S34.E11: All is Fair in Love and War

[OnceSane]

Quote

Jordan and Tori take a new step in their relationship. An ostracized Nany struggles to keep her head in the game.

Airs November 6, 2019.

[Lantern7]

You know, I would've been great with Jordan's proposal to Tori if I actually liked either of them. I mean, I bet they're nice people in the "real world," but they've just been grating. And Jordan's taunting led to Turbo's dismissal, so he sucks harder for that.

I'm also not judging Cara Maria for her pissy interviews, but I'm betting she's going to have to go some serious spinning on social media. Severe spinning. Like she's trying to turn straw into gold, and she's got a troll looming over her that doesn't want people to know his name. Hey, maybe that's Paulie!

Another halfway decent mission undone by player ineptitude, which leads to Teege getting pissy. I mean, at least he didn't try to cram relevance down our throats like Jeff Probst did tonight on Survivor, but it's still disappointing. Theo gets tossed into elimination for the fourth time, which is one more than all three prior Theos combined (Theo Gantt in The Gauntlet, Theo Von in Fresh Meat the Theo from Bad Blood and whom nobody cares about in IOTC).

Unfortunately for Theo, the Proving Ground is all about sledge hammers . . . and maybe if Cara and Paulie didn't go over Zach's head, maybe we wouldn't have Jordan doing everything short of legally changing his name to John Henry. Or Peter Gabriel. Theo gets sent off, and Jordan pops the question to Tori before he joins her on the UK team. Once again, I'd like the moment better if I were rooting for either person. The only consolation is that there are a lot of other people there I'd want slapped first. Especially Josh. I see him in the pool, I'm half-hoping somebody drops a hair dryer in there.

I'm guessing BMP is full of happy campers because they got interteam and intrateam hatred. At this point, I'd just give weapons to the two power couples (Cara Maria/Paulie, Jordan/Tori) and have them settle shit once and for all. And I'm hoping for a dissolution of teams because there are some people I don't want winning money.

Observations I made on Facebook while watching:

• Nany going from clinging to Turbo to clinging to Josh is basically going from a lifeboat to a wooden plank that can only hold one person.
• I'm thinking Jordan puts the holes in his shirts, as opposed to those happening naturally. Or maybe he supervises Tori as she does that, on account of his one full hand.
• Funny to see a mission with Roman numerals, because I know Johnny would have sucked there.
• Watching Rogan knock Tori off as he fell, I imagine Adam Larson watching at home, immediately voting Sarah into the Gauntlet out of habit.
• Hearing Ashley make a comparison of the UK team to toddlers drinking wine, I imagine Montana cringing at home.
• I'm amazed CT is still there. Probably because the actual British guys hate each other at this point.
• Jenna is still Zach's girlfriend. Damn.
• Looking at their backwards caps, I'm thinking maybe Josh is a less-evolved Zach.
• Turbo wouldn't have needed the sledgehammer. He'd just use his pinky to drive the nails into the light bulbs.
• Cara's comments now make her less welcome at the Wisely/Deal nuptials than Turbo.

Gotta go to bed. I'll have to go online tomorrow to see Cara spin. At this point, she'd have to sing "Two Princes" AND "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong."

Edited November 7, 2019 by Lantern7

[BK1978]

The line of the night that had my eyes rolling the most was when Josh said (paraphrasing here), "I'm nobody's minion."  Anyone that watches Big Brother know why my eyes were rolling, because that is exactly what Josh was during his season of Big Brother a minion for a player named Paul.

I still dislike the vast majority of the house and by the way the season is going it looks like that will not change.

People say they find Ninja obnoxious, well that is how I feel about Tori.  She's so loud and obnoxious.

Cara's reaction to the engagement was a tad bit over the top.  I miss the nice and bubbly Cara from years ago.  What the hell happened to her? 

Edited November 7, 2019 by BK1978
Just fixing my stupidity...

[lilabennet]

Cara gets more and more sour every season she does.  She needs a break.

[scrb]

Cara must have some idea how poorly she comes off.  Thing is, when you burn people, you may get screwed in the next Challenge because there are no guarantees you will have the numbers again.

In fact at the beginning of this challenge, she was clearly in the smaller alliance and only lucked out that other Team USA players were eliminated.

On the Challenge, it was 10 vs. 8.  Not sure why they didn't equalize though I guess the UK would have been at a disadvantage because Rogan and Kayleigh both would have to climb the wall regardless.

On the voting, CT voted for Theo because it was either going to be him or Theo.  But CT will definitely be a liability if the Finals have a lot of endurance, which it usually does.

In the elimination, Theo burned up a lot of energy and didn't have consistent technique so he was missing a lot or not hitting the nails squarely.

[Eolivet]

I miss the relic, which prevented people from getting thrown in the next round. Theo winning the last elimination should've netted him some safety. I get that alternating guys/girls for elimination is fair, but unlike last year, there's no remedy against throwing someone in until they go home.

I hate public proposals with the fire of a thousand blazing suns. That stuff should be private. Otherwise, it's just grandstanding (and puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the propose-ee). Surprise public proposals on television are the worst. And took all the air out of what was an exciting elimination.

(Also, producers -- if they met on The Challenge, why not show old footage of them when they first met? I mean, you dug out Zach vs Jordan in an elimination, right? If you're going to subject us to this, at least give us context for it.)

Man, nobody left is that likable, really. Like those Survivor seasons when the obnoxious alliance keeps power, and every week you think maybe this is the week and ... nope.

[Racj82]

1 hour ago, Eolivet said:

I miss the relic, which prevented people from getting thrown in the next round. Theo winning the last elimination should've netted him some safety. I get that alternating guys/girls for elimination is fair, but unlike last year, there's no remedy against throwing someone in until they go home.

I hate public proposals with the fire of a thousand blazing suns. That stuff should be private. Otherwise, it's just grandstanding (and puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the propose-ee). Surprise public proposals on television are the worst. And took all the air out of what was an exciting elimination.

(Also, producers -- if they met on The Challenge, why not show old footage of them when they first met? I mean, you dug out Zach vs Jordan in an elimination, right? If you're going to subject us to this, at least give us context for it.)

Man, nobody left is that likable, really. Like those Survivor seasons when the obnoxious alliance keeps power, and every week you think maybe this is the week and ... nope.

They met while Tori was with someone she came on the challenge with and cheated on him with Jordan. They like to forget how this relationship got started.

6 hours ago, BK1978 said:

The line of the night that had my eyes rolling the most was when Josh said (paraphrasing here), "I'm nobody's minion."  Anyone that watches Big Brother know why my eyes were rolling, because that is exactly what Josh was during his season of Big Brother a minion for a player named Paul.

I still dislike the vast majority of the house and by the way the season is going it looks like that will not change.

People say they find Ninja obnoxious, well that is how I feel about Tori.  She's so loud and obnoxious.

Cara's reaction to the engagement was a tad bit over the top.  I miss the nice and bubbly Cara from years ago.  What the hell happened to her? 

I find Ninja insufferable. I also find Tori insufferable. I'm a complicated man.

Cara has one of the most insufferable faces I've ever seen at this point. Constant fucking sourpuss. Even when she is getting her way. 

[esco1822]

You know Cara has really crossed the line when PAULIE calls her out on her over the top comments. It's really hard to root for any of these people but I appreciate that Tori has not completely changed her personality since she met Jordan, unlike Cara who has become completely insufferable and seems to have real identity issues. Their gross co-dependent relationship is the reason I can't root for them to win even a penny. If I have to choose a "power couple" (GROSS), it's going to be Tori and Jordan. I dislike Jordan in group competitions but when it's a partner competition, he's pretty good and motivating. He was really great with Sarah in particular. So he has it in him to be supportive and unselfish, he just comes off terribly when fighting with someone else to be the alpha of a larger group. Theo was a good guy but there was no way that alliance was going to allow him to stay. I think they honestly believed he'd take out Jordan but give credit where it is due, Jordan is an absolute beast. And a beast without 2 full hands. If you just mute him and judge him on performance alone, he's impressive as hell. 

