SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome back to Caffeine Confessionals. My name is Alan, and we're here today to talk about the challenge cutthroat season 42, episode 12. I'm joined by my lovely co-host Zoe.

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Hi everyone.

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Unfortunately, our other co-host Luke couldn't be here this week. And also, apologies that we couldn't record episode 11 last week. I had some professional responsibilities that kept me from being able to record and edit the podcast. And so we're going to talk about episode 12 and a little bit of episode 11 and do some backtracking to start this episode. Because we got two really good episodes of challenge that I don't think we saw coming, especially after episodes 9 and 10 were kind of stinkers.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Yeah, well, after the cast was decimated unfairly, I think we were like, I think us and production were like, what the hell is gonna happen here? And um the cast came through.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

And episode 11 in particular, I think it's one person was just an absolute star among stars. Annalie getting into it with basically half the house at different points, because she had the whole she's getting close with bananas, and then it leads to her versus Letty, and then Tori's trying to like do some weird shit, and it's it's like Annalie versus Tori, Annalie versus Cara, Annalie versus the entire world. I I don't know if there's been a rookie like this, like in in decades, honestly, at this point.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

And it's wild because it doesn't really feel like she's doing that much. Like, you know, like when people like Amanda and Ashley came on the scene as rookies, like there was like an exclamation point with them. She's just kind of like pissing people off in just the most casual way. Like, and I think that's part of what is driving the cast so insane, is she's just like getting under their skin while doing the absolute least.

SPEAKER_01 2:03

I am in love with this girl as a reality TV cast member, but I do think I'd probably get annoyed being around her because it she does seem to find ways just to like find the little thing that you're not the most secure in yourself about and just like can point it out just casually.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

Mean stealing and sniffing Johnny Banana's underwear, just kidding, allegedly.

SPEAKER_01 2:31

And then she took it home with her, and then like but the thing is too, is like what also is amazing is that on top of all the drama, she is a great competitor. Like, you watched her in that elimination, and you watched her, you know, she was captain to start this season because she's strong physically and mentally. You think about her elimination with Nerese, she crushed Nerese. Like, there's so many challenges where she's just a great competitor. And so when she's going at Kara, it's not from a place of like she can't do anything. It's like I'm like, I'm watching it and I'm thinking to myself, yeah, she might be a better competitor than Kara just straight up right now.

SPEAKER_00 3:05

Yeah, totally possible. I mean, and you can love her or you can hate her, and but the fact is, is people are talking about her, and I just want to like sometimes like gentle parent the people on social media that are just like like ranting and raving about her because it's like, yeah, no, you're guaranteeing her callback right now, and she's earned it, right? Like, to have everyone in the cast talking about you is an accomplishment, one way or the other. That's what reality TV stars are made for.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

And what I really love about her too is that she has not completely shied away from everything, she has still remained active on social media, has still done interviews, has still been in the comments, beefing with people. And like when we've had cast members who have had like a bit of drama like this in the past, they just completely go zero dark 30 or completely try to deflect and ignore. I mean, we were we recapped season 39, and when Olivia had her stuff go down, she just receded into the darkness. Jay pretended like he wasn't even on the show at times, like it was like they couldn't handle the heat. Whereas Annalise, like, hey, not only am I handling the heat, I'm throwing some like onions, some garlic into the fire. Let's do some cooking.

SPEAKER_00 4:25

Girl wants she wants to keep coming back, she wants that paycheck, she wants that callback, like she's gonna do anything she can.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

If we get a season 43, it's I think at the point at this point, it's in large part because of her.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Yeah, well, and like wouldn't it be great? I mean, she's a lock, right? For season 43.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Like, I mean, at this point, it's like it's like remember when they did like the Survivor Island of the Idols when it was like Boston Rob and like Saunders Face? Just cut bring her in and have her face be on a mountain at this point. Like, I that's how much I'm invested in Nelie.

