The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons explained

The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons should not be confused with Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons.

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Season Name:Battle of the Seasons
Season Number:23
Module1:
Num Contestants:32
Winner:
  • Ashley Kelsey
  • Frank Sweeney
  • Sam McGinn
  • Zach Nichols
Location:
Num Episodes:13 (Reunion Included)
Network:MTV
Prev Season:Battle of the Exes
Next Season:Rivals II

The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons is the 23rd season of the MTV reality game show, The Challenge. Although the season shares the same name as the show's fifth season, Battle of the Seasons, unlike other sequel seasons, the season is not distinguished as part "II" as it has a completely different format. The season took place in Bodrum, Turkey and Swakopmund & Windhoek, Namibia.

Former casts from select seasons of MTV's The Real World and The Challenge competed with the hopes of winning a piece of the $250,000 grand prize.[1] This is the first season since season 12 that does not include any cast members from .

The season premiered with a special 90 minutes episode on September 19, 2012, and concluded its run on December 19, 2012, with the reunion episode.[2]

Format

During each Challenge, teams compete in order to become the Power Team, who have the ability to place one team of their decision into the Arena. The other couple going into the Arena is the last placing team of the daily Challenge. Once in the Arena, a team must decide one male-female pair to compete. The losing pair in the Arena go home, and leave their team short two players. Teams can compete with only two players, and have potential to make a greater share of the final's $250,000.[1] [2]

First place wins $250,000, second-place wins $50,000 and third-place wins $40,000.[1]

Contestants

Male contestants[3] Original season Finish
Frank SweeneyThe Real World: San Diego (2011)Winner
Zach NicholsThe Real World: San Diego (2011)Winner
Dustin ZitoThe Real World: Las Vegas (2011)Runner-up
Chet CannonThird place
JD OrdoñezThe Real World: BrooklynThird place
Derek ChavezEpisode 11
Robb SchreiberEpisode 10
Alton WilliamsThe Real World: Las Vegas (2002)Episode 9
CJ KoegelThe Real World: CancunEpisode 8
Ryan KnightThe Real World: New Orleans (2010)Episode 7
Trey WeatherholtzThe Real World: St. ThomasEpisode 6
Preston CharlesThe Real World: New Orleans (2010)Episode 5
Eric BanksEpisode 4/5
Brandon Nelson Episode 3
Danny JamiesonEpisode 2
Wes BergmannThe Real World: AustinEpisode 1
Female contestants Original season Finish
Ashley KelseyThe Real World: San Diego (2011)Winner
Sam McGinnThe Real World: San Diego (2011)Winner
Trishelle CannatellaThe Real World: Las Vegas (2002)Runner-up
Devyn SimoneThe Real World: BrooklynThird place
Sarah RiceThe Real World: BrooklynThird place
Jonna MannionThe Real World: CancunEpisode 11
Marie RodaThe Real World: St. ThomasEpisode 10
Nany GonzálezThe Real World: Las Vegas (2011)Episode 9
Jasmine ReynaudThe Real World: CancunEpisode 8
Jemmye CarrollThe Real World: New Orleans (2010)Episode 7
Laura WallerThe Real World: St. ThomasEpisode 6
McKenzie CoburnThe Real World: New Orleans (2010)Episode 5
Camila NakagawaSpring Break ChallengeEpisode 4/5
Cara Maria SorbelloThe Challenge: Fresh Meat IIEpisode 3
Melinda StolpThe Real World: AustinEpisode 2
Lacey BuehlerThe Real World: AustinEpisode 1

Teams

8 teams of 4 competed in this season of The Challenge. Most teams were formed from Housemates from the same season of The Real World. In a minor twist, the Las Vegas team was composed of two Housemates each from the two Las Vegas-based seasons of The Real World. Additionally (due to the pre-production disqualification of a Real World: Sydney team), an 8th team consisted solely of Fresh Meat (contestants who debuted on The Challenge) was introduced at the First Challenge.

