BMN Superfan - episode 6, season 1

Show title: "Dog Fight"

Brittany and Lil' Bit talk on the bus headed for the next destination.  They disagree about the importance of alliances in the game.  Lil' Bit now plays them down, but Brittany thinks that having partners can still help.

The day begins with a visit to the rodeo ring that is the site of Benson Mule Days.  Held every October, it's one of the events the Barefoot family grew up with as an annual ritual.  Mule races are often held in the ring, and a re-creation of this event is the first challenge of the show.  Contestants are to complete one five-furlong lap around the arena; if the rider falls off the mule, he or she has to start over again.  Not only are the mules an obvious problem, but dirt and dust hamper visibility and breathing at times.  In the end, Dustin takes home the challenge for the first time all season.  The prize for the Special Olympian is bizarre: he has to kiss the mule he just rode to victory!  This is similar to what Miss Benson does at this event every year.

The main challenge is dedicated to Belinda, the daughter of Bobby Ray and Jennifer, children's book author, and youngest person ever on the best-seller list of The New York Times.  For the latest book in the Little Jill Horner series, she wants to introduce a new pet character for Jill, who is a leading child star in Hollywood.  Two teams are created - a quartet and a trio, with Dustin being able to pick his team after the others were randomly assigned.   Once selected, the teams must decide on the kind of pet, name the pet, draw the pet, and give at one least special characteristic to it.  The winning design, of course, appears in the next book.  The challenge has a three-hour time limit.

Here's what emerges from each of the teams:

• Quartet team (Dustin Plunkett, Jake Stubblebine, Brittany Ramos, Megan Turnipseed) - They use the consensus method to come up with an English bulldog named Rodney.  He's created as the kind, faithful answer to Fluffy, the spoiled female dog owned by Little Jill's acting nemesis, Bettina Bitterbeetle.  Megan comes up with the look and Brittany with the traits: He loves popcorn and the ballet.
• Trio team ("Lil' Bit" Granthum, Jeff Porter, Sgt. Lindsay Hall) - Lil' Bit conceives of a black Labrador retriever, Sarah Michelle MacSmelliefoote ("Sarah").  Lindsay draws the dog, and the characteristic is that, when Sarah sees one of the paparazzi, she screams instead of barks.  Lil' Bit describes Sarah as "ugly on the outside, but beautiful on the inside, and that's what I love about a dog."

The judging session is one of the most contentious yet.  Jeff calls Sarah's full name "the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard."  In response, Lil' Bit calls it "the most brilliant idea I've ever had, and that includes the mud bog!"  She also calls Brittany "a one-trick pony," adding she can't believe that Brittany "would go for the same dadgum dancing gimmick two weeks in a row."  Brittany replies: "Nobody knows it, but I really love dancing.  I watch Dancing with the Stars all the time.  I even remember you!" referring to Shandi, who appeared for two weeks in season four.  Jeff comes back with, "But seriously though, this week we decided either to go big or go home.  We went big today."  With the panel conflicted, Jennifer whispers in Belinda's ear, "Sarah Michelle MacSmelliefoote? I love that name. I can say it all day."  That advice is enough to call the trio team the winner.  Lil' Bit is declared the individual winner and will write the introduction to the book, to be called Little Jill Horner Has a Dog Day, to be released next summer.

From the losing team, Dustin and Jake are eventually chosen as the bottom two.  Judges feel that Jake's lack of success in challenges is worse that Dustin's sometimes erratic behavior, and Jake is eliminated.   It is the fifth straight show on which a man has been eliminated, and now only two are left.  (At one time, the men led the women, 7-4.)

The elimination challenge takes place at Lulu.com in Raleigh.