‘The Challenge: Total Madness’ power rankings after ep. 10

Two legends go head to head in an epic elimination.

When we last left MTV’s reality competition show The Challenge, a team made up of CT, Dee, Jordan and Rogan claimed victory after a wild season.

This time? It’s every competitor for his and herself in Total Madness, as 28 of the best vets and some very talented rookies compete for a million dollar prize while living in an underground bunker.

As always, we task our resident Challenge expert Charles Curtis to power rank each of the competitors after each week.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

This week: It’s trivia week, which is always entertaining. Then? Two all-time greats go head to head in elimination.

Red Skulls

(Note: instead of writing “they have a Red Skull” over and over again, I just grouped everyone with and without them)

1. Johnny Bananas

Wow. When I spoke with Johnny back in April, he had this to say about working with Wes:

“It’s a pretty amazing outcome when all is said and done. You could not script the way this thing all pans out.”

INDEED. Johnny played his hand perfectly, working with Wes right up until he couldn’t wait to go in any longer, figuring out how to get voted into elimination and winning against his longtime rival-turned-friend.

And now he’s got his ticket to the final, where the GOAT is the favorite at the moment.

2. Jenny

Not much changed in this ep, except it feels like we could get a Jenny-Dee showdown soon.

3. Rogan

I have to give him some serious credit. He’s played the political game really well, we saw him strategize his way to the Tribunal by working with Wes, he answered his trivia questions correctly. He’s absolutely among the favorites and could go back-to-back.

4. Fessy

So is this rookie.

5. Kaycee

She got a couple of strikes against her in Thrown Off without doing anything, but I just bumped her up a spot because every week she gets more comfortable and better.

6. Dee

She made another Tribunal. As long as she doesn’t get sent in to Purgatory with Jenny, she’ll be fine.

7. Nelson

Barring a disaster or a twist in the game, I don’t see him getting thrown into another elimination before the finale.

8. Aneesa

Same with her, and after watching her get tired holding on to the rocket in this week’s challenge, I worry about how she’ll fare in a final.

Non-Red Skulls

9. Mattie

She’s going to make her push to go into Purgatory next week, guaranteed (not much of a prediction since the clock is ticking at this point, but still!).

10. Cory

I should knock him down for not putting as much of a fight to get into Purgatory as he should have. But of the four men left, he probably has the best shot of beating the rest of those left who are without Red Skulls.

11. Nany

I’ve had her lower in recent weeks, but the fact that her “holy trinity” has been broken up, maybe — as she said — that helps her.

12. Bayleigh

I’d love to see her give it a go in Purgatory, and next week is possibly her last shot.

13. Swaggy C

The tough thing about being a rookie is figuring out the game halfway through the season, and it feels like he might get shut out by the end of the season.

14. Kyle

As a vet, he’s somehow gotten elbowed out of making any kind of move.

15. Melissa

I don’t see her getting into a Purgatory and winning.

16. Josh

I could see him getting into a Purgatory and losing.

17.  Wes

What an absolute stunning heartbreaker for him. He played this season perfectly, and that includes teaming up with Johnny. But you knew at some point he and Bananas would have to sever their partnership, and that one of them would be on the wrong end of it. I just can’t wait for future seasons to see these two friends team up again.

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