The Challenge in the Media: "The road to [fame] is straight and narrow."

[Racj82]

3 hours ago, Zima said:

Yes, Duel II, the season where CT punches ADAM, is up in full except for the 1st episode. However, the season where he punches DAVIS in the first episode (which is Inferno 3) is not on there, unless they've changed it since about a month ago? 

I watched every season available for a week from the most available season and got to season 22. Never saw CT punch Davis. The first 13 seasons (I believe) are not there.

[lasu]

7 hours ago, Racj82 said:

I watched every season available for a week from the most available season and got to season 22. Never saw CT punch Davis. The first 13 seasons (I believe) are not there.

CBS All Access starts with Season11, which is The Gauntlet II, skips season 15 which is Inferno III, and goes through season 31, Vendettas.

Edited October 21, 2020 by lasu

[Racj82]

16 hours ago, lasu said:

CBS All Access starts with Season11, which is The Gauntlet II, skips season 15 which is Inferno III, and goes through season 31, Vendettas.

I got cbs all access through Amazon prime. It does not start at season 11 there. That's just my experience. I've seen it listed starting at season 11 but it doesn't go back that far via prime.

[peachmangosteen]

It does indeed start at season 11 on CBS All Access. 

[lasu]

Yes, if you get CBS All Access through CBS All Access, it starts at 11, skips 15, and goes through 31.

Is it cheaper through Amazon Prime?  

[Jillibean]

On 10/22/2020 at 10:07 AM, lasu said:

Yes, if you get CBS All Access through CBS All Access, it starts at 11, skips 15, and goes through 31.

Is it cheaper through Amazon Prime?  

I think CBS all access with commercials is cheaper per month than the amazon add-on. Inferno 3 was also never available on prime. I know some people have speculated it was due to music rights, but in other seasons they’ve just changed the music, so I don’t know. I will say I recently rewatched some of it and it is, even by old challenge standards, incredibly boring. 

[MaggieG]

New season Dec 6th!

https://tvline.com/lists/the-challenge-double-agents-season-36-cast-photos-premiere-date/

 

[aghst]

When would they have filmed this?

Did they cut a deal when Iceland was willing to allow tourists in over the summer?

When they did the reunion it was during the pandemic right?

So they must have been filming some of it then?

 

I could understand if they filmed in fall and winter and we got it in spring.

Total Madness season 35 premiered on 4/1/20 and they're able to film another season, edit it and get it back on the air in 8 months?

That's a quick turnaround even if there wasn't a pandemic.

 

Hmm, just checking but season 34 first aired in August 28, 2019, just 3 months after the end of season 33 on 5/22/19 -- S33 premiered on 2/6/19.  

So that's 6-7 months between seasons 33 and 34, with a season airing over a period of 4 months.

And it was 8 months between seasons 34 and 35.

So this would be 8 months, which is not that unusual.  But it always seem like a year between seasons when MTV is obviously filming with maybe a couple of months breaks?

Makes you think that the vets, especially those who make it to the final challenges, are starting up like a month or two after they film the end of the previous season, so not much time to train in between.

And MTV is probably cranking out the episodes, not doing much in the way of polishing the episodes.  Or maybe they finish editing and post production on one or two and then edit the rest of the episodes as the season is airing.

In any event, interesting that Bananas is skipping this season.  America's Got Talent newbies?  Blech.

[Aaron4102]

2 hours ago, aghst said:

When would they have filmed this?

Did they cut a deal when Iceland was willing to allow tourists in over the summer?

When they did the reunion it was during the pandemic right?

So they must have been filming some of it then?

 

I could understand if they filmed in fall and winter and we got it in spring.

Total Madness season 35 premiered on 4/1/20 and they're able to film another season, edit it and get it back on the air in 8 months?

That's a quick turnaround even if there wasn't a pandemic.

August 23rd: US players were quarantined in hotels in LA for a week. International players did the same somewhere in the UK

August 30th: Cast departed to the filming location, Iceland, where they spent another week quarantined in a hotel before the game began. 

During this 2 week quarantine period, players were tested for covid. Alternates were there just in case people tested postitive (which no one did as far as I knoiw)

Filming just ended a couple weeks ago, around October 28th-29th

I hope this helps

Edited November 13, 2020 by Aaron4102

[aghst]

Thanks, that's very interesting timeline.

