The Challenge All Stars 5: Rivals Episode 1 Recap: 15 Biggest Takeaways
The 1st episode of The Challenge All Stars 5 is in the books. You probably have some thoughts, so let’s compare. Instead of giving a simple summary, I decided to focus on the 15 Biggest moments/takeaways from Episode 1.
If you prefer audio/video, my podcast recap can be found above/below:
15 Opening Thoughts
I decided to make this week’s recap essentially a cast breakdown, and then I’ll do some daily challenge result thoughts afterward. Some other thoughts I had are that $300k as a prize pool feels a bit low for two players to split, so as they hinted at this episode, the opportunity to steal money might be on the table. Next, as much as I love having an elimination to end episodes, this week’s episode did a great job of setting the table and establishing the cast, which is crucial considering we had so many people returning to The Challenge and some on MTV for the first time in many years. Alright, let’s get down to business.
14 Adam & Steve
I love how TJ presented Steve & Adam’s rivalry as Steve stole Adam’s Star on All Stars 4. It completely omitted the fact that Adam voted Steve into elimination and proceeded to say a bunch of mean shit about Steve in his confessionals after Steve stole the Star. From what I’ve seen, Adam should be the one apologizing because some of the stuff he said about Steve crossed a line. Still, these two are a scary pair because Adam is a cardio freak, and Steve continues to prove himself as a competitor. Together, they will be hard to beat, and they showed why in the first daily challenge. I did chuckle after their opening daily challenge victory when Adam said he showed why Steve should’ve let him keep his Star. If anything, Adam proved why it was better not to face Adam in the Final!
My only immediate desire for this team is that Steve grows his beard back because it looked so good on him. He weirdly look much older without it.
13 Jonna & Beth
I don’t blame Jonna for being over-emotional for getting paired with Beth. The reason told us via the premiere’s edit that Jonna is upset is because Beth fucked with Jonna’s home life and almost upended her marriage. Which if someone did to you, you’d probably fucking hate their guts.
However, the bigger reason why Jonna is upset is that she has a partner in Beth who makes it impossible to win. Not only is Beth an annoying social pariah who puts a target on their team with her personality , but also, competitively, Beth is a terrible player without the physical capacity to run a Final. Twenty years ago, Beth’s body was already too old and clunky to perform at a high level in so many daily challenges. I think Jonna has enough heart to forgive someone who wronged her if they could help her win. If Jonna got to compete with Zach again, she’d do it in a heartbeat over Beth.
12 Ashley & Dario
When Ashley & Dario broke up a couple of years after getting together on Invasion of the Champions, I was stunned because I thought the two physically looked like a perfect couple. They were two ridiculously pretty pieces of wallpaper that complimented each other well. It was interesting to find out that Dario fumbled the bag by seemingly choosing to be a fuckboi rather than commit. In the time since, though, Dario got a degree and started his own business. Meanwhile, Ashley had a baby with pro-NFL running back Kerryon Johnson, and that relationship has fizzled out just like his career. Now, they’re back together, and they’re still ridiculously attracted to each other as they both look hot as fuck. Straight up, I hope they hook up this season.
Sidenote: Dario commented how the All-Stars cast looks like a retirement home, which I feel is a comment MTV made sure to add to foreshadow a potential moment where Dario might be getting his ass kicked by an OG.
As a team, this duo is a sneaky threat, as both players are fit & competent. These two have an excellent opportunity to be in the upper middle of the pack, where they shouldn’t get targeted as the big threats in the Final, and they won’t look like a lay-up team in eliminations. Also, I love how we have an Exes format in existence except because we haven’t done it in forever, they threw Ashley & Dario on this.
