On episode 6 of Battle of the Eras, Bananas had a “friendly” conversation with Michele where he warned her about Devin. He stated that Devin was only pursuing a romantic relationship with her to advance his game.
Spoiler alert: Devin and Michele have been dating post- season 40. Either Devin is really invested in his lie or, more likely, he has genuine feelings for Michele. However, it seems the relationship really began during season 40. So, if there was an ulterior motive for the relationship, Bananas was questioning it at the right time.
According to Bananas on the Death, Taxes, and Bananas podcast (around the 34 minute mark), Devin made a lot of deals in the house. He told Bananas that they would look out for each other until about the halfway point, but after that, all bets were off.
Both Bananas and his podcast guest Brad agreed that Devin is a smart player, but he learned from the school of Wes. This means he made a lot of deals at the start of the game, but he spread himself thin and will need to narrow his alliance later in the game. And, it’s no secret that Devin has his core “Vacation Alliance,” so he’ll likely primarily focus on them for the second half of the game.
Once Bananas knew there was an expiration date on their alliance, he began to realize other people would get cut from Devin’s core group. He also knew Devin and Michele had tried to have a relationship in the past, it didn’t work out, and he helped Michele when she was upset. So, with this information, Bananas felt it was fair to warn Michele of Devin’s game.
Bananas especially wanted Michele to have a heads up in case she ever got sent into the Arena, returned to the game, and had to determine her real allies.
We all saw that Michele brought this news to Devin, which sparked a confrontation, but it also seems that Bananas’ perspective was misrepresented on the show. Of course, we know that Devin wasn’t planning to backstab Michele, but Bananas’ fears weren’t unfounded.
We also can’t dismiss the fact that “mental warfare” is part of the game. It’s a tactic Devin has used in the past, most notably on Vendettas, and that reputation continues to follow him. So, it wouldn’t be ridiculous to think that Devin was trying to outsmart Michele. She did play a stellar social game on Battle for a New Champion and she poses a threat this season.
Real relationships have come out of The Challenge, so there’s no reason to believe Michele and Devin couldn’t start a real romance. But, polidicking is also a viable strategy, and you can’t fault people for wondering if that’s the basis of this newly formed relationship.
Stop Being Polite 