‘The Challenge: USA’ season 2 episode 13 recap: Which two challengers were eliminated a week before the final? [LIVE BLOG]
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Tonight on “The Challenge: USA,” one competitor must face their greatest fear in a terrifying challenge, and a double elimination forces allies to turn on each other, leading to a shocking betrayal, on the penultimate episode titled “The Treason for the Season,” airing Thursday, October 12 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS (and available the next day on Paramount+). TJ Lavin hosts. Follow our live blog below.
Among the CBS cast members are three people who previously won their seasons: Michele Fitzgerald (“Survivor: Kaôh Rōng”), Josh Martinez (“Big Brother 19”) and Chris Underwood (“Survivor: Edge of Extinction”). “MTV Challenge” vets are Wes Bergmann, Tori Deal, Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, Amanda Garcia, Jonna Mannion and Cory Wharton. How will these six all-stars now fare when competing with CBS reality favorites? In the end, only one man and one woman will emerge victorious, taking home $250,000 each.
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The 10 challengers still fighting for the top prize are Michaela Bradshaw, Cassidy Clark, Tori Deal, Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, Chanelle Howell, Josh Martinez, Faysal Shafaat, Chris Underwood, Cory Wharton and Desi Williams.
10:00 p.m. — Previously on “The Challenge: USA”! Tables are turned and alliances scrambled to navigate a new power dynamic after an intense challenge in the Croatian ruins. After Desi and Chris won the challenge they nominated Michele Fitzgerald and Josh for elimination. When Cassidy’s name came out of the hopper, Josh was declared safe and the women faced off in a game of “Hot Wheel.” Cassidy dominated the game, sending the “Survivor” champ packing. But enough about last week, it’s time to find out who makes TJ’s final!
10:05 p.m. — The challengers return from the arena and Cassidy celebrates being 3-0. They keep throwing her in, but she refuses to give up. The next morning Josh and Faysal celebrate how far they’ve come in this game and pledge their loyalty to the end. They just have to make it through one more challenge to run that final together. Josh says he owes everything to Cory, Faysal, Bananas and Tori. Josh says his drive and focus comes from wanting to give his family their dream life and he’s determined to win. Chanelle admits she suffers from “imposter syndrome” because she wasn’t a star on “Survivor.” She has something to prove to herself.
10:10 p.m. — The players arrive at the next challenge. TJ says this matters more than ever because tonight is a double elimination. The winner of today’s challenge will advance straight to the final. In “Burst Your Bubble,” players will race up a 40-foot rope ladder to a hot air balloon. One at a time, they’ll race across a narrow beam to another hot air balloon. The fastest man and fastest woman to accomplish this will win today’s challenge and advance to the final. They’ll also nominate two players for elimination. Heat 1 is Faysal and Cassidy. Faysal looks good and sets the time to beat. Cassidy looks okay, completing the challenge with what looks like a beatable time. Heat 2 is Cory and Desi. Cory looks solid! Desi nearly falls off the beam, but completes it as well. Heat 3 is Josh and Chanelle — they look decent. Heat 4 is Chris and Tori and Chris kills it! He’s the one guy everyone wants out, but he’s proving every week that he’s just a monster in this game.
10:15 p.m. — Heat 5 is Bananas and Michaela. Michaela actually holds her own against Bananas on the rope ladder. Despite flying up the ladder, Michaela’s fear of heights gets the better of her once she’s up on the balloon. She starts crying and praying for courage. She’s tied to a rope, it’s not like she will fall to her death, but a phobia is a phobia. Michaela finds the nerve and completes the task in a good time. Bananas is wowed by her. With everyone finished, TJ reveals 14 seconds separated the top two women — Michaela and Tori — but the winner is Michaela! Next he reveals three seconds separated Faysal and Chris, but the winner is Chris! Wow! This is going to be fun to watch the bloodbath take place as the alliance of Josh, Faysal, Cory and Bananas will now have to throw each other under the bus.
