S40.E01: The Era Invitational, Part 1

[AntFTW]

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The Challengers arrive at their first challenge, but are shocked when they learn they will start by competing within their eras; politics begin as players must plead their case to avoid seeing the biggest elimination night in history.

Air date: August 14, 2024

[AntFTW]

Clip of the first episode

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[AntFTW]

Looks like a clip of the daily challenge

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[mojoween]

Theo and Paul are adjudicating something that happened a decade ago and if the end could be Theo coming out on top?  Let’s goooooooooo.

Kyland you are adorable and I love you, but please don’t be cute with Josh.

Edited August 15 by mojoween

[AntFTW]

They did a great job with building up the tension.

I'm guessing we won't get an actual "battle of the eras" until the final. It'll just be each era's competitors competing among each other rather than competing as a team against other eras. Then, at the final when we're down to 8 players, the eras to face off against each other. That's my guess.

Theo never let WotW2 go. 😂 

I never knew they thought Theo was in on the plan or knew about the plan to throw the challenge in WotW2... or was that just a bullshit reason to talk some shit to Theo. I'm curious as to why they would think that. Theo wasn't working with Johnny and Laurel in WotW2.

I want Amanda to go into elimination. Amanda can't stop digging her own hole. Amanda doesn't like Tori and she announces it at every opportunity she gets.

[AntFTW]

Also, Nurys said if it's a puzzle, she'd go against Jenny... and I'm like "have you seen Kaycee in a puzzle? If it's a puzzle, Kaycee is your best chance to win."

[AntFTW]

 

[aghst]

How is it that only CT noticed the symbols in the back of the puzzle?

Wow the deliberations is one big group therapy session around a table with the losers also able to weigh in.

So the clips show the ones going into elimination with helmets and Theo is bearing down like it could be Hall Brawl or some other physical battle.

[Badlands]

So Cara finished second of everyone and isn't safe, but 7 people who finished after her (including Bananas from the same era) are safe?

The season has started at a glacial pace with two episodes and no eliminations, but I guess we'll get eight in the next episode.

[Jobiska]

I will say the challenge was very pretty with all the lights on the water.  But coracles in Vietnam gave me flashbacks to Flo's meltdown in The Amazing Race 3.  

Forget shots of Horacio pedaling while shirtless and sweaty--he was never more good-looking than when he was hugging Nurys to console her.

Did I miss something?  Episode Zero with its big dramatic wee-hours entrance of Jordan into the house, all his era previously wondering about being down a number, Devin and Tori joking about being across from each other...and then we just plunge into the challenge here, no reveal of reactions to Jordan's arrival?

I hope the bat was okay.

Leroy left when his baby was two weeks old?  I mean, I love seeing him on these, but that's...early, for someone who never wins (sorry Lee).

Forgot all about Cory and Tony's beef.

So is this not going to be on Paramount+, or is mine messed up or something?

All the flashbacks to previous seasons, including other Challengers, are a plus IMHO.

 

[aghst]

Did they say where in Vietnam they were?

One time I visited Hanoi, there were large, possibly manmade lakes but they looked shallow and the water was brackish.  There wasn’t a smell but despite very hot and humid weather, none of the locals were swimming in them.

The other thing is, every street had dozens or hundreds of mopeds and these things emitted a lot of smog.  In fact they’re trying to get the people to use buses but the young population won’t give up those mopeds.

Da Nang is on the coast and gets very windy, with big waves, maybe too big for people to swim in at times.  But it was the only place which had beaches on my trip.  However Vietnam is downstream from pollution from China.

In any event, they seem to choose these places for the low cost but you wonder about the environmental conditions for intense physical activity.

Well they invited 40 people and they’re going to send 8 of them home right away?  Maybe they gave them a few days to get over the jet lag before they started the competition.

[AntFTW]

17 minutes ago, Jobiska said:

So is this not going to be on Paramount+, or is mine messed up or something?

They aren’t going to be on P+.

[ImpinAintEasy]

Cara, quit obsessing over beating Laurel. You’re a 2 time champ. You shouldn’t need that validation. It’s coming off as an annoying Chihuahua following a Mastiff around nipping at its paws. They’re never going to do another Rivals anyway. 
 

