On The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies, veterans have closed ranks to the point where no rookie has a shot at winning season 37. On The Challenge, veterans have always held a strong advantage, but this season features a united front of vets the likes of which has never been seen. It’s a major development that puts the veteran cast members in a position to steal the season and it could change the game forever.
This season, the daily challenge winners send one man and one woman in to elimination, but they don’t have to be on the same team. This has allowed veterans to cherry-pick threatening rookies to send into elimination to take each other out. In episode 3 of this season, Challenge vet Tori considered breaking the alliance to send in Big T out of revenge for last season. However, she played it smart, stuck to the alliance, and sent in a rookie.
Rookies have always been at a disadvantage on The Challenge—the very format favors those with experience. The more seasons a cast member has competed on, the better they get to know the format and develop strategies to help them win. Though it’s not impossible for rookies to run a final, or even win, during their first season, it’s definitely rare. However, it’s not just experience that rookies lack, but also relationships with their castmates. Shared experiences breed friendships, and cast members are more likely to protect their friends than strangers.
According to Josh Martinez, The Challenge veterans formed their alliance before the show even started. At the Double Agents reunion taping, the vets decided to stick together in season 37 and pick off rookies one-by-one until the vets are all that remain. Rookies teamed up with veterans have demonstrated deference to their more experienced partners, so unless an all-rookie team can secure a daily challenge win, the tide is unlikely to turn. The veteran alliance is a landmark moment, because it’s an alliance that can be re-established on every subsequent season.
This season on The Challenge: Spies, Lies & Allies, viewers have been stunned by the sheer strength of the veteran alliance, and many are wondering when it’s going to crack. Unless a rookie team can secure a win, a veteran will most likely win season 37. The alliance was tested for the first time recently, when Tori was tempted to throw in a fellow veteran. But the fact that she was able to swallow her pride and stick to what is best for her and the other veterans’ games indicates that it’s going to take a lot to topple this alliance.