The Challenge Season 37 featured a plethora of rookies from the start, many of whom were unfamiliar with the nature of the game and how difficult it can be to survive.
For those rookies who hadn’t seen many previous seasons, they got a quick introduction to how things worked for newcomers, as the veteran alliance teamed up to get rid of the rookies with each elimination.
With that knowledge, rookies will likely approach things differently if and when they return to compete, depending on the game’s format. In fact, in a recent chat with rookie Ed Eason, seven-time champion Johnny Bananas shared some valuable advice for him to take to heart for future seasons.
Spoilers follow, including which competitors battled in the recent elimination and who went home in MTV’s Spies, Lies & Allies Episode 11.
Bananas talks to Ed Eason about his Challenge mistakes
Multiple-time Challenge champ Johnny Bananas was last seen on Total Madness, claiming his seventh title. Since then, he’s been away from the show doing other things but recently got reacquainted as The Ringer launched his weekly Death, Taxes, and Bananas podcast.
Following Episode 11 of Spies, Lies & Allies, Bananas spoke with The Challenge rookie Ed Eason. Ed arrived at the end of the first episode as a replacement for Nam Vo and made a name for himself with his crazy, goofy personality. He also won a daily challenge with Tori Deal and an elimination with fellow rookie Emy Alupei.
However, he made an honorable, albeit crucial mistake, in Episode 11, when he suggested to The Agency that they spare an injured Logan Sampedro from elimination and consider voting for him instead.
Bananas asked Ed why he was so determined to make sure Logan didn’t go into elimination.
“I was just like Team Good Guy, like through and through. I guess cause I just really didn’t know what the hell I was doing. So my whole strategy was like, let me just play with so much honor that these people are going to feel bad if I go or something,” Ed shared.
Bananas told Ed many times that an injury is what gets a competitor thrown into elimination because castmates smell blood in the water.
“I guess that was just like me again being the good guy. I was like, ‘No, he needs rest; let me do this.’ I’m like stepping up for something that I should have never stepped up for. But I felt like at the time I was being a hero,” Ed said.
That move ended up sending Ed into elimination, where he’d later get to choose an opponent from the non-safe teams. He chose Kyle Christie, and then TJ Lavin revealed they’d be competing in a Pole Wrestle. That happened to be an event Kyle has excelled at during his Challenge career.
Kyle ended up defeating the rookie 2-0 to send him home for the season. The honorable move possibly won Ed some points with fans and Logan if they’re together on another season together, but it also prevented him from possibly winning $1 million.
Bananas gives Ed some valuable advice for future seasons
Ed admitted it was his first season, and he didn’t really know what he was doing, but now he knows better. Bananas said that being the nice guy might make for some great TV but will do nothing to get Ed far in the game.
“Unfortunately, this is not the show to play the admirable game because you can’t. They make it impossible. They make it absolutely impossible for you to play this game with eventually having to stab someone in the back,” Bananas told the rookie.
The seven-time champion said so many cast members have come on criticizing him for doing that, but then a few seasons later, they’re doing the same.
He added that the people who walk away saying they played a “clean game” are also the people who didn’t make it far enough to where they had to get their hands dirty.
“It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when,” Bananas added regarding players backstabbing others on The Challenge.
“I’m sure it just comes with time…Now I know how it goes and if I were to do it again, the changes I would make,” Ed replied.
“Listen, you need to play the game with heart. You can’t play with your heart,” Bananas told Ed.
Based on his first season of The Challenge, Ed Eason appears to be a smart and strong competitor capable of advancing far in the game. Should he return and follow Bananas’ essential advice, he could find himself competing to win a final early in his career with the show.
The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.