The Challenge: Cutthroat

The Challenge: Cutthroat is the 20th season of the MTV reality competition series, The Challenge.

Cutthroat
Season 20
Presented by	T. J. Lavin
No. of contestants	30
Winners	Brad Fiorenza Dunbar Merrill Tori Fiorenza Tyler Duckworth
Location	Prague, Czech Republic
No. of episodes	12 (Special & Reunion Included)
Release
Original network	MTV
Original release	October 6 (2010-10-06) – December 22, 2010 (2010-12-22)
Season chronology

Filmed in Prague, Czech Republic, Cutthroat features a first-ever three-team format with cast members from The Real World, Road Rules, and The Challenge. The season premiered on Wednesday, October 6, 2010, and concluded with the "S#!% They Should Have Shown" special on December 22, 2010.

Format

This season of The Challenge features a new format, consisting of three teams. A race to the "Gulag" was held to determine the selections of the teams. The three players that finished last in the race — Camila Nakagawa, Shauvon Torres and Emilee Fitzpatrick — were chosen as the team captains. Those three selected players, alternating between male and female, until each team was split evenly — five men and five women on each team — see Cast and Draft sections below.

The three teams will participate in numerous challenges (sometimes called "missions"), which are followed by an elimination challenge, known as the "Gulag." The team who wins a challenge will receive a cash prize of $20,000 to be banked in their team bank accounts, as well as winning immunity from the Gulag.

The two losing teams will then be forced to choose one player of each gender from their own teams for possible elimination. Each player will cast secret votes to decide which two men and two women will battle in same-gender Gulags. The winning players will rejoin their respective teams and stay in the game for a chance at a share of $120,000, while the losing players will be eliminated from the game.

Cast members who had been eliminated were removed from the opening credits, leaving only current members of the three teams left. It is the first (and so far only) time in challenge history that this has occurred.

In the event a vote is tied, a run-off vote is conducted. If the run-off does not resolve the tie, the player going into the Gulag from the opposing team selects any (same-sex) member of the other team to send to the Gulag.

Contestants

Male contestants Original season Finish Brad Fiorenza The Real World: San Diego Winner Dunbar Merrill The Real World: Sydney Winner Tyler Duckworth The Real World: Key West Winner Abram Boise Road Rules: South Pacific Runner-up Luke Wolfe The Challenge: Fresh Meat II Runner-up Derrick Kosinski Road Rules: X-Treme Episode 9/10 Johnny Devenanzio The Real World: Key West Episode 8/9 Dan Walsh Road Rules 2007: Viewers' Revenge Episode 7 Brandon Nelson The Challenge: Fresh Meat II Episode 6 Chet Cannon The Real World: Brooklyn Episode 6 Ty Ruff The Real World: D.C. Episode 5 Eric Banks Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat Episode 4 Vinny Foti The Challenge: Fresh Meat II Episode 3 JD Ordoñez The Real World: Brooklyn Episode 2 Derek Chavez The Real World: Cancun Episode 1

Female contestants Original season Finish Tori Fiorenza Road Rules 2007: Viewers' Revenge Winner Cara Maria Sorbello The Challenge: Fresh Meat II Runner-up Laurel Stucky The Challenge: Fresh Meat II Runner-up Sarah Rice The Real World: Brooklyn Runner-up Emily Schromm The Real World: D.C. Third place Jenn Grijalva The Real World: Denver Third place Paula Meronek The Real World: Key West Episode 9/10 Theresa Gonzalez The Challenge: Fresh Meat II Episode 8/9 Camila Nakagawa Spring Break Challenge Episode 7 Melinda Stolp The Real World: Austin Episode 6 Katie Doyle Road Rules: The Quest Episode 5 Ayiiia Elizarraras The Real World: Cancun Episode 4 Shauvon Torres The Real World: Sydney Episode 3 Mandi Moyer The Challenge: Fresh Meat II Episode 2 Emilee Fitzpatrick The Real World: Cancun Episode 1

