Previously on “The Challenge: Total Madness”: It was a female double Elimination Day with Aneesa outdoing Jenna while Kailah too failed when taking on rookie Kaycee
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Once again, the fallout from an Elimination Round has people reflecting on what is to come and what they need to do to ensure they have a red skull before the end. People like Josh and Cory are also planning for a victory that will help their families; putting it out there that they want in for the upcoming Elimination Round. And then there’s Wes and Johnny Bananas – two old rivals who find themselves skull-less.
The next day arrives and it’s time for another single-player Weekly Challenge, “Throne Off”: a trivia-based game where the players who get the right answers have the chance to sending another person into the freezing cold water as two strikes/wrong answers will be eliminated. The ladies are up first and holding onto the rocket is a stressor that makes it hard enough to simply concentrate. Mattie, who gets both the first question & the first strike, drops into the water when she loses her grip. Nany gets a right answer with Aneesa gladly taking the strike as Aneesa just wants to stop holding onto her rocket. Bayleigh pulls a Mattie soon after, with Jenny striking Kaycee. Kaycee actually holds on when her rocket drops to signal she just took a strike. Dee is correct in her answer, striking Kaycee to send her into the water. Melissa strikes Nany after a correct answer and Nany loses her grip to hit the water. Melissa’s next answer is wrong and she hits the water with Jenny following suite when Dee is successful with the next answer to give Dee the victory.
The guys jump onto their rockets and Swaggy C is the first person with a right answer, striking Josh and sending him into the water because Josh couldn’t hold onto the rocket & face planted. Cory holds on when he gets his question wrong, but Wes being right puts him in the water when Wes strikes Cory. Nelson too falls after one wrong answer. Kyle is wrong during his first question, but keeps his grip. Then, in a shocking twist, Johnny Bananas insults host TJ Lavin’s mother instead of giving an answer and just drops. Fessy survives a wrong answer while Swaggy doesn’t fall when given a strike from Rogan. Unfortunately for Swaggy, Rogan gets a second right answer and sends him careening to the water. Fessy dumps Kyle following a right answer; leaving himself, Rogan and Wes. Wes gets his next answer right, striking Fessy out of the game. With the remaining two struggling to stay, Rogan makes an offer: put him in the Tribunal and he’ll drop right now. Wes agrees and keeps his word as Rogan joins Wes & Dee in the Tribunal. TJ Lavin reveals that Burger King fronted $10,000 for the Weekly Challenge winners. Rogan missed out!
The politicking begins on both sides and Bananas quickly makes his wants known that he needs to go in this time. Cory is the first to speak up; questioning how Bananas getting his red skull could potentially ruin his game; but eventually gives in with Johnny shockingly putting Wes’ name on the board alongside his. Of course Cory & Nelson run and tell Wes about Bananas going in with the hope Wes gives the people what they want.
Bananas meets up with Wes and pretty much says how they shouldn’t do the deal and not get their red skulls at the other’s expense. When it’s time for the Tribunal to choose Johnny’s potential opponent, Cory, Swaggy and Kyle’s names are presented; but Wes is a potential candidate knowledgeably by the Tribunal and the rest of the house. When they arrive in Purgatory, Wes opts in for a war with Bananas for the first time in an Elimination Round in history. “Charge the Wall is the game of the evening: a wall climbing mission where the boxes making up the wall need to be smashed to potentially retrieve one of three hidden batteries needed to power the light signaling victory. The game begins and Bananas slams himself into the wall to set the stage. These drywall “boxes” aren’t the easiest to break through and it takes a while before either finds a battery with Bananas attaining one first. Wes isn’t deterred, soon getting his first battery.
Bananas is able to to find his second battery before Wes, leaving the latter scurrying for his second. Just as Wes discovers battery number two, Bananas discovers his final battery; leaping off the board and running to the signal for the victory over his old rival.
Episode High(s): The Day Has Finally Happened. Simply put: Bananas versus Wes. It finally happened after years of picking at each other, threatening violence and even coming close to an Elimination Round confrontation, we finally saw two of the biggest names in “Challenge” history finally collide. The desperation running through the competitors matched the heightened anticipation from everyone watching; culminating in Bananas finally overcoming his foe-turned-ally for this season and maybe seasons to come.
Episode Low(s): Don’t You Want a Skull? While it was wonderful to finally see Wes and Bananas collide, it’s puzzling why people like Cory & Josh are so passive in regards to getting a red skull. Knowing the writing is on the wall about needing to win an Elimination Round, players not coming back for a second chance, and the possibility of double eliminations (if not purges) has to make one wonder what the skull-less competitors are waiting for.
Weekly Challenge Winner(s): Wes & Dee
Elimination Round Winner(s): Johnny Bananas
Eliminations: Asaf (Episode 1); Jenn (Episode 2); CT (Episode 3); Ashley (Episode 4); Jay (Episode 6); Tori (Episode 7); Jordan (Episode 8); Bear (Episode 8); Kailah (Episode 9); Jenna (Episode 9); Wes (Episode 10)
Most Embarrassing Athletic Display: Josh. Though he wasn’t the first to drop into the water when his rocket dropped a notch, he was the one who fell the hardest & most hilariously with a face plant while everyone watching placed their best on how he’d hit the water with no belief that he could hold on; he proved them right.
Competitor of the Week: Johnny Bananas. Bananas came in with a game play this week and did the seemingly impossible by ensuring he ended with the episode sporting a red skull. Bananas took a chance, lost the Weekly Challenge on purpose, nominated himself for an Elimination Round, and overcame his biggest rival in “Challenge” history when he didn’t believe that would be his opponent for the evening. If Bananas isn’t considered the king of “The Challenge” I don’t know who else could be.
Episode Summary in Five Words or Less: The question is answered.
