Why don't we have a thread for The Challenge?

[OttoinGrotto]

Spoiler: The finale

well that was predictable

Put an asterisk on this one

 

[orangeinohio]

Spoiler: A Season for the Ages!

It could have been worse, I guess. Like if Corey won. That would have been absurd.

Going on a tangent here but I can't stop questioning how people kept saying that $250K is life-changing money. Yes, even after taxes, you're still left with a lot of money - probably 160k-170k. In Romania, that probably goes far.
But the use of the word 'life-changing' always felt to me like something that was repeatedly fed by producers.

That's great news that Emanuel can finally afford to buy his grandparents heaters. Seems like he was choosing his personal collection of tattoos over warm grandparents for a long time but, sure, great news for the old people.

The reunion episode is going to be so melodramatic. Olivia is going to cry at least twice.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Spoiler: A Season for the Ages!

It could have been worse, I guess. Like if Corey won. That would have been absurd.

Going on a tangent here but I can't stop questioning how people kept saying that $250K is life-changing money. Yes, even after taxes, you're still left with a lot of money - probably 160k-170k. In Romania, that probably goes far.
But the use of the word 'life-changing' always felt to me like something that was repeatedly fed by producers.

That's great news that Emanuel can finally afford to buy his grandparents heaters. Seems like he was choosing his personal collection of tattoos over warm grandparents for a long time but, sure, great news for the old people.

The reunion episode is going to be so melodramatic. Olivia is going to cry at least twice.

That's cold, Ohio.

Hilarious.

But cold.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Well this looks promising.

TikTok - Make Your Day

I'm not getting Paramount+ for it though.

 

[orangeinohio]

I was way off. Olivia cried three times, not twice. And there is still a second reunion episode next week.
There are a lot of really shallow, brainless turds on this season but Olivia is an all-star.

Looking forward to All Stars Season 4.
I hope Brad wins solely because he looks like Unabomber Jr. and the world will be safer if he wins.

 

[BlazeOrange]

Wish I saw this thread during the season. Additional thoughts:

• Should've crowned both new male and female champions. They need more of each, plus having male vs female eliminations meant that bangers were very rare.
• $10,000 wasn't enough to get the returning champs to care.
• The vets comments to Moriah about cheating were a highlight, they should've worked it more.
• Speaking of Moriah, damn! She sure likes to be as naked as possible.
• A true Challenge Champion should win the final (obv.), but also win a daily event and an elimination, hook up with someone (preferably multiple), get in a near fight, and have a drunken tirade. I'm not sure if anyone even checked two of those boxes.

 

[Melancer46]

Wish I saw this thread during the season. Additional thoughts:

• Should've crowned both new male and female champions. They need more of each, plus having male vs female eliminations meant that bangers were very rare.
• $10,000 wasn't enough to get the returning champs to care.
• The vets comments to Moriah about cheating were a highlight, they should've worked it more.
• Speaking of Moriah, damn! She sure likes to be as naked as possible.
• A true Challenge Champion should win the final (obv.), but also win a daily event and an elimination, hook up with someone (preferably multiple), get in a near fight, and have a drunken tirade. I'm not sure if anyone even checked two of those boxes.

Emanuel checked the boxes for winning the final and hooking up with people.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Emanuel checked the boxes for winning the final and hooking up with people.

There's absolutely no way that the other Champions view his win as legitimate/equivalent to their wins.

 

[Melancer46]

There's absolutely no way that the other Champions view his win as legitimate/equivalent to their wins.

We've definitely seen some people coast to the final before, but this season was particularly annoying because nobody really played the game. Everyone just got in line behind Jay and Michele and chilled.

I think Emanuel is a legitimately good competitor in general but he didn't really have to even try this season lol.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

We've definitely seen some people coast to the final before, but this season was particularly annoying because nobody really played the game. Everyone just got in line behind Jay and Michele and chilled.

I think Emanuel is a legitimately good competitor in general but he didn't really have to even try this season lol.

That's kind of his MO though. He somehow is allowed to coast through. What's funny is, when he is up for elimination he looks terrified. The whole "don't wake up the vampire" mythology is a joke.

Zach has been doing a good podcast and he spoke with Nurys and Horacio and he made a good point that Horacio is an incredible competitor, but he needs to get edgier - people are too comfortable sending him into elimination without consequence. Now, some of that was how the season was structured, but he makes a good point - if you go after CT or Bananas or Wes and miss, they're going to make sure you're on the chopping block. Horacio plays too honorable of a game. Needs to be feared not just because he can win dailies and eliminations, but because not aligning with him is a losing strategy.

