Would you lie to me?
Shawn: No, sir.
Interrogator: Are you sure?
Shawn: Yes, sir.
Then it shows Kody Brown and Brianna LaPaglia's separate interrogations, using the same influencer lie. Kody says he's a podcaster. Brianna says TikTok. She calls Kody creepy and says she didn't like him.
Now it's onto the next part, staff say they need to ramp up the stress. Brianna and Kody are taken outside to be stress-tested together. They use what Brianna said in the interrogation against them and dump dirty water on their heads.
(Continued Below)
- Feb 2, 2021
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In another room several interrogators bring in Andrew, Shawn, and Gia and unbag their heads so they see each other.
Interrogator points at Shawn: Who is that? Who the **** is that?
Andrew: ... It's my wife.
Interrogator: Why the **** did you not tell me that before?
Other Interrogator: Where did you say your wife was?
Andrew: I thought she had already left.
Interrogator: Oh, did you now? But you didn't say she was here, did you?
Interrogator: Anything to say that could redeem yourself at this point!?
Andrew doesn't answer. Interrogator points at Gia.
Interrogator: Who is that?
Andrew: We worked on a soccer field together.
Interrogator: She ratted you out. I knew all along, but I wanted to see if you were trustworthy. But you're not. Didn't you tell everything, that you were with him? In fact, it almost looked like to me you were having a ****ing affair.
(Staff in other room say Shawn is Andrew's weak link and she is an easy way of getting into his head.)
Andrew cut away to camera: I'd say my number one mission is to protect my wife. That's a top priority.
Interrogator: Shall we put this true love to the test?
Andrew: Let's test it.
They march them outside. Staff in their room say to each other that they think anything physical that happens to Shawn is going to trigger a reaction from Andrew.
Shawn cut away to camera: I do think we are a team, so at the end of the day we'll be helping each other as much as we can.
Outside the interrogators stick Gia in a little dunk tank and push her under the water. They make Andrew help push her under the water. Then they take Gia out and put Shawn in the tank. They have Andrew dunk Shawn under the water. Staff keep acting like this is some huge torturous event but it's literally like 3 feet of water and they're dunking her for maybe 4 to 5 seconds at a time. Both Shawn and Gia appear perfectly calm and fine.
Andrew says they are telling the truth. Staff in the other room can't believe Andrew isn't doing or saying anything to stop the duress of the smaller weaker people. Interrogators have him dunk Shawn a few more times then they take her out. Staff in the other room question if they would want to have Andrew with them on a mission.
Interrogator to Shawn: You're ****ing husband is sticking your head under the water.
Shawn and Andrew just stand there staring like.. yeah? Is that not what you just told us to do?
Interrogator: You haven't been honest, have you?
Shawn: I've told you what I know.
Interrogator: No. No, no, no, no. You- don't take me for a fool, or I'm going to put you in here for the next ****ing hour. Do you understand?
Shawn: I'm sorry to disappoint you.
Staff discuss amongst themselves that Shawn was solid throughout that but about Andrew they say "he's been abysmal. He has no humanizing, no credible story. That's him done, gone."
Regular Staff come out and take Andrew into a room alone.
Staff: You did not apply the tactics and the training that was explained to you for this portion of the course. For that reason you have failed the course.
Staff takes Andrew's armband and he's out.
Staff softly: You did really well to get this far. It's ****ing hard, isn't it? Keep your head up.
Andrew cut to camera: What a ride it was. Learned a lot. I'm bummed that I didn't pass selection, but I didn't fully understand the situation. I did not voluntarily withdraw myself, so I guess I can rest easy knowing that I gave it all I had. I have no doubt Shawn will make it to the end.
The four remaining recruits are in a hot cell with bags over their heads again, sitting in stress positions and listening to a recording of a baby crying. Shawn doesn't know that Andrew is out. The interrogators take them all outside, lines them up, unbags their heads.
Shawn cut away to camera: I will be so mad if Andrew leaves before me. If he does leave before me, besides being bitter, I will have to win.
Interrogator: Is anyone missing?
Shawn: My husband.
Interrogator: Best husband in the world and he's not here anymore.
They're trying to goad her into a reaction but Shawn has locked down into gymnast mode.
Also this is the last day and there's literally only a few hours left. How choked up is she supposed to be? She knows she'll be done with this and eating dinner with him that night lol.
Interrogators have everyone pick up sandbags. Gia and Brianna have to stand holding them over their heads. Shawn and Kody have to squat and hold them. Kody spaced out earlier and wasn't responding to questions so they're trying to force him to talk. He still isn't answering now so they have him put down his sandbag and stand there watching the girls struggling to keep holding them. He mumbles out two words but otherwise just stands there looking blank.
Regular staff come out and get Kody. He's brought into the same room Andrew was removed in.
Staff: Alright, we gave you opportunities, and you just did not apply what was briefed to you. You shut down. Do you understand?
Kody: Yes I do.
They take his armband and he's out. Kody says he agrees with being withdrawn, in the end the level of stress made him shut down into stubbornness.
