FUTURE SHOCK THERAPY (Episode 17.2 Recap)

MORE LIKE A BIWEEKLY DOUBLE WHERE KATE'S CONCERNED

It’s been a weird season so far.

Not “Lana Star makes the finals” weird, but weird nonetheless.  I suppose when you take six savvy veterans and put them in a game designed for rookies, well, shit can go weird really quick. 

I’m not all that surprised over the first elimination, to be honest, but the manner it happened- with Freya getting bounced before she could even set foot out of the locker room.  I’m pretty sure that’s a Future Shock first.  Then you add in the fact that her team still won that match despite being a woman down. 

Then last night you had Erica Horton, who I had on the hot seat going into this competition, living up to her reputation as a longtime FFW announcer and acing the test, until things got screwy.  I wasn’t going to drop the c-word, but that last footage we saw pretty much sealed the deal for me.  Erica got cheated, and it’s a shame.

But you still can’t take things away from Kate, who had nothing to do with any of that, and came back from a 1,000 point deficit (and being in fifth place) to win for her second straight win in the competition.  I didn’t think anyone would be owning the standings as much as she is, and I don’t think anyone expected Kate to be doing it.  So credit to her.

Here’s your new rankings.  Remember: these are based on the entire season, not just the last competition.

6^TH PLACE^: FREYA KANE (ELIMINATED)

#5 STACEY (ON THE HOT SEAT): Both announcers last night furiously called for Stacey’s removal from the competition, and considering she bribed a stagehand to run the buzzer cables under the podium so she could nip down and cut them, I can’t blame them.  But it goes beyond that.  Despite using illicit tactics in both competitions thus far, Stacey’s come off looking a fool.  Tiffany at ringside couldn’t cut it last week, and she had to watch Kate, her nominal teammate, take all the glory in true underdog fashion.  And this week, despite blatantly screwing Erica over, she still finished fourth out of five, answering only one question correctly.  Cheatings bad enough, but when you can’t even find a way to prosper from it…

#4 ERICA HORTON: Erica was fantastic last night, and if it weren’t for sabotage, there’s a not-completely-outlandish chance she could have won in a six question sweep.  Why she didn’t speak up when it became apparent to her that her buzzer wasn’t working is beyond me, because at least then she could have gotten it fixed and had a chance.  Ultimately though- this is a wrestling competition, and Erica’s knowledge, while impressive, doesn’t nearly counteract her taking the fall in the first week.  In fact, right now it could be argued against her- that Horton’s performance only proves that in FFW, she belongs far more at the desk than she does in the ring.  Either way, she’s earned herself another week in the competition in my eyes.  Let’s see if the voters agree.

#3 CLAIRE BLACK: Claire keeps doing what Claire keeps doing.  She hasn’t been spectacular yet, but at the same time, she’s hardly embarrassed herself.  With the field growing thinner though, she may want to make a solid move soon.

#2 VALENTINA LOZANO: You can’t really blame Lozano for finishing last in Jeopardy here.  After all, she’s been in the company the least of anyone else here, and it’s not like the rest of the roster is worthy of her attention, so it’s not much of a shock.  Nor is it a shock how brazenly unapologetic she’s been about the fact that her manager took out a competitor before the first contest even began.  Right now, a Kate/Valentina final seems to be the hope I’m hearing from many fans, but the fan’s also detest her, and might just put a stop to things here and now. 

#1 KATE STEELE (AMNESTY CARD): Zero argument about this one, Kate’s won the first two challenges and has a chance of pulling the most dominant Future Shock run since Marla Lee in Season 11.  It gets better- Kate’s almost guaranteed to pass this week’s vote with the run she’s been having, and with that amnesty card, that will leave her just one more vote away from a trip to the finals.  The biggest trick for her now is to not get cocky, and do something to screw it all up.

There hasn’t been a fan vote yet this season, so it’s going to be very interesting to see where everyone stands now that the poll is up and running.  Will you guys agree with me… or will there be some surprises in store?

Tune in next Tuesday to find out, and learn what the Episode 3 Challenge will be.  Odds are it will be a wrestling challenge, and we’ll get a better picture of things.

Until that time comes, best of luck to all five remaining girls!