I hate losing so many people so early. I would rather have eliminations in every episode than one giant purge and episodes ending with zero resolution. 
 

CT is tubby again. He’ll still probably reach the final, but his chances of winning are probably low. 
 

I hope this stays a team competition. I don’t want an individual final. Cory would be a fool to get rid of Jordan so early. But we already know that’s what he is. I love LeRoy, but he is not good at this game. But he would beat Jordan at a physical elimination. So that will probably happen. 

[bunnyface]

I loved CT's Pro Tips.

Looking at the line-up CT and Aneesa look so different from the rest of the competitors.  The difference is, CT won.  Aneesa didn't and I don't think she can.  She just seems too out of shape.  (Hey, I'm out of shape, I'm not throwing shade, just saying and have been for the last few seasons she's been on.)

Laurel and Cara and equally obsessed with each other but Laurel's trip just seems meaner somehow.  She just seems mean.

I did love the contrast of the people saying "I'm not trying to go into elimination, I'm trying to be invisible.  If someone throws themselves in, just let them."  And then there is Amanda, blowing her stack and telling Tori how much she hates her and never will like her, just basically throwing herself into elimination for no reason.  Girl does not understand being under the radar.

[AntFTW]

12 hours ago, Badlands said:

So Cara finished second of everyone and isn't safe, but 7 people who finished after her (including Bananas from the same era) are safe?

I don't think we know with certainty that Cara finished second out of everyone. From what I've been on Twitter, CT finished second after Laurel.

Edited August 15 by AntFTW

[AntFTW]

10 hours ago, aghst said:

So the clips show the ones going into elimination with helmets and Theo is bearing down like it could be Hall Brawl or some other physical battle.

Nurys as well. Nurys definitely looks like she's in a Hall Brawl.

[AntFTW]

19 hours ago, ImpinAintEasy said:

I hate losing so many people so early. I would rather have eliminations in every episode than one giant purge and episodes ending with zero resolution. 

I would have preferred this as well because they got a lot of the era 1 and 2 players that we don't see often (minus Johnny), and to have some some of them go in the second episode takes the hype out of the season. Understandably, 40 is a lot of people, but their appearance could have been maximized this season by having regular eliminations and maybe a mid-season purge. If Mark and Katie are eliminated in the next episode, all the hype that was built around having them back goes away.

Edited August 16 by AntFTW

[AntFTW]

15 hours ago, aghst said:

How is it that only CT noticed the symbols in the back of the puzzle?

Paulie says that Era 1’s puzzle was different than theirs. Era 1’s puzzle had contrasting colors that made it easier to see the symbols. Their symbols were white and their puzzle pieces were blue.

Paulie says that Era 4’s pieces were pink and the symbols were about the same shade of pink so it was hard to see the symbols. Looking at Tony’s puzzle, it seemed like the same applied to Era 3. The symbols look about the same color as the puzzle, and it looks easy to miss the symbols if you don’t know to look for them.

 

Edited August 16 by AntFTW

[Remlab]

15 hours ago, Jobiska said:

Forgot all about Cory and Tony's beef.


 

I think you mean pasta.

[joanne3482]

I appreciated Cory saying that he was working on puzzles with his kid because he knew he was weak at them and wanted to build up. That's growth. Of course he also said if he won the million he'd propose to his (I'm assuming baby mama) and that is less growth to me. 😆

On the one hand I'm okay with the purge of 8 because 40 people is TOO MANY and I have no idea who half these people are despite having watched most of the seasons. (Including Fresh Meat. I don't remember Aviv at all). But it will kind of suck for those under the radar folks, like Aviv, who may end up going out early because nobody knows them and they have no alliances. 

On 8/15/2024 at 5:22 AM, aghst said:

Wow the deliberations is one big group therapy session around a table with the losers also able to weigh in.

This is my least favorite part of any season and so I fast forwarded through it. I hate the begging and justifying. 

[DEL901]

3 hours ago, joanne3482 said:

I appreciated Cory saying that he was working on puzzles with his kid because he knew he was weak at them and wanted to build up. That's growth. Of course he also said if he won the million he'd propose to his (I'm assuming baby mama) and that is less growth to me. 😆

On the one hand I'm okay with the purge of 8 because 40 people is TOO MANY and I have no idea who half these people are despite having watched most of the seasons. (Including Fresh Meat. I don't remember Aviv at all). But it will kind of suck for those under the radar folks, like Aviv, who may end up going out early because nobody knows them and they have no alliances. 

