S36: Casting Speculation & Spoilers

[Lantern7]

Yep, it's that time again. Even as COVID-19 rages throughout the world, a new season of The Challenge is on the horizon. I'm sure BMP will be taking all the precautions in protecting their precious cash cows, but it feels like a disaster waiting to happen.

As always: THIS IS A THREAD FOR CASTING SPOILERS ONLY. NO RESULTS SPOILERS, PLEASE.

Here is early speculation from StopBeingPolite.com, which channels stuff from Vevmo. Apparently, people are currently in quarantine awaiting casting. Most of these guys are the usual gang of idiots (apologies to Mad Magazine). The only new names I see are Morgan Lolar (Temptation Island; I'm guessing from the latest revival) and Lolo Jones (she would qualify as a rookie despite her CvP experience).

I'm not expecting anything exciting at this point. If the season does take place, I'm willing to bet they might not be allowed to hit the bars. Once again: these guys are cash cows to BMP. Johnny is probably still considered their golden calf . . . which, in its own way, is pretty sad.

[peachmangosteen]

Terrible cast lol. I am interested in Lolo though. She was insane on Celeb BB.

[Lantern7]

29 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Terrible cast lol. I am interested in Lolo though. She was insane on Celeb BB.

There were other names when I searched through Vevmo, but that was from about a month ago. Lots of people not getting called. That includes Natalie; the reason listed for her was “racist tweet within past ten years.” Damn. I am okay with “cancel culture” in some ways, but that feels like reaching for me. Also, that means BMP might try to recruit another “Ninja,” and it might be someone from ANW that we don’t want to see turn into an asshole. Unless it’s Matt and/or Akbar brought in for commentary, I’m against headhunting ANW.

[peachmangosteen]

I remember when Dee got banned there was a lot of stuff about Natalie having worse tweets so. I would love to see her banned because I can not stand her lol.

That cast is pretty much the same as last season so meh. Last season was boring as hell. 

Maybe it's time for me to take another break.

[Lantern7]

4 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

I remember when Dee got banned there was a lot of stuff about Natalie having worse tweets so. I would love to see her banned because I can not stand her lol.

While I don’t love Natalie, I never understood the sheer depth of the hate from others, at least before I heard about the tweets. What, did the regulars write a letter? “We don’t like her. We’d rather have Turbo loaded up with his weight in PCP than deal with Ninja.“
 

Mark’s “OG” plan is coming off more attractive, given the veterans that have expressed interest. In case you didn’t see the link I put on the Media thread, here is the IG page he set up.

[peachmangosteen]

I don’t see the OG thing ever happening. MTV doesn’t give a shit and I can’t imagine another network would either lol.

 

[Eolivet]

Natalie Anderson snatching the first female Survivor on The Challenge spot from Michele Fitzgerald (rumored to be dropped from Challenge 33), after Michele's friends conspired to get Natalie to lose Survivor 40 ... you love to see it.

[Lantern7]

1 hour ago, Eolivet said:

Natalie Anderson snatching the first female Survivor on The Challenge spot from Michele Fitzgerald (rumored to be dropped from Challenge 33), after Michele's friends conspired to get Natalie to lose Survivor 40 ... you love to see it.

Shit. Really? I mean, Natalie is a far better representative from The Amazing Race than anyone else ever considered from that franchise, but that’s a void I wouldn’t want the Queen of Extinction to jump into.

ETA: Nicole? I get the hate, I get that she’d be thirsty floating in a lake, but I never got the rage. Of course, she comes from the borough where I reside, so maybe I give her the benefit of the doubt too often. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Edited August 24, 2020 by Lantern7

[Jillibean]

Dare I say I’m actually really excited about the women? Natalie Anderson is an absolutely amazing competitor. She has it all—mental, physical, strategic mindset. Lolo was amazing athletically on CvP and she’s also a whack job. Very interested to see Brehanna as well, and Nicole Z has always been a strong competitor. I figured Jenny was the de facto female winner for every season from here on out, and now I think she has real competition. And Theresa! Where did she come from?

Less excited about the men, aside from Darrell. Always love to see him. Honestly, if they’re going to keep offering it to our mainstays, you can’t blame them for accepting the paycheck, especially in this current climate. 

