American Grit (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Ruck Up - full transcript

(John Cena)
America...

We never retreat
from a challenge.

Our finest hours have come

with our backs
against the wall.

And it's in this land
of opportunity

that I've built my career
as a WWE superstar and beyond.

My love of this country
is why I give back,

especially the men and women
of the military,

who know firsthand that
our freedom is never free.

American heroes like Navy SEAL
commander Rorke Denver...

(Rorke)
In my 13 years as
an active-duty Navy SEAL,



I led assault teams
all around the world.

Our guys are the very extreme
of military operations.

Our job is to go hunt evil.

We are in harm's way
the entire time.

(John)
Marine Gunnery Sergeant
Tee Hanible...

I spent 19 years
in the Marine Corps

and I was the only female
to deploy

in one of the first units
in Iraq.

When you're riding
and it's dark,

you can hear the explosions.

[explosions, gunfire]

As a sergeant, you can't show
any kind of being scared.

(John)
Army Ranger
Nick "The Reaper" Irving...

(Nick)
I earned the nickname
"The Reaper"



due to the fact that I killed

33 enemy combatants
in 3 1/2 months.

[gunshot]

(John)
And Army Sergeant
Noah Galloway.

(Noah)
After seeing the horrors
of September 11th,

it motivated me to drop out of
college and join the military.

It wasn't a career decision.

It was what I needed to do
for my country.

In 2005, my Humvee
hit a trip wire

that detonated
a roadside bomb.

The explosion sent my Humvee
flying through the air,

and I lost my left arm
and left leg as a result.

(John)
Each member
of this extraordinary cadre

will handpick a team
of four ordinary people.

All have been impacted
by the military in some way.

(Ashley)
My dad is a marine.

Having that blood
flow through me

is, like, such
a swelling pride.

(John)
And run them
through punishing challenges

inspired by actual
military training.

Come on, Lisa!

(John)
These 16 civilians will be
pushed to their breaking point.

I'm not just giving up!

That's exactly what happened.

You don't know
what real suffering is.

(man)
Suck it up! Let's go!

I'm gonna break.

Submerge!
Come on!

We can go harder.

You got to pick it up!

(John)
And the only way
their journey ends

is to give up,

ring out,

and go home.

[intense music]

(Nick)
Ain't nothing to it
but to do it, baby!

Figure out a way to dig deep.
Finish strong.

(John)
In the end,
one team will stand united

beside their leader
victorious...

(Tabatha)
Thank you for believing in me.

(John)
With a chance to take home
$1 million.

(Noah)
Give it all you got.
All of it!

No! No!

[indistinct shouting]

(Tee)
Come on, let's go!

(John)
Who will rise
to the occasion...

All we ask for
is all you got.

Show the world they have...

"American Grit"?

dramatic percussive music]

(man)
♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪

♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪

♪ Whoa-oh-oh ♪

♪ All alone now ♪

♪ We in the fire ♪

♪ Gonna burn it down ♪

♪ Get out alive ♪

♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪

♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪

Welcome to the wilderness.

Oh, my God, it's John Cena.

Welcome to the toughest
challenge of your life.

Ooh!

Every single one of you
has said the exact same thing.

When faced with a challenge,
you won't give up.

I dig that.

But this competition
will put that to the test.

If you want to win this thing,
you will have to share

the same traits
of the brave men and women

who defend the freedoms
of this great nation--

courage, perseverance,
most importantly, teamwork,

because in this competition,

you will be broken
into teams of four.

In the end, each surviving
member of the winning team

will win $250,000.

And if you can set aside
your differences,

fight alongside one another,

the winning team will walk away
with up to $1 million.

[cheers and applause]

(John)
Each team
will be given one leader.

To lead the best,
you need the best.

These individuals are the best,

each a decorated U.S. military
hero in their own right.

They survived
their own military training

and are now excited
to take on the challenge

of training you--
civilians.

They're about to decide
who they want on their team.

Rest assured,
they will stop at nothing

to make sure the winner comes
from their ranks, am I right?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Right.

See, these individuals
were watching you today.

Move it out,
let's go!

We've been putting these
civilians through hell today.

We're gonna be rappelling
over this bridge.

(Rorke)
Forced marches,
rappelling off a bridge.

We're doing this so we can see
what they're made of.

(Brooke)
Hold on. I'm trying.

(Tee)
I've seen some people hesitant.

I've seen some people crying.

(Nick)
We're going down together.

- Okay.
- Wait a moment.

(Rorke)
75% to 80% of the people
that show up

to SEAL training don't make it.

This is very similar.
All I need to do is find four.

Yeah, buddy!

(Rorke)
I don't need the others.

I need four
that can be on my team.

(John)
On top of watching you today,

the Cadre have done
their homework.

They know who you are--

your setbacks
and your accomplishments.

I'm gonna give you
a few minutes to go inside,

fight amongst yourself,

and decide which competitors
go where.

Being a Ranger, I've worked
with the highest elite caliber

of human beings on the planet.

I'm not sure
how these civilians

are gonna measure up to that,

but I think it's gonna be
an interesting game.

- Well, what'd y'all see today?
- I know who I want.

I don't know who just
made you boss here.

(Rorke)
That's a pretty good question.

