Sometimes we need the bad guys. Even though we hate them... I have to wonder... do we secretly love them because they bring the drama to the show? Popular reality series like MTV's The Challenge have become more like a regular TV series than a typical reality show and the real life people on the series have become more like characters. Now in it's 25th season, competitors like CT, Wes and Johnny Bananas are faces I've gotten used to seeing. And we usually know what to expect from them. Some of these people get on my nerves (ex. Cara Maria, Kenny...aka Mr. Beautiful), while others such as newbie Leroy and Georgia boy Cohutta, have become favorites. And just like any normal series, there are always those worst of the worst bad guys you can't stand.
On this season's seventh episode, 'Pride Before the Wall,' Challenge veteran Johnny Bananas, who I've liked, then hated, and then liked, has switched over to what I've deemed the "good guy group." The season's main villain seems to be rookie Jordan Wiseley, the know-it all from The Real World Portland. Bananas and Jordan seemed to have it out for each other and ended up in a face off at the end of the episode. After almost having an anxiety attack from watching these two, and praying that Bananas would put Jordan in his place...well he did.
About an hour later, I started to wonder what to expect from the rest of the season. Now missing the biggest villain of the show, would the rest of the season really be that interesting? Jordan was after all one of the only bad characters this season.
I thought back to when something similar happened on this season's Game of Thrones. After wishing for so long that evil pipsqueak king Joffrey would get what was coming to him, he finally did. And I, like so many viewers, was shocked when he was poisoned just two episodes into Season Four... but unlike a majority of viewers I was also a little disappointed. Which surprised me even further. Why was this my reaction!? I hated him.
I came to realize... I was looking forward to hating him for this entire next season. As much as I wanted him to go away I couldn't wait to see what villainous things he would come up with next and I looked forward to watching Natalie Dormer, who plays Margaery Tyrell, work her magic on him. But that didn't happen. Instead his death was quick and unsatisfactory. This was surprising too considering that I would have thought someone would have taken notes after watching The Walking Dead go down hill after it's mid season return.
The first part of the season of Dead was lively and captivating. Mostly because the man we all hated SOO much, 'The Governor,' was back. EVERYONE hated the governor. After his death on the mid-season cliffhanger I could not wait for the show's return.
But when the show returned I realized how dull and slow it was with no Governor around to terrorize everyone... Left with no bad guy we were forced to watch and come to realize how boring some of these good characters really were. And it even got worse then that. We were introduced to a whole slew of characters that looked like they popped out of a cheesy street fighter type game. Nothing interesting happened and the show kind of just ended. Which is, again, why I now question whether or not we need those bad guys that we "really" hate. I came to the conclusion that no matter what the show, we need villians. We need them, like I do on The Challenge so I can continue on rooting for the good guys.
And because without a big bad guy for the good guys to be fighting against, we're left with a drama free show and... with the exception of Game of Thrones... real people or characters that really aren't that interesting... or at least interesting enough to carry a show on their own.
