The Challenge: Battle of the Seasons

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Battle of the Seasons
Season 23
Title 2014-05-24 13-25.jpg
Presented by T. J. Lavin
No. of contestants32
Winners
  • Ashley Kelsey
  • Frank Sweeney
  • Sam McGinn
  • Zach Nichols
Location
No. of episodes13 (Reunion Included)
Release
Original network MTV
Original releaseSeptember 19 (2012-09-19) 
December 19, 2012 (2012-12-19)
Season chronology
 Previous
Battle of the Exes
Next 
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 Real World: Key West .

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 seasonFinish
Frank Sweeney The Real World: San Diego (2011) Winner
Zach NicholsThe Real World: San Diego (2011)Winner
Dustin Zito The Real World: Las Vegas (2011) Runner-up
Chet Cannon The Real World: Brooklyn Third place
JD OrdoñezThe Real World: BrooklynThird place
Derek Chavez The Real World: Cancun Episode 11
Robb Schreiber The Real World: St. Thomas Episode 10
Alton Williams The Real World: Las Vegas (2002) Episode 9
CJ KoegelThe Real World: CancunEpisode 8
Ryan Knight The Real World: New Orleans (2010) Episode 7
Trey WeatherholtzThe Real World: St. ThomasEpisode 6
Preston CharlesThe Real World: New Orleans (2010)Episode 5
Eric Banks Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat Episode 4/5 [lower-alpha 1]
Brandon Nelson The Challenge: Fresh Meat II Episode 3
Danny Jamieson The Real World: Austin Episode 2
Wes BergmannThe Real World: AustinEpisode 1
Female contestants [3] Original seasonFinish
Ashley KelseyThe Real World: San Diego (2011)Winner
Sam McGinnThe Real World: San Diego (2011)Winner
Trishelle Cannatella The Real World: Las Vegas (2002)Runner-up
Devyn SimoneThe Real World: BrooklynThird place
Sarah RiceThe Real World: BrooklynThird place
Jonna Mannion The 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 Nakagawa Spring Break Challenge Episode 4/5 [lower-alpha 1]
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 [lower-alpha 2] ), an 8th team consisted solely of Fresh Meat (contestants who debuted on The Challenge) was introduced at the First Challenge.

Team AustinTeam BrooklynTeam CancunTeam Fresh Meat [lower-alpha 2] Team Las VegasTeam New OrleansTeam San DiegoTeam St. Thomas
DannyChetCJBrandonAltonJemmyeAshleyLaura
LaceyDevynDerekCamilaDustinKnightFrankMarie
MelindaJDJasmineCara MariaNanyMcKenzieSamRobb
WesSarahJonnaEricTrishellePrestonZachTrey

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. [17]

