The Challenge Season That Saved The Show & Reshaped Its History | Free Agents 10+ Years Later

[@0104brit]

This season also had the BEST trivia challenge that they've ever done.

[@Jred657]

I would like to give an honourable mention to rivals 3 weirdly enough. I liked the newlywed game element of it/having to know their birthday at the end

[@JGR4LIFE20]

Very iconic trivia challenge

[@lamb9770]

jordan flipping the cards will always be one of the best moments in challenge history. we need another rivalry like bananas vs jordan in the newer seasons.

[@ThatOneDude6009]

Was a short lived rivalry. Both realized it was better to work with each other than against.

[@lamb9770]

@@ThatOneDude6009 you’re right because they were working together on exes 2. bananas vs wes lasted much longer. but that’s the problem with modern challenge. all the vets wanna play nice so there’s barely any tension or rivalries :/

[@IntuitionIntroverted]

Yeah game recognized game pretty quick in this rivalry. Bananas and CT are both great at befriending former rivals and turning them in to allies. I always wonder if I were on the show would I be able to get over that type of personal animosity for the sake of the game and I dunno if I’d be able to do it.

[@ThatOneDude6009]

@@IntuitionIntroverted As Frank said, strength isn't in personality. It's in numbers.

[@kayt.b.9569]

My favorite part was watching CT and Leroy encourage Jordan to do it.

[@willielloyd7422]

Free Agents was an amazing season because of the kill cards if you suck at dailies you would have to hope that luck is on your side and you couldn't rely on your alliance

[@jordanvance1657]

Oh so johnny lol

[@mostkasualplayer9640]

Yesss

[@Spectrum0122]

they need to bring that back. too many people skate by playing the middle and avoiding elims recently

[@JGR4LIFE20]

We desperately need that back

[@eljefe1030]

WE. NEED. THE. DRAW. Because this would neutralize the Vacation Alliance.

[@AngelcakeVids]

I mean I'll even take the hopper back if it helps Nerf the Vacation Alliance and all the frindship groups. But yeah, I'd love the draw back. Thank you for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it!

[@hafelpayano9334]

Rivals 1 was really the season that changed the challenge. First STACKED season + the first over night finals

[@cedricbeard4609]

Yep, that’s also what I posted before I read the comments.

[@bbg9585]

I'd say it was Fresh Meat. The first season without a team format or Real World/Road Rules cast members.

[@0104brit]

I can't believe it's been 10 years already! I enjoyed this season when it originally aired. While some things (specifically the language used) don't age well....I appreciate how everyone was unapologetically themselves. Glad to see how many of them have grown since then as well.

[@kris2030]

I didn't watch this when it aired, but I was so lucky to find the episode recaps you did of this season. I experienced it through you lol

[@keveenaniceto9030]

This was the first Challenge season I watched as it aired and it was great to watch. I instantly became a fan of Laurel and CT.

[@AngelcakeVids]

What a season to start with. Thank you for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it!

[@nightmarefiles1]

I think Rivals saved the franchise, and started a whole new era

[@sheigh7042]

Great video!! I love that you are recognizing this rockstar season 10 years later.

[@Dee_Money_Raw]

It’s still shady to me how the 2 players who had problems with their hands ended up with the elimination that required you to punch through drywall

[@draymondleo623]

One of my favorite seasons along with Fresh Meat, Duel, Rivals, and War of The Worlds

[@LoveableNiki]

Best part of the video.....Drew in a flamingo floaty!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@LiLzAaR]

Timestamp 👀? I was listening on train so didn't see 😂😂

[@thanad966]

I watched this season when it aired and I was instantly in love with it. This was the season that made me obsessed with the Challenge. The first season I saw live was BOTS 2012

[@Faye_Thinks]

I just watched this season for the first time and I really liked it! The eliminations were so much more fun back then!

[@Cameron_David_]

Fantastic video! Its crazy to think that 10 years later the same people are the faces of the franchise.

[@o.9428]

I was not expecting a thesis. Watching this later with my full attention.