SPEAKER_00 4:59

That is a significant investment, especially coming from you.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

I mean, if we if we had done last week's episode, like if we did like 10 brit like 10 takeaways, nine out of ten would have been Natalie. It just would have been.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

And the tens would be Tori.

SPEAKER_01 5:18

Yeah. And Tori throwing herself into elimination, um, which I thought was a smart move, um, because she saw that it was clearly the backpack elimination, and then when she went to go stand next to Annalie and even Kara, even Kara too, I always clear as like, oh, yeah, she's beating anyone here.

SPEAKER_00 5:43

Yeah. Yeah. The only thing that I think obviously standing next to those two girls, right? Annalie, Annalie and Kara specifically, that Tori physically outmatches them. I think Kara would have given her a little bit more run for her money just because of the CrossFit of it all. Um but what a badass move. It's not like like I think even TJ said, of all people, um, a lot of people say they're gonna do something like this and they just don't do it. And again, love her or hate her, but like Tori is taking being a captain really seriously. And I really do think she was like, we need Michelle. Whether people can admit that or aware of that or not, Michelle is an integral part of our team and would be essential to us winning. And so she knew that the Michelle is not winning in a physical matchup against either of those two women, so the only way to keep her is by putting herself in. Um, I thought it was so badass. I'm like, I've never really been a Tory hater. I've been like a a skeptic at times, but damn, like she really wins me over repeatedly.

SPEAKER_01 7:01

I've been both a hater and a supporter, and it literally vacillates between seasons. And I would say this season, I've been a hater, and I would say I'm even still a hater on the season because I think there I don't like the like the TV content she's providing. I think she's a big part of why Orange has been so boring. As a competitor, though, I think she's clearly cementing a legacy that's like not just top 10, but probably top five. Because we watched season 40. She was the best girl that season, that entire season. And if it was a more traditional final, I think she would have won. Um, that was a weird final. Um and here, I think it's like it's Tori is making this badass move, but she is thinking towards the final. And we watched the mini-final earlier this season. Michelle carried them in the water portion and then solved the puzzle.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

Yeah, they eat her. Especially if they get rid of CT like they've been trying to do.

SPEAKER_01 8:05

I'm laughing because my cats are scrapping like Annalie and Letty on the side over here. Um now, Tori goes in that elimination, and I will say one of my one of my favorite moments from Annalie though, and was that Tori very early in the elimination tried to backpack Annalie. And she tried to do the whole thing, and and in that moment, because of her trying to stand up, Annalie was able to kind of sweep her off her feet and then switch the momentum and carry her on her back for a good whole two seconds. And I was just like, God damn, Annalie's a beast.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

And eventually Tori just had to resort to like, okay, I'm bigger, let me just drag myself to the to the bin.

SPEAKER_00 8:45

Yeah, let me inch the inch there. Yeah, I was that part, I was like shocked for a minute watching that. I was like, there's no fucking way. And then yeah, everyone came back down to Earth and things ended the way you would expect them to.

SPEAKER_01 9:01

Um and given how things played out, it's clear Annalee would have torched Michelle in this elimination had they got high-etted.

SPEAKER_00 9:09

Uh yeah, I don't think it would have been close.

SPEAKER_01 9:12

It also kind of makes me just wonder like, given how much her and Cara was scrapping all season, how would those two have fared if they faced off in this?

SPEAKER_00 9:22

I would really like to see that. I do, as much as like I am the actual hater between the two of us, to be clear. I am the car hater. Um so, like, if anyone's gonna be biased towards her, it's me. I still give Kara the edge because she's just so strong, man. Like, her she's just her core strength, like she's ripped.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

And she's dropped some pounds though in the last couple years, though. Like, very, very stealthy. Because you remember her like back when she was like 3030, full, like was getting like pretty muscular. She's dropped a good amount of weight since then.