What part of Marine Corps
don't you get?

That trainer--
he's a little bit cocky.

(Noah)
Yeah, I don't want him.

(Tee)
I think could fine-tune him.

You're not trying
to psych them out, are we,

with the short sleeves,
are we?

They're already psyched out.

I think you're the right person
to tune him,

because he's not for me.

I think I can give him
some mentorship

and I can go ahead
and fine-tune him.

There's always that fine line
between confidence and cocky.

But that's okay,
'cause in the Marine Corps,

we know how to go at it,
do that attitude adjustment,

and break you down.

I like the cop,
that quiet professional.

- Are you going over?
- Of course I'm going over.

So are you.

(Lisa)
Oh, my God!
This is insane!

Yeah, he was one
of my favorites too.

(Jim)
My name is Jim Vaglica.

I've spent 16 years
on a regional SWAT team.

My team got involved
in the capture

of the Boston Marathon bomber.

People think that I'm intense,
but if you can't handle it,

then you really shouldn't
be hanging around with me.

You got the cop.
You can have him.

I mean, I took the whole team
out of this forest,

brought them up the hill.

As I turned around, there's
Tabatha, the little fire plug.

There's something there
that just catches me.

I'm excited.

My name is Tabatha,
but my nickname is Goldie.

I'm a full-time mom.

I'm also a star
in Roller Derby.

Don't be fooled
by all this red lipstick.

Do not think for one minute
that I'm not the girl

to stand up
and hold my ground, okay?

I want the lumberjack.

(Rorke)
Who doesn't want
the lumberjack?

I need these crates
across this bridge.

Come on, big boy.
Let's go.

Give me the youngest one.
He's got to be 21.

- Is that the wrestler?
- The wrestler, yeah.

My name is Cam Zagami.
I'm a professional wrestler.

I'm a small guy
in a big man's world.

But I have the mind-set
to make it.

So, for me,
it's not a matter of if,

but a matter of when.

A total superstar, but I still
live with my parents.

(Nick)
I'm looking at Cam being
the brawn behind Jim's brain.

A complete unit
needs that balance

to operate effectively
as a team.

I want that NFL player.

(Tony)
My name is Tony Simmons.

I'm a former
NFL football player,

and now I coach
wide receivers in college.

I can do what
these young guys can.

I'm just sitting
in a older body.

When the other one was crying
and not feeling sure about it,

he implemented teamwork.

(Nick)
Nobody can take this from you.

You got this.

I don't want the drama.
I don't want the crybabies.

- But did she go down?
- She went down.

She went down with someone--

But she did it
with coaching her, exactly.

(Nick)
Ain't nothing to it
but to do it, baby!

- Whoo!
- That's what I'm talking about!

(Lisa)
Oh, my God.

I think that's something
to work with.

(Lisa)
My name is Lisa Traugott.

I am 41.
I'm a mother of two.

And I'm a bodybuilder.

Some people are fueled
by others who say you can't.

I'm fueled by people
who tell me I can.

I really want
to be a Rocky for moms.

You can take the crybaby.

I'll give y'all this.

Y'all let me have the one
that struggled today

and the lumberjack.

I can make something
with that team.

Okay.

Out of all these people,
I'm hoping to find four

that I could see actually
making it in the Army.

We've all said who we want,
who we'll take.

Yeah, I think we've made
our decisions.

And when it's
all said and done,

we all know who's gonna
come out on top,

'cause Rangers lead the way.

[laughter]

(Nick)
Let's do it.

(John)
Take a good look
at your teammates.

They are your lifeline here.

In this competition, your
teammates cannot vote you off.

In this competition,

your mentors
cannot have you eliminated.

Hell, I can't even send you home
if I want to.

The only way you get eliminated

is when you give up,
ring out, and go home.

Tomorrow will be
your first challenge.

It's your first chance
to show your teammates,

mentors, myself,
and the world

exactly what you got.

- Good luck.
[cheers and applause]

(Rorke)
I think there
are some competitors

that we're gonna need
to look out for.

But my background
is leading SEALs,

so I want my team to go in
against the best athletes.

That's where you want to be.

You don't want
to beat easy opponents.

You want to beat
the best opponents.

[all cheering]

This competition's
gonna be tough.

Not only will they be competing
as teams,

but they'll also be living
together as teams.

This is where
the winners sleep.

That's my bed right there.
You can be right here.

(Nick)
I know from firsthand
experience in the military

that living with individuals
after training

when exhausted isn't easy.

(Maria)
Oh, first off,
let's get to know each other.

- I want to check out the house.
- Who cares?

It's still gonna be there
when we're done talking.

(Maria)
I'm Maria Kang.

Everyone knows me as a mother
whose photo went viral.

I'm the No Excuse Mom.

Some people said
that I was a fat shamer.

I'm not gonna apologize,

because I never said
you were fat.

I work out a ton.

I persevere.
I'm a winner.

I do care a lot
about strength and conditioning

and pushing myself
to the limit.

(Chris)
I'm Chris Krueger, and I'm
a strength coach to the stars.

And I help those great people
to be even better.

I am not content to be normal.

Normal people are weak
and stupid.

I feel very confident
in this squad.

- Is that even fair?
- We just got the money!

