Bananas' Elimination On 'The Challenge' Proves That Things Just Got Real

Usually, the only thing you can be sure of on The Challenge are intense competitions and Johnny Bananas, and right now, only one of them is proving to be true. Bananas returned for another season of The Challenge ready to school some fools on what it means to be a strong and ferocious competitor and, in a shocking turn of events, his time was cut short. When Bananas was eliminated on The Challenge tonight, it proved two things. The first being that he really isn't as indestructible as fans think, and the second was that no one is safe this season.

Fellow Season 33 cast member Gus said at the end of the episode that Bananas' elimination made him nervous for his own future this season. I don't know if I expected Bananas to make it all the way to the end, especially with Wes continually gunning for him to fail, but I did not expect Bananas to be part of the second team eliminated this season.

Zach blamed himself for once again getting himself caught in between Wes and Bananas’ drama, but to be honest, as soon as Wes was named as part of tonight’s Tribunal, you had to assume that he would put Bananas and Morgan in as nominees for the elimination challenge. If the challenge was about physical endurance more than a mental game, Bananas might have come out on top. But since he was likely caught off guard by the world map puzzle, he and Morgan lost.

Before War of the Worlds, Bananas competed on 17 other seasons of The Challenge. Of those, he won six and he never came as close to last place as he did during tonight’s episode. It was through little fault of his own that he was even placed on the killing floor to fight his way to another week on The Challenge. To avoid a stalemate when it came time to vote, Ashley changed his answer at the last minute to Bananas and Morgan, putting them in the ring for elimination.

If he hadn’t done that, it’s unclear if host T.J. would have placed a third pair on the killing floor or if there would have been some other repercussions for a stalemate. That’s part of the reason why Ashley changed his vote to keep himself and his partner safe for the time being. But that small twist of fate led to Bananas' elimination on The Challenge tonight and that could mean any other strong competitor is next.

Ahead of Season 33, it was easy to name Bananas and other returning players as potential winners. They have the experience and drive to win more than almost anyone else. I don't think anyone could have predicted that Bananas would go home so early, but this means a rookie could easily win the season. If it was that easy to get rid of a Challenge legend who has shown up in almost every season since his first, then anyone could go home next.

Bananas probably would have been safe if Wes wasn't on the Tribunal this week. The two power players have had a rivalry since The Challenge Season 18 when Wes voted against Bananas. From there, the rivalry escalated every season they appeared in together. As each gained more of a following among Challenge fans, they repeatedly competed against each other for top dog status.

In a way, it was only fitting for Wes to be the one to vote against Bananas and get him to the killing floor and off the show, as his vote seasons ago began their rivalry. I’m sure this isn't the last we’ve seen of Bananas, but his time on War of the Worlds has ended.