After 19 long episodes, we’ve reached the end of Battle for a New Champion, and most of the storylines should be tied up. Still, we’re left with a few loose ends, and many of them center around one person: Berna.
Going into this season, it seemed like Berna was someone with a lot of potential. She did decently well on Spies, Lies and Allies, and only lost because Hughie’s big ‘ol BBL caused her to lose an elimination. She’s also someone with a highly unique background, having performed circus stunts. Odd as it may be, this type of experience is likely to lend itself to the Challenge.
Instead, we saw someone who was unpopular, whiny, and paranoid. It’s not that she wasn’t those things on Spies, Lies and Allies, but she had redeeming qualities. We didn’t see any of those on Battle for a New Champion, and the story starts in episode 1.
The Immediate Outsider
As soon as Berna got into the house, she had problems. People didn’t like her, she got stuck in the wrong bedroom, and she wasn’t happy during Jay’s toast (can you blame her?). The edit very much made it seem like she was going to get voted into the first elimination, but she wasn’t. Jessica was, despite receiving very little attention pre-nomination ceremony.
Perhaps this narrative was somehow supposed to tie into her fight with Melissa a few weeks later? The one where she called Melissa a bully because Melissa and Big T laughed in the wrong direction. Again, this argument led to Berna’s name being discussed at the nomination ceremony, but she avoided the Arena.
Following this, we see Berna’s target got removed (for the most part). She became a non-integral part of Jay’s alliance, but when she was needed, she supported that group.
The Groin Injury
Around episode 9, during the Doom Sticks challenge, we see Berna start to complain about a groin injury. Usually, this results in a competitor leaving, sitting out from a future challenge, or foreshadows a medical disqualification.
Berna’s injury-related complaints recurred throughout the season, but it never amounted to anything. She whined about it during the chaos stage of the final, but during the conquest stage, she was wearing a harness and repelling down a cliff with a smile on her face. This injury had no impact on the season — literally none — beyond adding to Berna’s misfortune.
Her Relationship with Michele
Throughout the season, we see Berna insist that Michele is a close friend, but for the most part, this is a one-sided alliance. I’m sure Michele does care about Berna, but it quickly became apparent that Michele had people she’d protect before Berna.
But did Michele ever have to make that decision? No. The biggest confrontation came in episode 10 when Berna felt like Michele didn’t spend a lot of time with her. That wasn’t even a female elimination episode. The fight happened, resolved, and whenever Michele or Berna had power, they were able to keep each other safe. Likely, this plot line existed to demonstrate just how connected Michele was, but most viewers focused on Berna’s negativity.
Her Strained Family Relationship
Toward the end of the season, we also see Berna open up about her strained relationship with her mother. Of course, I don’t know the details here, but it didn’t seem to serve much purpose in the overall story of the season. Berna’s story is juxtaposed with Emanuel’s, who grew up poor, but in an environment filled with love. Perhaps production wanted to explain how Berna developed her personality, but in the episodes where these conversations happen, Berna isn’t too central to the storyline.
We do see this relationship revisited later in the season when she receives a letter from her brother instead of her mother. While it’s clear that Berna is upset, there’s no context for the viewer. Why is a letter from her brother so bad? Before we get any explanation, the cast is off to the final and it’s like this moment never happened.
Other Issues
Berna also popped up in a few other moments, but they were mostly negative. She cock blocked Nurys and Horactio, she was sent into the mud to sabotage Nurys during Bingo Bango, and she was a sounding board for Emanuel’s issues.
However, she did win Drum Roll and she got some power in the game. Then, she used it to do the most predictable thing: save Emanuel, and therefore, Jay’s alliance. It’s hard to argue that there was any strategy behind this move because she ended up coming in fifth during the final, winning $0.
So What’s Really Going On?
There are rumors that Berna wasn’t the nicest person on the cast, including her treatment of production. Perhaps they were giving her a negative edit because they didn’t like her.
If that was the case, honestly, it’d be hilarious — but I sincerely doubt it. Berna’s getting more of a sad edit than a bad edit.
The most likely explanation is that the show was edited after the final wrapped. Editors knew Berna would make it to the end, so she’d stick around for 19 90-minute episodes. But, she wasn’t going to win the final, so the story writers weren’t going to make her a priority. This meant clips of Berna were fused into the final edit so people got some glimpse of Berna.
If this was a season 10 years ago with 12 60-minute episodes, Berna wouldn’t have had as many unfinished storylines; they would have been edited out entirely. But producers didn’t know what to expect with this cast, and they threw a lot of things at the wall hoping they’d stick. In Berna’s case, nothing stuck but a bad, sad reputation.
Stop Being Polite 