So, “The Challenge” has decided to shake things up, not with some contrived twist or manufactured drama, but with an old-fashioned change of scenery. In “Location Change Era,” the contestants are uprooted and transplanted to a new, allegedly “beautiful” locale. Now, let’s be clear, “beautiful” in reality TV often translates to “ripe for suffering.” Will this new environment offer a refreshing reset, or will it simply become another obstacle course for these fame-hungry gladiators?
Season 40’s 17th episode focuses on adaptability. It’s not enough to have bulging biceps and a cunning strategy; these folks need to be chameleons, blending into their new surroundings and conquering whatever bizarre challenges the producers have cooked up. Sure, the scenery might be picturesque, but when you’re knee-deep in mud or dangling from a cliff, aesthetics become less of a priority.
The 90-minute runtime hints at a grueling elimination round, a test of endurance designed to separate the wheat from the chaff, or at least the moderately fit from the utterly exhausted. It will be interesting to see which players flourish in this new context and which ones crumble under the pressure. Sometimes a change of scenery can reinvigorate a competition; other times, it just accelerates the inevitable downfall.
“The Challenge” airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. on MTV.
