The State of The Challenge: Week One
The Challenge: Rivals II is such a nuanced show that it takes many many perspectives to truly understand. That said, our weekly recaps and previews can’t simply be written by one individual. Welcome Erin Magner and Michelle Tully as two of our newest contributing writers! We are also in a The Challenge: Rivals II Fantasy League together. HOW AWESOME ARE WE!!
So the big news of this week was that Challenge: Rivals II host, Tj Lavin, flipped the script on everyone. Instead of your typical house vote to determine the second team thrown into the elimination, a male elimination vote is now determined by the women and vice versa. So all the typical politicking will shift and this will be a season of men trying to keep the women happy and so on and so forth. For a show that always seems to be finding new awesome ways to create conflict, this is a stroke of brilliance. The added dimension this will bring to ensuring hookups and fights happen regularly, beyond the rivalries is awesome.
As far as the episode went, there was no major drama. The girls didn’t argue at all, and the men only had to deal with the misfire of CT trying to send Johnny and Frank into elimination. Way too soon for a move like that, I agree, and I can assure you, Johnny and Frank won’t forget it. The alcohol didn’t really create any major mistakes, which only means a bigger blowout is on the horizon.
The State of The Challengers
Front Runners
1. CT & Wes
Russ: Came out of the gate strong, already starting shit with the younger guys (fighting Marlon, CT?!?!), but with the added voting twist, I think CT’s shit-starting by trying to send Johnny in right away now proves itself unnecessary and will mark this team for death. Wes will have to do his best to keep bad CT in check, and throwing the pre-elimination party was a smart move to ensure some good faith.
Michelle: Get out of here I can’t handle this team! Wes has the rare combination of brains and brawn, while CT has the rare combination of being able to threaten to eat a castmate alive, and then be an unstoppable team with that same castmate [Adam] a few years later in Rivals I.
Erin: Duh. We know how this ends. And did you know CT is only 31 and not an ageless beast from the core of the Earth?
2. Johnny & Frank
Russ: After seeing how quickly the girls shot down CT’s idea of sending this team home, it is proof this team will not be seeing any eliminations for a LONG time. They know how to play the game. Definitely making it to the finals.
Erin: New crazy and old crazy! Imagine if these two got their heads out of their butts and realized that if they just put their crazy forces together they could backstab their way to the money.
3. Paula & Emily
Russ: Not even worth writing about because this team has a Terminatrix on it. Of course they won the first weeks Challenge. Do you expect anything different?
Michelle: Paula Meronek, Girl On Fire!!!!!!! I predict this team will be a pretty sure bet to make it to final 3. Emily’s arms, much? Plus, Paula is in with the vets while still making friends with the rookies. She plays the game perfectly. Just not sure if Paula can handle the final challenge, if they get there.
4. Camila & Jemmye
Russ: No real news on this front, but I do think Jemmye might be a bit tougher in this game than initially thought. I’ll be keeping a closer eye on this team as the season progresses.
Michelle: Hopefully they stay for long enough for us to see a classic Camila freak out. Ideally one that includes purposefully walking into a pool in an attempt to quell her own rage. They will do fine for the first half of The Challenge, but no way they make it to the final.
Tough Competitors
1.Leroy & Ty
Russ: Did not impress me in the first challenge, but Leroy could not have had a better attitude about Ty’s falling. Leroy is like bizarro CT. He’s strong and popular, but a generally good guy. I’m not too concerned about their first round falter.
2. Zach & Trey
Russ: If your feud comes from twitter, I don’t buy it. These guys are both serious athletes. Zach competed in the NFL combine. Catching a dude in mid-air? Cakewalk. My initial suspicion that they’ll be a very strong team was confirmed by them winning. Trey has a chip on his shoulder for sure.
3. Sarah & Trishelle
Russ: This team that rocked no boats of any kinds in the first episode. I think Sarah oddly enough might be a leader on the girls end, so her fake sincerity should be out in FULL force this season. Trishelle, looks like she’s along for the ride of hooking up with young boys.
Erin: What episode do you guys think Trishelle gets called Trashelle? It’s probably the next episode because I don’t think old women with herpes are made for these kinds of challenges.
4. Jasmine & Theresa
Russ: For two people who really hate each other and LOVE DRAMA, it was weird to see them do nothing on the first episode. I’m pretty sure between the two of them, they had no more than two lines.
Long Shots
1. Jordan & Marlon
Russ: They got the second most votes going into elimination, so I would be a bit worried about this team going into the next men’s challenge. They’ll have to keep the women happy, and because they look like they aren’t trying to make any real waves might send them in next. They’ll have to win early to keep themselves safe, and give themselves time to hook up with someone. I respect their athletic prowess and Marlon not stepping down from CT though.
