The rookies will be back under the spotlight in The Challenge Season 38, Episode 4, following some big moves that went down in the previous installment.
Viewers saw four rookie teams featured in the episode, with two of those teams considered potential threats in the game.
Those two teams were pitted against one another in the elimination due to another rookie team’s bold move.
Rookies Analyse Talavera and Tommy Bracco made a difficult decision at The Draw, which will bring some repercussions for them moving forward in the game.
Meanwhile, one of the strong newcomers in the game, Horacio Gutierrez, may continue exploring a showmance with one of his castmates, but that could hurt his chemistry with his teammate.
This report will contain some spoilers for the first several episodes of Ride or Dies.
The Challenge Season 38, Episode 4 to feature Horacio’s showmance?
On Thursday, The Challenge unveiled the trailer for Episode 4 of the Ride or Dies season, which also arrived on MTV after the third episode.
The trailer reveals a shirtless rookie Horacio as he hugs castmate Laurel Stucky in one of the bedrooms. Viewers have seen the two getting to know one another through the first several episodes of the season.
“With Laurel, I just feel like I have a person that I can trust,” Horacio says in a confessional sound bite, but his partner may believe differently.
“You think that people in here are gonna have your back? Because now, you know I don’t have your back,” Olivia is shown telling someone.
While the conversation gets presented after footage of Horacio in the trailer, it could also relate to Olivia Kaiser speaking with her fellow rookies after Episode 3’s elimination.
Horacio and Olivia proved themselves to their castmates again as they went into their second-straight elimination of the season in Ride or Dies Episode 3.
The duo battled fellow rookies Johnny Middlebrooks and Ravyn Rochelle in Double Decker, a variation of the classic Hall Brawl elimination.
It was quite a battle, with the elimination event tied 1-1 after two rounds. However, Horacio and Olivia showed their determination and skill, defeating Ravyn and Johnny in the third round to send them home for the season.
With that, Horacio and Olivia continue to show they are one of the strong contenders in the game early on, which has other teams on notice. One has to wonder if Horacio’s potential showmance with Laurel will be good for his game or hurt his team’s chances.
Analyse and Tommy facing repercussions after The Draw decision
Based on the above trailer, Analyse and Tommy will also deal with the fallout from the bold move they made at The Zone. They were one of the four teams that daily challenge winners Faysal Shafaat and Moriah Jadea opted for possible elimination.
Faysal and Moriah chose to send in Johnny and Ravyn, as they viewed them as strong contenders early in the game. Other teams up for elimination had to participate in The Draw.
Analyse and Tommy pulled the dagger marked “Safe” at The Draw, keeping them out of elimination. It also meant they had a big decision to make.
Earlier in the episode, footage showed them having a conversation with Colleen Schneider and Kim Tranka at the club and a separate discussion with Olivia and Horacio. In both convos, they tried to convince their fellow rookie teams to save them if they pulled the safe dagger at The Draw.
However, Analyse and Tommy were forced to choose a team and opted for Colleen and Kim rather than Olivia and Horacio. Due to that, the latter duo seems to believe Analyse and Tommy can’t be trusted going forward.
Following Episode 3, Analyse called out a castmate who seemed irked by their decision, suggesting it wasn’t the smartest move.
In the Episode 4 trailer, Nany Gonzalez is shown conversing with Tommy and Analyse about their move, indicating they made a “smart move” but that the repercussions of it “suck.”
Viewers will see what happens next with the rookies in Season 38, Episode 4, which should also feature the return of OGs Darrell Taylor and Veronica Portillo to the MTV show.
The Challenge: Ride or Dies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.