The Challenge Double Agents Episode 8 Recap — Winners & Losers

Winner: Huey Lewis & The News

I love Back to the Future. I referenced it in one of the first things I ever wrote one here. So starting out an episode with “Power of Love” got me ready to get in my Delorean and crank it up to 88.

Loser: Nam

Famous Challenge last words, Nam.

Lolo might not understand the game very well, but unlike her partner, she at least knows that she doesn’t understand the game very well.

Knowing what you don’t know is sometimes more important than what you do know.

Loser: Beth Harmon

What’s the chances somebody tried teaching Fessy and Josh chess and they got upset and punched the board?

Winner: Nany

At the end of the day, you are who you are.

Every single one of us watching at home had the same thought when the gang was getting prepped for this weeks daily challenge. While they stood over that mudpit, we all collectively said “okay, if they find it they gotta be sneaky about it.”

But whether it’s popping open a wine bottle or pulling a large plastic X out of a mudpit, Nany’s going to be Nany. She’s never been one for subtleties.

Loser: The Olympics

I’ll tell you what, the Winter Olympics would be a lot more entertaining if Aneesa was lurking around every competition choking people from behind then denying it.

Winner: The Challenge Gods

Balance is important. After last weeks expensive debacle of a daily, the gang was gifted with the cheapest daily challenge yet. Consisting of a mudpit and a prop they’ve had laying around since Exes 2. Extravagance was nowhere to be found.

And you know what? It worked! This was easily the best daily of the season. It just felt so Challenge-y ya know? Carrying that crucial “field day” feel, without question this one could have existed in any of the other thirty five seasons. And pretty much has in like a thousand different forms. A tried and true set-up.

K.I.S.S. Keep it simple stupid. Great advice, hurts my feelings every time.

Winner: TJ

Check out the smile on his face before Nam and CT do battle in a pole wrestle. He just loves this shit so much and knew he was in for a classic challenge duel. Watching a yoked-up rookie from a show called Ultimate Beastmaster lose to CT, whose nickname at any point could have been Ultimate Beastmaster. These are the kinds of things that we competition junkies keep coming back to see over and over again.

Loser: Fading Memories

On this episode, Kyle went head to head in a pole wrestle with Challenge legend CT and Kyle came out victorious.

In the record books, Kyle beat CT head to head in a pole wrestle.

On any spreadsheet, or wikipedia page, or anything of that nature, it will say that Kyle beat CT in a pole wrestle.

In five years mostly everyone will think that Kyle beat CT in a pole wrestle.

But that’s why context is important. That’s why it’s always been hard to take stats and numbers in this game as the end all be all. More than any other sport, the eye test on The Challenge matters.

Kyle didn’t beat CT last night. The rules beat CT last night.

Winners: The Bouncers at Klub K0ViD

Easiest 20 bucks an hour anyone’s ever made.

I’m a pretty empathic guy, so when I get let down by something, I can usually figure out why it happened which sort of dulls the blow. But the drinking/club/party portion of this season is starting to get to me a little bit. It’s slowly taking the wind out of my sails.

I mean, just toss a couple bottles of tequila into the mix. Let’s see what happens.

Winner: Big T

Shout out to anyone who owns a pink silk robe with your ironic nickname bedazzled onto the back.

Winner: The Word ‘Ho’

Between being featured prominently on the Bachelor Monday night and Aneesa dropping it in reference to Amber M., we’ve been inundated with ‘ho’ content this week.

Winners: The Ambers

Their little “I know, you know, and I know you know I know” back and forth was my favorite part of the episode.

To summarize, Amber B. asked Kyle not to tell Amber M. she voted for her. And then Amber M. asked Kyle to tell her if Amber B. did that exact thing. Watching Amber M. get two steps ahead of Amber B.’s bullshit was interesting. In my mind, she’s now moved herself into the Head Amber spot on the Amber Leaderboard.

You ever say a word out loud so many time that it loses all meaning? Yeah, me neither.

Loser: Josh

Even when he wins, he loses. He’s the Milhouse of the The Challenge.

That elimination performance left me with a ton of questions. But let’s first talk about Josh’s arm.

He was throwing the ball left handed, but he looked like Mitch Kramer from Dazed and Confused doing it. Are we sure he’s left handed? Like I’m not even kidding, he might be using the wrong hand just generally in life.

Secondly, was he not listening when TJ explained that the panels that will break are on your completed puzzle? He literally put together the answer key. Being down in an elimination I imagine is a lot of pressure and adrenaline can scramble your brain if you let it. But that performance did more to explain his 0–3 start in eliminations than it did to justify a win.

I don’t want to hate on Josh, it’s played out and every person who writes about this show does it. But I mean he does it to himself! It’s so hard to hold back. Anyways…

Loser: Mechie

…sorry, one more…

Being responsible for Josh’s first elimination win is a tough look to have on your Reality TV Resume.

Winner: Kyle

He now has both Devin and Josh to use as a meat shield when skulls start getting stolen. Kyle’s built himself the sturdiest runway to TJ’s Finals sitting one savvy move away from nailing down his spot for good.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to check back on Sunder for my updated Power Rankings. And in case you missed it, I released Volume 3 in my Moments in Challenge History Series. As always, happy Challenge watching!