The Challenge Historian

The Flagship Challenge series returns! Season 38 - Ride or Dies - is two weeks away from it's premiere and that means we've got a preview to do! We know the cast, we've seen a trailer, and we've done the IG deep dives on the newbies. Everything you need to get you ready for what looks to be an awesome season of The Challenge, including:

00:00 Intro and programming reminders

03:35 State of the Challenge franchise and the Location, Host, and Theme of this season

16:31 Shot by shot breakdown of the Ride or Dies season trailer

24:55 Team by team breakdown in reverse order of their power ranking coming into the season, teams 17 to 11

40:57 Team by team breakdown in reverse order of their power ranking coming into the season, teams 10 to 1

01:10:14 Predictions for this season including where alliances will fall, who will be first out, the best all rookie team, finalist picks, and a season winner

#TheChallenge #RideorDies #TheChallenge38 #WeWantOGs #TheChallengeHistorian

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The Challenge Rewatch series continues on and this episode we are breaking down one of my all-time favorite seasons: Fresh Meat 2! With me to break down this classic is the great Mike Lewis of the Mike Lewis Podcast. During our (admittedly very long) breakdown we cover:

00:00 Introduction and why we've skipped ahead a few seasons

03:52 Welcoming Mike to the show, his Challenge fandom background, and some of his favorites and least favorite cast members and seasons of all time

18:41 State of The Challenge franchise at the time of Fresh Meat 2, how we feel about the Fresh Meat concept in general, this house being the best house, and why having a draft for partners is undefeated in The Challenge

36:37 What the job of casting actually is and why this seasons casting was done perfectly

41:26 Wes & Evelyn vs Kenny, the complete timeline of events, Wes' early political brilliance, where the tides turned, and everything else about the biggest story of the season

01:09:55 Laurel & Kenny's dominance, Darrell & Cara out first, Paula's what if draft pick, Wes has maybe lost a step, and Landon and Carley's ultimate victory

01:45:07 The Best Daily Challenge of the Season

01:53:19 The Best Exile of the Season

01:56:34 The Best Athletic Performance of the Season

02:00:00 The Best Quote of the Season

02:06:09 The Iconic Moment of the Season

02:13:50 Rookie of the Season

02:16:09 Full Season MVP

02:27:21 Grading the season and placing it in The Challenge Pantheon

#TheChallenge #WeWantOGs #FreshMeat2 #TheChallengePodcast #MikeLewisPodcast #TheChallengeHistorian

Listen to The Mike Lewis Podcast YouTube Channel | Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Follow Mike on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok

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The Challenge: Untold History debuted on Wednesday with two history-packed episodes and this Historian is here to break it all down.

My feelings going into the documentary and hopes and fears for what it could be (03:29).

Running through the many positive moments from episodes 1 and 2, the interesting, the heartwarming, the tear-jerking and more (11:25).

Critiques I had including Cara not being there, the surface level nature of certain parts, and the celebrity involvement (25:32).

Hopes for episodes 3/4/5/6 (34:52).

#TheChallengeUntoldHistory #TheChallenge #WeWantOGs #TheChallengeDoc #TheChallengePodcast

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We are one week removed from The Challenge USA finale and that lighting rod of conversation that was TJ's final.

Now that we've sat with our thoughts about both the finale and the entire season at large, it's time to put all the final thoughts out there and cover the whole season one last time. Biggest storylines, did this new branch of the franchise work, who do I want to see back in the future, where am I at with that final, who was the MVP and more.

Full season recap and awards for The Challenge USA, topics included:

00:00 Cold Open

00:52 Intro and Programming Notes

03:42 Did The Challenge USA work?

10:58 Final thoughts on that final, production woes, and what The Challenge is vs could be

28:36 Grading the biggest storylines

34:20 Which cast members do I want to see again

40:05 Awards for Best Daily Challenge, Best Elimination, and Best Athletic Performance

48:59 Awards for Best Quote, Iconic Moment, and the Season MVP

01:08:18 Giving the season it's final grade

#TheChallenge #WeWantOGs #TheChallengeUSA #TheChallengePodcast #RealityTV

To get in touch with Jacob, DM on Instagram @ChallengeHistorian

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The rewatch series is back! I am on to season 16, The Island. A memorable season to say the least, with lots of interesting angles to discuss as the show went a totally new direction while also going totally off the rails from a cast members acting horribly stand point.