[@tmbline]

Angelcake is the New Rockstars of mtv! (because the background music and awesome content)

[@AZMasterbaker]

I wouldnt mind a fresh meat 3 with people that havent done any reality tv bit just have great personalities

[@x0xEmmaxRockzx0x]

Yessssss put me first in line!!!!!!!!!

[@swtgirl303]

Wow, thanks for the history lesson! Great job!👏🏼👏🏼

[@AngelcakeVids]

No problem. This was a lot of fun to make and I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the video. Thank you for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it!

[@LoveableNiki]

You better do it, Drew! Love this video idea! 💛

[@Sagittariussun1999]

Unpopular opinion the challenge needs to bring back alternating physical “classic eliminations” like Free Agents.

[@unknownuser69420.]

The challenge is slowly starting to become survivor and big brother with how much you benefit from having alliances because there’s been a voting system from seasons 34-39

[@lastdayonearthmysteryman4849]

Free Agents was the season that got me into the challenge. I was watching something on MTV and I saw my promo for on my OK. This is interesting. I wanna see more. It was also the you I started watching multiple reality show so I was diving into any type of reality show possible!

[@ZarinaRae]

This is hands down my favorite challenge season of all time! I wish they would bring a season like this back because the last couple of seasons have been sad to say the least.

[@AngelcakeVids]

It is interesting with how quick they were to other sequels like Fresh Meat, Duel, Gauntlet, Inferno etc but in all this time they never did a straight up Free Agents 2. Missed opportunity imo Thank you for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it!

[@thegenuinebeauty]

Free Agents was the first Challenge season I've ever watched. It'll always have a special place in my heart ❤

[@AngelcakeVids]

That's incredible, what a Challenge season to start with. Thank you for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it!

[@ariellehickman296]

Bringing back a season like Free Agents would definitely revitalize the series. I didn’t finish season 39 after Nurys was the only 1/7 people in the final that had seen an elimination. If I wanted to watch a show that had heavier politics, I’d watch Big Brother. Thanks for posting!

[@larrylegend574]

Please more videos like these. I don’t really keep up with the show much anymore. (It’s just not the same) but I love to walk down memory lane and relive some of these memories.

[@tararain97]

Honestly don't know why they wouldn't recreate free agents as a format. It gave what needed to be given and there hasn't been a season as great since.

[@willielloyd7422]

What about War of the Worlds 1 it was a good season

[@iLoveTheEighties80]

@@willielloyd7422WoW1 was an awesome season. WoW2 was one of the worst Challenge seasons in my opinion and ruined the WoW trajectory.

[@bigbuffguy9589]

@@iLoveTheEighties80 War of the Worlds 2 is my favorite season in Challenge history.

[@ThatOneDude6009]

@@bigbuffguy9589 I agree. WOTW 2 is my top 3

[@mostkasualplayer9640]

As soon as i heard free agents ..gotta hit that like button

[@xoxomya8334]

i loved all the 2010 seasons the drama the challenges the hookups it was so good

[@iColonicsss]

This was a great video👍

[@ZavidWebster]

My Rankings: 28. Chet 27. Jemmye 26. Emilee 25. Dustin 24. Brandon 23. Isaac 22. Jasmine 21. Nia 20. Latoya 19. Frank 18. Jonna 17. Swift 16. Leroy 15. Camila 14. Devyn 13. Johnny R. 12. Jordan 11. Cohutta 10. Preston 9. Nany 8. Aneesa 7. Jessica 6. Zach 5. CT 4. Bananas 3. Theresa 2. Laurel 1. Cara'Maria

[@codydhf3]

Johnny Reilly and Devyn were SO LUCKY that season. Also this was Preston's best season in his career. I was rooting for Preston to make the finals. Sucks that he lost to Cohutta in the elimination.

[@AngelcakeVids]

Preston was impressive during Free Agents. It would've been cool if he made it to the final. Wish he made it over Johnny or Zach. Thank you for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it!

