The Big Picture
- The Challenge: All Stars brings back old friendships, but money can break them.
- Previous season dynamics shift as men take the spotlight in All Stars 4.
- Money has the power to destroy relationships on reality TV, as seen in past Challenge seasons.
The beauty of The Challenge: All Stars is seeing old friends reunite years after they made their MTV debut. This season, The Challenge: All Stars 4 brought back Road Rules: The Quest castmates Adam Larson and Steve Meinke to compete for the grand prize on the reality competition series. For the most part this season, they have had some brief interactions that viewers have witnessed, but a major plot twist went down when fans learned that there is something that can break a 20+-year friendship: money. The men have been relegated to the back of the action this season, but now that the final is imminent and money is on the line, no matter the connection, a bridge will be burned when loyalty is tested. Betrayal stings.
The Challenge: All Stars is a fan-favorite spin-off on the flagship program on MTV. The series unites legends of the game, from all the way back in the early days to seasons in recent memory, as they compete to enter TJ Lavin's final and win a handsome cash prize in the end. With previous friendships, rivals, and relationships coming back into play, The Challenge: All Stars 4 has been a game where the women dominated the action. Now that the main rivalry between Cara Maria Sorbello and Kam Williams has officially ceased, the men have taken the spotlight.
The Challenge: All Stars (2021)
TV-MA
Reality
Veteran competitors from previous seasons of "The Challenge" return to the arena for a shot at glory and a significant cash prize. The show features intense physical and mental challenges set in stunning locations, as familiar faces navigate old alliances and reignite past rivalries. Each episode tests their endurance, strategy, and resilience, as they strive to outlast one another and claim the ultimate victory.
- Release Date
- April 1, 2021
- Cast
- T.J. Lavin
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Seasons
- 4
- Creator(s)
- Mary-Ellis Bunim , Mark Long , Johnathan Murray
The Challenge: All Stars 4 Proves the Past Is Not the Present
When the show that The Challenge first began, the series welcomed alumni from The Real World and Road Rules to exotic locations in order to compete for money and bragging rights. The original series has 39 seasons under its belt, with a season currently filming. As the show expanded, The Challenge introduced individuals from other MTV intellectual products and various reality programs to expand the pool of competitors. But The Challenge: All Stars honored the OGs, bringing them back for their second chance at glory. Such is the case with Adam Larson and Steve Meinke. Way back in 2001, Adam and Steve were young bucks who appeared on the tenth season of Road Rules called The Quest. Exploring Morocco and Spain in the iconic Road Rules RV, both men lasted the entire adventure, forming a bond that, seemingly, lasted for over twenty years. They did compete together on Real World/Road Rules: The Gauntlet in 2003, but it would be twenty years later that their paths would cross again on screens for The Challenge: All Stars 4.
With the war between Cara and Kam concluded, the men were fighting to have a star in hopes of punching their ticket to TJ's final. With so much of the focus on the women, understanding the dynamics of the men and their relationships has been quite difficult to comprehend. Ryan Kehoe and Derek Chavez have a strong relationship as the gay men of the house. Jay Mitchell and Ryan Kehoe have allegedly formed a bond, as they've called themselves ocelots. Ace Amerson has allegedly gotten quite close with Ryan. This episode completely felt like a reboot or a companion story to the main franchise. So with most of this news to the viewers, how the elimination decision would be formulated was going to be based on new information. Ryan had initially told the house he wanted to go into the elimination to earn a star, but he then went back on that, informing Ace to not vote him in. And thus, he followed through. And Steve was not thrilled as his head was officially on the chopping block again. His hand was forced again. While Leroy Garrett was his intended opponent, Jay, as the winner of the week, went to fight for his star, sending himself into battle with Steve.
Related
'The Real World' Reboot Would Be Welcomed
'The Real World' was a groundbreaking reality show that defined the genre for a generation. It's time to bring it back!
Steve was sent into elimination for the third time, and for the third time, he was victorious. Given the option to steal a star from one of the male star holders, he selected Adam. Since he already had his own star, he then gave the star to Ace. His reasoning? Adam sent him into elimination, and he didn't think any of the other men deserved to be a star holder. Naturally, Adam was not too fond of this decision. Everything surrounding this decision was personal. Adam expected Steve to respect their decades-long connection to see them both compete in the end. Steve expected Adam to respect their decades-long connection and keep him safe from elimination. But when you don't truly express your feelings to one another, how can you expect the other to follow through? In the end, two individuals have seemingly sacrificed their friendship because of a televised reality competition. Was it all worth it? What's unfortunate is there was no real lead-up to this moment. Had more time been taken earlier in the season, this moment might have had a stronger meaning for the viewers. While fans can understand and respect both men's perspectives, it was unfair that more time for this storyline was not taken.
Money on Reality Television Can Tear Anyone Apart
Fans of The Challenge are more than aware how taking money away can destroy any semblance of a relationship. Even if you're the biggest rivals! When someone messes around with your money, a line is drawn. Emotions are bound to come into play. The most drastic moment when money destroyed a relationship was during The Challenge: Rivals III. When TJ revealed that there was one final twist waiting for winners Johnny Bananas and Sarah Rice, fans expected the obvious. The pair, who had relied on one another all season long, had the option to split the money or, if one party decided to take it all, the other would be left with nothing. Why would anyone want to make the most villainous move in The Challenge history? Well, to make a massive moment! Bananas stole the money straight out of Sarah's hands, and everyone was gasping for air. Once again, on The Challenge: Final Reckoning, the finalists competed as teams, but unbeknownst to the players, the individual who accrued the fastest cumulative time had the option to take the entire million-dollar prize. Ashley Mitchell and Hunter Barfileld were the winners, with Ashley having the faster time. Due to how he and others treated Ashley, she opted to put the knife in his back and took the entire prize for herself. Again, everyone was gasping for air.
For Adam and Steve, this was not a finite moment. There is still time to potentially repair their friendship and both have the option to compete together in the end. But for now, it seems they are both willing to cut ties for the sake of money. For Challengers who have returned to The Challenge: All Stars after years of recently competing, the stakes are not as explosive. For those who are essentially making their comeback, the gravity is much heavier. There is a giant prize to win, so when someone you personally care about rips that potential away, it hurts. Steve was hurt yet was still zen about the situation. Adam was distraught. His confessionals following his perceived betrayal was very emotional. It threw back to his time on the show two decades earlier. It only took the final stretch of the game for the men of The Challenge: All Stars 4 house to bring the drama.
The Challenge: All Stars 4 streams new episodes every Wednesday on Paramount+.