SPEAKER_00 10:00

Yeah, I just like I think until I see someone dominate her or or clear her in an elimination like that, I'm just gonna assume she's still got it. Because after, like, I'll never forget what she did to Naya, who was twice her size.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

Like, yeah, and I I think the comparisons would be like obviously Laurel's put her in the dirt, but that's Laurel. And then like Tori was kind of messing her up, like was kind of messing her up like in a challenge last season. Um, but that's Tori. So it's like if someone on her who's actually her size could do that, that would be fun to see.

SPEAKER_00 10:37

Yeah, I would love to see it. Please, someone show me now.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

Do we have to talk about this new episode, episode 12?

SPEAKER_00 10:44

Yeah, perfect.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

All right, so Annalise, unfortunately, out, and we jump into what is what they what they're calling the biggest obstacle course daily challenge ever. And it might be, it was I'll say it, it was really cool. I think these are the daily challenges. Yeah, these are the daily challenges that like remind me of the old school challenge. It's like just an obstacle course, it's to me, it's fun.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

Yeah, it looked like a tough mutter over water. Like, I was like, oh yeah, this is this is like a cool thing to do.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

And great team has to go first. And Letty puts on an absolute superstar performance throughout this daily challenge. But before she does, we have to know there's an opening like rope swing from one platform to another. And Adrian, who had an amazing episode two episodes ago, where she takes down Rachel and a pole Russell and she uses her lower body weight to her advantage. That lower body weight kills her in this daily because she's just sinking and sinking and sinking repeatedly over and over again.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

Yeah, and I think there became a point where she started just overthinking it and obviously was fatigued, right? Because every time she, so you're on she she's on this rope swing trying to get from one platform to the other. And if you fall down, you have to, you're in the water, you have to start all over. And every time she falls in, Letty goes with her and is like helping her get back across. She gets, and every try is worse than the one before.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Like her first she almost got on the second time, yeah. And where she she got to the platform, didn't let go of the rope, and then got swung back by her momentum. Um, something that she was really struggling with is that she just kind of tried to leap and do it every time. Whereas Letty like actively told them and showed them, you kind of gotta walk into it.

SPEAKER_00 12:42

Yeah, like let the rope carry you. You don't have to do the work.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

It this episode in general, awful showing from Adrian to me. Like it just was between this and the decision she made later in the game, I think it just like the she was so savvy and such a badass between episodes nine and ten, and then this episode kind of all fell apart. I mean, she's obviously going to the final, so she's fine, but could have all played out much worse.

SPEAKER_00 13:13

Yeah, I felt for her. I just think like I really think she could have done that rope swing fairly easily. Um, she just I think she got in her head and and got tired, and those two things were just a killer combo in this challenge. So Adrian drops out, and their team takes a one-hour time penalty after watching her try to do it five times.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

Yep. And in Adrian's failure, though, it is Letty's time to shine because she's going up and down every time with her, and then continues on in the daily challenge where she is quite literally doing a blueprint for everyone in the game on how to do every single part of the obstacle course, and she is getting it done with absolute ease, and she's like making fun of her teammates for how long she's having to wait for them. She's literally letting them climb on her and use her for leverage to get up certain portions, and then crushes a puzzle in under two minutes.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

Like, made it look so simple. Like, I've taken more time doing puzzles at children's museums than she did on that.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

She even like threw out, she also threw out a shout-out to the board game Blochus, which have you ever played Blochus before?

SPEAKER_00 14:25

Um, so I famously pass when my family plays Blockus. It is a board game that has been in my house. People in my family love it. I don't love it. So I I just go and read while they play Blochus.

SPEAKER_01 14:41

Zoe, I love Blochus, and I can't get anyone to play it with me. Like, that's the game where I'm like, hey, you guys want to play Blockus? And then no one's like, no, we don't want to play this math game.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

You could have gone inside the Trimboli household at my wedding and probably roped a few people into playing it with you. My Aunt Karen, my my nephew, my dad, like everybody's into it.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

It was Letty's performance reminded me a lot of there was a performance on Challenge USA 2 where Tyson or Challenge USA 1, where Tyson carried Cachet through the water and then solved the puzzle. And it's to me it's one of the greatest D-League challenge performances ever. I thought Letty's performance was maybe even better than that because like we we the people have been comparing her to Laurel all season, and I've been like, yeah, she's physically strong, but I haven't seen it. This was the moment where I'm like, oh, this is like Laurel on crack.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

Like this is yeah. Have you ever done like a high ropes course or a zip line before?

