S33.E03: Casualties of War

[OnceSane]

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Zach makes a shocking move at the "Search and Destroy" challenge that makes everyone question his loyalties; Wes sets his sights on his mortal enemy, Bananas, but his attack may be premature.

Airs February 20, 2019.

[zenithwit]

Bananas curse continues?

[Lantern7]

You know how the "previously" segment is covered by a quick bit from a Challenger? This week, it was Turbo pretending to do one-armed pushups using a wall. Next week? Wes dancing through the entire rendition of "Believe It Or Not (I'm Walking On Air)."

"Oh, wow! Where do I start? First, thank you, Zach, for flipping the ball to me. I don't know if you meant that or not, but you fucked Johnny, so whatever. Thank you, Ashley, for blinking at TJ's veiled threat about potential deadlocks. You're new to this game, and you didn't know he's not an all-powerful god. And I gotta thank Zach again, for beating Johnny and whats-her-name. You really had me worried when you were huffing and puffing. I just kept imagining Johnny still in the game, immune from getting kicked off, making my life hell. But you did it! Finally, I want to thank God. Through Him, all things are possible. Okay, I'm kidding . . . if an all-powerful deity truly existed, it probably stopped watching us ages ago! And yeah, I know I sound like Devin, but fuck it. I got two Challenge wins and dozens of companies. He's got a small dick and a Johnny love doll on his bed. Johnny's out, bitches! This game is mine!!! And Dee's. Naturally."

I had to have someone point out the obvious to me: the two people that took money from their respective partners are gone. Maybe karma does exist with this series. Or maybe Paulie gets $1 million, and that's why he's been flapping his yap on social media.

Edited February 21, 2019 by Lantern7

[angelamh66]

Cara warning whatsername about Kyle being a bad guy.... almost comically ironic given the garbage human she apparently still chooses to spend her time with. 

I am not sure I totally buy Bananas deciding Zach was a traitor. I feel like he was being his own producer and setting up a new potential rivalry for future challenges. But who knows... unless he had another money making opportunity lined up and needed an early exit, I can’t see why he wouldn’t have chosen someone easier to beat. 

[Spencer Hastings]

Zach showed more remorse for whatever he thinks he did to Bananas than he’s ever shown for how he’s treated Jenna over the years.

It’s so weird to see Bananas leave early. I feel like we are being set up.

Edited February 21, 2019 by Spencer Hastings

[Coco88]

Yeah, I agree.  That kind of felt more produced than normal.  Like Johnny had something else to do so he picked someone who he’d be ok with losing to.

I guess Wes has won the award of who I want to punch when I hear them speak.  Shane won this award last challenge.

[scrb]

Ding dong Bananas is dead.

Again!

Actually his downfall is that his partner wasn’t strong.  Both physically and I’m guessing she didn’t help on the geography as much as Zach’s partner did.

I’m sure Wes and some of the other vets had an inkling that there would be a lot of strength-focused challenges.  So they chatted up potential partners like some of the bigger and stronger female newcomers.  Then the newcomers chose them.

They’re in the desert so probably not too many endurance challenges.

[Racj82]

The usual theories I producer tampering I see.

Johnny lost. He just lost. He's capable of losing which he has shown over and over again recently. 

It's also very in line with Johnny to throw is weight around and try to put people in their place via calling them out. Zach has been known to fold in tough challenges. He's not a guaranteed win for sure but he's not someone to fear if you are also in shape.

Johnny lost like he lost to Wes. In a game that was more mental than physical. Not that physicality wasn't involved here. But, knowing your countries was the more important element here.

It's really funny how many newbies are going to get screwed over by existing challenge nonsense.

[Lantern7]

Commentary from Wes and Hunter on Twitter:

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If you die in a Challenge house you just respawn on a reunion stage with a bunch of excuses @johnnybananas

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Hmmm another season another exit earlier than me shame oh shame... this isn’t much of a rivalry honestly! On to another victim #TheChallenge33

I’m thinking they’re playing to the audience more than actually hating Johnny. Given how obnoxious he is, I don’t really blame either guy.

4 hours ago, Racj82 said:

The usual theories I producer tampering I see.

Johnny lost. He just lost. He's capable of losing which he has shown over and over again recently. 

Last season, he and Tony were playing against Paulie & Natalie when something went wrong, and they did that stupid thing with the moss milk and the endurance. This was more of a straightforward loss.

Edited February 21, 2019 by Lantern7

[Coco88]

I don’t think it was rigged in the sense that the show producers tampered with the show.  I just think there were easier teams for Johnny’s team to beat.  Amanda and Josh come to mind.