The remaining three girls are sent back into the hot room with the recording of the baby crying.
Staff: In the final minutes of the phase the recruits need to endure the hell of the mud burial. It's frightening. It's threatening. It's claustrophobic. To pass, they must not break cover. All they need to do is stay silent. If they say anything about the military, they've failed.
They're bringing them outside one at a time. They have to get into what looks like a large sandbox. It has less than an inch of mud in it. They lay down on their back in the mud and the interrogators put the cover on the sandbox. ..That's it. They don't get covered in mud or anything. They just have to lay in a wide sandbox.
Shawn cut away to camera: In gymnastics, the more terrified I was of something, the more accomplished I felt. I liked facing a fear and feeling like I could surpass it.
Interrogator: I have one question. Are you in the military? Think about your answer.
They go to put the lid of the sandbox on and Gia sits up and starts panicking. Interrogator says "Tell me the truth and you can go." Gia just lies back down quietly and they put the cover on.
They ask the same question to Brianna and she doesn't answer. They go to put the lid on her sandbox and she says "Uh.. yes. I lied. I'm here with Special Forces."
Staff take Brianna out to the removal room and take her armband, she's out. She was ten minutes away from the end of selection. Staff are laughing in the camera room, they can't believe she folded. "And again, they just don't have to say anything!"
Shawn and Gia dual camera views inside the sandbox
Shawn just lays there quietly and the cover goes on. It has like a half inch gap all around it so light and air still get in. All they have to do to finish is just lay there for a few minutes and not say they're in the military. Periodically an interrogator will knock on the cover and ask if they're in the military. They both just lay there quietly. Then they take the lid off and they are done.
Regular staff walk out of their camera room and address Shawn and Gia.
To Shawn they say: You started strong. You performed well on the tasks. However, you were emotionally unavailable. And for us on the battlefield, we need to know the people that are next to us. That is important to us.
To Gia they say: I don't even know where to start with you. Your start was pretty poor. But as the course progressed so did you. You started to shine. And you've shown resilliance. But it comes down to performance. Have you done enough to pass this course?
They do their dramatic reality show pause.
Staff: Congratulations. You have both successfully passed this course. Come on up here!
Shawn and Gia get up on the Staff stage and they all hug and congratulate each other.
Gia: We're the two smallest!
Staff: You did a good job, well done. You two deserve to be here.
Gia Giudice cut away to camera: Shawn and I are gonna be bonded for life. We completed selection. I truly didn't think that I was gonna be able to do it. I knew I had to persevere and push through for myself and for my family and also most importantly for the DS, because they really believed in me.
Shawn Johnson cut away to camera: They literally strip away peoples' core, and it's a very humbling experience. I learned that you can't just tune the world out and get your job done. You have to be able to balance both.
They drive out of camp for the last time.
Interrogator points at Shawn: Who is that? Who the **** is that?
Andrew: ... It's my wife.
Interrogator: Why the **** did you not tell me that before?
Other Interrogator: Where did you say your wife was?
Andrew: I thought she had already left.
Interrogator: Oh, did you now? But you didn't say she was here, did you?
Interrogator: Anything to say that could redeem yourself at this point!?
Andrew doesn't answer. Interrogator points at Gia.
Interrogator: Who is that?
Andrew: We worked on a soccer field together.
Interrogator: She ratted you out. I knew all along, but I wanted to see if you were trustworthy. But you're not. Didn't you tell everything, that you were with him? In fact, it almost looked like to me you were having a ****ing affair.
(Staff in other room say Shawn is Andrew's weak link and she is an easy way of getting into his head.)
Andrew cut away to camera: I'd say my number one mission is to protect my wife. That's a top priority.
Interrogator: Shall we put this true love to the test?
Andrew: Let's test it.
They march them outside. Staff in their room say to each other that they think anything physical that happens to Shawn is going to trigger a reaction from Andrew.
Shawn cut away to camera: I do think we are a team, so at the end of the day we'll be helping each other as much as we can.
Outside the interrogators stick Gia in a little dunk tank and push her under the water. They make Andrew help push her under the water. Then they take Gia out and put Shawn in the tank. They have Andrew dunk Shawn under the water. Staff keep acting like this is some huge torturous event but it's literally like 3 feet of water and they're dunking her for maybe 4 to 5 seconds at a time. Both Shawn and Gia appear perfectly calm and fine.
Andrew says they are telling the truth. Staff in the other room can't believe Andrew isn't doing or saying anything to stop the duress of the smaller weaker people. Interrogators have him dunk Shawn a few more times then they take her out. Staff in the other room question if they would want to have Andrew with them on a mission.
Interrogator to Shawn: You're ****ing husband is sticking your head under the water.
Shawn and Andrew just stand there staring like.. yeah? Is that not what you just told us to do?
Interrogator: You haven't been honest, have you?
Shawn: I've told you what I know.
Interrogator: No. No, no, no, no. You- don't take me for a fool, or I'm going to put you in here for the next ****ing hour. Do you understand?