SPEAKER_01 15:44

No, I'm afraid of heists no.

SPEAKER_00 15:46

So, like she it I've done, I've done them a couple times, and it was like, yeah, she's the guide. Like, she's gonna go and do everything first, and then you just have to copy her. And she and it I was like, is this what it looks like when they do like the safety test with like a member of production before? Because that's literally what Levy was doing.

SPEAKER_01 16:07

Um she was just looking forward the whole time as if like she'd run it a million times. It wasn't even like it's exactly what you're saying.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

And I I think, especially because Adrian couldn't complete this daily, the two other members of the team do not have leadership skills in that way. Like, like she was saying, they're all looking at me, being like, Okay, Letty, now show us what to do. Letty, you go first, and Letty do this, Letty do that. And I'm like, I I've sensed that energy from Caramaria this whole season. Like her confidence is low. And so now that there's someone who has so much confidence in herself and is willing to take that lead, she's just like deferring back to that like old shadowed version of herself that is like scared. Um, it's kind of sad to watch. And Cassidy, I think, also is kind of a follower. Like, I don't think that she when she's standing in the presence of a woman like Letty, all her confidence goes away.

SPEAKER_01 17:10

It's also a couple of factors in that Cassidy is quite literally just not that experienced, in that this is only her second season. Um, she's very good at a lot of stuff, but she's just like this is a very high-intensity physical daily challenge, and she's not the tallest girl at all either. And then I think Kara is someone who, even at her best, was never like a total problem solver in daily challenges, and she's only like 5'3, 5'4. So like Letty is is doing certain things in this challenge, but it like it helps that she's super duper acrobatic and six feet tall. Whereas like Kara, you know, trying to move on to certain pieces like that, it's she has to be more attentive with her movements.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

Yeah, it's definitely when you're uh average-sized woman, because 5'4 is average, um, it is a much different challenge approaching a lot of those things. So, like I would probably be the same way. I would probably be like, okay, glamazon, show us how it's done, because I need the I need someone to show me which path to take here.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

They finish the challenge. Orange team has to go.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

And it took them almost an hour, right? Like just under the hour time limit, 53-ish.

SPEAKER_01 18:27

Yeah, yeah. It took them, it took them a good amount of time. I don't actually remember the exact time itself, but they took a good amount of time. Orange team then goes. They all get across the rope swing that Adrian could not do, but then became a second part where they had to like jump across uh essentially like wait weighted bags, you know, like a little bit of a big thing.

SPEAKER_00 18:50

Yeah, they were like punching bags, and like you got on one, another one went up, you had to climb to the next one.

SPEAKER_01 18:57

CT falls, and they all think they all talk about it, and it's like, you know what? Given how much time Adrian wasted, CT just just take the hour time penalty and we'll just we'll compete from here on out.

SPEAKER_00 19:11

Yeah, because I mean CT was scary going across the rope swing, like literally just flopped down when he got there, and was clearly like having serious difficulty with these bags, so there wasn't even a guarantee he would have been able to do it on his second try, especially now after being tired having to start all over again. Um I think honestly, it was probably the right decision, but but but then we get to a puzzle, and orange is just absolute chaos.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

This same puzzle that took Letty under tune minutes. Orange is taking like a half hour on, and they are just getting themselves completely stalled out, and it's the reason why Gray wins the daily challenge.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

Yeah, I mean, outside of this puzzle, which I think ended up taking them over 40 minutes, um, they were cruising through this obstacle course. It would have been done if they had finished the if they had finished the puzzle in 30 minutes, they still would have won.

