Pedal to the Metal

The Challenge: USA
Season 1, Episode 2 “Oh Say Can You See Tiffany”
Original Air Date: July 13, 2022

As we live through endlessly turbulent times, The Challenge: USA is making me proud to be an American again. 

Does anyone know who’s editing these Challenge: USA episodes? I’d like to send a thank-you-note: In only two episodes, we’ve learned *almost* everyone’s personalities. (Sorry, David.) We’ve been treated to two elimination blindsides (complete with context-providing flashbacks that explain how they came to be), and we’ve yet to see a single explosion… Are we slow-motion walking into The Challenge’s next golden age?

Swap Meet… Your New Partner:

The Algorithm goes to work for the first time “randomly” determining the new duos… Surprise, surprise… Love Island exes Cashay & Cinco (who “just broke up,” Cashay explained last episode) are now partners, as are Cayla & James, 2/3 of the cast’s Amazing Race representation, and Justine, still reeling from the loss of her bestie Cely, & Tyson, the person responsible for sending Cely into elimination. So random!

The segment eats up about three minutes of the episode’s runtime – First, there’re 45 seconds of exposition, a re-explanation of The Algorithm’s purpose as already heard at the end of the last episode. Then, a little over two minutes are devoted to the partner swap, people’s interviews about their new partners, and a slow-motion, two-by-two Arena exit. (I know I just praised the editing, but this was too much, man!)

However, from out of the filler comes unintentional funniness. (That’s one of the best kinds!) As The Algorithm doles out the duos, most Challengers react positively and enthusiastically toward their partners – Maybe they’re excited to compete alongside a new teammate, or maybe they just want to be supportive… The only exceptions are pairs whose initial not-getting-along (like Cashay & Cinco and Justine & Tyson) is a narrative that develops throughout the episode… and Shannon & Domenick. After The Algorithm reveals their partnership, the camera hangs on Shannon for several seconds, but she doesn’t react at all, like, literally does not move or show any subtle indication of any emotion. In fairness, Domenick doesn’t look enthusiastic about the pairing either, but everything Shannon does makes me laugh, even just standing still. She’s great!

One, Two, Three, Four, Cinco:

At the mansion, the cast adjusts to their new teammates. Leo’s giddy about working with Angela, while Cayla grimaces whenever she thinks about her partner James and their vulnerable position as a pair of Racers. Justine’s also less-than-pleased, but for personal reasons – Too bad (for her) Tyson doesn’t care that he voted Cely into elimination and definitely doesn’t care that Justine is sad she went home… Across dozens of episodes of reality TV, when it comes to disposition, Tyson’s always been consistent(ly callous). 

But the most dysfunctional dynamic exists, unsurprisingly, between Cashay & Cinco. Neither seems actively angry in the wake of their breakup, but both were also content to avoid each other all season. (And they would’ve gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for that meddling Algorithm!) The episode presents two big obstacles in Cashay & Cinco’s ability to succeed as a team: The first is communication – Neither wants to do it, but “at the end of the day,” both realize that not talking is a losing ticket.

The second obstacle is Tiffany, whose flirtationship with Cinco (hinted at last episode) bothers Cashay and catches the attention of the rest of the cast, too. According to Tiffany, she’s strategically socializing with the Love Island men, but what gameplay-based good does bonding with Cinco do her? Even though he placed in the top three at the first challenge, the Islanders are the least competitively feared by most of the cast, and despite their high numbers, (There’re still six of them after Cely & Javonny’s elimination.) they’re not all working together like most contestants from the other three origin shows are. The four women: Cashay, Justine, Kyra & Shannon are tightly aligned, but the men, Cashel & Cinco, appear isolated. Maybe it’s because neither’s received more than a moment of screen time, or maybe it’s because two of the four Islander women are their exes. Either way, throughout this episode, it seems like both Cashel & Cinco’s only ally is Tiffany.  

