The Challenge: Ride Or Dies Finale Recap: Did Johnny Bananas Become An Eight-Time Champion? (Grade It!)
The Challenge: Ride or Dies' 100-hour final has officially come to an end, and boy, was it a doozy.
In Wednesday's season finale, seven-time champ Johnny Bananas fights like hell to try and bank his eighth win, but more importantly, he's hoping to help his teammate and friend Nany Gonzalez seal her first big victory. But standing in their way are Jordan Wisely and Aneesa Ferreira. One is a literal force to be reckoned with, while the other is a tried-and-true vet (albeit, one with a busted ankle). Also fighting for the check are the smart and steadfast Devin Walker and Tori Deal, who have been nothing but consistent throughout the entire season.
No matter which team wins, a new Challenge champion is about to be crowned. So who walked away with the million dollars? Let's hit the highlights and discuss.
Following last week's impressive eating performance (I'm never eating spaghetti again. OK, that's a lie), Nany and Bananas earn more chalk bombs for their next task: Hitting targets from the edge of a helicopter. But the challenge winds up being way harder than any of them expect. Tori and Devin, however, prove that it's a Mission: Possible, and as a result of winning, they get to head out first in the race to the next challenge.
ARENA | When the teams arrive to a corn maze, everyone is stumped on what to do next... until TJ hits them with trippy lights and his booming voice, like it's Night 1 at Coachella. After another rush through the maze, Tori and Devin arrive first, forcing the other two pairs straight into elimination. And they're playing a Challenge classic: Balls In.
Jordan and Aneesa put up one hell of a battle, but after Aneesa's knee gives out, Nany gives that banged up ankle a tug which causes her opponent to tumble over in pain. Nany and Bananas win the elimination, thus knocking Jordan and Aneesa out of the competition for good.
It's a heartbreaking defeat to watch, but you can't blame Nany for playing to win. Aneesa is a great competitor, though. Sure, some aspects of this marathon-style final weren't exactly in her wheelhouse, but if she and Jordan had made it to the Final 2, they very well could have taken the whole shebang.
FINAL ELIMINATION | This time around, there's no grueling final day. No eating animal organs. No hike up a devastatingly steep cliff face. Just one. last. Arena. Night falls once again and the last two pairs face off in a brutal final competition that looks entirely exhausting. There are four rooms full of obstacles that the duos must clear in order to reach a giant lever in the middle. Pull the lever, win the million.
Bananas and Nany take an early lead, but a concrete block puzzle stops them dead in their tracks. They dismantle their first attempt and try to rebuild, but ultimately get nowhere after burying a key piece in the middle of the structure.
Devin and Tori not only destroy the puzzle, but swiftly move through a room full of sand and another full of knotted chains. They reach that lever and seal the deal: Tori and Devin become the champions of The Challenge: Ride or Dies — the very first win for both of them!
So what did you think of this three-episode, elongated final challenge? And did the right team win? Grade the finale and season below, then tell us your thoughts in the comments.