[laughter]

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

(John)
What a day, what a day.

Competitors, how are you?

- Good!
- Whoo!

Sound mildly enthusiastic.

Welcome
to your first Evolution.

Evolution is a military term,

used to describe
the tactics and drills

that our men and women
of the U.S. military

deal with every day.

And here,
we hope these challenges

will help you evolve as a team.

Today's Evolution
is called the Ruck Up.

It is a cornerstone
of U.S. Army Ranger training.

Each team is gonna pick up
a massive 120-pound log,

and you are going
to race with it

over three miles
through the forest.

There, you'll encounter
three unrelenting obstacles.

The rules are simple.

Your log can never
hit the ground.

If it does, you'll be penalized,
costing you valuable time.

The first team to complete
all three obstacles

and finish the race wins,

which means
the entire team is safe.

Do we understand?

(all)
Yes, sir!

(John)
All righty.

Mentors, gather your teams
and come up with a game plan.

All right, let's do it.

Be deliberate.
Be purposeful in your actions.

(Tabatha)
I want to prove to Rorke
I can do this.

I've always been the one
that people say,

"That girl is capable of that?

That girl is playing
Roller Derby? Whoa!"

We're gonna have
our two strongest guys

on the ends with this.

- You got good knees, Jim?
- Yeah.

I've done SWAT competitions

where my team needed
to carry a log,

so I'm thinking
maybe this is gonna play

to some of my strengths.

Keep in mind, that log
will not touch the ground.

(Chris)
120-pound log,
I could carry by myself--

It's not about by yourself.

We need to function
as one body.

You will do it together.

Chris thinks he can just
take this log

and run through
this Evolution himself.

In the Marine Corps,
the stakes are high.

There's no room
for individualism.

You try to go out
and be the captain saver,

you get yourself killed,
you get your unit killed.

[all shout indistinctly]

All right, mentors,
enough chalk talk.

Let's see what you guys got.

Competitors,
logs on your shoulders.

The team that's gonna win
this Evolution

is the one that operates
as a team.

In the military, you've got
all these different skill sets

that come together.

It's the units that work
as one kind of organism

that have success
on the battlefield.

Teams ready...

go!

(Tee)
Pick it up! Pick it up!

Here we go. Here we go.

Come on, guys,
pick it up!

Remember, you must make it
through this obstacle

without that 120-pound log
touching the ground.

(Mark)
I got it.

I feel like I've very strong
in a lot of areas.

I'm a lumberjack.

I eat frickin' logs
for breakfast.

I got it.
Go!

Come on, Jim!
Come on!

- It's down!
- Somebody up.

- Got it.
- Nice save. Nice save, Ashley.

- I got it! I got it!
- One up.

(Rorke)
Move the log!
Give yourself room!

- Move that log over there.
- Push it through.

Push it through!

We got to communicate.

We got to listen
to instructions.

I need it there!

Because it's so hard
carrying this weight

and still trying
to work as a team.

- Here you go.
- Guys, talk to each other.

Here, hold this.
Hold the back.

Hold the back!
Hold the back!

(Rorke)
Nice save.

Here, hold this.
Hold the back.

Hold the back!
Hold the back!

(John)
Your log hit the ground.
Take your punishment.

(Noah)
They did have a little slip.

But in the military,
especially in combat,

bad things happen.

We've learned
our lesson, okay?

Just pay attention
to everything we're doing.

So you have to have the
mentality of never looking back.

(Rorke)
Keep going. Keep going.

(Nick)
Come on, Jim.
Let's go.

- Come on, Jim.
- Come on, Jim!

(Nick)
Come on, Jim.
Here we go.

- Got you, Tony. Take it.
- [shouts]

(Tony)
I got it.

(Chris)
We have a beautiful team
top to bottom.

I think we have
the most athleticism.

Just another walk at the beach.

Here we go!

(John)
The first obstacle is complete.

Now they must carry that heavy
log on to the second obstacle

over three miles away.

(Ashley)
Let's go, guys.
Let's go.

- You good, Goldie?
- Yeah.

Good job, guys.

(Mark)
We're walking.

We're walking.
We're walking.

And keep in mind, bodybuilders
are known as immobile.

Endurance isn't my trait.

[groans]

- Drive, Tony, drive!
- I can't!

(Tony)
Don't tell me what to do.

Pick it up!

Tony's not what I expected.

- Give me ten seconds.
- Just leave him alone.

You are not tired!

Why are we struggling so hard?

(Lisa)
Okay, I need a little more
help in front.

I'm just thinking, like,
"How can I help my team?"

Let's speed up a little bit.
I got it.

- I got it.
- Oh, everybody's close.

Everybody's close.

You want me to run to the right,
I'll run to the right.

You want me to run to the left,
I'll run to the left.

(John)
Team Noah's making their move.

I will not be the weakest link
on this one.

(John)
After coming from last place,
Team Noah's taken the lead.

Move that log!
Come on!

(John)
All right,
they're at the second obstacle.

They have to cross
that 6-foot divide,

and the best way to do it
is by using that rope.

It takes teamwork in this one.

Set the log on top.
Everybody start getting up.

(Noah)
That's a great idea.
Hold the end with the rope.