Michelle: every year, one rookie team is able to shed the rookie stigma and get in with the vets, and I predict J&T to be the one that does it. CT attempted to drown Marlon in a pool and he still kept his cool. He can’t be ruffled! He played college ball Jordan is a (formerly professional?)wake boarder. Not a bad asset considering there’s always tons of water challenges. Plus, even in a batch of ruthless assholes, no one wants to be the asshole that picks on the one handed guy. Unless you’re Frank, who is an animal.
Erin: Jordan and Marlon have the advantage of being young, strong and knowing exactly how this challenge shit goes down (I’m safe in assuming they’ve seen an episode or two?) with the added advantage of nobody knowing who they are. If they can stay under the radar they’ll be fine Oh, and Marlon literally said they go far in the reunion…
2. Robb & Derek
Russ: Unfortunately they don’t have any support on the women’s end, but winning the first elimination, things might start to work in their favor. If not, expect them to be the easy pick on men’s days to go into elimination.
Michelle: the little (fire) engines that could. beating the gross beasts that are Dumb-ar and Tyrie in a very physical elimination. maybe they will have more surprises in store for us down the line?
3. Jonna & Nany
Russ: They showed me quite a bit in their first competition, coming in second place. I think this team, will surprise people. The only thing to be worried about is of course the twist of men voting in women and what that might do to Jonna’s Ho genes.
4. Aneesa & Diem
Russ: They ended up in the top 3 for girls teams this week, despite looking like more of a middle of the road team. However they have been here enough that they’ve probably done SOME variation of this challenge. Politics might send them home early however when you consider CT can argue for them staying and no one likes CT.
Michelle: Diem is an obvious favorite, as she is athletic, sweet and kicked cancer’s ass, twice. Also, anyone who can tame the beast that is Chris “CT” Tamburello on any level is automatically the best competitor in the game. Aneesa could definitely slow her down, but might be solid enough to ride along on Diem’s coattails. Her beautiful, beautiful coattails.
Erin: Did you guys like Diem’s long wig with bangs or her pink spiky one or did you like it when CT ripped it off in the pool and made us all feel uncomfortable?
Come On, Seriously?:
1. Preston & Knight
Russ: How they didn’t fail the challenge first OR get sent into the elimination first, definitely took me for a loop. It looks like Knight has positioned himself to be the men’s team errand boy. Smart move for a team that has no talent. They have to just keep the girls happy. Preston’s worth will come there.
Erin: PRESTON IS NICE OR WHATEVER. I HATE KNIGHT AND HIS STUPID PUNCHABLE FACE. BYE.
2. Cooke & Naomi/Cara Maria
Russ: It sounds mean cause of how she went home, but Naomi going home was the best thing for this team. It’s hard for Cara Maria to make any team better, but in this case, she’s a huge upgrade for Cooke.
Michelle: Cooke was a D1 athlete and Cara Maria isn’t as bad as everyone portrays her. But they still won’t go far, as neither has strong ties in the house and Cara Maria still does suck a little bit.
Erin: Everyone thinks I’m crazy for thinking that Cara Maria and Cooke will go far but, in terms of the women this season Cooke is decently athletic which comes in handy as time goes on. You can only go so far on shit talking and manipulation.
3. Anastasia & Jessica
Russ: They weren’t really impressive in the challenge, but CT making out with her might have put them in the game. She’ll at least have CT as an ally going into the next elimination. Jessica, I imagine, will be a wallflower this entire competition.
Michelle: The hardest experience OF THEIR LIVES was living beautiful Portland working part time at an ice cream shop. I think it’s safe to say neither of these two will go far in a game that has the word “challenge” in any way associated with it.
Erin: Rivals by default, Anastasia and Jessica only hate each other because they have to. One episode in and Ana is already making classic rookie mistakes like hooking up with CT on day one. And I don’t care how many dirt bikes Jessica’s claimed to ride, if they stick around more than three episodes I’ll be truly shocked.
GOODBYE YOU LOSERS!
1. Dunbar & Tyrie – I have legitimate hate in my heart for these two. YOU GUYS FUCKING SUCK. Tyrie passed out while taking a dump, and Dunbar is a pathetic loser who was miserable in the elimination. Go home, and stop coming back.
Check us out next week for our Week Two recap, and seriously, if you aren’t watching The Challenge, you don’t make sense at life. It’s 10pm EST on MTV. What the hell else could you be doing?