It’s been eight years since Real World: San Diego alum Brad appeared in a Challenge game, and he definitely left on a high note: he and Team Red won Cutthroat and split a $120,000 grand prize.

And while Brad’s already making a name for himself with his Vendettas comeback, some players think he’s coming out of the gates a little too intensely.

On tonight’s episode, the game’s players tossed on their bikinis and speedos for a game of “Who’s Got Balls,’ in which each contestant would have to individually slide down into a pool, grab a ball and climb back up before depositing the ball into a specified bucket. Individual times would stop upon the collection of three balls, and the top three men’s finishers and top three women’s finishers would be eligible for The Troika, a three-person tribunal that would decide which player would face off against the mission’s slowest man in the forthcoming men’s elimination round.

Johnny Bananas, who’d struggled a bit in the game’s opening challenge, redeemed himself as the day’s top finisher, and split $25,000 with the women’s victor, Britni. And on the guys’ side, Kyle from the United Kingdom’s Geordie Shore landed a surprising second-place finish, while Brad rounded out the top three.

“I’m back and I’m really starting to think that this could be a golden opportunity to change the game,” Brad said, adding he was intent on putting an injunction on the Johnny Bananas legacy.

At The Troika meeting — after which Tony, Victor and Cory all found themselves susceptible to a possible spot in the looming elimination round — Brad made his voice loud, and commandingly negated Bananas’ choice to nominate Devin. And later, at the Inquisition (nominees would use the ceremony as a platform to plead their cases) Tony, Brad’s vendetta, also picked up on Brad’s bravado.

“We’ve got Brad, who’s like Don Corleone. He’s like: ‘Listen, this is what we’re gonna do,’” Tony observed. “Oh, my god, this guy — eyeballs the size of full moons.”

Ultimately, Brad’s top pick — Tony — managed to avoid elimination in favor of Cory, Bananas’ top choice. Still, Brad had made his position very clear, and could no longer find refuge in the game’s shadows. Will that strategy work in his favor?

What do you think — is Brad right that he can re-assume his position as one of the game’s top players, and did his Cutthroat victory give him the right? Or, should he be playing the game a little bit more discreetly? Share your thoughts, and see how he progresses Tuesday at 9/8c!