[Giuseppe]

Kinda bored by the list of returnees, and not really intrigued by any of the newbies. But, cheers to continued diversity on this show...I could be wrong, but I think this is the most people of color I've ever seen in a cast.

Also, I'm surprised nobody from Real World Atlanta has shown up yet.

[Lantern7]

19 minutes ago, Giuseppe said:

But, cheers to continued diversity on this show...I could be wrong, but I think this is the most people of color I've ever seen in a cast.

Also, I'm surprised nobody from Real World Atlanta has shown up yet.

1. I find that the longer I watch this series, diverse it gets. #rimshot
2. Does anyone care? Bad Blood only had two people, and they were knocked out after two episodes of IOTC. And isn’t Kailah the only repeat veteran from GBOGH?

[Giuseppe]

32 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

And isn’t Kailah the only repeat veteran from GBOGH?

No clue. I was over the show and didn't watch the last two MTV-aired seasons, and only watched Atlanta because that's where I live and I'd been waiting for them to come here for 27 years, lol.

[luckyroll3]

I'm shocked it took them this long to add Lolo to the official cast, because she's proven herself to be overly dramatic and little bit batshit crazy. And as an actual Olympian, she's a physical beast.  They may be able to break her mentally though, cause like I said, batshit crazy.....

[xfuse]

15 hours ago, luckyroll3 said:

I'm shocked it took them this long to add Lolo to the official cast, because she's proven herself to be overly dramatic and little bit batshit crazy. And as an actual Olympian, she's a physical beast.  They may be able to break her mentally though, cause like I said, batshit crazy.....

She is not enjoyable to watch. Some batshit crazy people are but she is not one of them. I put her in the same category as Josh from BB. Since he couldn't go into the BB house because he had Covid I'm hoping he's nowhere near this challenge. One unwatchable person is enough. 

[Lantern7]

Checking the list on SBP. There's a big omission, but I notice there are only a few people from outside the US listed: Jenny, Olivia“Liv” Jawando, Nam Vo (something called Ultimate Beastmaster, suggesting that BMP interns wouldn't be sacrificed to summon Turbo back), and Tula. Maybe it's because of different quarantine rules? On the other hand, I'm down with no more Bear.

Now the big news:

"Johnny Bananas- Real World Key West (may have never been in quarantine)"

DUDE. I mean, this could be a huge troll. He might not actually be coming . . . but knowing BMP, they could just grab him, spray him with disinfectant for three straight days, then set him loose. Maybe BMP is finally moving beyond him and Cara Maria?

PS: Didn't know Ultimate Beastmaster was an American show on Netflix. I think it sounds badass, but maybe BMP mighting be recruit from there instead of ANW.

Edited August 30, 2020 by Lantern7

[Jillibean]

On 8/29/2020 at 9:38 PM, Lantern7 said:

“Johnny Bananas- Real World Key West (may have never been in quarantine)"

DUDE. I mean, this could be a huge troll. He might not actually be coming . . . but knowing BMP, they could just grab him, spray him with disinfectant for three straight days, then set him loose. Maybe BMP is finally moving beyond him and Cara Maria?

It’s apparently not Cara’s choice to not be on, but I don’t think for a second that Johnny wasn’t offered a spot. If Johnny is taking a break, it’s on his terms. And I do think he might actually be taking a break. All signs indicate that he’s in Florida, not making his way to the rumored challenge location.

Edited August 31, 2020 by Jillibean

[BK1978]

Great Natalie Anderson, hell she's already ruined TAR and Survivor.  Why not this show as well?

What the hell is Lio Rush doing on here?  That seems so odd to me.  I know he is not with the WWE anymore, but it just seems weird that he would show up on this show.  I forgot to add, Lio is a fantastic speaker (He should give good talking heads) and a great athlete so I think he should do well, I just found it weird and a little random that he would being showing up on The Challenge of all places.

Amber Borzotra was rumored to be on Big Brother All-Stars (the current season of Big Brother), with the cast they have I kind of wish she was on there.  It will be interesting to see how she does on a show were Caleb is not stalking her.

