DC ExtraTime: Inside The Godfather's All-Star Golden Birthday Bash

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

At first, DCBLOG's plans for putting the punctuation mark on this early 2021 cycle of our coverage of MTV's The Challenge and the seventeenth overall season of the fifth major pro sport that we've covered in the nine years of this site had us cover the All-Stars reunion. But given the light nature of the Twitter buzz surrounding it, that won't be the case -- and the next time we bring you our signature 'Pulse episode posts will be when we commence the countdown to Season 37 at the end of this summer. So instead, we shall offer you this following special attraction for your enjoyment...

A year ago at this time as chaos reigned outside our windows, our attention was fixated on The Challenge: Total Madness and where we were joined for that fittingly titled season by a sporting public that was anxious for competition during the unprecedented sporting shutdown. While we here at DCBLOG have always strived to provide a face to the hundred or so rookies who have made their debut in the past decade through our preseason "Who Are These Newbies?" articles and the hundreds of ExtraTime stories we've done here, many of you weren't feeling them -- and would prefer more of the veterans... and the power of the people sparked a movement in Challenge Nation. 

Thanks in part to that growing sentiment, those of you who got to join a new player in the streaming wars, Paramount+, no doubt got to enjoy The Challenge: All-Stars this spring. Despite it airing not on MTV and lacking the length of its regular season counterpart, this spinoff was more than just a usual sister of the main show: it more than lived up to the hype and brought us some great entertainment with the drama we come to expect from this show with some more than familiar faces. And it was all made possible by the efforts of not only the fans, but also by one who, a quarter century ago, made his reality TV debut on the first season of Road Rules.

Mark Long is appropriately nicknamed "The Godfather" in MTV Reality circles and with good reason: him being part of that first venture in an RV across the country in 1995 brought him much stature in this community of ours, one that brought him to doing many Challenge seasons starting with the first one in its competitive form in 1999, and then to both iterations of Battle of the Sexes, the second installments of The Gauntlet and The Duel, and recently on Battle of the Exes. His efforts of leading the charge to successfully landing an All-Stars Challenge spinoff only adds to his legend... and this past week, Mark wrapped up this successful venture with a fitting birthday bash to turn the magic 50 years old.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All Stars - The Finale Part 2

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Happy Memorial Day to you from all of us... and we hope you are enjoying this Monday off as we honor those who have served and those who have kept us safe in this time. And as we turn the page to summer 2021, matters in the fifth major pro sport in this first half of this year are about to come at a climax once again as we at DCBLOG now bring you the back-end of The Challenge: All-Stars finale in Argentina.

Back on Friday night when we brought you part 1 of it on here, the field of twelve who made their way though a deep field made it to the start line of the $500,000 final challenge: Alton, Aneesa, Big Easy, Darrell, Derrick, Jemmye, Jisela, Jonna, KellyAnne, Mark, Ruthie and Yes. As in past finals on the regular show - something only two have been through, it's a demanding two-day affair with several checkpoints along the way on day 1, the players being partnered up, and all of them being pushed physically and mentally if they want to make that run at the cash, for which the winner gets all of it.

At the end of part 1, Derrick shockingly crashed out when the boat he & Jisela were on made a wrong turn away from shore which cost them advancement in the final, as everyone else hiked their way through the wilderness doing everything we're accustomed to when money is on the line. And as we return to South America, the race continues as the OG's battle to get over a hot pepper that they had before going on that hike in the woods, and where they must survive a night of sleeping in the cold before embarking on a race to the top that, due of the points system in place for this, means that the one who finishes first may not be hoisting the crown at days end.