Team Teammates
Team AustinnowrapDanny JamiesonLacey BuehlerMelinda StolpWes Bergmann
Team BrooklynChet CannonDevyn SimoneJD OrdoñezSarah Rice
Team CancunCJ KoegelDerek ChavezJasmine ReynaudJonna Mannion
nowrap Team Fresh MeatnowrapBrandon NelsonnowrapCamila NakagawanowrapCara Maria SorbelloEric Banks
Team Las VegasAlton WilliamsDustin ZitoNany GonzálezTrishelle Cannatella
nowrap Team New OrleansJemmye CarrollRyan KnightMcKenzie CoburnnowrapPreston Roberson-Charles
Team San DiegoAshley KelseyFrank SweeneySam McGinnZach Nichols
Team St. ThomasLaura WallerMarie RodaRobb SchreiberTrey Weatherholtz

Gameplay

Challenge games

Arena games

There are four games in the Arena: Physical, Mental, Strategy, and Endurance. This game is selected by the Power Team after they reveal their choice to go into the Arena. However, the same game cannot be used more than once until each of the other games have been used.[1]

Final challenge

The first phase of the final challenge begins with players from each team parachuting from a plane to ground level on the Namibian desert. Each team then sprints through the desert to their first checkpoint, "Mind Field," in which each team has a 20-minute time limit to align nine numbers on a 3x3 grid to where each number equals 15 in each direction. After a team has correctly aligned the numbers, they can push a red button, which will detonate the designated "mine field" and enable a team to hop aboard a helicopter, which will take them over the mountains to the next checkpoint, "Rung Out." Players from each team must swing a ring roped to a hook toward a pole until one player successfully hooks the ring to the pole. If a player misses, he/she has to take a drink of warm camel milk. The next checkpoint is "Get Tired," in which each team must use multiple poles and ropes in order to carry a series of tires through the desert — for the four-player teams, it is eight tires; for the only two-player team, it is four tires. A helicopter takes each team to the last checkpoint of the first phase, "Camel Nap," in which all but one player from each team must stand within a small designated rectangle in the sand, and supervise a camel overnight in a tent, while one team member gets to sleep by a nearby campfire. A team is assessed a one-minute penalty to begin the second phase of the final challenge if one team member steps out of the rectangle for any reason while supervising the camel. The first team to arrive the "Camel Nap" checkpoint earns a 10-minute headstart, the second-place team earns a five-minute headstart, while the third-place team does not earn a headstart. The teams ride on camels throughout the second phase of the final challenge. After racing through numerous sand dunes on camelback, the first checkpoint of the second phase is "Hallucination Station," in which each team must locate words from a large chart from a distance of 15 feet in order to match an answer key needed to unlock wooden crates that each team will use at the "Sand Shift" checkpoint, in which each team must use the crates to transfer sand into their designated containers several feet away. Once the containers have been filled with sand, the final section is a camel race to the top of a sand dune, with a flag at the end, in which the first-place team wins $250,000, the second-place team wins $50,000, and the third-place team wins $40,000.[14]

Game summary

Elimination chart

EpisodeWinnersArena contestantsArena gameArena outcome
ChallengeLast-placeWinners' pickLast-place pairSelected pairWinnersEliminated
1Don't Cross MeTeam CancunnowrapTeam Fresh MeatTeam AustinnowrapCara Maria & EricLacey & WesHall BrawlnowrapCara Maria & Eric Lacey & Wes
2Oil ChangeTeam San DiegoTeam AustinnowrapTeam Fresh MeatDanny & MelindanowrapCamila & EricBalls OutCamila & EricDanny & Melinda
3Hook, Line & SinkerTeam Las VegasTeam Fresh MeatTeam BrooklynnowrapBrandon & Cara MariaChet & SarahnowrapKnot So FastChet & SarahnowrapBrandon & Cara Maria
4/5Team Cancun Team BrooklynTeam Fresh MeatDevyn & JDCamila & EricNowrapWater TortureDevyn & JDCamila & Eric
5Team San Diegonowrap style="background:gray;"nowrapTeam New OrleansTeam BrooklynMcKenzie & PrestonChet & SarahBalls OutChet & SarahMcKenzie & Preston
6Insane GamesnowrapTeam New OrleansnowrapTeam St. ThomasTeam Las VegasLaura & TreyDustin & NanyKnot So FastDustin & NanyLaura & Trey
7Logged OutTeam BrooklynTeam New OrleansTeam San DiegoJemmye & KnightSam & ZachWater TortureSam & ZachJemmye & Knight
8Hunger GamesTeam BrooklynTeam San DiegoTeam CancunSam & ZachCJ & JasmineHall BrawlSam & ZachCJ & Jasmine
9Abandon ShipTeam San DiegoTeam St. ThomasTeam Las VegasMarie & RobbAlton & NanyBalls OutMarie & RobbAlton & Nany
10Force FieldTeam San DiegoTeam Las VegasnowrapTeam St. ThomasnowrapDustin & TrishelleMarie & RobbWater TorturenowrapDustin & TrishelleMarie & Robb
11Sling ShotTeam Las VegasTeam CancunTeam San DiegoDerek & JonnaAshley & FrankKnot So FastAshley & FrankDerek & Jonna
12Final ChallengeTeam San Diego2nd place: Team Las Vegas; 3rd place: Team Brooklyn