Iceland has had its share of increasing new cases too recently so I guess they got it done just under the wire.

[lasu]

The reunion wouldn't have been filmed yet, so we don't know if that will end up being in person or via zoom.

Has Aneesa ever made it to the final?  FOURTEEN challenges with no wins. Leroy is on her heels with 12 challenges and no wins. Nany is at 0-10, Cory at 0-8, Kyle 0-5, Nelson 0-7, Theresa 0-7, Tori D 0-5, and Devin 0-5.

And, wow, CT has done EIGHTEEN challenges with three wins.  Remember when we thought Mark was too old?  LOL.  And Wes has only won twice in 14 appearances.

We're getting Devin back, but will he be at all interesting without Johnny?  Or far more interesting? Will we get another round of Kam and Leroy?  What about Kaycee and Nany?  Nicole, but no Laurel.  When was the last time Theresa and Wes met?  Did Tori's fiancé get cancelled or will we see him again?  How many seasons has it been since neither Johnny nor Cara will be on the show?  I know I'm alone on both of these, but first, I love Ashley and all her craziness.  Can't wait to see what she brings.  Second UO, I can't wait to see how Natalie does.  I didn't think I ever would have liked her, but separated from her Twinnie, I grew to adore her.  She's a beast, but it's hard for me to see her really carrying any storylines.  Of course, I've never seen her on a show with free flowing booze, so who knows?

And HOLY SHIT, not only did they clean house on some folks, is this the most diverse cast we've ever seen?  There are about twice as many people of color than white folks!  

Finally, please let there be gorgeous scenery this time in a luxury villa.  I can't handle another bunker season right now.

[xfuse]

4 hours ago, lasu said:

And, wow, CT has done EIGHTEEN challenges with three wins.  Remember when we thought Mark was too old?  LOL.  And Wes has only won twice in 14 appearances.

I read an interview from Cody Nickson (BB 19) he was told he was too old to do the challenge. He's 35. Johnny is 38, CT is 40 and Darrell is 41. 

He is probably the only BB contestant I actually wanted to see on the Challenge.

[peachmangosteen]

3 hours ago, xfuse said:

I read an interview from Cody Nickson (BB 19) he was told he was too old to do the challenge. He's 35. Johnny is 38, CT is 40 and Darrell is 41. 

But they've all been doing it since they were like 20 so I kinda get it. 

I'd like to see Cody's deadpan ways on The Challenge too but he's also just such an incredibly horrible person and we have enough of those on here lol.

[Lantern7]

Heads up: trailer for Double Agents is up.

On 11/13/2020 at 2:20 PM, xfuse said:

I read an interview from Cody Nickson (BB 19) he was told he was too old to do the challenge. He's 35. Johnny is 38, CT is 40 and Darrell is 41. 

Geez, how many friggin’ Codys has Big Brother spawned? I’m thinking three at least.

[luckyroll3]

7 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Heads up: trailer for Double Agents is up.

Looks like skulls are back and there are only 10 available. Hopefully they have a better plan for how to utilize them them this season.

[lasu]

On 11/13/2020 at 6:04 PM, peachmangosteen said:

But they've all been doing it since they were like 20 so I kinda get it. 

I agree.  I think they would let Beth, Mark, Eric Nies come back, and the other guys have mentioned have been doing it consistently.  I don't think MTV means Cody is too old physically.  I think they probably mean he's too old, too married, too fathered to get up to real hijinks.  He won't be around long enough to make long-term alliances and enemies, he's not going to have a string of exes behind him.  I think it's more you can't START the show as an elder statesman, regardless of how you would perform in the challenges.  You have to pay your dues first. I'd enjoy him, just to watch everyone bang their head against the wall trying to break his robot self, but honestly, I can kinda understand why MTV thinks they way they do on this one.

[MaggieG]

3 hours ago, luckyroll3 said:

Looks like skulls are back and there are only 10 available. Hopefully they have a better plan for how to utilize them them this season.

I really hope they don't keep throwing the same people into elimination when they already have skulls, like Jay last season.

[luckyroll3]

30 minutes ago, MaggieG said:

I really hope they don't keep throwing the same people into elimination when they already have skulls, like Jay last season.