Draft

Round	Red Team	Grey Team	Blue Team
Captain	Camila	Shauvon	Emilee
1	Dunbar	Vinny	Johnny
2	Tori	Laurel	Jenn
3	Brad	Abram	Derrick
4	Paula	Sarah	Emily
5	Tyler	Dan	Ty
6	Melinda	Ayiiia	Theresa
7	Chet	Luke	Derek
8	Mandi	Cara Maria	Katie
9	Brandon	JD	Eric

Heavy hitters

Heavy hitters	Original season
Chris "CT" Tamburello	The Real World: Paris
Tina Barta	Road Rules: South Pacific

Gameplay

Challenge games

• Gas Problems: Teams have to assemble a five-layered puzzle, and each puzzle has different diagrams that are locked in five separate boxes. In order to unlock the boxes, players have to enter a gas chamber in pairs, and memorize combinations of codes and letters that will unlock the boxes containing the diagrams. The first team to correctly assemble their puzzle together wins.
  • Winner: Grey Team
• Brain Buster: Players from each team are suspended upside down from ropes in front of the Průmyslový palác in Prague, and have to transfer color-coded beer steins from one end of a course to another by swinging toward their team members, and having their teammates place the steins on color-coded pedestals. The team that transfers the most beer steins within a 15-minute time limit wins. (Note: Since there were eight ropes present and ten players from the Red and Grey teams, those teams had to sit out two players each.)
  • Winner: Blue Team
• Bed Head: A series of five beds is suspended from a platform 40 feet above the water, and players from each team have to jump one-by-one from bed to bed, with each bed decreasing in size from start to finish. Once an entire team has landed on the same bed, the process continues until each team member has landed on the last bed at the end of the platform. Players are disqualified if they fall into the water, or if one player is touching their bed with their hands when a teammate jumps to join that player on the bed. The team that makes it to the last bed with the fewest disqualifications and in the fastest time wins.
  • Winner: Red Team
• Bottleneck Stampede: Players from each team have to push their way simultaneously through a giant obstacle course, with each obstacle creating its own "bottleneck." The first team to get all their players across a finish line wins.
  • Winner: Red Team
• Surf's Up: Teams jump onto a platform that is hanging from a side of a cliff, 40 feet above water. Teams jump onto a "flying surfboard" in pairs, and players have to "surf" as far as possible before falling into water, then swim around two buoys, and ring a bell once they reach the other side of the lagoon. The team with the fastest average time wins.
  • Winner: Grey Team
• Sky Hook: Players from each team have to climb onto a series of metal rings that are hanging from a platform suspended high above water. Players have to pass basketballs from one teammate to another until the player closest to the basket can shoot basketballs into a basket that is also hanging from a platform. Each player has to be on a ring before any balls can be transferred from player to player. A team loses one ball for each player that falls into water. Each team has 10 basketballs and a 20-minute time limit to shoot as many balls into a basket as possible. The team that makes the most baskets in the fastest time wins.
  • Winner: Grey Team
• Gimme a Hand: Teams have to walk on a tightrope suspended high above ground, from one nine-story building to another at Prosek Point in Prague. Players try to advance on the tightropes in pairs, with their hips and ankles attached to their partner, and have to use overhead ropes to guide them on the tightropes. The team with the most players advancing from building to building in the fastest time wins.
  • Winner: Blue Team
• High Ball: Teams have to transfer and balance balls uphill in pairs, on a ball carrier that resembles an oversize martini glass with a flat lid. Two players have to hold the ball carrier while one player loads a ball to the top of the ball carrier, and each pair of players has to deposit balls into a high basket at the top of the hill, using the ball carrier. The team that transfers the most balls into their basket within a 90-minute time limit wins.
  • Winner: Grey Team
• Riot Act: Players have to knock players from opposing teams off a square dirt platform and into a mud pit, using glass riot shields. The challenge is played in two rounds: guys vs. guys and girls vs. girls. A team is still in the game as long as one teammate is still in the platform. If there are two different winners after each gender has been knocked out of the platform in each round, one player from each winning team will face off in a head-to-head match, in which the last player standing wins the challenge for their team and well as an automatic bid to the final challenge.
  • Winner: Grey Team