SPEAKER_01 20:23

Yeah, and I remember I was watching the Daily Challenge and I was really impressed with Michelle because she was kind of getting all the stuff done physically, and I think she was someone who like a season ago, three seasons ago, never would have had any shot in this type of obsolete course, and she's just her fitness has improved like remarkably.

SPEAKER_00 20:44

Our Pilates Queen.

SPEAKER_01 20:47

But Orange loses, and honestly, it's satisfying given how much they've just dominated the entire season. And CT is like, oh man, I wasn't there for the puzzle. CT's not there for the puzzle, but also he's not there for the puzzle for the same reason he's you know a liability, and so it's a mixed bag of like we need him for the puzzle, but also his weight is literally keeping us down, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:12

So, like, and like they said, Michelle has solved puzzles for them this season, so it's not like CT's the only one who can do it, but it's like if we can't get you to those puzzle checkpoints in a final, then your puzzle skills are not helpful. Um, so I get Orange Team's concern. I also think this may be a really helpful experience for them to have right before the final. Like actually, them being humbled in this way, I think brings them back down to earth in a way that they'll need to be brought back down to earth for this final because it shows them how easily they can be beat by this gray team if the gray team is firing on all cylinders.

SPEAKER_01 21:58

100%. We also get the bomb drop that this is going to be a non-gendered elimination. Men can face women, women can face men, so on and so forth. Tori has to nominate one person at the arena, and then Orange has to nominate two people beforehand. Tori is not going to nominate Michelle because that's her girl, and she literally threw herself in the sand the previous week. So then it becomes between two guys. It's Justin, who Tori has already nominated before. And CT, or and then I guess it's a debate between CT and Will. And CT saying don't put like put in Will because he's a workhorse, but he's not going to solve puzzles. And you don't need that for a final, which I didn't I think you do kind of need a workhorse in a final, personally.

SPEAKER_00 22:52

Well, especially because like we saw in War of the Worlds 2, the team with more members was punished. So you do need people who can carry their own weight in a final. Maybe. Like it's actually never a bad thing to have someone who can just actually carry their weight and then some. Like I get what CT's saying. Like he br he thinks he brings this immense level of value to puzzle solving, but like Will is not hurting you in a final. Period. He is not gonna do anything that's gonna slow you down.

SPEAKER_01 23:22

And like he's been their physical rock in the daily challenges all season. So to have that guy who can just go on and on and on, and like I mean, we don't, I don't, we're not fans of this guy. Zach Nichols in the War of the Worlds 2 final, I think he was carrying a lot of weight for that team, and he was getting frustrated with them, rightfully so, because like those other people on this team just couldn't carry weight.

unknown 23:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:47

And having like a like just a heavyweight like that can carry weight for your team, it comes in huge.

SPEAKER_00 23:52

Especially if you're looking at having to drag CT along who doesn't appear to be able to drag himself anywhere.

SPEAKER_01 24:00

CT. It it is to me it's always so funny because he is someone that like is so big on intimidation, and the second his name just gets thrown out, he just becomes an absolute child.

SPEAKER_00 24:13

Yeah, he's a baby. I actually I was watching this episode being like, God, CT, could you just be hot again? Like, it's I'm getting so annoyed watching him be this like petulant man child and out of shape and pouty, and it's like just be hot. Like, could you just be hot? I miss that.

SPEAKER_01 24:34

I mean, it wasn't too long. I mean, just Spies Lights and Allies, he was in such good shape on that season. That was just three, four years ago.

SPEAKER_00 24:42

Come on, he looked like the fans. We may not be getting a lot many many more seasons of this show. We don't know what's happening. Like, just you owe us that, okay?

SPEAKER_01 24:55

Especially when this is his job. Like, this is his this is his thing.

SPEAKER_00 25:00

You owe us one more season of hot CT. I say, as the child that was watching you with my nose almost touching the TV when I was eight years old, okay? You owe it to me.

