Moolah Beach Watch Thread

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I stumbled upon Moolah Beach on Dailymotion, and figured that I might actually watch it--years after I watched endurance (multiple times) and Karma. Is it merely the beta version of the show we know and love, or could it have grown on its own right?

Here we go!

Episode 1:

--The narrator makes it sound like a documentary or some epic movie. Haha. A bit narmy...
--Those boats had more Hawaiian culture in them than all of Endurance: Hawaii.
--I'm still most used to having the contestants say their name, age, and point of origin in their into (Amanda, 14, Sacramento California)
--I can't hear "J.D. Roth" without hearing Drew say his name very condescendingly.
--"Because you could walk away with a tan, and $25,000 in cold, hard cash." Was there a reason why J.D. had vacations for prizes on Endurance, and cash on Moolah Beach and Karma?
--Chloe: Loves to shop. (Me too.)
--Where's all the audition tapes for endurance （or at least those who made it on the show)? I can't even find them on the archived websites.
--Baby: "I'm getting tired of this."
--Summer: Loves makeup
--Kyle's hair reminds me of Christian's.
--Shari: Craves attention
--Did Xavier's twin brother also audition?
--What's with so many contestants being from Illinois? This would bleed onto endurance 1.
--Brittany isn't into different textures of food--welp. (We know more about this Brittany than the one in Tehachapi!)
--Mano: The spirit of shark.
--Ooh, the spirit of Wainiha Valley...
----Wasn't this beach the place J.D. wanted e3 in, before it got canceled at the last minute?
--“Nothing like handing a friend 25k."
--Did I hear "The Temple" in the background?
--I wonder if any of the contestants still have their journals...
--The luau was a sweet touch.
--You can stop mentioning the 25k, J.D. Roth...
--Jacob sounds like he hasn't gotten into puberty yet.
--Why does J.D. like asking who you don't want as a partner?
--And here he comes with the pointed questions...
--d**n Shari: "There's nothing impressive with doing 'bottoms up' on poi."
--Strange, because I have the impression Summer was somewhat athletic.
--Brittany: "Javier showed me that he didn't have the best willpower here tonight."
--The contestants' views on Shari reminds me of what they felt about Skyler and Chelsea when they first arrived on Catalina Island on e1.
--Brittany brought eyeliner to the island? WOW.
--Kyle: "We're out in the middle of Hawaii and [Summer] just wants to put on makeup."
--Most of these talks are about how they act as people, rather than who would be the best partner. Though we do get hints of one of them not wanting Javier as a partner.
--J.D. changing the wording with the last two players--haha.
--This partner selection reminds me of Fate Falls, except whom caught the ball didn't get to choose their own partner. Did this challenge inspire the latter?
--Summer was the only girl to get an idol.
--Kyle and Shari are on different wavelengths.
--"I'm going to get a drink!" Out of context children's shows.
--Is it just me, or some of the gameplay in Moolah Beach more luck based than on endurance?

[Cruise meerkat Youssy]

OMG HAVE FUN! Moolah Beach is such a trip. It's so 2001 teenage tv show hahahah

[Cruise meerkat Youssy]

The editors are SO SHADY! Specifically regarding Kyle & Shari, and Summer, Kyle, & Clark. It kills me to this day

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Episode 2:

For reference:
Blue Team: Xavier (sorry, I keep hearing Javier) and Chasti
Green Team: Kyle and Shari
Red Team: Nancy and Drew (haha, though it's been a while since I read the books)
Yellow Team: Brittany and A.J.
Orange Team: Chloe and Jacob
Purple Team: Summer and Clark

