PHIL KEOGHAN: Previously onTough As Nails,
12 hardworking Americans...
I'm 54 years old and I'm a New York City firefighter.
...tough from their everyday lives...
-I'm a shipboard electrician. -I am a welder.
I want to show everyone
that your past does not determine your future.
...landed on the shores of Catalina Island in California...
-Welcome to Tough As Nails! -[cheering]
...and were hustled right into their first job.
-[work whistle blows] -KEOGHAN: Let's do this! Come on!
-Foreman Sergio... -Nice work.
Dude, you killed it out there.
...and welder Mister
raced across the finish line first...
Look at that!
...earning the right to pick teams.
I get my hands dirty quite a bit.
-MISTER: I'm a savage. -[laughter]
-Let's do this. -[work whistle blows]
The newly formed teams started
nailing their first team challenge...
Keep hammering down!
It's epically close, y'all.
-...before Savage Crew stumbled. -Oh, man!
Crew boss Laura coached her team through the chaos...
It's not about what you can do, it's about what you should do.
...as Dirty Hands' lead slipped away...
-Aw, come on. -Where's the number? That's the missing piece.
I made a critical error.
...giving Savage Crew their first team victory.
[cheering]
-Tonight... -Let's go.
...Savage Crew up one-zero in the team competition.
We gotta get this leveled off, dude. This is a joke.
But will team friction allow Dirty Hands to tie it up?
We got this. Let's go.
And in the individual competition...
Go ahead and toss me the keys now,
'cause that truck's mine.
...all 12 competitors
will punch in for the chance of a lifetime.
But one of them will punch out,
losing their shot at the $200,000 prize
and an all-new Ford Super Duty.
Don't count me out, Phil.
This is Tough As Nails.
♪ ♪
♪ I'm tough as nails.♪
♪ ♪
JAKE: Come on, buddy. Out of my way.
-[imitates honking horn] -[laughter]
Today's going to be another great day and our second badge.
-Yeah. -Anybody make $1,000 an hour back home?
-'Cause I don't. -[laughter]
LARRON: So, Renée, what would you do
with the money that you've just won?
Down payment for a dump truck.
-Got you. -What would you use?
Um, my family-- they moved to Tennessee earlier this year,
and hopefully I get to move up with them.
I bought them a home up there
for my dad, his job situation and everything.
So I drained everything I had in savings, and...
-Wow. -ILIMA: God bless you for that, man.
You have a beautiful heart.
-I have a lot of respect for you, man. -Yeah.
LARRON: We have been through a lot
in the last several years.
I'm the second oldest of eight children.
They look up to me, I'm their hero, and so,
I try to choose my words, I try to choose my actions
very wisely. Growing up, my dad had two conditions--
learn how to drive a stick shift and
learn a wage-earning skill.
And so I chose diesel technology.
I love the sound of a diesel engine.
I love, uh, repairing things, figuring things out
that no one else can.
Even though I'm 22 years old,
I want to prove myself and win that money,
and I want to do that for my family.
-They always got my back. -Yeah. That's awesome.
ALY: How do we feel about that team challenge yesterday?
Let me give you a story about what happened with that number.
KEOGHAN: Dirty hands have been working ahead
to try to clean up their jobsite.
Ooh, but Ellery's thrown away the number.
When you was cleaning up, you just hurried up and threw it.
[laughter]
Sorry. I take responsibility for it.
-It's just the military in me. I am laser-focused. -Yeah.
-ALY: Yup. Yeah. -That's a good trait, man.
Jorge, I feel like I know about you the least
and why you're here and things like that.
I'm here for my wife and my two kids.
I'm here to show, you know, the world
that it's okay to work with your hands.
When I was 18 years old,
I didn't like college too much, so
I got into concrete form-setting with my uncle, and then
I slowly worked my way into the union.
I enjoy getting down and dirty. I love my trade.
My father was a painter, a hard worker.
Takes a lot to wake up early in the morning,
work all day outside in the heat, in the sun and
come back and still have energy to, you know,
spend time with family.
So I learned a lot about, you know, dedication
and hard work from my dad.
It's something that my wife and I want
to pass down to my kids.
It's a lot of responsibility
to carry my weight for the household,
but I want to be a role model for my son and my daughter.
You know, I'm here to make them proud.
I'm thankful to have all you guys on this team, though.
ALY: Same. We got to tie it up today, though.
SERGIO: Let the games begin.
-Morning, everyone. -Morning. -Morning.
-How's everybody feeling? -Good. Beautiful. -Good.
Anybody have nightmares last night thinking about the job?
-Losing numbers? -SERGIO: Oh, man.
-Yeah, a little bit. Little bit. -That's like losing
-the winning lottery ticket, right? -SERGIO: That's right.
-That's exactly it. -It was tough. -KEOGHAN: And, Laura,
you led your team to a fantastic win yesterday.
Did you realize just how close it was?
Uh, I actually did not.
I figure, just focus on what we were doing
-and keep grinding. -Score right now.
Savage Crew-- up one to zero on Dirty Hands.
Can you hold your lead, or will Dirty Hands today
even things up?
Humans have been working with concrete
for about 2,500 years.
Probably the number one material used for building, and that is
what you are going to be working with today.
-Ah. -But I do know two guys
who know more about concrete than anybody else I know
to help us with today's job.
