Challenge 34: War of the Worlds 2

**Moss** · 2019-09-06 13:55

Originally Posted by Vil

For fantasy purposes only, I'd hope it doesn't. As a viewer, I'd like to see things have at least some semblance of balance, but I don't know if it'll hurt the season that much unless it gets really out of control.

This casting would probably end up with a horrible season if it were another format. With what we have, there's two different types of drama that could pop up on opposite sides. There's already been signs of too many cooks on the US side. The UK side seems to have people already showing frustration about being blown out in these challenges for one reason or another. To me this looks like a ripe situation for someone to jump to the other team.

One thing I've wondered is if it would be good if they had to pick the spokesperson and/or the tribunal before the challenge. Win and you're the tribunal, lose and you're in the arena/only people that can be voted for. You face the issue of people throwing, especially since the other side would be voting someone too, so I don't know.

You can't cast the teams the way they did and not expect it to be like this. They also made a point that someone that switches team stays there the whole game, so I think that if anything they would expect things to work itself out naturally with people being able to jump teams and tribunal being able to vote anybody.

I also remember a wrinkle from past seasons where your group splits the money, so it is a disadvantage to end up with a huge team at the end

For those that remember, that season where fat ginger Eric started hyperventilating and caused his big team to lose lol

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**Xno Kappa** · 2019-09-06 13:57

Eric who would come back every season in “the best shape of his life” lol. I remember when Laurel went at him hard. That shit was fucked up.

**Moss** · 2019-09-06 16:34

Originally Posted by Xno Kappa

Eric who would come back every season in “the best shape of his life” lol. I remember when Laurel went at him hard. That shit was fucked up.

Yeah that one wasn't the best look for Laurel

It was annoying how Eric would always take offense if anyone EVER questioned his endurance

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**Xno Kappa** · 2019-09-11 21:25

Josh is such a goober. Dude is the definition of corny.

**Vil** · 2019-09-11 22:37

Nah, he's just a meatball.

He'd be a nightmare to be on a team with, and even moreso to be aligned with. You figure that something like that was going to eventually happen, but breaking the seal on voting your teammate in round 3 seems hasty when there's already enough drama on the team. Then again, this is Josh we're talking about. On his season of Big Brother in week 1 they had the competition for head of household, and they were put on teams for it. There was an option to get safety for yourself for the week, but you'd disqualify your team from the competition. Guess which meatball took safety? "Don't try your logic on me!" Indeed.

Joss, Rogan, Dee, Idris, and Esther calling the shots on the UK team? Even with the extra 20 minutes, they can't find a way for most of them to be interesting. Rogan has had his moments, at least.

While there were some serious problems with the way the US team ran that challenge, that's really a massive disadvantage going first. So many challenges are the same way, but it's been so long since team challenges like this that it really stood out. Way to cheat when your team is like a half hour ahead, Theo.

I actually believe that Bananas probably cares more about outlasting Wes than winning a season. Please stop casting them both if that's the case, since nothing these two do vis-a-vis one another is fresh or interesting. Wes just seemed out of it this season as well. Maybe it was just getting cocky and then getting busted with his scheming. Couple that with being sick, and he just seemed like "whatever" for that elimination.

**Byrd** · 2019-09-12 00:40

Well, that was some good fucking TV. Love or hate Wes, that was pretty unbelievable that Laurel and Josh turned that around. Mostly Laurel. They each got commish points for doing that.

Side note: this is the third season in a row, at least, with a tribunal. I will start giving Tribunal points next season.

Scoring:

Spoiler: show

**Moss** · 2019-09-13 00:31

Best. Episode. Ever.

I cackled so hard when Laurel brought up the idea to throw in Wes. Fucking brilliant.

Do Cara and Paulie not see the irony in calling Josh a traitor for throwing in Wes, when Wes was making deals with the Brits on the first night?!

Originally Posted by Vil

I actually believe that Bananas probably cares more about outlasting Wes than winning a season. Please stop casting them both if that's the case, since nothing these two do vis-a-vis one another is fresh or interesting. Wes just seemed out of it this season as well. Maybe it was just getting cocky and then getting busted with his scheming. Couple that with being sick, and he just seemed like "whatever" for that elimination.