[@tazgustafson539]

Bananas in the final got the best gal for that leg. Such a great luck of the draw.

[@luisadriano8783]

It would be nice a video like this for every season! I would watch them all!

[@AngelcakeVids]

I'll see what I can cook up. Thank you for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it!

[@officialjobetheking15]

I'm very excited to be a new patreon member 🎉 Drew if u see this do we get notifications before you go live on patreon ?

[@AngelcakeVids]

Welcome to the Patreon! I make sure to give updates and notifications when going live/uploading content on Patreon. So you should be good as I try to make announcements a day or two ahead especially when going live! Thank you for watching and joining the Patreon! I really appreciate it!

[@Bettyboop08]

So true. Great job

[@rdillzrdillz1299]

Challenge is the Greatest! 💪🏾 CT is that Dude!

[@timothypolanco8622]

Ngl I remember watching this season live with my family an feeling a little bit disappointed when we saw very few familiar faces from the golden era of the challenges. However once the season started I remember how we were all hooked by the first few episodes, an like you said new babyfaces & heels were created for the next couple of seasons.

[@brandonwilliams2853]

It was also the last franchise only cast in the main game with Real World/Road Rules & Fresh Meat. Now they are pulling some many from everywhere it's hard to keep track anymore! I miss the days like this that's why I love All Stars so much!

[@dakotasantibanez3863]

This video seriously made me go watch it again. 10 years later and it's pretty awesome 😎. I didn't like it back then. I just watched it because it was the challenge. Now I'm in agreement with you.

[@Defundthenavy]

Great job with this video.

[@0nly1M3]

We need another Fresh Meat season may it be the people that didn’t get cast on Love Island, Big Brother, Are you the one or Survivor with no reality TV background. Rayvn alone is proving people like that tend to become popular with the fans faster since they have no reality TV background

[@diandranyirinkwaya7770]

The season that made me fall in love with the challenge franchise, this season set standard soo high compared today’s new seasons

[@DannyDIMES-e8w]

I would love to see a trivia video.. always wondered who has the most right/ wrong answers

[@andrewyb830]

Great Video 😂😂

[@lilpedrootivert4292]

first season i ever watched and got me hooked

[@ThatOneDude6009]

Video suggestion. “What the Challenge would look like had Evan and Kenny not been kicked off”. Such an interesting topic given the control the mob alliance (Evan/Bananas/Kenny) had at the time. Not to mention the rivalry they had with CT and Wes. Makes you wonder how future seasons would’ve panned out with those 5, along with Jordan entering the frame.

[@scubanelly]

great video ☺️☺️

[@matthewg504]

I LOVED the draw on Free Agents because it was the MOST fair way to go about an elimination! You dont have to worry about popularity or anything like that!!! Bring it back, Lol

[@matthewg504]

They probably wouldnt ever bring that back because there is less drama that way!!

[@jablackjam]

Waiting for Free Agents 2 ever since 😢

[@VoidToon]

As someone who became a fan after Total Madness whenever a new season would start I would see hundreds of comments saying "this season will suck" or "the season hasn't started and I can already predict how it will go", just a lot of negative things for what I thought had no reason behind it. So when I started to ask those people would always bring up Free Agents or another season during that time frame basically saying the season would never be as good as Free Agents or Free Agents was the height of The Challenge. So I thought there was some delusion that the fans wanted to stay within Rivals 2 and Free Agents forever and bring the new seasons down before they start so they could live in their bubble. But now seeing that Free Agents basically got the same treatment going in as these newer seasons does change my view on the fans perspective and why they decide a season isn't worthy of their praise and have to say the season sucks before it has a real chance to start.

[@alow5358]

(born in 2000) been watching the show since i can remember through my mom- this season is SO nostalgic and to this day the one I remember best from being a kid. (shout out to the og battle of the exes jet engine challenge tho lol)

[@plastiquestleclere7430]

I love that season, I think that season and fresh met 1 are my favorite

[@luisortiz1203]

Just off the top of my head my favorite seasons are in no particular order, Battle of the Seasons, The Gauntlet, Inferno, Fresh meat 1&2, Rivals, Free agents, Invasion, War of the Worlds.