[motorcycle engines revving]
-[applause] -Come on in, guys.
Good to see you. This is Richard and his son Roman.
Been in the business many, many years.
-Richard, how many years? -40 years, sir.
40 years. What about you, Roman?
-22. -Did you hear that?
That's a lot of experience.
Your job today is to pour two concrete slabs
for some gravel dispensers to sit on, like the one behind you.
And it might sound easy, but one small misstep or bad
measurement could cost you the win.
First thing you got to do is you got to take these two-by-sixes
and you got to cut 'em up to create a 16-by-20-foot frame.
Measuring on the inside,
square up that frame, check the level.
Then you got to cut rebar to size.
Set that rebar in place
based on the work plans that are sitting
on your work benches. And they also show you
where all the dobies go.
The dobies are little pieces of concrete that elevate the rebar
off the ground
for better reinforcement.
Once you're set, we are going
to call in a concrete truck.
-Yes. -And we are going to start to pour.
You got to screed the concrete, bull-float the entire pad,
edge all four sides, and then trowel all four sides.
Richard and Roman are going to be ticking off all these steps.
First of you to get to the end of this checklist
-is going to win... -Ooh, look at that!
-Money, money, money. -...$12,000 and
-today's Badge of Honor. -[group assenting]
Go to your workstations, strategize,
figure out who's going to be the crew boss.
-Let's do this. -All right, so the big thing is,
what do we need out of our crew boss today?
-Somebody here reading those off. -RENEÉE: I can run this one.
I mean, if you guys are confident.
-I'm confident in Renée. -Yeah, definitely.
RENEÉE: I am an owner of a hardscape company.
I'm not a wet mason. I'm a dry mason.
There's a difference. I do walkways, patios and walls.
I don't do concrete slabs,
but I think I can do this anyhow.
Even though y'all know about concrete, I want this one.
I know how to organize people. I've done that
in the military for 25 years, all right?
This is my wheelhouse, not his.
I was thrown back 'cause this is what I do.
ELLERY: Sergio and Jorge have experience, so,
while you're doing the frame, you're doing the rebar.
We're coming in with a loss. I want
to redeem myself so badly.
Being a crew boss isn't all about being the person
with the most knowledge.
You need someone who can delegate.
-Synethia, you're organizing the tools. -Yeah, all right.
-That's the problem we had yesterday. -Okay.
Ellery told me, don't stand in the background
when I know that I can do something.
My role is to make sure I go to everybody
and keep preparing before. I'm ready to rock.
-Dirty Hands! -Savage Crew!
Savage Crew up one-zero on Dirty Hands.
On the work whistle!
[work whistle blows]
[whooping]
KEOGHAN: Helmets on.
-Aly, set up that... -Saw out front? I got it.
Measure. Measure.
RENEÉE: Being the crew boss, it's important to me to make
any job I do look pretty.
-See if it's 20. Is it 20? -Yeah, 20 and a half.
RENEÉE: You want to make it level,
you want to make it, you know, four sides.
You want to make it perfect.
That's gonna be 20. Yup, right there on that on that line.
-Yeah. -No, this will make it more than 20.
-This will make it more than 20. -It's 20 this way.
-Okay. Okay.
-Pencil? -Here, here!
-You want these to be same, same spot? -Yeah.
-We're going to cut two at the same time. -All right.
We split up
our tasks to where me and Sergio would be, uh,
framing out the slab and getting everything squared up.
I was excited about the framework because that is
something that I have done before.
-Are they flush? Get, pick 'em up. -Well, they're flush.
Slide them in. Pull it back.
This job is, uh.. it's no joke.
But looking at the blueprint,
I already knew what size I had to cut just by
doing this on a daily basis. I had to cut two
at 20-foot-three and just leave the two at 16 foot.
One goes on that end. Just leave it right there.
The other one goes down here.
[overlapping chatter]
JAKE: My teammates hand me the first board.
I get it lined up, measured
where they want it. I said, "Are you sure?"
-Measured twice, right? -Go, go!
Go, go, go. I'm with you. I'm with you.
-Okay. Yes. -Let's go to the far end.
You said what? 192?
-192. Yes, sir. -Got you.
We have faith in Renée. I have faith in Renée.
-Do you want it in or no? -I want it in.
JAKE: Measure before you pound it in!
LAURA: Seems like she's done things similar
in this line of work.
All right, stop.
-16. -Yeah. Hold it.
-Hang on. -You got it? -Just getting it ready.
-Is it 16? -We got... we got 16 and one and a half.
Remember, it's 16 by 20 on the inside.
-You're too long! -We're one inch too long.
-LAURA: Ugh! -JAKE: Got to measure twice. -I'm pissed.
LAURA: Guys, listen to your crew boss. Let's go.
KEOGHAN: You got a pretty simple work order.
Construct a 16-by-20-foot frame,
make sure you measure on the inside.
Lay rebar and pour a concrete slab.
Everything has got to be square, level and measured properly.
16.
You got 16 and one and a half.
-You're too long! -We're one inch too long!
Well, this is, uh, not good at all.
JAKE: You got to measure twice. You need one inch off it.
My job
as a pipeline laborer--
you know, you have to dig the ditch
before you put a pipe in it. Everything needs
to be done in a process.
