We’re entering another Challenge off season, and after five All Stars installments, the spin-off franchise has reintroduced us to many people. The Real World Portland has had a big resurgence in recent years with Jordan, Averey, and Nia all doing multiple seasons. But, that Real World season gave us more Challenge representation, and at one point it seemed Johnny Reilly would be a mainstay in the franchise.
He has a rare resume on the show because he seemingly progressed in reverse. He was a finalist on his first season and a very early boot on his final season. While his time on the show only spanned a few years, he was a part of story lines that still impact active competitors on the show.
Free Agents
If you remember Johnny on the Challenge, there’s a good chance your mind will quickly recall Free Agents. He managed to become a runner up on this season thanks to many solid performances and incredible luck at the draw.
Regardless of how he got to the final, Free Agents was a really strong showing for Johnny. It should have set the tone for his time on the show, but it seems like this season is the only one where he had fun. He made a lot of friends in the house, hooked up with Nany, and positioned himself to be a force on future seasons.
Leaving this season, it became clear that Johnny was friends with Bananas and he was reinventing his personality in the Real World/ Challenge sphere. This would be a short-lived shift, because his next season would immerse him in unfinished drama.
Battle of the Exes 2
Exes can be an unfair format. Some teams were quick hook-ups with little history, but Johnny and Averey had a lot of history. Their communication was virtually non-existent when they arrived in Panama, and this meant they formed different friendships. Johnny continued his alliance with Bananas while Averey worked with Wes.
Despite the poor communication, the team did fairly well in daily challenges. They also won two Domes, but there was a reason they were sent into eliminations. The former roommates were so divided that they couldn’t even make unified political moves, and other teams used this vulnerability as an excuse to give them at target.
The edit didn’t do Johnny any favors. He looked stubborn and argumentative, and he probably was, but he was thrown into a situation with a lot of discomfort and unfinished business.
Rivals 3
There really isn’t much to say about this season — Johnny was dead on arrival. He managed to compete in three daily challenges, and he came in last place all three times. This wasn’t Johnny’s fault, Jessica was the clumsy one. While they won the Back It Up elimination, they lost in Weight For Me.
When Johnny & Jessica were sent home, Johnny wasn’t shy about his disappointment. He essentially blamed Jessica, but it didn’t seem like he wanted this to be the end of his Challenge career.
What’s Johnny’s Challenge Legacy?
It feels like most Challenge seasons have a rookie who defies the odds and makes it to the final — and on Free Agents, it was Johnny Reilly. This made it seem like he was poised to become a Challenge success story, but it was all downhill after Free Agents.
Johnny is one of the last people on The Challenge who’s predominately defined by his Real World season and the drama it brought. On Free Agents, he was aligned with Jordan, but his main story line was life after Averey — even though they weren’t quite over. Then, he was paired with Averey on Exes 2. It’s clear that neither of these exes wanted to be forced into a partnership, but it was the only way they’d get cast on the show. Then, production stretched his feud with Jessica to make them a team on Rivals 3, and that proved to be the kiss of death.
While he was on the show, Johnny seemed eager to compete, but it always felt that something from his Real World season would hold him back. Perhaps this made him frustrated, and he looked for an identity outside of the show. He’s now married, a father, and working in law enforcement.
Quite a few cast members from Johnny’s era of the Challenge have returned to All Stars to reinvent themselves. Even if Johnny wanted to do that, he probably couldn’t.
When Averey debuted on the Challenge in 2015, she complained that she was simply known as Johnny’s ex. It took a long time for that image to go away, but she returned to the show and built a new identity for herself. If Johnny came back to the show, he’d likely be known as the ex. I doubt he wants that and Averey definitely doesn’t want it, so I don’t think he’ll return any time soon.
Stop Being Polite 