The rumblings of a rumor shake the foundation of the cast’s mansion. (Seriously, everyone has to evacuate. Shooting is delayed for days – It’s a logistical nightmare…) Shan tells several Survivors that Tiffany & Cinco’s flirting began prior to filming, and that he’s not the only cast member with whom Tiffany’s “swapped DNA.” Whether Shan’s gossip is true or not, it’s phrased meanly enough to warrant her villainous “Shanthem.” One thing that is clear – Whatever went on between Tiffany & Kyland in the HOH room during Big Brother 23’s Live Feeds was the most interesting thing that happened the entire second-half of that season, and who is Shan to rob us of a potential repeat with Cinco…? When the gossip is followed by a “breaking news”-style interview (complete with fake desk set and jokey ticker) during which Shan explains that she’s not a “messy sharer,” but a strategic one, something else becomes clear, too – The producers looove Shan.

The Challenge:

The cast arrives at what I realize is the challenge I was most excited to see out of all those featured in the full season trailer – Four massive buoys are suspended over water. Both are covered in rows of tires and giant Scrabble tiles. From afar, they look like four black bagworms hanging in a metal tree.

The challenge is called “Yeah Buoy” (pronounced “Yeah Boy-eee” Flavor Flav-style). Competing two at a time, pairs swim to their ladder, climb it, (Duh.) then leap onto one of their buoys using the tires as hand/footholds. On the buoy, players collect up to five Scrabble tiles, then jump off and swim to shore. “Did I mention that those buoys are going to be spinning?” T.J. taunts the cast.

Ashore, teams place their tiles onto a correspondingly giant grid (with the intention of forming words), then repeat the process. After 20 minutes, your time expires. The team that makes the most words wins safety from elimination and 5,000 Challenge Bucks each.

“Yeah Buoy” more than lives up to its trailer hype. Conceptually, it’s pretty much a perfect challenge – a mixture of strength, strategy, agility, swimming ability, booksmarts, spectacle, and sheer guts. Editorially, the entire segment is well-put-together too: 

1. New narratives are introduced. We learn that Cashel is Tyson’s only competitive “concern.”
2. It also builds on established storylines. After the rules are explained, Cashay feels unlucky to be partnered with her freshly ex-boyfriend Cinco for a challenge that requires “the one thing she’s scared of.” She’s right – It is unlucky, because you’d think buoy-hopping for big Scrabble tiles, then spelling words with them is too niche a fear to ever come up in the wild. (She’s actually talking about swimming.) When it’s finally their turn, Cashay is only able to complete the challenge because Cinco says he “needs [her.]” Kind of a downer ending, but definitely a relatable one, too.
3. It develops characters – specifically, through humor. At the start of his heat, Leo stops short of the water to take off several pieces of gear, including his shoes. Later, Tyson teaches us an “old cycling trick:” To demoralize your competitors, always relax your breathing while you’re within earshot of them. Lastly, T.J. laughs at contestants as they fall into the water, a core tenet of his host persona.
4. It showcases strategy. Throughout the segment, we’re made privy to a few teams’ plans for how to approach the challenge: Angela & Leo spell “one big word,” then expand above and below it. They choose “manipulate” as their starter, which is so on-the-nose thematic, I’m convinced Jeff Probst snuck onto the set and tampered with their answer grid. Cashel uses his & Tiffany’s tiles to spell out Kyra, the name of their castmate/his ex-girlfriend – Too bad it doesn’t count toward their word total… Justine & Tyson are the only duo to split the workload. Tyson handles the swimming and tile collecting, while Justine hangs out onshore filling in their answer grid.

Justine & Tyson’s approach turns out to be the best, as they crush the competition by spelling nine words – The runner-up teams (Tiffany & Cashel and Desi & Danny) only spell six! If you’re a woman who wants to win the $5,000 necessary to qualify for T.J.’s Final, partnering with Tyson is proving to be the best avenue to success. With $11,000 in his Personal Challenge Account, Tyson is now a full $10,000 richer than most of his castmates, and the two second-richest (Angela & Justine, each with $6,000) were both his partners.

