The Challenge: Double Agents Episode 17 Recap — Winners & Losers

Welcome back to another edition of Winners & Losers! Last night, TJ finally gave us all what we’ve been waiting for, the ticket to his Final. Inside this week: I can’t stop being sad about Kyle and Nany, we discuss jelly, Fessy’s out of good clothes, and much much more…

Loser: Time Management

My COVID related fun-employment has officially come to and end and I got my job back! Which means my checking account, 401k, and health insurance are clear winners, but my free time to write about The Challenge certainly is a loser.

To my legions and/or dozens of fans…I will be back on a normal schedule with Sunday Power Rankings to close out Double Agents, as well as Winners & Losers for All Stars.

Stick with me everyone. Opening up a restaurant that’s a city block long in the heart of downtown Chicago with four days notice was a lot more complicated than anticipated.

Alright, enough self indulgence, let’s get to The Challenge…

Loser: Timing

The Challenge Gods have done everything they possibly could to ensure Kyle and Nany get stuck together and they’re BOTH NOT SINGLE!!!

While Covid may go down as the worst thing to ever happen to anyone reading this right now, Nany and Kyle being tied together by destiny while they’re not “vaxxed and waxed” is a disappointment to all of us.

Winner: Ageing

Leroy having an entire confessional (let alone a season storyline) dedicated to how wrapped up he is in a legitimate relationship has zero correlation with anything Leroy has presented us with up to this point.

But that’s just it, right? That’s why we stick around this long, right? We all met Leroy so long ago. Like, imagine how much different of a person you were in 2011. I wouldn’t even recognize that myself from back then.

Leroy, though? Leroy did all of that in front of us. Putting his body on the line for money. We watched him change, and we’ve been with him while he’s become the well-adjusted, level headed person he is now.

Winner: Bleeding the Same Blood, in the Same Mud

Just to piggyback off of that, this is the only show on television that is better the more you watch it. My parents have been watching Jeopardy since I was a little guy back in the suburbs of Chicago. But even though I’m sure they’ve been exposed to more facts than most, all that time they’ve put into Jeopardy has no bearing on the episode that airs the next day. Or the next day. Or the day after that. On Monday? Yeah, we’re just gonna reset with a whole new board and a brand new set of questions.

But All Stars has me in a nostalgic headspace. And Leroy, soaking up a hot tub in a remote location in Iceland, really has a way of bringing not only the cast, but the viewers crashing back down to earth.

We’re all lucky for finding and embracing this show. Never forget that.

Loser: Surprise Parties

Seriously TJ?

I covered the rampant Senioritis last week, but this is just overkill.

“Hey we’re doing an overnight senior sleepover at the school nine days before graduation. You in?”

“No, Stacy, I’m good. Thanks though.”

Winner: Tired Decision Making

Lorne Michaels, godfather of Saturday Night Live, loves to work his writing staff to the point of exhaustion, because that’s when you’re consciousness gets broken down and you’re willing to give any idea an honest effort because you’re too tired to fight against it in your own head.

While cruel, there is some truth to it. So when TJ showed up at the buttcrack of dawn, asking the gang (sans CT (not as fun to type as sans Bananas)) to make potentially a million dollar decision, I surprisingly trust them to make the right choices. Only a matter of time until the daily challenge sorts this all out…

Winner: PB&J

Personally, I go with wheat bread, grape J, and chunky PB. I think strawberry is easily the worst J you could go with. I once had a rhubarb J with creamy PB that were both cultivated at the farm I bought them from. That was one hell of a PB&J…what’s that? Nobody cares? Copy that. Moving on…

Loser: Math

Honestly, same.

Anyone who struggled on the math portion of this Challenge or just struggles on the math portion of life, this one goes out to all of you. To all of us, really.

For one, they didn’t have ram ball juice for their fingers to write it out like they normally to.

Secondly, iPhones have a calculator. So, whatever, ya know? Amirite?

Winner: Gambling

Do I?! Of course I do.

The backdoor gambling subplot is one of my favorite unearthed Challenge minutia. I want all the stories. I want to know who does the books. I want to know who’s a mark. I want to know what the largest amount of money put on an elimination match-up is. I want to know it all.

The final evolution of this show is to eradicate spoilers and allow us to live bet on Draft Kings.

Loser: Fessy’s Family and Friends

It’s like going to see your nephew play little league except he sucks and rides the bench most of the game until the coach mercifully sticks him in right field for the last two innings because the other team is full of righty’s and we may as well get our worst player some tick.

Although awful analogy aside, I was fine with it. Fessy having to just sit there, with no control over his fate was catnip on my end. That being said…

Loser: Fessy’s Partner Luck

Paul George is an incredible basketball player. Fessy is an incredible Challenger.

Paul George has run into a lot of adversity in his career, some self imposed and some not. Fessy has run into a lot of adversity this season. Some self imposed some not.

Paul George leads the league in one category, and one category only. Excuses. Fessy leads Double Agents in one category, and one category only. Excuses.