[Lantern7]

1 hour ago, Racj82 said:

They met while Tori was with someone she came on the challenge with and cheated on him with Jordan. They like to forget how this relationship got started.

Oh, right. Other Derrick, yes? I guess he's on the "Do Not Invite To Wedding" list, along with Cara Maria and Turbo.

1 hour ago, Racj82 said:

I find Ninja insufferable. I also find Tori insufferable. I'm a complicated man.

Then I guess I find Natalie sufferable. Unless this is a "flammable/inflammable" grammar thing. Then I'll just say I'm good with Natalie.

8 hours ago, BK1978 said:

The line of the night that had my eyes rolling the most was when Josh said (paraphrasing here), "I'm nobody's minion."  Anyone that watches Big Brother know why my eyes were rolling, because that is exactly what Josh was during his season of Big Brother a minion for a player named Paul.

I never got into Despicable Me. Now I'm hoping for some Josh/Minions mashup art.

[carrin817]

I had to laugh when Rogan asked Tori if she loved the Queen!  

At this point they should break up the teams because neither team gives a crap about the team as a whole.  Everyone is playing their individual game.

Theo is butt hurt about Georgia & he should be.  Kayleigh is never gonna complete a final.  She can't even compete in a challenge.

Still No one mentions CT's name.  His reputation proceeds him from 10 years ago.  I'd love to see him come back to the next challenge ripped AF!

Did the Brits get more time to complete the challenge since they had less people?

Once I saw the elimination I knew Jordan was gonna win.  Theo doesn't look like he's ever used a sledge hammer in his life.

The proposal was eh.  

I'm finding it hard to watch the rest of this season.  Usually there is some under the table negotiations & back stabbing & even some new relationships sneaking around but this season feels like pure hatred.  I needs some of the juicy guilty pleasure drama I'm used to.

Looks like next season is gonna basically be a whole new crop of contestants so that could be fun.

[angelamh66]

I enjoyed Theo's farewell speech about how awful everyone left is. I cosign. Such an unlikable bunch. I want to root for LeRoy a little bit, but he's aligned with Paulie. And I just cannot abide that. Jordan and Tori kinda suck as humans but I guess I'll take them over Cara/Paulie. 

Ashley is kinda quiet this season.  Downright subdued really.  I think I'd actually be amused if she quietly went about winning herself another million.  

[luckyroll3]

2 hours ago, esco1822 said:

You know Cara has really crossed the line when PAULIE calls her out on her over the top comments.

This!!!!  Like Paulie was legit shocked when she kept going on and on.  I was never a fan of Cara Maria, but I did feel bad for because folks picked on her and bullied her because she was different.  But now, she's inching towards that irredeemable point.

Was Zach crying during the proposal??  Also, I don't believe for a second that Tori didn't know about the proposal.  I have know doubt they planned it together. 

[ImpinAintEasy]

If I cared about rooting for likable contestants to win, LeRoy and New CT are pretty inoffensive. Same for Joss and Rogan. But I don’t really care about likability on this show. Jordan is the best competitor there and one of the best of all-time and I am fully supporting him to win again. 
 

There’s no way the final is going to be a team final, right? I’ve been surprised at the lack of a twist so far. This show seems to like awarding a large prize to one person. Having 6 or 7 people split a million bucks after the last few winners making $400 grand+ seems a big downgrade, especially if they’re trying to attract bigger stars. Plus, the US team could conceivably have twice as many members. It just seems like a twist is coming. 

[lilabennet]

I like Tori.  She's just as dorky as Sarah Rice, but, unlike Sarah, she embraces her dorkiness.  Sarah always got on my nerves because she is clearly one of those people that drag around their baggage from high school until the day they die.  So, yeah, I like Tori and I may or may not have teared up a little because she was so happy.  I'm not so sure about her taste in men, but I don't have to live with him.

