In the aftermath of the last Neighborhood Meeting, the Schindlers are relieved to have remained in the game to play another day. 12-year-old Emmett says, “We just need to forget this night.” Dad David Schindler disagrees, saying that they shouldn’t forget it because they learned a lot. Specifically, they learned that the families from The Core who remain in the game, the Nelsons, the Johnstons, the Upshaws and the Mullennixs, stuck together and put two families who were outside of The Core in danger of leaving. Now, with the Schindlers and the Bussieres being the only two outsider families left, the Schindlers are concerned that they will be in danger again soon.
Reality Sinks In
Dad Chris Nelson visits close friend, and fellow member of The Core, Dad Rick Upshaw. He is distressed and tells him that, with two families gone, the reality of the game is starting to sink in. Chris explains that Rick Upshaw has been his best friend for close to ten years. Chris sees Rick as a rock for him in this game, and he feels better after talking to him. He says that they need to have a happy day, so they throw an impromptu BBQ.
The Uninvited
Meanwhile, from down the street, the Bussiere family can see The Core families hanging out in the Upshaws’ front yard, and wonder aloud how they might be able to approach them, and rejoindre in the fun. Dad Tom Bussiere explains their hesitation, “Up North, if there’s a party up the road, toi don’t go down there.” The Bussiere family moved to Georgia from Massachusetts six years ago, and they describe the South as having a much plus open and friendly culture, whereas the North is very reserved and guarded. They’ve been asked par the other families why they haven’t come down the rue to hang out with The Core before, and Tom says, “Where we’re from, that’s called crashing a party. It’s just cultural differences.”
The Upshaws Play the Game
Inside the Upshaw home, 20-year-old son Christopher Upshaw tells his family that they need to stop playing emotionally and start playing strategically. He is concerned that the other families will come after them soon since they are such a strong family. He suggests that they make a final-two pact with another family. He says, “This is like Monopoly, toi gotta step on people, toi gotta take ‘em, toi gotta make deals, toi gotta make trades, toi gotta get in there and, if we don’t get in there, we’re going to be out.” When Dad Rick Upshaw asks who they should make a pact with, Christopher suggests the Schindlers, because they are outside of The Core and none of the other families would suspect it.
Christopher Upshaw and Mom Therese Upshaw approach the Schindlers secretly, and they propose a pact. Dad David Schindler likes the idea and says, “The Upshaws are a strong family. Having a pact with an insider is a good déplacer for us.”
Christmas in July
Host Matt Rogers brings the families together for their suivant accueil Challenge. Each family receives two 25-foot strands of large Christmas lights that are Raiponce and knotted together. The first family who manages to untangle every knot and present the strands to Matt, will win the accueil Challenge and gain a slight advantage in the upcoming Neighborhood Challenge. As the families frantically get started on the challenge, 12-year-old Noah Schindler commentaires on the game with a smile, “My Mom’s Christian, but my Dad’s Jewish and no Jew is good at untangling and putting up Christmas lights. It’s just a known fact.” Dad Cameron Johnston complains about the knots, “It’s easy to get frustrated because I like things the way I like them. I like my order and organization and I don’t like it tampered with.” The Mullennixs are relatively calm in the challenge, making quick work of the knots, while siblings Christopher and Alexus Upshaw begin yelling at each other, squabbling about the best method to use. The Nelsons and Mullennixs are neck and neck, but the Mullennix family pulls out the final knot first, winning the accueil Challenge.
Puzzle Me This
Shortly thereafter, Matt gathers the families to explain their suivant Neighborhood Challenge, in which they will tackle the ultimate suburban puzzle—putting together an entertainment system. In the families’ garages they will find eight boxes containing the entertainment system that they must assemble. It consists of a 40” flat screen LCD TV, a 5 disc CD changer, a Blueray DVD player, an AVR 789 surround sound receiver, a pair of speakers and a TV stand. The families will have to déplacer all eight boxes out of their garages and into their living rooms before they can begin assembling the system. As the winners of the accueil Challenge, the advantage that the Mullennixs receive is that all but one of their boxes will already be loaded into their living room. In order to win the challenge, the families will attempt to be the quickest to successfully assemble the entire system and plug it into a generator. Once the system is functioning, the family must notify Matt via walkie-talkie that they are finished. Matt will then test it to make sure that all of the components are working properly. The first family who correctly assembles the system will become Kings of the Neighborhood.
The families rush to unload their boxes, with packing cacahuètes flying everywhere. It’s not long before the bickering begins in the Mullennix household about what parts are where ou which component is the DVD player. In the Bussiere household, Dad Tom Bussiere is well versed in connecting accueil entertainment systems, and tackles the job solo while Mom Susan Bussiere keeps their two small children out of his way. In the Schindler home, chaos prevails as David Schindler explains, “We thought this was in our wheel-house, unfortunately, we panicked.” Mom Chrstina Shindler frantically searches for the remote control batteries among the packing cacahuètes and says, “If we can’t find batteries then we are so screwed, we’re done.” 5-year-old Olivia concurs, “We’re screwed!” In the Upshaw household, Christopher Upshaw shouts in frustration at his sister, “Those don’t go in there! She’s not listening, back up! Move! If it don’t go in there, don’t put it in there!” Alexus Upshaw shouts back, “Look I’m not stupid Christopher…they have to go somewhere!” In the Johnston home, Mom Regina Johnston takes over for Dad Cameron explaining, “Cam doesn’t get along very well with electronic equipment. He’s a savant with numbers and at the other end of the spectrum with equipment.”
