♪♪ MTV. ♪♪
WOMAN: There is nothing on this earth like The Challenge.
WOMAN 2: It's where competition meets drama.
Such a bitch! (laughs)
MAN: The most well-rounded test
of a human that there ever is.
TJ: This will be the hardest thing you have ever done.
(groaning)
MTV's The Challenge is celebrating
its unforgettable 40th season.
-Oh, my God. -(bleep)
TJ: The longest-running reality competition show
in history has become a global phenomenon.
MAN: I love The Challenge!
TJ: Over the last 25 years, over 400 players
have competed in destinations all over the world.
-Tokyo! -Buenos Aires!
TJ: These competitors have endured heart-pounding challenges...
(screaming)
...of unforgettable gameplay...
So I'm gonna go ahead and, uh, take the money and run, Teej.
...gnarly eliminations...
-(groaning) -You're done!
Get a (bleep) medic.
...riddled with glorious victories...
Yeah! Yeah! That's right!
WOMAN: Oh, my God.
...and agonizing defeats...
-You missed the hole? -You missed the hole? -No.
...and epic finals...
MAN: This is it, for the rest of your life.
TJ: ...that have crowned 94 unique Challenge champions.
BANANAS: Curses be damned!
TJ: This monumental season
has the largest group of competitors
we've ever assembled.
And they've been divided into four teams by era,
based on when they started this game.
Era One started it all.
RACHEL: This game is ugly.
TJ: Era Two introduced fresh meat.
BANANAS: There's no honor amongst this house of thieves.
TJ: Era Three elevated rivalries and romances.
TORI: At least when I make my move, I'm gonna stab you
in the face and not the back.
TJ: And Era Four brought the game global.
PAULIE: One win changes your life forever.
MAN: Welcome to The Challenge!
I'm TJ Lavin, and welcome
to The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras.
♪♪ ♪♪
("Points of Authority" by Linkin Park playing)
♪♪ ♪♪
♪♪ Forfeit the game before somebody else ♪♪
♪♪ Takes you out of the frame and puts your name to shame ♪♪
♪♪ Cover up your face, you can't run the race ♪♪
♪♪ The pace is too fast, you just won't last... ♪♪
(cheering)
DERRICK: Being Era One, we're like the action figures of this thing.
We're the original Ninja Turtles.
♪♪ You love the way I look at you... ♪♪
EMILY: I can't believe this Challenge has been around for 40 seasons.
The Challenge brings out the best in people.
It's the gladiators that get to show up.
It's inspiring. That's why I'm here.
♪♪ You like to think you're never wrong... ♪♪
AVEREY: Era Three is gonna be unstoppable.
We have a lot of strong competitors,
and we blend well with all of the eras,
and I think that's gonna become a huge advantage for us.
OLIVIA: I am so proud
to be part of Era Four.
We are all badass.
We are the future of The Challenge.
♪♪ ♪♪
TINA: It's like, where in the world...?
Where-where in the world is TJ Lavin?
(cheering and applause)
Let's go!
(whistling and whooping)
Oh, (bleep).
Look at you.
Let's (bleep) go!
Pretty sick, huh?
Yes.
TJ: I am so, so happy to be here.
And welcome, all of you, to Vietnam
for the 40th season of The Challenge.
(cheering)
Wow!
CT: I'm getting a little emotional.
I think I'm around 19, 20 Challenges at this point.
So, uh, to me,
coming on season 40,
it just, it hits a little different for me
than it does most of these other Challenges,
because it's-it's, uh...
it's kind of like it's-it's a home to me.
The Challenge has always been there for me
to kind of get me back on my feet again,
and I'm happy to be home.
So you are all in four groups of eras, one through four.
Era One, seasons one through ten, the OGs,
pioneers.
DARRELL: Era One, we a little old-school.
We like to chill in the bed,
talk about old times, have fun, joke around, talk (bleep).
At the same time, my whole team is stacked.
These young kids gonna have to get through us,
and it's gonna be a tough,
uphill battle for 'em
because Era One, we know how to get down.
Y'all don't want to (bleep) with us.
I will smash his head and eat it.
Era Two.
-(cheering) -Seasons 11 through 20.
Let's go.
(bell rings)
TJ: The era that supersized
athletic intensity.
That's when I started.
I'm your host. My name is TJ Lavin.
I'm a professional BMX dirt jumper.
CARA MARIA: I've been looking at my era,
and it's looking stacked.
We have arguably
the strongest lineup of women,
I would say, but I'm not biased, but, you know.
Laurel, champion.
Emily, champion.
Me, champ.
Aviv, champ.
KellyAnne's just a baddie, so, KellyAnne.
I'm just hoping I don't have to go against
the girls in my era.
You know what I mean? That would be great,
if we could all just work together.
TJ: And as the game progressed, it became even more personal.
Era Three, seasons 21 through 30,
pushed relationships to the max
by bringing rivals and exes
head-to-head as well as testing the most dirty players
ever to play the game.
JORDAN: I came in late, but let me tell you,
I could not be more excited.
Era Three is very well-rounded.
We are pretty dang smart, so...
about to crush these other eras.
-TJ: Era Four. -(cheering)
Seasons 31
through 39...
(cheering)
...showcased how being a rookie
can make or break the game.
NURYS: I want us to come out on top. We are
the next generation that you guys will continue to watch,
and I just want us to-to shut up
everybody in that house that doubts us.
All right, so for season 40...
...the total prize pot...
...is $1 million.
-(cheering and applause) -$1 million!
Whoo!
RYAN: Dude, this prize money is nuts.
I mean, it's always nuts when you hear it out loud.
AMANDA: If I won the money,
I would create a big, old bank account for my kid.
CORY: If I can get the win,
I hear the wedding bells right now.
The church choir.
Oh, I see the ring, baby.
We are going down the altar.
AVIV: I don't know.
I may bring out some reunion doobies
if I'm already having this midlife crisis.
You know, why not just take it to the next level?
Now, to even have a shot at that million dollars,
you got to make it through the Era Invitational.
(group oohing)
So, we're going to whittle out
the weak links of each era.
-Right now. -Hey!
