Who betrayed Laurel on The Challenge? Fans react to major blindside

If there's one competitor you do not want on your bad side, it's Laurel, The Challenge: Ride or Dies veteran and one of the most dominant players in the franchise's history.

Rookie team and Survivor alums Jay Starrett and Michele Fitzgerald quickly learned that fact on the November 9 episode of The Challenge season 38 when, after winning this episode's daily challenge, they were tasked with choosing the four teams to put up on the block for elimination. An easy, logical choice would be to throw in Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio and Nany Gonzalez, the veterans from The Challenge season 38 cast that previously tossed Jay and Michele's names into the elimination fires, but Jay and Michele do not choose logic. Seemingly, they choose chaos. 

"I do want to take control. Now is the time to take the momentum and make big moves," Michelle said. Those "big moves" include throwing in rookies Kim Tränka and Colleen Schneider yet again, along with three veteran teams: Darrell Taylor and Veronica Portillo, Jordan Wiseley and Aneesa Ferreira, and, most shockingly Laurel Stucky and Jakk Maddox. 

Jakk, in particular, believed that he and his Ride or Dies teammate would be safe from any elimination worries due to his increasingly close friendship with Jay. However, Michele was zoom-focused on a revenge plot against Laurel — revenge for what, even Michele doesn't seem sure — a decision that comes to bite her.

"My logic is telling me I should put in any and Bananas but my heart is telling me not to," Michelle reasoned, believing that the veteran team would be an asset to her down the line. 

"I wish Jakk was not attached to Laurel because Michelle is really pushing Laurel hard...Jakk is my friend and I feel so bad but we have to play the game," Jay said of the strategy. 

When they reveal who is on the chopping block, the entire cast is shocked, including Jakk. "I feel just stabbed in the back...Jay, thank you for showing me who you are," Jakk said. 

"I honest to god thought we were going in," Nany told Bananas. "Maybe this was a mistake on their behalf...maybe Jay and Michelle aren't the mind wizards we thought they were," Bananas added. 

Upon interrogation, an enraged Laurel and Jakk pointedly remain silent during Jay and Michele's questioning (a moment that would delight fans). What the hell did I just do? I have awoken the giants and I am terrified that they're going to come out and stomp on me," Michelle said of their reaction. 

Michele attempts to smooth things over with Laurel back in the house but it's for naught. "Bitch, you sent me into elimination, it's too late...I'm going to let you talk yourself into the ground and make yourself look like an idiot," Laurel said during a confession. 

"Maybe we made a major mistake," Michelle said. "There's no looking back now." She and Jay end up picking Laurel and Jakk to go directly in. "I mean, that is a huge swing. Laurel is one of the GOATs in this game," Tori said of the move. "This was a big play and I don't think this is going to end well."

After Veronica and Darrel pull the safe dagger, they choose to save fellow vets Aneesa and Jordan, leaving Kim and Colleen to go up against Laurel and Jakk in the elimination comp, which is a combination of a climbing challenge and a puzzle game. 

"If Laurel and Jack come back into this house, we're going to be eaten for dinner," Michelle worried during the elimination, and worry she should, because Laurel and Jakk win, sending Kim and Colleen home and returning to the house with revenge on the brain.

Fans react to Laurel, The Challenge veteran: