The Challenge Season 37 Recap – Survivor Vs Survivor (Ep. 1)
This upcoming season of The Challenge is titled Spies, Lies, and Allies. There’s a heavy international flavor yet again and while we see a lot of favorites, it feels like it’s more about the new flavor than it’s been. There’s no Johnny Bananas and no Cara Maria. There’s a heavy Survivor and Big Brother numbers game. And much of the international side comes from a bunch of TV shows that wouldn’t be seen in the US.
When I did my preview on YouTube, reality guru Larry Causion and I wondered if The Challenge was moving toward a much more international audience. I have no idea how popular this show is outside of the US, but I’d bet so.
This season, I’ll be recapping the episodes here as well as doing a sometimes short video podcast on our YouTube channel. You can subscribe to make sure you see those episodes when they get published.
TJ’s opening line:
The Challenge is back and right now we’re in a world of secrets and spies where truth, deception, knowledge and power collide.
Go ahead TJ.
The first mission is for the global agents (international) to pick their US partners. The US agents are chained to cinder blocks which has numbers and letters on it. The global agents had to run with a sledge hammer, which also has a key attached, to help unlock their new partner.
Emanuel from Survivor Romania immediately tries to unlock Kaycee. Kelz from the first season of Too Hot To Handle goes for Tori. Kyle, who is probably going to be used as the spokesperson for the global team mostly because he’s the only one we’re familiar with, teams up with Amanda. Our good friend Nam from last season grabs Michele, winner of US Survivor season 32.
Here’s a list of all of the teams:
Amanda & Kyle
Aneesa & Logan
Ashley & Hughie
Corey & Emy
Cory & Bettina
CT & Berna
Devin & Tracy
Fessy & Esther
Jeremiah & Tacha
Josh & Lauren
Kaycee & Emanuel
Michaela & Renan
Michele & Nam
Nany & Gabo
Nelson & Priscilla
Tommy & Big T
Tori & Kelz
The Americans were attached to a safe and to win the challenge, you had to know the code based on the numbers and letters on the cinder blocks, that unlocks the safe. Of course, not everyone paid attention to the numbers. Our guy Nelson tried too many codes that were wrong and locked himself out of trying for five minutes. He yelled at it several times as if it would magically hear him and give him more chances.
Aneesa and Logan unlock their safe first. They grab their gems and run toward the finish line and win the first challenge. Ashley and Hughie, a former boxer, finish last. Surprisingly, Ashley is taking it well. Actually, she’s not. She thinks she’s somehow getting screwed.
TJ tells them the prize is 1 million dollars. TJ teases Ashley and she thinks they’re already eliminated. But they’re not. Surprisingly, Ashley was taking this well. Actually, she wasn’t. But she was relieved.
Aneesa and Logan are The Agency since they won. They’re safe from elimination. The rest of the house sends in one team for the elimination round and The Agency sends in the team they’ll face in the elimination.
Booze in the house is back! At least I saw wine and beer. Last season for Double Agents, I think they were drinking mocktails.
Nany asked Gabo why he picked her for her partner. He said it’s because she was hot. He might have to answer to Kaycee.
Logan was talking about Aneesa like he talked about his grandmother. He must think this is All-Stars on Paramount Plus. CT loves that his partner Berna was an acrobat because it meant she worked for the circus. Is The Challenge comparable to the circus? Kelz is in love with Tori. She might be too hot to handle bruh.
The vets want to make sure that they keep each other safe and that a rookie team goes home first. And I think Big Brother might be going head up with Survivor pretty soon.
It’s Logan and Michele’s birthday so it’s an excuse to party. Everyone dresses their best, including Devin who wears only some gold colored speedos and ends up jumping into the pool.
Emanuel is falling for Michele from Survivor. My guy is probably not going to have a great chance since he has neck and face tats.
The Challenge is finally back #thechallenge37 pic.twitter.com/jadoadC2Ty
— ryn 🏙 (@finallreckoning) August 12, 2021
Ashley and Nelson are somewhat of an item. As are Nany and Kaycee. Okay, Nany and Kaycee might be more of an item. Amanda and Fessy are hooking up as well.
Last year, Fessy went into elimination against Nelson for what Nelson calls, “selfish ass-shit” and Fessy agrees. Fessy tries to make amends but Nelson isn’t having it. Fessy says he owes him one.
Tori is worried that the Survivor folks are so good at politics and Michaela feels like the Survivor folks have a target on their back. Emy, who is from Survivor Romania, spies on the Survivor folks and tells Tori and Aneesa that they had a list of who they trust and didn’t trust.
Michaela shows the list to the curious folks and looks guilty as hell. Michele and Tommy look like they want to separate themselves from Michaela. One episode in and the Survivor alliance is already in jeopardy? Come on y’all!
Nominations are happening in a room with a triangle table. TJ tells the agents that they have 20 minutes to lock in the team they want to compromise. Michaela calls out Michele, part of her Survivor alliance, and throws her under the bus. Michele tries to get herself out from under the bus. Emy says she heard everything and not only throws Michaela under the bus, but she also drops the mic. Tommy throws Michaela further under the bus and says Michaela’s plan was to get Tori out first.
Why is she like this 😭 #TheChallenge37 pic.twitter.com/lKxHPnsngF
— Jay (@jaychallenge1) August 12, 2021
All the teams have an iPad looking device to select who they want to compromise. Michaela and Renan, who may have been an innocent bystander, are the targets. Get ready for Hall Brawl! Actually, I hope not. They did that one so many times last season.
Aneesa tells Leon that she wants to put up Survivor against Survivor with Michaela and Renan to go against Emy and Corey. A more boss move would be to put Michaela’s team up against Michele, but maybe Aneesa didn’t want to throw our good friend Nam in there.
TJ welcomes everyone to the lair for the elimination. Before we get the elimination, of course TJ throws us twist. The Agency, Aneesa and Logan for now, don’t have to choose a team to face Michaela and Renan. They can choose any individual male to team up with any individual female. They choose Corey L. who was on a show called 12 Dates of Christmas, which I’ve never heard of before. What was the pitch for that one. “You see, there are 12 days of Christmas, and you can have 12 dates on those 12 days and there’s a partridge in a pear tree.”
Logan doesn’t want to send Emy and he chooses in Michele instead. Aneesa says the same. They performed the boss move I described above.
It’s Survivor versus Survivor baby! They are playing Back Me Up. The two teams are strapped up back-to-back on a platform and have to pull the other team to over to their side and down the platform. Renan was arm-barred in the process and may have dislocated his elbow. Michaela tried hard, but Corey was too strong and pulled everyone down their side of the platform.
TJ gave them both a “take care” when he sent them home. That might not be good for their futures on this show.
Since Corey and Michele won, they can stay together as partners, go back with their original partners, or steal any other agents outside of The Agency as their partners.
TJ said that our friend Nam had to leave the game for some reason. In his place is agent Ed who comes from The Circle. Ed’s bro Mitchell, also from The Circle is supposedly now dating Chloe, from Too Hot To Handle and also The Circle. Why do I know this shit?
Michele says she’s choosing beauty over brawn and chooses Devin. There’s going to be a lot of scheming going on with that team. Corey says he originally wanted Tori as his partner and now he can get her. Kelz was heartbroken.
Until next week…