Welcome to your first challenge Light It Up.
Now, before I explain the rules, let me explain what's at stake.
The first elimination night is going to be a long one.
We will be having eight eliminations.
Almost half of you are gonna see an elimination,
which means there will only be 32 players
at the second challenge.
JENNY: That makes me feel a little bit uncomfortable
looking around, looking at all the girls here,
and you know what I'm seeing?
A lot of jacked delts.
Oh, wait, I was looking in a mirror.
I'm joking. (laughs)
But, like, come on.
I'm not scared of elimination, though.
Like, I'm not intimidated by anybody.
The gym, working out. This is my life. It's my job.
Bring on the best. Let's (bleep) go.
So just win the Challenge. That's the goal.
Or you may see yourself in the biggest elimination
in Challenge history.
Now, to begin, you're gonna race over to a puzzle.
Once you get to that puzzle, it is the number 40.
Put that together.
Once you put it together, head to the shoreline,
get in that boat
and paddle out to one of the 100 buoys
that are floating out there in the lake.
Each buoy has four colors representing the four eras.
All right? You have to gather ten lights
from those buoys with the team color of your era.
Then race back, plug those lights into the cradle.
First man and first woman
from each era to get this done
will win today's challenge and be the only ones safe.
The losing male and female from each era
is going straight into the elimination.
(groaning)
Their opponents are going to be chosen
by the winners of each era.
The rest of you is going to be going into the Chamber
to plead their case to the two winners as to why
they should not be sent into elimination.
RACHEL: When TJ drops the bomb
of competing against your own team
and literally only one of five women will be safe
and two out of four will be going into an elimination,
that's pretty scary.
So I'm all in on winning this one.
There is absolutely no other choice for me.
Good luck, everyone. Let's get it done.
Everyone worries me, minus Derek.
Derek is like my little brother. Derek is the only person
that can win
that I know wouldn't pick me.
So I have to win or Derek has to win.
The gays are here, bitch. Let's (bleep) go.
EMILY: If you don't win, you're not safe, period.
This is every man and woman for themselves.
So this just got crazy. (laughs)
MARK: I'd be lying if I said
I wasn't a little nervous.
Season 40? I mean,
this is the best of the best.
But even at 52 years old,
I'm still feeling like I can do it.
And it would be nice
if the old dog came out and won the first one.
For the fans and for myself.
AVIV: This is my first Challenge
in 18 years.
The last time you all saw me
was Fresh Meat.
Darrell and I ended up winning that season.
So, a ton
of pressure for me.
It's important to win the first challenge
because you don't want to be the first on the chopping block.
If my fat ass can somehow balance
inside of this little miso soup bowl,
you know, I'll stay out of trouble.
TJ: All right, everyone.
Season 40, first challenge.
(echoes): Everyone ready?
♪♪ ♪♪
-Go! -(air horn blows)
OLIVIA: The only person I don't want
to win on my team right now is Nurys.
Me and Nurys
just had the worst beef last season,
and she would probably send me straight into elimination.
You got legends out here.
I've never come in first place on The Challenge.
I've been very close.
I want my little girls
to be able to turn the TV on and say,
"Man, Daddy, you were the best out there.
For me to hear that and make my little girls proud,
that means more than the money.
RACHEL: I am a two-time Challenge winner,
and I'm here to do a job,
and that's to win.
TJ: Rachel, with a time of 2:25,
-you win. -RACHEL: My first season
of The Challenge was Battle of the Sexes.
I've had three finals, two wins.
The first woman to cross the finish line
before all of the men.
I am one of the best,
and I want to solidify that.
Thankfully,
I have a wife
and a family and kids
who support me and are like,
"Mama, go do it."
CARA MARIA: I don't know where my (bleep) puzzle is.
When I first started
on the Challenges,
I was unsure,
not an athletic bone in my body,
and I had no confidence.
And now that I have worked my ass off,
you know me as the badass two-time champ.
However, coming into this season,
I have to beat Laurel.
I feel like my entire career has been
trying to just catch up with Laurel,
because whenever I was available
to be voted into elimination,
I was voted in by Laurel.
So, yeah, I'll be honest,
I'm actually nervous.
All right, baby.
I got it. Come check me.
Come check. Check.
No matter how many times I try to eliminate Cara Maria
before the final, she's like, "Hello, I'm here.
I want to run the final with you," and I'm like,
"O-Okay, here we go, once again."
Nothing has changed, Cara Maria and I are rivals,
and we are here to play on the same team.
I hope you enjoy.
TJ: All right, good job.
CARA MARIA: Are you kidding me?
(bleep)
Oh, (bleep), (bleep), (bleep).
TJ: You all are playing for your era.
We are gonna whittle out the weak links.
Almost half of you are gonna be seeing
an elimination right out of the gate.
♪♪ ♪♪
BANANAS: We have to use building blocks
to build the number 40.
And after winning seven times...
TJ: Congratulations on your record-breaking win.
...I am the king of the rings.
-You won. -No!
BANANAS: But sometimes I get the puzzles and murder
these things, other times the puzzles literally murder me.
After putting this puzzle together,
you then retrieve ten designated color strobes.
First man and first woman from each era to place
their strobes into a designated board are safe.
Last man and last woman from each era
are automatically going into an elimination.
I mean, I'm feeling good,
but I don't know how I'm gonna
stack up against the other guys on my team.
That makes no sense to me.
CT: CT pro tip:
when you're doing a puzzle, make sure
to take a good overall view of all the pieces.
Flip them upside down, look around,
because there may be a clue.
There's different shapes
inside of the puzzle pieces
that you can use as a guide.
Check.
TJ: That's correct.
I haven't played this game with the people
on my era in such a long time.
I don't know, are they gonna come in super hungry,
or are you gonna come on just 'cause you're here
for the free vacation?
Katie.
Oh, this will be a nice little vacation.
(chuckles)
-CARA MARIA: Check, check, check. -TJ: That's correct. Good job.
♪♪ ♪♪
(panting)
KAYCEE: I am now engaged
to the love of my life
Nany.
You see that?
Zoom in.
I never saw myself being here
for, now, six seasons,
and to find the love of my life
on The Challenge,
I'm so grateful.
And it is important
for me to win because
we want kids so bad
and that (bleep) ain't cheap.
So if I go home without the money,
Nany's not gonna be very happy.
EMILY: Check?
-TONY: Check. -TJ: Nope, that's not it.
Check!
-TJ: That's not correct. -(groans)
Can't be incorrect.
-Check. -TJ: That's not correct.
Incorrect? What...
-That's 40 as it gets. -TJ: Nope.
-That's it. -That's not it.
Oh, good old Tony.
He hasn't been back in a while.
And if anything, you just have to keep doing it.
I feel like my era is strong. We have so much experience.
I'm definitely known
for being in quite a few eliminations.
I think it's like 24 or 25, I'm not sure.
INTERVIEWER: You actually have 26 eliminations.
CONTESTANT: Come on, Aneesa!
ANEESA: I just want my 14th win,
so I can beat Cara, 'cause we are tied
for wins.
LEROY: I came out of retirement
on All Stars 4,
and I'm here to try to make
some money for our household.
Myself and Aneesa
may be the best players that never won,
so coming in last place
is not even an option.
-JONNA: Uh, check. -TJ: That's correct.
Check.
-Check. -TJ: All right, you're done.
Great job.
That's correct.
All right, you're done.
AMANDA: Me and Tori
have a really big history
of being enemies.
Tori, I know you have a lot of fake friends,
but I will never be one of them.
I'm not your fake friend.
I want to be first and beat her,
oh, my God.
(bleep)
-NURYS: Check. -TJ: Nice job, Nurys.
-MICHELE: Check, check! -TJ: That's correct.
MICHELE: Whoo!
JENNY: Can I get a check?
TJ: That's correct.
JENNY: Oh, perfect. Good luck.
OLIVIA: Check, check, check, check, check.
Nurys and me, we were best friends.
I'm gonna save Moriah.
NURYS: I should have (bleep) stuck to exactly what
I knew this entire time-- someway,
somehow you were gonna (bleep) me over.
OLIVIA: But I betrayed her,
which then turned into a whole blowout.
(grunts) Okay.
You know, my weakness is puzzles, people.
Is there a triangle in the sign?
There's 27 triangles on that board.
But how did you get that? I'm just curious so I can know.
TJ: That's correct. Good job.
(laughs) Let's go, baby!
But guess what.
Your boy's been practicing in the offseason.
Me and my daughters, we've been, you know,
working on those weaknesses.
They are my motivation,
and it feels good.
Check!
-TJ: You got it. -AVEREY: Check!
-TJ: That's correct. -KAYCEE: Check, check, check,
-check, check. -TJ: Correct. Good job.
KYLAND: Check.
TJ: That's correct.
Make it make sense.
HORACIO: My only alliance
is Nurys and Kyland.
Last season, Olivia and Michele,
people that I thought I could trust,
played the entire season against me.
And the thing about alliances is, you will
most likely be betrayed.
Right now I am currently dating Nurys,
so I'm doing everything I can to be strong for her
and win this for myself
and for us.
-JOSH: Check. -TJ: Josh, getting it done.
THEO: It's just me and Paulie left,
and I don't like Paulie.
I didn't think it would go this way,
but it's still not over yet.
TINA: Ships ahoy, matey.
This teacup in the water, it bobs
and weaves. (bleep)
I might be half-Vietnamese.
That (bleep) is not innate, I would like to let you know.
CT: CT pro tip.
Literally...
Don't fall out of the boat.
This sucks.
Aah!
CT: It's there for a reason.
It's gonna be a lot faster
if you don't have to swim.
TJ: Let's go!
You all are playing for your share of
$1 million.
You got to get this thing going!
NIA: In my era,
I think Amanda is still working on her puzzle,
so as long as I beat her, I feel like I'm good.
♪♪ ♪♪
LAUREL: Cara Maria looks up to me
and sees me as somewhat of a bigger sister,
and I see her paddling up to me, and I'm like,
no matter how hard I try,
she won't go away.
I'm done.
And always, Laurel beats me.
Every (bleep) time,
Laurel beats me.
-Laurel? -Yeah.
Why do you always beat me?
I've come in second
not only amongst the girls but amongst my entire team.
Laurel's come in first,
and I'm not safe because
I will never trust her.
-(Rachel shouting) -Check.
TJ: Yeah, CT.
-(shouts) -TJ: There she goes.
(screams) Whoo!
TJ: Well done.
That's right, baby. That's right, baby!
Boom, bitches!
BRAD: Good job, guys.
CT and Rachel have to pick
who's going to go into elimination against the losers.
I'm hoping performance will be a part of the evaluation.
TJ: Okay, good to go.
Get in there, Paulie. Let's go.
CARA MARIA: Come on, Paulie!
Finish it up, babe.
♪♪ ♪♪
-LEROY: Check. -TJ: That's correct. Good job.
(TJ laughs)
TJ: Well done. Great job.
JORDAN: Tori and I have a long history,
and it's a good one.
(cheering)
We fought through some stuff together.
You decided at one point in time,
you were done with me. That made me feel abandoned.
JORDAN: And we've
come back to be very, very good friends,
and to be here in a game with her again,
that is someone good
to have on your side.
You've got this.
Jenny from my era
is on my ass.
This is much closer than I feel comfortable with.
Oh, (bleep). What?
I've got nine strobes on the board.
I can't find my strobe anywhere.
It's got to be somewhere here.
(bleep) this (bleep).
(screams)
Now that I've secured my position as
first place,
I also want to make sure that
my girl Olivia doesn't end up
in the bottom position.
My number one alliance is Olivia.
She's always gonna be my top priority.
Check.
JONNA: (bleep) yes.
Whew.
NURYS: I'm not getting anywhere.
Like, no matter what I do,
I'm not getting anywhere.
The underdog! The underdog!
BANANAS: Boom. Whoo!
Bananas comes in first.
So now Ryan, Derek, Brandon,
and I are trying to not be last,
but Laurel and Cara Maria beat Bananas.
Era Two is
era of the strong women,
and I am all for it.
AMANDA: Check.
TJ: That's correct.