Despite their shouting match, the Upshaws finally manage to get picture on their TV, but without color. Alexus shouts in a frenzied voice, “Please God give us color, LET THERE BE LIGHT!” The Johnsons also achieve black & white picture on their TV. Both families are ready to call in their win to Matt, but the Upshaws make the color connection first, and Matt announces to all of the contestants that he is going to test the Upshaws’ system. Everything is in working order at the Upshaw home, and Matt announces them the winners and Kings of the Neighborhood! Therese Upshaw sums up their win, “You know, we focus so much on arguing and all of that other stuff, but we do very well as a family. We can work together, and we can succeed in anything.”
Matt announces that, as Kings of the Neighborhood, they will receive a prize to make life behind the mur a little bit easier for them. The Upshaws will have their power turned back on for a couple of hours that night so that they’ll be able to enjoy their prizes, the entertainment center they built, a laptop, an additional 47” flat screen plasma TV, a digital handheld caméscope and a digital camera. However, he reminds the family that they’ve also won a big responsibility. At the suivant Neighborhood Meeting, they must choose two families that will be put in danger of being kicked out of the game.
The Bussieres Come Bearing Gifts.
The Bussieres believe that they will probably be put in danger, so they bring gifts of bright green wigs over to the Upshaws to garner their good favor. Later that night, the Upshaws’ electricity comes on and, in the bright lights of the house, they explore their new electronics. Alexus Upshaw is thrilled about the laptop, which will come in handy when she attends Georgia State in the fall. They also enjoy the simple things that power allows, like vacuuming and a warm shower, before the lights go out again.
Shootin’ Some B-Ball
To keep things interesting behind the wall, the older teens on the block head over to the Schindler house to shoot some hoops. 12-year-old Noah Schindler says it’s a rare and welcomed gesture, “Before these walls went up, there’s no way these older kids would come to our house and play with us, because we are the younger kids. But it felt good when they came over. I mean, who wouldn’t like that.” Unfortunately, their fun was cut short when Nathanael Mullennix twisted his ankle. “Hopefully our suivant challenge won’t be a footrace ou anything,” Nathanael worries.
Advance Notice
Mom Therese Upshaw suggests putting the Bussieres and the Schindlers in danger of being kicked out of the game. The Schindlers, she said, would only be in danger for strategic reasons, in order to hide the Upshaw/Schindler pact from The Core families, while the Bussieres are just a family that they don’t know very well. Rick Upshaw decides to warn Tom Bussiere about their plans in an effort to give him time to prepare his family for the meeting. After Rick leaves, Tom fills his wife Susan in on the conversation. She doesn’t understand why the Upshaws would put her family in danger, “It’s toi and I, a 5 and a 7-year-old and a 74-year-old woman. We’re not in any way a threat to their family.” Tom Bussiere says they’ll just have to prepare their kids. He tells 7-year-old daughter Elise and 5-year-old son Jake that they have another meeting tonight, and that there’s a chance that they might go through the door with the flashing red light. He tells them not to worry though, because they will have a fun adventure as a family on the other side of the wall.
A Pact Intact?
Meanwhile, Mom Therese Upshaw and 20-year-old son Christopher Upshaw visit the Schindlers to prepare them to hear their name at the Neighborhood Meeting, as they put their family in danger in order to get the Bussieres out. They reassure the Schindlers that their pact is still strong and that they are definitely supported. Dad David Schindler worries, “I’m feeling a little bit in danger because I don’t know if the Upshaws are playing us.” He tells them that their two families sticking together is a perfect strategy, but that their chances of making it to the end would be greater if they got rid of the Nelsons. Therese Upshaw balks at that idea, “You’re talking about people we’ve vacationed with.” David Schindler reminds her that Chris Nelson put strategy ahead of friendship on jour one, when they took out the DeGirolamos. David’s strategic discussion gives the Upshaws pause, and they find themselves suddenly torn over the decision.
The Third Neighborhood Meeting
Matt brings the families together for the third Neighborhood Meeting and asks the Bussieres why they are all wearing their baseball trophée backwards. Dad Tom Bussiere explains that they are rally caps, “for when you’re down and out and toi want to get back in the game.” He tells Matt that Rick Upshaw was kind enough to prepare the Bussieres and tell them that they would be put in danger today. Matt asks the Upshaws why they chose to put the Bussieres in danger. 18-year-old Alexus Upshaw replies, “It’s the unknown, you’re so used to certain people and I don’t have an emotional tie with them as I do with the Nelsons, the Mullennixs ou the Johnstons.” Christopher Upshaw adds that they can also see that the Bussieres work well together as a family, which is a trait that benefits them in the game. Dad Tom Bussiere disagrees, “There is no strategic reason to eliminate the Bussieres right now. Husband; wife; little kids; 74-year-old grandma, we are not a threat.” The Upshaws try to defend their decision par saying that anyone can win the challenges. The Bussieres choke up discussing hardships that they’ve had in their past, including Mom Susan Bussiere’s stroke a an and a half ago, but end on a positive note, explaining that being a part of the game has represented a turning point, bringing them into a good part of their lives. Matt asks if anyone else feels as if they’re in danger. Dad David Schindler says they are in the same bateau as the Bussieres, as they are also not members of The Core. The Upshaws announce that the Bussieres and the Schindlers are in danger, revealing that, once again, the Kings of the Neighborhood have kept all of the families in The Core safe.
The families return to their homes to decide which family to support and keep in the game. They must decide if they are supporting the Bussieres ou the Schindlers, and bring the photo of the family that they have chosen to support back to Matt. In the end, the Schindlers receive 3 votes of support, which is enough to keep them in the game and make the Bussieres the third family to be kicked out of the game. The Bussiere family exits the mur through the opening gate as the third family to leave THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