--"That was my forehead that time." Ouch
--Ok J.D. Roth, those kids aren't actually getting roasted. Haha.
--When J.D. mentioned "baisting", I thought he meant that the kids would pick them off the spit with a pole. Does the water just make it more slippery?
--Kyle was about to be the first one to let go, but he ended up winning it! Good job him.
--Interesting challenge, though I'm not sure how to improve on it.
--Was the percussion from the elimination theme on Endurance? Sounds familiar.
--Drew: "There's gotta be one loser, and I guess I'm it!"
--A tiny medical emergency with Caleb and the suntan lotion.
--"You could be wearing $25,000 right now." Something I didn't mention, is it $25,000 each, or overall?
--Also, nobody got starting idols--interesting...
--Kyle: "Like a tanning bed? I don't know..."
--A.J. knows quite a bit about the social game this early.
--What's it with girls on the Yellow Team and people having problems with them (except for Callie, apparently)?
--Getting guys' attention...hmm...I wonder where have I heard that before.
--Shari contradicts this with claiming Brittany was the drama queen. Bruh...not helping!
--Summer and her makeup--name a better duo. That said, it hits the head on her girliness, like with Sarah on Endurance: Hawaii. Good on her taking the hint, though.
----On another note, how do you get packages when they're supposed to be isolated?
--Summer's been using all the makeup? Woah...
--"If everybody's ganging up on someone, don't gang up on them!" Chloe, 2001
--Why did J.D bring a conch shell to announce the challenge?
--"Magic conch, will this show be successful?"
--The editing focus was on how unpopular Yellow was, but in the challenge, everybody was like, "Yeah, get Blue, get Blue, get Blue!" Why the sudden shift?
--Did Purple even make their way around the pole? Considering how much maritime traffic there was, it wasn't that clear.
----I could see how Raft Pull improved on this challenge, by having the contestants grab a flag on the other side.
--Okay, that was personal Kyle...
--Summer is now claiming Brittany is acting sorry for the Blue Team. None of you guys were helping at all. (says someone who has Tide Pull as one of my favorite all time missions)
--These contestants have more self-awareness than anybody on High Sierras.
--What's it with the Blue Team and getting blindsided? Haha.
--Another alliance which lasted just as long as the Brotherhood.
--Summer pretends to be shocked.
--The Blue Team wasn't meant to succeed when it comes to Hawaii, isn't it?
--Interesting in how the kids go back and pack after the Great Kahuna ceremony, rather than before.
--What about this system made J.D. use this as a twist for Stand Bags? Asking for a friend.

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Episode 3:

--Chasti's last words to Kyle: don't lie anymore. We'll see, we'll see...
--Interesting that the boys are doing the strategic work on Moolah Beach, seeing that there's more focus on the girls so far (and that Endurance 1 was all but run by Sabrina, Jonna, and Ashley)
--Chloe: "Why couldn't it be about talent and not...being betrayed or another?" *cries in Squaring Off*
--Shari: "We're not playing patty-cake." Shady...
--Kyle when he got the chance to eliminate a team *ah, here we go again."
--Kyle: "I made a promise with Yellow and Purple--I didn't make a promise with Orange." Pretty simple stuff, I must say.
----Interesting also, in that Jacob is frequently his closest competition during the races!
--It wasn't even close between Summer and Shari.
--Another good challenge, though what's it with this show and alliance-based stuff?
--Was the cameraman hoping Clark would kiss Summer's neck? Haha.
--There's no Samadhi here, so what are they talking about making decisions and such?
--Shari: "If the Yellow Team didn't trust me, I won't cry a river over it." I'm starting to think that the Green Team is one of the few teams where both teams were villainous. Or it seems that way.
--2 + 2 = $25,000. Nice logic, Clark.
--Ah, teenage politics. How you approach people is what's most important in life...
--Interesting that Moolah Beach shows them eating, which never happens on Endurance.
--Clark answering J.D's question on pacts reminds me of Aaron replying to J.D. about any girls he liked (emphasis on liked)
--Of course the girls have a mission dedicated to dance. Hula Bridge.
--Chloe: "I can trust people, but I have to be prepared if they disappoint me."
--Romance on Moolah Beach: so relevant it gets its own segment.
--I'm surprised a guy like Clark would be so shy that he wasn't able to confess his emotions to Summer. Though I could understand how he wants to keep things...professional, so to speak.
--Summer isn't actually wrong...while we'd like to think Moolah Beach/Endurance/Karma is a place to make lifelong friends, in reality, it's hard to maintain these friendships post-show.
--Take a drink every time Kyle mentions his girlfriend back home.
--Isn't this the basis for Super Stumped on Endurance: Tehachapi? Haha
--I think this mission would be more interesting if more diverse tools were used. A little more ingenuity could be used.
--J.D. hardly does commentary for the missions here.
--It's the Green and Purple show, like usual.
--Shari saying boys are better in speed and agility...we had to wait five years for Lilly...
--The Great Kahuna i easily the weakest elimination method J.D. came up with. At least for the first few episodes, it was quite predictable about who stays and who goes.
----Not them having to inform the audience that the drawing was random! Hehe.
--It was really sweet of Summer to give Chloe a parting gift.
--Orange Team is almost always doomed to be in fifth.