Watching them work as a team

and not really knowing
each other yet,

I'm impressed, and it reminds me
a lot of the military--

how we're kind of thrown
together

and have to work together.

- I got it, go.
- You don't need the rope.

(Chris)
No, Tony, we need the rope.

Tee is yelling at us
to not use the rope.

It's physically impossible.

I'm sorry, guys!
- Hold it down!

(Tee)
Hold it down.

(Chris)
If that's her thinking,
that's baloney.

Guys, go!

(John)
Team Noah's figured out

how to use the rope
and is making it across.

Everyone else seems
to be struggling.

I got it.
Up in front!

Get as much grip
as you can up front.

[shrieks]

I hit my head against the log.

- Oh, my God.
- You all right?

(Nick)
Come on back. Come on back.
We got it.

(Maria)
I just remember
getting right back up,

knowing that we had
to start over again.

[all shouting indistinctly]

Damn it.

They know they screwed up.

But being a sniper,
sometimes you miss a shot.

You got it.
Don't let it get to you.

And you have to suck it up
and just drive on.

- We got to focus, you guys.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

(Mark)
We're almost there, guys.
This is the last leg.

You guys don't even look tired.

- Chest up, let's go!
- We got this!

Go!

We're going.
We are with you.

- Up.
- Yeah!

(Noah)
This is it!

Come on, come on,
come on, come on.

They're
at the final obstacle.

They need to add up the year
that that they were born

to get the combination
for that lock.

I'm 1968.

- '89.
- '74.

(Noah)
Final obstacle--math.

And this is where
I get really nervous.

How many years were you born
before 2000?

26?

Come on! Nothing's solved!
Nothing's solved!

We see two teams
at the finish line.

And they're still working on
getting everything figured out.

We have a chance.

Now we got ourselves
a party.

- Put it down!
- Whoa, whoa, whoa.

"The combination is the sum of
all four of your birth years."

'77.

(John)
All four teams are still trying
to solve the last puzzle.

This is anyone's game.

(Ashley)
Ivette, you're not moving it.
We got to figure out--

(Ivette)
Are you serious? I'm moving it.
You don't see me moving it?

(Ashley)
No, baby, we got
to add these together.

- Come on, we got this.
- It's '73.

(Ivette)
Calm down!

One--what was your last number?

Four.

Yes!

Here we go!

[all cheering]

(John)
We have a winner.

Winner is Team Noah.

[triumphant music]

- Oh, my God.
- Whoo!

Don't matter how many times
we fell--we got back up.

♪ ♪

Looking at my team
at this point,

I got some concerns.

Are we gonna be
the kind of team

that's gonna be able
to work together,

or are we gonna get
in each other's way?

(John)
So here we are.

Team Noah wins the Evolution.

- Whoo!
- Yeah!

(John)
That means
the three losing teams

will have to send one member
from your team

to face the most brutal
of military exercises.

And at "American Grit,"
we call this course the Circus.

And the Circus does not end

until one of your gives up,
rings out, goes home.

Rorke, Tee, Nick,
you have a decision to make,

because it will be you

who chooses which member
of your team

goes to face the Circus.

You certainly got
some thinking to do.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

Losing that was a tough pill
to swallow for me.

We had it, but what Tee was
telling us to do

was physically impossible.

I am so ticked off right now.

The team failed
because of poor leadership.

She's our mentor.

(Chris)
Yeah, but if you have a coach
and you're like,

"Let's keep running the wrong
play," that's never gonna work.

How do you feel?

Physically,
I'm just kind of beat,

but I don't care
about physically right now.

I got to get over it
in my head.

(Maria)
I think Jim, because
he is the oldest guy here,

struggles with "failing."

(David)
Our different backgrounds,

each of 'em played
a different part

in how we were able
to get through it.

I want to find out
where we come from

so that we can keep winning
these Evolutions.

I recently lost 50 pounds.

My mom--she got advanced-stage
lung cancer.

And I just kept, you know,
emotional eating, eating.

And then one day,
my husband said,

"Lisa, I will always love you,

but I'm just not attracted
to you right now."

So I was like, "Okay, I guess
I better go to the gym

and figure this out."

I was so mad at my husband
for saying that,

'cause it hurts, you know.

But that kind of inspired me

to start on this whole path
of fitness.

Bodybuilding just changed
my life.

I'm so much happier.

My husband and I--
we're so much closer.

My only goal was
to just step onstage.

It was never to win.

That only just happened
this year.

- You want to go in the hot tub?
- Yeah.

I have my hot-tub gear.

Hey!
Abercrombie model.

- Oh, stop.
- You know what?

[laughter]

- He's posing.
- There you go.

Not posing,
that's just my body.

[laughter]

Actually, I know
when people pose,

because that's the kind
of industry I'm in.

Did you know that
I'm actually the cover model

of "American Fitness" magazine
this month?

I actually did not know that.
Humble brag, wow.

So I actually know
when people pose.

You sound like
a fake expert to me.

- Really?
- Yeah, you do.

Okay, then describe it.
How am I fake?

Whoa, hold on.

Let me talk about myself
and how great I am again.

When did I ever talk
about how great I am?

The thing about the magazine
just came out of nowhere.

I'm not gonna argue
about this.

Oh, you're so distasteful.