After the break, it's the second season finale in Challenge Nation of the year, as we bring you the SocialPulse of Week 2 of The Challenge All-Stars finale. And thanks for spending part of your holiday with the blog... we're glad you've joined us.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All Stars - The Finale Part 1

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

  DELAYED EDITION  

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

And so after all this time we've been at home and away from our loved ones, we have finally made it to the start of the summer of 2021 - and you can all breathe a sigh of relief like us in saying that. And as we kick off Memorial Day Weekend and the biggest summer in America in a long time we begin with its fifth major pro sport, and the beginning of the second final challenge of the spring as MTV's The Challenge: All-Stars on Paramount+ wraps up.

There's a reason why those of you who have longed for the originals to return to the screen for this all-star packed season of the show you love, and there have been plenty of good things to discuss about this Challenge that it wouldn't even fit this opening monologue. And the last time we were with the OG's in Argentina, it was Semifinal Week - our definition for the last pre-final regular challenge and elimination, and the players got to go big on a dusty highway doing what their counterparts on the regular show have been doing. And before she went into an arena that she would ultimately win, Jisela had it out with former friend Aneesa, which proves that even long friendships are not immune from this spinoff.

Her win with Big Easy over Kendal & Nehemiah solidified the the field of a dozen that also consists of not only her old friend, but also Alton, Darrell, Derrick, Jemmye, Jonna, KellyAnne, Mark, Ruthie and Yes. And they are about to embark on something that all but two of them have gone through before: a punishing two-day final with only the winner getting the entire prize pool at stake of $500,000. There are several checkpoints along the route in the Argentinean wilderness as they will be pushed to both their physical and mental limits and have to rely on relationships they've forged during this stay in South America as they try to make it to the end... but not everyone will do so as the starting horn goes off.

After the jump, DCBLOG brings you to the peaks of Argentina for the SocialPulse of the first day of The Challenge: All-Stars Finale as the quest for a half-million commences... and welcome to the weekend and this Summer to Remember.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All-Stars - Semifinal Week

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

For sports fans, spring is always a time of decision: with an expanded 20-team field the NBA will tip off the Playoffs tomorrow with its 2nd annual Play-In Tournament, while the NHL has just dropped the puck on the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and European football is in the closing stages of their domestic seasons. And now, our winter & spring with MTV's The Challenge has entered its business end as All-Stars is heading towards its $500,000 final, if you can believe how fast and fun this season has been, even if you can fork over money for Paramount+.

Summer is synonymous with pool season, and last week saw yet another challenge above the water as the OG's had to scramble to solve a puzzle, and that meant another wipeout for Katie after we've seen many of them in her storied career. With the midseason twist of double elimination weeks meaning that everyone is on edge, two people who were against each other during this stay in Argentina got paired up in the arena in Mark and Kendal, and in an all-Road Rules elimination they took out Katie & Laterrian solidifying her as perhaps the bettor's favorite going into this week as Vegas opens back up to 100% capacity.

For those who watch the regular show, we've become accustomed to high-flying & death-defying daily missions as the folks who make this thing possible have upped the ante in the stunt category - one of the bright lights in this modern age. Well as we return to South America, the OG's will see what being in that kind of adrenaline rush is about as they tackle their most intense game yet on a dusty highway - and a few in this group know what that's like. It also doubles as the season's last regular challenge, followed by the last elimination arena that will set that field of finalists... and in between, the nature of what this game is about when things get serious will see a close friendship possibly go by the way side.

After the jump, DCBLOG brings you the 'Pulse of Semifinal Week of The Challenge: All-Stars... and as Baddies ATL made its debut over the weekend with her Ex On The Beach bestie Janelle, the one who reps the Bad Girls Club in Challenge Nation offers her verdict on this season. Thanks for joining us...

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All-Stars - "Free Fallin'"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there from yours truly and my family - including my mom and my sister... and we hope you are enjoying yours too. And while you have this moment from your Sunday festivities, why not join us here at DCBLOG as we bring you a slice of action from Argentina as we get underway with the second half of MTV's The Challenge All-Stars and the Pulse of that on here.