This is my least favorite part of any season and so I fast forwarded through it. I hate the begging and justifying. 

I remember a final a couple of seasons ago with the big logs.  Cory’s team was way ahead, but then CT and his group arrived. They started to run towards it but he stopped them and said something like, “I’ve done this brain teaser  with my kid” and aced it. 

[AntFTW]

13 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

I remember a final a couple of seasons ago with the big logs.  Cory’s team was way ahead, but then CT and his group arrived. They started to run towards it but he stopped them and said something like, “I’ve done this brain teaser  with my kid” and aced it. 

I don't remember Cory doing a final with logs.

I'm thinking of Spies, Lies & Allies when they had carry the big log (or whatever that thing was) to complete a puzzle where they had to make squares. The other team with Nelson, Kaycee, Nany and someone else I can't remember were stuck on the puzzle. CT and his team came up, completed the puzzle, and left them.

[Duke Silver]

I continue to be puzzled by the character Amanda plays on The Challenge, and why she's even there.  My gf's sister loves her though, so what do I know?

[DEL901]

17 minutes ago, AntFTW said:

I don't remember Cory doing a final with logs.

I'm thinking of Spies, Lies & Allies when they had carry the big log (or whatever that thing was) to complete a puzzle where they had to make squares. The other team with Nelson, Kaycee, Nany and someone else I can't remember were stuck on the puzzle. CT and his team came up, completed the puzzle, and left them.

Yeah that’s the one…I thought it was part 1 of the final, but maybe not. 

[AntFTW]

11 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

Yeah that’s the one…I thought it was part 1 of the final, but maybe not. 

I think it was...

Because I remember them having to pair up and hike up a mountain or something.

[bunnyface]

1 hour ago, AntFTW said:

I don't remember Cory doing a final with logs.

I'm thinking of Spies, Lies & Allies when they had carry the big log (or whatever that thing was) to complete a puzzle where they had to make squares. The other team with Nelson, Kaycee, Nany and someone else I can't remember were stuck on the puzzle. CT and his team came up, completed the puzzle, and left them.

I remember that.  Nelson kept trying to make a triangle and rectangles and they had to explain to him that those were not squares.  He kept saying "just try it."  Nelly, Nelly, Nelly...

[AntFTW]

Jonna said once Laurel finished, she helped other people in Era 2 finish their puzzle so that they can go out and get their lights.

Jonna also says that Jordan went off on production because there were 40 cast members and when the players called for checks on their puzzles and their lights when they finish, there were only two people available for checks, so they'd have players sitting around waiting for checks on their puzzles and their lights... which is clearly not good when you're in a race for a large amount of money and you actually need to maintain a lead over other people.

[bunnyface]

With everything that's being leaked it sounds like this production is a mess.  Maybe way back in the beginning people didn't always have the means to bring this stuff out but they all do now.  You'd think production would mind their Ps & Qs.  On the other hand, we're all still watching so maybe it doesn't matter 

[jsm1125]

What was with Devin’s confessional about Leroy playing a shady game? Is he just angling for screentime right now? Or does he just consider anyone not aligned with him a shady player? 

[AntFTW]

 

[AntFTW]

Here's the whole thing if you have the patience to watch it.

 

[aghst]

What did they say Jordan was doing when he joined this season?

Sounds like it must be going well if he is going to call out producers, that is he's not worried about not being invited back if he alienates them.

[Lantern7]

Chiming in late. Not totally surprised that the first mission went haywire right away.

Do you remember Pop Up Videos on VH1 back in the day? I could have used that in this episode, because I found it hard to keep up with who hated whom and why. It takes way too much effort to remember all that stuff.

[Lamb18]

Paulie is not wearing well. He looks like he should be Eras I instead of IV. When Paulie was arguing with Michele and Horacio? and said he would go in, Kyland and Josh both leaned back and looked at each other in glee--that was funny.

I would have liked to see Wes but he did say he was done with the show. CT looks kind of crazy.