(bleep)
Oh, I'm such a (bleep) idiot.
TJ: You got it.
ANEESA: It's between Katie and myself.
I finally get it right.
I just pray
Katie does not catch up with me
because I'm not trying to go into elimination.
(bleep)
Check. Check.
AVEREY: I'm feeling pretty good.
Like, okay, I'm definitely not in last.
My life has been a whirlwind.
On All Stars 4,
I got really close with Adam,
and I can happily say that
Adam and I are now officially a couple.
And the million dollars,
you know, that's a lot of money.
I wonder what other people
are gonna do to try to get this money
and how conniving and how manipulative
this game's really gonna get.
Bada bing, bada boom. I guess I wasn't last.
♪♪ ♪♪
-Come on, baby. Let's go! -(Kaycee screams)
Let's (bleep) go!
KYLAND: Hey, you got to move, Nurys!
Come on!
HORACIO: Venga, venga.
NURYS: Is there another girl in here?
No, right?
Please don't even-- Don't...
I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it.
I just... I just don't.
God.
NURYS: Horacio just got first place,
but I'm last place in my era.
I know I'm automatically going in to elimination,
and there's nothing he can do to protect me.
(speaking Spanish)
NURYS: I know I'm going in up against
my own era. This sucks.
Jenny was a champ,
and she's jacked.
And Kaycee is a well-rounded
player and a champion as well.
Coming into this game, Olivia, obviously,
she lost all my trust,
so I think that Olivia is my best option,
but I don't necessarily know what to do.
(contestant whoops)
TJ: All right, remember, both the last place
man and woman from each era
are going straight into elimination,
so paddle as fast as you can.
DEVIN: We are trimming the fat here
on our eras,
and looking at my era,
I see Jordan and Leroy in the water,
so I'm still in this race.
But I see a small leak in my boat.
I'm a pretty fast rower. I think I just got to go.
Now go.
CT: Let's go, Katie!
Get in that saucer, girl.
-Okay. -TINA: Get in there. This is your bag.
KATIE: What?
(bleep)
TINA: All right, go.
KATIE: I don't have a whole lot
of experience paddling.
Oh, my God. I am going in circles.
Goddamn it.
Oh, (bleep) me. I broke it.
I am getting
more panicked, and I'm really just (bleep) the bed here.
(crying): I didn't want to embarrass myself.
You didn't embarrass yourself.
Are you kidding, Tina?
Spinning in circles like a dip(bleep).
(Tina laughs)
Let's go.
PAULIE: Cara and I are going on six years
strong, and just the way that we support each other
on and off the field,
it's amazing.
But she's an Era Two,
I'm an Era Four,
so we have to
figure out how to navigate the game.
THEO: Going straight into elimination,
which is a terrible start to any season.
You know, I was a pro athlete for ten years.
I literally have never felt
so stupid in my whole entire life.
EMILY: I've been gone for ten years.
I'm coming here to win.
I'm getting a huge slice of humble pie.
Laurel's completed,
Cara's completed,
and Aviv has completed.
I have to beat KellyAnne, which keeps me safe.
TJ: One run, Emily! Grab 'em all!
Hey, go!
EMILY: If I am here to win, I have to
make a mark.
Check!
KELLYANNE: Last girl, yeah?
This was literally the worst challenge I could've had.
And if I was playing against the guys, I wouldn't have lost.
(laughs)
WOMAN: Yeah, girl!
Thank you, God.
NIA: I am last place,
but I've been into the elimination several times.
I am no stranger to the Arena.
I would love a physical matchup.
Devin just Titanic'd himself.
TJ: We got a sunk boat. (laughs)
You shouldn't let your boat sink.
AVEREY: Devin, he's swimming out there.
♪♪ ♪♪
(panting): Okay.
I did not come in last,
so I'm not automatically
going to elimination,
but at the same time, I'm still up to be voted in.
I need to win this season because
my kids are my... that's my "why."
I would take that money,
it's going into a trust.
They would be set for life.
Oh, my God.
MARK: It's the worst feeling coming in last.
I'm going
right into elimination, and it's either gonna be
against three of my friends:
Brad, Darrell,
or Derrick.
-Check. -MARK: There you go.
There you go. Two more. Give me some.
ANEESA: I love Katie, but I also love
that I'm not in last place.
So it's between myself, Tina, and Jodi.
I mean, I feel safe because Rachel's there.
We dated, we're friends.
I needed Aneesa.
She was emotional support for me.
Don't pick me.
TJ: Somebody help Lee. Leroy's going the wrong way.
(laughs)
MAN: You got it, man.
-It ain't over. -BANANAS: Longer strokes!
TONY: Era Three is the only era that's still
out there in the water struggling.
Lee, it's not about speed.
You don't have to switch fast.
Get a good stroke in on the left,
switch, good stroke on the right. There you go.
TORI: Devin is
literally nowhere in sight.
Like, I'm looking around for a sign of life.
Like a flail in the water.
Where is Devin?
(coughs)
WOMAN: Oh, what the (bleep)?
Good job, D.
TORI: Devin is a competitor.
He's always gonna fight to the end.
He's just, like, mind-boggling.
Sorry.
(gasps, coughs)
Good job, D.
DEVIN: I'm secretly stoked that Leroy's in last. Leroy has
played very shady games in the past
and comes with a lot of connections.
He's one person I won't be working with.
So I wouldn't mind seeing Leroy go home.
LEROY: I cannot believe that I just came in last place
on the very first challenge, and I am one
of the 16 people that's going to elimination round.
TJ: Great challenge today, everyone. Way to go.
-(cheering and applause) -Yes!
Every era has to have winners and losers,
so we'll start off with the losing
male and female from each era.
I'll be seeing you all
in the Arena no matter what.
Now, for the winners
of the Era Invitational,
you are the only ones
safe from elimination.
The rest of you will go back to the house
and enter the Chamber.
You will plead your case with the winners of your era
as to why they should not choose you
to go into the Arena
against the losers.
However, the decision is left up to the winners.
Eight elimination rounds right out of the gate.
-Thank you. Get out of here. -(applause)
I don't know Bananas or Laurel.
They could go after
the weakest people on the team.