11 Nicole & Melissa
If nails on a chalkboard had ears, they would try to plug them when Nicole Zanatta talks. For reference of how much I dislike Nicole, peanut butter is one of my all-time favorite foods, so much so that sometimes I just grab a big spoonful and got to town. Knowing how much Nicole also loves it literally makes me question my own tastebuds. Although, based on the death row last meals of some serial killers I’ve seen, it’s clear you can have good taste in food and be an awful human. Moving into her pairing with Melissa — these two are not rivals whatsoever. I find it hilarious that Nicole is once again going to be cheating on her girlfriend at home because there’s no shot she won’t hook up with Melissa the first she gets. Seeing how Melissa looked coming out of the pool in that blue dress, though, maybe I’ll give Nicole a pass just this once. I do feel bad for Nicole’s “girlfriend,” whose face got flashed on screen so that we know the person who is going to get cheated on.
10 Corey & Big T
I wouldn’t mind seeing Corey or Big T on Season 41 or 32. As a pairing, they don’t mesh with the “OG” vibe of All-Stars. At least Fessy has more seasons under his belt, and players like Melissa & Amber are moms. I’m sure Corey has a Tamagotchi at home that he takes good care of, but I’m not a fan of them being here. That said, they’re not a bad pair, and I could see them sneaking into the Final.
9 Turbo & Nany
Turbo is simultaneously a loud toxic douchebag who is ready to threaten violence at any sign of disrespect and a coward afraid of having any honest conversations. The guy does not take accountability and acts like an absolute bozo; even how he breathes is gross. Based on how he and Nany performed on War of the Worlds 1, they should be favorites to win this season. Except for them to do well, Turbo has to take the 17 sticks up his ass out and not put a target on them with his personality.
It is an ominous sign that Nany’s opening confessional was about wanting to win this season so she and Kaycee could pay for their wedding and start a family. Considering they just broke up, I’m not putting Nany’s chance of winning. Then again, Nany’s decade-long history on this show would say the exact same thing.
8 Ashley & Aneesa
There are so many potential rivals for Aneesa & Ashley in Challenge history that their pairing seems odd. Despite a lack of direct conflict history between these two women, they fit with the theme as they do not like each other at all. Ashley does not like Aneesa’s gameplay style and doesn’t believe she can win a Final. Aneesa does not like Ashley’s gameplay or how she carries herself as a human. My opinion on the matter? Ashley plays a boom or bust style of game that’s resulted in her winning this show. In contrast, Aneesa repeatedly plays the same game where she gets cut off at the end by her allies, and even if she makes it to the end, she’s a Final lay-up as she didn’t make the moves to get the bigger threats out of the game.
They once again gave Aneesa a partner who knows how to win and is good in the Finals, and yet Aneesa will complain like she always does. It’s good to have Hurricane Ashley back in the mix.
7 Shane & Da’Vonne
The beef between Da’Vonne & Shane during Final Reckoning got ugly, so I never thought I’d see these two on a season together again. It’s great to see them back on the show, and while their relationship isn’t great, Shane is a phenomenal partner for Da’Vonne. Shane is an excellent political player and was the main strategist behind the Lavender Lady alliance. As a competitor, Shane is also a clever mind as he always figures out shortcuts in daily challenges to perform at a high level. That mindset is crucial while competing with Da’Vonne, who is a good athlete but doesn’t have the best fitness/cardio.
They can go far in this game if they get on the same page. Their big personalities may also lead to a massive blow-up and a quick exit. At the very least, they’ll be a highly entertaining team. So far, Shane is trying to keep a low profile.
6 Fessy & Amber
On paper, I think this team is the biggest threat in the Final. Their pairing is unique because Amber has the label of Champion, yet Fessy is the much, much better player in their partnership. Amber is statistically one of the worst daily challenge competitors, as she’s never won solo or paired daily challenges. She has weaknesses when it comes to swimming, puzzles, and math. Well, Fessy makes up for most of those weaknesses, and we know he’s a great athlete. If he can get them to the Final, we know Amber has the wheels to outrun everyone, and she’s a decent eater, so she can make up for Fessy’s weakness there. It is funny because if Fessy had stuck with Amber for the Final on Double Agents, they likely would have won. I will also note that they will be a formidable team face in eliminations as their size and athleticism is tough to go up against.