Arena progress

ContestantsEpisode
1234/5567891011Finale
AshleySAFEWINSAFESAFEWINSAFENOMNOMWINWINELIMWINNER
FrankSAFEWINSAFESAFEWINSAFENOMNOMWINWINELIMWINNER
SamSAFEWINSAFESAFEWINSAFEELIMELIMWINWINNOMWINNER
ZachSAFEWINSAFESAFEWINSAFEELIMELIMWINWINNOMWINNER
DustinSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFEELIMSAFESAFENOMELIMWINSECOND
TrishelleSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFENOMSAFESAFENOMELIMWINSECOND
ChetSAFESAFEELIMNOMELIMSAFEWINWINSAFESAFESAFETHIRD
DevynSAFESAFENOMNOMSAFEWINWINSAFESAFESAFETHIRD
JDSAFESAFENOMNOMSAFEWINWINSAFESAFESAFETHIRD
SarahSAFESAFEELIMNOMELIMSAFEWINWINSAFESAFESAFETHIRD
DerekWINSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFESAFENOMSAFESAFEOUT
JonnaWINSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFESAFENOMSAFESAFEOUT
MarieSAFESAFESAFESAFESAFENOMSAFESAFEELIMOUT
RobbSAFESAFESAFESAFESAFENOMSAFESAFEELIMOUT
AltonSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFENOMSAFESAFEOUT
NanySAFESAFEWINSAFESAFEELIMSAFESAFEOUT
CJWINSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFESAFEOUT
JasmineWINSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFESAFEOUT
JemmyeSAFESAFESAFESAFENOMWINOUT
KnightSAFESAFESAFESAFENOMWINOUT
LauraSAFESAFESAFESAFESAFEOUT
TreySAFESAFESAFESAFESAFEOUT
McKenzieSAFESAFESAFESAFEOUT
PrestonSAFESAFESAFESAFEOUT
CamilaNOMELIMNOMDQ
EricELIMELIMNOMQUIT
BrandonNOMNOMOUT
ELIMNOMOUT
DannyNOMOUT
MelindaNOMOUT
LaceyOUT
WesOUT
Competition
  • The contestant's team won the final challenge
  • The contestant's team did not win the final challenge
  • The contestant was a part of the Power Team, was safe from the Arena, and selected a team to compete in the Arena
  • The contestant's team was not selected to go into the Arena
  • The contestant's team was nominated for the Arena, but was not selected to compete
  • The contestant won in the Arena
  • The contestant was eliminated in the Arena
  • The contestant withdrew from the Arena
  • The contestant was forced to leave the competition after their partner quit from the Arena

    Episodes

    Reunion special

    The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons Reunion was aired on December 19, 2012, after the season finale. The episode featured Jonny Moseley, one of previous sporadic presenters of the series, who had not previously appeared on The Challenge since its 9th season. The cast members who attended the reunion were: Ashley, Frank, Sam, Zach, Alton, Dustin, Nany, Trishelle, Chet, Devyn, JD, Sarah, Derek, Jonna, Marie & Robb.[15]