[Jillibean]

9 hours ago, angelamh66 said:

Cara warning whatsername about Kyle being a bad guy.... almost comically ironic given the garbage human she apparently still chooses to spend her time with. 

I am not sure I totally buy Bananas deciding Zach was a traitor. I feel like he was being his own producer and setting up a new potential rivalry for future challenges. But who knows... unless he had another money making opportunity lined up and needed an early exit, I can’t see why he wouldn’t have chosen someone easier to beat. 

Absolutely with regard to Cara, especially in retrospect. If she didn’t cringe watching that back, there’s something wrong with her. Kyle might be a serial hookup artist, but he makes no secret of it. Paulie, on the other hand...anyway. The less said about him, the better. 

And yes, I also totally had that thought about Bananas and Zach. I could even see Bananas in the producers’ ear saying, “Don’t you think it’s time for another Rivals challenge? Hey, you know who I really hate?” I think he forgot to tell Zach, though. The fact that Zach actually started crying on camera sort of lends credibility to his claim that he was just emotionally a wreck overall and didn’t have his head in the game.  When told he won, you could see him immediately look over at Jenna in what seemed to be legitimate shock. 

8 hours ago, Coco88 said:

Yeah, I agree.  That kind of felt more produced than normal.  Like Johnny had something else to do so he picked someone who he’d be ok with losing to.

I guess Wes has won the award of who I want to punch when I hear them speak.  Shane won this award last challenge.

Agree with this as well. Johnny picking Zach was very...calculated. Even if he truly believes Zach flipped on him (and in his Live, he vehemently insisted that Zach had knowingly betrayed him), he was a terrible choice to call out. Both in terms of the odds of beating him and his international partner in a game involving a map, and because even if Zach was working with Wes, Zach isn’t going to advance Bananas’ name in the tribunal or whatever it is or call him out in elimination. Plenty of other teams will. He put himself in the position that even if he’d won, he’d be left with fewer people willing to not say his name when he returned. He IS promoting this trip he did with Morgan through Africa and the Middle East that he’s going to be posting on his social media, so take that for what you will. There were a ton of people in the joint live last night asking if they were dating, and they ignored it. It made me wonder if they are but can’t reveal it until after her ex on the beach season wraps. 

I didn’t like Kam’s approach to the tribunal. “I put you in as a burn vote so no one will get mad, now promise me YOU won’t get mad or else I’m voting for you some more!”

I did think Josh handled himself well in the talk with Amanda, though I’m not sure confronting a clearly drunk person was ever going to go well. Maybe she’s just always drunk, so there’s no other time to confront her. I don’t think she can continue with the “I was just awful because Zach was so awful” argument anymore, though. It would seem she truly lashes out over anyone questioning her. 

[strippedhalo]

I didn't see Josh's season of Big Brother, so I'm sure everyone hates him for reasons I don't understand, but I appreciate that he is unwilling to accept Amanda's bull. I don't even care that he was mean to her ("Nobody likes you!") because she's so awful to everyone all of the time. Also had to laugh when she was insisting that her mean girl social game works, and he was just like, but does it, really?

Happy to see Bananas go, sad that we will have fewer reasons for the Brits to discuss him (hearing it pronounced "Ba-naw-naws" really highlights the silliness of that nickname).

[TiffanyNichelle]

Well done Wes! You finally did what other people should have done long ago. As soon as you are in a position of power throw Johnny in to an elimination. Johnny always talks a big game but as soon as he might get eliminated he starts running around all scared and angry. Why should Wes wait until later in the season to try to take him out? After challenges that Johnny might win, after letting Johnny try to build a bigger alliance with the newbies, after Wes possibly never getting in this position again and knowing that only he and possibly Abe would be the only ones bold enough to vote Johnny in. Even Killer Kam didn't want to do that.

Johnny looked so scared threatening Zach. I think was dumb enough to throw the ball ahead for safety. No way would he toss aside his alliance with Johnny so early and so obviously. Anyway, bye bye Johnny.

Amanda is the worst. She thinks she has game play but I don't see it. It looks like she gets off on abusing everyone. Yeah fight with your partner who has no previous history with you. Call him a bitch and stupid. She's so smart.

[luckyroll3]

2 hours ago, Jillibean said:

I did think Josh handled himself well in the talk with Amanda, though I’m not sure confronting a clearly drunk person was ever going to go well. Maybe she’s just always drunk, so there’s no other time to confront her. I don’t think she can continue with the “I was just awful because Zach was so awful” argument anymore, though. It would seem she truly lashes out over anyone questioning her. 

