How Did Frank & Sam Make It to the Final?

It’s official: Sam is entering her second final, and Frank is entering his third. The Real World: San Diego duo managed to get to the end of the season without going into a single Jungle.

If you look at Frank, this isn’t super shocking. He can be an outspoken and sneaky player, but he’s also in great physical shape. The same can’t be said for Sam. She struggled during some of the earlier challenges, and this made the team look really weak.

Now, they’re one of the only teams to win two daily challenges this season. They also came close to winning a few of the other challenges, which is how they acquired a star.

So, what happened? From the look of it, Frank found strength in weakness. He knew his team wasn’t going to get to the final based on physical prowess, so he aligned with other teams in similar situations. This is how he started to work with Katie & Veronica, and their games did have a lot of overlap. Both of these duos wanted to target the stronger teams, likely the best strategy they could have used in their situation.

As the season progressed, Frank & Sam started to develop their stride. This is how they got their victories, but they still labeled themselves as a weak team. This was a smart (though slightly self-deprecating) strategy, especially once they had a star. As a “weak” team, they had a smaller target on their back when two star-holding teams were being sent into the Jungle. Even when Shane called out Frank on episode 8, it never culminated in Frank & Sam going into an elimination.

We haven’t seen Sam’s strategic game highlighted as much, but she has been building social relationships. Likely, this helped the team avoid being targeted, but she’s also been following Frank’s lead and backing the moves he’s made.

Frank & Sam have played a very interesting social game this season, but we can’t ignore that they really have struggled in endurance-based challenges. However, Frank has been very patient with Sam, a huge improvement from Battle of the Seasons. On the other hand, Sam kept a positive attitude. She’s been very methodical with her approach to challenges, which has helped the team do well. She even got into a “tabletop” position and let Frank climb on her back to crown their victory in the puzzle during Pressure Sandwich.

At the start of this season, I would have told you Frank & Sam had no shot at winning. As the season progressed, my stance changed. This is partially because I see their team dynamic improving and partially because some of the strongest teams have been eliminated. Mostly, I think they could win because physical abilities haven’t been the key to success this season. Few of the daily challenges and Jungles have tested strength and speed. Rather, we’re seeing more puzzles, coordination, and strategy. Frank & Sam have developed good communication and a sense of trust, and this could allow them to shine in an All Stars final.