The Challenge All Stars 4 Official Trailer Breakdown

Allan Aguirre
17 min readFeb 28, 2024

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I will be breaking down the Trailer of the Challenge All Stars as I do every season. There are no spoilers in this blog that you won’t figure out by watching the trailer super slowly. YES, there are spoilers, but they are spoilers via inference and analysis. Essentially, if I see something with my eyes, I’m going to point it out. Above is the trailer in video form.

Let’s jump into it.

The official trailer jumps straight into the action. We see a van spinning as as it gets lifted into the air. This has to be one of the first daily challenges as there’s a large group of players (I count 19 of them) and then three players inside the car.

In the car, we see Derek, Ryan, and Janelle trying to keep calm. Meanwhile, the inside of the car looks like it has a mini vacation dining set, beach balls in the back, and a bunch of colorful decorations. I assume they will have to memorize/learn details about the inside of the van to complete a puzzle/quiz later.

We then get our first sound byte as Rachel Robinson says: “There are some people who are Challengers at heart… I am one of them.”

As Rachel talks, they give us dramatic shots of players as they look ready to begin a daily challenge.

First, we see Leroy. His Challenge retirement lasted about as long as a Selena Gomez Social Media break. In all honesty, the moment Leroy teased retiring from the MTV show, I was making jokes that we would see him on the next All-Stars soon… So I’m definitely not surprised he’s back. It is shocking to see his fiance Kam as she’s not a Real World/Road Rules person, is only 29 years old…and was less than a year removed from having a baby!

They then show us Averey Tressler, someone who I and many others have been begging MTV to have return for literal years!

We then get super-duper-mega quick flashes of a bunch of faces, including: Derek, Jay (!!!), Brad, Nicole, Brandon (!!!), Tony (!!!), Steve, and Ayanna.

If they have exclamation points next to their names…it’s because it’s more than 5 years since we’ve last seen them on the show…and thus an exciting sight.

A big mic-drop moment for me personally is when they show (for maybe less than .2 seconds) the one and only Tyrie Ballard. I’m confident these shots are from one of the first couple of daily challenges because, statistically speaking, we aren’t likely to see Tyrie after Episode 2.

Also, all the shots I just mentioned happen during the Rachel sound byte, and then we finally get to see her…except…Rachel isn’t in the same daily challenge area as everyone else…She is in the elimination arena (her shoulders look phenomenal).

Rachel has only ever been in two traditional eliminations her entire Challenge career, and both of them were in a dual-female pair on Exes 1 (w Aneesa). We’ve never seen her go 1 v. 1 against another woman in elimination.

This is an epic return as Rachel is one of the true OG legends of the show, a Top 10 All-Time female competitor, and is back for the first time since 2012. At the same time, Rachel is in better shape now than when she was regarded as one of the top female competitors.

After Rachel, the energy and excitement amps up even more as we get multiple shots of Cara Maria and a sound byte of her saying: “I want to make it undeniable…the Champion of all Champs, that’s what I want.”

A badass statement from a historic competitor. Cara already has the record for most Finals appearances by a female competitor & most women’s elimination wins; she was a solo winner on Vendettas, and she still wants another win to stamp her status in this show’s history.

There are two shots of Cara looking focused and distinguished before a daily challenge. Just like Rachel, we see Cara in the elimination arena!!! Cara is carrying a ball and running as it looks like she’s emerging from a cage/trench filled with water. I know we just saw her compete in an elimination on Season 39 as a mercenary, but since this was technically filmed first, this is Cara’s first elimination since Final Reckoning in 2018.

On top of all that, there’s a clip of Cara seemingly getting the best of Nicole after a daily challenge! Ace is holding Cara back, Adam Larson is laughing in the background, and Nicole is fuming while Cara smiles. I think the Cara we’re getting this season is far more similar to the person we saw arrive as a mercenary in Season 39 than the person we saw competing in her last few seasons. Cara is embracing the drama and having fun with the showman-esque aspects of the show. Thank God.

**Spoiler-ish Alert as we’re about to get looks at two eliminations***

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There might be a partner-based elimination. As we see, one player is wearing a fireman’s outfit as she shoots a high-powered water hose. We then see two players (I believe women) in the same outfights seemingly fighting in the middle as they get sprayed.

Then there is an elimination where two men are jumping into an 8–10 foot tank of water where I believe they’re diving and trying to retrieve the colored poles that lay at the bottom.

Based on the facial hair of one of the men, it looks like it might be Brad competing in this elimination.

During these two eliminations, there’s also a Jay Mitchell sound byte as he says: “I belong here. I’m getting my redemption.”

They must’ve cut out the portion where Jay also said, “Well, as long as they don’t make me drink anything.”

Truthfully, I’m happy to see Jay back on the show. Either he totally redeems himself, or we laugh at him while he fails again. Win-Win.

