It’s almost final time on The Challenge Season 40, but Wednesday’s (December 18) episode, “Location Change Era,” saw the elimination of one last contestant before the next phase could commence.
Cara Maria Sorbello had a stellar season, outlasting 15 other women — including all of Era II’s other girls — along with winning the “40-Yard Dash” challenge and surviving an early elimination bout. Coming into the first pre-final daily challenge, it seemed like she might have an advantage; a race through a fortress with various checkpoints is awfully reminiscent of the setting of her big solo victory on Vendettas. However, Jenny West just had the grit to get it done, and after Tori Deal finished last and was automatically sent to the arena, Jenny and fellow daily winner Jordan Wiseley picked Cara Maria to go into the sand against her … only this time, it was the water, and Cara Maria is famously no fan of water challenges.
Despite a noble, two-plus-hour-long fight to stay afloat against her newfound friend Tori, T.J. Lavin threw not one but two additional requirements into the mix, and, eventually, she could no longer tread water and was eliminated.
So how did Cara Maria feel about this season and how it ended up for her? TV Insider caught up with her to find out.
Was this the longest challenge that you were on? Because it seems like it lasted forever.
Cara Maria Sorbello: I think Dirty 30 might have been the Challenge that never ended. I think it was Dirty 30… Was it Final Reckoning? It’s the one where people kept coming back with the redemption seasons. A lot of fans are saying this season feels like forever because we started with 40 people. But I feel like the one that really felt like forever and ever and ever in the house was Dirty 30. I was like [sings] This is the challenge that never ends [stops singing] because people kept coming back. You couldn’t get rid of anybody… At least this time when people go home, they go home.
Did you guys not know that when people were eliminated that the karma point situation was going on, or did you just find that out when you were eliminated?
We suspected that something was going on in the beginning. Our theory was, “Okay, this is the 40th era of The Challenge. This is the biggest Challenge we’ve ever had. There’s a redemption house. They’re not gonna have eight people just go home right off the first challenge. There’s no way.” There’s so many people that are just out, that you’ve never even got 10 minutes of screen time to talk to. I was like, “There’s a redemption [house], they’ll be back.” And then as it went on, and nobody was coming back, we were like, “Okay…” And then we were hearing rumors that people were actually home. We still tried to hold on to there being redemption and then we’re like, “There’s gotta be something else up.” But we didn’t know. And then T.J. kept being like, “It’s really important how you treat people.”
The thing is, this was my most fun season — after Laurel [Stucky] went home — for making friends, actually having fun, taking a breather because the format really just didn’t put any pressure on you. If you weren’t a target, nothing really mattered. It was a pretty easygoing thing. The girls weren’t voting in girls. So it just wasn’t like a season that really caused any issues. So I was able to chill and relax. But at the same time, I hate any popularity voting thing. I know that’s part of the game, but I’m a firm believer of you win on merit, not because one of your friends happened to lose and gave you a star.
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You mentioned making friendships. Tori Deal, even Amanda Garcia and Michele Fitzgerald, you aligned with. Do you think that if you had been to the finale, your karma points would’ve been high?
No. I think Rachel [Robinson]’s probably in a good position because her entire Era I went home. Anybody that would even not work with her was probably still in the house. So I think Rachel’s sitting the prettiest for karma points. I think Jordan might be in a tough position for karma points. I know it’s gonna probably not be good for Johnny [Bananas]. But I think if I was at the end, I just don’t think it would [be good]. I think it either would have made things worse for me or not affected me.
You mentioned Laurel. First, how did you feel when you got to see her purged? And then how does it feel now to see that she’s on social media making these other enemies now?
I think I’m just glad that that part of my life is … I’m glad she’s removed from my life. I definitely feel a lot lighter. I feel bad for her. Honestly, I know she’s acting out probably because she’s got a lot of hurt inside her own personal issues, whatever she’s going through. So I honestly just feel bad for her, and I think it’s a really bad look. She’s a very proud person. So I think it’s a bad look. Just because you’re not in good shape or you’re actually on a season with really the strongest women that I’ve ever competed against all at once. And I think she was intimidated by that, and she’s proud, and she didn’t want to lose to anybody in an elimination and she knew she wasn’t gonna be able to hack it in the final. And I think to just quit is a big slap in the face to everything that The Challenge stands for. And I think if you’re supposed to be the GOAT, if you’re supposed to be an incredible competitor, you don’t quit. You always give everything you have all the way to the end, even when you know that you’re out. And it was just kind of gross to see that because there’s so many people that would kill to still be in that competition, and she was like, “F**k you guys, I’m out.” It was just so gross.
Speaking of not quitting, in your arena, I mean, that was a marathon. It seemed like the cards were stacked against you, but you really held your own. Do you think it was just a matter of minutes before Tori fell, too?