Gulag games

• Handcuffs: Players have to wrestle rings out of their opponent's hands. The first player to wrestle rings out of their opponent's hands five times wins.
  • Played By: Brandon vs. Derek, Camila vs. Emilee, Brandon vs. Derrick & Emily vs. Melinda
• Back Up Off Me: Players are tied to each other, back-to-back, and have to drag their opponent to knock over their own barrel. The first player to knock over their own barrel twice wins. In Episode 9, a variation of the Back Up Off Me: challenge was played where both Gulag Nominees played against a "Heavy Hitter". The winner would be the player that wins the fastest time or alternatively, lasts longer before their Heavy Hitter wins.
  • Played By: Brandon vs. JD, Cara Maria vs. Mandi, Johnny vs. Tyler (Heavy Hitter: CT) & Theresa vs. Tori (Heavy Hitter: Tina)
• Die Hard: Players have to stand, kneel on and roll oversize dice, without any body parts touching the ground. The players have to match the number that T. J. Lavin rolls prior to the Gulag. The first player to roll their die into a designated square with the matching number facing up wins.
  • Played By: Eric vs. Vinny, Dan vs. Dunbar & Camila vs. Laurel
• Swat: Players are chained by their necks at a table, and have to slap each other in the face with fly swatters (while wearing protective goggles). After multiple rounds of "swatting", players have to hold up a bucket filled with dirt with one arm, while continuing to slap their opponent in the face with fly swatters. The opponent wins if a player drops their bucket to the ground.
  • Played By: Katie vs. Ayiiia & Luke vs. Eric
• Pole Me Over: Players have to grab a pole, and push their opponent backwards toward their own barrels. The first player to knock over their opponent's barrels twice wins.
  • Played By: Brandon vs. Ty, Camila vs. Katie, Derrick vs. Tyler & Emily vs. Paula

Czech Point final challenge

The final challenge begins with each team sprinting to the first checkpoint, "Seeing Spots," in which each team has to designate one player to stand in front of a wall containing five white targets, and one teammate has to hit each target with a paint ball gun before advancing. The next checkpoint is "So Tired," in which teams have to roll oversize tires on the tarmac. The next checkpoint is "Down & Dirty," in which players have to slide through an obstacle course containing a dirt pit. At the "Free Ride" checkpoint, all players from each team have to ride horses to the next check point. (Note: Since the Blue Team only had two members — Emily & Jenn, they instead ride a single horse.) At the "Hard Wood" checkpoint, each team must transfer a pile of wood to the top of a hangar in a designated area before advancing to the "Sign Language" checkpoint, in which each team has to memorize the placement of a sign post containing Czech road signs, then crawl through an obstacle course through mud and under barb wire, then swim through a lake. After swimming through a lake, each team has to slide a series of Czech road signs through a pole to duplicate the sign post from the earlier "Sign Language" checkpoint. If a team slides in each sign correctly, they can advance, otherwise, they have to return to the original "Sign Language" checkpoint. The final stretch involves a sprint to the top of Bezděz Castle.

• Winner: Red Team

Game summary

Elimination chart

Episode		Winners	Gulag nominees			Gulag game	Gulag outcome
#	Challenge		Red	Grey	Blue		Winner		Eliminated
1	Gas Problems	Grey Team	Brandon	—	Derek	Handcuffs		Brandon		Derek
			Camila		Emilee			Camila		Emilee
2	Brain Buster	Blue Team	Brandon	JD	—	Back Up Off Me		Brandon		JD
			Mandi	Cara Maria				Cara Maria		Mandi
3	Bed Head	Red Team	—	Vinny	Eric	Die Hard		Eric		Vinny
				Shauvon	Katie		—
4	Bottleneck Stampede	Red Team	—	Ayiiia	Katie	Swat		Katie		Ayiiia
				Luke	Eric			Luke		Eric
5	Surf's Up	Grey Team	Brandon	—	Ty	Pole Me Over		Brandon		Ty
			Camila		Katie			Camila		Katie
6	Sky Hook	Grey Team	Melinda	—	Emily	Handcuffs		Emily		Melinda
			Brandon		Derrick			Derrick		Brandon
7	Gimme a Hand	Blue Team	Dunbar	Dan	—	Die Hard		Dunbar		Dan
			Camila	Laurel				Laurel		Camila
8/9	High Ball	Grey Team	Tori	—	Theresa	Back Up Off Me		Tori		Theresa
			Tyler		Johnny			Tyler		Johnny
9/10	Riot Act	Grey Team	Tyler	—	Derrick	Pole Me Over		Tyler		Derrick
			Paula		Emily			Emily		Paula
10	Czech Points	Red Team	2nd place: Grey Team; 3rd place: Blue Team

Cutthroat progress

Contestants Challenges 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8/9 9/10 Finale Brad SAFE SAFE WIN WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE WINNER Dunbar SAFE SAFE WIN WIN SAFE SAFE ELIM SAFE SAFE WINNER Tori SAFE SAFE WIN WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE ELIM SAFE WINNER Tyler SAFE SAFE WIN WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE ELIM ELIM WINNER Cara Maria WIN ELIM SAFE SAFE WIN WIN SAFE WIN WIN SECOND Laurel WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE WIN WIN ELIM WIN WIN SECOND Luke WIN SAFE SAFE ELIM WIN WIN SAFE WIN WIN SECOND Abram WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE WIN WIN SAFE WIN WIN SECOND Sarah WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE WIN WIN SAFE WIN WIN SECOND Emily SAFE WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE ELIM WIN SAFE ELIM THIRD Jenn SAFE WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE WIN SAFE SAFE THIRD Paula SAFE SAFE WIN WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE DQ Derrick K. SAFE WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE ELIM WIN SAFE OUT Johnny SAFE WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE WIN OUT Theresa SAFE WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE WIN OUT Camila ELIM SAFE WIN WIN ELIM SAFE OUT Dan WIN SAFE SAFE SAFE WIN WIN OUT Brandon ELIM ELIM WIN WIN ELIM OUT Melinda SAFE SAFE WIN WIN SAFE OUT Chet SAFE SAFE WIN WIN SAFE MED Katie SAFE WIN SAVE ELIM OUT Ty SAFE WIN SAFE SAFE DQ Eric SAFE WIN ELIM OUT Ayiiia WIN SAFE SAFE OUT Shauvon WIN SAFE QUIT Vinny WIN SAFE OUT Mandi SAFE OUT JD WIN OUT Emilee OUT Derek C. OUT

Teams

  The contestant is on the Red team

  The contestant is on the Blue team

  The contestant is on the Grey team

Competition

  The contestant's team won the competition

  The contestant's team did not win the final challenge

  The contestant's team won the challenge and was safe from the Gulag

  The contestant's team lost the challenge, but the contestant was not chosen for the Gulag