The problem is she wasn't drunk.  She was just being her truly heinous self.  Josh didn't raise his voice at her nor demean; he was simply trying to have a conversation with his partner to get them on the same page.  In return, she called him an idiot and a bitch and told him to shut up.  Yup, she's great at playing the game.  

2 hours ago, strippedhalo said:

Happy to see Bananas go, sad that we will have fewer reasons for the Brits to discuss him (hearing it pronounced "Ba-naw-naws" really highlights the silliness of that nickname).

This was the only time I enjoyed hearing the name "bananas".  It sounded so posh.  They also made me break my own rule of not calling Johnny that because I wanted to say it in a British accent.  

I have to say that I really enjoyed both the challenge and the elimination games!  And they both actually made sense. I liked that the challenge required both partners to demonstrate their speed and physicality. And that it slowly dawned on folks that just because a team was first to find a ball didn't mean that they had to make it to the finish line first.  And the climbing, plus geography elimination was like Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego meets Guts.  It was a nice mesh of brain and brawn (rock climbing is hard as fuck, especially if you haven't done it before because you think it's all about arm strength when it's not and you can wipe yourself out quickly).   I knew that Zach and his partner would have an edge because she's European and they tend to just have such a better sense of geography than we Americans do.  

While I thought it was smart of Wes and Hunter to work together, I think they should have made more of an effort to get both of their teams into the tribunal to guarantee at least 2-4 votes for Johnny.  Although, I am interested to see what happens when there is tie.  

And finally, Johnny was such a bitch about everything.  He always talks about loyalty, but he always turns on his "friends".  Zach may be an ass, but he's loyal to the point that he sacrifices himself (big ole dummy!).  People are only a friend for Johnny for as much as he can use them. 

Me to Johnny when he got eliminated: 

 

[sally-can-wait]

Amanda looked drunk to me. At the very least she was slurring her words. I think the proper way to deal with her is just laugh like Da'Vonne did because she’s delusional and unreasonable when she gets that way. Josh did nothing wrong but he was trying to talk to an insane person. They all seem to be on friendly terms on Twitter though.

It’s totally bizarre to see Bananas go this early in the game. It will be a nice reprieve to have virtually a whole season without him. I hope Zach quickly follows him out the door.

And it’s weird how we have hardly heard from some people. Like I keep forgetting that Natalie N is even on the show until she shows up in a challenge. 

So Kyle’s hairline is starting to look rough. No wonder he’s wearing hats.

CT has a cute belly!!

[scrb]

4 hours ago, Coco88 said:

I don’t think it was rigged in the sense that the show producers tampered with the show.  I just think there were easier teams for Johnny’s team to beat.  Amanda and Josh come to mind.

I think there's a lot of potential for the producers to rig the show because most challenges, it's not obvious who wins and in timed events, the producers are the only timekeepers and they don't bother to show the times of the contestants.  They just tell you who won at the end.

However, I thought the producers considered Bananas one of their stars or the biggest star.  They sure feature him in a lot of promos don't they.  He talked about how it would hurt his "legacy" if he lost so early.  

Motherfucker, you aint no Michael Jordan.  

It's been how many years since you've won?

Meanwhile MTV probably wants to bring on a lot of fresh blood, especially younger, more telegenic people.  In Final Reckoning, his alliance was outnumbered.  It's been a few seasons when he had the biggest alliance and the trend is going to continue.  This time he had people but if the UK players banded together like the AYTO people finally banded together in Final Reckoning, he might not have lasted.

He got several of the vets to join him, the usual suspects like Leroy and Zach.  But his feud with Wes and Hunter meant he was up against them and the UK.

He really needed to last a lot longer this season, so that he could buddy up to a lot of the new people, not just to survive in this season but any future seasons where more of the cast is going to be these new people.

[Anlogle]

14 hours ago, Spencer Hastings said:

Zach showed more remorse for whatever he thinks he did to Bananas than he’s ever shown for how he’s treated Jenna over the years.

It’s so weird to see Bananas leave early. I feel like we are being set up.

I had that same feeling. It just seems unlikely that both Ashley and Bananas would be out right off the bat.  I have this weird feeling that somehow someway they will be brought back.  

[TiffanyNichelle]

1 hour ago, sally-can-wait said:

So Kyle’s hairline is starting to look rough. No wonder he’s wearing hats.

!

The funniest thing is, that's his new hairline after his surgery.

[crookedjackson44]

I had to turn on closed captioning to understand most of the Brit's speech.  It sure isn't Received Pronounciation - most likely Midlands/Yorkshire or Cockney.