I don’t know. Tori, either she’s an incredible actress or she’s really good in the water. I mean, she won the swimming challenge just before that. And she was — literally the entire time, she was like a statue. She looked like she was at a spa. She was relaxed no matter what we were doing. There was not a look in her eyes like, “I’m going anywhere” or “I’m nervous.” There were no hope spots for me. So I had to make jokes and puns to keep myself going… I almost drowned every time we had to switch positions, but I was drinking water and coughing and T.J. would come over with a horn. I’m like, “No, T.J. No, no, no, you put that away.” Yeah, I think we both would have been there until the sun went up. And the only thing that [got me], it was when T.J. upped the levels of difficulty, I’m like, “The next thing this guy is gonna do is throw a brick down at us and tell us to like tread water with the brick.” It’s been done. I gave it everything I had, and I’ve never swam with my arms like ear muffed to my face, and I just didn’t have the [balance]. Tori got me, man. She earned it, and she had an incredible season, too. She had so many daily challenge wins. It sucked that she came in last.
But what sucked more was that I didn’t win — because all the girls left—if that was gonna be the elimination, no matter what, every girl left up there is an incredible swimmer. I’m average. People are like, “Oh, you suck.” But I’m average. I’ll get there, I’ll swim. I swim just like the next person, way better than I ever did in the beginning. But I’m not like these girls. If you want to talk about the best swimmers on The Challenge, these girls are up there. So I’m with them in a swimming challenge and that’s just what it is. You never know what’s gonna happen. And I think if it was me against anybody, the same result would have happened. So it was kind of full circle literally that it ended like that with Tori. So no regrets. I did my absolute best ’til the end. And the only thing I could have done is beat Jenny. Coming in second place — both times I came in second place, it sent me into the elimination. What are you gonna do?
MTV
Without that penalty could you have beaten her in the daily?
No. The penalty sucks, but Jenny, she had it, man. She had it. I did the best that I could do, but Jenny is a monster. I thought I’d at least be able to catch up on the puzzle part. And then when I looked and I saw who was left, I was like, “Okay, it’s Rachel and me. One of these guys — except for Johnny — is gonna save me over Rachel.” Because as far as I knew in the house, Rachel never left Era I’s room except to go to the gym. She was always in Era I’s room just with Johnny, but apparently she was making deals with everybody. She had a really good sneaky social game. Good for her. Worked out.
How did you feel about Aneesa Ferreira tying your elimination win record this season?
I think you gotta give that to Aneesa, man. She’s been doing this technically years and years and years and years before me. So she has a lot of time on me. So I’ve gotten the same amount as her in half the time. But that’s one of the coolest things that she could say about her record on The Challenge. She just kept getting chucked in. She’s so calm. I think the elimination is like her second home just like mine. And she’s like, “Oh, another elimination. Here we go again. I’m just gonna have to prove myself again and keep myself here.” And so she’s a fighter, and that’s why she’s an O.G., and that’s who she is. So that’s badass.
Of everyone that was left, was there anyone that you were particularly rooting for after your elimination?
I was rooting for Derek [Chavez]. I’d say definitely Derek. I think he had a very understated season. He was able to go under the radar. He never performed bad in anything. He always performed pretty well. But for some reason, people were so busy looking everywhere else, they didn’t look at him. And for Derek to still be here and outlast all the OGs, now he’s in a final with Johnny and Jordan, arguably the top two, and Kyland [Young], the new contender from [Era] IV. I’m rooting for Derek. I think he played a very clean, chill game. He did well. He didn’t do any sneaky moves. He just kind of chilled. We just played cards together all season. You don’t see Derek politicking. He’s just doing his best and having fun, and I was rooting for him for sure. And Michele in a weird way.
So you didn’t hold any hard feelings for him putting you on the target list?
No, I told him to. I mean, that’s — who cares. Every game that I’ve ever played in my Challenge life, if you don’t win, you’re in. So I don’t get to play games where it’s like, “Oh, you’re safe because you’re not a target.” I’m always a target. So being made a target, it’s still in my hands. It was up to me to win that challenge, and it was up to me to maybe formally shake Jordan’s hand and make a deal. It was all up to me. It has nothing to do with Derek. That’s all me.
This was a big season for you to beat 15 women. How could you possibly train anymore for the next one?
Live in the ocean? I don’t know, do math? Every time I go to the bathroom, take out a math calculator and just start like mathing while I poop? The entire Challenge seems to be going in the direction of just math and water — maybe if I just wish on a star, maybe the next Challenge could be something more. I’m praying to God like, “Can we go back to like just fun, dorky, silly stuff? The fun, not scary stuff?”…. I miss just being silly, and I understand that you train to be the best athlete, you train to be the best, but when you do silly stuff, anybody could win and you could go home on something totally stupid. I just missed that fun.
Despite what happened to me on All Stars [Season 4], I had so much fun that season. The challenges were fun. The final was silly and fun.
The Challenge, Wednesdays, 8/7c, MTV
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