What Will Era 5 Be About?

Challenge 41 is on the way, and it’s coming hot off the heels of Battle of the Eras. Naturally, this makes season 41 feel like it’s the beginning of a new Challenge era — but what will define it?

Before Battle of the Eras premiered, the Challenge defined each of its eras in a trailer. Era 4 “brought the game global,” and it’s easy to see why MTV would use this as the main descriptor for seasons 31-39. We had formats like War of the Worlds and Spies, Lies and Allies that heavily incorporated international contenders, and the challenge spawned versions in Argentina, Australia, and the UK.

Now that we’re in era 5, the cast tells us that the Challenge hasn’t entirely moved away from international rookies. We have some faces from the UK and Australia, but the rookie class is primarily USA contenders.

We also know the theme is “Vets vs. New Threats.” While there’s still time for the actual subtitle to change, the veteran/ rookie dynamic is going to be central to this season.

Technically, Battle of the Eras is part of Era 5 — and it will likely be a launching point for themes we’re going to see through season 49. This season started the current era as a “quest for the best,” and being a top competitor will become more important than ever.

If I had to guess, I’d anticipate Era 5 will aim to make the Challenge the ultimate reality competition. So, production is going to lean on the same big names to carry seasons, and rookies will continue to be largely disposable.

I think this means a few things for the show:

1. Veterans will continue to be stagnant, and production will lean on people like CT, Bananas, Cara Maria, and Laurel for the foreseeable future. However, production will also love random redemption arcs, like we’ve seen with people like Derek and Aviv, so we’ll get a few semi-unexpected returns.
2. The Challenge will want to have big, noteworthy daily challenges to brand itself as a competition show, distancing itself further from its Real World and Road Rules roots. Thanks to shows like the Traitors and House of Villains, the political game and drama will take a back seat. There are other reality TV shows emphasizing drama and scheming — the Challenge will aim to differentiate itself with more extreme competitions.
3. While I don’t think international rookies will disappear, I think newbies will mostly come from English-speaking countries, and the effort to make the Challenge “global” will be mostly forgotten. A few of them will get invited back, but most will only get one chance at the show. However, I anticipate another loser season like Battle for a New Champion at some point.

Obviously, these are just predictions, and I hope I’m wrong. I’ve often worried about the reliance on the same old veterans and the lack of investment in rookies, but I don’t see this changing. At least I don’t see the spy themes coming back, and that’s a step in the right direction.