Weak Links

Obviously GregAndBlaine are a force to be reckoned with. And some nerd challenges let the nerds shine. But what I don't get is why the kids are so bad at recognizing their weak links and not letting them mess everything up. In this week's challenge, the red team sent Emily as their first person to look for the cans. WHY? She is obvs not going to be that good at it. Maybe she told them that she also tames wild pigs? So yeah, these kids are never going to build a town if they keep making such poor choices.

1880s technology

What is the point of that over-the-neck water carrier contraption that looks like a guillotine? It still only holds two normal buckets, the same that two hands could hold, and it ends up causing way more spills. Inefficient. They use it every episode. This picture is from two weeks ago, but I definitely spotted it last night.

This is almost as bad as the "frontier microwave" (which has never been shown since that fateful decision) or the old-tyme phone used to spread the news that 1-6 children can now go to college. I thought the journal was my least favorite thing, but now I have decided that I hate that ridiculous phone even more.

Crying Nation

Wasn't it sweet that everyone cried when DK said he was leaving, even cold-hearted Olivia who then had to console her child (Mallory). Other criers included Taylor, 2 kids I have never seen before, Leila (what else is new! she cries approx. 8 times an episode) and yeah basically everyone (except Colton probably).

Commemorative Buffalo Nickel #6: That fauhawk kid splayed across the barrel after a freak soda fight accident.

Point/Counterpoint: A Defense of Guylan

He is not awful, he is just weird in a home schooled way. Also, he lived on a zoo! That has to mess you up. His only friends were zebras and tiger cubs-- cut him some slack. He is not used to being around kids, so he didn't know that it is ok to not be great at digging a ditch when you are 11.

I totally agree with you about Anjay though. In fact, here is a list of ways Anjay embarrassed himself in this episode:
- Getting called out by Sophia for letting the girls do all the work
- Lame fight with Taylor. Someone arrest him for false imprisonment and/or teach him how to fight.
- The quote about his bones, obviously.
- He always looked like he was about to throw up

My parents say I look good in braces!

Last night reminded me of all those kids in elementary school who were naive enough to believe their parents' lies, told to soften the often biting harshness of reality.  Example:  Anjay was sucking it up at the challenge.  His team members are visibly pissed.  Off-screen he explains:  "I'm not very good at physical activity.  I haven't built much muscle because my bones are still forming!" Obviously something Mom said when he cried for repeatedly getting picked last for any sports team.  I'm sure my boy Colton's bones are still forming (it's doubtful he'll be 4'8" the rest of his life) but he was in there grabbing cans like it was nobody's business.

 

Also, shout out to Alex for taking pride in where his strengths lie instead of making flimsy excuses.  "I never give up, though," he explained.  But then he lost some credibility in my book when he followed it up with, "unless it's beyond hope."  So he never gives up unless he thinks he should give up. 

 

Additionally--did anyone else think Greg was going to break his neck diving into the bean tank head-first?  You're not supposed to do that in 4 feet of water, let alone 4 INCHES. 

 

For the record, I would like to state that Guylan is awful.  The worst part about him is that he does not know he is awful. 

A Choice Between Mother Earth and Fossil Fuels

Upon unveiling a shed containing approximately 18 items, the host said it was "every fruit and vegetable imaginable." Um, what? The other day I bought pluots and kiwi berries (tiny tiny kiwis that you can eat without peeling) and I didn't see those. I didn't even see regular plums or apricots (although kiwis did play a prominent role in the dramatic fruit salad scene). The best parts of the Kid Nation Fruit/Veg Frenzy are as follows:

5) guylan eating corn (uncooked???)
4) some kid gnawing on a cucumber
3) the fact that someone chose a carrot instead of something better (ie, anything but a carrot)
2) the producers' decision to include artichokes as one of the 18 items. like kids know how to cook those.
1) someone off camera yelling "I GOT A PEAR!!!!!!!!"

BCity Necessities

I watched a random video on the KN website (falsely advertised as a preview of next week's episode) and it turns out that Cody wanted to leave because he missed his wheelchair-bound brother. That is a much more compelling story than his serious long-term girlfriend. Why didn't it make the cut?

Also, I am going to keep a running tally of anytime a kid says "A man needs ___." So far, we have learned that A Man Needs Root Beer (Cody--episode 3) and that A Man Needs Meat (some kid--- episode 5). By process of elimination, we have learned that men/women/kids whose parents hate them enough to send them to Kid Nation do not need toothbrushes, basic first aid, mattresses, pizza, miniature golf, and political barbecues. I am seriously going to keep track of this.

To Grill Or To Wear A Grill

Wait, so you're telling me that these kids weren't allowed to bring toothbrushes with them for this 40 day TV summer camp experiment? That is absurd. Pioneers should value dental hygiene.

Also, what was up with the PADLOCKED ballot boxes? If we can't trust these kids not to engage in voter fraud, how can we expect them to build a successful town? The host was standing right there--- what could they even do? This bothered me.

- Commemorative Buffalo Nickel #5: Markelle pogo sticking on Taylor's poster

Additionally...

Also, I don't know much about this guy (below) but I think I'm about to like him.  It looks like he's got something up his sleeve.

 

Last Night Redux

Taylor is out of power, as we all suspected she would be, but at least she took it like a man.  What is with Mike crying in front of everyone?  True, he did get the shaft a bit because Guylan's best quality is his ability to maintain a straight face when he wears his bandana in that lame way (see below).  More later, but I'll leave you with my biggest lament about last night:  Why didn't Jared run?