What was the point of all of that? Honestly? I’m not really sure. Comparing Fessy to Paul George is sort of a stretch. But if you look at it at just the right angle, you barely notice a difference.

Winner: Politics

I’m a sucker for a scene breaking down vote totals. Call me simple if you must. But The Challenge gets me every single time when there’s a room of a select few discussing votes and how they may fall, and how they need to fall.

The skull twist giveths and the skull twist takeths away, but “people sitting in a room soft-talking about politics” is something that the skulls might not have completely obliterated, but they’ve certainly muted.

Similar to Total Madness, the intriguing game strategy (while completely and utterly obvious) is being saved for the very end.

Loser: Leroy’s Paranoia

Okay, I’m not sure Fessy and Kaycee have been necessarily “planning” to run the final together at the end, but timing is one of the biggest factors in every single person’s life.

Fessy’s desperate for a life raft. You can tell by the tone of his voice from the minute they got home from the daily challenge. It’s much more assertive. It’s much more clear on how he feels. Much less…(don’t do it…seriously, Brian, leave it alone)…much less introverted (damnit)

Fessy’s been playing a wishy-washy game all season. Part of that comes with being paired with Aneesa for as long as he was, but in his mind he’s been untouchable (and within the structure of the skull twist, desirable). So what reason would he have to rock the boat in any way. Sure, Devin got his pokes in. But ultimately, Fessy’s been happy to be an interchangeable piece in his alliance’s chess game.

Loser: Denim

Not the best shirt. At least lose a button? Why is your necklace hanging out?

I’m wearing sweatpants, so I don’t want to press too hard, but read the room man. Everyone else is on the athleisure portion of the proceedings.

Winner: The Dog Days

It’s the fourth day of the Music Festival.

It’s an August baseball game between two last place teams.

It’s that Sunday night in Vegas when you’ve been there since Thursday and your plane leaves at 2pm Monday afternoon.

It’s getting to everyone.

The end of any journey, especially one as taxing as The Challenge, is a tough thing to navigate. It’s right around now where everyone starts breaking down. Who hasn’t cried a little bit behind their sunglasses eating a dry hot dog on a Sunday afternoon after three straight days of partying surrounded by people in the middle of a campground? That’s just me? Cool.

Shout out to Amber for even making it this far. She’s probably exhausted.

Winner: Veteran Savvy

Cory!

Cory!

Finally! Cory playing the game with the guile and deft moves of a seasoned veteran (ya know, what he is by now) is a fresh development over the last two seasons. But it’s so fun to watch!

“Fessy man, totally go in there. Legends never die bro. It would be way cooler if you went in than if you didn’t.”

What a veteran move. Who would have ever thought Cory would be the smartest guy left in the house? Well…let’s not get carried away. But you know what I mean.

Loser: Kyle’s Nap

Okay, while I’m sure he’s super psyched to be involved with this shady ass backdoor deal, I have to wonder how good that nap they woke him up from was.

As somebody who recently spent four months on Covid induced funemployment, I got real invested in the minutia of naps. If Kyle was in the midst of a thumper, I’m not sure if saving myself from elimination would be worth waking up from one.

Is that a bad opinion? Well, yeah of course is it. But Covid warped everyone’s brain, not just mine, so I don’t feel bad about it at all.

Winner: Written Speeches

This must have been what it was like to witness the Gettysburg Address in person. The pinnacle of eloquence.

Loser: Kyle

This is two weeks in a row now where Kyle somehow didn’t “see it coming”.

In this case the “it” is being the sacrificial lamb between Leroy and Cory. Like, duh. Of course that wasn’t going to work out for you, Kyle. Kam fighting to throw herself down there so Cory has to go against Fessy is a solid plan on paper, but that’s almost impossible to pull of in actuality.

Winner: Fessy’s Early 20s

Fessy spent his early 20s playing high-level college football. Kyle spent his early 20s in various pubs chasing girls.

Hall Brawl is an elimination that only applies to one of those. So obviously going in, advantage Kyle.

Production has been quite clear in what they want to happen this season. Giving a football player a football elimination when their back is against the wall and TJ’s Final is within reach is quite the gift.

Winner: Ronnie Lott

In 1986, Ronnie Lott played safety for the San Fransisco 49ers. He, like Kyle, broke a finger of his. Rather than getting the surgery to repair it, and therefore having a long road to recovery and missing games, he had the finger amputated so he could keep playing. The ultimate tough-guy move in the ultimate tough-guy sport.

Now I’m not saying Kyle should have amputated his finger to continue against Fessy, I’m just pointing out that he didn’t.

Winner: Adam, Dustin, Heather, Cooke, Naomi, and Mike Mike

Shout out Las Vegas. Shout out to the Hard Rock Hotel. Shout out to Adam Royer.

Nany and Leroy both in the Final? As partners?! I’m one step away from needing medical attention.

I couldn’t be any happier with the way things shook out for both them and me. I never had any interest in rooting for Fessy or Kaycee in the Final, and at one point it was looking like I was going to be forced to. But now that neither of them are tethered to my favorites I won’t have to worry.

LFGNANYANDLEROY. I cannot wait until next week.