[Decider]

I saw the proposal coming from a mile away with all of the schmoopy interviews with Tori and Jordan throughout the episode.  I got absolutely nothing against schmoopy but I cosign on 1) giving a side eye to public proposals and 2) not really caring about Jordan and Tori all that much.  Nice to see that they are happy and I don't wish them ill but great, thank you, bye on them getting married.

 

[Cherry Cola]

The proposal was sweet. I didn't see it coming. How bitter is Cara that she had to make nasty comments. Let the game for a second and be happy. Good grief! What a pussy chicken! 😄

Sad to see Theo go. 

I did crack up at Rogan saying he might propose to Joss in that moment. 😄

[Spencer Hastings]

Cara has become such a miserable shrew.  Her personality has gone through phases since she started doing the challenges but this is by far the most unpleasant.  I hate Jordan almost as much as I hate Cara but sometimes you just have to shut up and let others have their moment of happiness.  It might be fake but just simmer down. I bet she’s pissed that she and Paulie didn’t have the first Challenge proposal. 

[Wouldofshouldof]

On ‎11‎/‎7‎/‎2019 at 1:07 AM, scrb said:

On the voting, CT voted for Theo because it was either going to be him or Theo.

And the next time the Brit guys are up for the proving ground, Joss & Rogan won't say each other's names, so it would have to be CT or Jordan unless one or both of them is on the tribunal.

[ImpinAintEasy]

It’s in CT’s interest to join with Jordan,Tori, and Jenny to take control over Jogan and Kayleigh. They have to get rid of Kayleigh if they want to have a chance in a final, assuming it is a team final. 
 

Right now I would think the US would like to get rid of Nany and Josh before a final. And the UK should want to get rid of Kayleigh. CT and Rogan are probably both liabilities with their endurance, but CT has experience and is great at puzzles. 
 

It’ll be interesting to see how the voting shakes out. 

[zoltana]

Cara Maria reeked of jealousy at that proposal.  

[falltime]

Cara Maria is so miserable, it is kind of hard to watch. She should take a break.

[BK1978]

3 hours ago, falltime said:

Cara Maria is so miserable, it is kind of hard to watch. She should take a break.

There was another one of these videos that was talking about the proposal.  It was post-show and it had Cara, Paulie, Jordan, Tori, and Kam on it.  Jordan, Paulie, Kam, and Tori all seemed to be getting along while Cara just sat there looking miserable.  

[luckyroll3]

I don't think I knew that Nany and Jenna are "best friends".  Also, shut up Nany!

[scrb]

Yeah I'm not sure why Nany was blubbering.

If she can't make the finals because the numbers are against her, that's tough luck.

When she was in the alliance with Bananas at the beginning of the season, they had the numbers and if they didn't lose players, they'd be running the game.

Do these players really count on winning prize money?  There are 30 competitors at start and only 2 of them will win anything.

Some of them act so personally affronted when sent into eliminations, like how dare they try to deny me money.  But only a couple of players will actually get prize money.  So most of them have to know the odds are against them, even those who've won previously.

They can form alliances but they will seek alliances with strong players, who'd be competitors in the Final.

[Steph619]

Happy for Jordan and Tori, but I don’t like either one of them especially Jordan who just flat out annoys me. Cara shouldn’t have said what she said during the proposal. This is just a game and even Paulie was able to put it aside and congratulate them.

I think Cara and Paulie made a mistake voting in Jordan, not Josh. Theo probably would’ve had a better chance at beating Josh. I actually like Theo so it’s too bad he went home.

I hate to say it, but Jordan and Tori made Team UK stronger. I still don’t want to see them win so I’ll root for Team USA.
 

[BarneySays]

On 11/9/2019 at 3:47 PM, Steph619 said:

Happy for Jordan and Tori, but I don’t like either one of them especially Jordan who just flat out annoys me. Cara shouldn’t have said what she said during the proposal. This is just a game and even Paulie was able to put it aside and congratulate them.

