A DCBLOG MTV Trifecta Special
BY DC CUEVA
BY DC CUEVA
We are headed towards the business end of the current season of The Challenge, as Rivals III has been heating up in the Mexican sunshine, both on the playing field and in the house. If you follow the entire world of what I refer to as the MTV Trifecta, then this summer is the best time to be a fan as Season 4 of Are You The One? is already in full swing, and so has filming for the next Real World up in Seattle. And of course, there's plenty more drama coming up as the summer rolls along, as tonight a big elimination battle looms.
Throughout the 25-year history of this ecosystem, there have been so many memorable moments, unforgettable casts, incredible people and great seasons among the shows that galvanizes this longtime MTV fan. We've had great Real World seasons: San Francisco, Hawai, the first two Las Vegas seasons, San Diego I, Austin, Key West, Ex-Plosion and beyond. Fairly recently, there was the beloved, original season 1 cast of Are You The One?, who refined the definition of reality dating shows, and there's Road Rules as well. But five years ago this summer, we had perhaps the best-season ever of The Challenge.
It was a season that brought the competition and drama fans were accustomed to on the "fifth major pro sport" to a level that amazed everyone including those who were involved in the season itself. We had an unparalleled combination of an all-star cast of The Challenge's biggest names, both past and present. There was a slew of moments that got us talking that took place both on the playing field and in the house. There was a human aspect in the face of this show who had experienced a life-changing moment just months earlier coming back to do the job he's best known for to casual viewers outside the action sports world. And of course, there was the uneasy feeling that came about when the competitors found out that they had no one to answer but to the one person they despise the most.
On this special, dedicated edition of DC ExtraTime, we take a look back at what many feel is the greatest season ever of the fifth major pro sport: The Challenge: Rivals from summer 2011 in Costa Rica.
