The Challenge 40 Recap: A Big Player Makes a Major Mistake — Was It One of the Worst Moves of All Time?

Typically on The Challenge , players fight, scratch and claw to avoid being called down into the Arena because in the sand, anything can happen. In Wednesday’s episode of Battle of the Eras , one player makes a move so boneheaded, so egotistical, that it directly leads to his own demise.

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When the cast sees TJ again, they’re told to choose team representatives, but they aren’t told what that means exactly. But this isn’t their — or our — first rodeo. We all know that the losing era’s reps are probably going into elimination. But alas, Jodi and Darrell step up for Era 1, while Derek and Aviv (Era 2), Tony and Averey (Era 3), and Kaycee and Kyland (Era 4) also volunteer.

In this week’s daily challenge, the eras must paddle a long dragon boat to a checkpoint where they’re forced to indulge in some of Vietnam’s most appetizing delicacies which include grilled rat, a long snake, pig brains with blood-caked vinaigrette and so much more — yum! After that, the teams must solve a puzzle by lining up all of the seasons’ logos in order.

Era 1 takes the L, putting Jodi and Darrell at risk. But Tony and Averey earn their safety and the right to decide which other team’s representatives will face off against Era 1. Averey, who doesn’t have many connections in this game, refuses to pick her only bud Derek. Not only would she be protecting a friend, but by selecting Kyland and Kaycee, they could potentially knock out some huge competitors from Era 4. Makes sense, right? And yet Tony, who has not one single relationship with these Era 4 players whatsoever, decides to… disagree? And dig his heels in? To cause a stalemate ?! That’s certainly a choice.

Darrell’s asked who he’d rather go against and he doesn’t hesitate: He picks Derek and Aviv. As in, his former partner he won Fresh Meat with. (Man, this episode’s messy.) He thinks his best shot is playing against Derek, so under the bus goes his former partner. Welcome back to The Challenge , Aviv!

“Why would we keep two strong people from Era 4 to potentially win?” voice of reason Averey asks Tony. “If you get rid of them, that whole team’s going to fall apart.” Tony, meanwhile, says that he wants to make deals with Kaycee and Kyland that could potentially help them moving forward. Why he thinks he can 100% trust them is beyond me, my friends.

The Era 3 winners can’t agree, so Tony foolishly says he’ll go down in the sand if Averey won’t change her mind. We’ve seen this play out before! Remember in Final Reckoning when Zach and Amanda’s bickering led to their elimination? (Roll the clip!) Well, that’s exactly what goes down here.

“Let this be a calling to all of you,” TJ warns the group. “Don’t f–k with me. OK, let’s go. It’s you,” he says to Tony and Averey.

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And so the match-ups for the night are locked: Jodi vs. Averey, and Darrell vs. Tony.

Listen. Props to Averey for not only sticking up for her friend, but not bowing down to Tony’s stubborn ego. This is how people shoud’ve played this game for years. (Maybe Bananas would have a few less trophies if people could’ve been this bold.) Turning on her close ally Derek would’ve been absurd, especially considering that Tony has zero ties to Era 4. All we can do is shake our heads and get our popcorn popped.

In “One Step at a Time,” players must race to uncover a set of directions. They must move heavy colored tiles to build themselves a walkway. But they must follow all of the rules on their board with no mistakes. The first one to complete the puzzle stays in the game.

Averey defeats Challenge champ Jodi, but we can’t say the same for Tony, who botches the elimination despite his competition’s tweaked back. (Averey claims Tony wanted to go home, but we never see him admit that on camera.) While it’s a bummer to see Road Ruler Jodi exit so early, it’s also extremely satisfying to see this all blow up in Tony’s face — “Tony Time,” it is not.

Before the episode ends, Averey and Darrell have some decisions to make. Team representatives are no more. Now, the elimination winners will get to select “targets” from every era, and those will be the players at risk for the next Arena battles. Averey and Darrell select: Aneesa and Derrick from Era 1, Laurel and Bananas from Era 2, Jordan and Nia from Era 3 and Jenny and Horacio from Era 4.

Now it’s your turn! Tell us, Challenge fans: Was Tony’s move one of the dumbest in franchise history? Light up that comments section!

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