My favorites through the end of this episode:

1. Purple Team: I liked seeing Summer prove her worth despite what other people say about her, along with her partnership with Clark. (Though apparently, they got quite the edit, so I'll have to keep my eyes open about that...)
2. Yellow Team: I could definitely feel for Brittany, in that she's pretty isolated from the group and has to work her way in. They also work together quite well, though other than with their quasi-alliance with Purple and Green, we aren't focused on them that much.
3. Green Team: One of the notable teams here, though they do have their villainous sides to them. Shari's interesting in that she "seeks attention", but only does so through the missions, haha.
4. Orange Team: Chloe stands out to me as a pretty straightforward competitor, and I like hearing her confessionals (including hers near the end of this episode). Jacob is also cool; too bad they don't seem to gel in challenges.
5. Blue Team: They seemed alright, though they weren't focused on until they were targeted in Rock Your Boat. Still feel bad about their fate, though.
6. Red Team: Who are they?

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Episode 4:

--What's it with Moolah Beach and relationships? This is so weird!
--Clark is in his Tyler arc--was it because Summer rejected him?
--A lot of "X Marks the Spot requires upper body strength.
--That said, it's a fun challenge, but it was getting a bit crowded near the end because there wasn't another part where they had to return to their pole.
----For some reason, this mission reminds me of Pilfering Pirates from Survivor, and that came a year later! I don't think J.D. would have the heart to have an attack zone, haha.
--Was that bridge really that high Shari? I also read that Shari works as a mariner now, so she must have overcome her hydrophobia somehow.
--Is this where team dynamics begin to crumble for the two of them? Why are we getting to know them now?
----Also, for some reason, the hour long episodes drag on a bit. At least with a half-hour, the storylines feel more condensed. What do you guys think?
--To add my two cents, A.J. looked like he was going to fall over several times.
----This is Hannah and Jonathan post-Island Hopping...before Hannah and Jonathan.
--Did J.D. recycle those necklaces for Endurance: High Sierras? Because Kelsey was infrequently seen with a Tiki necklace and Taylor too.
--Clark sounds like he cannot take the pressure of the game.
--Kyle: "Clark claims that he gets a lot of attention at home, so whatever." That is so nonchalant of him.
--Clark: "I'm her partner and she doesn't even notice me!"
--That's the first time Drew has been featured in a while, haha.
--J.D. Roth always needs his cereal.
--J.D: "A.J.--is today your lucky day?"/A.J. "Yeah."
--Drew: "You guys have to try and come in second." Trash talk...
--Clark: "I hope nobody gangs up on anybody."
--Kyle: "I have morals.“ Sure Jan...
--Oh man, Red is on the outsider...
--Is this the basis for the Samadhi?
--I thought of "Bagging on You" when J.D. mentioned five feet.
--Nancy's villain origin story right here and there. This is better than Jackie's ”I HATE LESLIE!" rant
--"Money or morals?"
--Imagine if Summer walked into Kyle and Brittany hugging--that would be awkward...
--What would happen if the bubbles popped due to the bamboo?
--Imagine Demian and Nicole trying to navigate this maze.
--Is it just me, or have Purple and Green streamrolled every mission thus far?
--Brittany: "We'll get over it and be like, yeah, it was part of the game."
--Lucky 3!
--The Great Kahuna really likes an underdog story.
----This is probably the closest thing to an arc in the series.
----Oh, Yellow Team. They had an interesting arc this season, as Brittany was initially rejected, but ended up in the dominant alliance anyway. They were unlucky to get eliminated that way, but it's all in the game, apparently.
----Also, what's your favorite elimination method from the J.D. Roth children's TV universe?

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Episode 5:

