‘The Challenge: USA’ season 2 episode 7 recap: TJ shakes up the game in ‘Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Love’ [LIVE BLOG]
Tonight on “The Challenge: USA,”a pair of “Challenge” vets play cupid as romance blossoms for a couple of former “Big Brother” houseguests. Host TJ Lavin makes a shocking announcement that impacts the game for the remainder of the season on this episode titled “Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Love” airing Thursday, August 31 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS (streaming on Paramount+).
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Among the cast members are three people who previously won their seasons: Michelle Fitzgerald (“Survivor: Ka?h 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. Follow our live blog and see the current team breakdowns below.
Red Team: Josh Martinez, Michelle Fitzgerald, Chanelle Howell, Tiffany Mitchell, Cory Wharton
Blue Team: Cassidy Clark, Tori Deal, Faysal Shafaat, Sebastian Noel, Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, Desi Williams, Wes Bergmann
Green Team: Chris Underwood, Michaela Bradshaw, Monte Taylor, Tyler Crispen, Alyssa Snider
10:00 p.m. — Previously on “The Challenge: USA”! Things got heated between two rookie players, and the competitors braced themselves for TJ’s favorite challenge of the season: trivia. The Blue Team won and voted Wes and Tiffany into the arena. When Dusty Harris‘ name came out of the hopper, he took on Wes in the game “Crank Shafted” and Tiffany was declared safe. Following a close contest, Wes prevailed and sent the “Amazing Race” alum home. When asked if he’d like to defect or stay on the Green Team, Wes defected and traded spots with Chris on the Blue Team.
10:05 p.m. — Upon returning to the house, Wes tells everyone he just wants a fair shake at this game. He pleads for a chance, but let’s be honest, he’s not the only person who has been sent into the arena and seven people have already gone home. It’s not like he’s the only target in the house. Faysal understands where I’m coming from, basically calling the whole speech ridiculous from the Diary Room. Cassidy still doesn’t trust Wes, but since he’s on her team now she calls a ceasefire. Later, Wes asks Michaela what he can do to improve their relationship. She tells him she doesn’t know why he’s pretending to be sad and says she’s never done anything to him. Michaela has no time for this conversation.
10:08 p.m. — Tyler and Alyssa are starting to get cozy, both of whom were in showmances on their respective seasons of “Big Brother.” These two just can’t help themselves. Next we see a spotlight on Michaela and her godfather who recently passed. All of this attention on her makes me think she’ll wind up in the arena by the end of the hour. Is this foreshadowing too obvious? The next morning the challengers head out for their next competition. TJ explains the game “Wreck & Roll,” where two players start inside a giant sphere. They’ll use the sphere as a wrecking ball to smash all of the cones that match their color. On top of each column are two tires with letters in the tires. The rest of the team will gather the tires and bring them over to a puzzle. Once the puzzle is complete it will spell out 10 words. The fastest team to get this done will win and be safe from elimination.
10:15 p.m. — Hopping in the spheres are Cory and Chanelle for the Red Team, Faysal and Tori for Blue and Monte and Alyssa for Green. Everyone else will be collecting tires and working on the puzzle. The Blue Team has so many more players to collect tires which gives them a tremendous advantage. They begin working on the puzzle before the other teams have even collected all their tires. Sure enough, they win easily and will have all the power for nominations. More importantly, the vets now control the numbers on the Blue Team.
10:30 p.m. — Josh pulls Faysal aside to hash out a plan that ensures women have to fight it out in the arena tonight. His goal is to pit Chanelle against Michaela. He tells the Blue Team to nominate Tyler and then he will recruit enough votes for girls to ensure Tyler remains safe. Later, Tiffany confesses to her closest alliance members that she doesn’t feel like she has any purpose in this game. She doesn’t feel like an asset. Tiffany starts crying while talking about being the weakest person on “The Challenge.” Chanelle and Alyssa give her a pep talk and convince her to push through. Next, the Blue Team sits down at deliberation and pretty easily decides to nominate Tyler and Michaela. Neither player is surprised to be heading into the arena, but Tyler is hoping he can sway as many votes towards a girl as possible. Of course, his new girlfriend Alyssa will do anything in her power to save him as well.
10:35 p.m. — As soon as Michaela sees her name she confronts Josh, who acts like he’s done nothing to influence this plan. She tells him he’s been throwing her under the bus every chance he gets. Josh fights back, saying he wasn’t even on the team that decided (which is true — but come on, Josh, you wanted this to happen and helped instigate it). Later, Desi tells Chanelle that everyone on the Blue Team is protecting Michele, Josh and Cory. This is shocking to Chanelle, because Michele has sworn she has no other alliances in the house. Michele enters the room, which makes things a little awkward. She asks Desi if her name came up at deliberation. Desi says no, it’s a Blue and Green war. Desi and Chanelle may be on to Michele, but Michele is wisely forming connections with the entire house, so how can you be mad at her? It’s a good game strategy from a “Survivor” winner.
10:45 p.m. — Night falls and the challengers head out to the bar. Bananas and Wes are bored, so they decide to push Alyssa and Tyler together. To entertain themselves, they decide to tell Tyler they will do everything in their power to make it a girl’s elimination as long as he agrees to kiss Alyssa. He decides to take the plunge and promptly starts making out with Alyssa. The love-fest continues when they get home as they make out on the bed. Please make it stop. Finally the ridiculousness is over and we see players dropping anonymous votes in the hopper the next morning. Later that night the challengers enter the arena. TJ introduces Tyler and Michaela before revealing the hopper votes: Tiffany (2), Monte (1), Alyssa (1), Josh (1), Cory (1) and Chanelle (4). TJ revs up the hopper and reveals the players competing in the arena tonight are Michaela and Tiffany. Tyler is safe.
10:55 p.m. — Tiffany lashes out, telling the players they keep kicking women out because they’re too scared to go down in the arena and play. After tonight five women will have gone home compared to three men. Tonight’s game is called “Top Heavy.” There are two giant vertical beams in the middle of the arena. To begin, each will be strapped to the top. They’ll then shift their weight back and forth until they get enough momentum to reach a rack of balls. They’ll grab a ball, come back and score it in the basket. The first to score 10 baskets will win the elimination round and stay in the game. TJ blows the horn and this game is off and running. Tiffany says she feels like an elementary schooler up against LeBron James. Michaela kills this challenge, defeating Tiffany by a score of 10-1. Tiffany is the eighth contestant eliminated from “The Challenge: USA.”
11:00 p.m. — Tiffany says she leaves this game with no regrets. Michaela tells TJ, “I can do a lot without a partner.” He responds, “That was awesome.” Next, instead of asking Michaela if she would like to stay on the Green Team or defect, he tells the entire group that this is now an individual game. From here on out, it’s every man and woman for themselves. He leaves stating, “The next challenge is going to be an individual challenge. I’ll se you there.”
Launch Gallery: 'The Challenge: USA' season 2 cast photos: 18 CBS reality titans compete with 6 MTV vets
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