The Challenge: USA 2 features veteran players from MTV’s competition series, The Challenge, and newer stars from the CBS reality TV shows Big Brother, Amazing Race, and Survivor vying for a cash prize.
Until Episode 8 of the spinoff show, players competed in teams, with the Red, Blue, and Green teams initially assembled in the premiere episode.
Eliminations took place after each day’s daily challenge, with the winning player from the elimination able to defect to a different team.
It ultimately set up what looked like an overpowered super squad, the Blue Team, which featured a collection of MTV vets Johnny Bananas, Faysal “Fessy” Shafaat, Wes Bergmann, and Tori Deal.
Three of those MTV stars have already faced elimination and defeated their opponents to remain in the game. However, the game has changed as of the close of Episode 7.
Based on The Challenge: USA 2 spoilers, Episode 8 has another reality TV favorite facing elimination at The Arena as allies will face off.
Episode 8 features a new alliance ‘unlocked’ as the team format ends
One day ahead of the release of USA 2’s eighth episode, The Challenge Instagram uploaded a sneak preview clip featuring seven-time champion Bananas chatting with Survivor star Michaela Bradshaw. In Episode 7, she won her first-ever Challenge elimination, defeating friend and ally Tiffany Mitchell.
With host TJ Lavin revealing at the close of Episode 7 that there were no more teams, that shifted things to an individual competition from here on out. In the preview clip below, Bananas is attempting to use his experience in the game as currency to get Michaela on his side, as he considers her a “dangerous player.”
Michaela tells Bananas that she sees “value in connecting with strong women and strong men” now that it’s everyone for themself. He tells her that since Tiffany got eliminated, it opens up a “potential spot” on his roster. Michaela says he can give her that spot.
However, she’s cautious about it, as she admits in a confessional interview below that he’s coming to her after “an attack” since he was among those who sent her into elimination at The Arena. She names Bananas and Wes Bergmann as two players she was interested in working with during this show, but she isn’t sure Wes would protect her.
Episode 8 will be called Independence Day, seeming to refer to the Fourth of July holiday or the movie starring Will Smith about alien invaders showing up to attack Earth.
“The game takes a dramatic turn when TJ announces that teams are no more, strategy shifts for several players, and a draw from the hopper forces two ride-or-die allies to go head-to-head in one of the most grueling eliminations yet,” the IMDb synopsis reads.
Allies to face off in The Challenge: USA 2’s ‘grueling’ elimination
As the synopsis points out, two players working together will battle at The Arena in Episode 8. Viewers have already seen that happen several times, with friends and allies having to compete, including Alyssa Lopez losing to Cassidy Clark and Paulie Calafiore losing to Johnny Bananas.
In Episode 8, it will be former Green Team players in an elimination event as Big Brother stars Tyler Crispen and Monte Taylor will be going at it in an unknown event.
Neither player has competed in an elimination yet, although they’ve been close. Tyler faced elimination in Episode 7, but since Tiffany’s name was drawn from The Hopper, she went in against Michaela, and Tyler was safe.
According to forum spoilers, Tyler will win this battle, too, as he’ll send Monte home for the season. Monte appeared in CBS’ Big Brother 24, while Tyler appeared in BB 20 and Celebrity Big Brother 2.
Tyler seems to be a fan favorite and is featured in a sizzling showmance with Alyssa Snider, making them allies in the game.
Based on previous comments from TJ, Tyler’s someone he could see competing on the MTV version of The Challenge, so it’s going to be interesting to see what event he wins.
The Challenge: USA 2 airs Thursdays at 10/9c on CBS.