Last season, Aviv made an out-of-nowhere return to the Challenge to compete with Era 2 on Battle of the Eras. She’d been away from the show for 18 years, and she entered the game as the ultimate wild card.
On Battle of the Eras, it kind of made sense to have someone on the show who’d been away from the game for eras. Plus, that format didn’t really allow for rookies to infiltrate the game, so Aviv served as a born again rookie. And she did well, but she didn’t make the final.
Now, we have a season that only allows eight veteran females to compete, and there are no theoretical restrictions on the number of representatives in each era. Somehow, Aviv got one of these spots.
Even though this is Aviv’s third season, she doesn’t really feel like a “veteran,” at least not compared to Aneesa, Cara Maria, or even Ashley. So why is Aviv one of the few vets to compete on season 41?
Production loves redemption arcs
Aviv didn’t really need a redemption arc coming onto Battle of the Eras — she did one season and won it. But she also didn’t have a huge legacy in the game. Most of the success from Fresh Meat goes on Darrell’s resume, even though Aviv was arguably more instrumental to the win.
Now that Aviv has done two Challenges and lost one, she has an opportunity to redeem herself. She was a formidable competitor on Battle of the Eras, but she flew under the radar for the first half of the season as there seemed to be a civil war among the Era 2 girls. By the time she was playing the individual game, she seemed to have new friendships, and this allowed her to show her skills. This might not be the most unique story line, but Aviv isn’t a mainstay, and her story to get a second win feels fairly fresh.
She’s still kind of a wild card
Battle of the Eras proved Aviv still has fight in her, but she hurt her foot toward the end of the game. She also lost to Jenny in the Arena, one of her closest friends. So, she wasn’t really fighting against her opposition — at least, she wasn’t fighting super hard.
We don’t know what to expect from Aviv as a “veteran.” We know she’s friends with Bananas, but their relationship isn’t that old. There’s a chance she’ll outlast Bananas — maybe even betray him — and that’ll allow her to forge a new path in the game, once again.
Bananas needs allies
As a member of the Bananas’ Angels alliance, we know Aviv will work with Johnny Bananas. Odds are, this friendship will pick right back up where it left off.
Bananas is a production darling, and they want him to have friends going into the season. Since Rachel and Jenny aren’t on this season, Aviv gets to be his built-in ally. To be honest, I’d say Aviv’s second return is 10% redemption arc, 10% wild card potential, and 80% ensuring Bananas has a female ally from day one.
Stop Being Polite 