Following The Challenge: All Stars 5, Episode 9, fans vented frustrations about the latest spinoff season’s format and cast.
In the episode, non-Star holders were growing concerned as the final was approaching, and host TJ Lavin said a Star was required to participate.
Three teams lacked a Star, including Da’Vonne Rogers with Shane Landrum, Nicole Zanatta with Melissa Reeves, and Veronica Portillo with Katie Cooley.
At the daily challenge, TJ indicated a team could win a Star by winning the daily, and that’s what Da’Vonne and Shane did.
They also protected their Star, finishing ahead of their castmates, which gave them the power to send one team into elimination later.
That resulted in a scramble by castmates to set things up in the house vote for a strategic move to steal another team’s Star.
All Stars Rivals castmates conspired to steal a Star
During the house vote, Melissa and Nicole volunteered to go in and win a Star. However, when TJ asked who they would go against to win one, they suggested going against the other team without a Star: Veronica and Katie.
Nany Gonzalez was irritated, knowing the winners would steal the Star from her and her teammate, Turbo Camkiran.
At elimination, Nicole and Melissa won a close Pin Pop game against Katie and Veronica to eliminate their friends from the season. After the win, Nicole and Melissa did what Nany had expected: steal their Star.
Melissa claimed Nany was her friend but called out Turbo for his actions earlier in the season. Nany told Turbo to keep his cool in the moment.
While TJ told Nany and Turbo to stand to the side as non-Star holders, he then announced he’d see everyone at the next daily challenge.
Later, Turbo calmed Nany down as she cried over what had happened. Nany said she had been nice, but now it was time for them to find a way to get their Star back.
She also mentioned in confessional interviews that her castmates weren’t using their brains by letting the season’s top team, Adam Larson and Steve Meinke, get to the final.
A teaser trailer revealed that the next episode would trim the teams from five to four finalists.
Fans blasted the show’s format and cast decisions
Fans had lots to say after the episode aired, but many focused on the “stupidity” during the season. In particular, fans criticized cast members for allowing a team of two men, Adam and Steve, to have an easy path to the final.
“Sure, don’t steal Adam and Steve star and block em from the final. let em take the money instead,” a fan wrote in an X post.
“you mean to tell me i can win 5 dailies and 5 elims, get my star stolen at the last second, and STILL possibly go home trying to secure my star like it’s just so stupid,” another X post read.
On @thechallenge’s Instagram post about the recent elimination, several fans also expressed their concerns about the format and how the elimination seemed to make it easy to take a team’s Star.
“Is anyone going to question why two non star holders would get to steal a star of someone not in elimination? I know they’re changing rules this season but how does that make sense lol,” an IG commenter wrote.
Another commenter suggested, “Nany and turbo shoulda volunteered to go in to protect their star. I think Davonne would’ve helped them make it happen.”
Da’Vonne teased a disagreement at The Jungle elimination after she and Shane announced they would send in Veronica and Katie. She asked TJ what would happen if they disagreed on who to send in. It was a momentary pause for dramatic effect before Da’Vonne confessed she was just playing around.
The Challenge: All Stars Rivals airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on MTV.
Episodes of The Challenge are now streaming on Paramount+. Try it FREE!
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