- You're the worst person.
- Okay.

(Brooke)
Maria thinks things
are coming out one way

and come off a little offensive
and abrasive.

What in the wide world of sports
makes her so insecure about me?

(Kimberly)
'Cause you have a good body.

And she's the fitness model
with the terrible body?

[laughter]

Chris just attacked me
in there.

- What'd he say?
- Let me tell you.

He was like this,
"You're so fake."

[whining]
I was like, "Oh, my God."

This is day two in the house

and he's got you frazzled.

You got to bring it down.

I cannot stand a crybaby,

as a woman, as a single mom,

as a caregiver to my niece.

And then he's like,

"You walk around
like you're a fake expert."

You need to take that on
somewhere, sweetheart.

I can't be sitting there arguing
there arguing with him.

I'm not gonna give him
that much energy.

He is, like,
the "epi-tome"

of what's wrong
with our fitness in America.

(Rorke)
This is the nightmare
of losing the Evolution.

Now I need to send someone
to the Circus.

- Rorke!
- Rorke!

Team, what's up?

In SEAL training,
a Circus is not

cotton candy
and juggling clowns.

It is a mythic endurance beating
for hours.

I've got to send
one of my athletes.

I have no idea
what they're gonna face.

And I want to know
what this team thinks

about who should go in.

One of the things
we do in the SEAL teams,

after every mission, we do what
I call these Viking councils.

The fundamentals
of a Viking council

are brutal honesty.

So do this--
kind of give me,

"This is why I probably
should go to the Circus.

And this is why I shouldn't go
to the Circus."

If it's an obstacle course,
I would volunteer myself.

Tabatha.

I'm really good at quick stuff.
Quick, quick, quick.

- Yep.
- Reasons not to go...

We don't know
what the Circus is.

Even though I am a smaller
woman, a smaller athlete,

as far as our team
is concerned,

we're all eligible
for Team Rorke.

I mean, I'm willing to go

if it's something
that I'm gonna be best at.

- Put me in, Coach.
- Look, I love the answers.

I mean, I feel like everybody
made my decision point

exceedingly hard.

My team didn't
have a shortcoming

where I say, "Obviously,
you're the person to go in."

So it becomes
more of a tactical decision

on who I think
has the best shot

of coming back to us
in the Circus.

How do you guys
feel today, though?

- Like, you don't feel like--
- I'm the oldest person.

I-I thought I'd feel worse.

I think overall, we were proud
of ourselves working as a team.

- Yeah.
- We failed a mission.

To him, we failed.

What do you think
about the Circus coming up?

- What do you think about it?
- I didn't sleep about it.

'Cause I've already thought
about, as a leader,

who I would choose.

- Who?
- I'd send Jim.

And the reason why--
you need some confidence.

You need a win
under your belt.

I like Maria, but I'm certainly
not gonna volunteer somebody

to go to Circus,
you know what I mean?

(Nick)
So who would you send
if you had to pick?

I would like to volunteer.

It's just the unknown.

But I have no quit.

That's the big thing,
is not giving up, I think,

'cause I remember, uh...

when I was in Afghanistan,
we were surrounded

by a few hundred guys,
and it was a team of six of us.

We started calling it for
air strikes on us, you know,

so we won't get captured
and get our heads,

you know, chopped off,
whatever.

Right when we're thinking

everything's about to go down
and call it quits,

my best friend came in
with a machine gun team

and helped us get out.

Five minutes after that,

I watched him take two rounds
and bleed out.

(Maria)
I think Nick is
an incredible leader.

He's a sniper.

He sees perspective
like nobody else.

You can't put your mind, body,
soul, anything into it,

then what's the point
of doing it at all?

(Maria)
He's a man of little words.

But when he does see something,
it's powerful.

I wanted to try to do something
for you because you won.

I hope you accept
my little token of food

as a thank-you
for allowing me

to be part of something
really special.

Thank you.

- This is my favorite food now.
- Steak!

- Steak.
- Have you tried bison?

Yes, I have, but, actually,
what's really good is beaver.

Really?

- Yeah, a lot of people
eat beaver.

(Lisa)
The other moms at the PTA
are gonna be so jealous

'cause I just had lunch
with John Cena.

You guys did kick ass
out there.

- Cheers, guys.
- Cheers.

(Lisa)
I did a shot of whiskey
with John Cena.

I mean, how awesome is that?

Toughest thing is always
to stay on top of the mountain.

Good luck
the rest of the way too.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

(Tee)
So what do you think?

There were some times
when I was in mode of, like,

"I can't run right now"

and that was just one
of those things, I just can't.

(Tony)
I felt like I did not do
the best for my team.

- Drive, Tony, drive!
- I can't.

Now we're going
to the Circus.

Whoever she chooses,
we just got to come back home.

What about you, Chris?

[sighs]

My takeaway was
we can't trust you.

You can't trust me?
Why's that?

You gave us
the worst advice possible

that only made us slower.

You told us to pull the log
between our legs.

The obstacle is designed
to use the rope.

What was your takeaway?

Is there anything
in that challenge

that you could have
done different?

I will take ownership.

Oh, so you do
take ownership now.

I'm not blaming you.

I'm saying I blame myself
for listening to you.

I should have taken
the lead earlier.

