S39.E08: Struggling to Hold It Together

[shantown]

Quote

A rigorous and exhausting challenge sees one contender give their blood, sweat and tears for the win; an intense night out finds a contender in the firing line after another reaches their boiling point.

Airs 12/6 at 8pm on MTV

[DEL901]

EW interview with Big T. https://ew.com/the-challenge-battle-for-a-new-champion-big-t-talks-elimination-8411737

[mojoween]

Back off Kyland, people!

Melissa’s rage switch has a short in it.  Can’t imagine why no one wants to work with her!  (For the record, I like her.  But she flies off the handle super easily and it doesn’t help her.)

Dopes are so excited about losing T that they don’t care about their dwindling money.

Corey continues to make me cringe.  Can’t imagine what he’s thinking watching this back.

So Jay saying he hopes he wins the daily on CT’s day is foreshadowing, yeah?

[bunnyface]

Nothing we saw this episode made me like Melissa any better.  I'm not crazy about Berna either, but I wish she had never apologized to Melissa because Melissa is definitely a bully.

[aghst]

Thing about these big alliances is that they don't have a plan or pecking order for when they have to start sending each other into elimination.

So Michele and the others just keeps voting with the alliance, not taking shots.

But the women shouldn't only be targeting other women.  There is only one winner of the prize so they should be strategically trying to get the best challengers, regardless of gender, out of the game and out of the Final.

Someone remarked that if there was a 2-mile run in the Final, Big T won't be a contender anyways.  Likely there will be a lot of running but it won't be too physical since it's a coed Final with just one winner.

So something involving puzzles and willingness to get through an eating challenge.

Then all you see are these montages of people doing strength training.  Strength may come into play on the Dailies but probably not in the Final since the men and women are going to be competing against each other, not only agains their own gender.

I guess you can't have a sexy montage of people doing brain teasers or other practice puzzles.

 

[AntFTW]

5 hours ago, mojoween said:

Melissa’s rage switch has a short in it.  Can’t imagine why no one wants to work with her!  (For the record, I like her.  But she flies off the handle super easily and it doesn’t help her.)

That's pretty much why I find her the most entertaining person of the season... and just about the only one.

[AncientNewbie]

19 minutes ago, AntFTW said:

That's pretty much why I find her the most entertaining person of the season... and just about the only one.

It felt like an old school episode with the unhinged arguing and the thrown drink.  I miss those days.

For me, Melissa has sort of a blank check, after TJ gave her his usual crap for quitting and then it turned out (and Clear Blue even advertises during this show!) that once again they'd let a pregnant woman compete without anyone realizing. 

I also agree with another poster upthread--the alliances don't seem to be thinking long term. Only if you're Nelly T do you get excited about running a final with your buds. 

If they do let Zara go long enough to get to into the final, it will be a nice montage when she gets a chance to redeem herself in the eating challenge after Wes convinced her not to drink the shake in her first American season. 

[Duke Silver]

Watching this cluster fuck really slams home why none of these people have won before.  Honestly, I was really open to the idea of this season at the beginning, but at this point, I wouldn't be mad if TJ announces soon that all the vets who win elimination during Chaos get to join the game and go for the win.  Seriously, fuck all these lame asses.

[jsm1125]

I’m somebody who was glad to see the vacation alliance of Aneesa, Devin, Fessy, Josh, Kaycee, Nany and Tori, largely sit  this season out, but the bulk of this season’s contestants aren’t bringing it from a drama or even a confessional standpoint. 

[LaurelleJ]

This has been a weird season so far, so much so that I forgot to come on here and comment on it, but I don't even know what I would say. At this point I am watching out of habit and not because I find anything particularly exciting. I will say I agree with another poster that the Melissa vs. Ravyn scene felt like old school challenge. I also feel like they are trying to push Jay and Michele as kind of the king and queen of this season but they aren't big enough personalities to carry it in my opinion. 

[luckyroll3]

7 hours ago, LaurelleJ said:

I also feel like they are trying to push Jay and Michele as kind of the king and queen of this season but they aren't big enough personalities to carry it in my opinion.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I can't wait for Michelle to get voted into Elimination. She's so insufferable. 

Also Kyland talking about being your own person and then voting in Big T to not piss anyone off. 

These votes are soooooooo boring. Bring back the secret voting so that we can see something, anything interesting.

Certainly didn't need to see Kaycee again. 

[AntFTW]

1 hour ago, luckyroll3 said:

Also Kyland talking about being your own person and then voting in Big T to not piss anyone off. 

Kyland is no more exciting to watch here than he was on USA Season 1.

9 hours ago, LaurelleJ said:

This has been a weird season so far, so much so that I forgot to come on here and comment on it, but I don't even know what I would say. At this point I am watching out of habit and not because I find anything particularly exciting.

I'm not invested in any of them. I don't think they're bringing enough personality to the show. We knew Melissa was a firecracker, but she's the only one so far.

[Lantern7]

On 12/8/2023 at 6:19 AM, LaurelleJ said:

This has been a weird season so far, so much so that I forgot to come on here and comment on it, but I don't even know what I would say. At this point I am watching out of habit and not because I find anything particularly exciting.

Same here! Someone suggested that this season is what happens when you don't let former champions in the main game. I think the problems run deeper than casting. I feel bad that Tula is gone, but I'm not that heartbroken. Also, I don't feel particularly attached to anyone.

On 12/8/2023 at 2:13 PM, luckyroll3 said:

These votes are soooooooo boring. Bring back the secret voting so that we can see something, anything interesting.

Certainly didn't need to see Kaycee again. 

I agree on the voting process, which gets bland when the votes are public. I was okay with Kaycee. She might not be the most exciting Challenger, but she gives it her all.

Are they going to add money to the pot? Or would that be like waiting for players to vote in strong people into the Arena that would have the better shot at facing Champions?

[Michichick]

1. The challengers should be wearing safety glasses during challenges where they’re moving junk around. Kyland is lucky he didn’t lose an eye.

2. I watch the show on iTunes, and for some reason the episode started with Big T’s goodbye speech. Made it hard to take interest in the episode.

3. Berna is obviously welcome to dress however she wants, but the way she gives herself a wedgie with her shorts seems really uncomfortable.

[Drogo]

2 hours ago, Michichick said:

2. I watch the show on iTunes, and for some reason the episode started with Big T’s goodbye speech.

Pretty much how every Big T season starts. 

On 12/8/2023 at 2:13 PM, luckyroll3 said:

Bring back the secret voting so that we can see something, anything interesting.

They're chicken shit with anonymity, too.

I did like the unpredictability of The Hopper. 

On 12/8/2023 at 6:19 AM, LaurelleJ said:

I also feel like they are trying to push Jay and Michele as kind of the king and queen of this season but they aren't big enough personalities to carry it in my opinion. 

Jay is visually off-putting for me. And verbally off-putting. And all the other ways one can be off-putting.

[millennium]

On 12/7/2023 at 8:14 AM, mojoween said:

So Jay saying he hopes he wins the daily on CT’s day is foreshadowing, yeah?

Seems likely.   He mentioned CT so often in this episode that it felt like anvils.  Kinda pathetic the CT victory is Jay's only bragging right.   Especially since CT seemed so out of it physically and mentally that season.

I hope they get a rematch, and this time CT makes Jay his fanny-pack.

The bar scenes are cringy AF, especially the first minute or so, like they're all auditioning for a spot on Soul Train In Hell.