On The Challenge season 38, also known as The Challenge: Ride or Dies, fans are frustrated with the editing. The season is currently airing on MTV, themed around the contestants being split into pairs based on their closest relationships. Several well-known Challenge veterans are back for another shot at the ultimate title and prize of $1 million. Familiar faces like Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio, Tori Deal, Jordan Wiseley, and Aneesa Ferreira have returned to the season and excited long-time fans of the show with the promise of more drama.
The editing thus far on The Challenge season 38 has some fans frustrated, as they feel the results of each episode are being given away early, and pivotal scenes are being excluded from the narrative. Bananas has spoken out about editing on the season thus far, claiming that several explosive fights between Challengers were never shown in the final edit. Johnny's statements validate the frustration felt by fans, like u/lhp220 on Reddit. Many viewers would rather watch intense moments of conflict over prolonged action sequences or romantic subplots happening within the show. Now, due to editing removing some of these pivotal moments, fans must find details from the Challengers themselves, or other sources like social media or podcasts like Death, Taxes, and Bananas, hosted by Bananas himself.
Fans Feel The Challenge Has Become Too Predictable
In a Reddit thread started by u/lhp220, fans discussed the edit thus far on The Challenge season 38, expressing their frustration with the show's editing format overall. One gave an example of how the editing makes the results of the episode too obvious and lessening suspense, saying, "Nelson first daily win in forever - spends first half of episode beating into us Nelson hasn't won a daily in 50+ dailies despite no one ever bringing it up before...The foreshadowing can't be anymore obvious." Other fans pitched in with similar examples, demonstrating just how often The Challenge gives away the ending of each episode by giving too much attention to certain narratives. Fans of any show typically enjoy speculating, and the appeal of guessing which teams from The Challenge have the best shot at winning is taken away if the edit reveals too much.
The Challenge Fans Think Teasers & Promotional Materials Are Misleading
Another issue fans have with the editing is the misleading teasers and promotional materials for The Challenge season 38. One pointed out, "Every season we get 3 or 4 clips from previews--especially the big preseason trailers--that never make the episodes." A similar complaint arose concerning the posters for each season, with another saying, "Being on the poster doesn’t mean [contestants] will be featured prominently." Teasers and promos are supposed to get fans excited for the season by highlighting exciting moments and key players.
However, if certain scenes on The Challenge never resurface in the actual episodes, and quickly eliminated contestants are heavily featured in posters, fans will likely feel disappointed with the final result. Some fans speculate that certain players are heavily featured in marketing materials, despite being eliminated early to mislead viewers and deliver shocks later on. It is also likely that certain dramatic scenes appear in teasers to draw in more viewers, despite the moments themselves not making it into the episodes.
The Challenge season 38 has the potential to delve into several interesting storylines, like Jordan facing his ex-fiancé Tori after their break-up, or Bananas attempting to earn what would be his eighth overall win. However, fans worry that the improper editing this season may prohibit the show from reaching its full potential. Many viewers long for older seasons when suspense played a huge factor in each episode. Fans can only hope moving forward that The Challenge season 38 will deliver on some unexpected moments and drama that was promised in teasers.
Source: u/lhp220/Reddit