The next sound byte goes to Kam as she says: “Even though I’m a mom now, I’m still Killa Kam”. They show Kam and Leroy walking through a field together, holding hands, and then her hanging off the side of a moving vehicle during a daily along with other players (including Derek Chavez).

It looks like there’s a giant puzzle board maze across the side of the truck they’re hanging off of — if I had to guess, this a team challenge where they have to work as a unit to move through the maze together.

Once again, the excitement levels rise as they show us the Mean Girl trio of Veronica, Rachel, and Tina. All of them are together again for the first time since The Inferno 2 in 2005. I was 9 years old then and am now quickly approaching 30.

Imagine telling someone in 2005 that these three would be competing on a Challenge season together in 2024. And then imagine explaining to them what Onlyfans and Ozempic are.

Curiously, we get a Veronica quote saying: “I’m excited to be with them, but it is a game.” Which has me wondering whether we might see a Mean Girl betrayal at some point. That wouldn’t be very fetch.

TJ welcomes the cast to All Stars 4 and immediately after…

*speculation warning*

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They show Leroy yelling “Let’s fucking go!!!”

Except Leroy is standing on what looks to the be elimination sidelines in casual clothes. The only person Leroy would be this excited for is…Kam.

So I feel safe in projecting that Kam likely is in/wins an elimination this season.

*Another elimination-look spoiler coming*

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At nearly 50 years old, it looks like Kefla Hare enters the elimination arena for the first time, and it’s a headbanger.

Kefla is manhandling someone, and I genuinely have no clue what they are playing. Are they facing off in a Pole Wrestle/Knot So Fast hybrid? That doesn’t even make sense. My interest is piqued.

In millisecond shots, we see Nicole Zanatta competing in a daily challenge and Cara getting some boxing exercise in.

They give us a wide shot zoomed-out look from outside the puzzle maze challenge I mentioned earlier. They then show us a bunch of players converged towards the middle as they’re attached to one giant knotted rope up top. Maybe they have to figure out how to untangle themselves and then separately get through the maze?

Based on looks/helmets, I can discern that Jay, Tina, and Averey are on the same team for this daily challenge.

There’s an elimination where players have to travel through a moving metal cylindrical tube as they push a giant human-sized ball. Sure. Why not. Fuck it.

We see Tony sliding in faster than he did to Christina on Bloodlines.

He is racing towards a box with his name on it, with what I’m assuming are puzzle pieces inside. As you can see, Veronica’s name is on a box next to him, and Laurel is running behind him in the background.

My guess is that this is the first daily challenge. I say this because it looks reminiscent of the opening daily from the Global Challenge. Whoever wins this will likely hold some power, which is why Tony is going so hard.

They show us a large group of players excited before a daily challenge, as well as a dance shared between Kefla & Ayanna.

There’s a snippet of Janelle telling someone: “Whoever gets sent in with me, let’s play!” This implies that Janelle is going into elimination already.

Following Janelle, we get two Adam Larson on-screen. Adam drops his sound byte where he says: “I’ve been gone for 18 years, now is my time.” He seems serious as we see Adam carrying a giant star as he runs while other people work on some puzzles in the background. And then… we see Adam in some elimination gear.

One of the major storylines from this trailer is we are back on the Laurel & Nicole rollercoaster. Laurel is one of the most fearsome and intimidating competitors the show has ever seen, and unfortunately…her kryptonite is Nicole.

Nicole might not be able to read, but she has the ability to manipulate Laurel and turn her to mush. It’s sad to watch because Laurel deserves so much better.

Hand model Steve finds himself in the elimination arena. Also, there’s fire for no reason other than to look cool in this trailer.

We get some shots of a savage daily challenge. Two players seem to be standing on a plank over water while hooked to resistance bands that are pulling them back from behind. It looks like the players can only maintain their balance by interlocking their hands for as long as possible.

In the shots, we see Kam & Brad working as a pair, and when they let go, they each go FLYING back. I love this type of daily challenge.

Following a TJ sound byte saying: “Now we’re having fun,” the editors drop in a clip of Leroy emphatically saying: “Man, hell no!”

They drop a graphic stating 24 All-Star Fight For A Star, while TJ teases the format of this game where players need to earn a “Star” in the game and that the Stars themselves can be stolen.

There’s a shot of players getting ready to begin a daily challenge. It’s clearly a paired daily challenge as each group of two people is wearing a different colored arm sleeve. Derek & Veronica, Ayanna & Syrus, Brandon & Laurel, Steve & Jasmine, Ace & Cara Maria, and Averey & Adam are pairs for this challenge!

We then see the partner’s daily challenge as players run through a soccer stadium (wearing their colored sleeves). There’s a bunch of colored poles in the middle of the field. Based on recent seasons, it’s fair to assume that the players must find some rings, ropes, or tires throughout the stadium that they must then attach to their poles.

