Could Vets & New Threats Finally Be Leroy’s Season to Win?

On episode 12 of Vets & New Threats, we saw a different side of Leroy. He had a plan to get Theo & Adrienne sent into the Arena, and this meant stopping them from staking a claim.

To do this, he created a “smoke screen” where he made Aneesa & Jake the decoy target. This required him to lie to his friend, Aneesa, and make her think she was really going to be voted into the Arena. By doing this, Leroy created a false sense of safety for Theo & Adrienne. They didn’t feel vulnerable enough to stake a claim, so they remained a team and were eligible to be voted into the Arena.

There were a lot of moving pieces here, because Aneesa had to actually believe the lie and five people had to vote for Theo & Adrienne to give them the majority. But, the plan worked, and Theo & Adrienne were sent to compete in the Arena.

In the past, Leroy has generally been a straight shooter. He’s known for his loyalty, and people usually know who his allies are. While this big ruse is uncharacteristic of Leroy, it’s pretty clear that Kam’s influence is rubbing off on him.

Kam, who’s now married to Leroy, has been known for her elaborate schemes that involve the majority of the house. This can be seen when she won power after the Dig Deep challenge on Final Reckoning or when she plotted to steal Cara Maria’s star by manipulating the Balls Up challenge on All Stars 4.

Leroy likely feels the need to play this type of game because he’s now trying to support his wife and two kids. Even Aneesa gave him props for his plan (after she left the nomination ceremony with safety). But will this be enough to pull out his first Challenge win?

Leroy is the male with the most Challenge appearances who hasn’t won yet, so clearly, something is lacking in his strategy. While he’s never really been known for his sneakiness, that doesn’t seem to be his problem.

Leroy is also the Challenger who’s made the most finals and hasn’t won; he referenced that on episode 12 when he discussed his six final appearances. Playing a sneaky game can help competitors get to the final, but it won’t help them win it.

There are a few weak spots in Leroy’s game: specifically, puzzles and swimming. So far, he’s done OK in the puzzle department on Vets & New Threats, but it seems he swapped his puzzle struggles for an inability to climb. With these weaknesses, Leroy hasn’t won anything so far on season 41. He hasn’t come in dead last either, but he’s come dangerously close.

It also doesn’t seem his partner, America, is going to help him overcome his weaknesses. So as it stands now, Leroy’s scheming might get him to the end, but it’s unlikely to get him a first-place finish.

His best move would be to stake a claim and get a partner who can round out his weak spots to make a solid team. Someone like Sydney would be a great option, but right now it seems Leroy is more worried about preventing teams from shifting. If he continues down this road with America, he’s likely on a losing path.