re: The challenge: Spies, lies, allies

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But if they've ever seen the show at all, you'd think they'd know that it never works out for the rookies, ever. Yet they still don't make the moves.

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That makes me wonder... how many of them have seen the show before? Especially looking into all the foreign players like two girls from Nigeria, two players from Romania, one from Sweden, one Germany, one Belgium, one Spain, all the ones from the UK over the years... how many had seen The Challenge before competing?

I would think most of the American rookies had seen it before, but even then people coming from shows like Are You The One? or Big Brother might not have watched it.

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That's what I don't get. Every time the rookies have numbers, they don't use them. Every single time. It's maddening sometimes. It's like they all buy into some bullshite that the vets feed to them, and they think they're making the right move. But if they've ever seen the show at all, you'd think they'd know that it never works out for the rookies, ever. Yet they still don't make the moves.

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These people have one goal. Last long enough to become memorable and get invited back in subsequent seasons.

Big T has made a career off being a literal Make A Wish kid.

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That's what I don't get. Every time the rookies have numbers, they don't use them. Every single time. It's maddening sometimes. It's like they all buy into some bullshite that the vets feed to them, and they think they're making the right move. But if they've ever seen the show at all, you'd think they'd know that it never works out for the rookies, ever. Yet they still don't make the moves.

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I do think part of it is:

1) Some aren't from competition shows and I think that just takes time for getting used to. As it did for some of the American casts.

2) Rookies just aren't familiar with each other out of the gate so they can't rely on old friendships to start taking strategy and alliances from day 1.

10 minutes in and of course Devin is already struggling physically and holding his team back

Gotta admit, that final was lame

Honestly the finals are kinda lame in general. Aside from the ones where pairs can benefit or screw others over.

Ones like this are too goody hooray. Its better when enemies/rivalries are made or solidified. CT basically just forged a super alliance worth of good will. Imagine the political capital Kaycee will have to drag the nany anchor lol

Devin remembering every damn number himself was pretty impressive

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I have to believe the cast gets extra appearance fees, though for making it to a final anywa

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I think the bigger the name the more they make per episode. So CT probably effectively donated like half of his salary for the season

Oh, Devin is gassing out super early in a final? I’m shocked. I just don’t see how CT doesn’t fricking coast to a million dollars.

I’m saying that Nany will throw this elimination to let Kaycee win. It gives her the best chance at some money since she’s dating her anyway. And it’d be such a Nany move to quit right now. She says she never quits but hasn’t she gone insane in a few challenges and wanted to go home?

Say what you want about Kyle, but he’s kind of a beast when he needs to be.

Yup. There it is. Nany: “I’m gonna give it my all. To a certain extent.” frick off. This is a final. And now both of them want to blow it for the other person and Kaycee let’s Nany win a round. Yay. This is so stupid.

Now I know why they haven’t thrown this relationship in our faces all season long…because they wanted to wait to shove it down our throats in the final.

I hate this “choose your teammate” aspect, but I get that it fits the season theme. It’s gotta be Kyle and Tori and Kaycee and CT. If CT and Kaycee don’t run away with this it will be a huge disappointment.

The winners decide how much to share with second and third? frick that big time. At the end of the day, they’re all playing for themselves…giving money away is just not smart or right for your family. What a weird twist.

It feels like this episode definitely shouldn’t have been 90 minutes. It’s dragging out and not much is happening. Commercial. Then they camp the night. Commercial. Then n elimination. Commercial. Then another elimination. Commercial. Then they choose teams. Commercial. Then they get started. Commercial.

Also don’t like that the final leg is literally just running up a mountain and remembering a number then going back down. So it comes down to memorizing the numbers correctly.

The editing at the end was strange. It seems like CT and Kaycee knew their number backwards and forwards but couldn’t key it in?

CT is a fricking monster. People should learn to do everything they can to get him out early and often, otherwise it’s game over if he makes a final. It’s incredible how good he is and he seems to be getting better by the season too.

So they kept $800k. My guess is it’s more for future gameplay than anything else. It’s respectable.

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That just got a lot harder with 4 baller challengers getting 50k paychecks from CT/Kaycee.

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Didn't think of it that way, but you're dead on. CT also just kind of cemented a new alliance with Kaycee, who always has numbers as long as BB kids are there.

Add in vets like Devin and Tori, and that group is going to be very tough to overcome in a long game.

Emy is also likely about to be a Challenge staple, and she's tough as nails. And she always has CTs back.

And when are people going to start realizing not to frick with Kyle when his back is against the wall in an elimation. I know he couldn't help going in against Nelson on the final, but he's got to have one of the best elimation records in the history of the show.

He's got size and power and leverage and heart. Thats a deadly combo. The only elim I can think of him losing was Hall Brawl to Fessie, who was made for that game.

I also wonder if CT is back next season. He was off site for the reunion, probably to film that movie he's in, and his schedule could become much more clogged now if he can become a c-list direct to DVD type action star.

But with how much he makes per episode on the Challenge (my guess would be at around $50-$100K each week), and how easy it is for him to win it now, he's probably making around $1M per season if he wins first place. And I don't know if shitty action films pay that much. Plus, there really isn't anyone with balls or brains enough to call him out a anymore, so he's basically not going into eliminations anymore since he got back in shape.

I will say, though, I always considered John the best player in the history of the show (with Landon being 1a, but he just didn't have the extended track record), but I think it's pretty clear now that CT is the undisputed greatest of all time.

He should have at least 7 (maybe 8) titles now if he Big Easy hasn't died on a 2 mile run and he didn't get DQd on a technicality on the Duel.

Rivals 1 is iffy, because he had Adam as his partner and Tyler and John were a really, really really strong team.

Regardless, he's the best by far now. He literally has no weaknesses. I score him like this:

Strength: 10
Endurance: 9
Eliminations: 10
Puzzles: 10
Intimidation factor: 10
Dealmaking/politics: 9

Vs

John

Strength: 8
Endurance: 10
Eliminations: 6
Puzzles: 8
Intimidation: 8
Dealmaking/Politics: 10


Vs

Landon

Strength: 10
Endurance: 10
Eliminations: 10
Puzzles: 9
Intimidation: 9
Dealmaking/Politics: 6

Vs

Turbo

Strength: 9
Endurance: 10
Elimianations: N/a, never saw one
Puzzles: 8
Intimidation: 10
Dealmaking/Politics: 9