Why don't we have a thread for The Challenge?

[chugg21]

The game designers legit screwed up this season. Usually they make the game chaotic, but for all the talk of chaos, the game has been stupidly predictable the way they designed the decision-making.

The only thing to root for at this point is Nurys to somehow go nuke on the house, or have a total nobody like Colleen pull off the win, or have a surprise vet like Bananas or Wes run the final with whoever is left and they have to be beaten to win.

This season's champion absolutely gets an asterisk.

Yeah the only tolerable ones are definitely Nurys and Colleen and you know both are heading into the stupid elimination thing next week.

 

[ScrabbCuse]

If the Challenge producers can do us all a favor and not cast Jay on anymore shows, that would be great. Thanks.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Yeah the only tolerable ones are definitely Nurys and Colleen and you know both are heading into the stupid elimination thing next week.

Like, who's the strongest remaining competitor right now?

Emmanuel?

I feel like there's a lot of unknown there. He doesn't dominate daily challenges. Somehow he's good at avoiding eliminations. I don't know that he handles pressure well because he so rarely has dealt with it.

Maybe Jay?

Moriah or Michelle from the women? Feels like Moriah is maybe the most athletic of the women, and Michelle's the best at the thinky competitions.

Berna might be a sleeper.

Corey and James are going to gas out in a final. This is where the competitors knowing from the start the finals would be individual hurts. Usually there's a natural culling of the weak performers because it's too risky entering a final where you have to rely on someone else, and that someone else isn't up for it.

 

[Melancer46]

Like, who's the strongest remaining competitor right now?

Emmanuel?

I feel like there's a lot of unknown there. He doesn't dominate daily challenges. Somehow he's good at avoiding eliminations. I don't know that he handles pressure well because he so rarely has dealt with it.

Maybe Jay?

Moriah or Michelle from the women? Feels like Moriah is maybe the most athletic of the women, and Michelle's the best at the thinky competitions.

Berna might be a sleeper.

Corey and James are going to gas out in a final. This is where the competitors knowing from the start the finals would be individual hurts. Usually there's a natural culling of the weak performers because it's too risky entering a final where you have to rely on someone else, and that someone else isn't up for it.

Do we know for sure they'll all compete totally individually? I know there's only going to be one winner but that doesn't necessarily mean they won't have to work with others during the final.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Do we know for sure they'll all compete totally individually? I know there's only going to be one winner but that doesn't necessarily mean they won't have to work with others during the final.

I'm pretty sure they do. I vaguely remember that getting shared somewhat early on.

If I'm not remembering right and they're going to run a final with all weaker players, that's pretty hilarious.

I mean if they're all weak, I guess it doesn't matter. Even playing field.

It's a bold strategy, Cotton.

 

[orangeinohio]

Finally watched it.

Spoiler: Maybe enough time has passed but I'm still marking this as a Spoiler.

In theory, it seems like a good idea to have 'old' champions compete against new challengers but the plan here was just bad. Almost all of the champions either weren't physically prepared or they didn't really care about winning. Jordan is the only one who really wanted the win.
So instead of champions out there reducing the numbers, you've got a ton of remaining competitors and the finals are coming up soon. So you've got competitors who are eliminated in the quickest, most boring way (like Ed). And there are 'secret' competitions for the final three (not two, like every other season).
It's just a bad format and it's not going to result with a good champion.

Emanuel is a good athlete and he's been completely out of the limelight so I think he has a good shot.
Nurys is tougher than I thought. She could get it.

I don't think Jay will win. He's a tool and too many people are gunning for him.
Michelle won't win. She's melodramatic. Same thing with Olivia.

I don't think anyone really cares about Moriah, James, Corey, Colleen, or Berna.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Also, this season has been an absolute dumpster fire for Olivia.

She's a moron.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Olivia is just the woooooooooooorst.

TikTok - Make Your Day

 

[orangeinohio]

Olivia is just the woooooooooooorst.