There's people that they may want to get out
for personal reasons,
but they don't know me,
so there is no reason
for me not to go in at this point.
♪♪ ♪♪
(indistinct chatter)
WOMAN: KellyAnne, this is your survival
in this game, and you know it.
RYAN: I just want to be able to trust
our team as a team.
I just know that Laurel's gonna be like the poison.
(Nia speaking)
I just don't trust her.
DEREK: After The Challenge: All Stars 4,
Ryan and Laurel hung out a lot.
Laurel was still kind of seeing Nicole,
her ex now, and I think that Laurel thinks that Ryan
took Nicole's side,
so that's created some tension
that they're bringing into this house,
and to be in the middle of it kind of sucks because
Laurel and I formed a bond,
but I don't want to go against Ryan.
And I just feel good shady energy, all that (bleep).
-If your team is going to have that... -Yeah, yeah, yeah.
...I think the team that's going to-- like, that's going to
be the biggest challenge for everyone is that,
internally, they're misaligned.
I have to humble my ego because
Laurel makes me want to scream,
and if we're coming from the same era,
we're going to have to work together.
AVIV: Any team that I've ever
worked with, the biggest issue is always
misalignment.
But before all of this has even happened,
me and Cory were like, we're here together.
So, I mean, if I go in, I'm dead.
Do I expect Tori to throw me in? Absolutely.
Hopefully, Cory has big enough balls to stand up to Tori,
because that's going to be my only saving grace.
AMANDA: You have quite the decision, eh?
Winner, winner.
-KAYCEE: You know what you're gonna do? -No.
I felt, like, water hit my head,
and I was, like...
When you win,
you're literally safe
and you get to make the decision.
In this game you want
a strong female and a strong female
that has a high winning percentage.
Emily is gigantic with huge muscles,
so Emily is definitely one of the people
who, you know, I want to
keep around on my team as of right now.
This leaves the decision between Cara
and Aviv. I don't know Aviv, but I also have
a long-standing history with Cara.
I don't know exactly which direction it's gonna go
with this decision.
♪♪ ♪♪
Guys, there's a bat in the house right now.
(bat squealing)
(laughs): Oh.
Go that way, go that way, little guy.
Little guy. (shudders)
(bleep)
(laughing): That was too close.
Yeah, I think I should probably just get out of here.
AMANDA: I mean, you guys have an easier decision.
Way easier.
What they have to deal with?
Every guy in there
has decades of friendships and relationships.
I'm sitting here, looking at the guys, being like... (laughs)
Take any of them.
-I don't (bleep) care. -(laughs)
Yeah, but what about your girls?
Yeah. Yeah.
Cara is one of, if not the best,
female competitors
of all time.
There is no way that she should be going into
the first elimination,
and if she does, then, once again,
that's just Johnny and Laurel being stupid.
How you feeling?
-Really good. -Yeah?
Can't wait to kick whoever's ass you give me.
-Yeah. That's the spirit. -(laughs)
-That's the spirit. -That's the spirit.
I really want to win 'cause I know
the money will be going to me
having a sanctuary for the animals.
Working in rescue is
a hard thing to do because you're constantly
seeing sad things that you can't always help.
I have a vision,
and that money is crucial to what I want.
You guys are probably gonna just keep it
the guy focusing on the guy decision,
the girl focused on the girl decision.
That's-that's the most logical.
Dude, Laurel and I have not even spoken.
I've spent damn near two decades of my life,
the best years of my life, my 20s and 30s,
sitting right here in front of you.
There's so many reasons this season
would be important for me winning.
My dad fought here with the 1st Infantry Division.
These are his dog tags,
his actual dog tags that he wore.
It's really crazy for it to kind of come full circle.
So, yeah, Dad, this one's for you.
At least we ain't got no (bleep) bunk beds.
I can't be climbing up and down no damn bunk.
-Or falling off 'em. -The top bunk, oh, yeah.
-Or ripping them apart. -Yeah, yeah, the one where I fell off?
(both laugh)
DARRELL: The Darrell
20 years ago was a lot more invincible.
He didn't have no kids, and he really
did not give a (bleep).
This Darrell is a little bit more mature,
but some of these young kids, man, they trying to
get some stripes, and they coming for us.
Experience does pay off,
and you're gonna have to get through us
to win this challenge.
Apparently, plastic's
bad for you now, too.
I can't even... you can't have (bleep) anymore, man.
(laughs)
♪♪ ♪♪
(laughter)
I'm getting hangry.
(clamoring)
When you come back, like, Josh will have your back, too,
-and as Paulie wouldn't... -(loud wolf whistle)
THEO: We're talking positions. Give us some privacy.
-OLIVIA: Theo. -LAUREL: Make out, make out, make out.
OLIVIA: I'm a wholesome bitch.
-We won't look. -We won't look.
TINA: Era One,
we like lights out at 9:00 p.m.
(snores)
TINA: We like sleep. Back in the day,
we could go all hours of the night,
wake up and do a daily the next day, and slay it.
Those days are long gone for Era One.
LAUREL: The only person I would kiss
right now is Michele.
-JOSH: Ooh, okay. -That's fine.
Well, I'll give you a kiss for one.
That's a fact.
BANANAS: Here's the thing.
I want to be the best player here.
Don't you want that?
If I'm trying to keep myself out of elimination,
the only argument I got is,
out of this whole Challenge,
who do you think is your biggest competition?
In my eyes it's Jordan.
You.
I know.
With this being
so early in the season,
you don't know exactly how
the format's gonna be played.
You don't know if it's gonna be
individual, you don't know if
we're gonna be working together.
I just got to think about myself
and where my game is gonna be headed,
and if it's individual,
I don't want to take Jordan to the final.
And then you got Tony,
my enemy. He's coming for me.
So, the question is, do I attack now
on my enemy, or do I play long game?
We gonna chop it up.
We gonna chop it up. Tomorrow.
(laughter)
(indistinct chatter)
MARK: You're like, "Come on."
(laughs)
HORACIO: You know me, I've always said you can only control
your attitude and how hard you work.
Now you're also adding
you can control who you want to face, and that's,
that-that adds a whole nother power as well.