I think it's because he was 100% caught off guard. That's hard to get yourself amped for in the span of 30 seconds right after the punch to the gut of getting your name called. He still tried but Bear mashed his face into the ground lol.

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**Byrd** · 2019-09-13 17:53

Originally Posted by Moss

I think it's because he was 100% caught off guard. That's hard to get yourself amped for in the span of 30 seconds right after the punch to the gut of getting your name called. He still tried but Bear mashed his face into the ground lol.

He was also sick the previous challenge. The aftershow mentioned he hadn't been feeling well the whole time. Which is probably part true and part excuse, but hey - Bear won fair and square. I love it when people are blindsided in The Challenge, and it so rarely happens that completely out of the blue that you have to appreciate it. I can't imagine Josh kept his mouth shut, but if only Laurel, Josh and Bananas knew, that would be truly special.

**Moss** · 2019-09-13 17:56

Originally Posted by Byrd

He was also sick the previous challenge. The aftershow mentioned he hadn't been feeling well the whole time. Which is probably part true and part excuse, but hey - Bear won fair and square. I love it when people are blindsided in The Challenge, and it so rarely happens that completely out of the blue that you have to appreciate it. I can't imagine Josh kept his mouth shut, but if only Laurel, Josh and Bananas knew, that would be truly special.

You're exactly right. The entire point of all the crazy rules and set-up are to create moments like that. True shockers like that are just so rare... *tear*

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**Vil** · 2019-09-13 18:34

The thing that made me laugh about it the most was that Laurel was like "you can't say a word about this" and then of course the next scene has Josh getting into it with Wes and even repeating the things that he said. Even if he wasn't tipped off, that should have at least been major red flags there.

The comments about "giving the nuclear codes" to Josh and stuff like that, was like classic Big Brother stuff like "Guys, maybe it wasn't such a good idea throwing it to x so they could get their letter from home."

Was that a good move? We'll see, but at least they will be able to stop bitching about him being a Benedict Arnold and/or other thematic things they'll come up with in confessionals. They could have really stepped on the throat of team UK and just like the UK team showed, it's quite easy to keep someone out of power if they want to. If enough people wanted Wes in, he could at any point. Paulie's attempts to pacify Josh and his comments after the vote is what left me wondering... for all the talk about the turmoil on team US, have they really taken much time hinting at who is with whom? I know they have won the first 3, so it doesn't need to be focused on, but it's weird.

**Vil** · 2019-09-18 21:37

Holy shit. I would have taken Laurel somewhere in the top 2 or 3, and she's gone in the 2nd opportunity. But how did I forget what a psycho she can be? YIKES. Before the season, I was so looking forward to her being back and now I'm like "that was enough".

**Xno Kappa** · 2019-09-18 21:51

LOL FUCK LAUREL! Karmas a bitch. She reminded everyone why she’s unbearable as fuck and just a genuinely mean person. I’m so god damn glad this isn’t going to turn into another season of the Americans imploding on themselves cuz reasons. At least that’s not what it looks like anymore. This whole division amongst the Americans was instigated because Laurel was a sucker who got played by Bear.

Fuck Johnny too. Been saying it for too many seasons now but his time is done. He adds absolutely nothing to the show anymore but eyerolls and facepalms with his schtick. Take your boy Leroy with you too.

Props to ninja who didn’t immediately lay down and take the loss. Kudos for Kam too for stepping up to Laurel to her face when all the other girls were too chicken shit to call her out on her trying to intimidate everyone.

**Byrd** · 2019-09-19 02:40

I still want Laurel back every season. She nearly won that climbing challenge against an American Ninja Warrior competitor, and lost on somewhat of a technicality. Hard to tell if she would have won if she didn't skip that step (I think 50/50 chance). She's a beast, she's not afraid to go against the top tier, she's fucking golden TV. Sign me up. That being said, karma is a bitch. She deserved that loss. Reason #110,422 why throwing challenges is bad. She definitely lost points for that, as did Bananas. Ashely lost half points for quitting, even if she wasn't trying to quit.

Aside: does anyone have any Ashley Mitchell nudes? While she's not going pyscho and quitting, she's actually pretty hot. And she definitely seems like the type to have them out there.

I would also accept Ashley Kelsey nudes.