I cannot trust you.
You gave us bogus advice, okay?

- Then we're talking about--
- Hey, hey.

- How about--
- I said pause.

- Pause on that.
- Okay.

What do you think?

Do you feel like I let you down
in this challenge?

You didn't let me down.
I was, like, listening.

And I know, you're there
to help us think.

You're there to coach us.

This is mind-boggling.

We would have been better off
without you there.

Really?

We would have finished
the drill faster without you.

(Tony)
Chris was really disrespectful
towards Tee.

That's a woman
of the military.

You have to respect her.

I'm here to guide
and to mentor you.

The argument--

that needs to stop.

If this was real-world
Marine Corps

and I had one of my marines
tell me,

"You're the one that [bleep]
this up for us,"

I would rip
somebody's head off.

But with Chris,
he's a civilian.

So Chris is damn sure lucky

I'm really good at holding in
my temper at times.

A lot was said today,

and I'm gonna take
a lot back with me.

[dramatic music]

Competitors,
welcome to the Circus.

In the military,

a circus is a punishing,
seemingly endless

physical-training exercise.

The circuses run during
SEAL training are legendary.

And I want Rorke to comment
on what the Circus means

to a U.S. Navy SEAL.

Well, SEAL training is
near-mythic in its intensity,

physical and mental.

And if a class has an issue,

we'll implement
what's called a circus.

And every class that enjoys this
savage beating that takes place

will never forget it.

Behind you is the Circus.

[dramatic tones]

"American Grit's" version is
a brutal obstacle course

that will send the competitor

through 13 muscle-draining
obstacles

of cargo nets ascending
to 30-foot treetops,

tumbling down
to the base of this canyon,

and culminating
on that platform right there.

That's where the test
of endurance will begin.

That's when you'll have a chance
to prove you have American grit,

because the Circus does not end
till one of you gives up,

and just like any U.S. Navy SEAL
throwing in the towel,

when you give up,
you will ring out.

And when you ring out,

your journey
on "American Grit" is over.

[bell tolls]

For three of you,

facing this Circus
is about to become very real.

Now, Tee, I heard
there was some dissension

in the ranks in your team.

(Tee)
Having led marines
for almost 20 years

and to have my leadership
questioned,

you know, by a fitness trainer,
it kind of puts it out there.

Care to comment?

I think we hashed it out
already.

Oh, it's been taken care of.

Right, Chris?

[tense music]

So now it's time to find out

who Nick, Tee, and Rorke
have chosen to face the Circus.

Nick.

I'm gonna send....

Jim.

- I got this, brother.
- I know.

I got this.

Nick, why?

When I was overseas,
I missed a bunch of shots.

And I would beat myself up
really bad over it.

In order for me to get
out that rut,

I had to get back out there,

and I have to put Jim
in that same position.

Tee, who are you sending
to the Circus?

(Tee)
Do I put up someone
who had a down day,

or do I put up someone
who I think

still needs to implement
that teamwork strategy?

My decision is...

Chris.

Let's go, Jim!

- Take your spot, man.
- Let's go right now.

(Jim)
Chris is lucky
I just pushed him.

If we were on the street,

I would have knocked
his ass out.

Tee, why?

I think Chris has what it takes

to make it
through this challenge,

but maybe come back
a little bit more humble

and be better for the team.

(John)
Rorke?

Well, I'm gonna send one of
the biggest members of my team.

But I'll never really
think of size--

what you bring physically to the
table is what I'm looking for.

It's what's in here.

So I'm gonna send
my girl Goldie.

(woman)
That's what's up.

(Tabatha)
I'm not afraid of the Circus.

I was born to two teenagers.

So, from the time I entered
this world, I was the underdog.

(Rorke)
I think Goldie is gonna rip
through this course

and send a message that everyone
in this fight is capable.

You've been chosen
to face the Circus.

Before we get started,

I'd like to privately talk

to each individual
running the Circus.

(Rorke)
I think Goldie is gonna
kind of be the underdog,

but she's got toughness
that is earned.

I mean, you can't buy it,
you can't teach it.

That's something we've learned
in SEAL training,

is that it's about your heart.

She's just got that in her.

(John)
Jim.

- How do you feel?
- Feel great.

You had
a rough first Evolution.

There was maybe some speculation
that you were down on yourself.

I was.
This is redemption.

Why?

Because Nick knows I have the
skill set to defeat this course.

Do you think your age at all
will play into this at all?

No.

I know Jim's age
could factor in,

but with a guy like Nick, it
factors more in for experience.

Now, did Jim
just have a bad day?

I truly wish you
the best of luck.

Or is that a sign
of things to come?

I want to know how you feel
about being chosen.

I'm at peace.

You say you're at peace,

and I can genuinely see that
in the smile on your face.

I want to get to know
what's behind that smile.

My smile started
as a way to cover up pain.

My sister--
she fought sickle cell disease.

They've told us plenty of times
to save our good-byes to her,

and then one morning,
I get a phone call,

and she's gone and--

[cries]

[sighs]

I miss her.

My sister fought
through death.

Surely I can fight
through the Circus.

That's why
I'm looking forward to this.

I want to make her proud.

You're up against
a tough group.

You give 'em hell
out there, okay?