Now the question is, will these OG’s smartly target them?
5 Katie & Veronica
Veronica & Katie were a dream rivals pairing for the originals Rivals 1 fifteen years ago. Even then, that pairing would’ve been 6 years after their original big blow-up. So the fact we had to wait 20 years to see these two together is…actually not as special as it could’ve been. On the one hand, it’s a long overdue pairing. Unfortunately, these two do not have the same type of juice as competitors or care for their game, which causes them to bring much heat. If anything, these two might go far in the game because people might want to bring them to the Final as lay-ups.
A Katie & Veronica pairing feels like a movie sequel that got held up for way too long. I will note that Katie looks gorgeous, and Veronica’s confessional dress looks lovely.
4 Devin & Leroy
Being one of only two dual-male teams makes Devin & Leroy one of the favorites to win. Devin’s won a title recently, and Leroy’s been to 6 Finals, so they also have experience on their side. Leroy’s physicality gets balanced out by Devin’s puzzle prowess. On paper, they should do exceptionally well, so I’ll be rooting against them because the season feels tailor-made for them to win.
3 Sylvia & KellyAnne
The fact that Sylvia came on this season three months after giving birth is insane. She looks fantastic, given that fact; however, I worry about how she’ll hold up physically, as it’s hard to compete athletically at a high level so soon after giving birth. And while Sylvia has always been a good competitor, it’s not like she’s always been an overwhelming athlete. If we had gotten Sylvia in her “prime,” I think she and KellyAnne would be a sneaky strong duo as their skill sets complement one another.
The palpable hatred between these two ladies is genuinely funny, and they can potentially be the most entertaining female rival pair since Jasmine & Jonna on Rivals 1.
2 Frank & Sam
Frank is coming on this season with a genuine quest to prove that he’s grown so much as a human and isn’t the same lunatic he was over a decade ago. Well, they’re putting him through the fucking ringer by partnering him with Sam. Over a decade ago, we watched Frank verbally berate Sam and physically push her during daily challenges. It’s something he’s not proud of, yet he will have to confront this season with how he treats her in every daily challenge. Which is brutal for Frank because even if he has grown as a human, he’s still hyper-competitive, and Sam is going to test his mental limits as she’s physically…not in a shape where she seems capable of competing at a high level.
We saw Frank’s wheels spinning in that first competition as Sam got completely gassed without even completing 1/3rd of the daily challenge. Frank tried to be supportive, kind, and patient. Except because of who Frank is, you can hear the frustration in his voice and see it in his eyes, and his confessionals don’t help either. I’m gonna be honest, if Frank has any hope of doing well, he needs to be more of an asshole, because even when he tries to be friendly, he still sounds like a bit of an asshole. Now, he can’t go full BOTS Frank, but if he can find a middle ground, then he & Sam won’t be total lay-ups.
1 Daily Challenge & Stars Thoughts
The top two teams in the intense physical daily challenge were the two guy-guy teams, which shows a flaw in the game/format. Adam & Steve and Devin & Leroy are clearly the teams to beat. Dario & Ashley K coming in 3rd was a respectable performance and shows they aren’t a team that will get rolled over. It was then between Turbo & Nany and Corey & Big T, and while Corey & Big T have trained a bunch in the offseason — they still aren’t as good of a team as Turbo & Nany even when those two are beefing. Turbo & Nany have Stars, but as the 4th Place finishers and with Turbo being such a confrontational personality, they’re most likely to get their Stars stolen or be forced to defend them. Then again, we still don’t know how the game/format works yet.
I will also note that 6/10 men on this cast already have Stars, Corey was in 5th Place, and Fessy (along with Amber) was initially leading in the daily challenge. Part of me fears that the girl-girl teams will struggle in this game.