The first half of this Paramount+ version of the reality competition show you love has certainly offered plenty to enjoy that, for a lot of you, is better than the regular show that just wrapped its 36th season and is now underway on its 37th overseas. And last week saw two elements that signal that things are getting serious: a mini-final with endurance and puzzles that saw two Road Rules alums reign supreme. The other was the latest Teej-bomb to drop from the hat of TJ Lavin: the rest of this season will have partnered double elimination rounds until the final, and saw Alton & Aneesa excuse Syrus & Beth.

With that elimination twist now making things that much more tense on everyone, this spinoff has had plenty of challenges take place above the water... and this week it's no different as the OG's must face their worst fears having to solve a puzzle before being dropped into the lake -- and that is not good news for one used to wiping out on this show. Meanwhile, an element of the Rivals seasons of years past and the partnered battles means that two adversaries have to suck it up to try and stay in the game -- and unlike the regular series, that one is taking place as this season is going along.

Join us here after the break as we bring you all the action, reaction and interaction of Week 6 of All-Stars on the DCBLOG Challenge SocialPulse, and you'll also meet an adorable daughter who has some words to say to all of you after what goes down. Thanks for joining us, and Happy Mom's Day...

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All-Stars - "Nuthin' But An OG Thang"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Instagram @DerrickMTV

We are winding down the first weekend of May that's been quite eventful on the sporting front with horse racing trainer Bob Baffert winning again at the Kentucky Derby, the NFL Draft in Cleveland and the chaos that took place earlier today at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United. And as far as the fifth major pro sport is concerned, the action is just heating as do the temperatures on MTV's The Challenge All-Stars, as it rolls along down in Argentina if you're lucky to have Paramount+.

When the spinoff's operating procedure was revealed, among the things to watch for this spring was the possibility that someone who would be chosen to go into elimination could be saved by the bell. Well last week, a key aspect of previous Challenges was put into play for the first time as Mark used his lifesaver option to save Katie from going into the arena after a poor showing in the daily challenge. That spurred a spot vote among the rest of the players to determine Beth's newest opponent, which saw Arissa get picked -- but she did a mic drop on the house and conceded defeat before even starting.

With her, Ace, Trishelle and Teck now gone as well as the chaos of that second ladies' elimination that never went down, it seems the players have seen everything... but they really haven't. And this week, the latest Teej-bomb to come from TJ Lavin will be dropped on the All-Stars as they will face their biggest test so far of this spring: a grueling mini-final mixing colors, mathematics, logs and endurance will show who is really is in this. There is yet another unexpected romance blooming in the house, just as we - believe it or not - reach the midway point in South America.

As this weekend comes to a close, join us after the break as DCBLOG brings you the SocialPulse of Week 5 of The Challenge All-Stars, and we'll also congratulate a friend of ours around here as he now has a ring on it. Thanks for wrapping up your weekend with us...

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All-Stars - "Semi-Charmed Lifesaver"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Today is the day those in the world of motion pictures and in the entertainment industry anticipate more than any other in the entire year: the 93rd annual edition of Academy Awards are taking place down in Los Angeles in a different manner than it was when Parasite shocked the world and made history fourteen long months ago. And if there's a season of reality television that can boast star power as gleaming as Hollywood's best, then it's the All-Stars spinoff of MTV's The Challenge that's been dominating the buzz on Paramount+ as it rages on down in Argentina.

The first three weeks have brought us so much that the regular seasons might look with a bit of envy in the action, drama and even the musical soundtrack. And last week, the daily challenge brought fans a true throwback: the players getting down and dirty with a block of ice and doing what they can to melt that away in the summer heat -- and that includes going back and forth like a late night in bed. There was also some tension brewing between Ruthie and Aneesa years after they got into it on Duel 2, and even flirting with Nehemiah and Jemmye... all before he took down Teck in the arena.

