On March 8, Parmount+ will air The Challenge: World Tournament, the final component of the World Tournament that’s been going on for nearly a year. The premier date is rapidly approaching, and you might be wondering whether or not you should watch.
For many people, it feels like keeping up with The Challenge can be a marathon. The 30-person cast is filled with Challenge mainstays, but many of the participants come from international adaptations. If you haven’t seen the Australian, UK, or Argentinian installments, these people aren’t going to be familiar to you. But, names like Johnny Bananas, Tori, and Wes will definitely ring a bell.
Of course, I’m going to be watching this — but I’m a superfan. Based on the format of this season, in a perfect world, this would feel like War of the Worlds. The MTV Challenge legends will be paired with someone from the international spinoffs and they’ll play as partners.
So, if you’ve been following each installment in the World Tournament, this season is a must-see. But, if you’re in this scenario, you’re probably not debating whether or not to watch.
If you have Parmount+ to watch All Stars, this is going to feel very different. All Stars has nostalgia value, whereas this season is going to introduce international players and force you to root for them. And, if it’s edited like The Challenge: USA, you’re not going to get a lot of backstory on these people. Even if you went back and watched the USA, UK, Australia, or Argentina seasons, you wouldn’t get too familiar with the contestants. And while this doesn’t make these people bad, you’re unlikely to establish a great connection with them throughout the season.
If you just watch the main series on MTV, is this the season that’s going to convert you to Parmount+? Let’s be honest here — probably not. The old school faces on the World Tournament are Yes, Kellyanne, Jodi, Jonna, and Nia. All of them have done an All Stars season, and if you haven’t been compelled to watch them on All Stars yet, this isn’t the season that will change your mind. Maybe you should tune in if you’re a diehard Bananas fan or if you’ve been itching for Theo to make a return. Otherwise, this season doesn’t offer anything else that’s new.
At some point, maybe in June, the whole season will have aired and you’ll be able to binge it in a weekend (if you’re so inclined). If you’re on the fence about this season, maybe wait until then — that is one of the perks of streaming, after all. This might not be a realistic solution if you’re prone to looking at spoilers and feel they’ll ruin the show for you, but otherwise, you could binge the season on a Parmount+ free trial in the future.
I’ll be honest, the hype isn’t too strong for this season. Maybe it’s because they only started promoting it two weeks in advance, or because the reception of the international adaptations has been poor, but it feels like the season’s reveal should have been much bigger. For some people, they’re left with the impression that the season isn’t too important in the show’s continuity. I doubt this is true, but if you feel that way, I can’t blame you.
Stop Being Polite 