On episode 16, we reached the point in Vets & New Threats where alliances have started becoming obsolete. Throughout the season, the “Super Alliance” has had many members, but Nany, Aviv, Turbo, and Michaela still remained in the competition. It seemed like Olivia or Theo should have been the main targets going into this nomination ceremony, but Michaela had a shady idea to take a strike against her biggest competition: Aviv & Yeremi.
When Michaela presented the idea to Nany, it was met with an eager attitude. Both girls knew that Aviv & Yeremi would be fierce competition in a final, and this meant betraying the bond they’d built with Aviv all season. While this was an act of betrayal, at least Michaela (who was already heading into the Arena) had the guts to take on her competition head on. On the other hand, Nany was determined not to blindside Aviv.
Before the nomination ceremony, Nany told Aviv she’d be voting her in. Of course, Aviv was upset, but she seemed to have some level of appreciation for the fact that she wasn’t going to be caught off guard.
Nany’s effort to be direct backfired. In the time leading up to the nomination ceremony, Aviv told her partner. Naturally, Yeremi was upset, and he started to think of alternate approaches he could take. This involved a last-ditch attempt to stake a claim. He didn’t have much to lose, because if he failed, he’d be going into the Arena with Aviv. Without the claim, the two were already fated to be the house vote.
Once Yeremi announced his claim at the nomination ceremony, Nany was shocked. Aviv insisted that Yeremi came up with this plan on his own and she didn’t have time to warn Nany. That is mostly true, but if the episode is to be believed, Yeremi told Aviv he planned to stake a claim about 30 minutes before the nomination ceremony. So, Aviv could have told Nany at the eleventh hour, but she kept the info to herself.
This seems to be Nany’s biggest mistake, and it’s been a recurring theme throughout her time on the Challenge. She underestimates rookies, especially when they’re tied to veterans. Yeremi has just as much power as Aviv, and he didn’t need her permission to stake a claim; it’s just a benefit that she was on board with the plan.
While Yeremi and Will were battling in the stake claim challenge, Nany seemed to be quite upset with Aviv. While Aviv tried to empathize, it was also hard for her to truly feel bad. Nany was willing to jeopardize her game, which made Nany feel like she would be safe this week. Now, Nany lost all control over the vote and she realized that she could be heading into the Arena.
Aviv was willing to do something that Nany wasn’t: blindside her friend. This lack of preparation can be used to your advantage in a high-pressure vote, and it was amplified when Yeremi and Will swapped partners. By doing this, three of the four voting teams had their plans fully disrupted.
In Nany’s defense, she went out on a limb to warn Aviv. It’s uncommon for people to receive such a courtesy on the Challenge, but Nany wanted to put Aviv in the best possible position heading into the Arena. But in Aviv’s defense, we learned that there were more pieces to this plan than originally believed. Nany made a side deal with Theo, which he honored, and it was meant to keep her safe.
Theo upholding his side of the bargain allowed the final vote to go to a coin toss, and even though it was a gamble, Nany remained safe this week. But the situation did cause a lot of drama — not just between Aviv and Nany, but also between Nany and Will.
As soon as Aviv & Yeremi felt they were being wronged by an ally, they took action. On the other hand, Nany thought she was being upfront by warning Aviv of the vote. The inevitable irony of the situation is that Nany’s efforts to show kindness resulted in anger and hostility.
Yeremi was smart to take action, because he dodged the Arena by staking his claim. Even though Nany survived this week, she’s probably in the worst position in the house now. She has a massive target on her back, and she probably would have been in a better spot if she blindsided Aviv & Yeremi at the nomination ceremony. Perhaps this misstep is one of the reasons Nany has yet to win a Challenge season. There’s no polite way to be cutthroat, so if you’re going to play that way, do it as deceptively as possible.
Stop Being Polite 