  The contestant was chosen for the Gulag, but did not have to compete

  The contestant won the Gulag

  The contestant lost the Gulag and was eliminated

  The contestant was disqualified in the Gulag and was eliminated

  The contestant withdrew from the competition prior to the Gulag

  The contestant was removed from the competition due to medical reasons

Voting progress

Voted Into the Gulag		Brandon 8 of 10 votes	JD 6 of 10 votes	Eric 5 of 8 votes	Luke 7 of 7 votes		Ty 7 of 7 votes	Derrick 5 of 5 votes	Dunbar 3 of 6 votes	Tyler 5 of 5 votes	Tyler 3 of 5 votes
		Camila 9 of 10 votes	Cara Maria 7 of 10 votes	Katie 5 of 8 votes	Ayiiia 4 of 7 votes		Katie 7 of 7 votes	Emily 5 of 5 votes	Camila 5 of 6 votes	Tori 5 of 5 votes	Paula 4 of 5 votes
		Derek 8 of 10 votes	Brandon 8 of 10 votes	Vinny 6 of 9 votes	Tie Vote	Eric 6 of 8 votes	Brandon 8 of 8 votes	Brandon 6 of 8 votes	Dan 6 of 6 votes	Johnny 5 of 5 votes	Derrick By Default
		Emilee 9 of 10 votes	Mandi 8 of 10 votes	Shauvon 9 of 9 votes	Katie 8 of 8 votes		Camila 7 of 8 votes	Melinda 6 of 8 votes	Laurel 4 of 6 votes	Theresa 5 of 5 votes	Emily 3 of 3 votes
Voter		Episodes
		1	2	3	4		5	6	7	8/9	9/10
	Brad	Brandon	Brandon				Brandon	Brandon	Tyler	Tyler	Tyler
		Camila	Mandi				Camila	Melinda	Camila	Tori	Paula
	Dunbar	Brandon	Brandon				Brandon	Brandon	Tyler	Tyler	Tyler
		Camila	Mandi				Camila	Melinda	Camila	Tori	Paula
	Tori	Brandon	Brandon				Brandon	Brandon	Dunbar	Tyler	Tyler
		Camila	Mandi				Camila	Melinda	Camila	Tori	Paula
	Tyler	Brandon	Brandon				Brandon	Brandon	Dunbar	Tyler	Brad
		Camila	Mandi				Camila	Melinda	Camila	Tori	Paula
	Abram		Abram	Luke	Luke				Dan
			Shauvon	Shauvon	Sarah				Laurel
	Cara Maria		Luke	Vinny	Luke				Dan
			Shauvon	Shauvon	Ayiiia				Laurel
	Laurel		JD	Vinny	Luke				Dan
			Cara Maria	Shauvon	Cara Maria				Cara Maria
	Luke		JD	Vinny	Luke				Dan
			Cara Maria	Shauvon	Ayiiia				Laurel
	Sarah		JD	Vinny	Luke				Dan
			Cara Maria	Shauvon	Ayiiia				Cara Maria
	Emily	Derek		Eric	Eric	Eric	Ty	Derrick		Johnny	Derrick
		Emilee		Katie	Katie		Katie	Emily		Theresa	Emily
	Jenn	Derek		Eric	Ty	Eric	Ty	Derrick		Johnny	Derrick
		Emilee		Katie	Katie		Katie	Emily		Theresa	Emily
	Paula	Brandon	Brandon				Brandon	Brandon	Dunbar	Tyler	Dunbar
		Camila	Mandi				Camila	Melinda	Camila	Tori	Tori
	Derrick	Derek		Ty	Ty	Eric	Ty	Derrick		Johnny	Derrick
		Emilee		Emily	Katie		Katie	Emily		Theresa	Emily
	Johnny	Derek		Eric	Eric	Eric	Ty	Derrick		Johnny
		Emilee		Katie	Katie		Katie	Emily		Theresa
	Theresa	Derek		Eric	Eric	Eric	Ty	Derrick		Johnny
		Emilee		Katie	Katie		Katie	Emily		Theresa
	Camila	Brandon	Dunbar				Brandon	Brad	Brad
		Mandi	Mandi				Melinda	Melinda	Tori
	Dan		JD	Luke	Luke				Dan
			Cara Maria	Shauvon	Ayiiia				Laurel
	Brandon	Chet	Dunbar				Brandon	Dunbar
		Camila	Camila				Camila	Paula
	Melinda	Dunbar	Brandon				Brandon	Brandon
		Camila	Mandi				Camila	Camila
	Chet	Brandon	Brandon
		Camila	Mandi
	Katie	Derek		Ty	Ty	Ty	Ty
		Emilee		Theresa	Katie		Katie
	Ty	Derek		Eric	Eric	Eric	Ty
		Emilee		Katie	Katie		Katie
	Eric	Derek		Ty	Ty	Ty
		Emilee		Theresa	Katie
	Ayiiia		JD	Vinny	Luke
			Cara Maria	Shauvon	Cara Maria
	Shauvon		Luke	Vinny
			Cara Maria	Shauvon
	Vinny		JD	Luke
			Shauvon	Shauvon
	Mandi	Brandon	Brandon
		Camila	Camila
	JD		Luke
			Cara Maria
	Emilee	Ty
		Katie
	Derek	Ty
		Emilee

