No reality TV show is complete without confessionals/talking heads to flesh outs its storylines. And on a show like The Challenge with many storylines (some years in the making), it is so crucial to have characters that can explain the plots in the same compelling manner in which they are performed.
The commentary given by champs and contenders has ranged from astute to hilarious. Some competitors have given better talking heads than others, and some of them are better at narrating the game than playing it. Here's 10 Challenge competitors with some of the best talking heads.
10 Turbo
The most recent Challenge newcomer on this list, Turbo made his debut on War of the Worlds after winning 2 seasons of Survivor Turkey. Physically, he was a force to be reckoned with and went on to win his rookie season.
A combination of his cultural values and English being his second language also made for some wholesome and amusing talking heads along the way. Early highlights included his talking heads about his partner Nany, who he vowed to protect throughout their time on the series.
9 Zach
While Zach is a polarizing character with a history of talking down to his female partners, there's no denying that as a narrator Zach has had some funny moments. A lot of his talking heads are memorable for the way he's able to creatively insult some of his cast members (referring to now-fiancée Jenna and Jay as barely being informational brochures compared to Sarah and Jordan being encyclopedias on Exes 2 stands out).
Even now, some of Zach's observations are enough to elicit a chuckle out of viewers who may not necessarily like him. But more often than not, his comments tend to cross a line, especially when describing the women of the show.
8 Ashley
Ashley is messy. Ashley can play a hypocritical game. And Ashley is FULLY aware of all of these things. Yes, she's a polarizing character who makes decisions for her gameplay over any alliance, but her self-awareness about these qualities is ultimately what makes her compelling television.
She'll often poke fun at herself in her talking heads and own up to her wilder moments on the show. For the most part, she treats The Challenge like a game and clearly has fun making comments about her competitors- and herself.
7 Jordan
Jordan's talking heads are interesting because he's not outright funny in all his commentary. For the most part, many challengers dislike him in the game because he comes off as abrasive and arrogant. But it is Jordan's absolute drive and (usually warranted) belief in his abilities that makes him compelling narrator.
In particular, his talking heads are at their absolute peak when he's narrating his own eliminations. Having only 2 losses in the 9 eliminations he's been in, Jordan usually seems to be the underdog because he only has one hand. Beating his two-handed opponents is even sweeter thanks to the way Jordan lays out his chosen technique for eliminations, further justifying his wins.
6 Nicole
Nany's cousin proved that she was more than just that after her debut on Bloodlines. While Nicole wasn't much of a competitor, she endeared viewers with her wisecracking commentary and observations on the four challenges that she was on.
She was clearly born to be on reality television, and post-Challenge she had a stint on Ex On the Beach where she was able to thrive off her talents for commentary and drama and none of the inconvenience of athletic competition.
5 Nelson
Nelson's talking heads are amusing for the opposite reasons that Nicole's are. He's a decent competitor but otherwise isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. This, in combination with his earnestness, has resulted in talking heads that are both corny and hilarious.
He's often bungled common words and phrases which has unwittingly made him the punchline in his own talking heads. But his sincerity has endeared him to fans who are usually laughing with him.
4 Marie
If The Challenge weighed commentary in the same way they weighed the athletic and intellectual prowess of its competitors, Marie would be a regular finalist. However, more often than not, her commentary is her saving grace during her appearances on the show.
She never minces her words about competitors in her talking heads, and can be a fiercely loyal ally. Her wit hasn't gone unnoticed and landed her a position at betches.com recapping Challenge episodes for a time, and eventually she made her way on to Ex On The Beach.
3 Johnny Bananas
Love him or hate him, the man has won a whopping 7 challenges. And he's been around the block. Being the resident old man of The Challenge has fine-tuned Bananas into a reliable narrator and wisecracker throughout his time on the show.
He was initially in the shadows of his former JEK alliance, but once he managed to establish himself as the main face of The Challenge, he went onto refine the narrative blueprint that former contestants like Kenny had left behind. He's also learned to control the narrative via talking heads based on what he admits. This was most notable on Total Madness when he refused to acknowledge that he was dating the ex-girlfriend of one of the incoming rookies.
2 Da'Vonne
She's only been on two seasons and it's unclear whether she'll return, but she has made quite the impression with fans. Da'Vonne proved her worth as a competitor with a 7-2 elimination record, going further than anticipated on both of her challenges.
On top of that, her talking heads are hilarious. She keeps it consistent and brings the same energy from her talking heads into her direct confrontations with other cast members. Da'Vonne refuses to be pushed around by anyone and puts equal effort into her talking heads and into winning.
1 Jemmye
Overall, Jemmye is a bit of a snake in grass during her challenge appearances. She'll say one thing to her competitors and then turn around and talk absolute smack in her talking heads. Even though she herself is a weaker competitor, she has zero qualms calling out stronger females if she detects a crack in their armor.
Her scathingly amusing commentary has gotten her called back on The Challenge multiple times. Like Marie and Nicole before her, she appeared on Ex On the Peak, the winter equivalent of Ex On the Beach, where she and her commentary thrived.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/3gOFy0m
No comments: