Challenge 38: Ride or Dies

**Byrd** · 2023-01-26 00:47

Episode 16 Stuffs:
Thoughts"

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Scoring:

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Challenger Scores to Date:

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Standings:

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**Vil** · 2023-01-29 15:43

100 hours is one of the most moronic things I've seen from this franchise, and it's one that is laden with terrible decisions. I'd even seen some people actually hyped for that, but they're the sort of "ha ha, reality stars quitting, the real challenge stars would never!" types. Dude, this franchise isn't that serious.

But worse is that I saw that it's also supposed to be 3 episodes of the final, lmao. I thought someone was having a laugh, but then saw it mentioned elsewhere too. Come on. This is like Vendettas era terrible ideas.

That elimination was a very good/difficult challenge that like most is terrible on tv, but shouldn't have been done then. They're seriously going to have a challenge where both people just perform completely independently? I feel like if there's ever a time where they need a teamwork thing, it should be the last elimination, so no Balls In, Pole Wrestle, etc. types either. Something like that absolutely could be a daily challenge if they kind of nerfed the difficulty slightly.

By the way, the international series are coming to Paramount. AUS on Feb 15, UK on Feb 25, and then the Championship on March 8 with the first 2 episodes.

I watched the Australian series. They lived in the Ride or Dies house. There were some differences from the US series, but the challenges were largely used in that or in Ride or Dies but some work out differently (seeing solo challenges/eliminations done as pairs, for instance). One of my biggest takeaways is that maybe I might like to watch Bachelor in Paradise. The final was not moronic like the CBS or this upcoming one at least. Kind of gives me some hesitation about the UK series if it's going to be all the same there too, but I may at least just throw it on and not pay attention for half of it.

**Vil** · 2023-02-01 21:21

omg

My mind went to *that* season of TAR when seeing this challenge earlier this season, but I never would have thought that might happen.

**Headspace** · 2023-02-01 21:37

I was wondering why they lingered on that shot for so long while focusing on the ball. Dear lord.

**Vil** · 2023-02-01 21:47

I just thought it'd fall and then they'd finally have a blow-up as they'd been cool to that point despite some of the stuff they'd gone through.

For real though, why are they using golf balls? So they can just use the same setup for all the teams to go through since it'd just make a small hole rather than knocking a panel out? That's just lazy and negligent even by this production team's standards.

**Byrd** · 2023-02-02 00:56

Thoughts:

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Scoring:

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Standings:

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Challenger Scores to Date:

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**Vil** · 2023-02-02 01:56

Why is Nany so grouchy?

Been this way all season, though I did laugh at how she was yelling at him for getting upset at the slingshot portion. Him acting like a tool during that part, it's like she's never met him the way she reacted. It's a 4 day final. There's no point to being all tense during a portion that definitely doesn't matter for anything. The reality is that it's probably going to be a bunch up for a staggered start on a 10 minute final leg, so worry where you're at on day 3 when you're doing actual things, not on something that is just to sit by the campfire marginally earlier than the other teams.

**Xno Kappa** · 2023-02-02 09:33

Damn that was some of the worst luck ever for Olivia. The other sad part is I still could’ve seen Horacio being competitive doing double the work. Shit just sucks all around. Really hope we see them again in the future.

Meanwhile, Aneesa trips on a branch then cries about her ankle being broken lol. For fucks sake MTV stop bringing her back. She’s never gonna win shit no matter how much she says she “deserves” it.

**Byrd** · 2023-02-09 01:18

Thoughts:

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Scoring:

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Standings:

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Challenger Scores to Date:

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**Vil** · 2023-02-09 06:26

By the end of the episode, I'd completely forgotten about the first two legs of this portion and thought they spent half an episode on an extended cut puke montage. Did that go like 3 segments?

Tori and Devin being done for the day in the middle of the afternoon just made a joke of this format. Yeah, gotta get the puzzle done so you can get to sleep.

I don't know what the corn maze thing is, but I hope at least that's something cool.

**Xno Kappa** · 2023-02-09 09:39

Rumor has it an elimination checkpoint was cancelled after the Horacio and Olivia medical exit. Which would make sense considering the weird editing of the episode going from pushing a car maybe 50 yards to then immediate night time for an eating challenge.

The format is pretty wack anyways. Bananas immediately knew right away after losing to Devin and Tori, who gives a shit about finishing the puzzle after that if the individual legs aren’t timed.

**Byrd** · 2023-02-09 11:35

Originally Posted by Vil

I don't know what the corn maze thing is, but I hope at least that's something cool.