SPEAKER_01 25:17

Those are the two nominations for Orange Team. Um, and then it becomes a conversation on Gray of like who is Adrian gonna throw in? And could she throw in Cassidy, who is their least experienced member? Could she throw in Kara, who just objectively speaking, has been the worst player on their team this season? I guess the gray and blue combined. Since she's been on gray, she's been pretty good, but like Kara has, you know, or do you throw in Letty, who just completely carried you in this most recent daily challenge?

SPEAKER_00 25:51

Yeah, and Adrian brings up that she's like a rookie and she hasn't had to go in yet. And I was like, okay, that's that smells like jealousy, which like, girl, I get it. Like, would I succumb to it? Maybe. Like, I get she is your best player, and honestly, you could make the argument, I want all four of us here, and I think you have the best chance at taking one of those motherfuckers out. So I think you're gonna win, so I'm gonna put you in. And you and we'll get to it, but like knowing that Adrian also has the power to choose which member of the orange team is going in between Justin, who Tori elects, and CT, who the team ends up voting for, like, once you get there, it's definitely either gonna be a carnival game or a puzzle. That's all it's gonna be. There's not gonna, there's not gonna be, you might have something with like a cardio element, maybe, like something that's just like laps or whatever, but probably not. And then you can pick the person that will be the best, the easiest to be. Um I think the choice should have should be Cassidy. And and I think because while I don't think Car Maria is the most helpful vet to have in a final, like she doesn't bring the level of experience and calm and confidence that like a Johnny Bananas does. So I do think Johnny Bananas carried their team through their portion of that daily also with his experience. Um, Car Maria is not gonna be Johnny Bananas in a final, but she'll at like she'll have moments potentially, and I think her and Cassidy are really similar, like mentally. I think they both get kind of flustered and overwhelmed and whatever. Cara's at least can't Kara can lean back on her experience. So I probably would have picked Cassidy if I was Adrian.

SPEAKER_01 27:53

My pick would have been not Letty. Just literally anyone but Letty. I would have been like, I would have said, vote in yourself before Letty, because you're not winning based on what we saw today, you're not winning that final if you don't have Letty there. And so don't risk your best player.

SPEAKER_00 28:11

It it I mean, we'd be looking at an entirely new gray team without Letty, right? Like we don't even know how they would function as a team without her because that's how much of a leader she's been on their team.

SPEAKER_01 28:23

I can kind of just did start this week. It kind of just did start this week in terms of like because Letty's been good all season, but this week really just shows something of like, wow, this girl is special. Um, and then we saw the elimination, and Justin is crying again. And I think we're both of the opinion that men should be allowed to cry more, that being in tune with your emotions is a good thing. I don't cry very often, but I'm not in tune with my emotions. It's a real problem I have. But Justin crying here, like, because he's been thrown to elimination again, it's like, dude, this is this is the game. Compete.

SPEAKER_00 29:09

There's also a difference between crying when it's like totally emotionally appropriate, and like blubbering when you need to get yourself mentally ready to be in this elimination. Like, if you're just having an emotional moment, if you if you're going through something hard, if you there's some sort of trauma, or if like whatever, like yeah, cry. If you're a man and and you're just feeling overwhelmed by your feelings, by all means cry. But like, don't blubber, but but like it's like the acumen equivalent of like you're literally sobbing and like freaking out right before you take a penalty kick in soccer. Like, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 29:48

It was like manifesting a loss, it was just acting like it was a forgone conclusion. Like, dude, you have a chance to compete. Like, if you really want, like, lock the fuck in. This is the biggest moment of your challenge career.

SPEAKER_00 30:00

He's so mentally small. Like, his team, as much as like his elimination against Chris, obviously, like he dug deep, he figured it out, he did it, whatever. His team carried him through that, gave him the idea to use his shirt as leverage when he got stuck. Like, I think if Chris hadn't completely shit the bed in that elimination, I mean, he would he was so defeated then and lucked out. And this, I was like, I if he had won, I would have been in complete shock just because of how much he had given up before it even started.

