'The Challenge: Total Madness' power rankings after ep. 1

When we last left MTV’s reality competition show The Challenge, a team made up of CT, Dee, Jordan and Rogan claimed victory after a wild season.

This time? It’s every competitor for his and herself in Total Madness, as 28 of the best vets and some very talented rookies compete for a million dollar prize while living in an underground bunker.

As always, we task our resident Challenge expert Charles Curtis to power rank each of the competitors after each week.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

This week: We got things kicked off with everyone meeting, getting through a first, tough challenge and the first elimination … with a twist.

1. Rogan

Is he the strongest player here? No. Is he the most politically savvy? No. But he’s coming in as a defending champion and he won the men’s heat of the Battle Lines challenge and he struck a deal with Kyle. Solid start.

2. Jenny

I told you all last season that she was among the best in War of the Worlds 2. Although she fell short, she started off this season with a win in Battle Lines and proof she’s a huge threat.

3. Johnny Bananas

A HUGE twist — he’s teaming up with Wes instead of going at him. Smart as heck by both players and now, we’ll see if they can use their combined smarts and strength to get far.

4. Wes

It was curious to see him blow up at Asaf calling out his name in nominations for elimination, but maybe it was just a bit of a show to cover up the fact that he and Bananas are a team. What should we call them? Banawes? Wesnana?

5. Jordan

Another defending champ who has his fiancee Tori there. If either of them win, they both win.

6. Fessy

Thanks to my interview with Johnny, I had my eye on the former Chattanooga Moc tight end. The fact that voters are already avoiding making enemies with him makes me think they’re worried about him, and they should be. He measured at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds in college and he was on American Ninja Warrior. Plus, as someone who adopted the Mocs as his college football team, I’m biased.

7. Tori

Nearly won last year, comes in with Jordan as a force to be reckoned with.

8. Dee

I’m impressed. She was down to the final two in the challenge. After winning last season and proving her ex Rogan wrong, I have a feeling this is going to be a good year for her (although she’s sleeping in the bunk above Rogan’s, yeesh).

9. Ashley

As Wes pointed out, she’s gotten by some years by avoiding elimination. But I don’t think she’ll have a problem with the new rules twist that requires contestants to win an elimination in order to be allowed into the finals.

10. Nelson

I’ve always been convinced he’s been knocking on the door of winning a final. Maybe this is his year.

11. Jenna

Same with her.

12. Mattie

We know she has what it takes to get to a final.

13. Cory

I know he made a Tribunal purely because Rogan and Jenny chose him. But he was on his way to winning the challenge before T.J.’s tank rolled over his barrel.

14. CT

Now that he’s forced to go into elimination, will we see the CT of old completely dominate? We’ll see.

15 (tied). Swaggy C and Bayleigh

The two Big Brother rookies are a couple, and we’ve already seen how that helped in deliberations.

17. Bear

Oh, Bear. Already trying to canoodle with Kailah, who came into the house, er, bunker with a relationship.

18. Jay

Not the strongest of rookies. But he has a “red skull” now — which allows him to run a final if he makes it there — and that’s huge.

19. Kailah

I want to put her higher, but we’ve seen in previews that she hooks up with Bear. Maybe not the best idea?

20. Nany

Oof. One night she’s with Asaf, the next she’s watching him get eliminated.

21. Aneesa

Can you believe she’s never won? It’s kind of shocking. But she’s made two finals.

22. Kyle

I’m worried about him. Despite striking a deal with Rogan and with his ex Cara Maria not there this season, I just think he’s constantly got a target on his back, something CT noticed.

23 (tied). Kaycee and Jennifer

I didn’t see enough of the Big Brother winner and Amazing Race alum to get a sense of their skills.

25. Josh

We know he’s strong and can be a factor physically. But his political game has suffered. Let’s see what he can do this season.

26. Big T

We’ll see if she lasts longer than she did as a rookie on War of the Worlds 2, which was two eps.

27. Melissa

Not a great showing in the first challenge.

28. Asaf

A little something different in this season’s set of rankings: we’ll include a write-up the player(s) eliminated. And what a one-ep run for him. He canoodled with Nany, made some friends and was promptly eliminated by Jay in Air Strike that played to Jay’s strengths.