I think Cara and Paulie made a mistake voting in Jordan, not Josh. Theo probably would’ve had a better chance at beating Josh. I actually like Theo so it’s too bad he went home.

I hate to say it, but Jordan and Tori made Team UK stronger. I still don’t want to see them win so I’ll root for Team USA.
 

Considering Theo did not grasp the basic mechanics of swinging a sledge hammer, I don’t think he would have beat anyone.

[Jillibean]

As soon as I saw it was a sledgehammer elimination, I knew Jordan was staying. I appreciate them dragging out the clip and Zach acknowledging that Jordan destroyed him in a previous sledgehammer elimination. And look, I am not fond of Jordan, but the guy has one hand. He’s so competent at all these things that I often forget, which I think is a credit to how talented he truly is. He’s out there climbing walls and wrestling people. I can’t even get dressed using one hand. I do think he genuinely loves Tori. I myself would like Tori more if her whole persona didn’t seem to put on all the time. Did she really grow up speaking like that? Or did she go to college, hear people speaking like that, and adopt it as her own? It comes off as much too “trying too hard” to me. Suffice it to say that there are elements of her “Schtick” that seem appropriated to me.

Cara is so hateful. I’m glad Paulie called her out. She just can’t stand anyone getting attention other than her. She is so, so pleased with herself and I cannot understand why. 

On 11/7/2019 at 9:57 AM, carrin817 said:

Theo is butt hurt about Georgia & he should be.  Kayleigh is never gonna complete a final.  She can't even compete in a challenge.

I can’t fault Kayleigh for playing the only way she can win, politically. But Joss and Rogan should know better. The more they lose, the closer they get to being forced into an elimination round because there’s no one else left. 

I’m wondering how much of Nany’s breakdown is related to Leroy’s betrayal, as she perceives it. They’ve been like family for years. I personally don’t think Leroy owes her more than to not say her name, which he hasn’t, but I can see why Nany might be hurt if she feels like the reason for his defection from her “side” is because of Kam. It’s always hard to help a friend deal with and get over drama with an ex, only to have them start dating again and basically be neglected in favor of a relationship with that very same person. I also get why she would be puzzled by the team up of Ashley and Cara, but Ashley would do anything for money and everyone would do well to remember that.

[TiffanyNichelle]

RME at Nany's blubbering. This is what it feels like to be on a challenge where you don't have Johnny there pulling strings and protecting you. That's also Zach's biggest issue. For the longest time he was a part of the ruling alliance. Now neither aren't and now they are seeing what it looks like to be on the outside without all that control. Only Leroy is the only one of that old crew that has figured out how to jump ship and save his ass. Instead of saving everyone is immoral or disgusting or whatever bullshit reason Josh and them come up with, Leroy just moved on.

Cara's remarks about the proposal was crossed the line. Tori's going on about how much Paulie and Cara suck as a couple in the same episode where she and Jordan (before the proposal) was annoying as hell. Girls, girls, you're both in shitty relationships.

I doubt the UK team is going to win with Jordan and Tori. They suck. They sucked when they had their strongest players. They can't play as a team ever.

Josh is a giant baby who keeps clinging to the wrong people but has decided he is making a moral stance every week.

[UniqBlue69]

On 11/11/2019 at 8:53 PM, TiffanyNichelle said:

Only Leroy is the only one of that old crew that has figured out how to jump ship and save his ass. Instead of saving everyone is immoral or disgusting or whatever bullshit reason Josh and them come up with, Leroy just moved on.

Yeah, but Leroy used to be just as guilty of that mentality. Remember when he acted like Veronica committed the most egregious sin by voting him into an elimination round in Dirty 30? (I think that was the season). I also seem to recall him being affronted in other seasoms when he was sent into an elimimations. I guess he has finally realized Johnny will never be big banana again and has wisened up.