There's a reason for that.
Measure it one more time. We got one shot at this.
Come on, let's go!
You know what they say-- measured twice, cut once.
Try that out.
-This was measure once, cut twice. -[laughs]
Let's go!
-BETH: You got eight of 'em? -Want me to move 'em
-and put 'em over there? -Yup, start pulling them over there.
-There's more than one shovel. -Right here.
BETH: Ellery is the crew boss.
He knew to separate us and give us all tasks.
I was kind of Jorge's little apprentice.
There you go.
I got all the rebar cut down to size immediately.
Set this rebar up in the pattern
that it's supposed to be.
Jorge, you good if I start putting these down this way?
-You got to be about every two feet or so. -Yup.
ELLERY: As the challenge goes on,
I see each individual doing their task
and doing it to perfection.
Inside a tape right on that black mark.
ELLERY: As I'm looking over
to Savage Crew, what I saw was chaos.
[muffled echoing]: Where's the other tape...?
[overlapping chatter]
RENEÉE: Just take it apart.
We got to get this leveled off, dude.
-I know we do. I know we do. -This is a joke.
LAURA: There's a lot of emotions flying high.
Everybody's becoming a cook in the kitchen.
We're not nailing! We have to bring...
-We have to bring in... We have to level it. -Got it.
Renée is
struggling a little bit as a crew boss.
We got gravel. Don't worry about it. We got...
LAURA: Guys, listen to your crew boss. Let's go.
LARRON: Coming into this, no one assigned me a job.
We're really scattered in-in delegating responsibilities,
not very at good communication.
-We screw it in? -No, don't screw it in yet!
I-I tried to speak up a couple times.
Okay, but we're going to have to put these together
-before we can... -Not yet. Just move it.
Finally, at-at a certain point, I just didn't talk anymore.
It was like, "All right, well, this is what
we're going to have to do and work with it."
Renée, this isn't going to be 20 on the inside.
-What? -It's not going to be 20 on the inside.
-Ah, did we do it right? -It needs to be reversed.
Ugh!
I just dropped the ball, and, you know,
I want to, like, go like that.
-Just cut an inch. -KEOGHAN: Seems to be
some confusion here about the measurements.
We're more dysfunctional than a freaking family.
I know. I'm pissed.
RENEÉE: This is not a typical jobsite
here when we're competing on Tough As Nails.
Should have measured that, had the measurements down.
Because you have a lot of chirping in your ear.
-Level it. -Yeah, I see a low spot right there.
-All right, just keep moving, guys. -Let me know
if you don't need gravel, tell me.
RENEÉE: It could be too much.
In my company at home,
it's not like that.
-One inch. -They cut it too short.
So you're adding on a split on it.
KEOGHAN: Put that split on the-the end so that they can get
-16-20 measurements... -Exactly.
-...on the inside. -Right. -RENEÉE: Screw the 16 in
and start bringing in the rebar in.
How are we looking?
Just a little bit. Just a little bit.
ELLERY: In that last challenge, Synethia was reluctant.
She would not put herself forward.
Let's get these things tied.
But now she is more outspoken, and whatever you need her to do,
she does without questioning,
and that makes a good, oiled machine.
-We got this. -I need more wires to twist.
I'm in charge of the rebar. I'm down,
making sure you get everything tied down.
One, two, three, four.
-Are we checked off yet? -ROMAN: No.
KEOGHAN: Roman, how are they going?
ROMAN: They're struggling.
-They're struggling? -They're struggling.
All the wires over here are super loose.
SERGIO: Our frame's up, our rebar's down.
The dobies are in.
All right, is our rebar good?
BETH: Seems to be good. Are we good?
SERGIO: Is the rebar good?
Dobies are wrong.
Look at the chalk. Double-check the chalk.
Okay, one, two, three, four.
Richard has pointed out a mistake,
and Dirty Hands moving those dobies into the right position.
One, two, three. Right here.
One, two, three. Right there.
I don't know how that goes. Just...
No, no, no, no, it goes on the outside there.
Okay.
[Sergio sighs]
Savage Crew, make sure you look at your checklist.
Oh, man. I look down, and I'm counting.
They're supposed to have eight rebar one way
and ten the other way.
-One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. -I got ten.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Got to take two out. Take out
the ones that we don't have all of those, uh, ties under.
MISTER: Put too much rebar in there. I have two too many.
And they're all wired up already.
It was my fault because I was in charge of it,
and now we're falling
way behind.
I'm not a concrete guy.
-Let's double-check. -One, two, three, four.
-Are we good? -Are we good? -Dobies are good, brother.
SERGIO: Call it in. Call Mark.
-JORGE: Mark, you got a copy? -MARK: Yes.
-I am ready to go. -We're ready for some mud.
Dirty Hands have completed all the steps
they need to call in their concrete truck.
ELLERY: I was like,
"Hallelujah."
KEOGHAN: Dirty Hands have the lead.
Hey, all you guys, listen up.
I'm gonna get that chute, I'm gonna start spreading mud out.
-You be my signal man. -Yeah, yeah.
-ELLERY: We got this. -SERGIO: Let's go.
Right away, I told Jorge, "Hey, I'll handle the chute.
You just signal the vehicle."
And the mud starts flowing.
-[rhythmic beeping] -Okay, let it roll.
