Challenge Total Madness Episode 10 Recap: Ten Biggest Takeaways
Before, I get into this week’s recap, I want to thank everyone who “LIKED” my Article from Sunday.
I’m donating $ to different causes in support of Black Lives Matter. I’ve donated over 300 Dollars already, matching the support you guys are showing. I’m gonna keep it going with some smaller donations, where every LIKE this article gets on Twitter, and for every person who comments on Reddit, I will be throwing down 50 cents per like/comment. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but they add up fast. Now onto the recap.
Episode 10 is in the books. You probably have some thoughts, so let’s compare. Instead of giving a simple summary, I decided to focus on the 10 Biggest moments/takeaways from the tenth episode. These will be integral storylines that the tenth episode focused on, and I’ll breakdown why they matter for the season.
10 Trivia is always great
I had some issues with the Trivia. I didn’t enjoy that it was multiple choice because it added a luck aspect. However, some of the questions were decently difficult compared to recent seasons, which I appreciate. Likewise, I didn’t particularly appreciate that competitors got taken out before given a chance to answer a question. Although, the twist of adding an endurance/grip strength element to it by having the players cling to the rockets over the water was a neat add-on. Also, I like players being able to throw strikes at other players because it forces people to show their cards and their allegiances. Jenny smartly did not gun for Dee, knowing that it would reveal her ultimate plan to get revenge on Dee for almost blindsiding her the previous week.
Meanwhile, Josh was weirdly upset about Swaggy throwing a strike at him despite throwing a drink at Swaggy and them fighting the previous week.
9 Bring Back Money/Prizes for Daily Challenges!
The food situation on the Challenge is notoriously rough. Getting an outside meal, even something like Burger King is enormous. Also, fast food in other countries is generally way better quality than it is in America. Then you add in the excitement on all players’ faces when TJ reveals that five grand for each winner was on the line displays that people will try harder and care more if money were at play at all times.
8 Melissa was whole ass pregnant
Every week, it gets wilder watching Melissa compete in these daily challenges while pregnant. Watching her cling for her life to the giant rocket and fear getting dipped in the water as TJ laughs at her gets weird when you consider she had a human inside of her!
7 Swaggy is slipping a tiny bit
Up to this point, Swaggy has played a solid game. He has created good alliances with the veterans, made it into multiple tribunals, and settled in immediately. The last couple of weeks with him struggling in the swimming challenge and now starting to get a target on his back from Rogan is not great. Not to mention, Wes is one of his closest allies, and he is now out of the game. I expect Swaggy to go into the next male elimination, half because he doesn’t have a Red Skull, half due to someone targetting him. I’d personally love to see a Swaggy vs. Josh elimination because it would give finality to their feud.
6 Josh is a Unique Player
He is not a bad competitor. The guy is a good teammate, a strong swimmer, has good size, and he’s always made it decently far. Yet, he never is anywhere near a threat in the game and has glaring faults in his game. So does that make him bad? I don’t know; it’s weird to watch. All the girls laughing because they know he is going to fall is a rough look as well. Dee and Jenny burying him in their confessionals is both ridiculously rude and hilarious at the same time.
The most questionable thing to me is that Josh did not want to go into eliminating, especially against Johnny. Josh kept saying Bananas was a close friend, but Bananas has shown no actual interest in Josh and would throw him under the boat any day of the week. Also, Josh is way bigger than Bananas; it would be an elimination he could win if it’s size-based. It’s not like Josh can even sniff Bananas in a final, either.
5 Wes is Kyle’s Good Parent, and Bananas is Kyle’s Fun Parent
A couple of weeks ago, I made a joke about Bananas and Wes being Kyle’s parents. This week it rang truer when Kyle said he preferred Johnny because he played the game straight up, while Wes makes deals with everyone. While it is true about both players, when Wes interacts with Kyle, there is remarkable transparency and honesty in Wes’s words where he can sniff out Kyle’s BS and lay out the facts on the table. Kyle does not want to face the facts and wants to last in the game as long as possible to dick around. Bananas enables Kyle’s conservative gameplay on the basis that all Kyle needs to do is be loyal. He will let Kyle eat popcorn and candy for dinner because he knows Kyle will never come close to him in a final.
Kyle is playing the game of existing.
4 Cory is holding himself well
Each week, I continue to be gobsmacked by Cory’s composure. The guy is not falling for the obvious mistakes that he usually does, and is actively trying to get his Red Skull. Cory is probably playing the best overall game out of anyone without a Red Skull. He also has the self-awareness to know a Bananas/Wes elimination is ultimately a good situation for him based on the fact that he can’t beat either in a final. He and Nelson somewhat bating Wes into throwing himself in was also a gem from this episode.
3 The Dee and Jenny rivalry is getting real
Every daily challenge that is individual comes down to these two girls. They are far and away the best female players this season thus far, and it will be interesting to see who gets the first shot at one another. What adds to the intrigue is they are no longer friends on social media either. They are going to come to an impasse, and it will be exciting.
2 Bananas is the Heavy Favorite to win this season
Before the season, I thought Jordan was the all-in favorite because nobody could touch him in the final. Right under him, I had Bananas-Wes-CT, because they are balanced all-around players capable of running, swimming, carrying weight, doing puzzles, eating, staying up all night, etc. Bananas has a crazy good shot at winning with the other three gone, especially since there are players desperate to get a Red Skull. So much so, that Bananas can coast from here on out.
What I did appreciate the most from Bananas this episode is he acknowledged Wes’s strength and values as a competitor/ally. My biggest qualm with Bananas for years is he always throws digs or backhanded compliments at many other great players to diminish them/build himself up. Their relationship was a highlight this season, even if it felt artificial.
The elimination itself felt like a game of luck. It was a much harder version of the game that Dee/Ashley played. Like what happens if one player gets 3 batteries in the first minute? I understand you had to make good holes/look thoroughly, but it was still very luck-based. Nonetheless, Bananas is now tied with Nelson for second-most male eliminations with 9, with his career record being 9–13.
1 Wes made the smartest choice for himself
Considering Wes has gotten his ass handed to himself in headbanger elimination the last decade, I think it was smart to throw himself down against Bananas because the elimination was one he could win. Remember, while he could have thrown Bananas against another contender, Wes still needs his Red Skull. Likewise, eliminating Johnny Bananas would almost assure him the win when looking at the rest of the cast. The same rationale I had for Bananas, I give to Wes. With the other top contenders gone, it’s hard to imagine anyone being balanced enough to beat him in a final.
Wes plays a game where he puts all his chips on the table and tries to get the best win possible for him. He lost, and that happens. I also thought it was funny that everyone pretended like the Champs vs. Pros elimination never happened when that elimination got hyped like crazy when it did.
Hopefully, we see Wes back again in the future (hopefully, he takes a small break for 36, and comes back for 37).
