The Challenge: Total Madness officially premiered tonight on MTV with veterans and rookies competing. A major twist was also presented in terms of a big requirement to make this season’s final.
The new Total Madness cast features 28 players, with plenty of fan-favorites, as well as new players from other reality shows. Faves like Bananas, Wes, CT, Nany, and Aneesa are all on hand. Newcomers arrived from shows besides those on MTV. Some of the shows include Big Brother, Survivor, and So You Think You Can Dance.
As with each season of The Challenge, Total Madness also brings an elimination each week where at least one competitor is sent home. This one is known as Purgatory.
Here’s what went down with the first official elimination of the new season.
First Purgatory nominations
Early in the show, teams competed in a daily challenge that resulted in a winning side and a losing side. A Tribunal was created from the winners that consisted of Rogan, Jenny, and Cory.
Meanwhile, the losing side had to nominate one player to go into elimination. That ended up being Asaf from So You Think You Can Dance.
A surprising moment also arrived after that nomination. Viewers saw Wes and Bananas seemingly hug it out and form an early alliance. It was a shocking moment as the two players have typically been heated rivals on every other season of The Challenge.
This might be the craziest thing that's ever happened in 35 seasons… ? #TheChallenge35 pic.twitter.com/OSlcLaxpjy
— challengemtv (@ChallengeMTV) April 2, 2020
With pleasantries concluded, The Tribunal met in private. They nominated three players for interrogation so they each could decide on their pick to send into elimination. Those three players were veterans Kyle and Wes, and Challenge rookie Jay Starrett from Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X.
Each of these players got a chance to present their case about why the Tribunal shouldn’t pick them to go in. Jay tried to convince them that it might be smart to keep a prospect around to become an alliance member. He also suggested they use this opportunity to try to eliminate a strong veteran early on. Wes didn’t try to make any deals and just said he’d see how things went.
Purgatory elimination: Who went home?
At Purgatory, all of the competitors watched from a higher level as TJ stood with Asaf on the sand below. The Tribunal didn’t have any surprises in store for their votes. All three people voted for Jay to head down and face Asaf.
Let the Madness Begin! @ChallengeMTV @MTV pic.twitter.com/TOnjbLD4Z6
— Jay Starrett (@Jay__Qs) April 2, 2020
TJ revealed the first elimination of the season: Air Strike. It featured a giant glass wall hanging 30 feet above the arena. Players hung on bars on opposite sides of the wall. The object was to do whatever they could to get the other player to fall off their bar. The first competitor to win two out of three rounds would win. The other player would be sent home.
Being a rock climber helped Jay out considerably. He was able to get the right grip and hang tight while Asaf struggled. Jay picked up the first win after kicking the wall several times when he could tell Asaf was tired. Asaf tried his best to hang on, but ultimately lost his grip. Jay won two straight, sending Asaf home ahead of achieving his dreams.
Jay won a helmet with a red skull on it for an elimination win. TJ explained that he was sick of people skating by, so for this season of The Challenge, you need to win an elimination to qualify to go to the final.
TJ laid down the LAW ☠️ #TheChallenge35 pic.twitter.com/MXqk0dl9MS
— challengemtv (@ChallengeMTV) April 2, 2020
That means Jay is the first and only competitor to be qualified for the final. The rest of the competitors are now on notice.
Watch The Challenge: Total Madness on Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.