♪♪ MTV. ♪♪
-I love The Challenge! -Oh, my gosh.
TJ LAVIN: Groundbreaking global competition show,
The Challenge, is celebrating its epic 40th season.
-I'm gonna take the money and run. -Oh, my God.
Good luck with The Challenge!
TJ: The Challenge is turning up the heat.
We brought 40 of the most iconic competitors
to compete in this historic season,
filled with the biggest and scariest challenges...
-(yelling) -Ooh!
TJ: ...and eliminations ever faced.
Fight for it!
CT: Someone's gonna die tonight.
TJ: And the deals and politicking have already begun
as the challengers toast
and reacquaint themselves with their competition.
Yeah!
-I know. -Grow up!
-Whoa! -(cheering)
They've already been divided into four teams
by era that represent the season
in which they entered the game.
-40 seasons of competitors. -Surprise, surprise.
It's been a long time coming. Let's go.
TJ: Era One-- seasons one through ten,
the OGs who started it all.
Era Two...
♪♪ Ooh, don't stop, don't stop ♪♪
♪♪ Ooh, don't stop, don't stop, ooh... ♪♪
TJ: ...seasons 11 through 20--
my era.
I'm your host. My name is TJ Lavin.
Era Three...
♪♪ Ten out of ten, I would recommend ♪♪
♪♪ It was so good, I shared with my friend ♪♪
♪♪ Not for life, but just the one night... ♪♪
TJ: ...seasons 21 to 30.
I'm a grower, not a shower.
TJ: Era Four...
♪♪ He say he love my drip, he not talking about my fit... ♪♪
TJ: ...seasons 31 to 39.
♪♪ He gonna empty out that clip... ♪♪
Why are you screaming over me?!
TJ: Joining the party are the two hosts
from the official Challenge podcast--
Devyn Simone, Da'Vonne Rogers.
Da'Vonne and I are no strangers to competing on The Challenge.
-Right, TJ? -This is true.
40 seasons is huge.
You know, The Challenge has given us some
of the most iconic stars in reality television.
And tonight, we'll be giving you all the tea you need.
-Era Three, baby! -TJ: I'd like to welcome you
to The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras.
Welcome to The Challenge.
This is history, great TV.
Everybody, let's go!
(cheering and screaming)
("All Night" by So Effective playing)
-(laughter) -Okay.
♪♪ ♪♪
BANANAS: Let's talk about the fact that, 20 years later,
is this actually (bleep) happening?
Here we are still doing it?
They don't make 'em like they used to.
-Dude, they don't. -They don't make 'em
like they used to.
CT: Hey, look, I never thought
I'd be on season 40.
I started from season eight.
I'm CT from Beantown,
and I was on Real World: Paris.
People are gonna consider me a threat,
and they're gonna probably try to get me out early because
I won two or three of 'em.
Five. Who's counting?
(laughing)
KATIE: I used to get in, like, fights when I was, like, 22.
You against Veronica most of the time?
Yeah, I mean, that was in 2003.
You are a short, squatty, acne-face-ridden (bleep).
Yeah, step up to me, (bleep). Bitch, I will knock (bleep).
I was known for
explosive fights.
Damn it!
But it's been a very long time
since that's happened.
What the (bleep) ever, bitch.
So, don't get your hopes up.
(screaming)
The last Challenge I did,
I fell off a platform and
busted both of my eyes and my lip.
Katie, I haven't seen a slam like that in years.
After I had the black eyes,
my elimination round was
being slapped in the face with a fly swatter...
-Oh! -...repeatedly.
I thought my Challenge career was completely behind me,
but I have a beautiful eight-year-old little girl,
so I'd like to try to prove some things,
not only to myself, but to her, too.
I could probably be your mother.
-How old are you? -27.
KATIE: Yeah. I just kind of feel a little bit
like a grandma.
-(bleep) A. That's what I'm talking about. -Cheers.
-Yeah, cheers.
-Uh, pretty bad. -Scale of one to ten?
-Right? -Pretty bad.
I mean, when I look at Era One,
especially with the guys,
I mean, CT, Derrick,
Mark, Brad, Darrell--
they have decades of, you know, friendship.
Like, no, I felt... I mean, I feel kind of OGish, you know?
-Exactly. -Yeah.
Just, uh, with the first two eras...
all meeting together.
This is gonna be the clash of the titans, dude.
-Can we play nice this season? -We can, yes.
All right, all right, all right. We'll see how long that lasts.
TJ: Era One, seasons one through ten...
She'll go home in a gurney, and I'll go home in handcuffs.
♪♪ Talking away... ♪♪
TJ: ...the OGs who started it all.
This game is ugly.
Desperate times call for desperate measure.
TJ: ...trailblazing the game.
♪♪ Today is another day to find you... ♪♪
TJ: ...from all social...
CT: I'm alone in the situation, I'm a rebel,
-I'm a renegade. -TJ: ...to heated strategy.
