The Challenge Double Agents : Should Players Volunteer For The Final Elimination?
We are fifteen episodes deep into the Challenge Double Agents. All 10 remaining players have their Gold Skulls are qualified to run the final. The immediate problem for them is that we are not at the final yet; we still have either one or two more daily challenges and eliminations. While players tried to avoid elimination all season after earning their skulls, we may see players fighting to go into the final elimination to have their best chance of winning.
The ability to swap partners by winning an elimination has been a fantastic twist that has added excitement to an otherwise mundane season. When it comes to the men in the game, all of them are good competitors. CT is a 3x Champion, Fessy is getting treated like a top dog (even if he might not be), and Cory/Kyle/Leroy have physically done well in finals. Meanwhile, with the women, Kam and Kaycee have separated themselves as the top two women physically, with a decent gap between them and grizzled young veteran Nany Gonzalez. There is then an additional gap between Nany and Amber/Big T. While Amber’s cardio is not as bad as Big T’s, she has not shown the swimming/mental prowess that Big T has; they are about equal as competitors based on what we have seen this season, I’d hedge towards Big T, but that might be my bias towards her as a great human being.
As we advance, let’s forecast the outlook for all the remaining players and what their best possible game move left is:
CT & Big T
Last week, Kyle told Big T that if she does try to switch to Fessy as a partner, then the Kam/Leroy/Nany alliance will control the votes and put CT/Big T against Kyle/Amber. At first, I thought he was right. However, as the week has gone on, it has donned on me; Kam and Leroy worked their asses off to ice CT out of elimination to keep him from getting the skull needed to run the final. Now that he has it, the next best thing you can do is keep him with Big T. Again, while I love Big T, in the two most cardio-intensive challenges of the season, she has been at the bottom, only outperforming Aneesa.
This means for CT’s game; he may need to win the final daily challenge to volunteer himself for elimination, to switch partners, in which he could take either Kaycee or Kam right before the final. I fear for Big T’s chance in this game. Her elimination win last week was dominant, but if it’s a true headbanger, all the other women left in the game have a significant amount of size on her. I am praying for my girl.
Kyle & Amber
It is simple. Kyle and Amber need to win the daily challenge(s) to guarantee their spots in the final. If they do not, they will be going into the final elimination(s). For Kyle, that’s a bit of a death note as Leroy is an elimination king, CT is CT, Fessy outweighs him by a ton, and Cory is a hell of an athlete. Amber can beat Big T if it’s raw physical, and history says Nany is very beatable. Could Amber beat Kam or Kaycee in elimination? No chance.
I feel both players would welcome an upgrade in partner if they won an elimination, as I cannot envision them winning a final together.
Leroy & Kaycee
At first, this partnership was an arranged marriage to bring the Kamroy alliance and the Big Brother frat together. As time progressed, they realized they worked well together. Leroy and Kaycee are the power duo of this season. The two have won four daily challenges together, two of which have been similar to a final, and both have the experience of running a final. When you have that much chemistry as a pair, you do not break that up.
Their goal should be to continue to win daily challenges. If Nany or Kam wins the final daily challenge and the house vote becomes Kyle, Leroy should let his Girlfriend/Best Friend put him into the final elimination if it is physical. We know Leroy kicks ass in headbangers, and if he wants to win, he is not letting anyone steal Kaycee from him. When it comes to Kaycee, she likely will not be going into elimination, and even if she did, she is tearing up Nany/Big T/Amber. Kaycee (and Kam) is the Bachelorette to the men in the game right now. What is also crucial to note is that by volunteering, they are also shutting CT out of switching from Big T as a partner.
Cory & Kam
Cory and Kam’s potential might be higher than what we have seen thus far from Leroy and Kaycee. Can they fulfill that potential with a week or two left? Possibly. Cory is in a similar boat to Leroy, where winning the daily challenge will allow him to keep his partner. If they were to lose the daily challenge and Nany/Fessy or Leroy/Kaycee won, should he volunteer himself as I suggested with Leroy above? Yes. If the goal is to win the game, then you need to have Kam as a partner to do the puzzles and to be able to outpace the other females physically. You also shut CT out of a skull and essentially make it a three-horse race in the final.
Just like Kaycee, Kam is the Bachelorette to the men in the game. She is going to her 3rd final in 5 seasons.
Fessy & Nany
This duo is a mess and has 3rd place in the final written all over them. Fessy and Nany’s partnership reminds me of when you aimlessly make a music playlist. While the playlist’s songs are good, the mood/genre shifts so suddenly that you need to turn the playlist off entirely because it ruins your vibe.
What I am trying to say is, they should both welcome the elimination arena as a change in partners could benefit the two of them significantly. If Fessy could get Kam as a partner, their overwhelming amount of talent would overcome any potential chemistry issues. Fessy and Kaycee would also perform well (I think, maybe). Even though Nany low-key despises CT, I think the two would make a crackerjack pair. Pace-wise, she can keep up with his demands, and together, they are balanced veterans who know what it takes to finish a final.