NURYS: Horacio told me that, basically,
they'll give me whoever I want.
Normally, when you go into elimination,
you don't have a choice,
and so it's a blessing that I can somehow choose, you know?
It's, it's nice, but it doesn't make it any easier.
-NURYS: I agree. -So I'm, like, leaving her out.
People that have came up to me, they're also like,
"Hey, Jenny's not
the smartest," like, everybody's talking about, like, "Oh,
she only has show muscle."
When it comes to Olivia,
we know what she's capable of
and all that.
NURYS: Honestly, if it's a headbanger,
I'd prefer Olivia because, I guess,
I really don't want to see Jenny or Kaycee.
But if it's a puzzle,
I'll take Jenny.
HORACIO: And, also, one other thing
I wanted to add about Olivia.
You already completely dominated her.
You can't go in there, like,
"Now there's a rivalry" or anything.
There isn't, because you're above her.
BANANAS: Getting involved and being in a relationship,
in my opinion, on The Challenge, horrible idea.
You're not able to spread
your wings and fly.
So the Horacio and Nurys
junior high school vomit fest,
I don't necessarily think that that's gonna bode
all that well
for Era Four, and I'm all for it.
If there's two things that I've learned over The Challenge,
it's that nobility and romance
gets you absolutely nowhere.
Here you go.
...they have control of the team, because it's
Paulie, Horacio, Kyland, and Nurys,
and then the two girls
Olivia and Michele are gonna be so scared
that they're gonna band with them.
And then it's you, you and you
are the odd men out.
So his best bet is to go against Paulie, right?
...I don't see why he'd have a big problem with it.
-Yeah. -Yeah.
Five or six years ago, me and Paulie had
a big bust-up.
He got me chucked into elimination four times
on War of the Worlds 2.
Made my life hell. We even got into it
by having a little scuff, and he ended up kissing me.
-Bitch. -Come on, little bitch, do it.
-(women screaming) -Come on. Come on.
-Come on. -Whoo!
He's been my target, my own enemy in here ever since.
So if I get blessed with the opportunity
to go against Paulie,
I'm gonna absolutely take his head off.
♪♪ ♪♪
Kingston, he, like, my favorite part of the morning,
where the little footsteps will just be coming into the kitchen.
-'Cause when he sees me... -KAYCEE: He just wants your love.
LEROY: And he just comes running.
Aw. How does he feel to be a big brother?
At first, when he w-- when he came to the hospital,
he was looking at the baby like, "You need to get off my mom."
-Oh, my gosh. -Like, he was like...
-KAYCEE: "Who are you? Get off my mom." -Yeah. You know,
the two weeks of her life that I was there before I left...
-Yeah. -...um,
he was cool, you know, he wanted to try to help out.
My daughter was just born two weeks ago,
and I'm here in another country.
I didn't bring pictures of my kids, Kam, nobody,
because I felt like looking at it would just make me weaker.
I'm gonna just try to block it out of my mind
and just focus on the task at hand.
My back is effed up from picking him up.
-He look like a little football player. -How fun.
LEROY: Wants nothing to do with sports, though.
All about books. That's it.
-"Here go the ball." He's like, "No. Book." -(laughs): "Book."
(laughter)
CT: Want to sit in the tree chair?
-Hell yeah. -You want to take the high seat?
-Huh. -Is this thing gonna hold me?
(both laugh)
Shut up.
-DERRICK: So, what do we do? -Darrell? I love Darrell.
If I wasn't here and I wanted two guys to represent us
in the final, it'd be you and Darrell.
But then the Darrell performance yesterday
-was kind of a... that was a hard sell for me. -No, I'm...
-Is this gonna be a-a reoccurring thing here? -I-I've done...
Am I living on somebody's name from the past?
DERRICK: Me, Brad or Darrell
have to go in
against Mark, and Darrell
finished in fourth.
The obvious answer is, fourth place
should go in against fifth place, right?
But it seems like Brad could be the one outside
the friend circle.
I have a close relationship with-with Darrell.
He's done things for me outside of this game
when I least expected 'em, and
I'm willing to return that favor.
Like, do we want to get slimy, CT?
Is that who we are
in our 40s?
I have to say, man, I was really impressed
-with Brad's performance yesterday. -Brad?
-Whew. -Yeah.
Darrell was disappointing 'cause he almost fell over,
he didn't do very good on the, on the puzzle itself.
With the limited amount of information
we have, how can we ensure
that we can still have a strong team in the end?
Right now I don't see Darrell as a person
that I would be able to count on.
You can't just pick friends because friends
sometimes don't help you win challenges.
I-I don't envy your position.
The choices are bad and bad.
-MARK: Right. -It's like, these are my top guys
you could put in my life.
Derrick-- I know he's always
gonna have Jodi's back over mine.
-MARK: Right. -I-I really love Brad.
-I mean, we talk all the time. -Yeah.
RACHEL: Darrell's from the original season,
It would be like a slap in the face, you know?
MARK: It's kind of bittersweet.
I have a lot of great friendships on Era One.
Derrick and I talk every other day on the phone.
Rachel and I talk at least once a month.
I see CT now every few months.
I talk to Brad all the time. I talk to Aneesa, so...
You would hate to see 20 years of friendship
go down the toilet in one day of competition.
Who are you thinking for the girls?
It's between Aneesa and Jodi.
I mean, Tina finished only a few minutes
behind me,
and that's my other best friend.
On the girl's side, no matter what,
I'm gonna get heat.
I don't really want to put Darrell in that position
-either right now. -I don't either.
But then what am I supposed to do, go and try to take out Mark?
This is the most difficult
balancing act that I've ever come across
in The Challenge.
It's like best friend versus best friend.
It's tragic.
♪♪ ♪♪
Welcome.
We're in the Chamber and we are here to deliberate
and to decide who, out of our nominees,
are going to go in against our losers
KellyAnne and Ry-Guy.
We all know Mark and Katie are going in.
This is where Cory and I are going to be deciding
who goes against Nia and Leroy in elimination.
Unfortunately, Theo and Nurys are automatically going in.
I'm gonna start the time, and then we'll all talk.