DARRELL: You're supposed to throw the missions.
♪♪ Take on me... ♪♪
You all right?
KATIE: I'm still here, and you've lost
$10,000, you dumb (bleep).
♪♪ Take me on... ♪♪
TJ: They battled the seasons...
I'm gonna be an animal, baby! (barking)
♪♪ I'll be gone... ♪♪
TJ: ...the sexes...
(chanting): Vagina, vagina, vagina!
♪♪ Two... ♪♪
TJ: And eventually,
the badasses and the good guys.
AVEREY: I've never won anything in my life.
It's the best feeling in the world.
Era One, you're up against
-some pretty heavy hitters. -Are we?
Are you gonna hold it down? Ooh!
-Are you the heavy hitters? -We're the heavy hitters.
-Coming with the smack talk. -Have you seen us?
We look better and stronger than we did 20 years ago.
-We love it. -I know that's right.
CT: I did not expect my 15 minutes to last
15, 20 years, that's for sure.
A lot of these young kids, they come in,
they want to bang a drum, and they want a lot
of attention, but there is something
to be said about experience, working smarter, not harder.
I'm interested to see how this is all gonna play out, though.
The team dynamic, the voting.
-It's gonna be exciting. -Oh.
And it only gets stressful if we let it.
-That's true. -You know what I mean?
BRAD: It's great to see a whole bunch
of new faces here and to reconnect with old faces.
I didn't know you were here, Brad.
Cheers, man.
But I'm really not aligned with anybody here.
-Good to see you. -(indistinct chatter)
Such a long time. Good to see you.
BRAD: However, I will say
it's great to see Emily again.
I could just tell by her great aura,
her and I are gonna have a lot in common this season.
♪♪ ♪♪
-Hi. My name is Emily. -BRAD: I know.
EMILY: Yeah. I lived in Maui for a year.
BRAD: Wow.
EMILY: It's been so long.
Yeah, it does.
Ah. When people say "Emily," I think...
I mean, there's a little bit of hype.
There you go! Yeah!
I am five-and-O in elimination rounds.
Emily and Paula.
EMILY: I've made third place twice, and I won once.
So I have a standard that I'm holding myself to,
uh, that I must meet.
I don't recognize myself
from these first Challenges.
I played really tough,
but inside, I didn't know how to speak my voice.
I'm just more free now. I've been living in a van.
My training involves me getting scared
and doing things that are really challenging.
So I'm really excited to be here as the new me.
CARA MARIA: Emily was actually
the reason why I got into CrossFit.
Because I had to do my first pole wrestling...
-Go! -CARA MARIA: And she took that pole
and threw me over her head like a rag doll.
I think I just look at my life on The Challenge
as someone who had to try
really, really hard in the beginning,
was the one that was voted out because I was... I was weird.
And now that I have worked my ass off,
I've won two seasons, and now people want me gone
because I guess I'm a threat.
So, bring it on.
TJ: Era Two...
-You're such a bitch. (laughs) -(air horn blows)
TJ: ...seasons 11 through 20.
This is when we introduced a fresh set of competitors.
PAULA: We need some newbies. We need some fresh meat.
What's up, boys and girls? It's Johnny Bananas.
♪♪ You, what do you own the world? ♪♪
♪♪ How do you own disorder? ♪♪
♪♪ Disorder... ♪♪
AVIV: I never imagined that this would happen.
BANANAS: This is the next generation.
♪♪ Sacred silence and sleep... ♪♪
-I didn't do anything. -You know what?
No. Shut up! I didn't do anything wrong!
♪♪ Disorder, disorder ♪♪
♪♪ Disorder... ♪♪
♪♪ ♪♪
DEVYN: Do you think that your team is
gonna be a real contender this season?
-The only contender. -The guys are going to sit back,
and we're going to let the girls take over this season.
-All right? -I think that's a good idea.
I think so, too.
I think the girls might actually be stronger
than the guys this season.
We got Kellyanne, Cara Maria,
Emily, Laurel and Aviv.
The last thing that we want is for there to be
any sort of resentment or negativity.
We've already got enough of that with Laurel and Cara.
We have no idea how we're gonna work together.
Consider yourselves lucky.
DARRELL: You know, Aviv didn't even tell me
she was coming. I mean, last time
she'd done a Challenge was with me on Fresh Meat,
and we both won.
I am happy to see Aviv.
I know for a fact I could trust her 100%.
-Go get comfortable, but... -Enjoy.
...start politicking now.
TONY: Era Two is
a recipe for disaster.
Look at the history there
between Bananas, Laurel and Cara.
It's not the best history.
It could be an advantage
in this for Era Three.
I'm...
Yup, I'm feeling pretty good about it.
As you know, we are back together again.
'Cause you can't (bleep) get rid of me!
I think the most complicated relationship
that I'm entering in right now is the one with Laurel.
I single-handedly won you $20,000 the other day.
-You want to know why I'm angry? -Not single-handedly.