TikTok - Make Your Day

She has repeatedly talked on the show about how close they are/were.
I can’t believe how dull-witted and desperate for attention she is.

I’m obviously not a big fan of Horacio but what does she think she gains from this?

 

[chugg21]

Also, this season has been an absolute dumpster fire for Olivia.

She's a moron.

I wish she could be happy with the way she looks. All these girls with these ridiculous things they do to their face is depressing. She was probably a pretty girl and now looks like a duck or something. Don't know if we are allowed to disparage women's looks as men nowadays but maybe I'm disparaging a male doctor I guess. Either way it's insane.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I wish she could be happy with the way she looks. All these girls with these ridiculous things they do to their face is depressing. She was probably a pretty girl and now looks like a duck or something. Don't know if we are allowed to disparage women's looks as men nowadays but maybe I'm disparaging a male doctor I guess. Either way it's insane.

Yeah one of the weirdest things watching season to season is when the cast look different.

Olivia didn't need to mess with her lips.

Moriah really, really did not need to change her nose.

 

[chugg21]

Yeah one of the weirdest things watching season to season is when the cast look different.

Olivia didn't need to mess with her lips.

Moriah really, really did not need to change her nose.

Zara is incredibly beautiful too and then had to triple the size of her lips for some unknown reason.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Zara is incredibly beautiful too and then had to triple the size of her lips for some unknown reason.

Ah I wasn't as familiar with her so didn't realize that.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Who else is looking forward to hate watching tonight's episode?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

This is one of the greatest things I've ever seen.

Watch more content recommended just for you. TikTok - Make Your Day

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Well, some thoughts.

Spoiler: Thoughts

so Nurys is the only one that can be a legitimate champion in my book, because not a single other person actually competed in an elimination. It's the worst way the Challenge gets played.

Does Moriah have it on her contract that she gets a butt shot in every other episode or something? Don't get me wrong, it's not the worst thing on TV, it's just interesting.

It's sick and wrong but I'm glad the final preview showed vomiting. That means eating challenges. It cracks me up every time.

I think Colleen is going to win it. No way Corey finishes. It's so weird to me that they keep casting Emmanuel. The guy does nothing.

 

[orangeinohio]

Watched it last night, after SU squeaked by a 7-15 Louisville team.

Spoiler: Spoiler

Another anticlimactic departure in the first round. I won't miss Michelle at all. She was a lot of talk but not much else.

The overall game format continues to be a mess.

Olivia continues to be detached from reality again.
James was alright as a competitor. When he yelled out 'Are You Entertained' after winning early in the season, I figured he was a complete meathead but, compared to the others, he seemed to be a little more stable and self-aware.

Nurys looks crazy strong right now. She's also pissy as hell and I think there's still a chance that there will be some voting situation in the next episode(s) where her scorched-earth attitude may be an issue.

I guess Jay is probably the only other possibility.
Emanuel was strong in his first season. I don't know what happened to him.
Corey, Colleen, Berna, Moriah have no chance.

So tired of hearing so many people give their 'I'm doing this for my family' speech. You're not more deserving of winning if you have kids or a mom or whatever.

They should bring back large quantities of alcohol during this show. It was so much more fun with alcohol.

 

[jordville]

Team Nurys

 

[chugg21]

Watched it last night, after SU squeaked by a 7-15 Louisville team.

Spoiler: Spoiler

Another anticlimactic departure in the first round. I won't miss Michelle at all. She was a lot of talk but not much else.

The overall game format continues to be a mess.

Olivia continues to be detached from reality again.
James was alright as a competitor. When he yelled out 'Are You Entertained' after winning early in the season, I figured he was a complete meathead but, compared to the others, he seemed to be a little more stable and self-aware.

Nurys looks crazy strong right now. She's also pissy as hell and I think there's still a chance that there will be some voting situation in the next episode(s) where her scorched-earth attitude may be an issue.

