“I’m just delirious.” – Golden Tate
The previous episode, “On the Run,” covers the first part of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test Season 3’s final task, in which the remaining celebrity “recruits” (Golden Tate, Cam Newton, Brody Jenner, Alana Blanchard, and Kayla Nicole) execute evasion tactics until being tracked down and captured by a “hunter force.”
Now, as the season finale’s title implies, the recruits have been scooped up and must endure the psychological terror and physical trauma of captivity – simulated under the direction of the DS (directing service) “staff” – in order to make it to the end of special forces “selection.”
The DS bring in “specialist interrogators” at this point, including someone creepily identified as the “umpire” for “security reasons.” We learn that “multiple states of interrogation” lie ahead for the recruits.
Stage One is famed as “processing,” where the interrogators question the recruits. It’s set up to remove dignity and pride, and where the recruits are faced with keeping their composure while also maintaining their “cover stories” that they received before the task began.
The DS, observing via monitor, are impressed with both Brody Jenner and Cam Newton in the early going for remaining calm even as the interrogators force them to strip down to their underwear and begin questioning them.
Brody notes via separate interview that he’s used to being in the public spotlight and on a reality show (including Keeping Up With The Kardashians), both roles where negative public and social media feedback are common.
A female interrogator attempts to get under pro surfer Alana Blanchard’s skin when she “discovers” that Blanchard is traveling without her family. “What sort of a mother leaves her children?” she asks. The interrogator digs in further, calling her “selfish.”
As in Season 2, in between bouts of questioning, the recruits are placed in an area where they are subjected to “distressing sounds and restrictive body positions.” The wailing baby audio track on a loop alone would be enough to compel most people to bail out quickly.
“It is absolute hell,” the umpire notes of being forced to maintain a stress position for a lengthy amount of time.
After five hours of captivity, Blanchard taps out by requesting to see the umpire.
She’s the 12th recruit to leave selection, leaving just four left: Brody Jenner, Cam Newton, Golden Tate, and Kayla Nicole.
While the recruits are being interrogated, Rudy talks about the importance of “drip feeding” one’s cover story when captive in enemy territory, and above all else staying calm. The umpire also notes that having an “agile mind” is important.
Rudy and Dusty see Cam Newton maintaining a calm and steady demeanor under pressure, while they see Tate getting easily confused and Nicole talking too much.
It’s kind of fun that the recruits’ cover story involves “collecting seaweed,” which seems like a purposefully difficult story to defend under questioning. Also fun: watching staff’s real personalities come out as they’re able to act like themselves when observing the recruits getting interrogated.
We also see proof that Cam Newton is an inspired casting choice for Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test because he’s so naturally charismatic. When interviewed about being interrogated, he talks about how as a Black man in America, he’s used to getting tested every day.
However, after being placed in a shallow pit and getting water dumped on his head, Newton “cracks” and tells his interrogators that he’s working with the American and British special forces. Staff’s reaction to this is that as soon as Newton didn’t feel like he was in control, he gave up the game.
“I’m just… disappointed,” Billy says.
There’s a critical subtlety here that in a real life situation can literally mean the difference between life and death though – “cracking” is “acceptable” in a situation where one’s life is imminently in danger. The skill is knowing when that point is. Not east in the slightest, of course, and this speaks directly to why “selection” is designed to filter out all but the most elite special forces “operators” in the world.
The umpire soon tells Newton that he has been “unsuccessful in this phase,” after which Billy takes his armband, kindly added that he has been “amazing.”
We are now down to the Final Three recruits: Brody Jenner, Golden Tate, and Kayla Nicole.
Brody Jenner “breaks” at precisely the right point according to staff, when he’s given a “last chance to tell the truth” while on the verge of being submerged in a tank of water. He passes the final test.
Golden Tate is faced with a final dilemma in which it’s implied that Kayla Nicole – who is sitting next to him at the edge of a large pool with a cement block tied to her ankles – will be submerged unless he “tells the truth.”
Similarly to Tom Sandoval at this phase in Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test Season 2, Tate seems pretty confused and out of it at this point, and when he refuses to give the interrogators what they want to hear, they drop him in the pool and signal that he has failed the final test.
“At that point, you should have given up the information,” Jovon “Q” notes.
“I’m just delirious,” he tells staff after being told that he failed the task. Billy, Q, and Dusty congratulate him at his point for performing well throughout selection.
Nicole’s hood and headphones are then removed, and she’s given the same “final chance” to talk. She makes the correct decision here and therefore passes.
“Good performance,” the umpire concludes.
So now at the very end, only two recruits remain: Brody Jenner and Kayla Nicole.
Both are informed that they have passed selection – the same outcome as happened at the end of Season 2 with those who had passed the final task.
It’s really cool at this point to see staff smile and cheer for Jenner and Nicole as they recognize how hard pushed themselves to get through a week and a half of extreme training and trying mental and physical conditions.
Dusty emphasizes that selection is “probably the hardest job interview” in the world, and that passing is “awesome.”
More info about Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test Season 3
TV SHOW – Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test
SEASON/EPISODE – Season 3, Episode 10
AIRED ON – February 5th, 2025
NETWORK/STREAMING SERVICE – FOX/TubiTV
GENRE – Reality TV, Competition Show
CAST – Mark Billingham, Jason Fox, Rudy Reyes, Shaun Dooley, Jovon Quarles, Stephen Baldwin, Golden Tate, Cam Newton, Denise Richards, Brody Jenner, Christy Carlson Romano, Jordyn Wieber, Marion Jones Thompson, Landon Donovan, Carey Hart, Nathan Adrian, Alana Blanchard, Ali Manno, Trista Sutter, Kayla Nicole, Kyla Pratt