Best Challenge Episode.... Ever?

Not to toot my own horn, but last week (Monday), I said it was time to tune in to the Challenge, and boy, did it deliver.

Perhaps the most action packed, back stabbing, shit talking episode ever (Spoiler Alert!).

"Fuck I'm going to cry like a little bitch" - Theresa

Theresa and Wes had a pretty shitty episode, but this part at the beginning is ludicrous. Wes wanted the three power teams to form a truce to kick out the weak team, guaranteeing all of them money.  Leroy/Nia agreed (which is surprising considering how good they are at eliminations).  Jordan/Sarah did not.  Because of this, Wes baited Jordan into calling Theresa a bitch, leading to a huge ordeal.

1. Theresa is clearly a bitch - she calls herself a bitch in this clip, get over it
2. Jordan was arguing that he's less of an asshole than Theresa is a bitch - he's an asshole too, get over it
3. Sneaky smart move by Wes to flip Leroy/Nia against Jordan/Sarah

This was just a preview of the craziness in the rest of the episode.  As predicted Banany came back, and they played the last "Battle of the Exile" in the dome.  Here's TJ's face right before the big reveal:

He is clearly not Team Wes.  He can barely contain his joy.  And then the big reveal. Banany's back, bitch!

Wes scratches his head, Theresa looks like she's gonna puke, and Jordan/Sarah are pumped.  However, there was still an elimination to be had.  It was an elimination they have used in the past, and initially seemed like it should be a cake walk for Banany.  The game is called, "It Takes Two to Tangle."

• A rope is strapped to both partners
• Teams climb a jungle gym-like structure, creating as many knots as possible in 15 min
• The teams switch jungle gyms and ropes and try to do undo the knots
• First team to get the whole rope untangled wins

It's a combination of smarts and strength/agility. The rope is really, really long and heavy, there is no break between the wrapping and unwrapping, and the mental strain only increases throughout the elimination.  It's unclear how long the unwrapping takes, but you figure the elimination is 45 min of climbing, falling, and lifting non-stop. Just look at how sweaty Zach was after the fact (I wonder how much money it wold take to get Nia to drink the sweat from this shirt, $200?).

It was clear that Jonna and Zach were more successful in the knot creation and had a lead for the majority of the time in the unwrapping phase as well.  However, eventually Zach stopped listening to Jonna (Of course he did. Is Zach actually good?), they got stuck, and Banany was victorious.  Wes and Theresa reacted appropriately.

They were devastated.  And in the after the fact "confessionals," Theresa and Wes were both on the verge of tears complaining about unfair the whole twist was.  As spectacular as this elimination was, Wes's devastation was, and how awesome it is to have Banany back in the mix is - the episode is only half over.  I repeat only HALF over, and my favorite part is still to come.

Once everyone get backs to the house the strategy talk immediately begins. Quick refresher on the strategy up to this point:

• Leroy and Bananas were besties
• Wes threw them in against each other
• Bananas went home
• Wes and Leroy became besties
• Everyone hates Jordan but will work with him because:
• He's actually good
• People like Sarah
• People ally with them because they can use him as the fall guy

Logically, Bananas and Jordan agreed to work together right off the bat.  This could have led to a great 2 vs. 2 scenario, Leroy/Wes vs. Bananas/Jordan. But that's not what happened.  Literally within about 30 seconds Bananas convinced Leroy to give up Wes and work with him again.  And just like that Theresa/Wes went from cruising into a finals to being the bottom bitch.  At this point things get interesting.  Wes confronts the three amigos poolside (notice he is scratching his head again):

At this point, Wes does not know that Leroy has flipped and is hoping he can pull a rabbit out of the hat.  Bananas, on the other hand, knows he has all the power and is enjoying it.

Representing his new found bottom bitch status, Wes does not pull up a chair but instead sits on the ground beneath the other three (scratching his head).  Wes tries to grab onto something, but Johnny is having none of it, tells him to back to the house, and thats exactly what Wes does.  Just like that, Wes acknowledges his role of bottom bitch. No confrontation, no anger, nothing - just acceptance.

Before the challenge Banany and Sarah/Jordan agree that if Wes/Theresa get last, they need to send Leroy/Nia into the dome.  However, Bananas does not want to betray Leroy so he agrees to throw the challenge if the scenario presents itself.

So now - nearly 30 minutes into the episode we get to the challenge of the week.  It is essentially an 8 (10 if you count Jay/Jenna) way dodgeball game suspended above water (of course the producers picked a game where everyone can gang up on Wes).  Here's how it unfolded:

• Nia quit before it started
• Everyone ganged up on Wes/Theresa (they lost)
• Bananas threw the challenge (in an incredibly obvious way)
• Somewhere along the way Jay/Jenna lost
• Leaving Sarah/Jordan as the winners

True to their word, they elected to throw Leroy/Nia in.  Leroy accepted this, and recognized that Bananas had thrown the challenge.  Nia did not accept it.

She was upset that Sarah/Jordan were not throwing in Jay/Jenna.

• BEFORE Banany was back, Sarah/Jordan had said they were not going to throw in Jay/Jenna
• Nia's anger is misdirected, should be at Banany
• Sarah/Jordan are doing the right thing - you obviously want to keep Jay/Jenna 

Even with Nia's obvious anger no one could have predicted her explosion at the nomination ceremony.  Just as a reminder - here's what happened the last time we saw Hurricane Nia:

Lets break down the nomination ceremony:

• Leroy stays calm
• Nia struts across a table
• Nia Calls Jordan a coward for keeping Jay/Jenna (this is what everyone should and would do)
• Nia is spewing so much shit the producers edit out large swaths
• Nia- "I'm not going to eat Bananas dingleberries."
• Nia attacks Banany for coming back into the house (this is part of the game honey)
• Nany jumps in - relatively unprovoked
• Nia - "You are the champion of sucking everyone's cocks off in this house."
• Nia - <profanity> < profanity> cum guzzling slut <profanity> <profanity>

First off, Bananas is loving every second of this, but I don't think Nia is entitled to be calling out Nany on being a "slut."  Nia is only on the show because she gave Leroy a blowie.  Nia is the girl that has written a book on how to date professional athletes.  Absolutely ridiculous Nia. 

Sidenote: chances Banany are hooking up??

And of course the show ended like this:

To be continued...