'The Challenge All-Stars' Is Giving A Master Class On Everything This Show Is Supposed To Be

We're just two episodes in but I'm ALL IN on The Challenge All-Stars compared to Challenge Double Agents. Just not even close and we got the fucking final coming up on Double Agents. But I've had a bunch of people reach out about doing weekly recaps for this too and who am I to say no to a blog? I talked about how good episode 1 was and honestly I was a little worried it came too hot out of the gates. It had the music, the partying, pole wrestling, nostalgia. It's what I want to see in a reality TV show. 

But we're onto episode 2, so let's get into it. Again, we get hit with nothing but 90s music. I'm going to need someone to put all these songs from the season into a Spotify playlist. I'd like that. But they also give us trivia. There is nothing and I mean nothing more iconic than TJ Lavin laughing his ass off at wrong answers. 

- Now I will say I wished it was standard trivia and not Challenge history trivia. Don't give me questions like 'who won the first pole wrestling.' No, no. I want to hear 'what is the official language of Australia' and these wonderful idiots just completely whiffing. That's what makes trivia the best on this stupid, glorious show. 

- You think TJ is happy? He seems like a proud dad during this entire thing mostly because he's around his guys. These are all people he spent years with and he doesn't have to deal with the Big Brother bullshit. I'm shocked TJ hasn't showed up at the house yet to party. 

- Ding! ding! ding! We got our first fight! And what do you know it's between 'best friends' Katie and Trishelle. You may wonder over what? Perhaps the worst thing in the world happened? You're right. Trishelle was automatically sent to the arena for finishing last. So during the rest of the group debating who to throw in, Trishelle was waiting in her room to find out who she's going up against. Katie *gasp* grabbed some dinner before coming up to the room to tell Trishelle it was Kendal. How dare she? It led to what we love, trashy late night fighting: 

That's why this show is fucking delivering. It's a master class in what we want in reality TV. Awesome music, the 2nd best host in TV history (RIP Alex), dumbass fights that wake everyone up. Plus we know we're getting hook ups soon, that's been teased so far. This is what happens when you put everyone our age and older in a fucking house together to compete for $500,000. You think they care about family at home? Nope. You're sent back in time where this is just normal. 

Tough episode for Katie with the fight and this: 

- So the elimination is Kendal vs Trishelle: 

- We got an old school elimination too where you have to make a knot with a giant rope for 20 minutes. Then you switch and first one to undo their opponents note and get the rope into the circle wins. Classic. Kendal won with ease, with help of Darrell telling her what to do. Guy is on the Mt. Rushmore of The Challenge contestants, I'd listen to. 

- It's absolutely delivering. I know people will see it doesn't have Bananas or CT or Wes. It's fine. The plan according to Mark Long was to bring back way more nostalgia first. Guys like Teck and Yes. Shit, the last time we saw Teck was Van Wilder. They are building it up that way and will plan on bring in the bigger names. 

- We're getting what we love about the Challenge every episode. We're getting the stupid ass fights. We're getting personal. We're not watching people just work out and a 45 minute daily challenge. We're getting vintage TJ. That's what I want to watch. There's no college basketball on anymore. I'm just wandering around aimlessly, luckily I have this. It's the perfect hour of comfort television. 

- I'd do power rankings but I have no idea what the true setup is yet. Darrell would just be number 1 anyways because he's Darrell and he always fucking wins. Mark and Derrick would be a close 2 and 3.