Host TJ Lavin presented a recap of the remaining teams, each with a different path to the World Championship final. Those teams included Tori Deal with Danny McCray, Theo Campbell with Sarah Lacina, Troy Cullen with Kaycee Clark, and Jordan Wiseley with Kaz Crossley.
The Challengers walked to a train station at nighttime and sat on benches next to the tracks awaiting what was next. TJ walked up to them and handed them tickets.
A train arrived called The Challenge Fear Express, which they all boarded. The train’s interior wasn’t scary, but it brought them to the final, where they could face fears.
TJ was awaiting them at their destination, dressed up as a train conductor, and introduced the final worth $500,000. He explained the first part of the final: Loops of Hell. Teams had a long trail run to get to a four-mile-long loop. At the end of each loop were four checkpoints, which were “first come, first serve.”
The first team to get to the checkpoints could choose which one to complete. The last team to reach the four checkpoints had no choice, as they’d have only one left. The four stations were: Crack the Code, Throwing Shade, Sick Smoothie, and Weight.
Teams would continue on Loops of Hell until they’d completed all four checkpoints. Each team also had a canister with their country flag (USA, UK, or Australia). They’d need to keep the canister with them and “use it when the time was right.”
Challengers start the final with Loops of Hell, and an injury strikes
Each of the competitors spoke about their motivations to win. Jordan spoke about wanting to win the money to help others as he could. They showed a clip of Jordan helping Ukraine by delivering supplies during their war with Russia.
Theo spoke about not winning War of the Worlds and needing a Challenge win, as everyone remaining had won a season except him.
While running uphill on the rocky trail, Theo stepped in a crack and twisted his ankle. He yelled in pain and revealed in his confessional that he was “in absolute agony.”
Kaycee and Troy got to the four checkpoints first and chose Weight For It. They had to arrange a series of weighted canisters from lightest to heaviest and then memorize the code it presented to match at another checkpoint.
Tori and Danny did Throwing Shade, which involved trying to throw bolts into a wooden box full of dirt a good distance away from them. Jordan and Kaz were next, choosing the Crack the Code checkpoint, where they had a series of three-digit numbers on the board and had to figure out a code.
Theo and Sarah finally arrived in fourth, giving them the Sick Smoothies, which had them puking soon after they started consuming them.
Jordan and Kaz finished their checkpoint first and started running again. Danny and Tori left next, followed by Kaycee and Troy. Theo and Sarah were in last place, with Theo saying he “could barely walk” after his injury.
The teams reached the four checkpoints again and had to do a different one from before. Kaz and Jordan finished the Weight for It and took off running again. Danny and Tori did Crack the Code, then left. Troy and Kaycee completed Sick Smoothies. Theo and Sarah had to do the Throwing the Shade.
Injury takes one team out of The Challenge: World Championship final
As they kept walking the trail, Sarah said in confessional she commended Theo for continuing despite his hurting ankle.
Jordan kept encouraging Kaz to at least keep walking and not stop. They had the Sick Smoothies checkpoint last, with Danny and Tori having to wait for them to finish it.
Kaz had difficulty stomaching her drink, but Jordan encouraged her to get through it and maintained first place. Kaycee and Troy took over second place since Danny also had trouble with the Smoothie.
An emotional Sarah said in confessional that she’d stick by Theo despite him not being 100 percent. He finally sat down on the trail and apologized to Sarah, saying, “My ankle is just finished.”
Medics arrived for Theo as he was upset over letting Sarah down. With that, they were disqualified from the final, leaving the other three teams to compete.
Fear Express brings fresh clothes, food, and shock therapy
The three remaining teams met TJ again on board the Fear Express. He told them the news of Sarah and Theo’s medical DQ, then offered them some IVs for replenishment. However, there was only one bed available per team. Kaz, Kaycee, and Danny took advantage of that.
TJ gave each team a key they’d need, then brought them to the luxury liner car, where they put on fancy clothes and ate real food=. He told them this was the reward for their efforts in the final so far.
They all donned “Great Gatsby” outfits as Tori described them and did cheers before enjoying food and drink together. However, TJ showed up after a bit to tell them it was time for an insomnia challenge. Each competitor would have a shock collar on their neck to shock them if they fell asleep.
TJ said Jordan and Kaz had a 14-minute lead as the first-place team, rewarding them with an hour of sleep. Kaycee and Troy were second and got 30 minutes of sleep, while Danny and Tori received 15 minutes.
The teams started helping one another stay awake by throwing ice water in their faces.
TJ woke them up the next day, and most were not in the best mood. In particular, Kaycee was in tears, saying her body was shutting down, as Troy hugged and encouraged her.
Day 2 of the final arrives with Race to the Finish
The three teams arrived at the last leg of the final: Race to the Finish. It involved racing to get to bicycles they’d ride through a long, winding trail. At the end of that trail, it was a footrace, where they’d need to follow thin red arrows to find their way.
At the start, Tori revealed her bad experience as a kid with a bike, making it a fear for her. Troy and Kaycee finished the bike ride first, followed by Kaz and Jordan, who passed them during the foot race, which was more walking for them.
Troy carried Kaycee piggyback style for an assist. Kaz and Jordan reached a sign for Misery Mountain, where they had to solve a slider puzzle. Solving that puzzle revealed keyholes, with their canister as the third key. They’d get “the ultimate surprise” when they inserted all their keys.
Kaycee and Troy got to the slider puzzle right behind Jordan and Kaz. Jordan became frustrated with his partner on the puzzle, but they kept at it, finishing it and heading off to the top of the mountain as Kaycee watched.
Troy and Kaycee completed their puzzle with Tori and Danny right behind them. They all headed to the top of the mountain, with Jordan and Kaz reaching the top first to find three keys. They took one and had to head back to the bottom of the mountain, where TJ was at the finish line.
Jordan and Kaz were the first to greet TJ at the finish, becoming World Champions and receiving $500,000 in prize money and a trophy. Danny and Tori came in second, with Kaycee and Troy finishing last of the three teams.
In confessionals, Kaz spoke about all she’d endured to win, while Jordan discussed finally getting back to the top as a champion.
The season closed with a group hug outdoors to celebrate as an overhead shot showed The Fear Express rolling down the tracks.
The Challenge: World Championship episodes are available on Paramount Plus.
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