The Challenge: Battle of the Eras season officially concluded as eight competitors ran, or swam, through the final.
It featured a dominant performance on the men’s side, as Jordan Wiseley outdid his fellow finalists every step of the way.
The women’s side also featured strong performances, including Michele Fitzgerald showing her swimming skills.
However, the Karma Vote twist came into play later, and while it didn’t affect the men’s standings, it certainly impacted the women’s.
Host TJ Lavin revealed Michele dropped from second to third place due to her Karma points. Meanwhile, Rachel Robinson’s Karma score helped her move from third to a tie for first place with Jenny West.
Following the episode airing on MTV, Michele commented about her Season 40, in which many fans believe she was “robbed” in the final.
Michele reacts to her Season 40 after loss in the final: ‘I fought my a** off’
Michele shared an Instagram carousel post featuring her fellow finalists following the Battle of the Eras final. The first photo shows them all delivering funny poses for a group photo, possibly onboard the Sinister, the ship they were on for much of the final.
Additional images are from Season 40 scenes, including Tori dressed up as Devin Walker and Cara Maria Sorbello giving Michele a special birthday dance.
She also included photos with Devin, her friend, Olivia Kaiser, and the Era 4 team.
“Andddd that’s a wrap on szn 40 of @thechallenge 🥹 what a ride 💞I fell in love, found my people, fought my a** off, and had fun doing it,” she wrote in her caption.
“I didn’t want to end my trend of placing 3rd on milestone 40th seasons anywaysss, so thank you everyone for your karma votes 😘,” Michele joked.
She also gave a “Big shout out” to her “ladies for having an epic szn, her boyfriend. [and] her supportive family/friends at home.”
Battle of the Eras was Michele’s fourth season of MTV’s The Challenge after winning Survivor. She debuted in Spies, Lies & Allies, then returned for Ride or Dies and Battle For a New Champion. Season 40 was her first appearance in a final.
She also improved her record in eliminations on the big stage to 5-2 after defeating Tina Barta, Nia Moore, and Olivia Kaiser.
Michele poked fun at her Season 40 finish after fans claimed she was ‘robbed’ of second place
Michele hopped on TikTok to joke about the Karma points some castmates gave her, claiming she’d “barely met” some of them who gave her lower scores.
She also shared a link to her LTK list of must-haves after the Season 40 final. Humorously, they included a silver and bronze medal for second and third place and a box of tissues.
She had a Karma friendship bracelet and books, including Speed Math for Kids, How to Win at Losing, and How Can I Make Friends?
In her Instagram comments, several castmates encouraged and praised Michele for the past season. Cara Maria Sorbello and fellow finalists Tori Deal and Rachel Robinson were among them.
While Michele didn’t necessarily dominate every final event as castmate Jordan did, she seemingly dominated the swimming and won enough to give her a second-place finish. However, the Karma Vote knocked her down, and that may have been due to several reasons.
Amongst the eliminated players who likely cast low scores for her were Amanda Garcia and Laurel Stucky, two castmates who had feuds with her before the season started. In addition, Michele had to go into three eliminations and choose castmates to make targets after each of her wins.
Add in the fact that she had a showmance with Devin, who feuded with Johnny Bananas during the season, and that may not have helped either. Nonetheless, TJ called Michele a “bada**” and said there was no reason to hang her head after the finish.
When the Season 40 reunion arrives, Michele’s finish due to the Karma Vote will be among the topics discussed, so expect to hear more from her about that difficult situation.
The Challenge airs Wednesday at 8/7c on MTV. The Challenge: All Stars Rivals premieres Wednesday, January 29, at 8/7c on MTV.
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