Oh no, they were still doing the reality show -- wait.

"New sidekick?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. A thought occurred to him and he held up a hand much closer to the ground than he and Rich were. "Wouldn't happen to be a little dude 'bout yea high, would he? Wears a helmet about as ridiculous-looking as yours and babbles total nonsense to himself when nervous?"

Was this Rich's timeline so different that Sam'd shown up early? Before Rich died?

If it was, maybe they had a chance, reality show aside. If they were even doing the reality show at all.

"Also, this road trip, it's just a normal road trip? Not a reality TV show thing?"