I figured Mark Jansen would be showing up on here sooner or later.  He and Josh hated each other on Big Brother, I wonder if that is still the case.  They almost got into a physical fight.

As Jillibean said, where the hell did they get Theresa from?  I don't even remember when the last time she was on the show.  Same thing with Devin, he's been M.I.A. for years as well.

Always cool to see Darrell back.

I thought Nany said she was done doing the show?

Edited September 4, 2020 by BK1978

[Lantern7]

22 hours ago, BK1978 said:

Great Natalie Anderson, hell she's already ruined TAR and Survivor.  Why not this show as well?

I have several disagreements about that. First of all, The Challenge is always two or three incidents from being ruined, and I honestly don't see Natalie being the one to tip it over the edge. I get how she and twin sister Nadiya grated on TAR, but she did win one season of Survivor, and she was one of the bigger stars of Winners at War. My concern is that she'd get sucked into the BMP drama, never to be seen again. Given that she made it to two finales and she and Nadiya almost completed TAR in their first season, I can make a case that she's too good for this show.

[peachmangosteen]

8 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

First of all, The Challenge is always two or three incidents from being ruined, and I honestly don't see Natalie being the one to tip it over the edge.

The Challenge has been ruined for years lol.

Quote

I can make a case that she's too good for this show.

This. But then I would have thought Ninja was too good for this too and she turned out to fit right in with the trash that makes up most of the casts so you never know!

[Lantern7]

1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

 But then I would have thought Ninja was too good for this too and she turned out to fit right in with the trash that makes up most of the casts so you never know!

Natalie Duran was a second-tier female “ninja” at best. Natalie Anderson has actually won on a major reality show. Would you expect any huge “fan favorites” from Survivor to pop up?  I can’t think of any that would fit in the age range and be willing to go. Maybe Ozzy, but I think that window is closed.

[xfuse]

5 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Would you expect any huge “fan favorites” from Survivor to pop up?  I can’t think of any that would fit in the age range and be willing to go.

Anyone young and fit would give it a try. The prize money now most times matches Survivor and if you can survive living with all kinds of bugs and other nasties then you can survive the Challenge house.

Bonus: You are encouraged to get drunk.

[BK1978]

22 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

 I can make a case that she's too good for this show.

I mean you could try but it would be a waste of time.  It would be like me trying to convince you to watch Big Brother, it will not happen so there is no point in trying to do it.

Honestly the only reality show people I have ever soften my dislike towards was Colin & Christie.  Well far more Colin than Christie, I despised Colin during his first season.  Then they came back and he was far more mature and he and Christie seemed like nice people.

Natalie is just a scumbag.  Anyone who willfully steals from others is just that.  I don't care if she's a good athlete, I don't care if she won Survivor (Brian Heidik did as well, does that make him any less of a scumbag?  By your reasoning it obviously does.), and I do not care if she finished in second place her second time (Michelle should have been in second place, because Michelle had to play the actual game.  But that was the nature of the season so I cannot fault Natalie for that).

[xfuse]

5 hours ago, BK1978 said:

Natalie is just a scumbag.  Anyone who willfully steals from others is just that. 

What? How did I not know this or was this game play.

Maybe she and Swaggy can compare notes.

[peachmangosteen]

4 hours ago, xfuse said:

What? How did I not know this or was this game play.

I think she stole some money from someone on TAR. I don't remember the details.

[BK1978]

18 hours ago, xfuse said:

What? How did I not know this or was this game play.

Maybe she and Swaggy can compare notes.

 

14 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I think she stole some money from someone on TAR. I don't remember the details.

It's been a long time, I only saw it when it originally aired so I am going by memory here.  But from what I recall a team either dropped money by accident or misplaced it.  The twins, knowing full well that it was the other team's money, picked up the money and gleefully cackled over it.  The twins then split the "found" money with another team. The team who lost the money then had to beg locals to donate money.  So yeah she and her sister are scumbags in my book.

[Lantern7]

13 minutes ago, BK1978 said:

It's been a long time, I only saw it when it originally aired so I am going by memory here.  But from what I recall a team either dropped money by accident or misplaced it.  The twins, knowing full well that it was the other team's money, picked up the money and gleefully cackled over it.  The twins then split the "found" money with another team. The team who lost the money then had to beg locals to donate money.  So yeah she and her sister are scumbags in my book.

