The Challenge Ride or Dies Episode 6 Recap: 10 Biggest Takeaways
The 6th Episode of The Challenge Ride or Dies 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 sixth episode.
If you prefer audio/video, my podcast recap can be found above/below.
10 Jakk & Jay Went Down The Hill
I’m always a fan of Challenge drama, and when it stems from political gameplay, it makes it 10x better. Laurel & Jakk came back from elimination petty, and Jakk’s line about Jay coming to apologize with the cameras on had me cackling.
Laurel & Jakk vs. Michele & Jay is not the season’s main plot, but it’s a good storyline that potentially leans into future seasons and formats. Authentic cattiness is a good thing.
9 Too Many Emotions For My Liking
In the opening, we saw them play up the emotional side of the Ride-or-Dieships, specifically between Bananas & Nany and Jordan & Aneesa. I understand the bonds/friendships are the season’s theme, yet I couldn’t help feeling like these were retreads of scenes we’ve already gotten, and it’s a buzzkill to open the episode. Before a daily challenge, I want hookups, drama, and fun to get me excited for competition.
Last week’s pool and emo party were excellent preludes to the daily and messy nominations — this week was the opposite.
8 Scrambled Daily
I don’t have many thoughts about the daily challenge. Frankly, I found it boring, especially as it didn’t need to get run in two heats. Nany wanting to murder Bananas was the only thing keeping my interest.
Congrats to Jay & Michele for their come-from-behind win. They never gave up, and to win two in a row is a massive. Horacio & Olivia come up just short of the win again. If there were Tribunals this season, they would have been in half of them by now.
Laurel not being able to retrieve her bag was brutal to watch and is one of the few times we’ve ever seen her fail in a daily.
7 Jay & Michele Were a Week Late
Renominating Laurel & Jakk was a no-brainer, and going after strong teams is precisely what Jay & Michele should have done last week. The problem is it’s what should have happened last week, and this week’s move doesn’t clean up for the error. I’m glad they didn’t cop out with another weak set of nominations.
The deal Michele cut with Devin for mutual one-day safety hurt them critically because by throwing in Kaycee, she is now on their ass and her top allies (Fessy & Nany) are on high alert as well.
It sucks to say, but their nominations were so poorly executed that they could not make a good move this week. They were a chess player who had put themselves in no other position than avoiding getting checkmated.
6 Jordan Put Jay in a Body Bag
Jordan’s focus this season has been on being a good sport and supportive partner to Aneesa. After getting nominated for the second week in a row by Jay & Michele, with nominations that gave them at least a 66% chance of going into elimination, Jordan let fly the game as he saw it, and Aneesa was entirely supportive of Jordan being Jordan.
It was great to watch because Jordan gave an objective view of the game Jay & Michele were playing and was able to his asshole self and pick at Jay’s emotions. When Jordan calls Jay weak and scared, he doesn’t do it from a place of actual fear; Jordan has looked down the barrel at CT, Cara, Bananas, Wes, etc., and he’s come out on top multiple times. Yes, he’s also failed, yet Jordan never waivers. Even though Jordan essentially directly threw himself into elimination with his interrogation behavior, he proved everything he said about Jay & Michele. Kudos to Aneesa for being a true Ride or Die in this moment and not even getting upset because she knew Jordan wasn’t wrong. Jay & Michele want to play strategically, except their emotions are getting picked at with ease.
5 The IOU is Expired
Michele thought the gesture of putting Kaycee in nominations would make her happy as it was a higher likelihood that she wouldn’t go into elimination. Instead, she awakened Nany’s Tiger Mom/protectiveness of Kaycee, where she took the nominations as an all-out offense on both of them. The moment when Michele realized the “IOU” she had put her entire game on the life for the previous week was now invalid was painful to watch. Back-to-back weeks there is instant regret on Michele & Jay’s faces. I said last week, and I’ll repeat it, Jay & Michele have made Nelson & Nurys look like geniuses compared to how they operated during their weeks in power.
I’m not sure if there’s ever been a greater miscalculation than Michele not equating the difference between her friendship outside the house to Nany to their game relationship. Yes, Nany will munch on Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Jalapeno Poppers with you as you share a bottle of wine and talk about life; but when it comes to the game, Nany has so many pre-existing game alliances that take priority for her. Most of all, Nany is playing selfishly this time around because she wants to win. For years, Nany was the Michele whose emotions got in the way, and she’s taking that good faith and turning it on her opponents head.
4 All-Time Bad Decisionmaker
Faysal, as a grown man, asking Laurel as he hugs her if Horacio hugs her like that was so incredibly cringeworthy. The fact he said it while on camera is even more absurd. If that’s what you say on camera, what is Faysal saying off-camera?
3 Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and Dodge.
Jordan & Aneesa outworked, outsmarted, and out-skilled Laurel & Jakk. Carrying four cinder blocks at a time was smart, efficient, and made sense, as Aneesa would never beat Laurel in a straight-up track race. Laurel & Jakk not picking up on Jordan & Aneesa’s strategy and attempting to carry four blocks themselves felt like a rookie mistake.
In terms of throwing, Jordan got scouted by Detroit Tigers in high school as a pitching prospect, and the guy was a walk-on backup QB at Central Oklahoma… The guy has a great arm and was going to win that elimination regardless. Laurel was a high-level volleyball player, so maybe she should’ve been the one blocking and Jakk throwing. I feel like if Jakk were confident in his throwing ability, he would’ve put himself in that position. As much as I love Laurel, she and Jakk were a below-average pair competitively this season. I think Laurel had some vintage moments where she looked elite, whereas Jakk left much to be desired. It sucks because Jakk is a good Reality TV character; sadly, the physical aspect did not instantly translate for him. Still, I hate to see them go.
Jordan calling out Jay & Michele and staring them down as he made the elimination-winning throw was badass and something that will get put in a highlight reel for when Jordan one day retires.
2 Laurel getting her flowers
When Nany first pulled the safe dagger, Laurel expected it to be a quick and easy save for Kaycee. Bananas & Nany going out of their way to show love to a friend meant the world. TJ calling Laurel one of the GOATs was big, because often it feels like the great female competitors don’t get championed enough. Even in a loss, Laurel could feel proud of what she’s achieved on this show is heartwarming.
1 Historic Stats
Jordan is now 8–2 eliminations, tying him with Wes for the best elimination record by a male competitor through ten elimination. Jordan now having this elimination achievement is crazy as he’s known for dominating Finals and killing dailies; the accolade only strengthens his argument as one of, if not the greatest ever.
EDIT: Nelson went 8–1–1 through his first 10 eliminations. So Jordan is only 2nd all-time through 10 Elims for men. What a loser.
Aneesa is now 11–11 in eliminations, back to a .500 win rate, and back to being the sole holder of second all-time in elimination wins among women after Laurel tied her last week.
