Challenge 38: Ride or Dies

**Vil** · 2022-10-14 03:51

I just wonder the point of giving them a single-round bye. Did one of them have travel issues like that one season with CT (maybe it was his partner) was partnerless the first episode so got a pass. Just so they couldn't possibly get thrown in first?

People that are there nearly every season are there again! TJ, you've always got the craziest, most unexpected twists.

Not sure if cumulative is a fair word or not, but explaining things clearly and in the simplest manner for everyone is something this show is trash in anyway. You'd think that when they started casting international people, they'd at least try to make sure things are easier for non-native English speakers. Imagine some of those guys last season whose grasp of English seemed to be terrible.

**Byrd** · 2022-10-14 12:16

Originally Posted by Vil

You'd think that when they started casting international people, they'd at least try to make sure things are easier for non-native English speakers. Imagine some of those guys last season whose grasp of English seemed to be terrible.

True, last year was even worse. At least the Germans seem to have a pretty good grasp of English, even if they don't know "cumulative." Of course, making things as fair and equitable as possible for all competitors is just not something The Challenge remotely gives a shit about. It is, by far, my single biggest complaint about the show. They really need someone from Standards & Practices to step in. I figured it was going to get better when it was on CBS - I was wrong, it got worse. I almost feel like the increased exposure emboldened them to allow things to get worse.

**Byrd** · 2022-10-18 14:19

Cast for Challenge: World Championships has largely been leaked. Not a lot of "World," and quite a few Non-Champions. This thread seems like they're policing it pretty heavy as avoid spoiling who wins Ride or Dies, but Twitter and others aren't so lucky. I got spoiled, but whatever. Regardless, if you don't want to get spoiled, be careful where you're surfing.

**Headspace** · 2022-10-19 00:15

Originally Posted by Byrd

Thoughts:

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Scoring:

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Challenger Scores:

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Standings:

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Headspace, who do you want to replace Kaycee? Ravyn, Tamara, Tommy, are your options. Alternatively, Kaycee was seen in the trailer at the end of the episode. Maybe she comes back again later? You might consider holding on to her if the other three are not inspiring.

Was in New Orleans for the Bengals game so just watched this. Does look like Kaycee comes back. Maybe takes Nanys place if that neck brace is serious. I’ll ride or die with Kaycee.

5’5” Tommy isn’t very appealing

**Byrd** · 2022-10-20 00:30

Originally Posted by Headspace

I’ll ride or die with Kaycee.

Good choice, cost you all of 5 points.

However, Xno gets to replace Nam since Emmy apparently sucks. Ravyn, Tommy, or Kenny?

Thoughts:

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Scoring:

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Standings:

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Challenger Scores to Date:

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**Vil** · 2022-10-20 09:39

Nam, meh. But bringing them back there? I wouldn't say it ruined my night, but there were feelings about it that are hard to explain on a message board. That would have been a great time for TJ to be like "just kidding". I'm SHOCKED that Banany won the challenge after "randomly" getting to go (basically) last.

Nany dealing with Michele there seemed super cold. This is the person who in some reason seasons spends a whole season not interacting with someone and then expecting a favor, yet was an absolute stonewall during that deliberation with Michele. The move with those noms was understandable. But then later you've got Michele pleading with her again saying that she swears her partner will never come after them and she's just like "well, your partner". I do feel like Michele was purposely laying it on extra thick throughout this though. She's savvy enough to understand that sometimes you're not going to be a person's #1 priority and it doesn't mean that you can't be allies. The problem is, how far down the priority list is she with that vet nucleus? They want people to overreact to the format, and some will, but it's good to roll with the punches.

That said, from what the show's presented plus people's history, Amber/Chauncey is a pair that could have also worked in Michele/Jay's spot to some degree.

How does Jay always land in these terrible positions because of people he's associated with? Last time that situation was maybe right for Theresa, but not for him. But he elaborated a situation that I've often felt. If he so easily cut his friend, then he's branded a snake and that will follow him forever on this series. "If he flipped on him, he'll flip on you." If he's expendable before, he's still going to be despite supposedly doing them a favor.

That was a good time for that elimination challenge because nobody's going to be mad over who left. However, I've got to laugh at a challenge that is easier to cheat than do the right way since the partner can't even see, whereas those not playing have a great view.

Jordan coming out solo... okay? Maybe TJ needed extra time to come up with some blatant lie as to how he and Aneesa are friends when you could have told me they never even interacted and I'd believe you.

Bananas and Devin miraculously being best buds. Whatever.

**Headspace** · 2022-10-20 14:23

Sticking with Kaycee paid off but I am WORRIED about her brother lol.

**Xno Kappa** · 2022-10-26 19:11

Shit if it’s not too late let me get Ravyn.