I have to share that money with you,
and I don't feel like you deserve that.
It's always like, "Where... where do I stand with you?"
Part of us will always be tied to one another.
CARA MARIA: But honestly,
after she won All Stars 4,
I think she felt good because she won.
So then, she could... she could be cool with me,
because now everybody would see that she's better than me.
She's beat me in elimination, she's beat me in a final.
So now Laurel shows the whole world
she's "better" than Cara Maria.
(overlapping chatter)
BRAD: I'm not saying Laurel's innocent.
However, I know Cara loves this kind of thing.
She loves the attention of being a victim,
and I'm not really a fan of that, to be honest.
KELLYANNE: Laurel and Cara are my teammates,
and I don't know what that means.
Cara Maria and I were not friends.
Our first show, which was Bloodlines.
-Cara Maria. -Kellyanne.
KELLYANNE: But since then, we became close friends.
I'm curious to see how our team dynamic will be.
-(laughing) -LAUREL: Nothing has changed.
Cara Maria and I are rivals, and we are here to play
on the same team. I hope you enjoy.
(crying)
LAUREL: There's a lot of love. There's a lot of hate.
We just have a long-standing history
that no one will ever be able to take away from us.
We did All Stars 4 together.
And even though I tried to get rid of you,
you still made it to the end.
I tried to get rid of you one time.
It was the only chance I had.
Cara and I are going on six years strong right now,
and it's amazing.
Cara and Laurel are on the same team,
and Cara is, like, the little sister
that keeps getting beaten up
and bullied by, like, her older sister,
but she still wants the approval,
and I need Cara to realize
that Laurel and her are never going to be friends.
Cara, you don't (bleep) know me!
When's the last time we (bleep) talked?
-We don't talk. We won't-- -Exactly. So shut up!
PAULIE: Laurel is not a good person.
She is trash.
And she will never, ever, ever be good to Cara.
Well, we're here now,
and we're not gonna do that this time... (giggles)
(singsongy): 'cause I'll find you.
Oh, hey. Last time I saw you...
MICHELE: You voted me, and then I voted you, and then we almost
-both went home. -Yeah.
That wasn't good.
No one here scares me.
I'm known for being smart, and I'm known
for winning back-to-back on The Challenge: All Stars.
Whoo!
But I'm back on season 40
to prove it's not just All Stars.
I am a champion.
I am one of the best, and that is why I am here.
DERRICK: Hey, Tony Time.
TONY: What's up, D?
-MARK: Cheers, big dog. -Cheers, baby. Cheers.
Oh, God. Damn. My ass is sore.
You know what time it is?
It's Tony time. We got to pull the trigger.
KAILAH: Tony time. That means Tony has arrived,
and he is ready to dominate, and he is ready to win.
Since y'all last seen me on The Challenge,
uh, I've-I've gotten married
to my high school sweetheart, the love of my life, Alyssa.
-Will you please marry me? -Yes.
Five years later, we finally tied the knot.
I'm in the best shape of my life.
I've grown mentally and physically,
and I'm ready to represent and bring it harder
than I've ever brought it before.
Do you like your era or not really? Be honest.
I think they're decent competitors.
I think they're strong.
DERRICK: You got some heavy hitters on Era Three,
but you're only as strong
as the team camaraderie is.
CORY: There's one enemy here.
His name is Tony Raines. We're in the same era.
Go ahead. I'm gonna give you guys permission.
Play the clip.
(overlapping chatter)
What the (bleep), dude?
CORY: There it is.
We got a little bit of history,
but I've matured.
I made a dumb decision.
NEHEMIAH: A lot of killers here, man.
I wouldn't expect anything less, man.
Season 40, it's a big season.
("Memories" by David Guetta and Kid Cudi playing)
TJ: Era Three.
♪♪ Yeah, yeah ♪♪
Oh!
TJ: Seasons 21 to 30...
If I have to slice your (bleep) off...
You don't have to come at me like that.
TJ: ...brought rivals and exes head-to-head...
NIA: He just grabs me, and we just start humping each other.
♪♪ All the crazy ... I did tonight... ♪♪
BANANAS: No matter how many times we send this guy in,
he continues to pull the white skull.
Who gives a...
♪♪ I just want to let it go for the night ♪♪
TJ: ...and tested the dirtiest players ever.
AMANDA: I didn't come here to make friends.
We ... you up, baby. You can't even talk to me.
-Go! Go! -Yeah, Averey!
♪♪ Those would be the best memories ♪♪
-I'm trying, Jonna. -JONNA: You don't let me talk.
And Lee, how are you feeling?
-You just welcomed a new baby with Kam. -(shrieks)
(laughing)
How is it for you being here?
It's hard. Very hard.
We actually have a video for you.
Hi, babe.
Can you believe we met almost ten years ago
in Spain on Vendettas?
Now look at us, living a beautiful life
with our two beautiful children.
Hi, Da-Da.
(whooping)
So now you have to win.
Can we watch it again?
