*Spoilers from this week’s The Challenge Rivals 3 Finale.*
That final challenge: WHOA. It’s not that the challenge itself was any more rough-and-tumble than usual (a tumultuous hike up a mountain that’s about half of Everest, no big deal), but what happened in the season’s final moments was certainly a Challenge first.
In a mega-twist, T.J. tells the finalists that whichever teammate accumulates the most points along the way must make a difficult decision: split the $275,000 grand prize…or screw their partner over and keep it all for themselves. After reassuring Sarah countless times, the fruit Bananas decided to send Sarah home with nothing, keeping the entire check for himself. After spending all season mending their friendship. After telling her there was no other partner he could’ve done it with. After her mental skills saved his ass time and time again. Cool, bro.
But the plot thickens.
According to the International Business Times, Sarah made some scandalous allegations about Bananas at the reunion taping July 12 in New York City. She “hinted” that Bananas was caught with drugs during the final, though MTV is playing the denial game. Obviously, drugs are a huge contractual no-no. IBT, who attended the reunion, writes:
“Sarah, who hinted Johnny may have used said substance to help him perform better during the competition, alleged the network fined the six-time ‘Challenge’ winner $5,000 for the incident. No other “Challenge” cast members at the taping admitted to seeing Johnny get fined…Sarah went on to say she didn’t care if MTV decided to cut her statement out of the broadcast but wanted those in attendance to know what happened. However, a rep for the show tells IBT ‘there is and has not been any truth or proof to prove this’ in response to Sarah’s claims.”
I personally believe Sarah 100%. MTV has been doing nothing but pandering to Bananas for years now. My theory? Producers knew they had a dud of a season. With so many strong players eliminated due to injury, home emergency or fighting, they knew Johnny and Sarah were going to smoke the competition at the final challenge. So they added a twist that would test that already shaky relationship. I wouldn’t even be surprised if production talked him into it. Sure, they created an emotionally-charged TV moment, which is their job as producers, but Sarah was unfairly robbed. It felt cheap and contrived–but hey, that’s Reality TV. I could go on and on about how disgusting, old and pathetic Bananas is, but I think the episode speaks for itself.
Ever since The Real World: Brooklyn, I’ve always been a Sarah fan. She’s one of the last “real” people of Reality TV. What a heartbreaking finish to a season that she absolutely crushed. #TeamSarah
What do you think? Are you Team Bananas or Team Sarah? And what do you think about Sarah’s allegations?
Hear Sarah’s side of the story here. Skip to 9:55 to get right to the drug part:
I just realized that you two are friends….and I am so glad that the SMART GIRLS are friends. Suzie, I was seriously wondering what had happened to you and it makes me happy in some way (because I don’t really know you guys) that you two made a strong connection and are real friends. Sarah, I love this video. F him. He will be bald in 5 years, uneducated, out of money, and devoid of character. You are going to graduate school and will make a rich life for yourself in all ways, not only financially.
xoxo