This season of the challenge started with contestants showing up not knowing what the theme of the new season would be. Once host TJ Lavin revealed that their rivals would be their one partner for the whole season, many of the contestants immediately began to worry.
With pairings like C.T. and Wes, Trey and Zach, and Paula and Emily tension seems inevitable throughout the season.
C.T., one of the challenge veterans, made his presence felt throughout the 90 minute season premiere.
It started when he called out rookie Marlon, for breaking glass and possibly stopping the party. This almost led to one of the quickest fights in challenge history as Marlon and C.T. had a shoving match in the pool.
Later on C.T. showed his softer side as he comforted Diem, his ex-girlfriend, when it was revealed that she is in her second battle with ovarian cancer. C.T. made it clear he was going to flirt with every girl in the house to try and get them on his side.
At the first challenge the rules were revealed. And basically every challenge will either be an elimination for the girls, or for the guys, and the losing team goes straight to the jungle, while the winning team is safe. The first challenge was a guys challenge, and it had one partner hanging over water, while the other partner ran and jumped into the others arms. Dunbar and Tyrie were the first team to fail, and received a ticket straight to the jungle for their failures. Trey and Zach ended up winning the challenge for the guys and saving themselves. Emily and Paula won the girls side of the challenge, which gives them one thousand dollars, and the ability to pick the order for the next challenge.
While teams were deliberating over which team to send into the jungle to face Dunbar and Tyrie, C.T. was at it again, trying to stir the pot. He tried to put a plan in place to send Johnny and Frank into the jungle right off the bat. Johnny is a challenge veteran and has won several challenges already. Johnny called it a dumb move, and now C.T. has created an enemy.
At the deliberation Robb and Derek received 5 votes from the girls, and before TJ let the guys say their vote, he revealed a major twist. Girls would decide which guy group goes in the jungle, and guys would decide which girl group goes in the jungle. This makes C.T.'s plan of flirting with all of the girls seem pretty genius now.
In the end Derek and Robb were sent into the jungle to face Dunbar and Tyrie in a battle called last chance. This jungle had Tyrie and Robb pitted in the middle going head to head, while they tried to prevent Derek and Dunbar from getting to their respective bells to ring it first.
In this best of three series Derek made the first heat look easy as he sprinted by Tyrie and rang the bell first. But in the second heat it seemed as though Dunbar had the advantage until he slipped and missed the bell. By the time he got up to ring the bell, Derek was getting to his bell. TJ said this outcome was the closest in challenge history, and Derek won the second heat by a tenth of a second, meaning he and Robb moved on, and Tyrie and Dunbar made an early exit as the first team eliminated.
The premiere of Rivals two had everything you would want in an episode. There was some drama, some strategy, and some exciting challenges. There is a lot to look forward to next week as well, as we await who Cooke's new teammate will be, after Naomi left to attend to a family matter. And if the coming attractions are any indicator, this season will only get more intense with each passing week, so buckle up!