I actually didn't mind that.  If I didn't have a skull, anyone with one would be fair game to me.  I hated that they kept letting people volunteer to go into elimination instead of being strategic.  If I was playing, I would also do whatever I could to block "champion" or strong players from ever seeing an elimination so that they never had an opportunity for a skull.  They just weren't playing smart and the rules didn't force them to have to be strategic.  Now that there is a limited, low number of skulls, competitors will have to be a bit more thoughtful about who they let through.

[ImpinAintEasy]

I’m really digging the scenery in Iceland. Hopefully they’re in a nice house and not a bunker. 
 

Still don’t know what the theme means. Is it a partners season? I think we all know Wes will be a “Double Agent”, whatever that may mean. 
 

The limited number of Skulls is welcome. No more giving everyone a chance to earn one, hopefully. Time for some strategy. 

I am happy to see the return of Darrell. He won’t bring the drama anymore, but he is one of the best competitors of all-time. 

[xfuse]

6 hours ago, lasu said:

I don't think MTV means Cody is too old physically.  I think they probably mean he's too old, too married, too fathered to get up to real hijinks. 

I think that this is why they said no not his age. He wouldn't bring the drama with the exception of Josh pissing himself because Cody would now be able to get back at him for all the crap he pulled in his season.

[BK1978]

I wonder what the timeline was between when Josh and Kaycee tested positive for Covid when they were cast on Big Brother All-Stars and when they were tested for this show.

[lasu]

 

6 hours ago, BK1978 said:

I wonder what the timeline was between when Josh and Kaycee tested positive for Covid when they were cast on Big Brother All-Stars and when they were tested for this show.

I'd guess about a month.  BBAS premiered on Aug 5, so they went into the house about a week before that?  Meaning Kaycee and Josh would have tested positive (which I think everyone has denied but no other reason has been offered for them not being on there, and they are two former winners so...) in late July and gone into quarantine for The Challenge in late August.

[peachmangosteen]

5 hours ago, lasu said:

I'd guess about a month.  BBAS premiered on Aug 5, so they went into the house about a week before that? 

They actually went into the house on that day but they were all quarantining in separate houses for awhile before that. 

I believe Josh has said that his test during BB was a false positive or whatever but that Production didn’t wanna take the chance.

I really hope neither Kaycee of Josh actually had COVID and it was just rumors that’s why they didn’t get on BB because they were both out and about in public without masks after.

[Zima]

On 11/13/2020 at 10:00 AM, lasu said:

The reunion wouldn't have been filmed yet, so we don't know if that will end up being in person or via zoom.

Has Aneesa ever made it to the final?  FOURTEEN challenges with no wins. Leroy is on her heels with 12 challenges and no wins. Nany is at 0-10, Cory at 0-8, Kyle 0-5, Nelson 0-7, Theresa 0-7, Tori D 0-5, and Devin 0-5.

And, wow, CT has done EIGHTEEN challenges with three wins.  Remember when we thought Mark was too old?  LOL.  And Wes has only won twice in 14 appearances.

We're getting Devin back, but will he be at all interesting without Johnny?  Or far more interesting? Will we get another round of Kam and Leroy?  What about Kaycee and Nany?  Nicole, but no Laurel.  When was the last time Theresa and Wes met?  Did Tori's fiancé get cancelled or will we see him again?  How many seasons has it been since neither Johnny nor Cara will be on the show?  I know I'm alone on both of these, but first, I love Ashley and all her craziness.  Can't wait to see what she brings.  Second UO, I can't wait to see how Natalie does.  I didn't think I ever would have liked her, but separated from her Twinnie, I grew to adore her.  She's a beast, but it's hard for me to see her really carrying any storylines.  Of course, I've never seen her on a show with free flowing booze, so who knows?

And HOLY SHIT, not only did they clean house on some folks, is this the most diverse cast we've ever seen?  There are about twice as many people of color than white folks!  

Finally, please let there be gorgeous scenery this time in a luxury villa.  I can't handle another bunker season right now.

Aneesa made it to the finals in Duel II. Mark got stuck with her as a partner for part of it, which caused him to come in last place for the guys. She, of course, came in last for the women. 

[Craphole Island]

I’m so pumped for this season. Iceland is a beautiful location and I’m excited to see Darrell and Theresa return! Never thought they’d be back. Plus no Bananas?? Love it. 

[Jillibean]

On 11/13/2020 at 6:04 PM, peachmangosteen said:

But they've all been doing it since they were like 20 so I kinda get it. 

I'd like to see Cody's deadpan ways on The Challenge too but he's also just such an incredibly horrible person and we have enough of those on here lol.

I agree; I think if that actually happened (and who knows, since it’s based on Cody’s own report), they would have meant he was too old to cast as a rookie. But Cody has been repeatedly problematic so I could just as easily see that being the real reason MTV doesn’t want to touch him. 

On 11/13/2020 at 10:00 AM, lasu said:

We're getting Devin back, but will he be at all interesting without Johnny?  Or far more interesting? Will we get another round of Kam and Leroy?  What about Kaycee and Nany?  Nicole, but no Laurel.  When was the last time Theresa and Wes met?  Did Tori's fiancé get cancelled or will we see him again?  How many seasons has it been since neither Johnny nor Cara will be on the show?  I know I'm alone on both of these, but first, I love Ashley and all her craziness.  Can't wait to see what she brings.  Second UO, I can't wait to see how Natalie does.  I didn't think I ever would have liked her, but separated from her Twinnie, I grew to adore her.  She's a beast, but it's hard for me to see her really carrying any storylines.  Of course, I've never seen her on a show with free flowing booze, so who knows?

Kam and Leroy are still together, so yes. I’m definitely interested to see what the vibe will be between Kaycee and Nany, but Nany has a boyfriend now so that might change things a little. Also I’m sure Kaycee isn’t going to make the same mistake twice after her girlfriend’s anger last time. I agree about Ashley. She’s massively entertaining. I also agree about Natalie. I’m fine with never seeing Cara ever again. I would reconsider if she dumped her boyfriend, though. Rumor has it she wanted to be cast for this but production didn’t want her after she spent all of last season trashing them.

On 11/17/2020 at 12:47 PM, ImpinAintEasy said:

Still don’t know what the theme means. Is it a partners season? I think we all know Wes will be a “Double Agent”, whatever that may mean. 

I think it’s a partners season but the hook is they can switch partners.

I think the quick turnaround suggests MTV really wanted another season, and I’m personally thrilled about it. 

[peachmangosteen]

 

[Jillibean]

Not really media so much as social media, but Jordan and Tori confirmed their much speculated upon breakup today. 

[aghst]

3 hours ago, Jillibean said:

Not really media so much as social media, but Jordan and Tori confirmed their much speculated upon breakup today. 

Didn't they get married recently?

[TresGatos]

8 hours ago, aghst said:

Didn't they get married recently?

No, just engaged. Somewhere Cara Maria is doing a happy dance.

The Ashley stated that Tori rumors denied she cheated with someone on the Challenge that will air in December. Anyone know who the rumored somebody was?

[BK1978]

It must be a slow news day because this was on Yahoo in the top section.  I don't think I look at enough reality television related stuff for this to be put there because they think I will read it.  Maybe I do, either way I did not read the article but saw the headline and thought I would post about it in here.

[lasu]

I was kinda surprised to hear it.  I hadn't heard the rumors Tori cheated on this last challenge, which actually surprises me even more.  She's apparently not afraid to get a cheater image on tv (...she has cheated before on this show, right?).  I'm actually side-eyeing her a little bit - I can't help but wonder if Jordan getting apparently banned has anything to do with it.  I could almost see her wanting to be part of a reality show couple more than wanting to be part of a couple with Jordan.

[Lantern7]

5 hours ago, lasu said:

I can't help but wonder if Jordan getting apparently banned has anything to do with it. 

Why would Jordan get banned? I might be a bit behind. I did hear about the break-up, which seems like a shame.

[lasu]

13 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Why would Jordan get banned? I might be a bit behind. I did hear about the break-up, which seems like a shame.

His fight with Nia is what is rumored.  MTV seems to be trying to cut ties with casts with problematic pasts.  This isn't confirmed, but Jordan and Nia spoke out about that fight (with her supporting him) at the same time Dee and others were getting axed.  I don't know that he's officially banned, but we don't know Kenny and Evan are "officially" banned either.

