The Real World: Cancun is the twenty-second season of MTV's reality television series The Real World , which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras document their lives and interpersonal relationships. Cancun, Mexico was first announced as the location for the season on Jan 26, 2009. It is the fourth season of the series to be set outside the United States, after The Real World: London , The Real World: Paris , and The Real World: Sydney . Series co-creator Jonathan Murray explained the choice of Cancun, saying, "Cancun is a good one to do after Brooklyn, which was a more gritty environment."
Primary production completed in April and was not affected by the swine flu outbreak in Mexico. Executive Producer Jim Johnston said, "We had stopped production before this thing reared its ugly head." The season premiered June 24, 2009.
Bunim-Murray Productions also shot an unscripted 2003 movie called The Real Cancun , although it was unrelated to the series. Mexico also served as the season vacation spot for the cast of The Real World: Los Angeles and Cancun in particular served as the vacation spot for the cast of The Real World: Hollywood .
Assignment
Almost every season of The Real World , beginning with its fifth season, has included the assignment of a season-long group job or task to the housemates, continued participation in which has been mandatory to remain part of the cast since the Back to New York season. The Cancun cast was assigned to work with Student City, an organization that helps visiting college students, helping to, as Jonathan Murray puts it, "give people a safe and fun vacation."
The residence
The cast stayed at the Cancun resort, ME Cancun, at Boulevard Kukulkan, km. 12 in Cancun, Mexico. The resort is located in the hotel zone between the Beach Palace and Park Royal Piramides resorts. Fifteen hotel rooms were converted into the cast's suite: eleven on the second floor, and four rooms on the third floor. Production Designer Chuck Aubrey used the hotel's signature furnishings to decorate the suite, along with the vivid colors that are typically used by the Real World production to adorn the residences. The suite, like all of the resort's other 418 rooms, features an ocean and sunset lagoon view. The suite is currently available to the public under the name SuiteMe.
Cast
The cast is made up of eight individuals, in line with the prior season. Two of the cast members, Jonna Mannion and Derek Chavez, previously worked together at a bar in Tempe, Arizona, and are the first set of cast members in a season to be acquainted with one another prior to casting since David Burns and Nathan Blackburn from The Real World: Seattle .
Episodes
The cast moves into the penthouse in Cancun. Joey and Emilee experience the first conflict over his views of her occupation. At a club, Emilee and CJ exhibit a mutual attraction, and Joey makes a point of being the first in the house to have sex in Cancun. A courtesy to Joey results in a night of closeness between Emilee and CJ, and damage to C.J.'s relationship with his girlfriend, Danielle. The male roommates ponder whether Jonna will remain faithful to her boyfriend, Matt, and the possibilities if she doesn't.
CJ and Jonna become close, with the newly single CJ (and the others) anticipating possibilities between them should she break up with Matt. Joey experiences a personality clash with Ayiiia and the other women. The roommates meet their new boss and learn about their new job, but the restrictions and responsibilities imposed on them may pose challenges.
As Jonna becomes closer to the men, conflict arises in the house between them and the women, with Ayiiia and Emilee each alienating the others over various issues. Ayiiia and Emilee share a night of romantic intimacy, though their relationship soon sours over conflict on the group's first day of work, and eventually, Ayiiia is pitted against the other seven.
Ayiiia attempts to make amends with Emilee, though Emilee wonders how difficult it may be to restart their friendship. Derek enjoys a visit for his birthday from his brother, Bo, and his ex-boyfriend, Kyle, whose infidelity led to their breakup just prior to moving to Cancun. This, as well as Derek's ability to adhere to Student City rules when he meets a Student City client named Tyler, causes conflict for him. Joey's self-professed promiscuity continues, but he suffers a devastating loss that returns him home. CJ and Jasmine both meet people to whom they are attracted.
C.J.'s romantic escapades continue, but he and Joey continue to experience conflict with Ayiiia, which leads to a huge fight, and a physical confrontation that includes threats of violence. This leads to a recurrence of Ayiiia's self-mutilation. Joey and the other men, unsympathetic when they learn of her condition, decide to enact a campaign of behavior designed to get her to leave the house. Jasmine sees a man who she thinks is giving her mixed signals. The episode ends with a public service announcement by Ayiiia in which she states that she received professional help, and implores others exhibiting self-mutilation to do the same.
The mutual animus between Joey and Ayiiia continues, but his chafing against authority and his dislike for and delinquency at the job may jeopardize his stay in Cancun. Jonna enjoys a visit from her boyfriend, Matt, though questions on his part about her faithfulness cause them tension, and may result in her going astray.
As the cast's romantic and sexual explorations in Cancun continue, Jasmine sees Pat, but is frustrated by his seeming disinterest in her, and the attention he pays to Jonna. During Peak Week, the cast's responsibilities intensifies as 70% of U.S. universities are on Spring Break, and they are assigned to manage the band LMFAO, but Joey misses another shift, and is fired and sent home.
As the cast deals with Joey's abrupt departure, they are assigned to raise money to help Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (Integral Family Development), or DIF, a Cancun welfare shelter for abused children. Jonna and Patrick become closer, and a devastated Jasmine, whose romantic interest was not reciprocated by Patrick, reacts with excessive drinking and emotional outbursts towards the others. Tardiness among the cast continues to be an issue with their boss, Christina.
As Jonna becomes closer to Pat, and more distant from Matt, Jasmine becomes closer to Pat's cousin, J.R., but this is perceived by the others as a futile attempt to make Pat jealous, and a source of awkwardness. Bronne's drunken shenanigans get him evicted from the hotel. He subsequently moves into the Grand Royal Lagoon hotel (GRL), used by Student City as its staff residence.
As Jonna experiences second thoughts about her decision to break up with Matt, in part due to Pat's impending return to Toronto, the love square created by her, Pat, Jasmine and J.R. continues to generate tension. Ayiia enjoys a visit from two of her friends, and expresses a strong attraction to Jonna, which leads to the two of them making out, and a menage a trois that includes Pat. Jonna and Ayiiia's secrecy about this causes Emilee to feel excluded, and the incident has deleterious effects on Ayiiia's relationship with her boyfriend, Ryan.
As Spring Break comes to an end, and Student City's staff prepares to return home, the women become irritated with Jonna, whom they think goes too far in her in her need for attention from others, particularly men. A brush with the law nearly derails the men's trip to Las Vegas, where C.J. tries out for the NFL. Emilee incurs Bronne's wrath by disrespecting his property. Bronne and C.J. play a running prank on Joey, who returns at the end of the episode.
In the season finale, the cast prepares to move out, and is surprised by a visit from Joey. He and Ayiiia mend fences, as do Bronne and Emilee. Joey and Ayiiia have sex, much to everyone's shock, including their own, and Ayiiia immediately regrets it. Jonna and the other women discuss her relationship with them. As the castmates part one by one, they share emotional exchanges, and reflect upon their time together.
References
- ^ Jeff Dufour; Kiki Ryan (June 10, 2009). "'Real World D.C.': MTV makes it official". Washington Examiner . http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/blogs/yeas-and-nays/Real-World-DC-MTV-makes-it-official-47531542.html .
- ^ a b "'Real World' heads south of the border: MTV chooses Cancun as setting for 22nd cycle of series". The Hollywood Reporter . January 26, 2009 . http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i9df355e84da724cac535a8f9c16c43cf . ...
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