    External links

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    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Episode 1: "Tis The Season" – Video at MTV.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20120922222914/http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-challenge-battle-of-the-seasons-ep-1-tis-the-season/1694083/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=39254&channelId=1 . dead . September 22, 2012 . MTV.
    2. Web site: The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons at MTV.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20120905175023/http://www.mtv.com/shows/rwrr_challenge/battle_of_the_seasons/series.jhtml . dead . September 5, 2012 . MTV.
    3. Web site: The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons Cast Bios. https://web.archive.org/web/20120909171335/http://www.mtv.com/shows/rwrr_challenge/battle_of_the_seasons/cast.jhtml . dead . September 9, 2012 . MTV.
    4. Web site: Episode 2: "The Perks of Being A Rookie" – Video at MTV.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20120929081635/http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-challenge-battle-of-the-seasons-ep-2-the-perks-of-being-a-rookie/1694463/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=39254&channelId=1 . dead . September 29, 2012 . MTV.
    5. Web site: Episode 3: "What Happens in Vegas..." – Video at MTV.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20121006084200/http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-challenge-battle-of-the-seasons-ep-3-what-happens-in-vegas/1694865/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=39254&channelId=1 . dead . October 6, 2012 . MTV.
    6. Web site: Episode 4: "The Dark Knight" – Video at MTV.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20121013204917/http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-challenge-battle-of-the-seasons-ep-4-the-dark-knight/1695266/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=39254&channelId=1 . dead . October 13, 2012 . MTV.
    7. Web site: Episode 5: "N-A-R-C-I-S-S-I-S-T-I-C" – Video at MTV.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20121020232732/http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-challenge-battle-of-the-seasons-ep-5-n-a-r-c-i-s-s-i-s-t-i-c/1695726/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=39254&channelId=1 . dead . October 20, 2012 . MTV.
    8. Web site: Episode 6: "Going Insane" – Video at MTV.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20121026235958/http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-challenge-battle-of-the-seasons-ep-6-going-insane/1696137/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=39254&channelId=1 . dead . October 26, 2012 . MTV.
    9. Web site: Episode 7: "I Do Not Like You Sam I Am" – Video at MTV.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20121110192730/http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-challenge-battle-of-the-seasons-ep-7-i-do-not-like-you-sam-i-am/1696890/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=39254&channelId=1 . dead . November 10, 2012 . MTV.
    10. Web site: Episode 8: "Honey, I'm Homeless" – Video at MTV.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20121117173602/http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-challenge-battle-of-the-seasons-ep-8-honey-im-homeless/1697367/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=39254&channelId=1 . dead . November 17, 2012 . MTV.
    11. Web site: Episode 9: "The Chronicles of Nanyia" – Video at MTV.com. https://archive.today/20130724031018/http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-challenge-battle-of-the-seasons-ep-9-the-chronicles-of-nanyia/1698043/playlist.jhtml%23series=2211&seriesId=39254&channelId=1 . dead . July 24, 2013 . MTV.
    12. Web site: Episode 10: "A Woman Scorned" – Video at MTV.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20121207171955/http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-challenge-battle-of-the-seasons-ep-10-a-woman-scorned/1698375/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=39254&channelId=1 . dead . December 7, 2012 . MTV.
    13. Web site: Episode 11: "I Like To Move It, Move It" – Video at MTV.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20121214165447/http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-challenge-battle-of-the-seasons-ep-11-i-like-to-move-it-move-it/1698771/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=39254&channelId=1 . dead . December 14, 2012 . MTV.
    14. Web site: Episode 12: "Desert Scorn" – Video at MTV.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20121224233716/http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-challenge-battle-of-the-seasons-ep-12-operation-desert-scorn/1699172/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=39254&channelId=1 . dead . December 24, 2012 . MTV.
    15. Web site: The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons Reunion – Video at MTV.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20121231004916/http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-challenge-battle-of-the-seasons-reunion/1699279/playlist.jhtml . dead . December 31, 2012 . MTV.