 

[orangeinohio]

Introducing the skull requirement was a great idea that they should probably consider bringing back.
Coasting into the finals makes for a lot of unhappy viewers.

 

[BlazeOrange]

The game designers legit screwed up this season. Usually they make the game chaotic, but for all the talk of chaos, the game has been stupidly predictable the way they designed the decision-making.

The only thing to root for at this point is Nurys to somehow go nuke on the house, or have a total nobody like Colleen pull off the win, or have a surprise vet like Bananas or Wes run the final with whoever is left and they have to be beaten to win.

This season's champion absolutely gets an asterisk.

At each checkpoint in the finale, there should have been a group of former champs. Upon arrival, each contender picks one to go against on a puzzle. Beat the champ and keep going. Lose and suffer a penalty - either time, drink more of the TJ shakes, run a lap, etc.

 

[Melancer46]

That's kind of his MO though. He somehow is allowed to coast through. What's funny is, when he is up for elimination he looks terrified. The whole "don't wake up the vampire" mythology is a joke.

Zach has been doing a good podcast and he spoke with Nurys and Horacio and he made a good point that Horacio is an incredible competitor, but he needs to get edgier - people are too comfortable sending him into elimination without consequence. Now, some of that was how the season was structured, but he makes a good point - if you go after CT or Bananas or Wes and miss, they're going to make sure you're on the chopping block. Horacio plays too honorable of a game. Needs to be feared not just because he can win dailies and eliminations, but because not aligning with him is a losing strategy.

Re: Horacio, in terms of becoming a champion, I definitely agree. Just as someone that watches the show, I appreciate how different he is from the rest of the cast in that regard though.

 

[Melancer46]

At each checkpoint in the finale, there should have been a group of former champs. Upon arrival, each contender picks one to go against on a puzzle. Beat the champ and keep going. Lose and suffer a penalty - either time, drink more of the TJ shakes, run a lap, etc.

I was kind of surprised with them structuring the final similarly to the overall structure of the season that they didn't bring a former champ out during the chaos phase.

 

[orangeinohio]

I was kind of surprised with them structuring the final similarly to the overall structure of the season that they didn't bring a former champ out during the chaos phase.

The champs were just not in good shape and or incentivized to win.
And if you're going to pit challengers vs champs, don't make the competition a puzzle. It doesn't have to be a hall brawl but every one of those matchups should have been physical.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Re: Horacio, in terms of becoming a champion, I definitely agree. Just as someone that watches the show, I appreciate how different he is from the rest of the cast in that regard though.

He's a pure competitor.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Introducing the skull requirement was a great idea that they should probably consider bringing back.
Coasting into the finals makes for a lot of unhappy viewers.

I loved the skulls and agree that having to win an elimination to earn a spot is great.

I didn't like though that in some of those seasons there was still a gang up problem where a competitor with a skull would get thrown in a bunch.

Would be great to see a twist where if you win a skull and get thrown into elimination again, your skull can be stolen if you lose, but you're not eliminated, and if you win the elimination, the competitor gets a straight cut of the prize pot. That way there's an incentive for the skull builder to go back in, but incentives to not put them back in.

 

[BlazeOrange]

Even though I had some doubts about it being rigged (same with The Draw), I liked the balls in the hopper system they used a little while ago. The alliances kinda solved how to work it best, but I forget how.

Still need some public votes to stir the pot, but it was nice to see everyone have some risk.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Here's a clip from Zach's podcast mostly roasting the reunion show fashion choices.

TikTok - Make Your Day

Didn't love him as a competitor but the pod clips are solid.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Interesting note on Bananas in this second reunion episode.

Also Emmanuel and Berna lol.

Horacio just comes off looking more and more legit.

 

[chugg21]

New season of All Stars out today.

 

[orangeinohio]

New season of All Stars out today.

Watched the first episode last night.
I’m expecting a surprisingly interesting season. It’s a crazy mix of personalities and ages.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Only on Paramount+ right?

 

[orangeinohio]

Only on Paramount+ right?

Paramount+ doesn't have much but it does have a lot of Challenge episodes and it's $6/month.

 

[chugg21]

Has a lot of Real World seasons too. Looks like they are missing just a handful and one of them was the Paris season with Ace and CT which I was interested in because I've never watched it since it aired.