It certainly looks cool, so it's got more going for it than some finals. This final isn't hard (in comparison to other finals, anyway), it is just long. It was actually a relief when the credits started to roll after 59 minutes last night. I was expecting another 30 minutes of drudgery.

**Byrd** · 2023-02-16 02:32

The season that would not end comes to an end. Pretty sure Millard Fillmore was president when this season started.

Congrats to Vil on a well won season. Tori and Devin performed much better than expected, and even Bananas' coal heart seemed to grow a size today.

Thoughts:

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Scoring:

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Final Standings:

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Challenger Scores for the Season:

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The Challenge: World Championship is premiering March 8th. Challenge: All Stars 4 also filming now, so those will probably both be out before Challenge 39, which will presumably start shooting pretty soon, but TJ presumably needs to finish AS4 and then have a break, if nothing else.

**Vil** · 2023-02-16 03:33

I'm a bit surprised. They had the Tori content early, then kind of dropped it except the Jordan stuff which turned into "bad content" and I just chalked up maybe de-emphasizing Bananas at certain points this season was just to try to make this about Nany in the end.

Australian Survivor tends to bring family members in for support at the final challenge and/or final vote reveal. TJ bringing in some loved ones and I'm like "oh, it's just them". But yeah, like Byrd said, it at least fills in time.

I don't mind a big puzzle or a big cinder block haul, but that combination I'm less fond of early on for a multi-level final leg. That was obviously going to be way too much of an impact compared to the rest. More likely than not, it was going to lead to one team being able to walk it in.

$38k to each. Will the producers get a clue, or are they going to put it on them to do that in the future?

An abridged version of this season probably could have been really good overall.

**Byrd** · 2023-02-16 12:57

Originally Posted by Vil

I don't mind a big puzzle or a big cinder block haul, but that combination I'm less fond of early on for a multi-level final leg. That was obviously going to be way too much of an impact compared to the rest. More likely than not, it was going to lead to one team being able to walk it in.

I actually would have been OK with the puzzle if it were the final stage. Putting it on phase two made phases three and four pretty pointless, and was likely to do so from the outset. Completing the puzzle drops the final key from the ceiling or something like that which allows them to open the door to the lever.

**Xno Kappa** · 2023-02-16 13:32

200 cinderblocks weighing 30 pounds each is stupidly excessive to begin with. It’s almost comical. Yet another instance something blatantly wasn’t tested prior to implementation.

I’m glad Tori and Devin won at least. And for the love of everything that’s holy, please please please no more Aneesa. She was fucking awful from beginning to end and her “oh woe is me” schtick is tired and pathetic.

**Xno Kappa** · 2023-02-16 13:33

The whole 100 hours gimmick was hilariously arbitrary too considering they were blatantly just hanging out for the majority of the days lol.

**Byrd** · 2023-02-16 13:43

Originally Posted by Xno Kappa

The whole 100 hours gimmick was hilariously arbitrary too considering they were blatantly just hanging out for the majority of the days lol.

That made me laugh, too. They woke up on the last day, and there was still 30+ minutes left in the show. And then - bam - smash cut to night time. Like, what did they do all day? Nothing?

Also, I would like to mention that I was spoiled on the winners of this season due to something trending on Twitter (apparently immediately after the final filmed) that I clicked on inadvertently and got a tweet that said something like "Congrats to Tori and Devin for finally winning a well-deserved Challenge Championship." I definitely did not enjoy the season as much knowing what was about to happen, particularly when Tori and Devin were on the elimination floor. Going to try to avoid that from this point forward. It also kept me from comfortably drafting either one of them, so I passed on both of them when I otherwise might have considered them. Something like 30 weeks later, I can finally share that. How annoying.

**Xno Kappa** · 2023-02-16 13:54

30 weeks later lol

These 19 episode seasons are definitely a trip. Was crazy to see some of the faces during the celebratory flashback bits that I completely forgot were in the competition altogether.

Other reality competition shows tend to keep it at the sweet spot of 10-13 episodes.

**Vil** · 2023-02-16 14:08

15 or *maybe* 16 for a season that is a milestone, but 13-14 is probably about the right number. Instead we get the "oh right, ____ was on the season". One thing that they really need to ditch is the "slow-down phase". Why is The Challenge the only show that does this when other shows actually speed things up when they get to the halfway point or so?

As for the 100 hours thing, I'm sure someone on reddit or twitter or wherever is compiling a timeline of that final because it's a whole lotta waiting (and production setup). I didn't think of it til I watched this last part and they were in that pit stop in the cornfield because how long were they even running to get to those little camps even?

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