[toodywoody]

Can Bananas ever stfu when he gets put up? Like mf you aren't immune to being put in. Actually it is genius to put the person that has won the most up the first chance you get.

First off Bananas, he is the biggest fucking cry baby ever. First crying about what's her name putting him in, getting irate about Devin putting him in, and now fucking putting Zach in because he fucked up. Like GD Bananas is the biggest douche. I think it is smart of Wes to put Bananas in before he starts controlling the game, get him out. 

Edited February 22, 2019 by toodywoody

[Lantern7]

5 minutes ago, toodywoody said:

Can Bananas ever stfu when he gets put up? Like mf you aren't immune to being put in. Actually it is genius to put the person that has won the most up the first chance you get.

Johnny's credo [official]: "All's fair in love, war and Challenges."

Johnny's credo [unofficial]: "Do as I say, not as I screw."

[toodywoody]

10 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Johnny's credo [official]: "All's fair in love, war and Challenges."

Johnny's credo [unofficial]: "Do as I say, not as I screw."

That is right. But when it comes back on him, no one hears the end of it. He is such a sore loser and maybe he shouldn't have screwed over and taken all the money, because since then karma has really bitten his ass. 

[Craphole Island]

Few thoughts:

- Later Johnny!! First Ashley then Johnny?? This is shaping up to be a great challenge

- I loved the challenge. It reminded me of an updated version of “Mudbath” from the Gauntlet

- As someone who has recently been binging “Love Island” on Hulu and enjoyed Theo and Georgia there, I’m happy that they have been really impressing me so far!

- Lastly I’m sorry but I really fucking hate Cara Maria now. It’s been brewing but it’s official now. Also to be shallow: she looks extra dirty this season.

[RHJunkie]

Cara comes across as really obsessed with Kyle. And her fawning over Paulie...she doesn't make wise decisions when it comes to men and I'm beginning to think that says more about her than the men she dates.

Wes flips between annoying and entertaining for me but for his past couple of seasons, he's been more entertaining because I've begun to appreciate just how much he uses the platform for entertainment value and not as a meal ticket. I think Wes cares more about simply outlasting Bananas on these shows and being the one to mastermind his demise and that's amusing to me, lol.

Bananas constantly describes Wes as dumb and lucky yet he also conveniently believes that Wes was able to masterfully convince one of his closest allies to flip on him and sabotage the challenge to ensure he gets voted in. What could Wes offer Zach that would make it so enticing for him to sacrifice a real life friendship? It doesn't add up and I wonder if Bananas was truly blinded by his dislike for Wes that he was willing to believe anything to make Wes look like a bigger villain OR maybe he's trying to get on record a 'rival' just in case a Rivals challenge comes, lol.

Amazing to me that Amanda still can't own what a bitch she is. Drunk or not, the fact that you unnecessarily insult and verbally attack someone says a lot about this girl. She can't hide behind Zach being an macho man to distract from her nasty attitude.

[Jillibean]

Johnny is on a serious losers’ tour—apparently he couldn’t save his Live from Wednesday, so he did another, and from the way he was going on, I’m pretty sure Johnny thinks not only that Zach is some sort of evil sorcerer who spends all his time plotting against Bananas, but also that he shot JFK, was behind the Roswell coverup, started both world wars...seriously though, you know who Johnny believes was responsible for Tony voting Johnny into elimination in Vendettas? That’s right, it was ZACH, who likely has engineered Johnny’s pre-finals exit from all of the past five shows, even the ones he wasn’t on.  Now, he can’t use the “I would have killed you in a physical elimination,” because, hey, Zach, but he HAS decided to go with “Zach’s partner was from Bangladesh and also everyone was helping him!” Oh, Johnny. At least you’re consistent. 

Quote

He really needed to last a lot longer this season, so that he could buddy up to a lot of the new people, not just to survive in this season but any future seasons where more of the cast is going to be these new people.

I do think we may (finally) be watching the reign of Johnny Bananas come to its conclusion. It’s been a few years now since he’s even been to a final, let alone won (the curse is real!). With the constant stream of new people and new “regulars” who either actively dislike him or don’t care either way, he’s having a harder time getting by on alliances. While he’s definitely one of the stronger competitors, he’s certainly not infallible in eliminations. And unlike, say, a Cara, the guys are not afraid to call him out and actually seem to see it as a badge of honor. I think he probably has a win or two left in him, but he’s going to have to work much harder for it.  Between the lavender losers, team young morons, and now all of these U.K. people, it’s not going to be handed to him.