Where is Playboy and why haven't they done a Girls of the Challenge issue lately?

Anyway, results:

Spoiler: show

**Vil** · 2019-09-19 07:48

Did they both miss the same slot at the bottom or something? I wasn't paying that close of attention and haven't gone back to look at the episode yet. Natalie was kind of an idiot acting out when seeing the thing especially not knowing what it was, since that wasn't really some climbing challenge in the sense that she'd have a real advantage, at least against someone with that much of a height/reach advantage. That's like the spinoff when Bananas beat Wes in a "swimming" challenge, when it was more of an underwater untying challenge. I somewhat agree with Bananas confessional about her acting all giddy about it, but it's another thing where I just roll my eyes because "of course he had to be the one to say it". Someone was going to say something about that, but over 4 episodes I just have this feeling that Bananas seems so grumpy this season.

For me, I'd love Laurel at 50% of that, maybe up to 75%. My feelings on her this season as a whole was like Zach commenting on her and her notes. It's just a bit too much. The role of Bananas's bulldog is not something I need on challenge viewing, but she's one of the best at that over the course of this series.

https://twitter.com/ChallengeMTV/sta...09642694713344

I know people act like fools plenty of times, especially after eliminations, but that was terrifying/hilarious MTV showing it that way.

**Valisk** · 2019-09-19 20:53

A live look at me watching the end of that elimination...

https://giphy.com/gifs/5VKbvrjxpVJCM

HOLY FUCKIN SHIT!!!

Yea, both Ninja and Laurel missed a bottom rung, so if you remove the blunder from both of them, Ninja won comfortably. She was searching for a hole at the top for a while. The editing of showing Laurel in slow-mo showboating after the perceived win was... *chef’s kiss*

**Moss** · 2019-09-19 21:59

Man that was some fucking bullshit

Ninja's act is annoying as fuck. The Laurel showboating at the end was a bit much

They were basically tied and both missed the same rung... except Laurel found an opening in the truss right next to where the bell is. So... Laurel is penalized for that? TJ blew the horn too, to end the challenge. The challenge "staff" really didn't notice the hole that they both missed close to the bottom?

That's a fucking fail. They should've had them both just race from the bottom to break the tie. Ninja probably wins that race but at least it isn't a loss on some technical bullshit

Oh well. Laurel played high stakes and sometimes that doesn't work out. More annoying Cara gloating... great...

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**Vil** · 2019-09-25 22:30

None of this stuff surprises me, but Josh is insane. There's absolutely no way to predict how he'll react to anything. When TJ was announcing the top times, I was so hoping that Josh was the top guy. He was pretty close, I think. Considering how terrible 1/3 of the people were, maybe that's not saying much. I hate that I feel like we've got to pick a side between Bananas and Paulie/Cara but gotta go with the latter. It wasn't til a few minutes ago til I realized that they had 2/3 of the tribunal and didn't even seem to consider Kyle, nor did they have him scared for his life. It's easier to deal with Paulie's manufactured persona and Cara's fake tears when they're not dragging Kyle into it as an unwilling participant.

Theo really needs to drop this Rogan stuff because it's just not going to work. Or at least just say that it's personal, because he's not going to win people over doing that same thing.

They did an elimination like that on Invasion I think? Some season around then. All I know is that as someone around Theo's height, that looked absolutely terrible. I'd like to thank the Romans for confusing Bananas with their numerals.

Hell yes to the challenge next week!

**Xno Kappa** · 2019-09-25 23:04

Play stupid games win stupid prizes. As much as I hate the Paulie/Cara dynamic I’d rather watch them than Bananas tired scorched earth schtick. And once again Leroy is just a waste of tv time. Everyone else seems to understand this but it looks like next week Josh once again plays the mental midget.

Loving the 90 minute format. Hope they never move away from it going forward.

**Byrd** · 2019-09-26 01:33

Was fairly drunk when I watched this episode, so feel free to ping me if I missed something. General notes and scoring:

Spoiler: show

Contestant Scores to Date:

Spoiler: show

**Valisk** · 2019-09-26 06:32

I can’t wait for the first Turncoat. Can an extra 15 points be given to the person with the balls enough to be the first turncoat? Then 5 points for all turncoats after that? Everyone is so scared of switching teams right now.

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