Can a hot seat catch fire? Nelson, already the subject of Total Madness chaos, was forced to find out on the show’s most recent installment. But can he beat the odds and survive?
On tonight’s Challenge episode, the Are You the One? export — who’s no stranger to fiery nomination ceremonies (kindly refer back to Tori‘s Purgatory sentencing for evidence) — once again supplied enough fireworks to light up an Independence Day beach side.
Nelson, already a target for Purgatory by a handful of women he’d insulted in the house, found himself even more vulnerable to elimination after losing the memory game Decontamination. As the Tribunal — Bananas, Wes and Mattie — began to mull over potential Purgatory picks for the game’s very first double elimination, the rest of the cast sought out to nominate two men too. And after Fessy‘s seemingly inevitable nomination, the house suddenly turned its attention toward Nelson for its second pick.
Always honest, Jordan started the conversation by declaring that he couldn’t vote for Nelson because the two had struck a deal to work together. But Jordan’s message had an unintended consequence, as Kyle, next to vote, said that Nelson had made him the same promise.
Suddenly, like a single thread that had come loose on a sweater, Nelson’s game began to deteriorate. Swaggy, then Josh, then Melissa, then Big T all spoke up to say that Nelson had promised them the very same type of safety too, and in just a few minutes, there was no saving Nelson. Even his best pal Cory knew he was on a sinking ship.
“My man Nelson is getting exposed right now,” Cory said. “And I’m just sitting back trying to hide my head.”
Worse, Kyle and Melissa pointed out that Nelson — a veteran of the game — should have known better than to scheme so sloppily, particularly since the same course of action had blown up in his face in previous seasons.
“When it comes to the politics of this game, it’s just a real weakness for him,” Kyle observed. “If you go around making the same promise to every person in the room, it’s going to backfire.”
And backfire it did. Decisively, Nelson was sentenced to Purgatory kicking and screaming, and though he handily beat Bear in Pole Wrestle — a physical game tailor-made for him — it was clear his defenses had been wiped out and that any camouflage he may have once sported had been scrubbed away.
Still, Nelson’s got a pretty impressive elimination-round record, so even if he is tossed into Purgatory in the weeks to come, is there still a chance he can survive? Or are his days in the Challenge house numbered, and is it only a matter of time before Purgatory sends him packing? Share your thoughts, and be sure to check out Challenge Wednesday at 8/7c!