[Lantern7]

4 hours ago, lasu said:

His fight with Nia is what is rumored.  MTV seems to be trying to cut ties with casts with problematic pasts. 

I remember hearing something about a ten-year window, which felt sketchy to me.  Anything a person posts on Twitter could be used against them . . . but seriously, you think Johnny would get sidelined for that? Jordan would have the Nia thing against him, as well as drunkenly saying Jemmye had “a Downe Syndrome face,” but I would think BMP would want him back.

[UniqueHandle]

The rumor is Tori flirted with Fessy. Tori is a habitual flirter and Jordan knows that so unless that was a definite deal breaker before she left for the challenge, I cant image that is the reason they broke off their engagement. 

During the filming of this, Fessy broke up with his girlfriend, Heigh(however it is spelled)lieigh ... so maybe more than just flirting happened. *shrug*

This is all hearsay, of course. I know nothing 100%.

[Jillibean]

On 11/30/2020 at 1:50 PM, lasu said:

I was kinda surprised to hear it.  I hadn't heard the rumors Tori cheated on this last challenge, which actually surprises me even more.  She's apparently not afraid to get a cheater image on tv (...she has cheated before on this show, right?).  I'm actually side-eyeing her a little bit - I can't help but wonder if Jordan getting apparently banned has anything to do with it.  I could almost see her wanting to be part of a reality show couple more than wanting to be part of a couple with Jordan.

I think what happened with Jordan is a much more likely culprit for the breakup than any alleged flirting with Fessy. In addition to the fact that the show now wants Tori but not Jordan, which has to be hard for someone as proud as him, it couldn’t have been easy to weather the storm with him this summer when that Nia fight resurfaced. It’s really hard to be in a position to be expected by the public to be accountable for the actions of your significant other, especially when happened before you ever met him, and especially when it's something you could never condone. I wouldn’t be surprised if it really exposed some cracks in their relationship. I could see Jordan being the kind of guy who expects his partner to be a “stand by your man” type, and there’s no way Tori could have let that behavior go and not come off as hypocritical with the brand she’s built for herself. 

 

1 hour ago, UniqueHandle said:

The rumor is Tori flirted with Fessy. Tori is a habitual flirter and Jordan knows that so unless that was a definite deal breaker before she left for the challenge, I cant image that is the reason they broke off their engagement. 

During the filming of this, Fessy broke up with his girlfriend, Heigh(however it is spelled)lieigh ... so maybe more than just flirting happened. *shrug*

This is all hearsay, of course. I know nothing 100%.

I think there are multiple rumors involving Fessy. I highly doubt Tori crossed any lines. Whatever happened between them, I think she loves Jordan and wouldn’t want to be openly hurtful to him. 

[Lantern7]

Heavy.com article on Johnny's absence this coming season. Not much to say, really. He's just taking a breather.

3 hours ago, Jillibean said:

I think what happened with Jordan is a much more likely culprit for the breakup than any alleged flirting with Fessy.

That would be disappointing. Jordan comes off as a meathead and he runs his mouth off, but I want to like the guy. It's not because he only have the one whole hand. He's proven himself  in past seasons, and he's one of the few players that can back up the boasting. On some level, I respect that.

[Jillibean]

12 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Heavy.com article on Johnny's absence this coming season. Not much to say, really. He's just taking a breather.

That would be disappointing. Jordan comes off as a meathead and he runs his mouth off, but I want to like the guy. It's not because he only have the one whole hand. He's proven himself  in past seasons, and he's one of the few players that can back up the boasting. On some level, I respect that.

I want to like him too, but he just keeps preventing that from happening. I wanted to like him for being in love with Tori, but I didn’t love the way he spoke to her during that elimination with Jenna. And in addition to Niagate, he got himself in trouble by making a video showing how much better his clothing business was than a supposed luxury brand. However, that brand was a black owned business so on top of everything else, it was a bad look. 

I think everyone is just sort of using old interviews to pretend they have any idea what Johnny is going to do. He gave interviews saying both things after last season, that he wasn’t retiring and that he was maybe retiring. I think we all strongly suspect that he’s not done, but probably will come back only if all the conditions (paycheck, timing, covid testing procedure etc.) are favorable to him. I don’t think he feels compelled to do every season anymore, which is in my opinion a good thing for both him and the show.  I’ve also seen buzz about both him and Wes possibly being attached to the OG challenge, which I think isn’t what most people envisioned but wouldn’t be surprising if the producers of that concept are looking for a “draw.”