To break down this inflection point of a season I needed to bring on another expert, so I've got the Queen of Challenge TikTok and host of Most Likely Two, Paige, here with me!

Intro and programming reminders (00:10).

State of the Challenge going into The Island and the slippery slope the gender dynamics of the show had been going down (03:45).

The ugly behavior displayed by Johnny, Kenny, and others and the production decisions that enabled them (27:30).

What if Abram doesn't have to quit? What changes for Abram, the show, and Johnny Bananas in this hypothetical scenario (43:27).

Evelyn's wild roller coaster season and her eventual heel turn (01:00:20).

Our feelings about the three romances that flare up this season: Robin and Dan, Johanna and Kenny, Rachel and Jenn (01:10:13).

Awards for Best Elimination, Best Quote, and Best Moment (01:22:42).

Rookie of the Season and Season MVP (01:37:57).

Jacob's final season grade and where this season stands in the Challenge pantheon (01:56:31).

#TheChallenge #WeWantOGs #TheChallengePodcast #RealityTV

Listen to Most Likely Two on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Follow Paige on Instagram and Tik Tok

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Today I'm talking with 2x Challenge Champ and OG Legend of the game, Dan Setzler! We cover it all, going over all the biggest moments from each of his three seasons (Challenge 2000, Battle of the Seasons, Battle of the Sexes 2), his life inside and outside of the show, thoughts on all the Challenge legends he crossed paths with, his current work in music, and so much more. It was an absolute pleasure to speak with Dan, make sure to give him a follow on all social platforms!

Dan's YouTube Page, Instagram, and TikTok

Timestamps:

03:38 Welcoming Dan to the podcast

04:28 How Dan ended up on Road Rules and what that experience was like

12:33 The Challenge 2000 was rockstar and why live audiences was awesome

18:25 Why Teck is an amazing guy and a true one of one

20:21 Theo, Timmy and Teck all have IT

21:53 The Redneck Games daily challenge and grading Dan's Mud Pit Belly Flop

28:33 Celeb cameos and hanging out with the Tampa Bay Bucs

31:00 Real World convinces the Road Rules team to do a fake challenge

34:53 Dealing with inter-team drama and bringing Los back from the hotel

41:14 Dan explains just how sketchy that Challenge 2000 final skydiving mission actually was

50:14 That time he nearly got super hurt wrestling a WWF star on Road Rules

52:18 Expectations coming into Battle of the Seasons and those first three nights in Cabo

53:48 Hurricane Juliet's impact on the season and that infamous toga party

59:26 Playing the political game for the first time and having to vote people out

01:02:02 The Hands on Saturn Daily Challenge win and why Dan was doing pratfalls all season

01:06:45 Memories from the Newlywed Game daily challenge, Mark Long being the best, and the birth of trivia on The Challenge

01:10:07 The plan to split the money and did Dan actually get paid by Sean after losing

01:13:33 Did production play favorites and maybe help a specific team win

01:15:23 Can Dan solve the Tower of Hanoi puzzle today

01:17:01 Were there expectations of a new Challenge game going into Battle of the Sexes 2

01:19:56 The men's team comradery was legendary and how fun it was to be a part of

01:24:22 The alliance with Theo/Mark/Eric, a perfect thrown challenge, and Mark's sacrifice

01:30:24 Getting kidnapped mid-final dinner and the first ever overnight final challenge

01:34:13 Fighting, fucking, or not getting called back. How Dan never received a call to do another show

01:37:07 The difficulties of who should be cast and how to walk that moral line within reality tv

01:43:40 What Dan learned about himself from his time on reality tv

01:47:51 One word and story to describe the different legends Dan crossed paths with, including: Veronica, Coral, The Miz, Mark, Timmy and Theo Von

