Watching VH1

Did you catch the new episode of The Pickup Artist this week? I did! You can read my recap after the jump, and also catch it as it reruns throughout the week. Since Mission: Man Band was on earlier yesterday, I’ve already posted my recap for that over at RealityShack. Also, for any Man Band fans, Sureshot has posted their first single “The Story of My Life” on their MySpace page, so check it out!

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Previously, the guys got makeovers and learned how to open a set. Some did well, others freaked out. Spoon decided to go home, surprising Mystery and the wingmen.

This week starts off where the last one ended. Fred is amazed he’s still there and he relays that Spoon chose to leave to the other guys. Scott is disappointed in him, but he respects his decision. Joe W. is sad he didn’t get a hug before Spoon left. Joe D. says it’s getting interesting and they realize it’s a competition now.

The next day, they get a call from Mystery telling them to meet him at the Griffin school for the reward challenge. Mystery meets them in the library and asks them about being read stories in school. He says girls are looking for that passion that makes telling stories interesting. His hair is down and flowing as he tells the guys they get the chance to speak to some women who are absolutely adorable. There are a bunch of little girls who come in the room and the guys have to tell the little girls their rendition of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears and entertain them. The little girls will decide who wins. The winner gets one on one time with Mystery to learn a top secret conversation starter (which he calls a Gambit).

Joe W. starts first and they nickname him Boo Boo. He starts his story as they giggle and a little girl calls him a big fattie (and this is the skinny Joe!) Kosmo (formerly Alvaro) goes next and he tells a super scary version of the story about how Goldie Locks is grounded and gets her hair shaved. Fred tells his story and they start calling him really weird. He just wanted to get out of there alive. By the time Scott gets there, the girls are already really bored of Goldie Locks. He thinks they are like cute piranhas. Joe D. uses crowd participation to help him out. He thought it was really easy, and did great with the kids. Brady tries to make friends with them first before he starts his story and they just don’t listen to him and some even sleep. Pradeep thinks he’s good with children and all of the girls run up to sit on his lap and beat him up. They start shoving things up his nose and grabbing his ears. He definitely opened the set, but couldn’t control them.

The guys all enter the room and the girls come in one by one to choose the winner. They all choose someone different and Pradeep starts motioning to the girls to choose him. The rest of the guys get mad and see that as cheating. Pradeep ends up getting the most votes, which makes Joe D. feel gypped. Mystery will be giving Pradeep his one on one lesson that night. Back at the house, Pradeep is patting his own back and Joe D. calls him out on his vote solicitation. Joe W. is also upset and Kosmo calls him a diabolical genius. Mystery teaches Pradeep his “spell of attraction” gambit. It involves touching the girl’s hands and some sort of parlor trick that moves the others fingers together without touching them. Pradeep thinks he has an ace up his sleeve now.

The next lesson happens in the pool room and Mystery tells them none of them set the rules with the little girls. The second phase is to be interesting to make women interested in them. J-Dog tells them not to have a long boring story, but to create a connection with people they don’t know. Mystery wants them to be nice to everyone but the target so she doesn’t feel sexually threatened. He wants them to make her earn their attention. Their objective is to create an attraction from a woman using the stories that Mystery and the wingmen will teach them.

Matador and J-Dog break the guys into groups to teach them how to create desire from women. Kosmo tells a bad line and Matador laughs at him. Matador tells them to walk away after getting their attention. Scott uses his lines on the plants and furniture around the pool to practice. He thinks Dungeons and Dragons is the same as picking up women because you tell stories to people. Fred says he just goes blank as they all get dressed for their field test. Brady says he’s just been lucky in the past, but now he knows there is a system. Kosmo puts on an extra pair of socks for some reason and they load up on the bus. Mystery tells us they must open the set and then use their lines to create desire. The one who builds attraction and obtains phone numbers will be immune from elimination. He then hands them each Virgin Mobile phones to put the numbers in and Fred freaks out. Mystery tells them not to get run over like they did with the little girls. Scott says he’s going to win because there are so many neat stories to tell.

The guys all head into the club as Mystery and the wingmen watch from their truck. Joe D. heads straight in and starts talking to everyone. Mystery thinks he did great and Joe D. says he’s confident that he’s doing well. Joe W. heads right in and immediately connects with a whole group of girls and Mystery thought he did great as well. Brady whips out the pointing fingers which make Mystery and the wingmen make fun of him. Scott even gets in there and talks to a girl, but he is a bit stiff and his body language is pretty bad. Brady just keeps walking around and he finally goes up to where Scott is and doesn’t use his lesson at all. Mystery says that is how you don’t do it and Matador says he’s only getting by on his looks right now while creeping out the girls. Brady tries to get a phone number and then leaves when he’s shot down. Kosmo finds a group and totally bombs. Mystery cringes and says “oooohhh man”. Kosmo says his head got in his way. Fred is walking around with his hand up and Mystery says that’s how you don’t pickup as he talks to a group of women. He offers to give them advice about good furniture. He introduces Pradeep who wants to know how they know who they know, you know? Mystery is upset they are inventing their own conversations. Pradeep just sits down in the middle of the group in Fred’s way which makes Mystery and the wingmen cackle.

After the challenge, Mystery tells us that none of them got any phone numbers. He says he was disappointed in some of them and then calls out Pradeep for hanging Fred out to dry. The winner was able to isolate the target and execute exactly what they taught him. Joe W. wins the field test and is immune from leaving. He also gets to select two wingmen to protect them from elimination.

The next day, the guys are all sitting near the pool fretting about the elimination. Pradeep thinks he might be sent home for screwing up Fred’s set. He packs his bags and Joe W. skates around trying to decide who his wingmen will be. Pradeep goes to Joe W. to beg for a wingman position to save him. Joe W. doesn’t know if he deserves it. He wants a guarantee that Pradeep will stop being stupid and step up his game.

At the elimination ceremony, Mystery told them they all failed to build attraction, but they’ve all come so far in such a short amount of time. He still has to eliminate someone, though. This time they will receive a yellow medallion representing cleansing action. Mystery gives Joe W. a medallion and asks for his wingmen. He chooses Kosmo and Pradeep. Mystery lets them both know that they have to step up their game, but Joe has saved them this time. Those three leave, and Mystery gives the next medallion to Joe D. He tells him it’s clear he’s committed and improving. Another gets a medallion for truly committing, and that’s Scott. There is only one medallion left and Fred and Brady are left.

Mystery tells them he feels like he should eliminate both of them. He thought they both took a step back. They both opened sets but neither of them applied this lesson. He tells them they’re wasting his time. He chastises Fred for just letting Pradeep intervene. He wants him to embrace his potential. He tells Brady he opened the set but then relied on his looks instead of the teachings. He said willingness to learn will earn one of them one last chance. Fred is eliminated and Brady gets the final medallion. Mystery thanks Fred and dismisses him. The cheesy clips package with the sappy music plays as Fred says he’s going to talk to everyone he meets and Mystery really taught him a lot. He’s proud that a girl asked him to sit down and things will be different now.

Next time, the lesson is all about kissing. Then they have to try it out in the field with Mystery yelling at the monitor for them to make out. Much spit is swapped.