-Keep going, keep going, keep going. -Out of the way, guys.
Hold it, hold it, hold it.
Start raking it back to you
towards the form.
Back him up, Jorge. Back him up.
KEOGHAN: Jorge has those hand signals down.
Good! Good!
Keep going. Keep going.
Go forward, Jorge. Go forward.
The concrete's here, I'm fanning out the mud,
and I'm just looking at Jorge, and, uh,
we're like a little perfect symphony, you know?
We're working, and we sound good right now.
Go forward a bit, Jorge.
Let's go, baby. Go forward.
I see him going like this, I see him going like this,
using all kind of signals.
So it was pretty cool watching him.
SERGIO: Good job. Good job.
[whistles] Good.
LAURA: Let's go, guys. Let's go. Let's go.
-Call it up. -Good?
-Good to go. Good to go. -We got a thumbs up.
Okay, cement truck, please come in.
KEOGHAN: Whoa! And Savage Crew finally getting their truck in.
They can still catch up, but they are behind.
JAKE: Who's backing the concrete truck up?
Renée is.
RENEÉE: We're not stopping.
We're gonna get it done.
LARRON: You got this, Renée. You got it.
JAKE: We got to make this pour fast.
Keep it over here in this corner first.
-Okay. -RENEÉE: We need more in the middle.
Right there, more. Pile it up.
-Pile it up for them. -All right.
KEOGHAN: Dirty Hands have almost all their concrete out,
but it ain't over yet. Savage Crew--
can they make up for lost time?
-RENEÉE: Guys, start smoothing it out. -JAKE: Okay.
-Go on the other side. Ready? Get yours. -Ready?
KEOGHAN: They're pushing this concrete out nicely.
The way they're distributing this is actually
better than Dirty Hands did.
LARRON: Work with us now.
Come on, let's go!
Okay, Jorge, ready? Same time.
-Pull. -There's a hole right here.
-There's a hole. -Hold it, hold it.
Get a shovel. Where's a shovel?
-You got this. -Come on, guys. Let's go.
SERGIO: Let's go, Jorgie.
They're motivated. They're motivated.
KEOGHAN: Dirty Hands and Savage Crew
racing to smooth out the concrete in their form.
Come on. [grunts]
-Come on. Let's go. -Keep going. Keep going.
ALY: Hey, this is it. Come on, guys.
-Keep going. -Come on. Let's go, y'all.
Sergio, how are you doing over there?
-That's it. -[overlapping shouting]
Richard, have they got the job complete?
-Yes, they have. -KEOGHAN: Yes!
-Dirty Hands get the win! -Let's go!
-Come on! -Good job. -Good job, guys.
ELLERY: I felt elated.
I felt vindicated.
Good job. Good job.
It's one and one.
We are back in the game.
One, two, three.
ALL: Dirty Hands!
SERGIO: The good thing about Ellery is,
he's very attentive to detail.
He kept all the moving parts in motion,
and he did a great job.
And...
Savage Crew getting the job done as well.
-Yeah! -Yeah! -Yeah!
KEOGHAN: All right, bring it over, everybody.
JAKE: Today was a disappointment,
and I know me and Larron feel the same way,
and we're gonna have a talk about this
on our ride home tonight,
and we're definitely, um, both pretty upset about it.
We got off to a bit of a rough start there, Savage Crew?
Yeah, there were a few mistakes, but it wasn't my team.
I take it all on me.
-Not at all. -No, we're a team.
We all had access to the plans.
At the end of the day, it's all
of our faults for not paying attention to detail.
KEOGHAN: You still got the job done today,
-Savage Crew. Okay. -Yeah.
The team competition win today goes
to the crew boss on Dirty Hands.
That's for you and your team.
-Thank you. -Congratulations.
-Thank you. -Show me the money!
-And today's Badge of Honor. -Yes.
-Share that with your team. -Yes. -SERGIO: Yeah, baby.
Touch it. Touch it.
Team score now stands at one apiece.
-That's right. -Yes.
And how about a round of applause
-for Richard and his son Roman? -Thank you, gentlemen.
Take my hat off to all you guys.
KEOGHAN: Tomorrow we transition
from the team competition into the individual competition.
Thank you very much, guys, and I will see you tomorrow.
MISTER: The way that we have all been working together--
we're still kind of all over the place.
Steps was not followed from the beginning to the end.
No one followed the order.
-I agree. -You're darn right.
-It's my fault. -MISTER: It's not your fault. -It's not.
MISTER: It's all of us.
For one, we ain't speaking up as adults.
JAKE: No one ever asked me and Larron
-what we were good at. -MISTER: You're an adult.
We're all in the trades. We all know what's happening.
-You speak up. -So, Mister, since...
Well, where were you in the huddle?
Mister, what I was gonna say before you cut me off--
I've been cut off nearly every time I've tried to speak.
'Cause I'm-I'm... I'm an adult.
LARRON: If I had been allowed to speak...
You're younger than me, so I'm older...
Let him speak, man. Let him speak.
-Go ahead, man. -LARRON: Guys, I have built
retaining walls, I've built patios.
-All the rebar... -If you had said that in the beginning...
-Wait, guys, guys, guys, guys... -Nobody asked nobody.
LAURA: Stop, guys, just stop.
SERGIO: Look at that sun.
Oh, it's going to be a beautiful day.
ALY: So how do we feel about the first individual
-challenge today? -SERGIO: Just get after it.
Get out there, give it your all.
Don't focus on the time. Just focus on the task.
Just do you and then
worry about everything else
when you cross that finish line.
My goal is to be an amazing teammate,
but as an individual,
to win it all.
As a shipboard electrician,
I'm responsible for critical equipment.
It takes paying attention to detail.
Ships can't get underway if my equipment isn't working.
Prior to my current job, I did 11 years in the Navy.
The military changes how you respond
to critical situations.
[alarm sounding]
What can be more overwhelming
than a general alarm going off and them telling you
that there's a missile inbound?
Like, there's nothing
that will drop your heart quicker than that.
Being scared and then
understanding what to do
to make everybody around you calm is essential in life.
-[truck horn honks] -ILIMA: Oh, there's Phil.
[whooping, clapping, whistling]
That's awesome.
[Sergio laughs]
[truck horn toots]
-Welcome, everybody. -Hey. -[whooping, applause]
Today it is all about individual.
Only one of you is going to win that
-$200,000 prize... -[applause and cheering]
-...an all-new Ford Super Duty... -[whooping]
...and be crowned our Tough As Nailschampion.
So the first thing I'm gonna have you do is punch in.
You do not want to touch these time cards again,
because if you do,
that means you will be punching out.
You will lose your shot
at being our Tough As Nailschampion.
Jake, I'm gonna get you to lead us off and punch in.
This pipeliner's ready to bring the fire today
and leave the competition shaking in their boots.
SERGIO: All right. [whoops]
Did this to represent Hawaii. Let's go, baby!
[applause]
We made it, brother. I love you.
This is for all the people that thought I couldn't
change my life around. When they say I can't,
-I show 'em I do. -Yes. All right!
Phil, you can go ahead and toss me the keys now,
'cause that truck's mine.
-[whoops] -[laughter, applause]
KEOGHAN: And finally, Ellery, our oldest competitor.
All right, anybody know what the longest wall in the world is?
-Great Wall of China? -That's right.
Anybody have any idea how long that wall is?
-JORGE: Not a clue. -Not a clue.
13,000 miles.
-Whoa. -SERGIO: Wow. -Wow.
And that is what you're going to be building today.
-Not funny? -Ha, ha!
-Thanks, Ilima. -Hmm. [laughs]
No. All I'm asking you guys to do is
each finish off one section of this wall.
As you may know, tanks like this legally have to have
a retaining wall around them in case of accidental spillage.
Six rows made up of 18 full-sized concrete blocks,
two half blocks, and then five caps that need to go on the top.
Pay careful attention to detail.
Your name block needs to be placed
in the middle of the second row,
and the two half blocks need to bookend the fifth row.
Got to butter up your bricks, get that concrete in there.
You got to get your spacing right, because if you don't,
the blocks might not fit in the space you've got.
I hope you're motivated because all season long,
if you win an individual challenge,
you'll be rewarded with a cash bonus prize.
We're starting off today with $2,000
-up for grabs. -Sold!
Now, as you know, in the individual competition
the last two of you to finish the job
will be going into overtime,
and by the end of the day one of you will be punching out.
There are 12 sections of this wall
that need to be built. Pick a trowel
and see what number station you'll be working on.
[laughs] 12.
-KEOGHAN: Lucky number four. -Four. -[cheering]
All right, get to your stations. We're going to get this done.
A lot of pride on the line here today.
On the work whistle.
[work whistle blows]
JORGE: Today's job, we're finishing a block wall
with five levels. We have to get our name
exactly in the center on the second level.
We have to make sure everything is right.
That you have a straight wall, and it matches
when you get to the top.
Jorge has mixed some concrete in his time. You know that.
JAKE: I know I need to immediately mix my mud.
I want to put two bags in there,
I don't want to put too much water in it,
and mix it as fast as I can.
Remember what's motivating you today.
ILIMA: I definitely have a lot
of aloha in my heart from growing up in Hawaii.
When the pandemic hit, it was very scary.
I was working in hospitality, and there was no work.
So I got into construction
knowing that I'd have job security.
I am the one that provides the bread and butter for my family.
I am a single mom with two beautiful children.
I live in the same household as my mom,
and I am in a bedroom with my two kids,
which is very tough.
Uh, you don't ever get a break.
I'm blessed for them to see something in me
that I don't see in myself, so
I have to take that
and I have to prove them right.
Do your thing. This is a chance to show America
what you're made of.
SERGIO: My uncle was a, uh, block layer.
I remember you needed to be able to put the concrete
on your trowel,
turn it upside down,
and if it didn't fall off, it was a perfect mix.
So, I know what I need to do to be victorious.
KEOGHAN: Don't forget to fill in the gaps
between your concrete blocks.
Whatever you need to do to get it done.
BETH: I've never done any kind of cement
or building any sort of walls, but when I have self-doubt,
my son Patrick is my inspiration.
He's my biggest cheerleader.
He's always on my mind when I need to refocus.
And right now mixing the cement
is the hardest part.
You would think that you had it right.
And it would all fall off.
Like, what is going on here?
Whoo! We have a race on our hands here.
