Spoilers from The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras season finale ahead.
From the beginning of The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras, we knew karma was going to come back around and change the game, but no one could have anticipated just how much karma would change the game. After seeing how the Karma Vote came into play with the result of the winners, the finalists are reflecting on this particular vote, and Johnny Bananas isn't holding back.
In a post-finale interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bananas called the Karma Vote "complete bullsh-t" that hinged on jealousy about his previous wins more than it did with how he treated people. He could have a point that the Karma Vote wasn't solely based on behavior, but it's no surprise that he's a bit bitter given how the Karma Vote helped one of his closest allies.
Following the two-day final challenge, Jordan earned first place for the men, with Derek taking second place, Johnny taking third, and Kyland taking fourth. Karma didn't effect the mens' placements. Meanwhile, Jenny and Rachel tied for first, after the Karma Vote lifted Rachel from third to tied for first. Michele was a mere point away a three-way tie and two away from the win, and Tori came in fourth place.
Johnny Bananas calls Karma Vote "jealousy"
It's needless to say that Bananas wasn't going to perform well with a jury of his peers. Even he knew he was doomed from the second that TJ announced the Karma Vote to the finalists. In that moment, he knew his path to victory would be even harder than keeping up with Jordan. Looking back, the Challenge champion admits that he wouldn't have changed anything about his time on season 40.
Bananas had a lot to say about the Karma Vote to Entertainment Weekly:
"I could have sat in the corner and read a Bible the entire season and not made waves with anyone in the house, and my Karma vote probably still would've been the same. That has nothing do with Karma. It should have been called an envy vote or a jealousy vote — the simple fact is people are envious and jealous of the amount of times that I've won, and they don't want to see that happen anymore. My own best friend gave me a one, that should tell you everything about why this vote was complete bulls---. I do think it's stupid that they put so much power in the final outcome into the hands of people who lost. You basically let losers determine the fate of the winners, and I just think that's a very strange thing to do."
Whether his Karma score was the result of jealousy, other competitors not wanting to see him win again, or in fact his attitude and gameplay, he's not right about allowing the Karma Vote to have power in the outcome. It's not a "very strange thing to do" when a jury vote dictates the outcome of other reality competition series like Big Brother and Survivor.
Just because a jury vote of "losers" helped determine the winners doesn't make the results illegitimate. Also, the Karma Vote didn't even change anything for the men. He would have gotten third place even if there wasn't a secret Karma Vote. You know he would be singing a different tune if his Karma score had been higher and helped him win.
In the end, Bananas cops up to going on The Challenge to create "good TV" moments:
"Jordan may have won when it comes to the final at the end, but I stole the show. Would I rather go through an entire season where I just kind of float through, don't want to make any TV, and win at the end, or basically be the center of attention of the entire show and still come in third? I mean, I'm taking that all day long at this point. I'd love another win, but I go to make good TV."
Conversely, Bananas' season-long enemy Michele, who was perhaps the most impacted by the results of the Karma Vote, shared a much different perspective on the outcome in her own post-finale interview with Entertainment Weekly. The former Survivor winner became a finalist on The Challenge for the first time and really proved herself.
Even though she lost out on second place, she's seemingly has come to accept how it all went down:
"My sister reminded me this was my first final and I should be proud of that. I've come in third place on Survivor, that was a jury vote. I'm well-versed in the fact that the things that you do in the game will come back and have an impact, so I guess I'm at peace with it."
Michele admits that it's "tricky" to have eliminated contestants who didn't have a real chance to get to know her, the people who went home super early, wield such power on the game. That's true since they didn't get to see how Michele, or anyone else, moved through the game and performed in challenges or eliminations before casting their Karma Vote.
Still, Michele speaks gratefully about her placement in the final, though certain aspects of the Karma Vote and its gravity can be frustrating. Jenny and Rachel also reflected on their tie, admitting that they were happy to share the title and not have a tiebreaker decide who won between them. Their reactions all differ greatly on their fellow competitor's views on the so-called "bullsh-t" vote.
Now that we have our winners and the finalists have spoken out about what went down during the final challenge, it's time for all of them to get back together and open up all of the old wounds from throughout season 40. MTV will be airing a two-part reunion special that will surely be another opportunity for Bananas to further air out his grievances about the Karma Vote.
The Challenge 40 reunion special airs Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.