Brains finally triumphed over brawn on last night's Kid Nation as Alex, the show's resident 9-year-old genius, beat out older, tougher kids — plus Jared, who adorably pledged to invent a teleportation device if he got the $20,000 — to win the coveted gold star. "This says to all 9-year-olds out there," he said in his victory speech, "that even though there's 14- and 15-year olds waiting to challenge you — don't give up!" Stay tuned for thoughts on the full episode, coming soon!

Also, will next week's Kid Nation season finale be the greatest episode ever?