10:25 p.m. — Players return to the house and everyone pretends to be happy for about 10 seconds. Then Faysal pulls Josh aside and says they can’t let Bananas slide. He’s won too many of these, and even though he’s Josh’s friend, Faysal says they have to get Bananas out. Faysal is predicting the last arena will be Hall Brawl because they have yet to see it. The last thing Faysal wants to do is go against Josh or Cory in a Hall Brawl. All of this is speculation, so what matters first is who Chris and Michaela decide to throw into the arena. They sit down at the deliberation table and settle on Cassidy and Faysal. Chris knows Faysal is the most dangerous man in the arena and he wants everyone else sweating as much as possible. This is his payback.
10:30 p.m. — The rest of the house comes out to see who was nominated. Chris’ strategy worked. The men are terrified of Faysal. Josh and Bananas are having a chat and Bananas is confused why Josh is having a difficult time figuring out what to do. The obvious thing to do would be vote in Cory because Bananas, Josh and Tori have been working together this entire game. Will Josh really flip on his friend and throw Bananas in the hopper? Josh tells Bananas he will never vote for him and puts it on his grandpa in heaven. Meanwhile, Tori made a deal with Cory and Faysal that she wouldn’t throw them in if she had power at the end of the game. Now she has to choose between her friends Josh and Bananas, which puts her in a tough position. This vets alliance is absolutely in shambles right now. Later, Josh talks to Faysal. Faysal tells Josh it’s simple, he either screws him over and votes for Cory or he votes for Bananas. Faysal Josh’s decision will dictate their friendship moving forward.
10:35 p.m. — It was only a matter of time, but Josh is now crying. It’s time to throw votes in the hopper. Everyone places their secret votes and we’ll just have to see how things shake out. We see Bananas vote for Cory and Desi without giving it a second thought. Cory votes for Bananas, Cassidy votes for Chanelle, Tori votes for Chanelle and everything else is a mystery. Josh stands in the hopper room sobbing and finally picks someone. Then he goes and sits on the stairs, crying some more. Later he walks into the living room and continues to cry, confessing to Bananas that he voted for him. Bananas is furious. Moments ago Josh swore on his own grandfather he wouldn’t do this. Now Tori comforts Josh, telling him, “I voted for you!” Bananas walks by saying, “enough Josh,” while he continues crying. Then Bananas learns Tori voted for Josh. He’s gobsmacked by these two. He can’t believe they have no loyalty to their own alliance. Josh is a hot mess, but Tori, ever the beast she is, just walks away and says, “Alright, well you guys pack,” lol.
10:45 p.m. — The players at the arena and Faysal was right, it’s a good old fashioned Hall Brawl! TJ introduces Faysal and Cassidy as two of tonight’s competitors. Let’s see who they’ll be up against. Receiving votes in the hopper are Tori (2), Desi (1), Chanelle (5), Cory (1), Josh (2) and Bananas (5). TJ revs up the hopper and pulls out two names. Facing off against Cassidy will be Chanelle. Facing off against Faysal will be Josh. Wow! Bananas survives the hopper. Bananas is thrilled to see karma bite Josh in the ass.
10:47 p.m. — In “Hall Brawl,” opponents will start on opposite sides of a hallway. When TJ says “Go,” they’ll run through their opponent. This time, players will have a shield. Also new this time is that there is no bell to ring at the end. Instead, players will have to solve a puzzle. It really is sort of an equalizer that nullifies the power portion of this game.
10:50 p.m. — Cassidy and Chanelle are up first. As expected, Chanelle sort of overpowers Cassidy in the hallway. Still, they get to the puzzle around the same time so none of that really mattered. Chanelle finished the puzzle first, so after her fourth time down in the arena, Cassidy is finally eliminated.
11:00 p.m. — It’s now Faysal vs. Josh. In the hallway these two go hard at each other. They reach the puzzle at about the same time. After a couple failed guesses, Faysal just stops trying to count. Instead he runs back and forth, just guessing numbers. The strategy pays off and he wins this elimination, sending Josh home. It’s a worst-case scenario for Josh, who not only got eliminated, but betrayed Bananas on his way out for no reason. Once again a Challenge final eludes Josh. He says, “I’m just disappointed in myself. I sold myself out.” Cassidy is also emotional, reminded of how close she came in “Survivor” before falling short. Bananas says he’s not sad to see Josh go, adding, “Don’t take care, I hope to see you never.”
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