Game summary

Elimination chart

EpisodeWinnersArena contestantsArena gameArena outcome
#ChallengeLast-placeWinners' pickLast-place pairSelected pairWinnersEliminated
1Don't Cross MeTeam CancunTeam Fresh MeatTeam AustinCara Maria & EricLacey & WesHall BrawlCara Maria & EricLacey & Wes
2Oil ChangeTeam San DiegoTeam AustinTeam Fresh MeatDanny & MelindaCamila & Eric [lower-alpha 3] Balls OutCamila & EricDanny & Melinda
3Hook, Line & SinkerTeam Las VegasTeam Fresh MeatTeam BrooklynBrandon & Cara Maria [lower-alpha 3] Chet & SarahKnot So FastChet & SarahBrandon & Cara Maria
4/5Don't Weigh Me DownTeam CancunTeam BrooklynTeam Fresh MeatDevyn & JD [lower-alpha 1] Camila & EricWater TortureDevyn & JDCamila & Eric [lower-alpha 1]
5Chairman of the BoardTeam San DiegoTeam New OrleansTeam BrooklynMcKenzie & PrestonChet & SarahBalls OutChet & SarahMcKenzie & Preston
6Insane GamesTeam New OrleansTeam St. ThomasTeam Las VegasLaura & TreyDustin & NanyKnot So FastDustin & NanyLaura & Trey
7Logged OutTeam BrooklynTeam New OrleansTeam San DiegoJemmye & KnightSam & Zach [lower-alpha 3] Water 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 VegasTeam St. ThomasDustin & TrishelleMarie & RobbWater TortureDustin & 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
1234/5 [lower-alpha 1] 567891011Finale
AshleySAFEWINSAFESAFEWINSAFERISKRISKWINWINELIMWINNER
FrankSAFEWINSAFESAFEWINSAFERISKRISKWINWINELIMWINNER
SamSAFEWINSAFESAFEWINSAFEELIMELIMWINWINRISKWINNER
ZachSAFEWINSAFESAFEWINSAFEELIMELIMWINWINRISKWINNER
DustinSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFEELIMSAFESAFERISKELIMWINSECOND
TrishelleSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFERISKSAFESAFERISKELIMWINSECOND
ChetSAFESAFEELIMRISKELIMSAFEWINWINSAFESAFESAFETHIRD
DevynSAFESAFERISKELIMRISKSAFEWINWINSAFESAFESAFETHIRD
JDSAFESAFERISKELIMRISKSAFEWINWINSAFESAFESAFETHIRD
SarahSAFESAFEELIMRISKELIMSAFEWINWINSAFESAFESAFETHIRD
DerekWINSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFESAFERISKSAFESAFEOUT
JonnaWINSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFESAFERISKSAFESAFEOUT
MarieSAFESAFESAFESAFESAFERISKSAFESAFEELIMOUT
RobbSAFESAFESAFESAFESAFERISKSAFESAFEELIMOUT
AltonSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFERISKSAFESAFEOUT
NanySAFESAFEWINSAFESAFEELIMSAFESAFEOUT
CJWINSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFESAFEOUT
JasmineWINSAFESAFEWINSAFESAFESAFEOUT
JemmyeSAFESAFESAFESAFERISKWINOUT
KnightSAFESAFESAFESAFERISKWINOUT
LauraSAFESAFESAFESAFESAFEOUT
TreySAFESAFESAFESAFESAFEOUT
McKenzieSAFESAFESAFESAFEOUT
PrestonSAFESAFESAFESAFEOUT
CamilaRISKELIMRISKDQ
EricELIMELIMRISKQUIT
BrandonRISKRISKOUT
Cara MariaELIMRISKOUT
DannyRISKOUT
MelindaRISKOUT
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

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
2811"Tis the Season"September 19, 2012 (2012-09-19)1.15
2822"The Perks of Being a Rookie"September 26, 2012 (2012-09-26)1.23
2833"What Happens in Vegas..."October 3, 2012 (2012-10-03)1.11
2844"The Dark Knight"October 10, 2012 (2012-10-10)1.06
2855"N-A-R-C-I-S-S-I-S-T-I-C"October 17, 2012 (2012-10-17)0.91
2866"Going Insane"October 24, 2012 (2012-10-24)1.16
2877"I Do Not Like You Sam I Am"November 7, 2012 (2012-11-07)1.10
2888"Honey, I'm Homeless"November 14, 2012 (2012-11-14)1.07
2899"The Chronicles of Nanyia"November 28, 2012 (2012-11-28)1.34 [18]
29010"A Woman Scorned"December 5, 2012 (2012-12-05)0.98 [19]
29111"I Like to Move it, Move it"December 12, 2012 (2012-12-12)0.96 [20]
29212"Operation Desert Scorn"December 19, 2012 (2012-12-19)1.01 [21]

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. [22]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 During the "Water Torture" Arena at the beginning of Episode 5, Eric grew frustrated and quit when he determined that his weight prevented him from competing in the Arena, despite being in the lead. As a result, Team Fresh Meat was disqualified, and Team Brooklyn was declared the winner by default. [10]
  2. 1 2 KellyAnne Judd, Dunbar Merrill, Ashli Robson, and Isaac Stout from The Real World: Sydney were originally cast, and flew out to Turkey to participate. However, they were removed prior to the start of the first challenge. The producers claimed that Stout did not pass his medical test, and they were replaced by the Fresh Meat team. Stout claims his doctor has told him that they have no idea how the producer claimed that and that Stout was in good health. [4] [5] [6]
  3. 1 2 3 As the Nominated team was unable to choose two of their own players to enter the Arena, the Power Team in each episode chose for them. [7] [8] [12]

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