At the end of episode 7, Shane and Veronica had a surprising confrontation. The two have been friends for decades, they filmed Battle of the Sexes together in 2002, and we’ve seen their friendship evolve across multiple Challenge eras.
On All Stars Rivals, they’re playing very different games. Shane is paired with Da’Vonne, and she has allies that aren’t working with Veronica. This means Shane’s best strategy is to fly under the radar and avoid confrontation. On the other hand, Veronica & Katie are in sync and they have a clear strategy: target strong teams.
This means Veronica is targeting teams that are supporting Da’Vonne (and therefore, Shane). However, Frank & Sam have been classified as a “weaker” team. So, it’s in Frank’s best interest to work with Veronica.
Suffice to say, these two longtime friends aren’t on the same page, but Veronica’s strategy isn’t at the expense of Shane’s game. Then, Shane responded by trying to undermine Veronica by taking control of the house vote and getting Frank & Sam voted in.
Veronica speculated that Shane was jealous of her new friendship with Frank, and based on the edit, it’s very easy to see this perspective. But we shouldn’t overlook the fact that there was some logic to getting Frank & Sam voted into the Jungle.
Objectively, this would benefit Veronica and Shane. If Frank & Sam were the house vote, Veronica & Katie would send another star-holding team into the Jungle. This would guarantee that one star-holder would go home, giving Shane and Veronica the opportunity to acquire their star at the next daily challenge.
Da’Vonne wanted to get Frank & Sam into the Jungle, so she voted that way, and Shane agreed with his partner. However, the house majority did not allow for Frank & Sam to go in.
From Shane’s perspective, it does seem that Veronica is prioritizing Frank over him. Undoubtedly, that would sting, but we can’t ignore that Frank and Veronica’s games align. Shane also has to keep Da’Vonne happy, or it will hurt his partnership.
Currently, Shane’s position in the game is much more complicated than Veronica’s, but he really shouldn’t be taking out his frustrations on his longtime friend. She hasn’t done anything to hurt his game, nor has she been untrustworthy. After all, she included both Frank and Shane in her strategic conversations. Meanwhile, Shane’s attempts to make Frank & Sam the house vote were definitely untrustworthy.
Ultimately, there are four stars in the game — enough for every member of Veronica’s alliance (Frank & Sam included) to get one before the final. Plus, having four teams in the alliance would have given them the house majority. Instead, Shane is causing a divide, which definitely means one thing: The game will get messy.
Stop Being Polite 