The Ruins is the 18th season of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge. It premiered on September 30th, 2009 and concluded with the "S#!t They Should Have Shown" special on December 23rd, 2009.
Description[]
Twenty-eight competitors have been tapped to compete in an exciting new Real World/Road Rules Challenge. We're pitting grizzled and greedy former winners, henceforth known as "Champions," to do battle against a team of equally greedy newcomers and past Challenge losers we've dubbed "Challengers." They will meet in exotic Thailand to see who can face the rigors of The Ruins.
Although players will compete at teams, they will also bank winnings into individual bank accounts as they compete in nine intense challenges and a thrilling finale. There is $300,000 up for grabs and, as always, the players will do whatever it takes to get their cut of the Challenge prize.
Not everyone will last until the end to earn a share of the wealth. After each weekly challenge, one man and one woman from each team will compete in "The Ruins" -- a head-to-head battle between two competitors, where one man and one woman will be eliminated. The winner of "The Ruins" not only stays in the game, but pockets the loser's bank account, making them richer -- as well as a bigger target in the eyes of the other players. The loser? Well, the loser goes home flat broke.
Avoiding "The Ruins" depends on how well teams do in the challenges. Before each challenge, each team will nominate six people -- three men and three women from their ranks -- to be eligible for "The Ruins." After every challenge, the winning team will split $20,000 evenly. Then, the winning team's lucky six nominees will be "the match-makers" who will select which man and woman from each team will be sentenced to "The Ruins." The selected men will have their "Ruins" competition and so will the women. The losers will be sent packing.
As with any Challenge, the competitor who plays their cards right and forms the best alliances will find they have the power. Those who do not may just find themselves in "The Ruins." However, in Thailand, going into the elimination round is a risk that could pay off, as the winner ends up acquiring their opponent's bank account.
Only the players that make it to the end will walk away with the cash they've banked and compete in the finale. Plus, the winners of the finale will earn an additional grand prize!
Ultimately, friendships will be put to the test, hearts will be broken and battles will rage -- both on and off the playing field -- as players do whatever it takes to be crowned the winners of The Ruins!
Format[]
Each team will compete in numerous challenges followed by elimination rounds known as "The Ruins". Before each challenge, each team will nominate six nominees (3 men, 3 women) to possibly compete in the Ruins. The winning team of the challenge will earn $20,000 to be split evenly among each players' individual bank account. The nominated players of the winning team will also decide the matchups in the Ruins; one man and one woman among themselves as well as one man and one woman from the opposing team. In the Ruins, the players will compete in an elimination round where the winners stay in the game and also adds their opponents bank total to their own. The losers go home empty handed.
In the Final Challenge, the remainder of the two teams will race for $120,000 to split. The team that wins will earn the $120,000, and each player's cut from the final prize will be added to their final totals. The losers will be left with whatever they earned throughout the season.
Twists[]
- Individual Bank Accounts: Unlike previous seasons, each player will have their own individual bank account. Their team will split $20,000 evenly if they win the challenge. The players also have an opportunity to add another player's bank total to their own if they win the elimination. For players who were disqualified from the game, their totals were added to the final prize.