SPEAKER_01 30:36

On the other side though, you had Letty who rightfully is pissed off at Adrian, curses her out, calls her a coward. I don't think coward is the right word. I think dumb is probably the bright word, but I don't care. She's angry, she's she's acting out because her captain has made a stupid move, and instead of crying and blubbering about it, she went from an A plus competitor to an A plus plus plus plus plus competitor. She went in there, got the puzzles done, and just smoked Justin to the point where, like, I think she won, was it three puzzles to two?

SPEAKER_00 31:08

Or like he was three puzzles to zero.

SPEAKER_01 31:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:11

He never finished the first one. Like, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:31

That's like not a final.

SPEAKER_00 31:33

Yeah. I mean, you what do you point at to say she could have done better? I would have it would have been interesting to see her do that, those puzzles against someone that was capable of being in the moment and doing okay.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

Like But she shouldn't even have she shouldn't even have been in that moment herself. That's the crazy part about it.

SPEAKER_00 31:59

The only shame is like because he was so pathetic, like we we actually don't. I wish, do we have a timer? I don't think we even have a timer on how she did. I wish they had given us a timer on this elimination. I don't think it was long.

SPEAKER_01 32:12

I mean, based on how the crowder was reacting, she was kind of working through it quickly. And she even said, Oh, I guess I am good at puzzles, you know.

SPEAKER_00 32:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:22

Um, after the elimination, too, like Letty was like right rightfully cursing out Adrian. It's been the moment that we've seen in the trailer since like since the first trailer that ever came out for this season. Um, and it's it's she was vindicated, she was right to do it. Um, and also they're gonna go into this final and they're gonna be completely fine. And she's she's Lady's gonna like just this is gonna be water off her back because she's gonna just go in there and compete. But I'm glad that she still cursed out Adrian.

SPEAKER_00 32:52

Well, like, so after they after she wins, Justin's still blubbering, right? And doing like these really weird, like, oh it was worth it, Tori, on his way out, which was just like I just I'm like, you're a grown man again.

SPEAKER_01 33:07

Yeah, he made comments on Tori's body, and then uh other comments as like, oh, they're they're gonna they're gonna pay for this, they're gonna do and to me, it's like Justin. This is all the stuff you say and confessionals and in these moments, and we're not really ever seeing it. Like, why aren't you saying this to Tori's face ever? Why aren't you saying this stuff to like obviously, like, you don't say these people's face, but like a little more actual chaos rather than like playing friends and being fake to people and then talking mad shit?

SPEAKER_00 33:40

Because I think he knows at the end of the day, even if he got the opportunity to like issue some payback, it actually isn't in his benefit because he's not the kind of competitor that can go be like, I'm gonna come for you with everything that I have, and it may take me winning six eliminations or something insane. It's like you can't do that, you're not capable of that.

SPEAKER_01 34:04

He he is a good competitor, but he's just not gonna be an overwhelming force.

SPEAKER_00 34:08

No, like and and yeah, like I agree, he's a good competitor, but he's not gonna be able to like single-handedly take down a whole cast.

SPEAKER_01 34:17

Yeah, no, he's not. He's he's I don't know. It's weird because I do think we need more competitors who are like Justin in terms of his body type and his skills and his abilities, because it's a good shakeup. I think someone like a Justin is a way better competitor than a Kyle or a Nelson, who are just these like brute physical guys who are just like, okay, you're brute physical, but you're never gonna be the strongest guy. So why should I why should I care about you? Whereas like Justin brings like a level of like agility and coordination that's like really cool to watch sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 34:48

Yeah. Well, and I think like that whole and then like finding out literally right after he leaves that they're going to the final is what made like Letty's freak out so much funnier to me. Is they just like received this like great news that, like, okay, you finally did it, you're in the final, and it's like she's like, No, no, Adrian, I'm not done with you yet.

SPEAKER_01 35:12

And Adrian, she's one to like, I don't think she ever feels guilt about anything. And like in her mind, she made the right move. Was it the right move? No, but in Adrian's mind, she's like, Well, it worked out, so who cares?