Pretty much. I don't think too harshly on them . . . not because I'd do the same thing, but I tend to drop stuff a lot. And in a competitive environment like that, James & Abba dropping their dough and the Twinees swiping it falls in a grey area. Shysty AF, yeah, but not enough to call them "scumbugs." At least not to me. And we've seen scumbags aplenty. Bear probably has to roll up his pant cuffs in order not to leave a trail of slime whether he walks.

[lasu]

I hated the twinnies on AR, though not because of the money. I agree it's a grey area. "Stealing" to me indicates they went and took money from the other team's wallet. This was more of a "finders keepers, losers weepers" situation. Did they do the technically wrong thing? Sure. But had they returned the money, I wouldn't have liked them any more or less. I'm neutral at best on that. In a competitive situation in which it's not against the rules, I might do it too, and not be concerned at all that people would think I was a scumbag about it. (To me, the only morally suspect part of this is that the locals had to end up helping the other team, that's not cool.) I'd be more upset if people thought I would extrapolate that behavior in real life; I wouldn't. I also don't lie my head off in real life, but I've always been befuddled by people who think it makes you a terrible person to lie on Survivor, and think that means you can never be trusted in the real world. It's part of the game. I just strongly disliked the two of them outside of that. TWINNIE! Holy crow, I really disliked them.

I was super devastated when they were cast on Survivor, but Natalie COMPLETELY turned me around. I don't think I've ever done such a 180, and if I have, it's never been going from dislike to like. She was great at challenges and the social parts of the game, and my love was cemented for her at her final tribal. Most women finalists tend to to the Amanda route, crying and apologizing for their game and hurting people and just being so, so sorry for everything they did that got them there. Natalie had so much fun playing Survivor, and she carried that fun into the final tribal. She was unapologetic about playing the game, and it was wonderful to watch a woman not apologize for making it to the final. She also seemed well liked on her all winners season by her castmates. 

It'll be interesting to see what she brings to this. I'm not trying to convince anyone to like her, but she brings one of (if not the, I think it's probably the) best American reality tv resumes to The Challenge to date. She's, based on her pedigree, lowering herself to be on this show, but I'm not mad about it. Get that money while you can. It'll just be a matter of if she can figure out the game fast enough. Hopefully she's smart enough to study beforehand. 

One final superficial reason for liking Natalie so much is that she is undeniable proof that bodies can be deceiving. At first glance, Natalie honestly looks ever so slightly out of shape (not fat, just not looking all sleek with obvious muscles, think BB Christmas), but she is a complete and total badass. She is a beast, and I absolutely love it. 

Edited September 7, 2020 by lasu

[Jillibean]

5 hours ago, lasu said:

I was super devastated when they were cast on Survivor, but Natalie COMPLETELY turned me around. I don't think I've ever done such a 180, and if I have, it's never been going from dislike to like. She was great at challenges and the social parts of the game, and my love was cemented for her at her final tribal. Most women finalists tend to to the Amanda route, crying and apologizing for their game and hurting people and just being so, so sorry for everything they did that got them there. Natalie had so much fun playing Survivor, and she carried that fun into the final tribal. She was unapologetic about playing the game, and it was wonderful to watch a woman not apologize for making it to the final. She also seemed well liked on her all winners season by her castmates. 

ITA. I absolutely couldn’t stand the twinnies on TAR, but I loved Natalie on Survivor. I actually think being with Nadiya brought out the worst in her. I’m mostly excited that the show has found a way to not directly hand Jenny West another win. I like Jenny well enough, I suppose. She seems like a nice person. But the discrepancy between her ability and the rest of the field was borderline unfair. 

I wonder if they’ll relax the rules for contacting home at all due to the pandemic situation, especially given that they have multiple parents on this season. Honestly, of all the changes they’ve made to the challenge over the years, only allowing the contestants ten minutes of phone time per week seems the most unnecessarily strict. I really don’t think anyone felt the show lacked a mental competitive edge when they were allowed to send and receive emails and have more access to a phone even a few years ago. I wonder how many other veterans might be willing to return if they could have even a little more contact with home. 