Something that we also saw last week was Kendal grapple with possibly using her lifesaver, which goes to the opposite gender's team captain during an elimination week. Well this week, she and the women are up for the cut as they try to hang onto ropes above the water, and the raft that saves a player from going into the arena may be used for the first time. And even with the spinoff nature of this season it may have one player going off on the house, as does one of the handful here who also has her own challenge of being a mommy back home away from her kids.

Join us here after the jump as we at DCBLOG bring you the 'Pulse of Week 4 of The Challenge All-Stars, as we kick off a packed Sunday with this, the regular show and the Oscars sharing center stage.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All-Stars - "I've Got Power"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

And we welcome you back... and if there is reason to perhaps look forward to the start of the week - if it wasn't an intentional one on our part, it's this one: Week 3 of The Challenge All-Stars from the angle of those in social world, and brought to you by this DCBLOG website.

There's little doubt that this offering is perhaps the biggest draw for many of you to subscribe (or at least to take a free trial) to Paramount+, and the first two weeks have been something. And previously, the one daily challenge TJ Lavin looks forward to dishing out more than any took an entirely different route: asking just Challenge-related trivia to the competitors, and Aneesa took down Ruthie heads up to just relax in her street clothes in the arena. But in the house, Katie and Trishelle opened up bad blood from their time together before the ladder was the first one eliminated when Kendal took her down.

As we are getting ever closer to what we hope with our crossed fingers  to be a summer to remember, following that tough opener in the water and the week 2 trivia-fest the daily challenge of week 3 brings up a classic from years past: teams having to do what they can to break a cold one on the ice in the scorching sun -- and that includes getting it on in public view. Meanwhile, some years-old tensions with a few all-stars will sure to boil over also in the heat of Argentina... and we also get our first business when it comes to late night pleasure thanks to two allies.

After the break, we bring you the SocialPulse of Week 3 of The Challenge All-Stars as, for the second time, the men are up for elimination. And as we had some business offline to take care of, thanks for staying with us in having to wait until Monday to bring this to you - and welcome to a new week...

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All-Stars - "All That You Can’t Leave Behind"

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Welcome back everyone... we have just wrapped up an amazing sports weekend with Hideki Matsuyama making Japanese sports history winning The Masters, Real Madrid taking the second installment of El Clasico over FC Barcelona, and night 2 of WrestleMania having just concluded down in Tampa Bay. And now comes not just the dessert, but also the fourth meal of this big weekend of athletic activities in us at DCBLOG offering the 'Pulse of Week 2 of MTV's The Challenge All-Stars on Paramount+.

Amidst so much buzz from Challenge Nation and everyone else, last week saw the much-anticipated premiere which certainly did not disappoint: a testy first daily challenge underwater that proved that this was not gonna be a season watered down for the 40- and up crowd. Just as it was for us watching Real World Homecoming, we also had plenty of nostalgia in your favorite veterans getting down to a 90's dance party, replete with 90's music. And some of the players got a rude awakening when it comes to how this game has changed a bit in the political side of things being prevalent in this modern era.

At the end of last week, the first elimination saw Road Rules 2000's Laterrian take down Real World Parisian Ace in an old-fashioned game of Pole Wrestle. And as we enter this week, the women will be up for the cut for the first time in this young season... and one person who we featured here last year being a guest to a nationally-televised wedding will find herself in the midst of the drama with one friend from back then and getting reacquainted with one who she fought with the last time they were in the same house. And no Challenge would be complete without the one game TJ Lavin loves the most, but this instance of trivia will be a bit different than what we're used to, and another of those we got to feature here last year might also succumb to the half-million-dollar pressure.

After the break, we bring you the DCBLOG SocialPulse of Week 2 of The Challenge All-Stars... and thanks for wrapping this amazing weekend with us.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All-Stars - The Premiere

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content & spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom... you do need those, after all. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Happy Easter to you and yours from all of us... and what did the Easter Bunny bring with him in his basket to share with all of you this Sunday? He has something very special if you are one of those who has followed MTV's The Challenge from the very beginning. And in the minds of many of you, this will take on the status of being THE marquee attraction of spring 2021 in the world of MTV Reality, even though Double Agents will soon crown a $1 million pair of champions, among other matters.

