Power Couple SA Premiere Recap: Are you All in?
The premiere of M-Net’s all new romantic reality show Power Couple SA got the season off to a slow start, but what it did was give viewers a glimpse of what – hopefully – is to come. The premiere set the stage, but because it was only the premiere, it struggled to set the stakes high enough, and ultimately didn’t inject enough suspense into the competition.
That doesn’t mean I didn’t like it – it has potential, and the premiere showed that. As the show progresses, the stakes will get higher, and the challenges will get tougher, and the suspense will grow.
The particular challenges did not seem hard enough, it was quite easy, but hopefully the challenges will get tougher as well.
Of course, the premiere started with the couples arriving at a luxurious villa in Cape Town, their house for the next 3 months. PJ and Marzanne were the first to arrive, and the other seven couples followed quickly. Juran and Juanita probably didn’t leave the best first impression, from Juanita calling themselves a “formidable force” to Juran saying they are clever and cunning. They were also the first couple to bring up possible alliances. Hold your horses. Marzanne called them “windgat” without being arrogant. Quite funny.
The couples were a little intimidated by Dean and Crystal’s physicality – muscular and strong should mean they’re a force in physical challenges. I really like Mo and Phindi, having been married for 10 years, they come off as a fun and funny couple with their banter – he says he’s romantic, and Phindi quickly shoots that off. Then we have the fashionistas Emile and Razia.
Dyllan and Viki, or “Dyl and Vix”, also did not leave a great impression. From Dyllan’s infidelity to the two of them not wanting to socialize with the rest of the couples. Dyllan made it clear he wasn’t there to make friends. Ivan and Roshila spoke about their cultural differences – he’s a white dude and she’s Indian – and they seem like a very down-to-earth natural couple. Easy to root for. Gift and Bana also make a great couple, but they were very low key.
In bed the first night, Crystal tells Dean not to be angry with her, that they should always stick together, and Dean replies with “Don’t give me a reason,” clearly setting up what was to come.
The first challenge of the season was a girls challenge. This is how it works: The partner not participating in the challenge has to wage money on his her partner’s ability to finish a challenge. The wager happens in what they call the Investment Room. Each couple starts with 50k. The partner then needs to decided how much money they’re willing to wage on their partner – if the partner is successful; the amount gets added to their account, if the partner is unsuccessful, the amount wagered will be deducted.
The challenge works like this: the ladies have to sift through a container filled with the Cape Town’s harbour’s junk for a Power Couple token. Once they retrieve the token, they will receive one of three keys from their partner. One of the keys will open a lock to a box that contains a sentimental object from each of their partners, but to get a key, the girls first need to answer a question about their relationship correctly. If the key does not fit the lock, they have to go back and answer a second or third question until they receive the correct key. They get four minutes to complete it. That fact the guys were not privy to before placing their bets.
The guys had to wage money on their partners successfully completing the task:
Mo waged 30k
Dyllan waged 35k
Juran waged 35k
Dean waged 28k
Gift waged 20k
PJ waged 31k
Ivan waged 35k
And Emile had guts and went for 40k
Every couple finished the challenge expect for Dean and Crystal, and Juran and Juanita.
Juanita was a bit unlucky with getting the right key, and had to go back for the third and final key, but she didn’t know the answer to the question: which song Juran challenged her ex to a dance off to. They lose the 35k Juran wagered, and only have 15k left.
Crystal was busy with second key when the 4 minutes expired. Dean wasn’t very happy that she struggled to give a definitive answer to how long they have been together. The answer was 9 years, not 9 and a half. It’s not a real number. Dean was disappointed and struggled to hide it, but it’s hard not to see his point. They lose the 28k Dean wagered and are left with 22k. Crystal asked Dean to be patient with her, but he he says he can’t be when there’s a time limit. He’s a very competitive guy – he’s an athlete, so it is somewhat understandable. The question was easy.
Emile and Razia top the leader board after the first challenge with 90k, and Ivan and Roshila aren’t far behind with 85k.
It was the guys’ turn up next. The ladies were in the Investment Room this time. The guys were going to be tasked with answering 5 questions pertaining to their relationships. The catch: they’ll be suspended from a crane at the harbour while holding onto their partner’s arms. When you see how easily it’s accomplished, the challenge doesn’t seem hard at all.
Phindi wages 35k
Bana wages 38k
Viki wages 40k
Marzanne played it too safe with 31k, exact same as PJ.
Roshila wages 40k
Crystal was forced to go all in and wage 22k
Same with Juanita, had to go all in with 15k
Razia continued her hubby’s trend and put 50k on the line. They’re playing, alright.
All 8 guys managed to complete the task, pretty easily at that. Dean got the most questions wrong before he eventually got five right, and Juran didn’t know the answer to one question. Other than that, mostly plain sailing.
After the premiere, this is how the leader board stands:
Emile and Razia: 140k
Ivan and Roshila: 125k
Dyllan and Viki: 120k
Mo and Phindi: 115k
PJ and Marzanne: 112k
Gift and Bana: 108k
Dean and Crystal: 44k
Juran and Juanita: 30k
Next week there’s a couples challenge where the winning couple wins 25k, and if they lose the challenge, they could be up for elimination.
What did you think of the premiere? Will you be tuning in next week? Sound off in the comments!
