The Challenge Ride or Dies Episode 8 Recap: 5 Biggest Takeaways
Hey everyone, I’ve been traveling lately, so I haven’t had the time to write full recaps or podcasts, but I wanted to throw out some quick big thoughts on The Challenge Ride or Dies Episode 8.
5 Oh, Jay
Jay Starrett: “I’m tired of hearing Johnny Bananas wins again.”
My brother in Christ, you had two weeks in a row you could have sent him directly into elimination; instead, you groveled at his feet one week and then half-assed the second week by putting him in a draw that would give him a 2/3 shot of being safe.
4 The Daily Was Cool
I’ll give credit where credit’s due: the daily challenge this week looked exceptionally fun and is something I would love to try despite being a clumsy mess of a human. My only complaint is I wish the woman could have gotten more involved. If I could tweak, the players would both hop between the cars from opposite sides and meet in the middle to transfer their rings.
Devin, Jay, and Bananas all killed this daily challenge, and then Jordan was an actual superhuman hopping between cars in a way that even Jason Statham would have trouble keeping up.
Jordan & Aneesa continue to kill every single daily challenge where Aneesa needs to do the bare minimum and when Jordan can solo dominate — talk about a perfect pairing.
3 Amber & Michele’s Passive Aggressive War
Michele & Amber are absolute sweethearts, so when these two have conflict, it becomes a battle of passive aggressiveness. Their conversations felt like they were talking in circles and, at times, reminded me of cryptic social media posts happening in real time. It was genuinely enthralling for me to watch.
2 Nelson is a Jabroni
Nelson really asked himself out loud whether he should save the dude who backstabbed him and cost him a previous season or the gorgeous girl who has been incredibly supportive, and he still chose the backstabber.
What a fucking dingus.
Now, I love Nelson, and I know he and Fessy went into this game as each other’s #1 allies, but the optics of the move is awful. If there was ever a time when you could throw Fessy into elimination and know he would not take it as a total play for revenge, it’s when your showmance, who is also a strong player in a strong pair, is the only other choice. By saving Fessy,
Nelson looks like a total pushover who anyone can walk over without worry over punishment from here on out. Not to mention, Olivia is a quality lady in terms of emotional support and being a legit contender in the game who is an asset to him.
It was great television, though.
1 We’ve Jumped The Shark With Crowd Interference
I’ve always thought the crowd influence in Challenge eliminations has been a fun wrinkle similar to having a homefield advantage in any professional sport. However, this elimination and other recent ones have crossed a threshold where MTV needs to begin rethinking what they can do in elimination/what the crowd is allowed to do/say.
Jay & Michele were a good team and had a clearer understanding of the puzzle from the jump, so the fact they got taken out here is a bummer.
Let’s move on and give some love to Horacio and Olivia, who are now 3–0 in eliminations. Alright, love has been given. See y’all next week.
