Previously on “The Challenge: Total Madness”: In a double Elimination Round, Bayleigh & Kyle earned their red skulls at the expense of Aneesa and Josh respectively.
Everyone has a red skull now; meaning that people will no longer will want to enter Purgatory to defend their figurative crown. Those close to one another are trying to figure out how to keep their numbers strong. Arriving in front of a car, host TJ Lavin reveals another double elimination will occur today after the Weekly Challenger, “Crash Course”: a game where each competitor will drive the car with the intent of knocking over the barrels the rest of their competitors are standing on – pretty much barrel bowling with a car instead of a bowling ball. Rogan is up first and gives a pretty good example of what needs to be done with eighteen barrels knocked down.
Kaycee follows suit, getting eighteen barrels as well. Bananas impresses with twenty-five barrels, and then Kyle stops too short of the goal. Jenny, Dee, and Melissa barely get into the double digits. Cory knocks over twenty-one barrels, but Nelson misses all the barrels. Fessy also gets twenty-one barrels while Bayleigh wipes out eighteen as well. Bananas obviously wins for the guys, but it came down to distance for the ladies as Kaycee knocked her barrels the furthest. Considering their issues recently, Bayleigh is reasonably worried about Kaycee being one-third of the Tribunal. Kyle is chosen as the third member of the Tribunal while the house has to vote for a nominee. Kaycee declares she wants to protect Fessy, and Bananas promises Rogan over Fessy. When the house starts voting Rogan actually volunteers himself as he realizes the votes are not on his side. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jenny starts getting numbers against her. Rogan grills Jenny to discover that, yes, she was going to vote for Rogan even though they’ve been working together. Rogan puts it over the top with Jenny begging someone to change their vote. They don’t.
Melissa is blamed for Jenny going in as she didn’t vote for Dee and, instead, voted Bayleigh. Kyle chews into Melissa for it; making her believe she’ll be taking on Jenny. When the Tribunal comes together, they vote Cory, Nelson, Dee & Bayleigh as Jenny and Rogan’s potential opponents. When everyone arrives in Purgatory for, obviously, “Hall Brawl” (a game where the competitors have to push through one another inside a small plexiglass hallway in an attempt to ring the bell on the opponent’s side twice), Dee gets the unanimous vote to take on Jenny while Nelson will go in as he asked to sacrifice himself if need be for Cory & Cory’s family. The women are up first and Jenny muscles Dee backwards & onto her butt for the first point. Heat two begins and it’s more of the same from Jenny in a dominant performance.
Rogan and Nelson square off and Nelson actually gets the better footing as he tries to slip around him. Once Rogan gets a grip, Nelson keeps his ground in an attempt to stop Rogan from moving. Nelson is so focused on stopping Rogan he didn’t realize how close he is to the bell. When Rogan does get free he’s gained enough ground to earn the first point when they start running. Nelson says he’s learned from his mistake and comes into the second heat looking to make it to the bell. Nelson eventually trips Rogan while removing one of Rogan’s shoes. For some reason, Nelson can’t get a base when running and just continuously falls over like a baby deer as Rogan rings the bell.
Unlike last week, TJ reveals that the final is coming with the most brutal run ever in “The Challenge” history about to occur.
Episode High(s): The Perfect Episode. This was definitely one of the best, if not the best episode of the season. You had political intrigue, a fun Weekly Challenge, some shocking turn of events when it came to Elimination Round nominations, Nelson standing up for his best friend, and “Hall Brawl”. This was an incredible precursor for what is sure to be a rather long-winded finale.
Episode Low(s): Jenny Gets Called Out. The whole situation with Jenny was a sad moment not because Jenny got called out for trying to play favorite with everyone, but the fact it emotionally wrecked her and Melissa so badly for a short period of time even though they, and everyone else knew, that someone with a red skull was going into this week’s Elimination Round.
Weekly Challenge Winner(s): Bananas & Kaycee
Elimination Round Winner(s): Jenny & Rogan
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); Mattie (Episode 11); Swaggy (Episode 12); Nany (Episode 13); Aneesa (Episode 14); Josh (Episode 14); Dee (Episode 15); Nelson (Episode 15)
Most Embarrassing Athletic Display: Kyle. While Nelson, too, failed to knock over any barrels, Kyle embarrassed himself and his family. It was made known by both Kyle and TJ that Kyle’s father is a stunt driver. Osmosis doesn’t seem to work for Kyle as he completely embarrassed himself by pulling the handbrake a lot too quickly.
Competitor of the Week: Nelson. For all the terrible things he’s said this season, Nelson went out a hero during this episode. Nelson literally threw himself upon the sword for his friend even if he had the chance to win if he was paying attention to his surroundings. Even with Jenny and Rogan winning, Nelson came out as the biggest winner of the night as he pretty much signed his way into many more seasons.
Episode Summary in Five Words or Less: What about your friends?