I guess Jay is probably the only other possibility.
Emanuel was strong in his first season. I don't know what happened to him.
Corey, Colleen, Berna, Moriah have no chance.

So tired of hearing so many people give their 'I'm doing this for my family' speech. You're not more deserving of winning if you have kids or a mom or whatever.

They should bring back large quantities of alcohol during this show. It was so much more fun with alcohol.

Nothing was better than the drunk bus rises home from the bar. So many legendary moments.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I think since they cut down on the alcohol once they started making the daily challenges more intense and acrobatic.

 

[orangeinohio]

I don’t know who is going to win tonight but I’d bet my house that it’s going to be disappointing.
There are seven people in the final and only one of them has won an elimination. This is not good.

 

[orangeinohio]

I still like the idea of watching The Challenge and yet…

Spoiler

The overall style of the show seems to have a bunch of flaws. (I'm not referring to the overall structure of this season, which has gone awry.)

- All the brief slo-mo shots in the ‘club’ (not an actual club with alcohol and civilians, but a room on the set)? It’s like the Walmart version of the Fast and Furious models dancing scene.
- And the letters from home? This isn’t Survivor. We’ve already had to hear everybody talk about how they’re going to use the money to buy mom and pop a home or grandpa a scooter or blah, blah, blah. Now we have to deal with letters and the subsequent crying?! Do you think Kenny would ever say he’s competing to buy his mom anything?
- Paramount owns CBS and MTV. IDK, maybe the producers are trying to make it more like Survivor.



I won’t miss Jay. I don’t think he’s an evil mastermind. I just think he’s boring. He didn't do that much all season.

Corey using the opportunity of winning the elimination to say that he always thought Jay is an untrustworthy snake is pretty rich. Corey used Jay’s blanket of security to make it to the final. It's really strange but he seems to be now making himself appear to be the honorable good guy, excitedly partnering with any weak competitor and being all supportive and positive. He is pathologically dishonest and needs more therapy.

Berna is charting way down this week, between the mysterious groin injury and her marshmallow-esque fortitude.

After mumbling and doing nothing all season, Emanuel has decided to start competing.

I still think Nurys is going to win. I hope she wins. Her bottomless reservoir of disgust of everyone else is going to power her to victory.

I should have known that the final wasn’t going to get done in one episode.
We get another episode of people crying over everything.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I still like the idea of watching The Challenge and yet…

Spoiler

The overall style of the show seems to have a bunch of flaws. (I'm not referring to the overall structure of this season, which has gone awry.)

- All the brief slo-mo shots in the ‘club’ (not an actual club with alcohol and civilians, but a room on the set)? It’s like the Walmart version of the Fast and Furious models dancing scene.
- And the letters from home? This isn’t Survivor. We’ve already had to hear everybody talk about how they’re going to use the money to buy mom and pop a home or grandpa a scooter or blah, blah, blah. Now we have to deal with letters and the subsequent crying?! Do you think Kenny would ever say he’s competing to buy his mom anything?
- Paramount owns CBS and MTV. IDK, maybe the producers are trying to make it more like Survivor.



I won’t miss Jay. I don’t think he’s an evil mastermind. I just think he’s boring. He didn't do that much all season.

Corey using the opportunity of winning the elimination to say that he always thought Jay is an untrustworthy snake is pretty rich. Corey used Jay’s blanket of security to make it to the final. It's really strange but he seems to be now making himself appear to be the honorable good guy, excitedly partnering with any weak competitor and being all supportive and positive. He is pathologically dishonest and needs more therapy.

Berna is charting way down this week, between the mysterious groin injury and her marshmallow-esque fortitude.

After mumbling and doing nothing all season, Emanuel has decided to start competing.

I still think Nurys is going to win. I hope she wins. Her bottomless reservoir of disgust of everyone else is going to power her to victory.

I should have known that the final wasn’t going to get done in one episode.
We get another episode of people crying over everything.

