Every Season of The Challenge, Ranked: #1 — Rivals
9 min readMay 31, 2022
Location: Dominacal, Costa Rica
Host: TJ Lavin
Aired: 2011
Champions: Johnny/Tyler and Evelyn/Paula
Overall Thoughts: We have finally reached my pick for the greatest season in Challenge history. When the cast, theme and trailer were dropped back in 2011, the expectations for this season were sky high.
(CT’s “Now it’s my turn” still gives me chills.)
Rivals lived up to the hype, and then some.
The best seasons of The Challenge have excellent combinations of competition and drama, and no season does this better than Rivals.
Rivals isn’t a flawless season —the dailies aren’t great, the politics are boring and Kenny/Wes were robbed in the final.
But there’s no season that’s as epic and that has as many incredible moments, both on and off the field.