Yeah!
I'm with my era.
We only got nine.
I'm not a mathematician, never claimed to be one,
but I think we're missing somebody.
-We're down a player right now, so... -DEVYN: Okay.
Knowing that Era Three is down a team member right now,
is a little terrifying.
Obviously, we need a guy
to come up,
so I'm really just hoping that it's someone that's iconic.
-We'll see how it goes. -JONNA: We'll see.
Y'all look so good. Good seeing you.
This season, because I may be
on the lower end of the totem pole athletically,
I have to politic. I have no option.
Um, I might even have to do
a little poli-dicking this season.
I'm single.
I'm not necessarily looking to hook up,
but I am gonna check out the buffet,
see what's out there.
-Cheers, guys. -Cheers.
Cheers to 40. I mean, it's epic. It's epic.
You guys are totally gonna self-destruct,
by the way. (laughs)
I don't know, there's something about being
from the old-school era that these new people
that have become these caricatures of themselves,
like, really doesn't impress me much.
But I'm into Paulie. I need a little eye candy.
Plus, I've seen his OnlyFans. He's got a...
(clicks tongue) So.
I don't pay for OnlyFans.
I wait for Derek to pay
and then screenshot and send to me.
It's a little intimidating being the only gay guy,
but I'm not afraid of this kind of environment.
It's pretty wild to come back into this in my 40s.
I think I say yes now to anything that scares me.
Everything that tells me no on the outside
is just more fire inside my gut to prove people wrong.
To the new era, baby. To the new era, baby.
Yeah!
-I know. -Grow up.
(cheering, booing)
Get the (bleep) out of here!
(whooping)
(shouting)
These eras, man. They are stacked.
I'm looking at Era Four.
These are the dangerous players of The Challenge
that come from Survivor, come from Big Brother.
Like the serpent,
they are slow to wrap themselves around you.
You think that you're buddy-buddy.
And as soon
as you relax, they will bite your head off.
How you doing, man? Welcome to the mayhem.
DERRICK: Horacio is, like,
the new guy.
He's like that new hot dude,
better than everybody at every sport.
And...
Nurys and Horacio are
America's favorite couple.
I mean, what Nurys did season 39...
-Well done! -DERRICK:...was unbelievable.
Nurys, you took out the top two contenders of the game.
DERRICK: What Horacio did
on season 38 was unbelievable.
-(grunts) -(air horn blows)
-Nice! -TJ: You've just tied
the all-time record for a single
season in elimination round.
I know I'm very different.
To be honest, it's kind of
been like that my entire life.
With me chasing my dream of playing soccer,
I've always been away
from my family, but it's kind of crazy
because I also think
that's my greatest strength, my mindset.
Just go out there,
be the best you can be and try to beat everybody.
THEO: I see some new champs coming into the game.
-I agree. I agree. -Right? Going the whole way.
I have an absolutely stacked team right now.
When I first started The Challenge,
I come off the back of Olympic training for ten years.
I have an amazing little, beautiful boy named Aries
who's gonna be
maybe on season 80.
If my little boy watches The Challenge back one day,
he's gonna see that his dad is an absolute elimination king.
(screaming)
Congratulations, man. You're still in the game.
THEO: He's a finalist king, as well,
so long as he doesn't get injured.
TJ: Second place-- Theo.
And, um, he isn't afraid to speak his mind.
I think your mouth gets you in trouble, and you won't admit it.
Go on, boy! Keep pretending.
You ain't gonna do nothin' to me.
-(bleeping) -(indistinct chatter)
Current relationship status is single
'cause, uh, relationships
sometimes can be very distracting.
You know what, guys? The worst introduction
to The Challenge has been the UK people.
-Yeah. -Eat my butt, Era Four!
♪♪ I wake up to the sounds of the silence that allows... ♪♪
TJ: Era Four-- seasons 31 to 39.
Reality icons came in to battle it out
with Challenge vets in an all-out war.
♪♪ Tell you you're the greatest... ♪♪
-You're such an asshole, dude. -Shut up.
-Nurys, don't talk to me like this. -I'm already down here.
I will pop you in the face,
-so shut the (bleep) up. -Come on.
(yelling)
♪♪ Oh, the misery ♪♪
♪♪ Everybody wants to be my enemy... ♪♪
I used to knock (bleep) out like you for fun.
TJ: Nurys!
Oh, my gosh, you did it!
♪♪ My enemy... ♪♪
-HORACIO: Best friends. -NURYS: The three amigos.
How are you guys feeling being here at season 40?
-DEVYN: Yeah. -Amazing. Amazing. -Yeah.
Not you throwing shade already in the ages, Paulie.
-(laughter) -We're not intimidated.
And although we want to kick their ass...
-Okay. -...we're excited.
There's obviously been a lot of ups and downs
in my Challenge career.
(gasps) I broke my nose.
I'm so sorry.
I don't know how this happened to me.
But being raised in Alaska, being raised
rough and tough, I do have that mindset.
