“Oh my gosh, they’re both so incredibly close!” exclaimed a viewer following the second episode of Beast Games Season 2. The tension was palpable as contestants engaged in the gripping tower-stacking challenge on the show. Host MrBeast maintained his trademark enthusiasm, ensuring the excitement remained family-friendly for Prime Video audiences. The challenge, known as Blocks, is a game where success hangs by a thread—one wrong move by a teammate can demolish a player’s dreams. Such was the fate of Johnny (#111), who attempted to leap from the tower to touch the green flag but missed. Meanwhile, Mitch (#117) on another tower succeeded, leading to the elimination of 20 contestants. In these dramatic moments, Beast Games relishes in marking the eliminated with red Xs.

After a 12-hour hiatus, the competition resumed with the Strongs outnumbering the Smarts among the remaining contestants. Ian, #148 and one of two remaining Ninja Warrior veterans, isn’t surprised by this development. He attributes their success to “mental fortitude,” implying a blend of physical and mental strength. Meanwhile, the original contestants, or “OGs,” have dwindled to three: Jeff, defending his title; #952 Mia, the winner of an island in Panama from Season 1; and #566 JC, infamous for his strategic $650,000 cash grab, which left a sour taste for both viewers and fellow players. The presence of these veterans serves as a litmus test for the intensity of Season 2, which sees contestants more focused and competitive. Jeff remarks, “It’d be a feather in the cap to take us out.” One Strong competitor bluntly states, “I’m not vibing with them being here. They’ve had their time,” questioning why previous winners should stand in the way of new contestants seeking their own prize.

NINJA BEAST WARRIOR   

MrBeast could hardly contain his excitement for the upcoming challenge. “By the end of this game, we’ll have our top 25 contestants,” he announced, which would give each a 4 percent chance of claiming the grand prize. Perhaps it was the mounting tension he sensed; as the competition narrows, so do tempers. Alliances still exist, such as the budding romance between Jim and Monika, fueled by their shared experiences in Beast City. However, not all connections have endured. An early alliance between Strong team members Eric (#179) and Tyler (#162) has crumbled just in time for the elevated obstacle course featuring pugil sticks. Tyler accuses Eric of “choosing to be a jerk on TV,” while MrBeast suggests they resolve their differences on the course, which also includes spinning windmills, levered platforms, and a challenging final stretch designed to send competitors into the moat below.

The Beast obstacle course is relentless, swiftly cutting down contestant numbers as it intensifies the pressure. Rain has made the surfaces treacherously slippery, and MrBeast keeps tweaking the rules for each mini-team run, further heating the competitive atmosphere. Cydney, #125, is visibly displeased when the host critiques her strategy as “the worst I’ve ever seen.” Nick (#118) voices collective frustration, dubbing Jim “Backpack Boy” for relying heavily on his girlfriend. Whether Smart or Strong, many contestants breezed through earlier rounds on a wave of adrenaline, but they now face a serious challenge to their morale.

CAPTAIN BRIBE RETURNS

In a dramatic turn, Tyler did indeed knock Eric from the course using a pugil stick, blocking the path and ignoring his former ally’s protests. Even Ian, known for his “mental fortitude,” resorted to eliminating a competitor who pleaded to continue for his kids’ sake. As the eliminated contestant fell, marked by a red X, he lamented, “I played an honest game, broooooooo…”

But if you thought things were getting chippy on the obstacle course, wait til MrBeast drops Captain Bribe on this new group of contestants. The game was a highlight of Season 1, because it pressurizes the notion of singular gain over a player’s supposed team integrity. Here in Season 2, captains are picked by the teams who remain from the last game. They are positioned on a platform high above Beast City. And an enormo-screen fires up an increasing cash number. The captains hit a button, and the money’s theirs alone. Nobody is eliminated in this scenario, but damn if taking the cash for oneself won’t further fray the Beast City vibe. 

The chosen captains are JT, #126, Hannah, #99, Nick, Tyler, and Jeff. The latter says he’ll keep his hands in his pockets – he’s already a ten-million-dollar champion, and the only thing MrBeast could give him is a cure for his son’s condition. But the others? This is worse than being on top of that tower from Blocks, all alone, as you leap for a flag you’ll never catch. 

In his way, MrBeast has juiced the growing conflict among the contestants. After all, friction is a driver of his YouTube empire. But before the Captain Bribe money ticker kicks in, he pauses the game to read statements from the captains, written back when they were cast on Beast Games. “I read you guys this to remind you that these are real people,” he says to the gathered teams. “They’re not just players in this game. And if they do decide to take the money, they all have their own reasons, and it’s probably not screwing you over.” It’s a moment of clarity about the real world outside this competition that, while reasonable, also feels weirdly like a legal disclaimer of some kind.

“Start the money counter!” MrBeast commands, and the amount rises fast. The contestants below all saw Season 1, where it didn’t happen. Their opinion? This time will be different. (Someone says they don’t trust Nick.) $100,000. $350,000. The figures keep ticking up. The show adds a new visual wrinkle, with its masked guards dumping bags of real cash at the counter’s base. “They’re gonna tell you they won’t be tempted, but people can change!” The counter hits a million just as Beast Games Episode 3 cuts to black.

25 players remain.

Johnny Loftus (@johnnyloftus.bsky.social) is a Chicago-based writer. A veteran of the alternative weekly trenches, his work has also appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, The All Music Guide, and The Village Voice.