I will.

(John)
When you have something
to fight for,

when your body is ready to say,
"I'm out,"

this can take over.

What's up, John?
How you doing?

You seem excited and focused.
What's going on?

Yeah, well, I get to do
the obstacle course.

There is no way for me

to possibly question
your athletic ability.

For me, your character
may be in question.

Your mentor is
a gunnery sergeant

in the United States
Marine Corps.

When you turned ten years old,

she was in boot camp
kicking ass with men.

When you were getting
your driver's license,

she was in Iraq

in combat.

And she was responsible
not only for her own life,

but the safety
of more than 1,000 marines.

In 2008, while you were
discovering yourself,

your mentor was being awarded

by the United States Marine
Corps and the White house.

You sleep under
a blanket of freedom

that she has provided
for you.

Number one, I did question
her leadership skills

because they were
in question--

Oh, please finish.

If you're a football coach and
you keep running the wrong play,

you go to the coach,
and you say,

"We need to change
this and this."

You got a problem
with your coach, from now on,

don't talk to your coach
in front of the team.

I think you owe Tee
an apology.

I do hope Chris comes back.

He has the maturity level
of a child,

and I think this competition
would help him

evolve into a man.

(John)
This is how the Circus
is gonna work.

You will take your places
down at the start line,

and I will blow a horn.

When I do, you will sprint up
to that cargo net,

and that starts
your 13-obstacle competition.

(Nick)
You know,
the whole obstacle course,

it comes clear out
of the military handbook.

That's one of the main reasons
why I picked Jim.

He comes
from a tactical background.

I come
from a tactical background.

You're all gonna end up
on the endurance platform.

The first one there gets
to rest those drained muscles

because the endurance
does not start

until everyone
reaches the platform.

Now, the obstacles you encounter
on the Circus today,

they'll remain permanent.

The thing that is ever-changing
is the endurance challenge.

Today's endurance challenge,
all you have to do

is bear the weight of your
sandbag for as long as you can.

The first sandbag that drops
means one of you gives up.

When you give up,
you will ring out.

And when you ring out,

your journey
on "American Grit" is over.

Head to the starting line.

[all cheering]

Let's go, Chris.

I sent Chris into the Circus

because that would be
the best way for him

to have that quick, swift piece
of humble pie.

He's going up against Jim,
who's the oldest competitor,

and Goldie,
the smallest.

As long as he listens,
he'll do well,

and he'll come right back
to the house even stronger.

(John)
Three, two, one, go.

[air horn blasts,
all cheering]

(Maria)
Go, Jim! Pace yourself.

Whoo!

(Maria)
Pace yourself, Jim.

Neck and neck at the base
of the cargo net.

That three-story vertical climb
is designed

to wear down
both those arms and legs.

(Toby)
Looking good, Goldie.
Just like that!

- Go!
- There you go, Jim.

- All right, Goldie!
- Come on!

(Tee)
Roll it down.
There you go.

(John)
Chris, the first one
to get up and over.

Jim's very close behind.

- Right there, Jim, baby.
- Aah!

- Stay strong, Goldie!
- Whoo!

(Rorke)
Goldie, you're right with 'em.
Perfect, perfect.

(Tee)
Good job, Chris.
Watch your footing.

(Nick)
Nice and smooth, Jim.

(Rorke)
Goldie, nice and easy.

You're doing great, Goldie.
You got plenty of time.

(Tee)
Easy there, use those legs.

(John)
Chris is starting to climb
the Giant's Ladder...

Make it look easy.

(John)
A more than 30-feet-high
wooden log structure

guaranteed to burn out
the whole body.

[panting, grunts]

- Jim, straddle.
- Go!

Use your legs.
There you go.

(Tee)
There you go, Chris.

(John)
Chris onto the high beam first.

- Let's go, Jim!
- Gah!

(Rorke)
And you can use an arm to--
exactly.

You are doing awesome.

(John)
Jim on the high beam right now.

Chris out in front.

Remember,
finish first,

and they get to rest
those worn-out muscles

before they start
the endurance portion.

Goldie, you're fine.

I'm coming, Chris!

Goldie is...
up and over the ladder.

(Brooke)
Come on, Chris!
You're almost done!

[dramatic music]

[indistinct shouting]

(woman)
We love you, Goldie!

[grunts]

- Roll, baby!
- Roll!

Chris at the base
of the downward fall.

[indistinct shouting]

- [shouts]
- Whoo!

♪ ♪

(John)
Chris has reached
the endurance platform.

(Brooke)
Good job, Chris.
Now just focus on resting.

Focus on resting.

(Nick)
Just roll down.
There you go, just like that.

Save your arms.
Rest 'em down here.

(woman)
Come on, Goldie!

[panting]

(Nick)
Come on, Jim!
Come on, Jim!

(John)
Jim has reached
the endurance platform.

- Good job, Goldie!
- Shake 'em out. There you go.

All right, Goldie!

- Use your legs.
- We love you, Goldie!

Whoo!

Goldie has reached
the endurance platform

but will get no rest.

Competitors, on your mark,

the endurance challenge
has begun.

[air horn blasts]

(man)
Come on, Jim!

Keep your arms relaxed
and just be prepared to suffer.

You can do it.

If me and Goldie
go back to the house,

I will be the happiest man.

(Brooke)
You were the first one
through that course.

You got some good rest.

- Now just hold on.
- Looking good.

(Tee)
You got this.
Easy day. Just a little nap.

(John)
Oh, you're just taking a nap
down there.

I'm sorry.
I thought you were struggling.

Don't overextend yourself,
though.

Chris just getting a stretch on,
mocking you both.

[laughing]

(John)
Shots fired.

- Get mad.
- I don't have to get mad, man.

(John)
We are gonna wait
until one bag drops.

Someone soon will give up,

ring out, and go home.

[tense music]

♪ ♪

It should have been 30%
of my body weight.

(John)
Ooh, man.
Confidence is high.

Dropping the mic.

You reek of confidence, Chris.

That's the cologne I put on
every morning--

Confidence.

That's a strong smell
from here.

Goldie, like a statue--
never wavering, amazing resolve.

Goldie, how heavy is your bag?

I don't care.

(Nick)
Keep it up, Jim.

- Jim, you starting to tire?
- I ain't going anywhere.

- Don't talk about it.
- Oh, it's burning.

(Tabatha)
It's not burning at all.

No, not me.
Them.

Shut him up.

The rain's coming.

(John)
And with the rain
comes slick ropes.

You know as well as I do,

when grip fails,
it is gone.

♪ ♪

Goldie has
no wasted movements.

What's gonna happen
is Chris is gonna fumble.

[whispering]
Hey, Jim. Can you hear me?

(Tee)
Focus on me, focus on me.

(Maria)
I just think it's incredible

how disrespectful
he is to everybody.

I'm gonna let you just keep
talking out of your ass

over there by yourself.

We're all talking about it.

[all talking at once]

(Maria)
Just wait till I get you alone.

We are not here to argue.
We are here for our team.

Whoo!

Focus, got it?

- [exhales deeply]
- Focus.

[breathing deeply]

If I can sit out in the middle
of nowhere for five days...

I can do this for five days.

(Nick)
That's what I'm talking about.

Competitors, you have passed
the 40-minute mark.

When you hear the horn,
you must choose one hand only.

You can no longer switch.

(woman)
You got this, Jim.

- [laughing]
You got this!

[air horn blasts]

(John)
When you hear the horn,
you must choose one hand only.

You can no longer switch.

- [laughing]
- You got this, Chris.

[air horn blasts]

- All right, Goldie.
- You got this, Goldie.

Oh, been resting this one
for ten minutes.

It feels brand-new.

You know that, right?

You are in the best position
to win this.

Better than Jim,
better than Chris.

Nope.
Nope.

You still got this.

Mind over matter.

[dramatic music]

Do you want to be the first one
to ring that bell?

There's gonna come a time

where you're gonna have to
find it somewhere.

I told you guys
this would happen.

Goldie, you've got this,
girl.

♪ ♪

He's gonna be okay.

His hand's coming off
with this rope.

He's not gonna let go.

Nobody wants to ring that bell.

Hold it. I got you.
Hold it. Hold it.

Hang in there
as long as you can.

I think fatigue is starting
to set in on Goldie,

I'll be honest with you.

You lock in.

(man)
Jim's starting to get
a little tired.

Hold it.
Hold it, Chris.

Hold it!
Hold it, Chris!

This is where it gets
a little interesting.

Stay in there, Jim.
Stay in there, Jim! He's going!

Dig deep.
Dig deep!

[all screaming]

(John)
It's over!

It is over!

[all cheering]

[all screaming]

I knew it!

(John)
Talk about shock!

Talk about the upset!

Thank you!
Thank you!

Thank you
for believing in me!

Thank you for sending me here!
Thank you!

It is special
beyond belief.

I've led some of the highest
level performing teams on Earth,

and Goldie's performance
will rank right up there

in my memory
for the rest of my life.

(John)
Goldie, Jim, congratulations.

You have survived the Circus.

- Yeah!
- Whoo!

- Up in the house!
- Whoo!

[all cheering]

(Tee)
I was embarrassed.

He had that challenge.

Instead of just keeping
his head in the game,

his cocky attitude
has gotten the best of him.

(John)
Chris, it's time for you
to ring out

and go home.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[bell tolls]

♪ ♪

(Chris)
Ringing the bell
is a huge disappointment.

I feel bad
for letting my team down,

but I gave
my best possible effort.

I really respect your service,
and I respect you.

Sorry I let you down.

You didn't let me down,

'cause as long
as you learn something,

you never let me down.

(Chris)
Am I cocky? Certainly.

If I didn't believe in myself,
that's lame.

(John)
Next time...

- Brooke, I need you, Brooke!
- What are you doing?

(John)
Team Tee must recover
from their first casualty.

We're struggling hard.

Give it all you got!

This is very much in the
wheelhouse of SEAL training.

Find your stroke!

(John)
Still at full strength,

Team Rorke and Team Nick have
their sights set on Team Noah.

(Rorke)
It's about what you bring
to the fight,

above and beyond
what your body can do.

They're gonna catch up!

Go, go, go!
Find it! Find it!

(John)
Who will be the next contestant
to give up,

ring out, and go home,

on "American Grit"?

(woman)
No! No, no!