Mind Reading Is Amazing on 'The Challenge All Stars: Rivals' | "This Is Why We're Rivals"

“This Is Why We’re Rivals” opens The Challenge All Stars: Rivals with six pairs remaining, all of whom have stars for the final with the exception of Nany and Turbo. Ask Nany and she’s certain the entirety of the house had machinations to steal their star last week, and whether or not her paranoia was true, it is what happened. It could be that new rivals were developed on The Challenge All Stars: Rivals, but T.J. (and production) will give them one more week to try. 

The episode opens with Da’Vonne chatting with her daughter back home. Those edits never bode well for the competitor. A bit of chatter amongst the house mates, and soon it’s off to the daily challenge. 

As for daily challenges go, “Pressure Sandwich” is right down the middle. The pairs gather up pieces of a puzzle in the shape of a toilet paper roll (thanks to Adam for that description), and the trick is that they must hold them all at the same time between the two. That means the players are to put pressure on each end so the eventual set of ten don’t fall. Cue up Toots and the Maytals’ “Pressure Drop”! It’s much appreciated!  

Frank and Sam never drop a piece and their meticulous movements garner them the win. There’s nothing surprising until a moment usually off camera gets everyone’s attention. Apparently Adam puts a hand on Shane in what Shane misconstrued as unnecessary. Adam, here and elsewhere, is mostly cool about it. He tries to explain, but Shane storms away, leaving T.J. to continue the winner announcement without him. 

A scene later, Shane explains to Adam that it’s having to work with Da’Vonne that’s driving him to anger. These are rivals, so it’s somewhat refreshing to see a pair at least acting like they disagree. Shane could bring some accountability to his own, but then Da’Vonne does the worst of the worst: she feigns ignorance of Shane’s presence yet uses the moment to talk shit about him loud enough to ensure he hears. Come on. If you’re willing to do that, you should be willing to discuss it with the very person in question. They  finally come to an understanding later after Shane has an “older Challenge player moment” where he admits defeat and considers going straight into elimination. Time will tell how long their peace lasts. 

Da’Vonne’s teenage behavior occurs at the infamous bar scene for The Challenge, and it’s also where Adam confronts partner Steve for an apology. Perhaps “confronts” is too strongly worded, because it’s Adam. He asks for an apology. Steve, in his also very non-confrontational, very chill, very Steve way dances around the entire issue. Whatever slight the two feel between one another, it’s a good idea to drop it as they’re playing better than a team has played in a while. Though they don’t get the political game working every week – Steve’s silence and Adam’s naivety help none – their gameplay is like two telepaths. 

And being a telepath is exactly what players need this week if they are put into elimination. Thanks to Frank’s decision, Adam and Steve must face Nany and Turbo, as they wrapped the house vote with ease. Everyone was willing to steal Nany and Turbo’s star last week, and this week, they’re equally willing to send them into elimination to try to get that star back. 

It’s a bizarre elimination, but if The Challenge All Stars wants its signature to be easier competitions, this is where they can lean into it. The first part of the game is basically a series of lying and guessing. The pairs sit across from the other, they have a box in front of them, they check the box, and both pairs try to throw off the other on if a star is truly inside or not. It’s a game made for Adam and Steve, who have already established themselves as quirky and even more quirky. It’s not bad television! The Challenge does not have to be grumpy and grueling! I’m sold! I only wish I knew this ten weeks ago. 

The back half of the elimination requires the teams using only poles (laugh if you want) to transfer large gym balls to the other side of the sand. As Adam and Steve crushed the mind-reading position, they have one ball more (laugh again). It’s all they need. While Nany and Turbo did not play like enemies, they felt the rush and couldn’t beat the most dominant pair this season. 

Confessionals

• Nicole and Melissa continue to be blatantly handsy, even having Melissa appear in Nicole’s call to her girlfriend! Some social media rumors I know, such as Nany and Kaycee being on the outs, but others I do not. Anyone with news on Nicole and her girlfriend should drop a comment. 

• The final is set, per T.J. himself: Adam and Steve, Shane and Da’Vonne, Frank and Sam, and Nicole and Melissa. Anyone betting against Adam and Steve must hate money. 

• Assuming Turbo maintains a level head like he mostly kept this season, he has to be brought back to the series as much as possible. It may have taken him this long to find his place in the cast, but he’s comedy. 

• I didn’t have a chance to say much about Frank, but as dominant as Adam and Steve have been elsewhere, that’s how much Frank has run the more talkative elements of this season. It’ll be interesting to see how much of his persuasive energy factors into a final.