Outback Jack - Episode 4

As this week's episode begins, Jack is leading the girls to their next campsite...by camel. Because of a sick dromedary, however, Jack has to cross the terrain on foot. He may be better off because of it. The caravan looks like a scene from "Lawrence of Arabia," but the girls are hardly enjoying the bumpy ride. "My ass is so far up on this camel," Natalie complains, "that even my bruises have bruises." (video)

Soon, the girls are off the camels and hoofing it once again. Jack decides the girls could use a treat, so he leads them to a scenic watering hole for a little swimming and a nice picnic. Nothing is easy in the Outback, however, and Jack tells the girls that they'll have to jump off a twenty-foot cliff into the waters below to get to the picnic. Jack has no fear, and demonstrates a cliff jump for the ladies. He finds himself alone at the bottom, however, when none of the girls will follow.

The girls look awesome in their tiny bikinis, but it's starting to look like Jack will have to watch them from afar, as they can't decide who should go first. For some reason, they team up on Cortney. "You really want to do this," they tell her. Cortney's a trooper, so she accepts the challenge. "Goodbye, I love you guys," she says before jumping safely into the water.

Natalie's next to brave the depths, despite her fear of heights. Adrienne follows, but only after several false starts. Mary does a little dance to pump herself up before jumping, then Maria takes the plunge, losing her top in the process. All of the girls make it to shore safely, and get to relax while snacking on some fruit, chips and drinks. Their repast is short-lived, however, as the bane of the girls' existence makes his entrance. Host JD Roberto has been nothing but bad news for the contestants, and they're right to fear the worst in this instance. "Ladies, it's time to meet your new competition," JD proclaims, gesturing toward the top of the cliff. As the girls strain their eyes to see, five buff women in spandex and climbers helmets begin rappelling down the side of the cliff.

The new girls are all American adventure seekers from different walks of life. There's Meri-De, the pro beach volleyball player; Angela, an extreme sport athlete; Jennifer, the stuntwoman; Rayne, a survivalist; and Laura, a personal trainer. The girls are all in top shape, and are there to compete against the original ladies for Jack's heart. Jack is just as shocked as the girls are, but seems more willing to welcome the new arrivals. The original girls begin to feel the heat, however, and the claws come out. The tension gets even thicker when JD announces that the two groups will face off in the morning in a physical challenge. If the adventure girls win, they get to leave behind one of their own, while Jack will be forced to eliminate one of the originals. Mary doesn't seem impressed. "Guys want girls with curves, not all full of muscles," she says. "They look like Hercules." (video)

To make matters even worse, the adventure girls will be camping with the originals overnight. From the moment the two groups step into camp, the differences are obvious. Natalie and the original girls go back to the familiar complaints about needing a pedicure and a good night's sleep. The adventure girls, on the other hand, set up their own tents, then look for a place to work out. Soon, they all gather for dinner, and here is where the competition begins. Though the adventure girls showed up in spandex, they appear at dinner in makeup and designer clothes. It looks like they're more than willing to fight fire with fire.

The next morning, it's time for the competition. The original contestants prepare their makeup and put on their jewelry. "They may have their muscles," Cortney declares as she fastens a beautiful necklace around her neck, "but we have Tiffany's." At the starting line, the adventure girls are back in competition mode. They growl and slap hands as they stretch and cheer. The original girls, however, are keeping it light. They look cute in their lycra running pants and bleached camo shirts, and their group cheer is just as adorable.

The competition consists of an obstacle course. The girls will have to climb a wall, crawl under a tree stump, navigate a pole maze, and climb a cargo net. Then, they'll have to cross a log suspended over a pit of mud without falling in. The catch is that they have to complete each element of the course as a team before moving on to the next segment.

When the gun sounds, Adrienne looks like she's been shot out of a cannon. She's the first person over the wall, and the adventure girls only have a slight lead after the first stage. The original group makes up the difference crawling under the log, however, and are in first place going into the pole maze. In each stage of the race, Adrienne looks like an Olympic athlete. Not even the adventure girls can keep up with her speed, but she has to wait for the team before moving to the next challenge. Her team is doing a great job keeping up. Jack is loving the whole thing, of course. He's made it clear that he wants his girls to win, and he's practically giggling as the original contestants pull away from the adventure girls. They maintain their lead through the pole maze, and it's still close as both teams climb the cargo net. Then, things begin to unravel for the original girls. (video)

The cargo net grabs at feet, and allows the adventurers to take a slight edge as both groups approach the log over the mud pit. The adventure girls practically leap over it in one stride, and the race is over. Only Adrienne has managed to cross the pit at this point, but the remaining girls show their pride by forcing themselves to finish the course and cross the finish line together. The mud pit claims each one of them at least once, but they don't seem to mind the dirt as they huddle for a group hug.

Now, as promised, Jack must eliminate one of his girls and pick an adventurer to take her place. He's been crying since the race ended, and Maria soon joins him in the tears. Jack chooses volleyballer Meri-De to join his group. Then, in a dramatic elimination ceremony, he sends Mary home. The other girls are noticeably upset at the loss of their friend and entertainer, but Mary leaves the game how she entered, with a big smile and her own great style. (video)

When the four remaining originals take Meri-De back to their camp, they try to make her feel at home (to her face, at least), but the differences between her and the rest of the girls quickly becomes apparent. Jack swoops in and rescues the new girl, however, taking her off on a one-on-one date. The two instantly connect over their adventurous spirits, which makes the girls bristle when Jack and Meri-De return to camp.

Soon, JD makes another appearance. But this time, he's got some good news for a change. JD informs the group that they will be leaving the Outback! Since the girls got to see Jack's natural habitat, it's only fair that he sees theirs. That's right, they're going shopping! The group will fly to Perth, stay at a five-star hotel, get a full spa treatment, and spend time on a serious shopping spree. The girls are practically bouncing in their seats, but Jack looks like a wallaby caught in headlights. "There's a reason why there are no malls in the Outback," he whines. "Because real men don't shop!"

When morning comes, the group gathers by the plain for their trip. But JD is present, and is up to his old tricks. "Unfortunately," he says, "there is only room for four girls on the plane." Jack must choose one more girl to be voted off before they go to Perth. Who will it be? We'll have to wait until next week's episode to find out...


For a behind-the-scenes look at this week's episode, check out host JD Roberto's Outback Diary!