The entry ViacomCBS has made into the world of streaming television launched exactly a month ago today with Paramount+, and it has been offering an array of library programs, live sports & news, and original content from MTV, CBS and other channels in the CBS & Viacom suite... and that includes The Real World Homecoming. But in a way, that reunion of the first cast of TV's first reality series might just be the undercard to the main event of sorts: a special limited spinoff series of the fifth major pro sport featuring some of the biggest figures from the first few generations of the show you love, playing the modern game that we know as they look to scale the mountain to $500,000.

This week, we commence The Challenge All-Stars with the usual pleasantries that mark the start of any Challenge: players moving into their house, most getting reacquainted with TJ Lavin, and many getting back into game mode after as much as two decades away from competition... though a few of those from the seasons that we have been covering since Rivals II are very familiar. And this will be no ordinary Challenge season or one watered down for the older kids: it begins with a tough underwater challenge, while the politics of the modern game will also test one or a few of the players. And no season of this kind of nostalgia that we've been having lately would be complete without a 90's dance party, too.

After the break, the DCBLOG SocialPulse brings you all the action, reaction, interaction and the lead-up to the premiere of The Challenge All Stars, as it unfolded on Twitter on April Fool's Day Thursday, and specially curated for all of you to enjoy in its uncensored and raw nature, which includes explicit language and if you're mature enough then read with discretion. And afterwards, we'll have a special performance by an Easter bunny... but the man who is inside it just might be familiar. Thanks for joining us Challenge Nation, and welcome... and thanks for spending part of your special Sunday with us.

Inside MTV Reality: Welcome to The Challenge All-Stars

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Just over a month ago, the man who serves as the co-host of the definitive audio talk show for perhaps the most revered show for those of us who watch and worship this world of MTV programming, Scott Yager, tweeted that those of us who have grown up with a cable channel known historically as Music Television should expect 2021 to be an amazing year. This is, after all, the 40th anniversary of MTV, and we are smack dab in the midst of what's shaping up to be a memorable spring in this world of reality television's most-talked about shows.

Right now, we are in the midst of the serious business just beginning on The Challenge Double Agents as it winds its way towards thinning out the number of competitors left in Iceland before it contests the season-end marathon for $1 million. One of the figures still left in the running is also going about being part of the universe surrounding Cheyenne Floyd on Teen Mom OG as she awaits the arrival of her second baby and third in the group that represents Challenge Nation in that sorority. And in Montana, Season 4 of Floribama Shore is well underway with plenty of drama having gone down as the Bam is getting used to being in lockdown in the north.

And then, there's the main event of this spring: this Thursday is the launch of The Challenge All Stars as it commences the Easter holiday weekend. And where it seems that the wide world of reality television has been represented on recent seasons of the fifth major pro sport on the conventional MTV cable channel, this spring those who you grew up with are returning for one more shot at pride and glory. And it will be airing on a totally new platform compared to what we're used to: ViacomCBS' entry into the streaming wars of Paramount+, which launched earlier this month to much fanfare.

Over twenty of those who have done either one of the two series that began the MTV Reality story three decades ago -- Real World or Road Rules, along with a Fresh Meat alum mixed in, will gather down in Argentina for another chance to scale the peaks of the Andes Mountains and the heights of this game to earn a shot at a half million dollars. And if what we've seen of late on the main Challenge series has been thrilling as far as the action goes, then we should be in for just as much when those who have not been on this series since a certain streaming competitor was just delivering movies through the mail take to the floor for a season unlike any other, though some things don't change down the years.

After the jump, DCBLOG takes our first look at The Challenge All-Stars as the OG's take center stage one more time. Thanks for joining us, Challenge Nation and welcome... we're glad you're here again.