Partners

Gas Problems (Episode 1) Red Team Grey Team Blue Team Dunbar & Camila Abram & Cara Maria Johnny & Emilee Brad & Tori Laurel & Luke Derrick & Emily Tyler & Paula JD & Shauvon Derek & Jenn Chet & Mandi Dan & Sarah Ty & Katie Brandon & Melinda Vinny & Laurel Eric & Theresa

Surf's Up (Episode 5) Blue Team Grey Team Red Team Derrick & Johnny Abram & Luke Chet & Tyler Emily & Jenn Laurel & Sarah Camila & Tori Katie & Theresa Cara Maria & Dan Melinda & Paula Derrick & Ty Brandon & Dunbar Brad & Tyler

Gimme a Hand (Episode 7) Blue Team Red Team Grey Team Johnny & Theresa Tyler & Camila Abram & Cara Maria Emily & Jenn Dunbar & Paula Laurel & Sarah Derrick & Johnny Brad & Tori Dan & Luke

Episodes

In contrast to past seasons of The Challenge, the title sequence features only the players that are still in the game for that episode (in past seasons, every player that participated would be shown, even after elimination).

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original air date	US viewers (millions)
251	1	"Czech Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself"	October 6, 2010 (2010-10-06)	1.74
252	2	"Newbie Doobie Doo"	October 13, 2010 (2010-10-13)	1.27
253	3	"Karma's a Bitch"	October 20, 2010 (2010-10-20)	1.28
254	4	"Swat the Hell?"	October 27, 2010 (2010-10-27)	1.44
255	5	"Couching Tyger, Hidden Danimal"	November 3, 2010 (2010-11-03)	1.31
256	6	"Where The Red Team Blows"	November 10, 2010 (2010-11-10)	1.47
257	7	"Hell Hath No Fury"	November 17, 2010 (2010-11-17)	1.41
258	8	"Back With a Vengeance"	December 1, 2010 (2010-12-01)	1.05
259	9	"Always a Bridesmaid..."	December 8, 2010 (2010-12-08)	1.24
260	10	"Czechmate"	December 15, 2010 (2010-12-15)	1.39

Reunion special

The Challenge: Cutthroat Reunion was aired after the season finale on December 15, 2010, and was hosted by Maria Menounos. The cast members who attended the reunion were: Brad, Dunbar, Tori, Tyler, Cara Maria, Laurel, Luke, Abram, Sarah, Emily, Jenn, Derrick, Paula, Johnny and Eric.

Controversy

During the third episode of the season, which aired on October 20, 2010, Fresh Meat II castmember Laurel Stucky drunkenly directed a series of insults at Fresh Meat castmember Eric Banks, regarding Banks' body image. Stucky later issued a tearful apology on MTV.com after the episode aired, however, at the Reunion special, Banks confronted and chided Stucky for the lack of sincerity and making the apology on MTV.com instead of apologizing to Banks in person during filming, though Stucky claimed that Banks brushed her off following the incident.

External links

• Official website