I missed Wes. He brings so much entertainment. What’s sad is that I feel like he’s very much in on the joke of his rivalry with Johnny, whereas Johnny genuinely hates Wes for the crime of not liking him and being good at this game. 

[Lola82]

Let's give credit to that Ashley guy for changing his vote at the last second to throw Johnny in. 

I don't think producers were in on this but I wouldn't be surprised if we find out mid-season that they're sitting in some redemption house.

[MaggieG]

That was actually a fun challenge and a fun elimination. I'm enjoying this season so much more than last. Da'vonne is still cracking me up.

During the elimination challenge, Zahida told Zach he had the flag in the in the right place for the UK and she was saying no, you need to move it. I kept screaming "She's from the UK, listen to her!" Thankfully he did

[toodywoody]

I actually like Wes. I know not a lot of you do.

But I like someone coming in and challenging Bananas and trying to fuck up his game. For too many years Bananas has ran the show and look what happened, win after win.

[Eolivet]

I don't really know Bananas, but I know enough about Morgan, so it was kind of delicious to see her pouting that she didn't think she'd be targeted this early. Guy has a ton of enemies, but you picked him 'cause you bought into the hype. Did you think he was secretly immune? Too bad, so sad. Girl, bye.

I also knew Zahida would be better at the map challenge, because as an American, I think folks from the U.K. are better versed at geography than we are.

I also liked the way Josh talked with Amanda. He was good at people-pleasing in the dominant alliance on Big Brother, so her having a blood feud with everyone in this game doesn't help in that respect.

For the first time, I'm starting to follow the string of relationships. It does get confusing when people go back to their significant others, and it's not their partner, and then I have to remember who is paired with who in the game.

[luckyroll3]

12 minutes ago, toodywoody said:

I actually like Wes. I know not a lot of you do.

But I like someone coming in and challenging Bananas and trying to fuck up his game. For too many years Bananas has ran the show and look what happened, win after win.

Me too!  I love Wes because he actually doesn't try to act like he's not an asshole AND he doesn't take anything that happens on The Challenge too seriously (probably because he has an actual career and doesn't require winning to support his lifestyle).  Plus, as you mentioned, he has no problem challenging Johnny every single time and doesn't let Johnny intimidate or manipulate him. 

[toodywoody]

36 minutes ago, luckyroll3 said:

Me too!  I love Wes because he actually doesn't try to act like he's not an asshole AND he doesn't take anything that happens on The Challenge too seriously (probably because he has an actual career and doesn't require winning to support his lifestyle).  Plus, as you mentioned, he has no problem challenging Johnny every single time and doesn't let Johnny intimidate or manipulate him. 

I am glad I am not alone. I also like him because when he is nominated or put in, he just does it and doesn't whine about it for 5 years. To me Wes doesn't act entitled the way that Bananas, Amanda and Cara act. Each one of them act like just because they are a vet, they shouldn't go in. 

I have said it for years, it would make the show better for me, if once someone goes in they can't go back in until everyone else has. It would just solve the picking on the newbies and would solve people like Bananas and Cara riding the alliance all the way to the end. Plus it would make for more people thinking about their choices instead of going with the safe vote

[Coco88]

I don’t really care too much if Bananas stays or goes for his own sake.  I only care in how much it impacts Leroy.  Wes irritates me because he has a very condescending way of talking 

[scrb]

TJ said there is no Redemption House.

They still haven't said where they are so they're holding it back for some surprise.

But there will probably be mercenaries.

Maybe someone else gets sick and has to go home and they bring Bananas back to replace him.

[mojoween]

“Turbo!  Where’s Turkey?”  That made me laugh.  Although even kids from the US should know Turkey is the big-ass country close to Europe.

Also Da’vonne opining that John has been on challenges since Columbus sailed the ocean blue cracked me up.  I wish she wasn’t inconsistently irritating.

Well it finally happened.  I am BEYOND over Cara.  Leave Mattie alone.  She’s a big girl, she can take care of herself.  Besides, Kyle is a big dumb harmless dog, unlike that foul creature Cara shares a fuck nest with.

[Hiacios]

What a great episode! 🙂  If you were to tell me that the 2 most hated people on the show would be gone this early I wouldn't have believed you. 

[IDreamofJoaquin]

I honestly was putting my hand to my forehead and panting saying  "oh wow, oh wow" when Johnny left.  I've been dying for a season free of him.  

I usually love Wes but since he has been so shitty at Challenges lately it's just embarrassing for him to brag.

I'm starting to have a new appreciation for Da'Vonne