Legendary film critic Roger Ebert once said in a film review of ET: The Extra-Terrestrial that “This film made my heart glad.” And I couldn’t help but think of that review when I watched the season premiere of this season of The Challenge.
I was still thinking of that when I watched episodes two and three, almost certain my enjoyment of the premiere could be written up as the product of a non-Covid fever. This isn’t high-brow reality TV. I’m not supposed to be enjoying this.
But there is something actually joyful and yes, quite fun, in watching The Challenge 35: Total Madness this season – more so than previous seasons – and I think it can be mostly attributed to a few factors.
First: Location, Location, Location. While life’s never a beach on The Challenge, it’s also never been quite like this. Picture a War Games bunker outside Prague in the Czech Republic, a former Soviet Republic (that’s now a hot vacation destination), and that atmosphere lends itself quite well to the show. Stark military concrete and a submarine-type claustrophobia makes this more like the Big Brother Have Not room than a party-style, twenty-something hangout vibe we felt in previous seasons. Of course, in the middle of this terrible place to live there’s a fantastic, state-of-the-art, atrium-like gym and pool area (something like you’d see in a top-notch American hotel), but from the competition fields of barbed wire and tanks to the grim barracks and blinking red war-game lights, this show could truly be nominated for “Outstanding Cinematography in a Reality Show” at the Emmys (Yes, they give an award for that in the non-Primetime event).
What also gives us stunning visuals is the competition itself. The competitions that determine who will go to elimination often feature old fashioned war games. From blowing up army trucks to dropping items from helicopters on targets, the unique location makes the games quite entertaining to watch. Having it set in a former Communist Bloc country location is perfect for the war theme, and in just three weeks we’ve seen helicopters, tanks, exploding trucks, barbed wire, and more. Of course, not all of it is gritty. My favorite week one moment was watching contestants stop halfway between a physical strength task to solve a truly complicated math puzzle that (not kidding) was: 76+27-67 divided by 2! (Yes, it is 18). Yes, it appeared to take approximately thirty-two minutes for them to get it right. Okay, maybe not that long. But Jeopardy, this is not.
But the contestants on The Challenge are not there for their brains. This is a show about brawn with a capital B.
The second reason this season is particularly strong might be the newcomers–the arrival of contestants from Big Brother and Survivor. Technically, I’m going to group most of them as “Challenge Lite,” because I can’t see many or any of them winning the game. But these rookies are fun to watch. This season’s rookies include Bayleigh Dayton, Swaggy C Williams, Kaycee Clark, Fessy Shafaat (all from Big Brother), Jennifer Lee (Amazing Race), Jay Starrett (Survivor), and Asaf Goren (Big Brother Israel). Out of all of these, only Clark is strong enough to potentially have a chance to be a true Challenge contestant that could make the finals this year.
But it’s Survivor’s first contestant ever, Starrett, who has made the first three weeks of The Challenge shockingly enjoyable. Already he’s given us some David vs. Goliath moments (I won’t spoil it here in case you’re still going to catch up). While he may seem like the smallest competitor, he has provided much needed energy and has reminded us (and hopefully the other contestants) what a joy the game can be. He probably won’t last very long in the game – but hopefully he’s one rookie that will become a Challenge veteran by being invited back.
Most of the fan-favorite veterans are indeed back, of course. Familiar names like Tori Deal, Wes Bergmann, CT Tamburello, Johnny Bananas Devenanzio, Nelson Thomas, Aneesa Ferreira, and a whole bunch of others round out the cast of 28.
There’s a final reason to applaud the show – and that involves a well-crafted game change that impacts the entire season. Twists are of course expected in reality TV – but the twist this season does indeed change the game and makes it much more enjoyable. Instead of trying to avoid the tribunal and final showdown, only people who win a battle (and thereby earn a “red skull”) can compete in the finale of the show (where you can win the million dollar prize). For years we’ve watched players form alliances to avoid getting selected for episodic elimination. Now they want to get selected to play in the elimination round each week – but only if they are matched with someone they perceive to be weaker than themselves so they can win and send the weaker player home. It creates interesting new dynamics and a bit more complex strategy in a game not known for very much mental intrigue.
There’s still a lot of MTV drama. Yes, there’s hookups and fights and nights of wild drinking when they leave their Cold War bunker and hit the bars. And while some viewers may watch for those reasons, what the Challenge 35 does well is the war games. Make no mistake, most of these contestants are brutally tough and willing to truly fight. It’s a war out there – and it actually feels like the players are earning their money. And for viewers watching them suffer in this stark setting, it may make your heart glad.
The Challenge airs Wednesdays at 9 pm Eastern / 8 central on MTV. It can also be found online here: http://www.mtv.com/shows/the-challenge-total-madness/episode-guide
-
Overall Rating