Shawn: I'm sorry to disappoint you.
Staff discuss amongst themselves that Shawn was solid throughout that but about Andrew they say "he's been abysmal. He has no humanizing, no credible story. That's him done, gone."
Regular Staff come out and take Andrew into a room alone.
Staff: You did not apply the tactics and the training that was explained to you for this portion of the course. For that reason you have failed the course.
Staff takes Andrew's armband and he's out.
Staff softly: You did really well to get this far. It's ****ing hard, isn't it? Keep your head up.
Andrew cut to camera: What a ride it was. Learned a lot. I'm bummed that I didn't pass selection, but I didn't fully understand the situation. I did not voluntarily withdraw myself, so I guess I can rest easy knowing that I gave it all I had. I have no doubt Shawn will make it to the end.
The four remaining recruits are in a hot cell with bags over their heads again, sitting in stress positions and listening to a recording of a baby crying. Shawn doesn't know that Andrew is out. The interrogators take them all outside, lines them up, unbags their heads.
Shawn cut away to camera: I will be so mad if Andrew leaves before me. If he does leave before me, besides being bitter, I will have to win.
Interrogator: Is anyone missing?
Shawn: My husband.
Interrogator: Best husband in the world and he's not here anymore.
They're trying to goad her into a reaction but Shawn has locked down into gymnast mode.
Also this is the last day and there's literally only a few hours left. How choked up is she supposed to be? She knows she'll be done with this and eating dinner with him that night lol.
Interrogators have everyone pick up sandbags. Gia and Brianna have to stand holding them over their heads. Shawn and Kody have to squat and hold them. Kody spaced out earlier and wasn't responding to questions so they're trying to force him to talk. He still isn't answering now so they have him put down his sandbag and stand there watching the girls struggling to keep holding them. He mumbles out two words but otherwise just stands there looking blank.
Regular staff come out and get Kody. He's brought into the same room Andrew was removed in.
Staff: Alright, we gave you opportunities, and you just did not apply what was briefed to you. You shut down. Do you understand?
Kody: Yes I do.
They take his armband and he's out. Kody says he agrees with being withdrawn, in the end the level of stress made him shut down into stubbornness.
The remaining three girls are sent back into the hot room with the recording of the baby crying.
Staff: In the final minutes of the phase the recruits need to endure the hell of the mud burial. It's frightening. It's threatening. It's claustrophobic. To pass, they must not break cover. All they need to do is stay silent. If they say anything about the military, they've failed.
They're bringing them outside one at a time. They have to get into what looks like a large sandbox. It has less than an inch of mud in it. They lay down on their back in the mud and the interrogators put the cover on the sandbox. ..That's it. They don't get covered in mud or anything. They just have to lay in a wide sandbox.
Shawn cut away to camera: In gymnastics, the more terrified I was of something, the more accomplished I felt. I liked facing a fear and feeling like I could surpass it.
Interrogator: I have one question. Are you in the military? Think about your answer.
They go to put the lid of the sandbox on and Gia sits up and starts panicking. Interrogator says "Tell me the truth and you can go." Gia just lies back down quietly and they put the cover on.
They ask the same question to Brianna and she doesn't answer. They go to put the lid on her sandbox and she says "Uh.. yes. I lied. I'm here with Special Forces."
Staff take Brianna out to the removal room and take her armband, she's out. She was ten minutes away from the end of selection. Staff are laughing in the camera room, they can't believe she folded. "And again, they just don't have to say anything!"
Shawn and Gia dual camera views inside the sandbox
Shawn just lays there quietly and the cover goes on. It has like a half inch gap all around it so light and air still get in. All they have to do to finish is just lay there for a few minutes and not say they're in the military. Periodically an interrogator will knock on the cover and ask if they're in the military. They both just lay there quietly. Then they take the lid off and they are done.
Regular staff walk out of their camera room and address Shawn and Gia.
To Shawn they say: You started strong. You performed well on the tasks. However, you were emotionally unavailable. And for us on the battlefield, we need to know the people that are next to us. That is important to us.
To Gia they say: I don't even know where to start with you. Your start was pretty poor. But as the course progressed so did you. You started to shine. And you've shown resilliance. But it comes down to performance. Have you done enough to pass this course?
They do their dramatic reality show pause.
Staff: Congratulations. You have both successfully passed this course. Come on up here!
Shawn and Gia get up on the Staff stage and they all hug and congratulate each other.
Gia: We're the two smallest!
Staff: You did a good job, well done. You two deserve to be here.
Gia Giudice cut away to camera: Shawn and I are gonna be bonded for life. We completed selection. I truly didn't think that I was gonna be able to do it. I knew I had to persevere and push through for myself and for my family and also most importantly for the DS, because they really believed in me.
Shawn Johnson cut away to camera: They literally strip away peoples' core, and it's a very humbling experience. I learned that you can't just tune the world out and get your job done. You have to be able to balance both.
They drive out of camp for the last time.
Last edited:
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