This episode begins on a sadistic note with Richard and Mindi rejoining the others upstairs. While I am sure most everyone in the house loves Mindi, Richard has created a toxic situation between himself and Chuck making things less than comfortable in the house. After some less than jovial greetings and congratulations it is time to get some rest.

Bryan McFayden meets all of the teams the next day and informs them that they now all have a one in four chance of winning $250,000 and that they are halfway through the game. To this Chuck responds in confessional that he had to bite his tongue to not point out that they were 4/7ths through the game and that the 1 in 4 odds only counted if everyone’s chance were equal which in games of skill is rarely the case. Geek Police! 7 couples yield 1 winner and 6 eliminations. 3 eliminations have taken place, thus the game is 3/6ths over or to reduce that, ½. Bad Geek Chuck, BAD!

(This “Beat the Geeks” moment has been brought to you by Ultra-Punk’d, the new show where 7 geeks find out that 7 beauties were paid to spend a week with cuddling with them in a mansion. Has anyone else ever worried that this show run by Ashton Kutcher could be one big prank?)

This week the girls will compete in an advantage challenge where the winner will give her geek a head-start in the second challenge which will decide which one team will get to choose both teams to be sent to the elimination room.

It’s all about numbers as the beauties will have to learn math and finance while the geeks with have to master the art of obtaining a girl’s digits (phone number).

As practice, the geeks are all given a note that tells them to ask out a girl other than their partner to a romantic dinner. Chuck quickly tracks down Scarlet and almost as quickly, Bill invites Mindi. A minute later Caitilin is approached by Shawn, leaving Richard with only one option, Lauren. If Richard had known he had only on option, this moment would have been a lot less painful and had Richard not developed himself as such an agitating personality, his misery would not have been as funny. Richard proceeded to be shot down by Scarlet and Caitilin, before stumbling through asking Lauren. In fact, Lauren ended up asking him.

While most of the dates went smoothly, Chuck had some social hiccups in his date with Scarlet by talking too much about political topics and the Quakers. However, the true pain was being felt by Lauren who had to deal with Richard spilling wine on himself, getting a glass of water out of the ice bucket and then, after a horrible date, trying to steal a kiss. All this came from the ladies man who was 110% confident that he was going to get lucky. As Lauren put it, the date was an 8 and then a 4, a 3, a 0, and then a negative 6.

(You can mail your contribution to Lauren’s therapy to Beauty and the Geek, c/o Ashton Kutcher…..)

Challenge 1:

The ladies were all brought out to a men’s boutique and charged with the task to buy them a fresh new wardrobe. They each had to come as close to spending $1,000 as possible doing all of the math in their heads, including the 8.25% sales tax.

While all the girls were eager and enjoyed their shopping, none of the girls were confident about their math skills. In the end, Lauren ended up winning with a grand total of $972.10.

Now that the shopping is done, the girls headed back to the mansion to makeover the geeks. This included the clothes, new hair styles, and a cleaner new look.

At the reveal, the girls fawned over all of the guys, Bill especially, who looked nothing like a geek. Richard pretty much looked the same in his dress shirt and jeans. Shawn, still looked dorky, but now seemed more like a cool dork. Chuck in a preppier look, was definitely improved but said he felt like he was a bit of an imposter.

Challenge 2:

The geeks were brought out to a busy public plaza and told that they will be competing to see who can get the most women’s phone numbers in 30 minutes. Bill start out with 1 phone number as a head start because Lauren won the girls’ challenge. One more thing, the geeks are all given earpieces so that the beauties who will be watching from afar can give them advice the entire time.

And they’re off. Bill scores the first number only to be followed up by Chuck who starts to get phone numbers using the persona of being a screenwriting student. When the female accuses him of using his spiel as a great pick-up line, Chuck realizes that he could be less threatening if he says that he is gay, which he does. This allows him to secure many phone numbers very easily.

Now I could go into a social commentary about everything that is wrong with the deceitful practice and the fact that heterosexual women seem to be more interested in gay men than straight men, but as a recapper, I will focus on the game aspects of this situation.

While exploiting the above mentioned truth is a genius move on Chuck’s part, if “Beauty and the Geek” is truly to be more of a social experiment, Chuck is gaining nothing by hiding behind his gay persona. I almost wish someone stepped in and said that all the guys were expected to be “Playing it Straight” (now, that’s a show with issues). By acting gay he is learning one lesson and one lesson only. Anything and everything should be done to win. Seeing that this is the number one rule of Reality TV, I guess that I have to condone his actions.

As the time ticks down, the guys get desperate. Scarlet coaches Shawn to swoop in and steal a number from a girl Bill was talking to, which he does successfully. Richard tried to come across as an FBI agent and faltered asking a married woman for the number in front of her husband.

Now for the final scores. Tied for third with 6 numbers were both Richard and Shawn. Shawn might have done better had he not given up the last 15 minutes. In second with 10 numbers was Bill and in first was Chuck with 13, proving that if you want to get a woman’s number it is better to be gay.

Back at the mansion, Richard knows he is a dead duck and shows up to the elimination ceremony wearing a blindfold and rolled up cigarette, creating firing squad attire for the purpose of mocking Chuck As for the other team to be chosen, there is a major conflict in that Chuck wants to protect Scarlet and Caitilin wants to protect Lauren. In making their decision, Caitilin yielded to Chuck as he did the majority of the work, meaning that Bill and Lauren would face Richard and Mindi.

The Elimination Room: A.K.A. The QUIZ OF DEATH!!!

I’m sorry; I needed to use a more dramatic name.

As always, the girls will be going first and this week they will be answering math questions.

Mindi goes first and scores one point knowing that 5 dozen roses is 60 individual roses

Lauren surprises everyone when she knows a 15% tip on a $50 dollar meal is $7.50

Mindi goes 2 for two knowing that if a 140 lb girl lost 5% of her weight that she would weigh 133 lbs.

Lauren next is asked how many feet are in 13 yards and misses guessing 64 (Correct Answer: 39)

Mindi give the sequence of ½, 3/8, 2/3, 4/16 had to identify the largest number. She did so correctly picking 2/3.

Lauren put Bill against the wall not being able to add 22, 37 and 45. Her guess of 144, was 40 off the correct answer of 104, meaning that the score at the halfway mark is 3-1, Richard and Mindi leading.

Now the guys will be quizzed on dating trivia.

Bill goes first: On a first date, who should pick up the check? Bill quickly and confidently answers the male, only to be shot down. The correct answer is whoever asked for the date.

Richard can put the game away with a correct answer to this question. On a date, what is the minimum that a man should tip to show that he is generous? Mindi in the peanut gallery is yelling 15%, only as an afterthought jumping to 18%. After some thought, Richard says 20%... and is right! Richard and Mindi have won the right to continue in the game and Bill and Lauren are Beauty and Geek no more.

And in a move that is becoming an elimination room tradition. Richard sneaks a kiss from Lauren, his departing opponent, bringing the smooch tally to two! (Again, those checks for Lauren’s therapy can be made out to….)

Therapy aside, let’s give a round of applause to Mindi who has gone 6 for 6 in her elimination room questions. She’s carrying her team to a quarter-million dollars.

Only three couples remain and next week they will be trying to rough their way to victory in a wilderness challenge. Until then, wait with baited breath for your next Beauty and the Geek recap. Just make sure that the bait doesn’t attract Richard.