I'm always learning, and
I'm ready to take that win.
But, like, yes, there's different levels of excitement.
I mean, I think my team is...
Honestly, like, everyone's a beast,
everyone's very hungry.
It's also a little tricky to have Nurys and Horacio
on my team, and after last season...
I'm gonna save Moriah.
Nurys is getting (bleep) now.
-I'm sorry. -(bleep) your sorry.
So, how are you and Nurys now?
I mean, we're-we're civil, but, like,
I don't know where our friendship is gonna continue.
MICHELE: The fracture is there.
I'm not sure how much plaster I packed
to put it together.
NURYS: She was supposed to be
my number one, my best friend,
and was the biggest snake, and stabbed me in the back.
So it's gonna be hard 'cause we have to work together.
We're in the same era. There's nothing else we can do about it.
TJ has epic challenges planned for you this season.
Ooh! And, of course, we have a sneak peek for you guys.
Check it out.
(screaming)
TJ: Oh!
WOMAN: What the (bleep)?
TJ: Cara, are you good?!
CARA MARIA: Hell no!
TJ: Everything okay?!
♪♪ ♪♪
-TJ: Go! -(whooping)
MAN 2: Hey! You cheated!
♪♪ ♪♪
(groaning loudly)
MAN 3: You're gonna be all right, big guy!
Stay strong, buddy.
MAN 4: Goddamn!
(indistinct chatter, laughter)
Holy (bleep).
I don't have a left knee and a right knee.
-It's a good one and a bad one. -(laughs)
BANANAS: I remember Exes I.
And I was like, "All right, I'm gonna go work out." I'm like,
"Mark, you want to work out?" He's like, "Nah, I don't want
to be sore tomorrow." And I'm like,
"What do you mean 'sore tomorrow'?"
Now, same (bleep).
Horacio's like, "You want to kick the ball around?"
I'm like, "Nah, man, I'm good!"
-Yeah. Don't want to be sore! -I'm gonna...
-"What time is it? It's 7:00! I'm going to bed!" -Yeah.
-Welcome, brother. Welcome. -Till the wheels fall off,
I'm-I'm-I'm gonna be here,
throwing on the Speedo,
trying to melt ice with my butt.
I'm an animal!
But now, at the ripe age of 52,
um, I am dipping my toe
in the professional wrestling world.
As I speak to you, I am
the current Boca Raton Championship Wrestling
All Star Champion.
-ANNOUNCER: Big body slam! That's it! -(bell dings)
MARK: To come in here as one of the oldest cast members
and then try
to win this thing,
that would be the cherry on top
of this glorious
decades-long cake.
RACHEL: There aren't, like, many people
that I watch where I'm like,
"Oh, I think I would like her."
Like, and I do really, like,
from afar,
I am happy that you're here.
-Yeah. -AMANDA: That means the world coming from
the original Mean Girls, to tell me that.
-Oh, my God. I'm (bleep) honored. -That's truly...
-Yeah. -AMANDA: I am
so excited to meet Rachel and Tina.
They're my twin flame from another era.
-Oh, my God, boo. And we are very proud of you. -Didn't even think about it.
AMANDA: We have strong personalities.
It's a shiesty-ass move and it's a punk-ass move
and y'all are little bitches,
trying to pull this little shiesty move.
AMANDA: We have always been a really loyal friend.
-It was a stupid decision on their part. -Shut the (bleep) up.
-Go with Ashley and Hunter, Teej. -No, we're not doing that.
So now what?
I mean, my reputation on The Challenge,
I'm known as "the devil."
It definitely is part of my personality. I don't know
if I'm the loudest, but maybe I'm the most confrontational.
I know you have a lot of fake friends,
but I will never be one of them.
-And you should've known that before the jump. -And-and I...
Nobody likes you! Everybody's talked (bleep)
about you in this house!
I'm actually a correctional nurse.
I absolutely love it.
It's exciting. The adrenaline's there.
I know it doesn't seem like it, but I love to help people.
The one thing that's keeping me positive
is just knowing that my little boy at home
is gonna watch me and be like, "Mommy, you did that?"
Like, "You jumped off that?" I just want
to make him proud of his mom.
-Cheers to badass women. -I felt bad.
Cheers to badass women.
I'll be a strong girl, too. (laughing)
-Hey! -(clinking)
-Rachel has the floor! -Attention!
-(cheering) -RACHEL: As one
of the most senior women,
I would like to cheers to the women!
(cheering)
Who we all know, for years and years,
have been underappreciated...
(cheering)
...overlooked...
(cheering)
...underestimated...
(cheering)
...but clearly always the reason for the real ratings.
(cheering)
♪♪ Big girl with big boss energy ♪♪
-(air horn blows) -♪♪ Big world, people gonna remember me ♪♪
-♪♪ I'm a icon, I'm legendary ♪♪ -Congratulations.
♪♪ I'm a real deal, you imaginary ♪♪
-CT: She wants to wrestle you. -I don't wrestle.
