The Challenge Season 38 ratings and viewership numbers had been lagging at the start of the season, but after the latest installment, things may be improving.
Episode 3 of the Ride or Dies season saw the return of three-time champion Jordan Wiseley to the show, marking his first appearance on MTV’s show since his breakup with Tori Deal.
It was a surprising moment for the cast, especially Tori, and brought about an emotional conversation between the formerly-engaged couple during the episode.
Jordan also got his Ride or Dies teammate for the season, Aneesa Ferreira, adding to the complex nature of his appearance, as Tori and Aneesa are good friends in real life.
In addition to those themes, the latest episode featured more drama in a rookie love triangle and more rookies showing their skills in the game.
This report will contain spoilers from Episode 3 of MTV’s The Challenge: Ride or Dies.
The Challenge 38, Episode 3 ratings improve
The first few episodes of The Challenge Season 38 started with lower ratings, but Episode 3 may indicate that interest in Ride or Dies is picking up.
According to Showbuzz Daily, the third episode had a 0.23 rating, up 0.03 from the previous installment. It also had 490,000 viewers, up from the 422,000 viewers that Ride or Dies Episode 2 had.
The show also moved up the list of the top cable telecasts for Wednesday, October 26, finishing eighth for the evening, compared to No. 15 for the previous week’s episode. It was the first top-10 finish for the show in its new season.
Part of the increase could be due to the lack of Major League Baseball playoff games, as there has been a break ahead of the 2022 World Series, which begins Friday, October 28. MLB had claimed the top spot for cable telecasts in the previous weeks.
However, the episode advertised ahead of time that Tori and Jordan would have a conversation on camera for the first time in over a year. The couple was engaged to be married as of the War of the Worlds 2 season but officially split up after Tori filmed Double Agents.
Ride or Dies Episode 3 brought castmates’ convo, rookie highlights
In Ride or Dies Episode 3, viewers saw the emotional discussion as Tori spoke to Jordan about how much she’s changed and grown since they split and apologized to him for what she put him through. The two eventually hugged, seeming to get some peace and closure.
However, trailer footage has revealed that Jordan may link up with another castmate, bringing more drama between him and Tori in a later episode.
Viewers also watched rookies get the spotlight in Episode 3. The love triangle involving Nurys Mateo, Johnny Middlebrooks, and Ravyn Rochelle was a highlight, with Johnny and Ravyn ending up in elimination.
In Double Decker, a variation of Hall Brawl, the rookie duo of Horacio Gutierrez and Olivia Kaiser won their second-straight elimination, sending them home.
Two other rookies were pivotal in the episode. Big Brother stars Tommy Bracco and Analyse Talavera was one of the teams up for elimination, but at The Draw, they chose the “Safe” dagger. Footage ahead of elimination showed them making deals with the other rookie teams and then could only save one of two.
They opted to save Colleen Schneider and Kim Tranka, resulting in Horacio and Olivia feeling backstabbed as they went into elimination. That, along with the surprise arrival of two more competitors to the game, sets the stage for Ride or Dies Episode 4, coming on Wednesday, November 2.
The Challenge: Ride or Dies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.