Every Season of The Challenge, Ranked: #3 — Rivals II
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Location: Phuket, Thailand
Host: TJ Lavin
Aired: 2013
Champions: CT/Wes and Paula/Emily
Overall Thoughts: After the success of Rivals, it was inevitable we’d be getting a follow up season.
And while it was impossible to live up to the lofty standards of the original, the sequel was still excellent (although it has to have the worst film quality in Challenge history).
Rivals II did a great job of integrating all the rookies from Battle of the Seasons with the vets, most of whom had been given the previous season off.
It’s arguably the best mix of old and new in the history of the show, and while the generational divide doesn’t result in many storylines, it’s just really fun to see the new people like Nany, Zach and Jordan interacting with the vets for the first time.
This season hits the ground running with one of the best premiere episodes in the history of the show, and really never lets up.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
- CT and Marlon fighting in the pool
- Cara replacing Naomi to the sound of crickets
- Anastasia beating the shit out of CT
- Frank ripping CT’s shirt during their fight
- Knight’s “impression” of Marlon simulating a blow job
- Aneesa stiff-arming Trishelle
- Diem’s rap about Nany
- Zach freaking out on a camera man
- Theresa and Nany’s burn votes gone wrong on Leroy
- Zach throwing his helmet into the crowd thinking he had won the elimination, then finding out he got DQ’d
- Jordan going back on his word with Theresa
- The Camilanator coming out against Knight and Johnny
- The Wes/CT/Bananas monster truck fight
- Diem losing her mind after losing the last mission
- CT finally getting his first victory