The last-place pair, who guarantees themselves a trip to The Arena, is Cayla & James. Like Azah & Kyland in the series premiere, they’re the only team to completely fuck up the challenge – Cayla struggles to land a single leap onto their spinning buoy and James struggles to land more than one, leaving them with zero words on their answer grid at the end of the allotted 20 minutes. Like Azah & Kyland, Cayla & James also compete early in the segment. As a result, most duos only need to spell one word to ensure they don’t place last. On the MTV Challenge, it might be dicey for some, but here on CBS, like T.J. says, ~we’re built different.~ 

Ungluing Big Brother:

With the double Amazing Race duo Cayla & James already Arena-bound, Justine & Tyson have no “easy option” to vote into elimination. If the precedent set by last episode’s vote holds true – No targeting people from your same origin show – then all Survivor and Love Island cast members are safe, leaving only two teams to choose from, Alyssa & Enzo and Azah & Xavier, both pairs of Big Brother players. That is, until Cayla & James meet with Justine & Tyson. There, James showcases his impressive persuasion skills for the second consecutive episode.

If either Alyssa & Enzo or Azah & Xavier were eliminated, then Big Brother would no longer be the most represented show among the cast. But instead of simply weakening their alliance, James suggests that he, Cayla, Justine, and Tyson gut it by targeting Tiffany & Cashel. That way, the de facto leader/“glue” of the BB group (Tiffany) is gone, making it easier for gameplay to move beyond origin-show-based alliances, a shift that would be an invaluable boon to The Amazing Race trio’s positioning. 

Of course, the plan only works if Cayla & James can win in The Arena, and if Justine agrees to target her fellow Islander Cashel… The latter is immediately resolved: As we know, the Love Island loyalty starts and ends with its women. Justine sees Cashel as a “wildcard,” not as a reliable ally. Plus, he cheated on Kyra! As for Tiffany, initially, Tyson wants to work together – Too bad half the cast spends the episode working against her (Tiffany included). In her defense, I thought Tiffany was doomed the day the cast was announced. She was the strategic force of Big Brother 23, which only aired last summer. It’s the “Rob Cesternino Effect” – Tiffany played too well too recently for this new cast to keep her around.

There’s also her “thing” with Cinco, which I’d call inconsequential if it weren’t for the fact that he & Cashay broke up two months before filming. Late in the episode (and late at night), Cinco “sneakily” carries Tiffany to her bed, a top bunk in the center of the communal sleeping area, while Cashay watches. It’s enough to irk the Love Island crew and convince them that Tiffany is “intimidated by beautiful women,” but is it enough to send her & Cashel into elimination?   

The Arena:

As the cast arrives at The Arena (still in slow-motion, but faster than last time), they’re greeted by four stationary bikes connected to two giant “generators,” and also T.J.. My inner, irrational conspirator fixates on the fact that a cycling-based elimination has suddenly popped up in the franchise the very same season as Tyson, a former pro… But as Tyson is one of the people I’m rooting for most, do I care…? Nope.

When it’s time for Justine & Tyson to announce who they’ve chosen to compete against Cayla & James, to my delight, it’s another blindside! (Though some of its shine was lost for the audience by titling the episode “Oh Say Can You See Tiffany…”) As she & Cashel confusedly walk into the sand pit, flashbacks show the full extent of the campaign against her. While Cashay rallies the Love Island women, Big Brother players like Alyssa and Xavier actively encourage Tyson to target Tiffany. (In fairness, Tiffany encourages Tyson to target Alyssa first…) Within the span of a single day, Tyson realizes that, contrary to popular belief, Tiffany isn’t the bastion of the Big Brother alliance – Most of them don’t even want her there. Factor in Tyson’s wariness about competing against her current partner Cashel, and the opportunity to toss them into elimination becomes too perfect to pass up.