**Vil** · 2022-10-26 22:12

^ lol

So Tori has her second "PSA" scene of the season and I'm left thinking "Are these two scenes the first time this show has told anything about her that isn't directly about the show? "

Fessy, er... Faysal getting his own after that only for a glorious Messy Fessy Montage. The fact that later in the episode he talked about how Coleen was one of the ladies he's pursuing, I'm thinking "does he know this isn't Love Island, where pursuing multiple people at once isn't out of the norm?" But like Tori's segment, him talking about his background and that, it's like the first real segment that he's had outside of a fleeting moment in his first season when he got to talk and he talked about football.

Faysal reminding Kaycee what his real name was when they were from the same damn show is low-key hilarious to me. I looked and he went by "Fessy" there, but they were together for 2.5 months. I'd think his name came up before.

Shockingly, a decent challenge that was simple enough to understand and follow. Moreover, they were able to show how close the 2nd heat was without any blatant tricks and cuts of people hitting certain checkpoints.

Besides two people crying at the bar, Jordan's appearance is uneventful and as good as he is, are people going to take a shot at him? I don't know. Just feels like it *should* be easy for them to coast compared to some other vet teams. It's only one episode, but it just feels like a continuation of "good behavior" Jordan from AS3. So long as he has some speech about mythology at some point, fine.

Tommy/Analyse overplaying is hilarious on a show where people are always looking at a reason to call BB people snakes. Come on, guys. O/H very well may have made them the deal if they just played it cooler, and then you can just play off the "I'm not going to turn down an alliance when you offer it" excuse. And while scooping up Kim/Colleen who are kind of isolated might be helpful, are those two more likely to win than either of those two teams who are killing it... and are both definitely higher target priorities? Dumb play.

Goofy elimination, but a good one, and I'll take this over the awful Hall Brawl. Was there even a full second head start on the top layer? I only really remember Olivia deciding that it would be honorable to wait to move til Ravyn's door opened in the 1st heat. Having them start on sand and have to step up into that was asking for an injury when they could have just extended the floor or something.

I'd be cool having Johnny and Ravyn back in the future. Olivia and Horacio impressed again, but I'm worried that they'll be like "1st half stars" or people that lead the league in scoring in the pre-season.

Two vets in when two rookies go. I know that we knew this was coming at some point, but it's just absurdity anyway.

**Byrd** · 2022-10-27 00:21

Scoring:

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Notes:

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Standings:

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Challenger Scores to Date:

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**Vil** · 2022-10-27 01:38

I wonder if Tommy and Analyse had the same deal with Johnny and Ravyn.

Maybe there was the expectation was they were getting thrown in. I wanted a cut of them promising all 3 teams and for them to get called out before going to the arena.

At least once an episode, there's a confessional with someone who I forgot was on the show. Welcome, Chauncey!

They're on the freaking poster and I'm not sure if they've talked for more than a combined 30 seconds. When they did the "slow-mo pan across the dance floor" thing that was probably the most screen time Amber's had outside of challenges. Them (or Michele/Jay) wouldn't have been terribly surprising picks if thrown in by him with their history and there were reasons (not necessarily smart) why BB or the Germans could have been left off the nominations. Seems like The Decision Maker actually decided to use his head. Either of those teams that were in the arena tonight would have reason to nominate Faysal/Moriah back, but would they be the target? Bananas/Nany, Devin/Tori, Laurel/Jakk, and the Clarks are all decent ideas if the rookies or rookie-leaning teams win something soon. Ok yeah, just typing out those teams... the rookies are screwed. It's just a matter of time.

**Vil** · 2022-11-02 22:01

Damn, that episode early on got interrupted by an Amber Alert.

I appreciate Faysal saying he's not looking for love or whatever, despite courting at least 4 women this season. Shout out to the hookup montage. Have I drafted the horniest team ever? I'd rather they just have the hookups within my team, but when half of my team is getting into bed with someone this episode, I can't complain.

This show has been pretty heavy-handed with the editing in recent year, but some of the episodes this season are out of control. Ok, they'd been making the running gag of Nelson's losing streak. Then you add in that convo with Nurys where they talk about being protected and pulled both ways. Then he's telling Jay how it's good to lose (guys, he's just been losing on purpose for years!) because he doesn't want to nominate, and then you have Nurys talking about doing the opposite strategy from most teams. Gee, who might win? The closest decoy was like... Michele and Jay? Tommy at the challenge, lmao.

Olivia with the insane plan and I'm like... I don't know if this is mastermind or moronic, but sometimes it's a thin line between them. Clearly none of the people on those two teams are from Big Brother or they'd know the saying "Pawns go home all the time". Having them pick teams that would protect them is smart, but don't go too far with this. At the end of the day, are she and Nelson just going to bang again after that elimination?

