Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Special Forces: World's Toughest Test Season 2 episode "Pressure." Read at your own risk!
Special Forces: World's Toughest Test Season 2 is absolutely brutal compared to the inaugural season, and with half of the contestants down at the midpoint, it's only going to get harder. Fortunately, the episode came and went without anyone else handing in their number to the staff, though it seemed like Nick Viall was on the verge of doing so. Typically, this would be where I would assume we'll see his exit happen within the next episode, but I actually think The Bachelor alum is going to pull through to the end.
It's a bold statement to make after Viall looked like he'd quit not once but twice in one episode. The first came during the daunting rope challenge, in which he fought his hardest to try and complete. When he and many others failed, they were subjected to a grueling 30-minute drill, which had them all exhausted and in pain. Once back at the barracks, Viall confessed he thought about handing in his number right then and there. Here's why I think he's going to stick with it.
Nick Viall Has Something To Prove To His Unborn Child
The staff gathered to discuss the performance of Nick Viall, and after his less-than-adequate performance, he was called in for tactical questioning. They explained that they saw Viall as someone who would rise to the challenge as they reached the back half, but he's regressing to worse than when he arrived. Viall confessed that while he had "hit a wall," he was hoping to remain on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test because he recently learned his fiancé, Natalie Joy, is pregnant with his first child. As such, he explained he had a specific goal in mind as he went into training:
I want to make sure the people who count on me can count on me. I want to see what I'm made of.
While his spirits were still low, Nick Viall left the interview with renewed hope and made it through the end of the episode. Whether the idea of having his child depend on him will be enough to last another five days in Special Forces: World's Toughest Test remains to be seen, but he survived the hardest day he's had yet in the process and didn't quit. Now that he's proven he can overcome that and the slightly milder abuse of the staff compared to Season 1, I think he has a good chance of making it through.
Hannah Brown Proved Bachelor Nation Stars Are Just Built Different
If there's one thing I learned from Special Forces: World's Toughest Test Season 1, it was to never underestimate the people who competed in Bachelor Nation. Former Bachelorette star Hannah Brown competed alongside former professional athletes and literal Olympians, and yet she and Carli Lloyd were the only people who completed the inaugural season. Brown said the experience, especially the final challenge, was one of the hardest things she ever endured.
While this may seem like bad news for Nick Viall, considering he's already considered throwing in the towel, perhaps the early crisis will make the rest of the journey a bit easier to manage mentally. If he can conquer the mental stress of it all like Hannah Brown did, he has a good chance of seeing it through. As Dez Bryant proved a few episodes ago, so much of the competition is keeping your cool even when it's tough.
Special Forces: World's Toughest Test airs on Fox on Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Those who missed out on early episodes can catch up with a Hulu subscription and see Nick Viall's journey from the beginning to this major hurdle in the latest episode.
