American Gladiators: Final 8

After Monday's episode of American Gladiators, the field is down to the final eight contenders -- four men and four women. I've seen every episode and I must admit (regretfully) that the show has grown on me. Don't get me wrong. I still believe it's the funniest thing on television today, but now I'm genuinely eager to find out who will win the competition.

To my surprise (and delight), there have actually been a handful of likable contenders. They are athletic, energetic, and confident (but not excessively or unjustifiably so). They're also competitive, but not to the point of bad mouthing the gladiators or their fellow contenders. I believe the basic concept is known as good sportsmanship. It's a nice quality to see.

My favorite male contender is Evan, the rock climber. He plowed through all four gladiators in Gauntlet and sent Justice flying in Assault. Wolf clobbered him in Pyramid, but couldn't catch him on The Wall. He also rocked The Eliminator, finishing it with the best time of any contender (1:29). The way he scaled the cargo net and cranked through the hand cycle portion was amazing. He is my pick of the guys to win. Barring a double-digit point deficit to Alex (his closest competitor) or an injury, he should do it.

My favorite female contender is Siene, the gymnastics instructor. For some reason, she reminds me of Jodie Foster. She didn't post the fastest time on The Eliminator, but made a decent showing. Unless Monica, the top female finisher, slips up, I don't think Siene has a chance to win. I hope she does (somehow, some way), but it seems doubtful at the moment.

By the way, Monday's episode had one of the funniest moments of the show. The commercials had hyped the showdown between Toni, a 46-year-old ex-Marine, and Kim, a 28-year-old NBA cheerleader. After four events, they were virtually tied. I believe Toni had a one-second lead going into the final round (The Eliminator).

Before they began, Kim made a point to remark this was her moment, her time. And for the first three seconds, it was her time. Then she hit the first obstacle.

She spent the next three minutes trying to scramble over the eight-foot wall. Not even the knotted rope helped. By the time she made it over, the woman sixteen years her senior was nearing the finish line. It took Kim so long to complete the course that by the time she reached the final obstacle, an inclined reverse treadmill known as the Travelator (according to Wikipedia), the producers had turned it off. I think it was meant to show her some mercy, but to me, it only heightened her humiliation.

Anyway, that's enough rambling about the show for now. Next week, I will share a list of suggestions I have for Gladiators, including rule changes, new events, and potential contestants.