Was Theresa Really the Villain on Double Agents?

After leaving Double Agents this week, Theresa has made a few new enemies. She blindsided Kam, betrayed the veterans, and tried to convince the rookies to hand her a win. She was certainly an active player in the game, which seemed to make her unpopular with the other players.

As a viewer, you see a more aggressive player. Arguably, Theresa has betrayed a few people and made unpopular moves. Does this make her a villain, or just a smart player?

From what we’ve seen, Theresa is the closest thing we have to a villain on Double Agents, at least on the girls’ side. Really, she game into the game in a more unique position than a lot of people. She’s kind of a “born again rookie,” because she took six years away from the show. Tori, Ashley, Kam, Cory, and Devin have all become Challenge veterans in that time. Theresa did know a few people, some of them were her friends. Wes and Aneesa might have had her back, but she’s not their only ally. So, Theresa had to diversify her social circle.

When Theresa made a move to put Kam and Ashley against each other, she was relying on data to make the decision. Kam has a stellar elimination record and Ashley has won twice. Objectively, they’re threats to her game. Add in the fact that she has no strong relationship with either girl, and there’s no reason not to put them against each other. Fans of the show have had years to get to know Ashley and Kam. Theresa has been removed from the Challenge scene, and views their girls as obstacles to her success.

Theresa is someone who really just has “business” relationships with the majority of Challengers. Their friendships live on camera. In her outside life, she isn’t too intertwined with out Challenge competitors. So she’s able to view people as pieces in a game. When there’s only one winner and she wants to be that winner, all other pieces are disposable.

This makes her one of the more interesting girls in the game and a social wildcard. On a season that moves as slowly as Double Agents, this is a good thing. Production wants people to take shots at each other and keep the political dynamic interesting. Does this make Theresa a villain? I don’t think so, but it does make her a threat. It also makes her valuable to the show and it’s the reason she could return after six years.