American Ninja Warrior

Okay, so my first impression is mixed. When we reach Stage 2 and on, the only people are big names, you know? There's an occasional rookie/lesser known, but there are going to all-star vets. Yet, it still surprises me when certain people are skipped. I figured Nicholas Coolridge, of course, but even Chris and Josh, too. Poor Josh Levin never got any screen time at all this entire season. I was also sure 'The Kid' was going to pass Stage 2. They were hyping him up so much throughout the season and even just this episode. They also showed him later in the night, and I thought they were setting him up. There were only 2 Stage 2 finishers, so I suppose they had to place them later in the night. So, I'm sure the editing was in play this week, but I would also guess Drew actually ran last. I'd also like to mention really quick how much I liked that they used past athletes as examples of how to complete the obstacles, like when they were going through the course, the peopl...

Fortunately, this week was not as shocking or disappointing. Lance, Kevin, and Kenny were a little upsetting, but I was very relieved Najee, Nicholas, Jake, and Drew all made it. They were setting it up too well for Drew to drop when they were talking about his Stage 1 success. I also had this weird feeling that either Najee or Drew were bound to fall. Thankfully, neither did. Barclay and Meagan were unfortunate, too. Barclay definitely would have made it last year if she had been more time conscious like she was last year. She was just too short for Jeep Run. She did lose her momentum, but it's hard to say whether or not that was actually the problem. Barclay is only 5'0", I think, so it would have been a stretch regardless, right? She would have had to have a pretty good leap even with her running start. Meagan was also a little unexpected, but the Jumping Spider is really not to be taken for granted. People screw up all the time because sometimes you just get a bad ju...

First, I want to mention something about last week and Jon Alexis Jr. I don't think it was rigged; that was a poor choice of words. That episode proved, though, the difference editing makes. The night it was taped, there is no doubt in my mind that Joe ran last. Alexis Jr. may be a fan favorite, but he would not be the closer. However, he had the fastest time, and, as last night also proved, the fastest time runner goes last. Obviously, Jon Alexis Jr. did well in his finals, and that is something to be said for. Usually, I don't question the editing too much, but that night it was obvious. It was also obvious this week. Again, I really doubt that 'The Kid' ran last. Joe or Daniel would have taken that spot during the taping. Speaking of 'The Kid' and Gil, it was really great to see them pass. I doubted 'The Kid' a little, but he did better than the other 19 year old, Matthew Day. I had more confidence in Day, but clearly I was wrong. I wasn't too s...

There is a lot to say about the finalists, but I will begin with the course obstacles. I still don't like that they switched out obstacles (except in Philly). The Sky Hooks were, I think, in L.A. (?), so if they are using the same obstacles just in different cities, what is the point? In L.A. it was a new obstacle altogether, but everywhere else, I think they just swapped obstacles between cities. I don't see the point in changing the Ring Jump to the Sky Hooks. At first, with L.A., I thought they wanted to help the athletes conserve energy so that more people would complete/go farther. The other cities kind of skewed that theory. Overall, I really didn't like this odd change in courses. Especially here because the Ring Jump and the Sky Hooks are fairly similar, I feel. If anything, the Sky Hooks are more difficult, so why make it harder for them? I don't think too many people fell on the Sky Hooks, and the 15 moving on all reached the Iron Maiden, which is pretty great...

So, first up: the course. I absolutely hate the fact that the front half was not changed like the other cities. It is just not fair at all. If anything, they are solidifying that Philly's Qualifying was the easiest course as well as the fact that the courses are uneven. Yes, the Lightning Bolts took out a lot of competitors, but it the course overall was a rookie killer, which is also unfair. I realize the can't change the 5th obstacle, but they didn't change anything else, so maybe the Philly course was the easiest because, if not, why wouldn't they change anything? It just doesn't make sense, and, quite frankly, is really annoying. I think, overall, I had the biggest problem with this course. First, obviously, they didn't change anything like the other 4 cities. Next, it was a rookie killer which is unfair to the rookies. The Lightning Bolts were a technical challenge. Yes, one could fall on the impact from transitions, but it definitely wasn't like Doorkn...

I should talk about the course first like with the other cities, but we have to talk about Isaac. My dad and I talk about what might really be happening behind the scenes because, as much as I love and adore this show, nothing is without fault and nothing is without the possibility of being rigged. The way I see it, there are three possibilities regarding Isaac's fall: setup, sabotage, or screwup. First, setup. It is possible that Isaac and the producers of ANW were in on his early fall. Isaac may have accepted some amount of money (less than the winnings he would receive) and sacrificed his pride and the competition for the sure-fire cash. However, this doesn't seem that likely. I would probably believe that he would take the money in some kind of sketchy deal, but what would be the point? I suppose I understand if they don't want him to win again, but what would the point of bringing him back at all? If it was for hype and drama, why wouldn't they have him advance t...

To start like the others, I'm not sure how I felt about this course. It was unfortunate that so many people slipped on Cannon Ball Drop because they removed the Fly Wheels from Qualifying in attempts to make the front half easier, yet it was ironic, too, because more people probably fell on the Cannon Ball Drop than the Fly Wheels. I thought they would get rid of the Ring Turn because it looked fairly taxing and complicating if you didn't have a clear plan of attack. It was easy to picture people struggling and hanging on too long, but I guess they don't want to change it too drastically. I think L.A. had the biggest change-up with the Sky Hooks being replaced. I still feel like Dallas' Nail Clipper was the hardest 8th obstacle because while the Crazy Clock proved to be a problem, if you could do it like Niemitalo or Graff it wasn't as long or taxing (looking) as the Nail Clipper, and the Giant Cubes did have the opportunity to use your feet. However, I think the St...