Contestants[]
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Game Summary[]
| Episode | Challenge Winners | Ruins nominees | Ruins game | Ruins outcome | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Challenge | Champions | Challengers | Winner | Loser | ||||||
| 1 | Chain Gang | Champions | Darrell | Kenny | Wes | Chet | Cohutta | Nick | Shoots and Ladders | Wes | Chet |
| Johanna | Susie | Tonya | Diem | Sarah | Shauvon | Tonya | Diem | ||||
| 2 | Swing on By | Champions | Derrick | Johnny | Wes | Cohutta | Danny | Nick | Shadowfighter | Wes | Nick |
| Evelyn | Katie | Susie | Casey | KellyAnne | KellyAnne | Evelyn | |||||
| 3 | Repo Race | Challengers | Ibis | Susie | Veronica | Brianna | Casey | Kimberly | Burnout | Susie | Brianna |
| Evan | Kenny | Syrus | Adam | Brad | Danny | Syrus | Adam | ||||
| 4 | Burning Bridge | Champions | Katie | Susie | Casey | Kimberly | Sarah | Oh-Ring | Sarah | Katie | |
| Darrell | Derrick | Johnny | Cohutta | Danny | Dunbar | Darrell | Danny | ||||
| 5 | Block Party | Champions | Evan | Kenny | Wes | Brad | Cohutta | Dunbar | Spool | Cohutta | Wes |
| Ibis | Johanna | Veronica | Casey | KellyAnne | Kimberly | Kimberly | Ibis | ||||
| 6 | Fruits of Your Labor | Champions | Derrick | Johnny | Syrus | Brad | Cohutta | Dunbar | Hog Tie | Cohutta | Syrus |
| Johanna | Susie | Veronica | Casey | KellyAnne | Sarah | KellyAnne | Veronica | ||||
| 7 | Rotary Club | Champions | Johanna | Susie | Casey | Kimberly | Sarah | Crunch | Sarah | Johanna | |
| Darrell | Evan | Kenny | Brad | Cohutta | Dunbar | Darrell | Cohutta | ||||
| 8/9 | On the Fence | Champions | Susie | Casey | KellyAnne | Kimberly | Rag Doll | Susie | Kimberly | ||
| Derrick | Johnny | Kenny | Dunbar | Johnny | Dunbar | ||||||
| 9 | Wall Walker | Champions | Susie | Casey | KellyAnne | Sarah | Muay Thai | Susie | Casey | ||
| 10 | Final Challenge | Champions | |||||||||
Notes:
- Bold indicates that the contestant was sent to the Ruins.
- Shauvon withdrew from the game in Episode 2 after sustaining a severe chest injury during the "Swing On By" challenge. She did not earn any money prior to her departure.
- Tonya was disqualified from the competition in Episode 4, after she slapped Veronica multiple times during a heated argument. The money that Tonya earned was added to the final challenge total.
- Prior to the "On the Fence" challenge in Episode 8, Brad and Darrell were disqualified from the competition after Brad instigated Darrell into punching him multiple times. Brad ended up suffering a swollen eye and the money they earned was added to the final challenge total.
- No male Ruins was held at the end of Episode 9, after all the men from the Challengers team had already been eliminated.
Episode Progress[]
| Contestants | Episodes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8/9 | 9 | Finale | ||
| Derrick | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WINNER | |
| Evan | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WINNER | |
| Johnny | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | WINNER | |
| Kenny | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WINNER | |
| Susie | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | ELIM | WINNER | |
| KellyAnne | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | LOSER | |
| Sarah | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | LOSER | |
| Casey | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||
| Dunbar | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | |||
| Kimberly | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | |||
| Brad | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | DQ | |||
| Darrell | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | DQ | |||
| Cohutta | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | ELIM | OUT | ||||
| Johanna | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||
| Veronica | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | |||||
| Syrus | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | |||||
| Ibis | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||||
| Wes | ELIM | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||||
| Danny | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | |||||||
| Katie | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | |||||||
| Tonya | ELIM | SAFE | SAFE | DQ | |||||||
| Adam | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||||||
| Brianna | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||||||
| Evelyn | SAFE | OUT | |||||||||
| Nick | SAFE | OUT | |||||||||
| Shauvon | SAFE | DQ | |||||||||
| Diem | OUT | ||||||||||
| Chet | OUT | ||||||||||
- Competition
- The contestant's team won the final challenge.
- The contestant's team lost the final challenge.
- The contestant was safe from the Ruins.
- The contestant was nominated for the Ruins, but was not chosen to go in and was safe.
- The contestant was put into the Ruins and won.
- The contestant was put into the Ruins and was eliminated.
- The contestant was disqualified from the competition due to physical violence.
