“There are no more men’s Gold Skulls.”
Challenge host TJ Lavin’s words struck a handful of remaining competitors like stones on the latest Double Agents episode, in which Josh earned his first elimination round win over rookie Mechie in “Asset Destruction II.”
And with the win, Josh secured the fifth Gold Skull among the men and the final men’s spot in the Season 36 finale.
“To be the guy that gets the last Skull — it just feels so good,” he said through tears.
Still, that doesn’t mean the final Double Agents roster is set in stone. Four other men still have the chance to earn entry to the final mission by swiping Skulls, thus eliminating already eligible players. So will Fessy, Leroy, Kyle, Devin and Josh be able to hang on to their Gold Skulls, or will CT, Darrell, Cory of Nam — none of whom currently hold Gold Skulls — be able to steal them?
Of the four men who have yet to qualify for the final mission, Nam might have the toughest road ahead. The only male rookie left, Nam is unlikely to get any help from the vets, and unless he wins a daily mission, it’s doubtful he’ll even get a chance to compete for a Skull in the Crater. Not only that, he’s having difficulty finding peace with his partner, Olympian Lolo Jones.
And as far as partners go, CT is facing a few challenges himself. While he and his Double Agents partner Big T have previously secured victory in a daily challenge, Big T’s small stature is proving to be more of an issue as the game progresses. And with women like Kam, Aneesa and Theresa continuing to dominate the game, CT is seeing his chances of Big T pulling out a win — and, thus, his shot at a Crater victory — fading away.
“Nobody is ever going to vote me in because they don’t want me in a final,” CT said. “Only chance of me getting that Gold Skull is if I win.”
And when it comes to winning, Darrell knows best. Darrell, who, like Aneesa, has been an MTV fixture since 2002, is the only Challenge contestant ever to have won four contests in a row (he would have likely won a fifth if Brad hadn’t provoked him into a fight on The Ruins). But a solid pedigree puts Darrell in a quandary that’s not unlike CT’s: If no one wants you to run the final, then they’ll never throw you into The Crater, and you’ll never get a chance at a Gold Skull.
Finally, Cory, a Season 35 finalist, has a checkered Challenge past: He’s come in second place, been eliminated first and finished many places in between. And, as far as partners go, he’s certainly having trouble. Of the five women who’ve been eliminated from the game, three have been partners with Cory, and his newest co-pilot, Theresa, doesn’t trust him as far as she can throw him.
So will the five current male Skull-holders stay put? Will one be purged from the game, or could four possibly be taken out? Who do you think will be able to snag Skulls? Share your thoughts, and be sure to check out the next Double Agents episode Wednesday!