Jake, Sergio and Ilima currently neck and neck,
working on their third level.
Beth, Jorge, Renée, Laura, Larron, and Ellery
on their second level,
and Mister, Aly and Synethia
still trying to finish their first level.
Don't you give up.
ALY: I am taking a lot of time
at the bottom because I know that's where
you'll mess up a lot of times.
You'll get unlevel at the bottom,
and then the whole wall will be thrown off.
KEOGHAN: Who will be the first to get this done?
Laura buttering up her concrete blocks for the fourth level.
Take a good look over the other side of your wall, make sure
that the gaps are closed up.
ELLERY: Okay. I just make an error.
I see that I still need some more
cement between those cinder blocks.
Now I have to go around and patch any holes that I see.
I'm looking at my partner
to my left, and I see that she's ahead of me,
so I am trying to catch up.
SYNETHIA: I never done this before, so I'm just thinking
about my people at home, like my daughter.
I went to prison for two years, spent five years on probation,
and now I've been a carpenter for two years.
So I have a second chance at life,
and it's really important for me to teach her
that you don't have to give up, no matter what you go through.
KEOGHAN: Ilima buttering up the fourth level of her wall.
Buttering up my bread for breakfast.
KEOGHAN: Larron working on his second level.
Sergio's dropping the first concrete block
onto his fifth level.
Sergio worked ahead, buttered up
a whole lot of his blocks
so he could get 'em all up at one time.
Aah! Come on. Come on, bud.
KEOGHAN: There's $2,000 on the line for today's winner.
Jake wants this win. He's sweating like crazy.
JAKE: It's been a long road for me to get here.
A few years ago, I tore my meniscus and my quadricep.
Couldn't walk, couldn't do anything, couldn't work.
Between doctors' visits and physical therapy,
all my savings just disappeared.
It's been a whirlwind of stuff to get here, so
I'm going to leave nothing on the table.
Everybody's feeling a sense of urgency now.
Sergio closing up the gaps on the fifth level of his wall.
This is a race right now between Sergio, Jake and Ilima.
Who is going to walk home with the prize?
JAKE: I'm just making those strokes,
every one count, and making sure
I just put it into overdrive.
KEOGHAN: Jake and Sergio neck and neck,
putting on their caps.
SERGIO: Jake and I are just battling.
I'm like, "Come on, dude.
Turn on the gas now. Let's go."
KEOGHAN: Ilima-- she drops down her first cap.
-[grunting] -Jake closing up the gaps. Sergio trying
to close up the gaps.
It's a race to the finish.
-[yelling] -ILIMA: Come on, baby. Let's go!
KEOGHAN: This is a race right now between Sergio,
Jake and Ilima. Who is going to walk home with the prize?
Ilima drops down her first cap.
Jake closing up the gaps, Sergio trying to close up the gaps.
It's a race to the finish!
And Jake gets the win! He closes out the wall
-just before Sergio. -[whooping]
Good job, Big Jake.
Jake, nice job.
There ain't nothing finer than a pipeliner.
JAKE: From the first challenge,
not being able to complete it,
to taking the first
individual competition is just amazing.
It just goes out
to everybody back home.
Without them, I wouldn't be standing
in front of you right now.
-Sergio, nice job. -That's right.
-KEOGHAN: Ilima gets the job done! -[whooping]
We have three finishes so far.
Do not be last today. You will be going into overtime.
MISTER: It's a lot of other people
that has finished before me.
It's getting down to the wire.
And I'm thinking like, "Oh, my Lord."
[grunts]
Aly working beautifully all day,
mixing up that concrete.
Synethia onto her third level.
Ellery is working on his fourth.
Laura on her fifth level.
Renée's moving nicely with her caps.
And Jorge is capping out. [whoops]
Beth, Jorge and Renée, all side by side,
fighting for fourth place.
Oh, hold on a second. Mister has got three caps on.
-ILIMA: Get it, Mister! -Don't count me out, Phil.
KEOGHAN: Mister is not throwing this in.
-[cheering] -Two of you going into overtime.
By the end of the day, one of you will be punching out.
Beth's squeezing grout
between the spaces of her concrete blocks.
Beth gets the job done, just ahead of Mister!
-And Mister finishes fifth. -Oh, no! Yeah!
And Jorge gets it done.
And Renée gets the job done.
Yay!
I am proud of the wall that I made.
I was able to prove
that I can succeed.
And Laura gets the job done!
MISTER: Come on, Ellery!
SERGIO: Come on, guys.
-Keep going. -KEOGHAN: All right, everybody.
-Let's finish off strong. -JAKE: Come on, Larron.
-You're almost there. -SERGIO: Keep going, you guys.
-Great job. -MISTER: Keep that pace up.
KEOGHAN: And Aly gets the job done!
There are three left in the competition--
Larron, Synethia and Ellery.
Two of you going into overtime.
Larron's trying to finish off the job.
MISTER: Come on, Larron! Come on!
KEOGHAN: But Ellery is closing the gap.
JAKE: Push, Larron. Don't stop.
-Who's it going to be? -JAKE: Keep pushing.
KEOGHAN: Larron gets the job done!
-Oh. -KEOGHAN: Closely followed by Ellery.
LARRON: There's a huge
relief for me. I will not be going into overtime.
I still have a shot at creating the legacy
that my family's been wanting to create for a while.
KEOGHAN: Bring it in.
ELLERY: I gave 100% effort.
I came up short. That's life.
I'm going to get up, dust myself off, and go back at it.
That was some fantastic competition.
Jake was on fire today.
Um, I just wanted to come out
in this first individual competition
and really make a statement, and I believe I did today.
-Yes, you did. -SERGIO: Good job.
-Good job, Jake! -KEOGHAN: And I did promise $2,000.
What are you going to do with the money?
I'd like to use that money to help fix up my truck
and also, um, pay off a little bit of debt,
take a little weight off of my shoulders.
KEOGHAN: Synethia and Ellery,
you finished the job last today, which means
that you will be going into overtime.
By the end of the day, one of you will be punching out
of the individual competition.
All right, let's go to overtime, everybody.
-They have no idea what they're walking into, right? -No.
SYNETHIA: When I was in prison, I was in a room
that was about four by six.
Going into overtime is not going to stop me
because I came a long way to get here.
I know where I came from, I know what I've been through.
All the motivation is for my daughter
to see me in this situation.
-Welcome to overtime. -Yes.
I don't have a relationship with my daughters.
Their mother and I got divorced, and we really don't speak.
I haven't seen them, so
I came onTough As Nails, quite honestly,
as my love letter to them.
I want to make sure that what I present
to them will show me in a light
where they can proudly say, "That's my dad."
As you know, you have a chance
to stay in contention for the Tough As Nailstitle.
Today's overtime is all about working with heat and metal.
Forging is something
that humans have been doing for about 5,000 years.
Heating metal, bending it into all kinds of shapes,
making weapons, making tools.
And today your job is to make...
a hook for your helmet.
[laughs]
KEOGHAN: I mean, you could probably
hang your helmet with a smaller hook,
but we're going to build a nice big one.
-It'll last a while. -[laughter]
KEOGHAN: It's going to take
a lot of heating and beating.
First thing you're going to do is,
you're going to be using your forge
to heat up your piece of metal.
Once it's red-hot,
start pounding it into shape.
Create a point on your piece of metal, like this.
You'll know that it is right
when it fits into the gauge right here like that.
-Right? -Okay.
You have a punch and a pritchel.
You need to make a hole.
Once you have the hook hole complete,
you put your piece of metal back into the forge
and start heating it again
because you've got to bend it till your hook
fits into this gauge.
The first of you to hammer your hook
into the frame and rehang that helmet
will be safe, will stay in contention
for the Tough As Nailstitle.
The last of you to get the job done today will be punching out.
[applause]
All right, let's get to work.
SYNETHIA: I have to bring my A game
because I know he's going to bring his.
One of us has got to go,
and I don't want it to be me.
ELLERY: Synethia-- she's a force to be reckoned with.
This young lady
has overcome the odds.
May the best person win.
Ellery, Synethia,
there's already a piece of heated metal in the forge.
Are you ready to get the job done?
-ELLERY: Ready. -SYNETHIA: Yes. -KEOGHAN: All right.
Be safe.
[work whistle blows]
SYNETHIA: I'm thinking
I'm going to be working with heat.
I have to be extra careful.
KEOGHAN: That metal's nice and red-hot.
Been inside the forge. About 2,000 degrees in there.
SYNETHIA: I've never been
a blacksmith in my life,
but I know the struggles that I went through.
I know I can adapt to any situation.
-[Synethia gasps] -Uh-oh.
SYNETHIA: As I'm hammering,
I dropped the bar.
KEOGHAN: No hands. There you go.
-Using the tongs. -ILIMA: Good job. Good job, guys.
SYNETHIA: So my adrenaline's rushing.
I'm nervous.
Hands sweating.
Come on, Synethia. Stay with it.
SYNETHIA: I'm resilient, and I don't stop, so
I don't want to punch out.
-[groans] -SERGIO: Keep pushing! -ALY: Hey, don't stop!
JAKE: You got this. You got time.
-Just stay confident. -BETH: Show 'em what
you're made of, Synethia! Come on.
Come on, Synethia. Stay with it.
-[groans] -SERGIO: Keep pushing! -ALY: Hey, don't stop.
JAKE: You got this. You got time.
SYNETHIA: I'm just going to push
through it and don't give up.
Just to show my daughter that sometime
in her life when she go through challenges,
she won't give up because she seen that I didn't give up.
KEOGHAN: Might sound simple.
Just make a hook for your helmet
out of a piece of metal.
But heating and beating it into shape is no joke.
The last of you to get it done will be punching out.
ELLERY: In my experience as a fireman,
when metal turns fiery red,
that is extremely hot.
It might take four or five heat attempts
to make sure that your metal is pliable enough.
MISTER: As long as it's red-hot,
you can bend it to whatever you want.
I promise you that.
Subtle taps to get this done.
He's got it in the gauge.
You got a little bit more pounding.
-You got to get that tip up there. -Okay.
ELLERY: It's physically demanding fighting fires.
You push yourself until you can't go anymore.
-You got this, Synethia. -KEOGHAN: Synethia pulling
her piece of metal out of the forge.
-There you go. -There you go.
SYNETHIA: Everything that I've been through
made me tougher.
It challenges me.
-It's nice. -That's it, Synethia. Beautiful.
