Every Season of The Challenge, Ranked: #17 — The Duel II

Location: Queenstown, New Zealand

Host: TJ Lavin

Aired: 2009

Champions: Rachel and Evan

Overall Thoughts: While Duel II doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor, I still thoroughly enjoy this season.

I didn’t rewatch every season for this project, but of the seasons I did go back and watch, I think my opinion changed the most of Duel II.

Sure, I had always thought Duel II was a solid competition season but I had always felt the other aspects of the show (particularly the predictable votes, and a lack of drama save for the CT/Adam incident) downgraded it.

But Duel II has an underlying through-line that I hadn’t really picked up on the first few times I watched — the mental toll the game and the environment of being in the Challenge house takes on people.

We see that right away with CT clearly being in an unstable time of his life after his brother was killed, not being able to take being in a Challenge house for more than a few days before attempting to murder Adam.

We see the game tear apart Brad and Tori’s relationship and Evan and Paula’s friendship.