A really fucking crazy shot in this trailer is Cara wearing some type of glove that gets lit on fire for a daily challenge or elimination…

As experimental as Paulie gets in the bedroom, I don’t think anything could’ve prepared Cara for this.

More shots of people running during what is likely the first daily challenge.

Kefla, Jasmine, Derek, Averey, and Ryan all get very undramatic name graphics.

A more dramatic name graphic is Steve in the elimination arena…holding a star! Interestingly, there’s a woman behind him clapping. Maybe she was partners with Steve…and now she’s happy that she got his star.

Or…maybe she won an elimination solo and is now stealing Steve’s star?

We get a shot of Brad with the sound byte: “I’m taking your star when I come back.” Those words sound like someone about to go into elimination.

The question is…will Brad come back from the elimination?

There’s another shot from the paired daily challenge (again, colored sleeves). We see players dogpiling each other in the stands, likely trying to grab some item. I think players were allowed to pick their partners, as Leroy & Kam are a pair.

Syrus says: “It’s gonna be a dog fight,” then makes dog noises during his entrance graphic shot… which he does standing in what looks like the elimination arena — a common setting for Syrus on these All-Star seasons.

They show an interaction between Tina and Nicole where Tina tells us her: “I love the drama.”

Except for when Tina “quit” on All-Stars 2 because she didn’t like who she was becoming, banging pots and pans…

Tony didn’t even get a proper sound byte with his name graphic… I found that shocking as the guy is a big character and a contender to win.

We then get a couple of absurd shots. They show us Laurel buried in some gross substance that she seems to be rifling through. Meanwhile, Leroy tries to drink a bright red juice that sits in the middle of a plate that he brings towards his head using some type of puppet-like balance strings…I don’t know how to explain what Leroy is doing or trying to accomplish in this challenge.

There is a Leroy sound byte during this portion where he says: “Oh how the tables have turned.” Sidenote: I love it when Leroy plays an active game and gets a bit petty.

After that, we get some dramatic shots. A woman (I think Flora) puts her hands in her face during what looks like a voting deliberation. Ace is pointing to something in a way where I think he’s been nominated for elimination.

Then we get two shocked elimination arena crowd reactions from Cara Maria and Tina. Interestingly, when Tina is stunned, Brad & Kam don’t look enthused.

The editors give us another shot at Leroy as he lets out a powerful groan… Woah… that sounds erotic. No other way to describe it, though. All Stars 4 might be the Leroy season based on how much we’re getting of him,

We also see Janelle saying: “I’m not trying to be a bad person,” as she cries and gets consoled by Tina.

Of course, they save the prime storyline for the end. Chapter 87 of the Laurel & Cara Maria rivalry. In what looks like a deliberation where Laurel might be the daily challenge winner, Cara tells Laurel: “you’re gonna look back at this and regret the way Nicole played you like a fool.”

They then show us Laurel & Nicole kissing and reconnecting…

The way Cara tells Laurel this with such bold honesty yet also a slight bit of care really fucking hits.

It hits so hard that Laurel blows up and yells back at Cara: “You don’t fucking know me… SHUT UP!” And yet, in this moment, it feels like Cara knows Laurel more than ever before.

God, the Laurel & Cara Maria Challenge story has been going on for 15 years now, and layers keep getting added to the point where if this was a lasagna, even Garfield might say it’s getting a bit thick. And yet, I’m as invested as ever.

TJ give a basic hype up promo.

They throw in a scene with Cara saying on-camera: “What we’re gonna do is we’re gonna give you guys a show.”

The trailer ends with players shooting paintball guns as they lay on the roof of a moving car. It’s a cool-looking daily challenge, but I personally would’ve ended it with the Cara & Laurel scene.

QUICK NOTES

The people we see most prominently in this trailer are:

  • Leroy
  • Cara Maria
  • Laurel
  • Nicole

People We See a Decent Amount:

  • Kam
  • Brad
  • Steve
  • Adam

People We See In The Background A Fair Amount:

  • Jay
  • Tina
  • Derek
  • Ace
  • Kefla

People We Don’t See A Ton:

  • Tony
  • Syrus
  • Brandon
  • Ryan
  • Tyrie
  • Averey
  • Rachel
  • Janelle
  • Flora
  • Veronica
  • Ayanna
  • Jasmine

For reference, there have been seasons where the winner doesn’t get prominently featured in the trailer, and ones where people who get featured a ton are eliminated early. Generally speaking, the more we see you on-camera is a good indication for someone going further in the game/being relevant.

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Allan Aguirre

28 years old. I blog about MTV's the Challenge and will dabble into other subjects occasionally. Follow me on Twitter for the occasional bad joke.