[@BIGETV.]

we need free agents 2 or rivals 4 or even cutthroat 2

[@Claudymaze]

I don’t like challenges that remove the social aspect. Getting your friends to keep you out of eliminations is a skill that must be respected.

[@AliFrankTheTank]

That WOTW 1&2 season callback in the same video gone hit like crack 😉😉 & Zach folding and Johnny winning numba 5😂🔥

[@ramblingrandomthings]

Free Agents is the best format they've ever done it's the best season imo

[@NikkoCatzerz]

Honestly, Free Agents was the first season I watched and was the season that got me hooked on the franchise!

[@blackcurlmagicgrey-sloan8640]

I didn’t watch it when it aired but I did a few years later. It was great

[@kayt.b.9569]

Free agents is the season that made me get hooked on the challenge. And I still don’t think they’ve surpassed how great that season was since

[@tazgustafson539]

Being wrapped, if you are clostraphobic, you cannot do this. OMG. Watching trigger my being trapped & unable to move/ get out fears 😱😱

[@AliFrankTheTank]

Free Agents 🐐 szn

[@yarianbalaguer8288]

i LOVE leroy to death BUTTTTT, he's a mediocre player. I think him being in an alliance w johnny and being so likeable helped him A LOT!

[@tiffanya3164]

Free Agents was a really great season, however I personally think Cutthroat was one of the best. It gave us the Bananas backpack. It was also was the first season I saw that got me hooked on this show

[@chasingfelix3609]

Seeing those slow 40 yard dash times on Fresh Meat always cracks me up lol

[@sunshinehwy]

I liked Free Agents because it introduced what I thought to be the best "the Challenge" format, always switching individuals-pairs-teams instead of a static game all season

[@Claudymaze]

I’m glad they don’t cancel the challenge for ratings like they do other shows.

[@LoveableNiki]

Scandal shoutout!!!

[@abbzsterz]

I need to watch this again…

[@vaporterra]

Chet was also a vet that debuted in season 18

[@AngelcakeVids]

You're absolutely right. I can't believe I missed him on The Ruins. That's my bad. Thank you for watching. I really appreciate it! Edit: him being first boot is a reason I forgot he was on Ruins. Still isn't an excuse but that's probably why. I'll now never forget Chet was on he Ruins because of this comment/video lol

[@joeroberts2966]

Great video, need the name of that outro song?

[@elihudilworth7120]

I think doing the double cross in season 30 was perfect because it still had an aspect of luck but let the social game still play a part in it.

[@455zzz]

Zach making ridiculous noises I still laugh to this day 😂

[@JHTotusTuus]

8:18 first…I really liked the draw, except for the last one when Johnny Reilly lucked out again for like the 4th or 5th time and CT had to go in right before the final (on a season he deserved to win alongside Laurel). I think the easy fix to this overall though is that if you flip the kill card, and win that elimination, you’re exempt from the next draw (I.e. Cara Maria). You can still get voted in if you don’t win the next challenge, but at least you’re safe from the draw, thus increasing the chances of someone else going in from the draw

[@AngelcakeVids]

I actually think that's a really good idea. I always like the idea of an immunity if you win and elimination for the next elimination like they did in War of the Worlds. Thank you for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it!

[@dante93nero]

Free agents, Rivals II etc I feel like those seasons were the best

[@unknownuser69420.]

GOAT season 🔥 I hope they bring kill cards back in some future seasons

[@Spectrum0122]

"theyre getting old they cant do the challenge forever" mark at 52, CT and Bananas in their 40s still doing it loll

[@lztrfilms8250]

I hate their "America's fifth sport" tagline. There's just a HANDFUL of people in the entire world who have the opportunity to try this "sport". I mean, if they would produce a new Fresh Meat season every like 3 to 5 years to freshen the pool and give the opportunity to try that sport to new people, it would be a better fit.

