Previously on “The Challenge: Total Madness”: After relationship woes wrecked the minds of Kailah & Jenna, Jordan, Nany & Jenna became the newest version of the Tribunal after winning the weekly Challenge.
According to Jordan, the active plan for the upcoming women’s Elimination Round is for Jenna to nominate herself as she wants to go home with Tori being the person responsible for sending her home. Jenna is determined to go in, but not to lose. Kailah & Nany attempt to convince her to not go in just yet because Tori is a killer; telling Jenna that Jenny should be the person who takes on Tori. When the nominations begin for the non-Tribunal, Tori votes herself in with the statement she hopes everyone follows her lead. It starts working before Nelson puts his foot in his mouth by apologizing to Aneesa for his actions during the last episode prior to insulting Kailah for making out with Bear when Kailah attempts to defend the honor of Jenna. Eventually the vote is unanimous for Tori. Kailah is very appreciative of Bear for standing up & defending her against Nelson; going as far as to have a little cuddle time.
Later in the night, Jordan & Tori are easy to work alongside Swaggy C & Bayleigh after the latter and Jordan had a verbal blow up during the weekly Challenge. Aneesa steps up when she sees another potential long-distance relationship fall apart as Kaycee is caught in Nany’s drunken flirting. Nany runs up on Aneesa, getting into a scuffle with her when Aneesa tries to walk away. Nany is definitely belligerent; picking a verbal fight with Jenna. As Aneesa attempts to tell Jenna to let it go, Nany snaps at Aneesa again; throwing her noodles across the room at Aneesa. The next morning arrives and Nany is overwhelmed with regret; apologizing to Aneesa.
It’s time for the Tribunal to determine who may enter Purgatory to face Tori. Nany brings up the fact putting Jenny in there for her to come back may be for the worst. Instead they opt for Dee to take Jenny’s potential spot. Jordan convinces Jenna & Nany to put in Kailah and Big T alongside Dee. Dee is pissed and expresses that to the Tribunal. Jordan admits that Dee is on the list because she took a red skull from Tori early in the season. Big T brings up the fact she’s perceived as the weakest girl and gets a little emotional. The Tribunal make sure she understands nothing about this is personal as Big T comes across as a sweetheart… unlike Jenna’s boyfriend and former “Challenge” competitor Zach who accuses Jenna of cheating and is ready to breakup with her if she doesn’t come home now.
It’s game time and everyone heads to Purgatory where host TJ Lavin gives Nany or Jenna the chance to earn their red skull. Jenna opts in to take on Tori in “Dust to Dust”: a relay race where the competitors have to retrieve & break bricks over an elevated platform to fill up a wheelbarrow that will be manually deposited in a container with the winner being the first one to fill up their container with the broken pieces. The game begins and Jenna is a brick-breaking machine.
Instead of breaking each set of bricks like Jenna, Tori’s gameplan sees her mostly depositing whole bricks through the holes for giant deposits. Jordan is screaming at Tori in an effort to help her; causing her to actually forget moments of progression like when she should empty the wheelbarrow. Jenna, unfortunately, is starting to burn out physically even though Tori is making mistakes; giving Tori a chance to catchup. It’s almost neck & neck by the final minutes with both racing to dump their wheelbarrow at the same time. TJ announces both have around one wheelbarrow dump left. Jenna makes it to her wheelbarrow first with Tori right behind her.
Jordan is incensed, but eventually gets a hold of himself to let his fiance go home.
Episode High(s): Don’t Count Your Chickens… This episode built on the uncertainty of Jenna’s mental stability topped by the idea of Tori finally getting her red skull at the expense of Jenna or whomever. There was a great amount of intrigue as to who would face Tori; culminating in a tense Elimination Round with a rather surprising finish that proves everyone has a chance to win an Elimination Round as long as they keep trying.
Episode Low(s): Foot in Mouth Disease. Nelson’s unwarranted verbal lashing of Aneesa during the last episode was disgusting. Just when Nelson attempted to right the wrong against Aneesa, he goes and verbally assaults Kailah for the latter simply defending her friend’s ability to win. Kailah never insulted Nelson before Nelson insulted her. As if that wasn’t enough, Nany, in a drunken stupor, went off on Aneesa for simply trying to avoid both Nany and Kaycee from doing something stupid.
Weekly Challenge Winners: N/A
Eliminations: Asaf (Episode 1); Jenn (Episode 2); CT (Episode 3); Ashley (Episode 4); Jay (Episode 6); Tori (Episode 7)
Most Embarrassing Athletic Display: Nany. With only one athletic offering during the entire episode, the only moment of athleticism saw Nany hurling a cup of noodles at Aneesa in embarrassing fashion not just because of the act itself, but the fact Nany couldn’t get much distance with her thrown so most of the noodles just splatted on the floor right in front of its thrower.
Competitor of the Week: Jenna. The whole episode saw people talking about Jenna checking out mentally and just trying to get her way out of the house. The whole time Jenna was ready to fight and even when fatigue started kicking in didn’t stop her from continuing to push until she won.
Episode Summary in Five Words or Less: Winners never quit.
