A Tense Stand-Off Leads to an Elimination Shocker on 'The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras'
This week, The Challenge 40 showed how much of an individual season it would be. After the opening "Era Invitational" that saw eight people go home in one night, we saw how the season should be structured for the time being, with the four eras competing as teams. However, the most cohesive group in the daily turned into the most dysfunctional in the deliberation, as the two representatives disagreed on who to send in. The pair stood their ground firm enough to send themselves into elimination, where two more veterans were sent home.
Check out more information about tonight's episode below and find out who was eliminated.
Related: Everything to Know About The Challenge 40
Who was eliminated on The Challenge 40 tonight?
Tony Raines
This is Tony's first proper Challenge season in over five years. And that disconnect may have been the reason he got thrown into the first elimination. But, after prevailing, Tony immediately came into power, leading Era 3 to a win in the daily. And with that power, he cut a deal with Era 4, deciding he'd try to force Averey to turn on her friend Derek with the threat of a stalemate looming over them. Unfortunately for Tony, Averey called his bluff. The two went from immune to up for elimination, prompting many to decry Tony's strategy, even accusing him of wanting to leave the game. It was revealed that the elimination matchups would be individual, and Tony went up against Darrell. Unfortunately, while Darrell got injured during the face-off, he still pulled off the win, giving Tony an early exit.
Jodi Weatherton
It's been 17 years since we last saw Jodi on The Challenge flagship, where she crushed the competition in The Duel and became the first individual woman to win a season. Since then, Jodi has had more recent returns in All-Stars and World Championship, where she showcased not only her strength, but her sense of panic. Stepping up as a leader for Era 1, she was thrown onto the chopping block when they finished last in the daily. Jodi and Darrell petitioned to go up against Derek and Aviv in the elimination, hoping they'd compete together against less threatening opponents. Unfortunately, that best-case scenario remained purely hypothetical. Not only was Jodi forced to go up against Averey, but she had to do it alone. And, despite a tight finish between the two women, Jodi lost the elimination, sending her out.
Who won the daily challenge on The Challenge 40 tonight?
This week's daily had the eras having to showcase their teamwork in paddling a dragonboat, get through an eating challenge, and solve a puzzle testing their knowledge of past Challenge seasons. Era 3, led by their strong paddling, Tony's eating skills, and Tori's attention to detail, had a commanding win. Averey and Tony, as the winning leaders, got to select who to send into elimination.
Related: Mark Long Said He Was "Cursed from the Beginning" on The Challenge 40
Were there any twists on The Challenge 40 tonight?
Yes! TJ revealed that the elimination winners got massive power in the game. After emerging from their bouts victorious, Darrell and Averey got to pick one man and one woman from each era as "targets." In the next daily, the targets on the last-place team will automatically go into elimination. The targets on the first-place team would then get to decide which other pair of targets would go down in the sand. Here are the "targets" going into the next episode:
–Era 1: Aneesa Ferreira & Derrick Kosinski
–Era 2: Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio & Laurel Stucky
–Era 3: Jordan Wiseley & Nia Moore
–Era 4: Horacio Gutiérrez & Jenny West
