Taking on 'The Challenge: Battle of the Eras' | "Best Friends 4Era"

Season 40 of the MTV staple The Challenge moves to its end and each Thursday evening, The Alabama Take covers of Battle of the Eras in the form of recaps, analysis, thoughts, questions, and answers. Find it on the site every Thursday. 

The Challenge: Battle of the Eras inches closer to the endpoint with “Best Friends 4Era,” its thirteenth episode this season. Upon returning to the abode, Johnny Bananas breaks a panel to the front door and battle lines get deeper as he and Michele continue their confrontation in the kitchen. Josh is caught in the middle, and Kyland claims that he can be friends with everyone, but he cannot ally with them all. It all seems to put Josh in Bananas’ Angels camp. In the daily, the players are tasked with running through a large trench dug to be the number forty, avoiding obstacles along the way, and collecting puzzle pieces shaped like connected balls. Each player brings the balls back above ground and must create a pyramid out of the pieces, which confuses more than it clarifies. All except Jordan seem to have some trouble; he takes the win for the men. For the ladies, it’s Cara Maria, which is great for her as she was one of the three targets. Since Michele finishes last thanks to the one-minute penalty from last week, she ends up finishing last. The game itself decides that it will be Olivia versus Michele in elimination this week and there’s no need for Jordan to make a decision, one he dreaded. Cory finishes last for the men and will pay for it next week. Back at the house, it’s a lot of sitting around before time to hit the bar, where some very detailed talk of alliances take place: Cory tries to align with Michele; Michele breaks down over the thought of having to compete against Olivia one on one. In the elimination, the two ladies must create a DNA-style ladder with poles placed into circles for rungs. At the top, they collect letters which will spell out three words. Some letters are in place at the bottom where the words are to be created, and Michele, though not as fast on the ladder’s creation, manages to win thanks to a crossword hobby and Olivia’s dyslexia. Michele picks her targets for next week: Bananas, Josh, and to his dismay, Cory.  

With bus footage, usually resorted to behind-the-scenes bonuses on Instagram these days, viewers get a heated moment between Michele and Bananas over Aviv and Bananas’ feet touching. How hurtful was Michele’s comment to Johnny, or more importantly, to Aviv? 

Blaine: Something got lost in portrayal. The producers needed a better explanation in a confessional from Bananas, Aviv, Michele, or all three. Michele’s comments feel like the usual antagonistic prodding from players common to The Challenge. Is Aviv married? Is Bananas involved with someone? It wasn’t even that obvious that Michele was implying that Aviv and Bananas have a thing going on, which is what I conclude. Of course, it gives Johnny a welcome opportunity to get on the offensive and stir up more than is necessary, but that’s why you either love him or hate him. I do appreciate more of this from the show, though. We don’t see the bus rides any more. 

TD: I think the fuss had to do with an implication that there was something illicit going on between the two, when I do believe Aviv is married. I forget who it was now, hell maybe it was Bananas himself, but someone did a confessional where they pointed out that everyone touches everyone in some way while in the house, be it massages or whatever. As they said, they’re isolated in that house, and only had each other to lean on. I think Michele was just trying to stir shit, but if you’re go at the king of shit stirrers, you better be prepared.

OK, last week we had you give your power rankings. This week, tell us who your rooting interests are, and who you’re rooting against.

Blaine: Hate on me all you want, but I’m a Johnny Bananas fan. Years ago, maybe I would not have said his name. If Jordan wins, that is great. He deserves legend status if he doesn’t have it already in the eyes of viewers. Then there’s Kyland. I’ll claim that as long as he stays on as competitor for the next several years as others have, he could overtake some legends with their records. I’d like to see it. As for the ladies, is it me or does Jenny seem like she deserves a win here for being shunned yet also being a good competitor? I’m not always crazy about Tori’s game play, but it doesn’t bother me to see her a winner. I saved Rachel for last. I’m old school, she’s old school, and us old dogs need to show we can still bite. 

TD: I’m beating a dead horse here, but goddamn I cannot stand Michele. The whining, the crying, the hypocrisy…I mean, damn, she’s made me side with Josh of all people. So, I would love for her to go home, or at least deliver a decidedly last place finish in the final. As for who I want to win? I think I gotta go with Cory on the guy’s side. He’s one of the last of the Real World alumni, and debuted way back in season 37 on Bloodlines. There have been periods where he’s annoyed me, but I’d love to see him finally get a Challenge championship. As for the ladies, Rachel having a comeback season for the ages would be awesome. We haven’t seen her in 18 seasons! A win in the final would give her three, firmly putting her in the discussion for best female competitors of all time.

Be honest, was there just a little part of you that saw the course for the daily and wished that, at some point, C.T. would appear out of thin air and run somebody over?

Blaine: Are you kidding!? Lord, yes! Oh, C.T. Get back in shape and give us one or two more amazing runs to a final, at least. Maybe had C.T. been there, they would’ve separated the daily between the ladies and the men to make it more of a head basher. It sure had that potential.  

TD: It was literally all I could think about. That course reminded me so much of the old Rivals elimination where C.T. ran over Bananas and Tyler at the same time. 

Was this episode more boring than others this season because of a lack of deliberation, because it’s hard to muster care over Olivia versus Michele in an elimination, or none of the above?

Blaine: Little here was compelling. Michele cries almost as much Josh, so that’s not new. Her beef with Bananas is too back and forth, and though it brings out Johnny’s more hilarious side (making his own target sleeve, picking his teeth during target selection), the show could’ve used additional drama: it would’ve been fascinating to see Jordan have to squirm over a social decision although I like him a lot. The daily challenge was okay, though having the ladies run it with the men seemed to remove some chances for more violent or entertaining collisions. When the show has to use Tori’s meditation practices with Josh and Jordan, it does feel slower than it should. 

TD: I think the big problem here was the focus on Michele and Olivia’s friendship. Good. God. Did you know they’re best friends??? They only told us about 3,847 this episode. I guess there just wasn’t much material to use – sadly, this is the major side effect of the contestants not partying like they used to. Now, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, they needed to be reigned in, for sure; but, there isn’t even as much fun, silly things going on in the house like there used to be. Remember when they had a funeral for Devyn’s wig during Free Agents? It’s moments like those that have been missing in this new era, moments that can make up for a lackluster day of competition.

Confessionals:

• “You control somebody to the degree that you throw them out of control.” Who knew Bananas’ Challenge style came from his father? Is this good life advice?! - Blaine 

• “Oh yeah, that looks great” is a fantastic T.J. quote when he criticizes Olivia in the daily. - Blaine

• Derek has played a super good game, and Bananas points it out. Anyone else have him still competing this season in the thirteenth episode? Not me! - Blaine

• I thought the puzzle in the daily was pretty lame. Just didn’t have much to it in my eyes. - TD

• Cara Maria is sneakily getting an easy ride to the final, and that might come back to bite the other female competitors in the ass. - TD