Apparently, 2016 is trending. People are mentally rewinding 10 years, and guess what: The Challenge was airing in 2016 (and this site was still active).
So, let’s get in on the trend. In 2016, there were five shows worth talking about:
- Battle of the Bloodlines was airing (Dec. 2015-Feb. 2016)
- Real World: Go Big or Go Home aired (March-May 2016)
- Rivals 3 aired (May-Aug. 2016)
- Real World: Bad Blood filmed (June-July 2016) and started to air (Oct. 2016-Jan. 2017)
- Invasion of the Champions filmed (Oct.-Nov. 2016)
(Are You the One? 4 also aired, giving us Tori and Asaf).
You may look back at this time fondly, or you may cringe at the offerings that MTV gave us in 2016. As someone who watched and analyzed these shows that year, this is what it really felt like to be a Challenge/ Real World fan during that period.
1. There was still a bit of a somber tone. While Knight and Diem passed away in late 2014, Battle of the Bloodlines was the first season to film following their deaths. The absence was felt, especially with CT & Faith coming to honor Diem on Bloodlines episode 8, then CT and Zach competed in the episode 9 elimination. Both episodes aired in January 2016.
2. People thought the Bloodlines would have potential. Just like Fresh Meat, viewers expected a bunch of them to appear on future seasons. Instead, only four of them returned. Jamie, Vince, and Nicole competed on Rivals 3, Shane and Nicole did Dirty Thirty, and Nicole appeared on Vendettas. This makes Nicole the most seasoned Bloodline.
3. Many viewers were excited to see Cara Maria win Bloodlines, but it was somewhat discredited by the fact that she competed against two Challenge newcomers. They also credited Jamie for doing most of the work in the final, and wondered if the team benefited from being on the only co-ed pair in the final.
4. The Aftershows and reunions were at their peak importance. On Bloodlines, the Tom/ Abe fight happened on an Aftershow, and it continued onto the reunion. For Rivals 3, we saw the memorable Camila and Amanda fight, and CT made an appearance on an episode.
5. People actually had faith in The Real World performing well. Real World Ex-Plosion and Skeletons were rating hits, and some fans thought Go Big or Go Home would blend the best of The Real World and Road Rules. They were wrong; the season disappointed.
6. Go Big or Go Home was an incredibly uncomfortable season, and it was mostly marked by the racial tension between Ceejai and Jenna. It felt like production wanted to showcase these arguments prominently, whereas they’d make huge efforts to avoid such topics in the modern Challenge era.
7. Excitement for Rivals 3 wasn’t super high — at least not as high as a Rivals season should be. Bananas & Sarah were obvious front-runners, and competition was lacking.
8. Are You the One? hate was at an all-time high. While Battle of the Exes 2 had two AYTO pairs (four people), many viewers assumed they were on the show to assemble a complete cast. Only two AYTO people competed on Bloodlines, but that number surged to eight at the start of Rivals 3. Then, Nelson & Amanda were added to the cast, making a total of 10. Frustrations further escalated when Devin & Cheyenne returned.
9. Viewers were frustrated by the start of Rivals 3 because it had such a slow pace, and many teams quit or were DQed. We watched four teams leave without an elimination: Leroy & Averey, Brandon & Briana, Thomas & Simone, and Tony & Camila. By the time Johnny R. & Jessica left the competition, the first team to truly get sent home through an elimination, it was episode five — meaning the show had been airing for a month.
10. Rivals 3 did find its footing midseason when the game picked up its pace. Many long-time Challenge viewers felt that the challenges were similar to the games they saw on Era 1 seasons. Still, the game was somewhat predictable with Bananas & Sarah being the obvious best team.
11. Production got what they wanted from the money-stealing twist. Sarah walked away betrayed, but this was a buzzy moment that was discussed by many media outlets. It evoked emotion in Challenge fans, and sadly, Sarah was the perfect victim: A beloved competitor who had an obvious rivalry with her partner and straddled the line of good and evil while playing The Challenge. Fans still debate this moment, and according to The Ringer, it’s the No. 52 best TV episode of the century.
12. WHY was Mike Crescenzo, who voluntarily left AYTO3, on The Real World: Bad Blood? WHY?!
13. The Real World: Bad Blood seemed to have potential because it integrated a pseudo-rivals theme. When the show started airing, it didn’t really feel like The Real World. The cast was way too big, viewers had no investment in the feuds, and a lot of cast members got lost in the edit. It’s no wonder this season kept the low ratings we saw on Go Big or Go Home.
14. Tya was easily the most noteworthy cast member from Bad Blood. Her fake British accent and pregnancy were two of the more memorable aspects of the season. It was surprising she didn’t compete on the next Challenge season (Invasion). It’s more surprising she never appeared on a Challenge.
15. The Invasion cast reveal was mostly expected names, but there were two surprises. Fans were excited to see Marie finally return after Battle of the Seasons, only to get their hearts broken when she was the first girl booted. Shane’s return after a 12-year hiatus was shocking, and such a huge break was unheard of at that point in Challenge history.
16. Once the Champions were revealed, there was a lot of excitement going into 2017. Fans were thrilled to have such a stacked cast, and CT’s return gave the show momentum because some people thought he was really going to retire after Exes 2.
Stop Being Polite 