[@lallana2882]

The "5th sport" stuff is so silly. Sports arent edited versions of events. For a reason.

[@AngelcakeVids]

Great point. Thank you for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it!

[@mshadow7427]

You should do a what if video on what you think what change in challenge history if the Mike The Miz stayed on the show instead of going to WWE.

[@nelidaflores4523]

i liked the draw but i like the skull concept more. i loved seeing challengers FIGHT to go into elimination 😂 made for great entertainment

[@backwoodsbabble]

Top tier season. Fun season. Production should look back and take notes imo. The draw was amazing. Please bring it back!!! Besides getting OG’s on the main show my main quarrel is the fact they are over producing the show. I personally think we are at a cross roads with Season 40 which is why we got the cast we got. They know who people want to see. They need to stop forcing people on our screens and allow them to organically become favorites. Like Brandon for instance. But it’s a business decision to get new faces according to Cory Wharton. He said on a podcast that new players are way cheaper to get as they rely on social media for income and just want to get famous. Which is why it pisses me off that Nam got a call for All-Stars 5. Why over saturate the Challenge in general let alone All-Stars? Sorry for rambling. I have so many thoughts coming at once!!

[@minerzach1236]

@backwoodsbabble free agents or the wow1 &2 were probably the last good season. Feel like they cast boring people with no personality or that aren’t good at the physical part of the game but are a good tv character. Nam got the calm for all starts 5?

[@backwoodsbabble]

@@minerzach1236 that’s what’s all over Reddit.

[@JMaster9877]

They should definitely bring back Red Skulls. Definitely would've made season 39 better instead of seeing a majority alliance play safe the whole game

[@SupplementalSense]

No doubt this is the last elite tier season. The cast has really fallen off of a cliff since then. What they did with Fresh Meat casting is what they should have continued to do for new players. They need young people with raw talent that can grow into a bigger role over time. That's how we got all the stars and legends of the show. A 35 year old from Big Brother or Love Island isn't going to stick.

[@lastdayonearthmysteryman4849]

17:06 If only that could still be the case! Man, she should have got second place in all stars 4! I can’t believe 10 years ago. I thought Laurel was a good person.

[@grady2540]

Chet started season 18 *cough* *cough*, good video either way

[@saramarshall2957]

They probably got sick of people like Jenn skating along to finals to always not finish

[@andeshamo9585]

You forgot about big easy he was on the challenge before season 18

[@justinpascal8332]

This season has challenge legend Tamara

[@Emkayy209]

Free Agents is touchstone for the show

[@rogerdodger1984]

Free Agents is a top 10 season, but not a top 5, in my opinion. My biggest problem with Free Agents is I was getting Bananas fatigue and him winning is such a bore.

[@semsen99]

Muhad mughandi takes me out everytime 😂

[@SpriteXP404]

If the challenge was in danger. At that point Then maybe I can save my brain

[@Faye_Thinks]

Also laurel and Jordan were a thing??? Why didn’t anyone tell me 🤣🤕

[@ThatOneDude6009]

They’re still FWB to this day.

[@Faye_Thinks]

@@ThatOneDude6009 oh, I’m not sure how I feel about that 🤣👀

[@jaaymurray3608]

Of all the things you mentioned in this video, I’m more impressed with what you didn’t mention. I didn’t hear Camilas name once and I love that

[@eljefe1030]

Alliances were pointless and no teams were set in stone.

[@ramblingrandomthings]

Bring the Draw back! not the double cross idc it adds some randomness and can get anyone eliminated at any moment and the vacation alliance can lose some numbers potentially

[@IntuitionIntroverted]

Second best season off all time.

[@ThatOneDude6009]

What's your number 1?

[@IntuitionIntroverted]

@@ThatOneDude600921

[@IntuitionIntroverted]

@@ThatOneDude600921, you?

[@IntuitionIntroverted]

Mine is 21, you?

[@ThatOneDude6009]

@@IntuitionIntroverted Yeah Rivals great shout. Favorite 3 are Free Agents, Rivals, WOTW 2