--"As more and more people leave, we start depending on each other more, like a little family."
--Is it just me, or does it feels like the season just wooshed by so fast? It was only a few days ago where there were six teams, and then there were threa.
----Though I've heard somewhere that the filming schedule was only 12 days or thereabouts.
--J.D. cutting to the chase, as always.
--When I saw the rope for Rope House, I thought they would be blindfolded like in "On the Ropes". That said, it's an overall good challenge and quite interesting to see!
--Nancy: "We're not letting go again without a fight."
--J.D. (to Drew): "You the romantic!" Haha.
--Shari: "If you're wrong, I'm going to kick your butt."
--Drew: "Because it's scary." And thus the concept of the Samadhi was born.
--I want to know what happens on every filming day. Because we see the kids eat breakfast here, and I also want to know when they planned their challenges. Especially with "Hanging Around" and "Unwind" because they were two missions in the same day.
--But what if the first place team, in spite of having the most offerings, still gets eliminated? What would happen then?
--Endurance mention! Hehe.
--I want to know what the winners spent their money on.
--Shari with her confidence, bordering on arrogance.
--Kyle: "Summer also looks good in a bathing suit."
--Clark: "Where I'm from...I'm the Kyle!" Tt must feel like being the big fish in a small pond, versus a little fish in a lake. Though there were only twelve contestants on Moolah Beach, haha.
----I know we got into Clark's jealousy here, but I don't know much else about him.
--"I think you should be on top." Out of context children's shows part II.
--"Don't scream like that!"
--Imagine if the original format was used for Shark Bait on Fiji. That would be interesting.
--What's with the reverse psychology, J.D. Roth?
--Three minutes isn't a long time, but go on.
--Just pretend you're surfing and you'll be fine.
--Drew: "Just kidding!"
--Drew: "If I'm going out, I'm going out in style!" And exactly at the 16 minute mark!
--Kyle: "You don't want to fall on that beautiful face."
--Strange that doesn't happen at all, because of the Purple-Green domination here. Haha.
--"Red Team, is this going to be lucky number 4? *instant war flashback* (Also, 4 is an unlucky number in East Asia)
--I don't feel that "ugh!" feeling with Nancy and Drew in that they fell just before the finale, but they did a good job nevertheless.
--Imagine if Kyle waited a year to be on Endurance, and he and Sabrina were partners.

[fanofe2]

Apr 7, 2023 0:23:39 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

Episode 3:

--Chasti's last words to Kyle: don't lie anymore. We'll see, we'll see...

Wasn't there someone in (I think) High Sierras with the quote: "That's what you get for lying _____" or am I dreaming this?

Also Monroe: "Chris and Lindi, do NOT let Nicole win this game."

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Apr 9, 2023 16:01:47 GMT -5 fanofe2 said:

Apr 7, 2023 0:23:39 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

Episode 3:

--Chasti's last words to Kyle: don't lie anymore. We'll see, we'll see...

Wasn't there someone in (I think) High Sierras with the quote: "That's what you get for lying _____" or am I dreaming this?

No you weren't--that was Taylor after Blue beat Orange at Temple！

[fanofe2]

I was close. For some reason, I thought green was involved.

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Episode 6 (finale):

--Further proof girls mature faster than boys--Summer and Shari are trying to wake the boys up.
--Between the Purple/Green final twos, do you prefer this one, or that from Endurance: High Sierras?
--Clark: "We initially wanted this [Purple and Green] in the finale, so now that we're here, we're both really psyched and happy about this."
--At least the other team will have their memories, haha.
--Search for the Lost Idol is an uninteresting title, but still a good mission. I love a good scavenger hunt.
--The Green Team seem to do all their arguing in the confessional, haha. Strangely, I think that could've been a little more fleshed out...
--I liked all three final challenges, but I think they're a bit too much for such a season. I'm glad Endurance worked that kink out through having one final mission for several pieces.
--Kyle: "We're just relying on luck, I guess..."
--Clark: "Last night, I had a dream that the money was in Mano..." I can't wait for Clark to a dream interpretation show, haha.
--What makes Summer so sure that she'll see Kyle again?
--Kyle: "I was so sure that you're going to be the chick..."
--At least Kyle has some self-awareness. How much would he pay the Blue Team should he win?
--Free McDonalds for a year is definitely tempting, especially as a kid! I used to really go for the toys, hahaha.
--I don't think any of those prizes would've wooed me that much. Also, where would these contestants use the boat and the go-kart?
--Fox Family must have had a bigger budget than with Discovery Kids, seeing the prizes involved.
--Did J.D just say that to even Purple's chances with Green? It eerily seems that way.
--Okay, why did you amp up the stakes that way, J.D. Roth?
--I didn't have Hula being one of the final two idols on my bingo card.
----If Purple wins, it means they have conquered the social game somewhat.
----I wonder what would've happened if an eliminated team had an idol (prior to the final three). Would the social game be further amplified?
--The waterfall would've made a sick place for the Temple of Fate.
--That felt a bit anticlimactic. Heck, the entire final challenge felt a bit anticlimactic. I could understand the potential strategy in that you have to peruse through the clues to pick the right idol, but it just didn't work for me.
--Clark: "Nancy's going to flip!" Haha.
--That said, I do think Purple deserved to win. They worked hard, saw eye-to-eye (though they did have their disagreements, but Kyle and Shari had more of them), and pushed through to win the $25k. Green would've been good winners too, but they would have that villainous edge about them, which would've been...interesting.
--Did Kyle end up going out with Summer after all? Haha. The lightning was a funny touch, if a bit serendipitous.
--Overall, Moolah Beach was a cute show, though I may be a bit biased because I watched Endurance first (multiple times even!). I think it had a good premise and I liked the mechanics of the challenges, though some of the more serious game aspects were a bit too much based on luck, in my opinion. The casting was nice to see, albeit focused a bit too much on Kyle/Summer/Clark, which added a more teenage element to the whole series (though I did watch--and enjoy--The Amazing Race 2, which had a similar love triangle anchoring that season). It felt anti-climactic near the end, especially with Green and Purple running the show, but it still was a solid first effort for J.D. and co.
----Something on my mind is if Moolah Beach was renewed for season 2, what would've they changed about it? Would they have lessened the luck elements and added more social aspects to it? Would they have changed the editing to some extent? How about the cultural aspects, seeing Hawaiian culture was a big part of what made up Moolah Beach (and is one thing I really enjoyed about it!)? Would they have to tailor the show to each geographical area?

