It's a sad fact that one of the easiest shows to watch on television -- they have competitive spelling bees, for God's sake -- is going to get even harder to watch Tuesday night. Just weeks later, The Challenge stars Diem Brown and Ryan Knight passed away in November. Shortly after their deaths, it was revealed that the new Challenge season would be dedicated to Knight and Diem, with MTV also paying tribute to Diem with a We <3 Diem special that aired on December 9. Hopefully this means the show will deal with sad things as respectfully as possible.
Luckily, so far, so good. After Diem and Knight passed away, fans were able to remember their competitors and the people they were, thanks to many kind words from their peers and the MTV family. However, there's a slight sense of trepidation that comes with knowing that these two will still be part of the story of this season's challenge . This isn't just any narrative, but the story of Brown and Knight being paired with their respective long-time "exes" Chris "CT" Tamburello and Jamie Carroll. While CT and Diem expressed their excitement to MTV about trying to win together, and Diem said she was happy to have CT "in her corner" before filming, Carole and Nate were more concerned about their ability to get along, Nate said. Special reminder to MTV that even with Carroll, he may be "a habitual line breaker."
Starting tonight, MTV will have the responsibility to honor two of its own cast members on a series that prides itself on drama and competition. There is no doubt that this will be a very different season in the Challenge . So, how will Bunim/Murray and MTV handle a season of The Challenge starring Diem Brown and Ryan Knight, which also includes them as contestants?
Save as much as possible
They are 13 ex-couples competing in "Battle of the Exes." That's 26 people, which means any storyline specifically focusing on Diem or Knight is likely to be avoided; but that's unlikely and sounds a little false. Diem and Knight were both important parts of the Challenge Series, even after their deaths. When The Real World/The Challenge creator Jonathan Murray recently spoke to E!, he revealed that Diem had to exit The Exes early due to his ongoing battle with cancer. It's sure to be a focus this season, as Murray said it was very difficult for the cast and crew after Diem left, knowing what she was going through back home while they were still filming in Panama.
be as positive as possible
A more likely approach would be for Diem and Knight to bring out their best selves. Murray told E! Producers "were just focused on editing the show to make sure we were doing justice to these two, making sure we were sending them out in a good way." Murray said no one thought about not airing the season. He said Deem was a great competitor who saw every challenge as an "opportunity to get rid of cancer" and that Murray was "pretty sure Deem and Knight wanted this season to be on the air". With this, the best thing MTV and the show can do is honor their memory.
as real as possible
For fans, the most anticipated result of this season is nothing more than being able to spend more time with the two players who originally met in the challenge . There's no denying that Knight was, in his own words, a button pusher, and to deny that would be to miss Knight's legacy on the series; but Murray also told E! In the final season, "he got to the point where the other cast members really loved him." Still, Brown's legacy — an eight-time contestant who loved winning more than he feared anything — may More than ever, you are under the spotlight of your ex . Even after finishing second and being eliminated early, Diem never really lost in a challenge because she always fought until the end, a fact that stood out even amidst the sadness of Diem and Knight's tragic deaths. Easy and pleasant to remember.
Image: MTV; Getty Images (2)
