Here is a Challenge absolute: Johnny Reilly, who nearly finished first on Free Agents, is physically capable of winning a game.

Here is another: When he has to work with an imperfect teammate, the odds of a victory plummet more quickly than a wingless bird.

On tonight’s Rivals III episode, Johnny, who’s partnered up with his old Real World: Portland nemesis Jessica, found himself ready to throw in the towel. He complained that Jessica was weak-willed and scared and was quick to dismiss her after a last-place finish in the game’s first mission, “Give Me Some Slack.”

“I don’t give a f**k. I really don’t care to see Jessica go anywhere, and if that means my own downfall, then f***!” Johnny offered plainly, and Bananas was quick to identify Team Green’s soured dynamic.

“[Jess] not having any confidence, and Johnny showing absolutely zero interest in boosting her confidence, is not a good sign,” he said.

Still, when it finally came time for Johnny and Jess to perform in The Jungle, the duo exacted a commanding performance and knocked newbies Devin and Cheyenne out of the game.

“Jessica wasn’t the problem -- it was me. I was the problem,” Johnny said in an unexpected upturn. “She showed a lot of people what she had tonight, including me, and I’m extremely proud of her.”

The brief display of positive vibes considered, history has shown that Johnny would sometimes rather concede than fight alongside someone of whom he’s not too fond. Though his Exes II partner Averey hung tough through the competition and was one of the game’s stronger women, Johnny often admitted he would have preferred to wave the white flag and go home than be associated with a less-than-ideal partner. The tension this attitude elicited -- more than any physical deficiencies -- eventually got the exes eliminated.

What do you think: Is it possible for Johnny to win with anything less than an ideal partner? Will he eventually be able to work through his issues with Jessica, or is he in for the same fate on Rivals III with Jess that he was with Averey on Exes II? Share your thoughts, and be sure to tune in to a brand-new Challenge episode next Wednesday at 10/9c!