SPEAKER_00 35:28

I mean, you could argue it was the right move because it sent home a member of the orange team and Letty came back, and like you we don't know that Cassidy or Carr would have come back. I agree with you. I like it, it doesn't make sense for your team. It's like objectively not the right move on paper. Did it end up being the right move?

SPEAKER_01 35:48

Yeah, you're right. You know, and it's the ball went in the hoop. Like, who cares? Like at the end of the day, the ball went in the hoop.

SPEAKER_00 35:57

It doesn't matter how ugly, yeah. The the shot can be ugly as hell. Like, I remember playing with girls who one time one of my teammates shot a three and made it, but it was so ugly on the way up that I was like actually pissed when it went in. Because I was like, now she's gonna think she can do this again. Like, no, no, no, don't get this in your head. So, like, yeah, Adrian, this this might have worked out this time, but if anything janky is happening in that final, don't do it again. It's not a good idea to do it again.

SPEAKER_01 36:34

Great episode for Letty, great first elimination ever, and she beat a man, you know, like you know. I honestly, men have not fared well against women in eliminations, if we if we're being honest, in a while, because Nerese took down all those people on season on season 39. Uh I think the only one that's lost was Zaza in that elimination with Kyle and Horacio.

SPEAKER_00 36:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:01

So who do you think is gonna win the final?

SPEAKER_00 37:03

Orange.

SPEAKER_01 37:06

Didn't you have to think a second about it?

SPEAKER_00 37:08

No. Um, I mean, the big the CT is a factor. Uh I mean, okay, so one, just like the overall skill set of the team is just so significant. If it is not intense, intense cardio, the CT stuff won't come into play as much. I think he'll be able to keep it moving. Um, I also think there's also the factor that like production's not rigging against CT bananas and Tori.

SPEAKER_01 37:46

There's also the factor of like CT's cardio is not great, but the question is what is the gap between CT and probably Adrian's cardio?

SPEAKER_00 37:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:58

Or or like CT and even Caramria's cardio. Because Caramria's just not fast. She's just not a fast runner at this point of her life.

SPEAKER_00 38:07

So, like, yeah, and we saw like in that mini-final, it was like little half-mile loops. I and I don't know what we're gonna see in this final. Are we gonna like because I think CT could settle as he's still he's still a man, right? One who has like fitness and athleticism in his DNA. Like he is one of the best challenged competitors ever. Um, so I think there's still a level of can he settle into a nice little pace for three miles? Probably.

SPEAKER_01 38:40

And even in this episode, like when him and Justin were in the standing in the elimination arena, I was like, oh, he actually is like a little bit trimmer than the beginning of the season.

SPEAKER_00 38:51

Yeah, now he just has to work on getting hot again. Make CT hot again.

SPEAKER_01 39:04

Well, we have a final. We're gonna podcast about it next week. Hopefully, look will be back with us. Everyone, thank you for listening. Thank you, Letty, for putting on a historic showing in this episode, and thank you, Annalee, yesterday, for putting on an amazing episode 11. Season 42. Look, it was going down fast, and now I would say top half challenge season all time, maybe top 20 at least.

SPEAKER_00 39:34

I mean, if you're not watching it, get it together.

SPEAKER_01 39:39

Lock in, folks, get Paramount Plus, pirate it, do whatever you can. Watch the show, keep it alive.

SPEAKER_00 39:46

Someone's posted something about it on what's that site? VEVMA? That one?

SPEAKER_01 39:51

I I think it got I've I've I think it got taken down.

SPEAKER_00 39:55

Really? Does that not exist anymore?

SPEAKER_01 39:58

I don't know. I never I never went on there because it would always try to give me like 80,000 pages of malware.

SPEAKER_00 40:07

Maybe that's why. Maybe it's for the best.

unknown 40:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:10

Well, love to everyone who listened. Have a great weekend, everyone. We'll be back next week.