Edited December 2, 2020 by Jillibean

[lasu]

There is quite a situation brewing across the pond.  Georgia says Bear filmed her without her knowledge or consent and has shown it to other people, including for profit on his FansOnly page.  Bear denies it and mocks her crying.  She says she is going to prosecute him and send him to jail.  I think that will be the end of Bear on The Challenge; I wonder if Georgia will be exiled as well, or if she even still wants to do the show.

[luckyroll3]

3 hours ago, lasu said:

There is quite a situation brewing across the pond.  Georgia says Bear filmed her without her knowledge or consent and has shown it to other people, including for profit on his FansOnly page.  Bear denies it and mocks her crying.  She says she is going to prosecute him and send him to jail.  I think that will be the end of Bear on The Challenge; I wonder if Georgia will be exiled as well, or if she even still wants to do the show.

Although I used the shock reaction, I'm totally not because Bear is a complete douche who doesn't respect anyone, especially women. Shit like that is taken more seriously in the British legal system than here in America, so if he's indicted and convicted, there's definite jail time in his future.

[aghst]

Wasn't he caught on camera being deceptive in the last season they were on?

People could see a mile away that he was scum but she couldn't resist him.

I was just listening to Dr. Drew's podcast and he had on a guy who was a specialist in women's health issues.  He said hormonal changes affect perceptions of how women are attracted to men.  For instance being on the pill may make some women attracted to men that they otherwise wouldn't be attracted to.

So he joked that women should go off the pill for a few months before marrying their fiancee.

 

 

[Racj82]

On 10/22/2020 at 10:07 AM, lasu said:

Yes, if you get CBS All Access through CBS All Access, it starts at 11, skips 15, and goes through 31.

Is it cheaper through Amazon Prime?  

Sorry I didn't see the question when it was asked. It's not but I got it for free from there. Didn't know there was a difference at the time. I've been using all access proper for a bit now catching up on old shows before I drop it again.

[RandomWatcher]

[Lantern7]

16 minutes ago, RandomWatcher said:

Am I supposed to sigh in resigned disappointment? I think that’s the move. 😔

On a cheerier note, The Ringer covers the first episode. One of my fave parts is ranking the bottom players, just for this:

Quote

28. Josh: Just because he’s Josh.

Hard to argue with that, right?

Edited December 14, 2020 by Lantern7

[IndyMischa]

22 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

😔

On a cheerier note, The Ringer covers the first episode. One of my fave parts is ranking the bottom players, just for this:

Hard to argue with that, right?

Thank you for this. I *cackled* several times, most notably at this: "Without the rampant boozing, The Challenge is just American Ninja Warrior starring people who can’t spell."

That is GOLD, right there. 

[Lantern7]

Turbo has COVID. This is a shock for me, mostly since I've been painting him to be a mythical beast since WOTW.

[Lantern7]

Interview with CT.

I gotta write something soon. I was thinking of going over the poster, in relation to which Challengers are on it. I dunno. Minimum, I love the skull. I call it "Hexaskull" because I am a giant nerd.

[CrazyDog]

2 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Interview with CT.

I gotta write something soon. I was thinking of going over the poster, in relation to which Challengers are on it. I dunno. Minimum, I love the skull. I call it "Hexaskull" because I am a giant nerd.

That's a really nice interview with CT. He seems accepting of getting older and sounds surprisingly mature.

And for all that he's on TV, and ignoring that wedding special, he does seem to keep his private life private, which is refreshing. I can see how The Challenge, for some of the long-timers, might actually be a safe space of sorts. (Being on TV all the time is my personal definition of hell, but that's me.) 

ETA: WTF Bear, and his response is gross. Hope Georgia pursues this. And screw Cara Maria. 

Edited December 24, 2020 by CrazyDog

[Lantern7]

Latest episode recapped on The Ringer. The author goes hard into Josh. He also put him at the bottom of the “power ranking” like this:

Quote

26. Josh: [Gestures at literally everything]

Vicious!

Edited December 24, 2020 by Lantern7