SYNETHIA: I'm thinking, "You got this.
Like, you can do this."
LARRON: All right. Come on, Ellery.
ELLERY: To hit that metal and put it into shape
takes a lot of effort.
I don't want to make a mistake
and have to start all over again.
-ALY: There we go, Synethia. -LAURA: You got it, Synethia.
-ALY: You got this. You got this. -[overlapping chatter]
-[whooping] -Shape is getting better and better.
Ellery, you're good with stage one.
LARRON: Good job, Ellery. There you go.
ELLERY: You want to make sure that
you do your job properly.
He's got to make the hole now.
ELLERY: By the time you finish,
you have given it your all.
KEOGHAN: Synethia
still has time to catch up.
ILIMA: Focus on you, mama.
JAKE: There you go. Bend it back.
-BETH: There you go. -KEOGHAN: That's it.
-JAKE: There you go. Yeah! -There you go.
-JAKE: There you go. -ILIMA: Let's go! -ALY: That's it.
Good job.
SYNETHIA: I hear my team behind me cheering me on, and
it really motivated me and gave me a lot of support.
Closer. You're getting closer.
Ellery's placing the piece of metal
over the hole in his anvil.
You're looking good still.
KEOGHAN: You guys are doing this in pro time right now.
-ALY: Yeah, you got it. -JAKE: There you go, Ellery.
KEOGHAN: Got the hole on his anvil.
Come through to the other side of his metal.
ILIMA: Good job, Ellery.
You got this. Right through.
KEOGHAN: Ellery, test with a nail.
-There we go. Good job. -There you go. You got this.
KEOGHAN: Now he's got to start working on his hook.
BETH: That's it, Synethia.
SYNETHIA: When somebody tell you that you can't do it
because of your past,
you prove them wrong every time.
-SERGIO: Oh! -KEOGHAN: Synethia, beautiful.
[overlapping chatter, cheering]
You got this, girl.
SYNETHIA: As Ellery bent his bar, I'm still staying
cool, calm, and collected because
at any point, he could drop his bar, and it could be
the chance for me to catch up to him.
Heating and beating.
-BETH: Keep it up. Keep it up. -SERGIO: Keep going.
BETH: There you go.
That's it, Synethia.
KEOGHAN: That's a good move from Ellery. Look at that.
SERGIO: Come on, Ellery. You got it, bubba.
I am used to working under pressure.
And Ellery's coming back to check in on his gauge.
ELLERY: The military and the fire department
is about being under pressure.
KEOGHAN: Fits nice and flush.
I haven't met my edge yet.
All you got to do is nail that up, Ellery,
hang your helmet, get the job done. Nail it up.
SYNETHIA: I know that people are watching me all the time.
Even when I'm frustrated or I can't figure something out,
I never give up.
There's doers and sayers, and I happen to be a doer.
KEOGHAN: The hook goes on, helmet goes across,
and Ellery gets the job done!
-Great job, you guys! -Good job, both of you!
Congratulations.
I live to see another day.
This win
puts me back in the running
for the $200,000.
Thank God.
I'm going to make every effort
not to be back on this spot again.
Good job.
-We did good. We did good. -Congratulations.
[laughing]: Thanks.
-We didn't give up, all right? -Right.
KEOGHAN: This is a job
that neither one of you have ever done.
What were you focused on, Ellery?
-I was focused on the winning, quite honestly. -Yeah.
So I just went at it.
Team, what do you want to say to Synethia now,
knowing that she is out of this individual competition?
I'm just thankful that she's going to stick around
because she's a crucial part to Dirty Hands,
and that girl is a go-getter.
I still get to bring my enthusiasm
and everything that I got to the team
and help us win more money.
-That's right. [whoops] -That's right.
KEOGHAN: Unfortunately, Synethia,
I do need you to punch out of the individual competition.
Okay.
Do I supposed to look sad?
[laughter]
Nobody has ever asked us that before.
[laughter]
SYNETHIA: Coming from where I come from
and growing up how I grew up,
like, we never had opportunities like this.
That's what's up, mama, that's what's up.
SYNETHIA: It actually touches me for me to be able to be here.
I'm free mentally, I get
to expand my mind, to learn new things,
to make money, positive money.
Oh, that's a unique punch-out we've never had before.
SYNETHIA: It's safe to say
my smile is not going nowhere, and neither is my spirit.
Thank you very much for giving it absolutely everything.
And, guys, tomorrow we transition
back to a team competition.
-I'll see you guys tomorrow. -SERGIO: All right.
All right.
Good job.
-You got it. -ELLERY: Thanks.
Appreciate it, man.
SERGIO: Good job, my man.
-ELLERY: Live to see another day. -SERGIO: That's right.
BETH: That was awesome.
KEOGHAN: Next time onTough As Nails...
You're going to be pulling 40 trees in the rain.
Place is massive. It's like football fields of trees.
60 pounds apiece.
What the hell? Where are they?
-You guys told me you got it! -Let's go!
-Ugh! -[work whistle blows]
KEOGHAN: You got to build a planter box from scratch.
ILIMA: My forearms are burning.
-Not quite. -RENEÉE: My head was like, "No!"
SERGIO: I'm in major pain.
I'm thinking I'm tapping out.
Captioning sponsored by CBS
Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org
♪ ♪