The Challenge Season 38 is near its midway point, with Ride or Dies as the latest theme for MTV’s competition series.
So far, ratings and viewership numbers have been relatively low compared to the previous season, Spies, Lies & Allies, which many fans and critics felt was disappointing.
Episode 8 of the season aired on Wednesday, November 30, and saw an improvement in ratings and viewers compared to previous weeks.
In fact, more viewers were watching the particular episode than any previous installment in the season.
The latest episode featured cast members looking to shake up the game, and one individual had to make a difficult decision at The Draw when facing potential elimination at The Zone.
This report will contain spoilers for Season 38 of MTV’s The Challenge.
Ride or Dies Episode 8 ratings and viewership numbers
MTV’s The Challenge: Ride or Dies took the fourth spot amongst cable telecasts on Wednesday, November 30, as it moved up 0.05 to a 0.27 rating for Episode 8.
The latest episode, called Born to Ride or Die, also had 520,000 viewers, a significant number in that the most viewers any prior episode brought in was 500,000. That was Episode 6, Come Michele or High Water.
Finishing ahead of The Challenge for the top cable telecasts of the evening were sports events, with college basketball taking the first and third spots. A World Cup soccer matchup finished in second place for the evening.
It’s worth noting that the series finished with a 0.31 rating among females in the 18-49 demographic, the highest of any cable telecast for the evening.
However, its 0.23 rating for men in the 18-49 demographic was relatively low, as other events within the top 29 programs finished at the same rating or higher.
Episode 8 featured tough decision at The Draw
In Ride or Dies Episode 8, the competitors participated in a daily challenge involving their speed and agility on moving cars alongside a large truck.
One teammate had to jump between four cars to retrieve a key that their teammate handed them from inside the first car. The team to retrieve all four keys, put them into slots atop the final car, and pull a lever in the fastest time would win.
It came down to Jordan Wiseley and Aneesa Jordan winning the event, their first victory of the season. That gave them safety from the elimination and the power to choose four other potential teams for The Zone’s matchup.
Later, Nelson Thomas faced a tough choice, as he and teammate Nurys Mateo ended up as one of four potential elimination teams. They wound up at The Draw alongside the teams of Fessy Shafaat with Moriah Jadea and Olivia Kaiser with Horacio Gutierrez.
Nelson pulled the “Safe” dagger from the rock, meaning he had to choose either his friend, Fessy, or his love interest, Olivia, to save from elimination. He opted to show loyalty to Fessy, surprising his fans and castmates. That sent the rookies into the elimination and even got Nelson criticized by an ESPN analyst for the move.
The rookies defeated Survivor stars Jay Starrett and Michele Fitzgerald in the elimination. Castmates were mostly telling from the upper level to help out Olivia and Horacio, making it difficult for Jay and Michele to communicate.
With that, the number of competitors is dwindling for Ride or Dies. An Episode 9 teaser trailer hinted at upcoming events, including a confrontation involving formerly-engaged couple Tori Deal and Jordan Wiseley, as well as host TJ Lavin unveiling a game-changing twist on the cast.
The Challenge: Ride or Dies airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.
Episodes of The Challenge are now streaming on Paramount+. Try it FREE!
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