[Zima]

My only exposure to Natalie from Survivor was the latest season. I loved her there, so I'm excited to see her on The Challenge!

Others I'm excited to see: 

Amber Martinez from AYTO. I liked her on that show, so I'm interested in seeing her again. I think she might be a little too "normal", and therefore considered "boring.

CT and Darrell, of course. I hope CT really does get in shape this time. That would be amazing. 

Jay! He was so good. I hope he doesn't get thrown into every elim round again. 

Leroy. It's always good to see him. I hope he finally wins one. 

IDK who this Nam Vo guy is, but HELLO! 

Theresa! It's been a minute, but she was always a pretty decent competitor, and good for drama. 

I can't believe John won't be on! This will be the first season he hasn't been on since FM2, IIRC. Crazy. 

 

 

[BK1978]

6 hours ago, Zima said:

Leroy. It's always good to see him. I hope he finally wins one.

I have given up posting this every season.😆  Granted I still want to see it happen because as I have said before Leroy is the one person who just seems likable and nice.  Out of the guys he would be the one I would want to hang out with and be friends with. 

[luckyroll3]

4 hours ago, BK1978 said:

I have given up posting this every season.😆  Granted I still want to see it happen because as I have said before Leroy is the one person who just seems likable and nice.  Out of the guys he would be the one I would want to hang out with and be friends with. 

The only way Leroy will win is if he prioritizes himself over his so-called allies. 

[Lantern7]

13 hours ago, Zima said:

I can't believe John won't be on! This will be the first season he hasn't been on since FM2, IIRC. Crazy. 

Battle of the Seasons from 2012.

2 hours ago, luckyroll3 said:

The only way Leroy will win is if he prioritizes himself over his so-called allies. 

With Johnny not showing up, maybe Leroy can finally win one. 🤷‍♂️

[UniqueHandle]

I really disliked Natalie and her sister on TAR and when they were cast on Survivor, I was full on Michael from the Office gif "No No noooooooo!" After she won, I still didn't like her and said I would never watch Survivor again. Sure, Jan. Of course I watched again; I've never missed an episode since day one, but I was so upset because I really, really didn't like Natalie.

But, I really started to like her on Winners at War. I mean, if my favorite players liked her, she can't be that bad, right?!?! She kicked ass on that island... she isn't my favorite by a long shot but girl power and all that jazz. I would love to see her on the Challenge. She has a big mouth and speaks her mind. 

Why Josh?? Why?? WHY? I would be happy to never, ever, ever see him on my tv ever again.

I read this morning that Asaf dropped because he would be missing two important Jewish holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur).

 

[Zima]

3 hours ago, UniqueHandle said:

I really disliked Natalie and her sister on TAR and when they were cast on Survivor, I was full on Michael from the Office gif "No No noooooooo!" After she won, I still didn't like her and said I would never watch Survivor again. Sure, Jan. Of course I watched again; I've never missed an episode since day one, but I was so upset because I really, really didn't like Natalie.

But, I really started to like her on Winners at War. I mean, if my favorite players liked her, she can't be that bad, right?!?! She kicked ass on that island... she isn't my favorite by a long shot but girl power and all that jazz. I would love to see her on the Challenge. She has a big mouth and speaks her mind. 

Why Josh?? Why?? WHY? I would be happy to never, ever, ever see him on my tv ever again.

I read this morning that Asaf dropped because he would be missing two important Jewish holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur).

 

I forgot about Asaf! Too bad. He was some good eye-candy. 

[AntFTW]

On 9/5/2020 at 12:52 AM, Lantern7 said:

I have several disagreements about that. First of all, The Challenge is always two or three incidents from being ruined, and I honestly don't see Natalie being the one to tip it over the edge. I get how she and twin sister Nadiya grated on TAR, but she did win one season of Survivor, and she was one of the bigger stars of Winners at War. My concern is that she'd get sucked into the BMP drama, never to be seen again. Given that she made it to two finales and she and Nadiya almost completed TAR in their first season, I can make a case that she's too good for this show.

