Takin' on 'The Challenge': Get Rich or Ride or Die Tryin'

A rather tame and uneventful episode this week, Takers. Jay & Michele edged out Kim & Colleen in the daily challenge, a water-based affair. What happened afterwards brought on what little drama this week had to offer, as the winners nominated Colleen/Kim, Laurel/Jakk, Darrell/Veronica, and Jordan/Aneesa. Michele had it in her head that Laurel was out to get her, and conversations related to that took up most of the non-action time of the episode.

The house also seemed to be collectively disappointed Jay & Michele didn’t nominate Bananas & Nany.

After pulling the safe dagger, Veronica teases not saving Aneesa/Jordan, but did so in the end.

Colleen & Kim looked to be on their way to another elimination victory, but couldn’t quite finish off Laurel & Jakk, and got sent home for their troubles.

Question 1: Were Jay & Michele wise to not nominate Bananas & Nany, or are they fools?

TD: Fools. Nominating Bananas & Nany might have expedited the process, but eventually Bananas comes for everyone. Why not take a shot at eliminating the winningest player in Challenge history? Additionally, the rest of the house lost a lot of respect for Jay/Michele when they chose not to make a big move.

Blaine: Everything about their politics was bad, including not nominating Bananas & Nany. Look, Bananas even seems disappointed -- or at least confused. If expectation is the case, nominating them would've been fine, no harm done.

Adam: Fools. Or at least, they were fools to muddy the waters as much as they did. They really tried to recruit alliance members among those they nominated. It was one of the worst political showings in recent memory. And pissing off Laurel isn't exactly smart. I found it all highly entertaining.

Question 2: Colleen & Kim were the token sacrificial lambs this season -- the rookie team that keeps getting thrown into elimination until they're finally sent home. Did they make an impact on you, or will you forget about them once the final rolls around?

TD: We've definitely seen a lot of them on-screen this season, so it feels as if we got to know them better than the other rookie teams. But, other than Colleen's flirtation with Faysal, we didn't see a whole lot of their personalities. I guess I wouldn't mind if they came back for another season.

Blaine: Funny that you ask. I've been texting fellow Challenge obsessive and podcast host Adam Morrow, who's joined us this week, that the more they gave Kim screen time, the better he was. His response to the sexcapades last week in his room as he tried to sleep was great. Plus, he came off as a competitor: willingness to win, in shape, and unlike others in dimensions. Colleen: I could take or leave her at times, but she was decent, not too annoying and not too great. I do feel sorry for those teams who continually get thrown into elimination week after week just because it's an easy vote sans controversy. I fear that's what will become of Darrell, whom I've always liked very much.

Adam: They were memorable rookies. Kim looked physically imposing and could actually translate that into good performances, and they were a wholesome partnership. That's always nice. I would have been interested to see Colleen's politics play out further into the season. I hope they get another shot.

Question 3: Veronica said she was upset that Aneesa didn’t come to her and offer assurances that Aneesa would save her and Darrell should they pull the safe dagger. The question is… what???

TD: Yeah, I don’t know what to tell you. After all of their history, that seemed like a foregone conclusion. Veronica was just drumming up unnecessary drama.

Blaine: The edits were helpful on this front. The producers chose to show Aneesa and Veronica getting along well -- as friendly, I dare say -- while gearing up for the emo party with some makeup tips. Yeah, maybe Veronica's on to something. After being both vets and acquaintances (despite past problems), it seems fair to wonder why Aneesa wouldn't come to her as a back-up plan. Veronica, though, could've done the same.

Adam: Veronica doesn't seem to care about playing the political game this year, but she is well practiced in making good television. I assume this is where her Aneesa comments came from. I think they both know that. You could almost sense her winking at the camera and saying "and here's where you can cut to commercial." But, had it been another vet team, it wouldn't have been that surprising to see her and Darrell pull that move to gain an ally with rookies. These are the vettiest of the vets on the show, and they know they're on the outside looking in. She is savvy-think back to her gumming up the voting process in Dirty 30 purely because her team was ignoring her. Poor Leroy got sent in that time! I hated to see Kim and Colleen go, but it would've been rougher losing Laurel or Jordan this early.