The Challenge Historian

The Challenge 39 Seasons in 39 Days Franchise Recap has been humming along over on Instagram and YouTube, and today, for you audio only listeners delight, I'm bundling up the first 13 seasons worth of recaps into one podcast episode. Each season has been getting a 60 second or less recap on IG, and a 3 to 5 minute recap on YouTube. What you will hear today are those 3 to 5 minute versions all smus...

All Stars 4 may have ended last week but the record books still need to be finalized! Your Challenge Historian is back one final time covering this season in all it's mess and glory. The biggest storylines, did the change in direction for the franchise work, who do I want back, who won all the awards, and what grade do I give the season overall? All will be answered, tap in! Intro & Agenda (00...

The All Stars 4 Carnival - er, excuse me, final - comes to a close! Major advantages are given, the group is whittled down, TJ goes full Ron Burgundy, Steve makes an all time mental mistake, and Laurel vs Cara is decided once and for all! It’s The Challenge All Stars 4 Episode 12 aka the finale recap coming up right now! Cold Open (00:00) Intro & Agenda (00:36) Zero Athletic Skill Required (02...

I finally got a prediction right... sort of! Plus: one last challenge means one last chance for a star, the RV makes a major comeback, TJ is putting together his Emmy reel, maybe the most fun looking checkpoint in challenge finals history followed by one of the more unpleasant ones in finals history, and a cliffhanger with two contenders lives in the game hanging in the balance… It’s the Challenge...

One ocelot plays scared while the other goes for the throat! Plus: Ace is having the best worst time, Veronica and Flora are beginning to really waste space, Leroy is feeling some deja vu brewing, the levels of schtick continue to increase, Adam gets super heated, and Starmaster Steve continues his winning ways! It’s the Challenge All Stars 4 Episode 10 recap, topics include: Cold Open (00:00) Int...

They've officially begun filming All Stars 5 which means we've got the final* cast list and this Historian is here to break it all down. The return of Ashley Millionaire Mitchell (praise the lord). The return of Frank freaking Sweeney (I could cry). And a healthy mix of vets and (double checks the list) borderline newbies to the franchise? There's some home runs and some head scratchers, and oh ye...

Only one week later and Cara Maria is back on top! Plus: a genuine pool party, TJ clearly loves Kam, part 2 of Laurel’s master plan is enacted, and then she doesn’t go through with it and leaves Kam out to dry! It’s The Challenge All Stars 4 Episode 9 recap! Disclaimer & Apology: I forgot to plug in my mic (lol) so sorry that the audio isn't as pristine as it normally would be. Cold Open (00:0...

Jacob and Tony are back one final time to wrap up Survivor 46! Full finale recap, followed by our full season awards. Thanks for tuning in all season long! Intro, PSA, Agenda (00:00) Finale Recap (10:24) Confessional King or Queen of the Season (01:21:20) Moment of the Season (01:26:58) Best Strategic Move of the Season (01:33:22) Worst Strategic Move of the Season (01:37:43) Whose on the DVD (01:...

What did she do? I know y’all are scared of her in a final, but this is next level! Plus: the zoom monitor is still tiny, boat day happens I guess, a master plan unfolds with a helpful daily to make it work, and some fun things maybe happen in the house but we see none of it because Laurel and Nicole are too busy yelling at Cara Maria every chance they get! It’s The Challenge All Stars 4 Episode 8...

Tony and Jacob are back with two amazing episodes (and sad exits) to cover as they dive into episodes 11 and 12 on this week's recap! Maria's villain turn and Venus' ultimate downfall are covered from episode 11, then all things Charlie vs Maria, Ben's accidental vote, Q's downfall, Liz's poop, and more covered from episode 12. Intro, US vs AUS, Agenda (00:00) Episode 11 Recap (06:55) Episode 12 R...

Trivia time baby! Plus: can’t they just fling them into water normal style, Ryan’s journey to sobriety, Cara continues playing defense, way too many people are not concerned about needing a star, Leroy gets his mojo back, and Ace may be Adam’s Knight in shining armor, but to Brad he is whatever the opposite of that is! It’s The Challenge All Stars 4 Episode 7 recap, topics include: Cold Open (00:0...

Pour one out for Confessional Queen Jasmine because she just got robbed! Plus: Nicole and Laurel is so back on, Brad walks around naked, Steve is building workout equipment because the gym they are given isn’t good enough, Ace sleeps in weird places, we play an insane game of musical chairs, Cara strong arms, Kam offers herself up, and a double elimination leads to some shifting of stars! It’s The...

Liz proves her marketing genius by providing Applebees with the greatest sponsored content moment of all time! Plus: Q is still playing, Maria reaches master levels of strategy, Charlie wins another showdown, Tiff leaves with an idol, and did we mention Liz didn't get to eat Applebees?!?! It's the Survivor 46 Episode 10 recap with Tony and Jacob, topics include: Intro & Agenda (00:00) Liz Fume...

