The Challenge: Ride or Dies is like most of the partner Challenges we’ve seen because there are a few teams that just don’t make sense. The most obvious example: Jordan and Aneesa.
The two have only done a few seasons together, and most of their interactions are negative.
The first time was Rivals 2, and Aneesa was a veteran and Jordan was a rookie. Their dynamic wasn’t anything too notable, but they certainly weren’t close. Aneesa has never been one to shun the rookies (debatably she did Double Agents, but not on Rivals 2). The only positive interaction they had was at the very end when Jordan honored Diem & Aneesa’s wishes by sending Jemmye & Camila into The Jungle.
But on Dirty Thirty, the two clashed a lot. Jordan made some degrading comments toward Jemmye, and Aneesa decided he needed to be an advocate for all people with all disabilities. They argued, Aneesa made sure Jordan knew she was angry, and they ended the conversation on negative terms, While Jemmye received many apologies, Aneesa didn’t get much attention. So, it’s reasonable to think the negative feelings were left unresolved.
The two were mercenaries on Vendettas, had an insignificant disagreement at the reunion, and returned on Total Madness together. Their interactions were minimal, alluding to the fact that they weren’t close. After that season, Aneesa became close to Tori — and she broke off her engagement with Jordan. Again, it seemed that Aneesa picked a side and it wasn’t Jordan’s.
If you’ve been following casting spoilers, it’s obvious: This is a pair of convenience. Jordan was supposed to be on the show with Nia, but Nia was sick and unable to attend. Rather than send Jordan home, production sent home Aneesa’s original partner.
Aneesa brought her friend James onto the show, and the poor guy didn’t even get a chance. He did nothing wrong, but was sent home after the start of the competition.
It will be interesting to see how production deals with this. On prior seasons, they’d just edit people out (like Lauren last season), but production seems to be leaning into casting spoilers this season. They’re flaunting late additions to the cast, like Darrell and Veronica, in the trailer. So they might address this switch, but I couldn’t count on it.
Still, we know these Jordan and Aneesa will be on the bulk of the season together. So we’ll need to see if they can really handle the partnership, or if they’d be better suited for a Rivals season.
Stop Being Polite 