I (bleep) beat bitches up.
♪♪ Pulling up with something I already paid for ♪♪
-(cheering) -(air horn blows)
-♪♪ Do that thing, do that thing ♪♪ -TJ: You won the whole thing.
♪♪ Do that thing, do that thing ♪♪
-♪♪ Hey ♪♪ -We did it!
-♪♪ Big boss energy, big ♪♪ -Yes!
♪♪ Big, big boss energy ♪♪
(chuckles)
♪♪ Big world... ♪♪
Champion.
-Congratulations. -No. I won.
-You won. -(bleep) off.
(cheering)
♪♪ Big, big, big boss energy. ♪♪
♪♪ ♪♪
That is TJ!
(cheering, whistling)
Here he is!
TJ got dressed up for once. I like this.
-Once. -You're looking good, man.
TJ: Once. All right.
I can honestly say
I look around and I see so many championships,
so many people that I've seen
on mountaintops countless times,
over and over again.
I've been doing this a very, very long time.
I've watched each and every one of you grow up
and become better people.
And now I'm looking at the most solid group of individuals
I've ever seen to start a Challenge.
This is going to be sick.
(cheering)
Now I'd like to welcome everyone
to The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras.
(cheering)
You have a very, very sick house.
(cheering)
Everybody get some rest.
-I'll see you very soon. Get out of here. -(cheering)
(whistling)
♪♪ ♪♪
Whoo!
Aah! I'm so excited!
BANANAS: Look at this place!
Push! You got to push!
(cheering)
-What?! -Oh, my God!
-What the hell?! -♪♪ Okay, it's stylish ♪♪
♪♪ Uh, like a million-dollar high ish ♪♪
♪♪ Gold chains, the finest ♪♪
♪♪ Only the finest for Your Highness ♪♪
Yeah, baby!
-What? -Let's go...!
I am... flabbergasted!
What is this?
This is sick, baby. 40, we here!
DARRELL: This castle looks like something
off the Grizzle-doffs. The Harry--
What is that, Harry Potter, right? Grizzle-- Yeah.
(thunder rumbles)
It is sick. It is huge.
A lot of open space.
You can make all the strategy conversations you want.
And no bunk beds.
I'm loving it.
This is gigantic!
How do we know what rooms are ours?!
♪♪ Bills, $100 bills ♪♪
-♪♪ T-T-Tippy-toe high heels ♪♪ -Hell yeah,
look at the beds!
(bleep)
Daddy's home!
-Whoo! -DEVIN: I'm right here, baby.
On my king-size non-bunk bed
-on season 40! -TORI: Hey, do you want to look at...
Do you want to wake up and look at me every morning?
We made it! I want you to be the first thing I see when I wake up
and the last thing I see when I go to bed!
DARRELL: You guys know CT's style. (laughs)
CT's gonna take his slow stroll.
You can't help, uh, you know,
feel nostalgic walking in,
seeing all these banners, you know?
♪♪ ♪♪
Just every time you look at a banner or a flag,
you just get rushed with just memories and...
just... yeah.
There goes D.
-What's up, D? -Oh.
(soft chatter)
CT: At that moment, when she takes her wig off
and turns into G.I. Jane,
looking like
a little sexy supermodel...
secret agent.
DERRICK: Diem was such an important...
(sighs) person
in the Challenge universe.
And to see our queen,
you know, just looking over us,
it's just a-a beautiful thing to have.
LEROY: Damn. These some classic pictures, bro.
It's probably the most classic scene I ever seen in my life.
He-- That's when he said he knew it was over with.
TJ: Ready? Go!
(shouting, cheering)
Listen, this moment produced many smiles across the globe.
People love it.
I didn't have the best night,
but I will say I learned a lot from it.
Here we go! Now it's a necklace! Do you like that?
And, I don't know, I feel like I've matured a lot since then.
-What do you think? (laughs) -Yeah, just a little-- just a l...
-I mean, it might be questionable. I'm insane. -Just a little bit.
-Right. -LEROY: I'm looking at all
the different eras. I'm noticing that we are missing a player.
We need that missing puzzle piece to our era, which is
gonna make us a strong-ass team.
-(flatulence) -I feel like I just...
Oh, it was Darrell. Did Darrell just fart?
-That sounds like Darrell. -(chuckles)
RACHEL: Haven't you always wanted to come back
to sleeping side by side
in a modern-day Challenge
-with a bunch of 20-year-olds and 30... -42.
-I'm closer to retirement than college. -Shh. (chuckles)
RACHEL: Tina
is referring to herself as old.
And I'm like, "Stop saying that."
We are the backbone of this franchise.
And I have started
my own business, Rachel Fitness,
which is a huge
online network of people that work out together,
and it shows
you can be your best at any stage in your life.
One, you look and are smarter and better
than we definitely were on The Gauntlet.
-Ah. -Which was...
over 20 years ago now.