- The contestant withdrew from the competition due to injury.
Bank Progress[]
| Contestants | Episodes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8/9 | 9 | Finale | ||
| Derrick | $1,400 | $2,800 | $2,800 | $4,400 | $6220 | $8,440 | $11,300 | $15,300 | $19,300 | $50,970 | |
| Evan | $1,400 | $2,800 | $2,800 | $4,400 | $6,220 | $8,440 | $11,300 | $15,300 | $19,300 | $50,970 | |
| Johnny | $1,400 | $2,800 | $2,800 | $4,400 | $6,220 | $8,440 | $11,300 | $17,300 | $21,300 | $52,970 | |
| Kenny | $1,400 | $2,800 | $2,800 | $4,400 | $6,220 | $8,440 | $11,300 | $15,300 | $19,300 | $50,970 | |
| Susie | $1,400 | $2,800 | $4,800 | $6,400 | $8,220 | $10,440 | $13,300 | $25,520 | $31,520 | $63,190 | |
| KellyAnne | $0 | $2,800 | $4,800 | $4,800 | $4,800 | $13,300 | $13,300 | $13,300 | $13,300 | $13,300 | |
| Sarah | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $6,400 | $6,400 | $6,400 | $17,700 | $17,700 | $17,700 | $17,700 | |
| Casey | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | ||
| Dunbar | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | |||
| Kimberly | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $8,220 | $8,220 | $8,220 | $8,220 | |||
| Brad | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | |||
| Darrell | $1,400 | $2,800 | $2,800 | $6,400 | $8,220 | $18,660 | $31,960 | $31,960 | |||
| Cohutta | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $8,220 | $18,660 | $18,660 | ||||
| Johanna | $1,400 | $2,800 | $2,800 | $4,400 | $6,220 | $8,440 | $11,300 | ||||
| Veronica | $1,400 | $2,800 | $2,800 | $4,400 | $6,220 | $8,440 | |||||
| Syrus | $1,400 | $2,800 | $4,800 | $6,400 | $8,220 | $10,440 | |||||
| Ibis | $1,400 | $2,800 | $2,800 | $4,400 | $6,220 | ||||||
| Wes | $1,400 | $2,800 | $2,800 | $4,400 | $6,220 | ||||||
| Danny | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | |||||||
| Katie | $1,400 | $2,800 | $2,800 | $4,400 | |||||||
| Tonya | $1,400 | $2,800 | $2,800 | $4,400 | |||||||
| Adam | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | ||||||||
| Brianna | $0 | $0 | $2,000 | ||||||||
| Evelyn | $1,400 | $2,800 | |||||||||
| Nick | $0 | $0 | |||||||||
| Shauvon | $0 | $0 | |||||||||
| Diem | $0 | ||||||||||
| Chet | $0 | ||||||||||
Final Prize Money: $158,360
Episodes[]
| Episode | Air date | Viewers (in millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Wes Side Story" | September 30, 2009 | 1.70 |
| 2 | "The Booby Trap" | October 7, 2009 | — |
| 3 | "The Road to Ruins" | October 14, 2009 | — |
| 4 | "Girls Gone Wild" | October 21, 2009 | — |
| 5 | "Reversal of Fortune" | October 28, 2009 | — |
| 6 | "Ruining on Empty" | November 4, 2009 | — |
| 7 | "Silence of the Ruins" | November 11, 2009 | — |
| 8 | "Thai Me Up! Thai Me Down!" | November 18, 2009 | — |
| 9 | "Muay So-Called Ruins" | December 2, 2009 | — |
| 10 | "Good Thai and Good Luck" | December 9, 2009 | — |
Reunion[]
The reunion was filmed in New York City, New York, and was hosted by entertainment personality Maria Menounos. The contestants who attended the reunion were: Brad, Dunbar, Evan, Johanna, Johnny, Katie, KellyAnne, Kenny, Sarah, Susie, Veronica, and Wes.