Revenge comes quick when Cara Maria is dishing it out! Plus: haircuts, life chats, oversized bobbleheads, Brad going too fast, Brandon’s Wakandan work trip, the Nicole Laurel rollercoaster goes up and down, and TJ’s two "my guys" of the house face off in elimination! It’s the Challenge All Stars 4 Episode 5 recap, topics include: Cold Open (00:00) Intro & Agenda (00:36) Cara vs Kam / Brandon (...

Jacob and Tony are back to break down episode 9 of Survivor 46. How bad was Hunter's gameplay, what did we think of Tiff going off on Q, why will no one recognize our queen Liz, a whole bunch more topics, plus awards and a game of "Can they win (and how)?" Intro & Agenda (00:00) Q Fallout, Liz Overshadowed (04:32) Picking Teams, Twitter Troll Jeff, Charlie Beats Hunter (12:56) Blindside Opport...

Well, we can finally say for certain that THEY DO NOT RIG THE ELIMINATIONS! Plus: group jumping photos, daily challenge call backs, Jasmine the quote machine, Brandon semi backstabs, Kam has one mission, Laurel flirts, and we get an all time matchup and they are made to throw star thingies! It’s The Challenge All Stars 4, Episode 4 recap, topics include: Cold Open (00:00) Intro, Reminders, Agenda...

Well THAT was something, huh? Venus continues to get her name slandered (leave my queen alone now please and thanks), everyone wants credit for everything, the group plays a very revealing game of hide and seek, Hunter wins with a dash of showboating, "the six" never gets off the ground, Q tries to quit, and Liz masterminds her way through it all to get Tevin out! It's the Survivor 46 Episode 8 re...

Lord Father God let the truth come out, cause this house has no idea who or what to believe! Plus: Kam and Leroy have a cell phone, everyone picks a partner, Tony sadly leaves the game, Laurel and Nicole talk, Rachel rides for Ayanna, Cara rides for Rachel, Kam just wants the truth, and Jasmine goes full bride of chuckie in a true throwback moment! It’s The Challenge All Stars 4 episode 3 recap, t...

Jacob and Tony are back to cover not one, but two episodes of Survivor 46! Episodes 6 and 7 have seen the merge limbo play out and there is a lot to discuss. Tribe lines holding firm, Venus making waves and moves, Q mostly just making waves, Charlie breaking the fourth wall, Hunter skating through, Mo, Tim, and Soda all sent packing, and a whole bunch more. Plus awards and power rankings after wal...

The idle pot always gets stirred! Plus: Ayanna is out for Janelle (for no reason?!?), the Mean Girls are fully back, Brad begins to separate himself, Leroy learned math, some others did not learn math, a winnebago sighting, Nicole and Laurel finally speak, everyone goes to the club, and Leroy walks out on Ayanna’s possibly hour long nominations speech that had zero impact on the game! It’s The Cha...

It actually happened! At long last, a year and a half later, we finally get to watch All Stars 4! Cara Maria’s true return, Rachel’s back and better than ever, so many people who’ve been sorely missed back in a Challenge house and competing for a not nearly big enough sum of money! Everyone gets their 60 second where are they now, everyone gets to run up and down a hill on a hot summer day, everyo...

It’s finally here! We’ve waited damn near a year and a half to watch it and finally on Wednesday April 10th it will be here, All Stars 4! Cara Maria is back, Laurel is back, Leroy and Kam are back together, Jay - yes that Jay - is back, the mean girls trio of Veronica, Rachel and Tina are back together, for god’s sake Tony Time is back! SO MANY PEOPLE ARE BACK WHICH MEANS THE CHALLENGE MAY OFFICIA...

Jacob and Tony are back after a one week break to discuss all things Survivor 46 Episode 5 (plus some retroactive episode 4 discussion). Jem's big prank and acting skills, Hunter and Venus getting cagey, Tim's dream brochachos alliance coming to fruition, Moriah the narrator, Maria the decision maker, Vanu finally doesn't get last, and more! Intro & Agenda (00:00) Siga: Jem’s Prank & Actin...

Nami goes four for four winning, Yanu goes four for four losing, Hunter makes a bed, Bhanu hits rock bottom, Jem finds an advantage (four days ago), Jeff is not your guru, and Randen gets all time unlucky and is medically removed from the game. It’s the Survivor 46 Episode 3 recap with Tony and Jacob, topics include: Intro & Agenda (00:00) Yanu Night 5 / Day 6 (05:35) Siga Day 2 (15:29) Nami D...

The 40th season of MTVs The Challenge has officially commenced filming which means our good spoiler friends have provided the official cast list of all FORTY players, plus alternates, who will be gracing our screens later this year for this monumental season. It’s stacked, that is for sure, but how stacked exactly? Who did they get right, who did they get wrong, who did they have no business calli...