THEO: This is Road Rules soup!
(laughing)
This is-- this is soup of the day, bro.
-Pour one out for the homie. -Veronica,
-you needed to be here. -And pour one out...
-Cheers, sister. -Cheers to the one.
-Have you lived in a castle before? -No.
-First-- -Have you lived in a church before?
Um, no. I've been to church but never lived in one.
I've never been to church.
-Yeah? -This is my first time.
Really?
No, of course I've been to church.
Honestly, I'm surprised some people didn't burn
-upon entering this building. -(laughs)
-It's a slow burn. -Yeah.
Amanda and I-- I mean,
I can't even believe I am putting her
and myself in the same sentence.
She is just my archnemesis forever.
I'm sorry that Jonna had to leave because of this.
-Imagine maybe... -I wish she would have won, believe me.
-I'm (bleep) pissed. -Yeah. Oh, for sure,
but now, because of you, she's gone.
-They'll feel it deep in their soul. -I'll be sleeping
-with a ring of garlic around my neck. -(laughs)
AMANDA: I can't believe we all have to room together.
-Well, not you, but, you know. -What the hell, man?
With (bleep) her to live in the same room.
Thank God it's big.
DEVIN: Dude, you guys are gonna get along.
No, we're not gonna get along, but we will work as a team.
There's a difference.
DEVIN: Amanda and Tori
don't like each other, but they have a lot more in common
than they would like to believe.
I can vouch for that.
All it's gonna take is one
little olive branch to be extended
from either party, and we just may
be able to make this thing work.
I will work as a team,
but I will never be her (bleep) friend,
or talk to her or look at her.
Baby steps. I'll take the first part.
AMANDA: At the end of the day, if I have to work with her
so I can win, fine.
I'm gonna do what's best for the team
because I care more about the other people on the team
than hating her.
So I can put that aside, but I will
never get along with her, period.
So, Devin needs to wake up.
BANANAS: Guys, we're having a pool party.
-Who's coming to the pool party? -BRAD: Underwear is good, right?
Underwear. You have to wear underwear.
No, no, no, we're bringing it back to the old school.
(stammering): There's a dress code for this pool.
Hey!
Like, is this new?
Yeah!
♪♪ Paint the town, take a bow, thank everybody ♪♪
♪♪ You're gonna do it again... ♪♪
Oh, there.
-(laughing) -Whoa!
(cheering, whistling)
-Yeah. -Reveal!
♪♪ The way that you walk... ♪♪
The first Challenge manginas.
♪♪ It's just the way that you talk ♪♪
♪♪ Like it ain't no thing... ♪♪
(shouting, clamoring)
(bleep)
♪♪ Then the morning comes... ♪♪
DEREK: This is the first time I've ever seen
more naked men at a pool than there were women.
There are so many hot people on this Challenge,
it's insane.
♪♪ It's just the way that you walk... ♪♪
I started this journey with Devin.
He's funny.
I find Devin to be funny.
♪♪ And every single day is just a fling ♪♪
♪♪ Then the morning comes. ♪♪
♪♪ ♪♪
THEO: There's this one girl looking at me,
you know, she's staring at me a little bit too long,
and I think her name's Olivia.
OLIVIA: Your girl's single,
again, and I'm kind of feeling out the guys.
I have a couple on my radar, but Theo...
so tall.
No, what are they doing?
(high-pitched): Stop it.
Bye.
THEO: I've come here to play the game.
I haven't come here to get a girl,
so hopefully, you know,
we could be good teammates and then
just stay focused on the game.
(laughs softly)
Listen, I come in peace. Please don't, don't hurt me.
-(laughs) -Since I got mediocre health insurance.
Please! Please!
Laurel, my God. Your-your crown-- it's just so...
Are your lungs okay, though?
-We're improving them day by day. -I was worried about that.
-Day by day. I know. -When I saw you here,
-I was like, "Wait a minute." -NIA: I developed
blood clots in my lungs from vaping.
I could have lost my life.
I said I was a-an addict to vaping.
Like, it's not about, "Oh, I used to vape a lot."
No, I was an addict. I was a slave to it.
And as I walked out of that hotel room thinking
I was gonna die, I remember throwing them in the trash can,
I said, "God, if you give me a chance,
-I will use my platform to warn-warn others." -Yeah.
NIA: I've since quit, but I also
developed a panic disorder
that I am taking medication from.
Like, today, I almost had one.
-Oh, really? -Yeah.
-What are you feeling when that happens? -Well, my brain
starts to say, "You're dying," it's always death.
-And then you go into chest... -And then,
the rapid heartbeat, the shortness of breath.
When your brain is telling you something,
-sometimes it's nice just to find someone to talk to. -Yeah.
LAUREL: I feel like Nia is just
a completely different person
than she was ten years ago.
NIA: ... guzzling slut.
I wish you would
put your ... hands on me.
LAUREL: I am so happy that Nia felt comfortable enough
to talk to me and have me
offer a listening ear.
