As a long-time fan of The Challenge, I find myself utterly disheartened by this season’s turn of events. It seems like we’ve jumped from gladiatorial battles to office politics, and it’s not just the change in scenery that’s got me scratching my head.
It’s time to put away your beach towels and untangle yourself from your floaties, as the Vacation Alliance is in a critical situation! This week, three out of four key members of this powerful group could be in jeopardy: Devin and Tori from the third era, along with Kaycee from the fourth era.
Despite appearing quite unfazed, Devin has been snoozing for a whopping 15 hours, making it the first relatable statement from any of the protein shake enthusiasts this season. Upon waking up, he’s raring to take on Bananas and openly declares that anyone who aligns with Banana Man is now an enemy to him and his group of rough characters.
The daily task is titled “Bottoms Out,” offering Ryan and Derek an opportunity for some humor revolving around bottoming. To start, teams aim to solve 27 mathematical problems. Each correct solution grants them a grip or toehold in the large floating storage container suspended over water. As time passes, each Era will individually enter the container, cling to their handholds, and strive to stay afloat longer than their rivals.
To start with, let me clarify something: dealing with 27 math equations can feel quite overwhelming, which is equivalent to the entire math section of the SAT, a test that many of these individuals might not have excelled in. However, Era IV has Kyland the Calculator and Era II has Laurel who claims she’s earned a perfect score in every math class she’s ever taken, even calculus. Frankly, I can’t help but wonder if we should check the facts with CNN. If she truly had such exceptional skills in mathematics, wouldn’t she be employed somewhere using them? It’s not that I don’t believe her when she says she always got an A in every class because she seems like a diligent student, but a perfect score (100%) is quite extraordinary, even for someone as dedicated to math as Laurel appears to be.
In simpler terms, Rachel, the last standing member from Era I, must tackle her mission alone, similar to Ethan Hunt when he operates without authorization after the IMF suspends his clearance for the 17th time. She expresses that she’s “speaking for every child out there, every person who has ever felt isolated.” Essentially, this sense of grandeur seems to empower Rachel, as she excels in the task at hand, managing to stay afloat for close to 15 minutes and earning the first Era I victory so far.
This challenge resembles a “Survivor”-like contest, focusing on elimination, yet the participants seem restless. Even T.J., typically enthusiastic, appears uninterested. Olivia from Era IV falls, prompting T.J. to let out his customary warning about potential severe spine injury, but it lacks its usual intensity. Josh is disqualified for placing his foot on the container edge, leaving Kaycee in a precarious position, which has become a habit of Josh’s.
In the Era II round, Laurel endured the longest, yet failed to secure a win despite amassing numerous opportunities from their 17 correct answers. The Era III competition was chaotic; Nia and Tori tumbled nearly instantly, while it seemed as though Cory was about to follow suit shortly after. Remarkably, even with the advantage that Jordan possesses, he still managed to win – a testament to his skill level, given that he competes with just one hand.
In the third round, Tori and Devin are forced into a battle due to their team’s loss, stirring excitement in Bananas about possibly pairing Kaycee and Kyland against them. This would effectively break up the Vacation Alliance permanently. Ryan, who shares the spotlight as a target with Laurel from Era II, expresses his desire for the Vacation Alliance to turn into the “Empty” Alliance. It’s time for Ryan’s mother to enroll him in an improv class after school; this situation is becoming quite awkward.
During the club night gatherings, Rachel finds herself in a position of ultimate authority, with everyone addressing her in much the same way as the Head-of-Household. First to speak is Kaycee, who, despite never communicating with Rachel during the entire game, now claims they had an “unspoken agreement” all along. She attempts to manipulate Rachel into believing that prioritizing Era IV would enable them to continue collaborating. However, Rachel sees through this ruse. This is similar to when you only contact a secondary friend for help; it’s important to send occasional memes, TikToks, or “thinking of you” messages so that when you do need assistance, you don’t appear insincere. Unfortunately, Kaycee neglected to maintain this friendly facade, so Rachel is not going to recommend her for a job at Apple.
After locating Rachel, Laurel puts forth a stronger argument that Rachel is available for partnership. She explains that she isn’t collaborating with anyone else in the game apart from Bananas, implying that a deal with Rachel would be a high priority for her. On the contrary, Kaycee appears to be offering nothing substantial – it’s common knowledge that she is prioritizing and protecting at least three other individuals before even contemplating Rachel’s interests.
Because Josh and Rachel are pals beyond the game, he half-heartedly tries to advocate for Kaycee, yet it’s evident that she’s already decided her course. In the Chamber, Kaycee expresses something like, “I’d much prefer not to face off against my friend,” suggesting that emotions might influence this contest.
Following Rachel’s announcement, Era IV scolds Josh for not providing sufficient protection to Kaycee. Devin criticizes his strategy as being overly focused on pleasing others, labeling it as “extremely messy.” Kaycee ponders if he should be expelled from the alliance entirely. She plans to summon him to her office and say something like, “Give me your frozen drink and resort access card.
In the arena, the game is titled “Battle of the Cables.” Each contestant possesses an oversized board displaying 40 logos from previous Challenge seasons. At the far end of the arena lies a “mainframe” adorned with countless sockets and nearby, a jumble of cables. After sorting out the mess of wires, it’s your job to determine which plug fits into which socket, verifying your progress by pressing a buzzer. The first player to illuminate all 40 logos emerges victorious. Remarkably, this game bears an unexpected resemblance to … clerical work? What a stark contrast from the grandeur of Gladiator to the monotony of Office Space.
Initially, Devin and Kyland take the lead, which seems to be a match made for Devin’s strengths. He thrives in situations requiring strategy and organization – a fact that Bananas can attest to, as he lost to Devin in a comparable game on “Vendettas.” However, my mind was whisked back to the time when Devin and Tori outsmarted Bananas and Nany in the Final on “Ride or Dies,” especially during the phase where they had to piece together the massive cinder block puzzle.
Despite all that’s been discussed, Devin clearly messed up big time. He seems to employ an unusual method of untangling cords at a snail’s pace, possibly believing it would lead to a faster game phase later on. However, this approach proved to be ineffective. Kyland swiftly managed his own cords and trounced Devin 40-to-2. Much like Rachel demonstrating self-reliance to the young viewers of a ’90s MTV show, Kyland declared that he was setting an example for everyone on the autism spectrum, showing them that they too can untangle cords effectively. #Brave. #RepresentationMatters.
From Tori and Kaycee, the focus is on speed as they rapidly exchange buzzer responses, akin to how Patrick and Art do it. However, unlike Patrick and Art, there’s no romantic tension between them. When both women simultaneously reach for their buzzers, causing both sets of logos to illuminate, it’s hard to tell who has won until T.J. declares the winner as Tori.
Just as Tori and Kyland are preparing to choose their targets, T.J. declares that the players have reached the merge, dissolving the teams. From now on, it’s every player for themselves in a solo game. However, there’s a twist – there will still be targets (divided into three men and three women), indicating that the producers are reluctant to abandon this underwhelming mechanic from the game, which only serves to slow down the season without adding any meaningful value.
As a die-hard movie enthusiast, I’m Kyland here, and I’ve picked Rachel, Aviv, and Jenny for my team. Tori, another fan like me, has chosen Derek, Ryan, and Bananas. Now, let’s just say that Bananas might as well have been possessed by Pazuzu from The Exorcist with the way he’ll react to this!
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2024-10-17 05:56