The Challenge Seasons 10 & 13 on Netflix: What You Need to Know

MTV

Two seasons of The Challenge, 10 and 13, were added to U.S. Netflix on December 15 and fans will be happy to rewatch some iconic moments of the long-running MTV series or watch these earlier seasons for the first time. For new viewers who have never seen the show, fans of the later seasons who haven’t seen these yet or anyone who wants a refresher, this article will break down everything you need to know.

Note: There will be no spoilers about the order of eliminations or the winners of the show in this post. It is only about the format, the backstories of cast members and the rivalries between certain contestants. Both seasons are listed on Netflix as RW/RR Challenge, as the show began as competitions between Real World and Road Rules cast members.

Here’s what you need to know:

‘Inferno II’, the 10th Season, Aired in 2005 & Contestants Were Split Into 2 Teams: Good Guys & Bad A**es

The Challenge is known for filming its seasons with different themes and in completely different areas of the world, and The Inferno II was no exception. It was the second of the three-part Inferno series which followed the same theme of splitting contestants into two teams, named the “Good Guys” and the “Bad A**es.”

The season was filmed in Manzanillo, Mexico, and aired in the spring of 2005, hosted for the second and final time by BMX rider Dave Mirra. The prize money up for grabs this season was $300,000, with various prizes offered to winners of certain challenges.

During the show, the two teams faced off against each other in a series of challenges. After each challenge, the winning team would get some money added to the team bank account and both teams would nominate someone from the opposing team to go into the Inferno.

The teams then compete in another challenge and the player who performs the best for each team wins the life shield, which they can use to save themselves from the Inferno if they’ve been voted in. They can also choose to put themselves in the Inferno if they hold the life shield. The losing player in the Inferno must leave the game.

Because The Challenge is largely built on a rotating group of returning players, a lot of the people on each season already have rivalries or alliances with other cast members. On Inferno II, there are certain returning players to know about. On the season, Robin Hibbard gets upset over a rumor that Tonya Cooley slept with Mark Long, who did not star in Inferno II but appeared on other seasons of the show. In the season prior to Inferno II, Mark and Robin developed a relationship.

Tonya did not get along with most of the women on the season, with Veronica Portillo, Tina Barta and Rachel Robinson in particular making negative comments about Tonya and calling themselves the “Mean Girls.” There is no specific backstory to explain the apparent bad blood between the women.

Beth Stolarczyk is another cast member that has appeared on several seasons of the show and she’s often portrayed as the villain and a manipulative player who’s not afraid to cause drama. On most of her seasons, the majority of cast members frequently mention not trusting Beth and attempt to get her eliminated early.

‘The Duel’ Was the 13th Season, Airing in 2006 & Contestants Competed Alone Instead of in Teams

The Duel was the 13th season of the show but the first to feature no teams, with every contestant playing on their own. Certain challenges required contestants to pair up but the overall show was designed for individuals, with only one male and one female winner left standing at the end.

The Duel was filmed in Búzios, Brazil, airing in the fall and winter of 2006-2007. The show was hosted by TJ Lavin and was the third season run by the longtime host and BMX rider. At stake, there was also $300,000 to be split equally between the male and female winner of the show.

During the show, contestants participate in challenges, with a male and female winner for each challenge. There is also an elimination round called the Duel with alternating male and female Duels to eliminate competitors. On a female Duel day, the female winner of the daily challenge is safe from competing while the male winner gets a prize. The safe female then names a male competitor and that person chooses a female competitor and so on until only one woman remains and that person must compete in the Duel that day. On male Duel days, the selection process is reversed with the male winner being marked as safe.

The last person standing who must go into the Duel can choose any player of the same gender to face in the Duel, with the exception of the safe player. The two players then choose one of four cards to discover what game they will be playing in the Duel. The losing player in the Duel leaves the game.

The Challenge is still going strong and has evolved and changed a lot over the years, with the episodes getting longer, the challenges getting more physical and the casting expanding to other shows like Big Brother and Survivor. The MTV show is now on its 36th season, Double Agents, which premiered on December 9, 2020, and currently airs every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

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