My final team rankings (until I rewatch this series five years from now):

1. Purple: I think they had the most convincing arc overall. I particularly like how Summer proved herself in the challenges, over and over again, and Clark managed himself as well. They had a bit of a complicated act near the middle, with Summer liking Kyle and Clark wanting to go home because of it. But they managed to win, so yay!
2. Yellow: Another team with an interesting storyline, especially with how Brittany initially didn't fit in with the rest of the girls (that said, what about befriending boys makes other girls seem nervous? Wow from 26-year-old me). They also worked together, though they had that blow-up a la Jonathan and Hannah after X Marks the Spot which really shook up group dynamics quite a bit. Their elimination was shocking, and probably why some people might not have liked luck-based competitions.
3. Green: If there's a team who would fit well with Endurance, it would be Shari and Kyle. They dominated challenges and had a pretty good handle with the game, with their alliances and manipulative ways. They seem like a beta version of Isaac and Jeszie or Dakota and Kelsey that way. However, they seemed to not get along that well outside of challenges, which makes me wonder what set the whole thing off.
4. Red: I think their quasi-underdog arc helped them out here--I kind of have a soft-spot for them! Though I never got a feel of who they were really like for the first three episodes. Love seeing Nancy and Drew kick it into high gear, though.
5. Orange: Considering their efforts, I think they're fine for the most part. Most of the love is for Chloe, though--she really stood out to me!
6. Blue: I wished I could've seen more of them, as they were randomly targeted for some reason. Have some mixed feelings about Xavier, though.

P.S. Four contestants are from Florida, three from Illinois, two from Texas. That casting pool is not very diverse...

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Apr 9, 2023 19:39:40 GMT -5 fanofe2 said:

I was close. For some reason, I thought green was involved.

Well, Green won that Temple Mission (It's a Drag), so...

Epilogue (The Reunion):

--I still don't understand why there weren't Endurance reunions for seasons 2-6.
--Red Team: The OG fallen angels (both here and on E1!)
--What's with AJ's leather jacket?
--Clark: "I'm going to buy myself a nice car." It's probably going to be used, haha.
--Drew: "Feels good to give a friend that much money." What a guy.
--Spare a moment for Kyle's ex-girlfriend.
--Brittany: "We were about to overtake Green and then you had to fall!"/J.D. "No arguing from you two!"
--Shari: "How am I supposed to know if there's a problem when somebody is not telling me there's a problem?"
--"Was there romance in Moolah Beach?" Tell us something we don't know.
--Cruel--Kyle broke up with his girlfriend two days later.
--Nancy having a crush on Drew wasn't on my bingo card. Though they got along well.
--Was that conversation about crushes in a commercial? Because it kind of looked like it.
--"The showers are actually...not good. It's cold, and it's just a trickle."
--Drew giving a star necklace to Nancy was really sweet. <3 I wonder if they still keep in touch.
--I wonder if the contestants still had that ring?
--Their final comments how they managed to bond as a family a really sweet, but as a rewatched the E! reunion, was also quite sad because there's a possibility this reunion was the last time some of these contestants saw each other. Again, this was before social media, so it must've been hard to keep in touch and maintain these friendships. A few weeks in abnormal circumstances really brings people together, but it's the real world which really grinds them apart. If you have some close friends, consider yourself lucky, and never let them go.