The Arena game is called “Knowledge Is Powered.” Each team is assigned a pair of stationary bikes and the “power station” they’re connected to. Six lights (all turned off) are on the front of both stations. By pedaling, teams can turn on their lights and power their stations. After activating two lights, a series of 12 symbols appears on a screen for ten seconds. Once it disappears, players dismount their bikes, then recreate the sequence on an answer board. If correct, the lights stay on and the process repeats two more times. If incorrect/unfinished, players pedal to reactivate the lights, then try again. First team to light all six lights and correctly recreate all three symbol sequences wins both the elimination & their opponents’ Challenge Bucks.

I liked this game so much, I hope the show keeps pumping out slight variations until I hate it. (a.k.a. “Hall Brawl”-style). “Knowledge Is Powered” requires multiple skill sets, the thing I value most in any Challenge elimination, and it’s surprisingly dynamic for a game centered around stationary bikes. When Tiffany & Cashel are able to memorize their first 12-symbol set in one try but Cayla & James aren’t, I brace for a blowout that never happens. I’m not sure if it’s their shared love of spin class, their castmates’ enthusiastic support from the sideline, or their stories about pregnant people who exercise while charging their phones (to help memorize the symbols), but after Cayla & James finish their first phase, they soar through the remaining two. Next door, Tiffany & Cashel aren’t far behind, but they’re never able to retake the lead. Cayla & James win, and both leave The Arena with an additional $1,000 in their Personal Challenge Accounts.

The episode all but says outright that the loss is Tiffany’s fault, as multiple cast members (and T.J.) comment on Cashel’s “bike-breaking” speed. Call Tiffany the first victim of an adage we’ll likely be hearing 3-5 times per episode: The wrong partner at the wrong time can be a fatal stroke of (un)luck. Despite his Amazing Race season being best described with an audible sigh, James has won my heart with back-to-back displays of strategic dominance in these first two Challenge: USA episodes, so admittedly, regardless of the hows or whys, I was excited when he & Cayla won. 

That said, losing Tiffany in the second episode is a tragedy Sophocles himself would critique as “too sad.” She’s smart, she’s schemey, and her ability to rile up (in different ways) people 15 years younger than her is a reality TV gift we’re likely to not see again until Tiffany’s cast on another show. Even worse, we’re also missing out on seeing how she’d respond to the blindside in the next episode. Fortunately, Tiffany’s partner Cashel isn’t as great a loss (no offense). He’s barely had any screen time or storylines beyond being half of one of the pairs of Love Island exes (the less interesting one), and he’s got a liberal arts vibe I got more than enough of in college. 

As Tiffany & Cashel exit The Arena, contestants give knowing farewell looks to their partners… It’s feeding time, and The Algorithm is hungry…

Leftovers:

-Tyson may be the competitor of the moment, but don’t ignore Desi & Danny – Both are 2/2 in top-three challenge finishes.

–Battle of the Bloodlines / Blood vs. Water-style formats aren’t my favorite, but the possibility of seeing Danny & his wife “Kiki” on a show together is too good to pass up. With the amount of times Danny mentions her per episode, she’s basically The Challenge: USA’s 29th cast member already.

-Each time Alyssa tells us that Xavier was her “best friend” on Big Brother, Christian, the person Alyssa was in a showmance with while on BB, must feel an inexplicable pang in his chest, like a voodoo doll made of words… 

-A recurring theme from the first two episodes: injury exaggeration via cast interviews. In the season premiere, Alyssa tells us that the “Down to Do the Math” challenge was so intense, Azah “passed out.” Except Azah didn’t pass out… She sat down. During “Yeah Buoy,” James’ back hurts after a rough water landing. While Derek comments on the injury (which is never mentioned again) via interview, he says the stakes are “life or death.” If that were actually true, it’d be the mark of an extremely incompetent production team…

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Thanks for reading! Come back next Tuesday for another Challenge: USA recap/review!