...and then Nelson is flat out telling them to make conflicting deals with both of them. Right, like the sort of deal that the whole house, especially Nelson, is pissed off at Tommy/Analyse over. Nelson, who is probably still fuming at getting double-crossed at the Bloodbath F3 in Invasion 3-way tug of war thing.

That elimination just went on way too long, but at least provided a few laughs. Thanks, Kim!

nuJordan is super weird. I have no problem with him being supportive of his partner, but the whole act beyond that is bizarre.

**Byrd** · 2022-11-03 20:17

Thoughts:

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Scoring:

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Standings:

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Challenger Scores to Date:

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Originally Posted by Vil

Olivia with the insane plan and I'm like... I don't know if this is mastermind or moronic, but sometimes it's a thin line between them. Clearly none of the people on those two teams are from Big Brother or they'd know the saying "Pawns go home all the time". Having them pick teams that would protect them is smart, but don't go too far with this. At the end of the day, are she and Nelson just going to bang again after that elimination?

That quote occurred to me at the same time. Obviously, the odds of them not going into elimination are better (1 in 3), but still ... ballsy move. And it seems to have paid off. Then saving Darrell and Veronica seemed weird at first, but made sense after a bit of explanation.

Originally Posted by Vil

That elimination just went on way too long, but at least provided a few laughs. Thanks, Kim!

Kim is maybe my favorite rookie now. He was hilarious during his elimination confessionals, and also tried to give Tommy advice during his own elimination against him. That has to be a first.

I am disappointed Nelson did not catch Dimaggio's streak, but his brief tenure with power went well, and I think he actually did a great job with it. Listening to Olivia was excellent, although I think she's definitely the brains of the couple. Nurys also probably smarter than Nelson.

I felt bad for Tommy. Not sure what he was doing wrong, it can't have been *that* hard, can it?

**Vil** · 2022-11-03 23:22

I don't know how much his reach factored in, but he looked like he was going to wear himself out pretty fast. Even though he had a plan going in, that wasn't making progress, so there was a lot of hunched forward arm tugs early on. By the time people were offering tips/encouragement, he was probably too far gone.

**Xno Kappa** · 2022-11-04 04:30

The editing for the last 20 minutes was incredibly awkward. I started to think they were gonna reveal some kind of mechanical failure for Tommy’s part of the elimination. Then there was the emphasis on his emotional apology to his teammate. It was just weird. Like they were building up to something and then? Credits.

Anyways, Olivia being the clear brains of the operation while Nelson got the praise was hilarious.

**Vil** · 2022-11-04 05:52

TJ just needed his Jeff Probst moment, ok? Dude didn't give up and tried to the end and nobody's ever done that before! There's so much that we don't see, but TJ's final words seemed pretty extra based on what they gave us this season. Maybe he's like that more often than not, but it seemed weird to show it like that this time. But hey, maybe dude is really fun off-camera at the challenges or something and made TJ a fan?

But now I'm thinking about that whole finish. Maybe it's because of all the people joining after the elimination, but I don't know if I would have even been surprised if TJ would be like "I'm feeling friendly. Let's make this past round non-elimination" and let them just rejoin the cast. Redemption House anybody?

**Xno Kappa** · 2022-11-09 21:38

**Xno Kappa** · 2022-11-09 21:42

Michele and Jay have to be two of the dumbest motherfuckas on the challenge in recent history. I will never understand the constant ass kissing for the vets. Especially Bananas.

This is why it was so refreshing to have someone like Johnny M. Not only was there rookies who said fuck them, they also had the numbers until TJ started handing out free byes to the opposing side. And now the cast left is more or less the same exact people we’ve already been watching 5~10 years.

This season sucks fucking donkey balls.

**Xno Kappa** · 2022-11-09 21:49

And while we’re at it on a somewhat related topic. Just rename the The Amazing Race to The European Race. How many god damn episodes do we need in France? The charm of the show was seeing all the drastically different cultures. The COVID excuse hardly flies anymore.

**Byrd** · 2022-11-10 00:51

Originally Posted by Xno

And while we’re at it on a somewhat related topic. Just rename the The Amazing Race to The European Race. How many god damn episodes do we need in France? The charm of the show was seeing all the drastically different cultures. The COVID excuse hardly flies anymore.

I'm not ecstatic about that, either, but - as of May / June when this season was filmed - there was a lot of countries that still had several days or multiple weeks of quarantine requirements. I'm pretty sure the options were very limited where they could travel quickly and safely six months ago. I think the next season will be better - it's filming right now. Started in Mexico, either. Also, Russia is certainly off the table for at least the next few years.

And while I don't love the current travel itinerary, some Amazing Race is way, way better than no Amazing Race. Seeing Petra was really cool, even if their options for challenges were extremely limited by the venue.

Anyway ...

Thoughts:

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Challenger Scores to Date:

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