In the Chamber, you're supposed to plead your case.
"Here's why I should stay here
instead of these people."
There's nowhere to hide.
Everybody in this house is gonna
lose their (bleep).
♪♪ ♪♪
We have a 50-50 decision here.
We have one challenge to base it off,
taking the third and the fourth place.
Those are the two options.
DERRICK: We've gone to finals together.
We've shared incredible moments together
on and off the field.
And I don't want this to be hard on one of my best friends.
He's such a good person and he's looked out for me in the past.
I-I owe you, dude.
And this is the time to step in.
I appreciate it, man. If you really--
-If that's what you really want to do. -I-I owe you, dude.
MARK: It's a crappy situation.
Derrick's my guy.
It's not a happy time
for team Mark and team Derrick.
-Hear, hear. Hear, hear. -OTHERS: Hear, hear.
(rhythmic tapping on table)
CT nomination pro tip, all right?
If someone wants to nominate themself, let 'em do it.
Yes. Yes, I got you. I got you.
I would never throw Derrick under the bus.
That's my number one guy in this house.
But I'm not about to volunteer for him, not against Mark.
If he wants to, I'll tip my hat off to him.
I love him, but I don't love him that much.
♪♪ ♪♪
I think all three of you are fantastic competitors.
You've sent me home.
I'd like to not do that again.
You are my best friend.
I certainly don't want to go against you.
BANANAS: You're saying if you had to choose,
you would want it to be Brandon?
If I had to choose.
Well, (bleep), I didn't see-- Okay.
Ryan's reasoning behind his decision makes sense.
(scoffs) It's just not smart, but okay.
If I do have to go into elimination,
I'm hoping it's physical
because I got a little mean streak in me.
(chuckles)
Didn't see that one coming. Um...
RYAN: I know Brandon is a workhorse,
and he can
pull some wins out of his ass.
With him, it's a crapshoot.
And who knows how this (bleep) is gonna go?
You got to do what's best for your game.
Who you got a better chance of beating?
Me or Jordan?
I think you know what that decision is.
Are you ready to pull the trigger that early?
Maybe. Maybe not. We'll see.
JORDAN: I hear what you're saying, Tony.
All I would say is, you got to get there
before you can worry about the final.
And I'll get you to a final.
JONNA: I know Tori, and I know
her history.
And, I mean, come on, let's be honest.
She has her ride-or-die Devin
and she also has her ex-fiancé Jordan.
So there's no chance that Tony's not gonna get picked.
(laughs)
No matter what happens, we have to be
strong as a team.
DEVIN: I feel like a fly on the wall.
So long as I don't self-nominate,
I think I'm good.
JORDAN: I repay my debts. I think that's been proven
throughout my whole career.
We haven't had a chance to, like, have each other
in games or anything, but
I'll always repay what I owe.
Obviously, because Nurys and Horacio
are linked, and Horacio's here,
the conversation has kind of been around,
like, what do you want?
I have an opinion of who I don't want.
I'll start off by saying, Kaycee,
I know that you're loyal. I know that you're true to your word.
I know you're an amazing athlete.
You're not someone that I want to go up against.
My two options are between Olivia and Jenny.
I know you the least.
Because I don't know you, I can't really judge you.
And I think my-- that decision means
having to go up against you, Olivia.
Because, at the end of the day,
I just have to play to my strengths.
MICHELE: I'm having this little bit of a nightmare.
Like, I have botched so many
positions of power
that, if there's any shot
of me getting Olivia
out of this elimination, I want to take it.
What Horacio is for you,
Olivia is for me.
I would just hate to sit here
and feel like I can't even protect
the person who I, like, love the most.
I wish that that would be taken
into consideration for, like, your...
It is, but at the same time I really don't even want
to take it back to last season, but you put her
in a hard position last season.
If she would have never shaded me,
right now, no matter how I feel,
knowing that I think she is the best option,
I would have been, like, no, (bleep) that.
-She would've never even been on the table. -I wouldn't blame Michele
-fully, though, you know, or, like, at all. I mean... -But it's both
-of you guys's fault, so that's.... -Yeah. And it is.
(crying)
KYLAND: The sobs
are kind of falling on deaf ears because I'm like,
that's exactly the position
that you put me and Horacio in
repeatedly and
relatively unapologetically for all of last season.
I just don't have much sympathy
for your situation.
BANANAS: Aviv.
AVIV: For me,
I'm so happy and grateful to be here,
to have the opportunity to play again.
I was really hoping,
starting out, that we would be playing as a team.
I may not have the same relationships everyone has,
but I also don't have the vendettas everyone has.
-Cara, you look happy to be here. -(laughter)
Turn that frown upside down.
Well, here I sit
across from arguably the best two competitors
to ever play the game,
and I will not insult
your experience in the game and think that anything
I can say is gonna sway whatever's on your mind.
So, what I will do is something I've probably
never done on The Challenge before, and that's...
(exhales) put my defense walls down
and just talk to you guys straight.
It's no secret we have a lot of history.
I-I don't even know what's gonna go down in here.
Can we get some sage
preemptively, please?
(laughs)
It's no secret we have a lot of history
between the three of us.
If we were to erase our entire history
and all the years that we've had together,
start fresh, let's look at the challenge that we did.
I came in second.
If it wasn't for a man and a woman sitting there,
I'd be sitting, respectfully, where you are, Johnny.
Going forward, you guys have two choices.
You know, you can do the predictable--
I would feel like it was personal--
and send me in, pray that I don't come back.
Or you can do something completely unexpected
and choose to work with me for the new era.
RYAN: I've seen Cara Maria in the past
get really frazzled, in her head,
but Cara has
just grown, like,
she is calm.
It is like cat and mouse, and she is
the one in control.
Just say you were in Laurel's position,
and her and I were over there,
-and this is the same squad. I'm just saying, Cara. -CARA MARIA: We can't...
Hypothetical. The situation here right now
and the reality is, you're standing in front of me.
-I understand. -My fate is in your hands.
Now is the time to take a shot
and send someone potentially home.
Cara Maria only thinks about Cara Maria,
and I don't want, like, an anchor tied next to me.