I think the Challenge is not mature enough for Natalie Anderson. I don't watch TAR and I can't judge the maturity of the people on that show but I think Survivor is a much more mature game than The Challenge. Watching these seasons of the Challenge, you'd assume these people were in college or college-aged if it was your first time watching.

[Lantern7]

1 hour ago, AntFTW said:

I think the Challenge is not mature enough for Natalie Anderson. I don't watch TAR and I can't judge the maturity of the people on that show but I think Survivor is a much more mature game than The Challenge. Watching these seasons of the Challenge, you'd assume these people were in college or college-aged if it was your first time watching.

Nicely put. Here's an essay I wrote about her in May. Even if she does come in and excel, I fear that she'll descend into the usual bullshit the regulars provide. After Skeletons, I figured Nicole was too normal to do The Challenge. She's appeared twice and made the finale each time, but she's been shown as way too thirsty, and she's been a target of derision. I mean, I get it, but reading people cheer her injury in Vendettas . . . bleh. Of course, I probably cut her too much slack.

Jenny isn't going to show up, Now I gotta hit Wikipedia and find out the last time a winner or winning team didn't return to defend their titles.

ETA: Much sooner than I thought; Jordan didn't do Vendettas after winning XXX: Dirty 30, and Camila had found a way to get banned on two fronts.

Edited September 10, 2020 by Lantern7

[Lantern7]

I see a new name on the SBP list. Anyone familiar with UK shows know about Gabby Allen? Apparently, she's done Love Island (UK) and Celebrity Big Brother.

[Zima]

On 9/9/2020 at 11:13 PM, Lantern7 said:

Nicely put. Here's an essay I wrote about her in May. Even if she does come in and excel, I fear that she'll descend into the usual bullshit the regulars provide. After Skeletons, I figured Nicole was too normal to do The Challenge. She's appeared twice and made the finale each time, but she's been shown as way too thirsty, and she's been a target of derision. I mean, I get it, but reading people cheer her injury in Vendettas . . . bleh. Of course, I probably cut her too much slack.

Jenny isn't going to show up, Now I gotta hit Wikipedia and find out the last time a winner or winning team didn't return to defend their titles.

ETA: Much sooner than I thought; Jordan didn't do Vendettas after winning XXX: Dirty 30, and Camila had found a way to get banned on two fronts.

Ev never came back after winning Rivals I. I don't think Tyler came back either. 

[Lantern7]

33 minutes ago, Zima said:

Ev never came back after winning Rivals I. I don't think Tyler came back either. 

I meant any and all winners not returning in the following season.

[Eolivet]

So, Iceland is apparently in lockdown, with all bars and restaurants closed as of October 7 in the capital? I thought they were supposed to be filming there (not sure of the city), and I would hope they dispensed with "send them out to bars" during a global pandemic, but it makes me wonder, especially if they started filming in late August.

[Jillibean]

On 10/9/2020 at 10:46 AM, Eolivet said:

So, Iceland is apparently in lockdown, with all bars and restaurants closed as of October 7 in the capital? I thought they were supposed to be filming there (not sure of the city), and I would hope they dispensed with "send them out to bars" during a global pandemic, but it makes me wonder, especially if they started filming in late August.

Very interesting...I imagine they have the cast in a “bubble,” but I wonder if that also applied to production. If they’ve been staying in local hotels, like I think they usually do, that could potentially present a problem. So could the limits on group size. Judging by the dates, they likely still have close to a full month of filming left to go—assuming they’re going to stay on schedule and not flip into warp speed to get this in the can as soon as possible before they possibly have to halt filming, which is maybe what I would do if I were in charge. I’ve been trying to stay unspoiled for eliminations, but I really miss hearing about the hookups and fights from the spoiler sources, especially since we never end up seeing some of them on the actual show. So if anyone wants to PM me those, feel free!

[peachmangosteen]

9 minutes ago, Jillibean said:

I’ve been trying to stay unspoiled for eliminations, but I really miss hearing about the hookups and fights from the spoiler sources, especially since we never end up seeing some of them on the actual show. So if anyone wants to PM me those, feel free!

Ditto that. If there are any juicy, non-elimination related spoilers, I'd love to see them.

[AntFTW]

Wow! I didn’t think we were gonna get another season this year.