Challenge Double Agents Player Preview: Kyle Christie
Kyle is back for his sixth straight season. At this point, Kyle feels like a permanent fixture and almost part of the setting. In many ways, Kyle is the perfect cast member. He usually has a showmance/hookup and is a solid physical competitor who is generally a dark-horse contender. Sometimes his character feels stale at times, especially when he delivers the same jokes over multiple seasons, and often, he will play a lazy safe game versus taking big risks. Kyle’s bare minimum is still a positive contribution to the franchise as a whole, and when he is engaged and gets into drama/rivalries, Kyle is a top tier cast member.
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Introducing Kyle: His original show is the UK’s version of the Jersey Shore, known as the Geordie Shore. Kyle appeared on Seasons 8–11 and 13 from 2014–2018. After departing from the show, he jumped onto the Challenge for Vendettas and has been a staple since. Kyle’s first three seasons were wrapped up in his storyline with Cara Maria and later Paulie. His rookie season, Kyle juggled Cara Maria and Marie Roda at the start of the game, later sticking to Cara, having a showmance with her to the end of the game, and even a bit after the show. Kyle played a fantastic social game where he immediately became friends with Zach and Tony and filled the role of dumb guy well when in reality, he was a savvy political player. Kyle went to the final and shocked many by beating Tony and Leroy in part one, and was in first place for a decent amount of time. He finished third overall and second among males in his rookie season.
Kyle’s second season was Final Reckoning, and he got paired with Brad. They were a lot of muscle but not much brains. They lost three eliminations in a row, including one to Paulie and Natalie, a team who had three elimination losses that season already. He and Cara had a traumatic relationship this season as he still wanted her under his finger, yet, also had sex with Faith Stowers and Ashley Mitchell. The following season, War of the Worlds 1, Kyle vs. Cara and Paulie was one of the major plot points. It was my favorite Kyle season because he was fighting for his life week after week, won two massive headbanger eliminations, and almost took Theo out in all-time Hall Brawl match-up.
His War of the Worlds 2 performance was underwhelming as he didn’t have an onscreen hookup and got eliminated relatively early. Total Madness, he sat back and waited till the very end to get a chance at a Red Skull, taking out Josh. Kyle’s edit also got hampered because they didn’t show too much of his and Melissa’s relationship to avoid Kyle as her Baby Daddy rumors. He went to his second final, once again coming in second place for the men. It was an okay performance. Kyle is always in contention due to the sheer fact that he generally makes it to the end-game. Yet, if other elite players make it to the end, it’s hard to envision him winning.
Player Vitals
Kyle Christie: 28 Years Old, 6'0, 185 lbs (estimate), 5 Seasons, 3–5 Elimination Record, 2x Finalist, Highest Finish: 2nd Place Total Madness
Skills and Physical Strength: Kyle excels in purely physical challenges. He can lift a decent amount of weight, knows how to deal with one on one contact, and has shown to be solid during heights challenges. People don’t think of Kyle as a big guy, but as a Challenge competitor, I’d classify him as a Light Heavyweight. He has squashed Bear in a Ball In type game, and Bear’s most important skills are his speed/physicality. His cardio and swimming ability are solid. Kyle isn’t the type to get purged, and he generally doesn’t lead the pack either. He is a female Nany in that way. When Kyle tries his hardest, I will note he can rank among the best competitors and surprise people at times. As a whole, though, if he doesn’t feel any pressure on him, he doesn’t exert that effort, which is an absolute shame.
SSMP (Social, Strategic, Mental, and Political) Game: Being the guy everyone likes in the house has worked well for Kyle, especially with the institution of skull twist. Nobody guns for Kyle as an easy skull because he is too formidable, and he doesn’t make waves or create enemies much these days. In terms of enemies, Kyle might not be on good terms with Nelson and Cory entering this season. His relationship with Wes is hilarious. His friends in the game are Josh, Kam, and Leroy. Not having Bananas to enable him as the incompetent Robin to his Batman may hurt Kyle this season.
He likely won’t make the strategic or political moves necessary to win this game (i.e., throwing Darrell/CT into eliminations). Kyle also won’t likely win the daily challenges required to either. When it comes to puzzles, Kyle is generally bottom tier. He isn’t the category of never solved a puzzle, but he isn’t the one winning mental challenges ever.
Eliminations & Winning Potential: He has a career 3–5 elimination record. All of his elimination wins have been physical or endurance based. Most of his losses have been games where players are required to think quickly on their feet or come up short in the athleticism department (i.e., his two losses to Theo). There isn’t a single person on this cast that I think Kyle couldn’t beat in a physical elimination except for Fessy, Darrell, and maybe Nam. I would include CT with those; however, Kyle technically owns a Pole Wrestle type win against CT. It took a lot of assistance from JP; nonetheless, Kyle did it. If it’s an endurance game, Kyle could test CT.
Can he win? It would require players like CT, Wes, and Darrell not to make the final. Kyle isn’t balanced enough as a competitor to beat them in a final. Realistically, those players all could get eliminated before the final, yet, it’s almost as likely most make it to the final as well. Essentially, what I am saying, I expect Kyle to make it to the final 7, and from there, it’s a crapshoot for him, where he will either come up short before or during the final.
Kyle’s Overall Rating: 84/100 (no change from Total Madness)
Total Madness Rating: 84/100
Final Reckoning Rating: 81/100
Vendettas Rating: 76/100