Sometimes that's what I feel like it is
when I play the game with Cara Maria.
I just feel like this is an extremely tough decision.
Old habits die hard.
Cara Maria, you're the weakest girl here.
-Go home. -CARA MARIA: Laurel is pissed.
I can tell she wants to bite my head off.
LAUREL: We know she can't think on her feet.
We know that she can't, can't, can't, can't, can't, can't.
EMILY: To be back after ten years
and have nothing be different
is really crazy.
Everyone is playing nice.
Something is brewing.
This is just messy.
BANANAS: As much as I'd like to sit here
and put the past behind me, it's a tough thing to do.
Let me ask you this. What would you do if you were us?
TINA: To be fair, I'd pick the two bottom
to make it less messy.
It's gonna be messy regardless. Someone's feelings are gonna be
-hurt by this, regardless. -Well, yeah.
I mean, it's not-- It's a, it's a game. We all played it before.
This isn't an easy decision anyway.
JODI: I feel like, as far as the girls' side,
like, I probably have the least
deep relationships with the girls here,
but I'm all about the team and I feel like
I'm a strong asset to the team.
I came in third, like, pretty far in third. (chuckles)
If we want the strongest team, you want me on your team.
RACHEL: Because I feel this is the most fair
and objective way to do it,
I feel CT should handle the women.
ANEESA: CT has always put me into elimination.
I get this sick feeling in my stomach.
I'm like, these mother(bleep) are gonna put me in elimination.
CT: And here's why.
It's-- By doing that, you're gonna have
an unbiased opinion about keeping the strongest team,
because men are always gonna want the strong women.
Women always want the strong men.
ANEESA: Why would Rachel leave it up to CT?
Right there is her not saving me.
Rachel's supposed to be my girl.
There shouldn't be a doubt in my mind
whether she has my back or not.
This is someone who I have so much history with
that these choices
can feel like utter betrayal.
I think they already know.
I'm meeting you guys for the first time.
You know, I competed a little bit with Tony, but he left.
Devin, Jordan, I haven't seen in ten years.
Leroy, little bit. Nia.
I feel like I'm the bottom of the totem pole, but, like,
get to know me, and you can't do that if I'm gone.
Just let me prove it to you guys.
I feel like I'm a very well-rounded competitor.
I'm a two-time champ.
And this being my 11th season,
I have a lot of experience.
AMANDA: Okay, my turn.
All right, so, Cory, I'll address you first.
Obviously, me and you came in here playing
for our best friend and our brother at home,
-Nelson. -CORY: Mm-hmm.
I think that we're bonded through that,
and, um, we're here for him.
I got to have more than the Nellie T. as the reason on.
-Right. But... -You know.
...we're kind of outlanders here.
We don't have everyone
that we're friends with from our era,
you know? So...
Um, I'll address Tori.
I'm not gonna kiss your ass.
I'm not gonna say, like, "Oh, now will you like me?"
Like, nothing like that.
I mean, I didn't like you before,
I don't like you now, and I won't like you after this.
It's... That's keeping it 100% real.
DEVIN: It is in
my best interest for them both
to stay because I will be
protected from both angles.
But can we co-- Can we get Amanda
a "Coexist" bumper sticker?
AMANDA: One thing with us that we do have in common
is that we have the same friends, surprisingly.
Keeping me here is inadvertently keeping yourself here
because I'm keeping people here that are protecting you.
JOSH: I am a huge asset to the team.
I think that I have strong relationships,
and I know that that can be a threat to some people.
My priority is to win this game,
and the only way I'm gonna do that
is getting us there together.
PAULIE: My relationships around the house aren't known
because that's how I operate.
I don't like to make it obvious
that people are coming on my behalf because
I feel like that's already put a target on our back.
And, although we are grateful
for Josh's relationships on the other team,
the word on the street is that
those people are not in the high graces
of the majority of the house.
KAYCEE: This is my first time doing a season
with Paulie, and I've heard things
on how he's played the game
can be sketch.
I'm kind of just taking everything with a grain of salt.
But there is one thing that has to be put to rest.
So, if you've been going around telling people
you want me, now's your chance to say it,
and we can finish it in the sand.
That's what's gonna happen.
You know, as a man,
when you look someone in the eye and you shake their hand
and you blindly lie to them,
to me, I think you're a (bleep) coward.
I know you'll stab everyone in the back here
to get what you want, so,
you know, if I got to be the one to take you out,
so be it.
PAULIE: There's one thing that you should've learned
from War of the Worlds 2, Theo.
I don't cast the first shot.
People on your team. Bananas.
-Josh, remember when he... -PAULIE: What have you been trying to do?
They threw a challenge to get my girlfriend in.
LAUREL: If we lose today,
it's not the end of the world.
No, no, no. I wasn't a part of that.
-That's where you're confused. -PAULIE: But you knew what happened.
When I asked you as a man, "Did they throw it?"
You said, "I don't know." And you knew.
-I didn't know 'cause they didn't tell me. -You knew.
-THEO: I didn't, to this day. -You knew.
Hearing Paulie and Theo
going at it, bringing up old wounds from the past,
there is so much animosity and resentment,
and this is where all this needs to be squashed.
Season 40 is where everything's gonna come to light
and either make you friends,
or that's just a stamp on "we're enemies forever."
-Why would I lie? -PAULIE: An entire season with my girlfriend,
and then you (bleep) come in the next season.
You can say anything you want. I don't lie.
BANANAS: Four eras of The Challenge.
We're about to experience a tsunami.
TINA: Welcome to The Challenge!
CT: A lot of history, a lot of trash talk.
I won't back down to you!
How many people (bleep) hate you?
-Shut up! -You wanted to go that way.
TJ: Almost half of you are gonna see an elimination
in the culmination of the Era Invitational.
Boom.
Someone's gonna die tonight.
-Oh! -No!
BRAD: This season has
-blockbuster matchups. -(shouting)
TJ: They have to work alongside their era.
Will they be able to put their differences aside,
-or will karma catch up to them? -Sit the (bleep) down.
TJ: But first they need to survive
the largest elimination in Challenge history.
JENNY: A massacre is about to go down.
Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org