Was Tori Wrong for Making the Game Personal?

On Ride or Dies, Tori is after the elusive win. On past seasons, Jordan was an ally, but their relationship was also much closer back then.

On episode 12, with Jordan finally having power, Tori asked him not to take a big move and send Faysal into elimination. She also confessed this would make her feel hurt, because she put her neck on the line to keep Jordan safe during episode 10.

Jordan was offended that Tori would ask for such a steep favor. Yes, they did agree to have each other’s backs, but they didn’t agree to protect Faysal, especially because the duo has a checkered past with him.

Admittedly, in episode 10, Tori did approach Jordan at the club and try to make a deal, and when it came time to vote, she supported Jordan. The team deliberation was a different story, and she wanted to make a “big move” without sending in her ally Devin.

Essentially, she put a target on Jordan’s back without calling him out by name.

If actions speak louder than words, she did protect Jordan when it mattered. Of course, the odds of Jordan going into elimination and losing were low. Most likely, he’d be facing Kenny regardless, and he would have won.

This week, Jordan had a similar mentality to Tori in deliberation. He had the power to make a big move, so he wants to a swing at the opposing team’s biggest player: Faysal. This isn’t too shocking, and Faysal’s team doesn’t have an obvious weak link when it comes to males. All of them have performed will, and they clearly have strength. Chauncey is the only wild card, which is why Devin wanted to keep him save.

Inherently, targeting Faysal isn’t going to directly hurt Tori. She’s not even close allies with him. If he had to choose, Faysal would keep Kaycee before Tori. So why is she so dead-set on Jordan keeping him in the game?

Well, it appears that she might be obsessed with winning — to the point where she can justify any game-related move. In her eyes, Faysal is the key to the final, so trying to take him out of the game will hurt her chances of getting to the end. But Jordan never made an oath to give Tori an easy path to the final, he just wanted to keep her safe.

If we’re being honest, Tori is asking a lot of Jordan when she implied he should protect Faysal for the sake of her game. This is asking him to relinquish power for the sake of her advancement, and it’s not the type of thing an ally should be expected to do. But, Jordan escalated the personal nature of the request. He exposed Tori, and made it clear he was voting for Faysal simply to spite her.

Does this mean the duo will be targeting each other for the remainder of the game? I doubt it. Tori’s commitment to winning will allow her to forgive Jordan. He’s a good player, and having him on her side is more beneficial than having him as an enemy. She’ll likely say she had a hard time processing the situation because of their complex relationship, he’ll understand, and the show will go on.

It’s kind of like Cara Maria on Bloodlines. Everyone know she’d to anything for the win, and there is a certain level of respect with that gameplay. But if Tori manages to win, she’ll also need to issue some apologies in the end because she’s making decisions that will hurt people beyond a game-level.