01:55:57 Going to the grocery store with Timmy Beggy

01:59:18 Music coming into Dan's life and becoming his passion

02:03:46 The music he is making today and how he gained the confidence to do impromptu street performances

02:09:40 Where Dan draws his musical inspiration from and what he is listening to when he isn't making his own music

02:12:38 Has he been called for All Stars and would he do it in the future

02:14:08 What would his preparation be if he did get that call for All Stars 4

02:16:54 The sport-ification of the show and how fierce the recent All Stars men's casts have been physically

02:21:30 Where to follow Danny and saying our goodbyes

#TheChallenge #TheChallengeHistorian #WeWantOGs #BattleoftheSeasons

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The champions of The Challenge USA have been crowned! Danny and Sarah got it done, staring down the worst TJ and Mother Nature could throw at them and coming out the other side victorious! But this final episode and final mission didn't come without it's questionable production decisions (ugh), and this Historian was all up in damn near every single different feeling possible about the many twists and turns of this wild ride of an episode. All of it is covered on the podcast:

Intro and programming reminders (00:40).

Cliffnotes recap of everything that went down on this double sized finale episode (04:27).

Danny won and I'm very excited about it! Sarah too but more on her later (10:24).

The daily, the elimination, and step by step through the final challenge and the many production decisions made along the way (18:48).

Awards for Best Quote, Best Moment, and Episode MVP (55:22)

#TheChallengeUSA #TheChallenge #TheChallengePodcast #Survivor

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What up Challenge lovers! Short episode today with two objectives:

First one is to give you an update on all the content that will be coming your way on this feed over the next few months. What we will be covering and when and where it'll be covered. Plus an announcement about a very special episode this Friday! (02:16)

Second objective is to unveil the Challenge Historian Official Hall of Fame! What it is, who has a shot of getting in, when and why we are doing it and anything else you need to know about this new project! (12:53)

#TheChallenge #TheChallengeUSA #TheChallengeHallofFame #Survivor #RealityTV #TheChallengePodcast

For more Challenge content and to get in touch with Jacob, follow on Instagram @ChallengeHistorian

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Angela is superwoman, Benzo is definitely over, Tyson may very well be Jesus in disguise, TJ is finally being honest with his assessments, and that was the penultimate episode and we didn't even know it?! It’s the Challenge USA Episode 10 recap, topics include:

Cliffnotes recap of everything that went down (05:19).

Breaking down the major storylines: Ben not taking his shot, Angela having all the power, that sorry excuse for a Balls In match, and an amazing daily challenge that has me rethinking a Challenge staple (08:27).

Awards for Best Quote, Best Moment, and Episode MVP (24:08).

Power rankings headed into the final and predictions for the winners (32:39).

#TheChallenge #TheChallengeUSA #TheChallengePodcast #TheChallengeHistorian

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Today's podcast marks the 100th episode of The Challenge Historian! For this milestone day I needed to do something big, bold and crazy! The topic had to be epic! So for the 100th episode I decided to put all my Challenge opinions out there in the world all at one time and in one place. I bring to you: 100 Challenge Takes for the 100th Podcast Episode.

There are ten sets of ten takes, all with their own theme. Listen and rejoice, for these are the official Challenge truths. The ten topics chosen were:

Takes about Full Seasons (05:51).

Takes about Daily Challenges (12:37).

Takes about Eliminations (18:40).

Takes about What If's and Big Twists (25:58).

Takes about Production Fuck Ups (35:14).

Takes about Casting (43:03).

Takes about Hook Ups and Fights (50:53).

Oddball miscellaneous takes that didn't fit anywhere else (01:00:12).

Takes about Individual Players Part 1 (01:07:14).

Takes about Individual Players Part 2 (01:15:42).

Thank you so much to everyone who submitted their hot takes and spicy opinions.

To get in touch and talk Challenge you can DM me on Instagram @ChallengeHistorian

#TheChallenge #TheChallengePodcast #TheChallengeHistorian #RealityTV #100PodcastEpisodes

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