Spoiler: Some thoughts

They just really designed a poor format this season. The fact that the final has only one person that won an elimination is absurd. Usually there's a natural culling of the competitors and that just hasn't happened. You made a great call on Corey, and Ed pointed it out a little on the season - the dude was extremely sloppy, and usually there's a consequence for that. Instead he rode it to the final somehow?

Your Fast and Furious comp is really funny. I do agree that the family connection stuff is over the top. Personally, I'm ok with their motives for winning not being altruistic. There's nothing wrong with reality TV personalities wanting money!

It feels like it's setting up for Emmanuel to get the win. If he does, it's the softest champion in a long time. Like, even boring Kaycee does more, which is crazy.

I did thoroughly enjoy TJ dropping back handed compliments like crazy on everyone but Nurys for making it to the final. He has a very specific code on how he thinks the game should be played and it's pretty clear he's not impressed this season.

 

[Melancer46]

Spoiler: Some thoughts

They just really designed a poor format this season. The fact that the final has only one person that won an elimination is absurd. Usually there's a natural culling of the competitors and that just hasn't happened. You made a great call on Corey, and Ed pointed it out a little on the season - the dude was extremely sloppy, and usually there's a consequence for that. Instead he rode it to the final somehow?

Your Fast and Furious comp is really funny. I do agree that the family connection stuff is over the top. Personally, I'm ok with their motives for winning not being altruistic. There's nothing wrong with reality TV personalities wanting money!

It feels like it's setting up for Emmanuel to get the win. If he does, it's the softest champion in a long time. Like, even boring Kaycee does more, which is crazy.

I did thoroughly enjoy TJ dropping back handed compliments like crazy on everyone but Nurys for making it to the final. He has a very specific code on how he thinks the game should be played and it's pretty clear he's not impressed this season.

Spoiler

Yeah, TJ's comments since the first Kyland/Horacio elimination have been so not subtle lol. I think he generally likes some of the people from this season's cast but just doesn't like the gameplay this season.

I kinda liked the idea for the format, but feels like there needed to be more of an incentive to get good players down in the eliminations. I don't know if producers thought they'd be like "We gotta send some good people down to make sure we don't lose money to the champs!" but it clearly didn't work out that way.

Part of it has to simply be on the cast too; so many people just clung to Jay/Michelle and opted to be #10 in their alliance rather than being like #5 with Kyland/Horacio. Countless opportunities for people to turn the tables on them and everyone just balked at every opportunity and then when the format changed to allow Kyland/Horacio to take over despite not having the numbers, they failed to win the challenges.

It feels like it's never going to happen again, but I really wish they'd do a fresh meat type of season instead of running it back with the same vets/bringing in people from other reality shows. I can't help but feel like if they brought in people making their TV debuts, you'd get people that want to make a splash and prove that they're worth bringing back/following on social media. Do people actually see that _____ from whatever Ibiza Weekend is is going to be on The Challenge and are like "Oh man, I gotta watch this show to see how this guy does!"

 

[orangeinohio]

Spoiler: Some thoughts

They just really designed a poor format this season. The fact that the final has only one person that won an elimination is absurd. Usually there's a natural culling of the competitors and that just hasn't happened. You made a great call on Corey, and Ed pointed it out a little on the season - the dude was extremely sloppy, and usually there's a consequence for that. Instead he rode it to the final somehow?

Your Fast and Furious comp is really funny. I do agree that the family connection stuff is over the top. Personally, I'm ok with their motives for winning not being altruistic. There's nothing wrong with reality TV personalities wanting money!

It feels like it's setting up for Emmanuel to get the win. If he does, it's the softest champion in a long time. Like, even boring Kaycee does more, which is crazy.

I did thoroughly enjoy TJ dropping back handed compliments like crazy on everyone but Nurys for making it to the final. He has a very specific code on how he thinks the game should be played and it's pretty clear he's not impressed this season.

There's nothing wrong with reality TV personalities wanting money!