If you don't want to talk, like, that's absolutely fine,
and I can tell you some scientific stuff
-about dogs and cats. -Yeah.
Literally anything, but just...
-Or, like, horses or baby goats or... -Yeah.
-...anything like that. -(laughs)
(distant cheering)
CARA MARIA: Now everybody's just
naked in the pool.
I mean, I give Paulie permission
to jump around in there naked.
AMANDA: He really loves the (bleep) out of you.
But I'm really happy for you guys.
And I think it's cool.
Like, literally on the bus, I was talking to Paulie.
He's like, "Yeah, I want to have kids with her,
I want to marry her, I want to do this," I'm like,
to hear him say that, like, that's (bleep) cool.
Like, no matter what we've had in the past,
like, I give you respect for that.
CARA MARIA: What...
in the Black Mirror episode of The Challenge is this?
Amanda,
the little, little demon herself,
reveals herself to me.
Was I, like, hostile and mean in the past? Yeah, I was.
And I was annoying and cringey.
DEVIN (distant): No! No! No! No!
-And, like, I apologize. -(laughs) You're like...
Yeah, and I was a (bleep) bitch.
But, like, I feel like, now seeing you years later,
things feel different.
-It does. -And I'm sorry
for saying I wish your horse died,
-okay? -(laughs)
Because I know he eventually did die,
and I'm sorry for that.
CARA MARIA: I love my horse.
-I love horses. -AMANDA: I hope your horse dies.
And the fact that, like, I did say that to her, and I know
how much her horse meant to her,
and, like, now I have
a softer spot for her.
I, really-- thank you.
I'm friends with Paulie, I think that Paulie has a, like,
an-- a love for you that, like, no one will ever, like, match.
Like, I love love. Like, love is amazing.
-Amanda. -AMANDA: At the end of the day,
Cara is a strong competitor, and she also doesn't like Tori.
So Cara buried her horse,
and I think it's time we bury the hatchet.
Well, I'm excited to get to know you all over again.
-We'll erase the past. Cheers. -Okay. Cheers.
Let's do this for real.
♪♪ ♪♪
(insects chirping)
Challenge 40. Wow.
During my time on The Challenge,
I've won four different championships.
In the last year, I've become a professional race car driver,
and I came straight from a race.
If I tell TJ, "Hey, I'm showing up,"
then I'm showing up and showing out.
Era Three has a stacked team.
In all the other eras, you have the biggest hitters
The Challenge has ever seen,
and I want to beat them.
I want to beat them.
AMANDA: I'm just waiting for some of these
-ticking time bombs to explode. -Season 40!
NIA: This is the season to take big swings.
-TJ: Everyone ready? -It's a whole new game, buddy.
-TJ: Go! -(air horn blows)
Ah, (bleep)!
JORDAN: People are making deals...
ANEESA: These are the legends, these are the OGs.
CORY: This is the best of the best.
BANANAS: We have assembled the Murderers' Row
of The Challenge under one roof.
LAUREL: I've come here to win.
-KYLAND: This season... -NIA: We're gonna be battling
against eras.
KYLAND: 40 seasons of competitors.
(cheering)
ANEESA: Era One, we are
the backbone of this franchise.
NURYS: Era Four, we have
brains, beauty, brawn.
KYLAND: These eras are stacked.
(truck horn blaring)
♪♪ I play with fire, I walk through flame ♪♪
♪♪ When darkness comes ♪♪
♪♪ I'm not afraid ♪♪
♪♪ I play with fire ♪♪
♪♪ I breathe the flame ♪♪
♪♪ Deep inside ♪♪
♪♪ There's a legend in me... ♪♪
-CARA MARIA: Oh, my God! -BANANAS: The Challenge is like a jar of jalapeños.
What you do today is gonna burn your ass tomorrow.
♪♪ ♪♪
Don't you (bleep) accuse me ever again, Cara.
RACHEL: If there's a threat, I will remove it.
How stupid can we be?
You are burning bridges left and right.
You're making a (bleep) mistake.
It's like listening to nails on a chalkboard,
listening to you talk every day.
How many people (bleep) hate you, dude?
I didn't see this coming.
Y'all didn't see this coming.
Just in case you haven't guessed yet...
...half of you are gonna see an elimination tonight.
DERRICK: There's always a twist.
CARA MARIA: Nobody knows who just won.
This is gonna get spicy.
♪♪ ♪♪
A lot of history, a lot of trash talk.
You wanted to go that way!
We said it was too short! We said go this way!
My only priority is Nurys.
CARA MARIA: If they want a battle,
it's war.
JENNY: My era of The Challenge is the best.
AVEREY: My era of The Challenge is by far the best.
-My era of The Challenge... -ALL: My era...
MARK: Hey, we're the ones that started it all. Enough said.
You're only the best until someone better comes along.
OLIVIA: We're all here because we know the game.
PAULIE: The game has changed.
(screams)
TJ: You have never seen a battle like this before.