You remember that messy, rain-soaked outdoor set in Thailand where everyone seemed to be screaming at each other about "numbers" and "loyalty"? That was The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2, officially known in the franchise archives as Season 34. It aired back in late 2019, and honestly, it remains one of the most polarizing seasons in the history of the show. Some fans loved the sheer strategic dominance, while others absolutely hated watching a massive alliance systematically dismantle their favorites. It was a weird time for the MTV flagship.
The format was simple on paper: Team USA vs. Team UK. But, as anyone who watches this show knows, the "USA vs. UK" thing lasted about ten minutes before internal politics took over.
It was the season of the "Paulie and Cara Maria Cult." That’s not a joke; that’s literally what the fans and the opposing players called it. They created an alliance so impenetrable that it basically broke the game’s traditional mechanics. If you weren't with them, you were going into elimination. Period. It didn’t matter if you were the best athlete on the team. Actually, if you were a good athlete but not in the alliance, you were even more likely to get thrown in.
Why the Format of The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2 Changed Everything
In previous seasons, you usually wanted your team to be as strong as possible for the final. Season 34 flipped that logic on its head. Because of the "turncoat" rule—where winners of eliminations could switch teams—the incentive structure was totally warped.
The US team was stacked. We’re talking about Jordan Wiseley, CT Tamburello (who started on Team UK because the US didn't pick him), Laurel Stucky, Bananas, and Wes. On paper, they should have been unbeatable. But the infighting was legendary.
Early on, a massive power struggle erupted between the "Big Brother" style alliance led by Paulie Calafiore and the "Old Guard" led by Johnny Bananas and Laurel. In a move that still gets talked about on podcasts today, Laurel and Josh Martinez tried to throw a challenge to get rid of Wes Bergmann. They succeeded, but it ignited a war that eventually saw both Laurel and Bananas sent packing way earlier than anyone expected.
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Jordan Wiseley’s trajectory this season was particularly insane. He was arguably the best player on Team USA, but because he wouldn't bow down to the majority alliance, they kept trying to throw him in. He eventually said "fine," won his elimination, and switched to Team UK. It was a massive middle finger to his original team.
The Politics of the "Cult" and the Fall of Team USA
The mid-game of The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2 felt like a slow-motion car crash. Week after week, the alliance of Paulie, Cara Maria, Ninja Natalie, Kam, and Ashley Mitchell protected each other. They made a deal with a segment of the UK team—specifically Rogan O'Connor, Joss Mooney, and Kayleigh Morris—to ensure that neither side ever had to worry.
It was effective. It was also, for many viewers, incredibly frustrating to watch.
The UK team became a proxy for the US alliance. They kept voting in their own strongest players, like Georgia Harrison and Theo Campbell, because those players weren't part of the "cross-team" deal. This led to a very lopsided final.
The Final Reckoning in Thailand
When they finally got to the final, the US team had a massive numbers advantage. They had seven players; the UK had four. Under normal circumstances, seven people beat four. But the producers threw a curveball. The teams had to carry a heavy gurney weighted based on the number of people on the team.
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Because the US had more people, their gurney was significantly heavier.
Then came the "Paulie Collapse." For years, Paulie had talked a big game about being the new face of the franchise. But in the humid Thailand heat, his body simply shut down. He was cramping, stumbling, and eventually had to be carried by his teammates. It was a shocking moment of physical failure from someone who had dominated the political landscape for months.
Meanwhile, Team UK—consisting of Rogan, CT, Jordan, and Dee Nguyen—stayed steady. CT, the veteran who had been passed over by Team USA at the very beginning of the season, played the "dad" role, keeping his team focused and moving.
In the end, Team UK won.
The irony was palpable. Team USA spent the whole season "trimming the fat," yet they arrived at the final with a team that couldn't function together. Jordan and CT, two of the greatest to ever do it, stood on the winning podium for the "underdog" UK team, while the dominant US alliance watched their prize money vanish.
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Behind the Scenes and Lasting Impact
There are a few things about Season 34 that the edited episodes didn't fully capture. The living conditions in Thailand were reportedly brutal. The "prospect" house in the previous season was nice, but the War of the Worlds 2 bunker-style house was claustrophobic and contributed to the high tension.
Also, this season marked a turning point for several cast members:
- Cara Maria Sorbello: This was her last appearance for a long time. The backlash from her "villain" turn was so intense she took a multi-year hiatus.
- CT Tamburello: This win revitalized his career, proving he didn't need to be the "scary" CT to win; he could be the "smart" CT.
- Dee Nguyen: She became a champion here, though her subsequent controversy in a later season led to her being edited out of the show's history.
The season also proved that a "large team" format is incredibly difficult to produce. When you have too many people in a final, it's hard to track the narrative. Since Season 34, MTV has mostly stuck to pairs or individual formats for the endgame, likely because the "gurney" disaster was such a mess to film.
How to Apply the Lessons of Season 34 Today
If you're a fan of reality competition or just interested in game theory, The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2 is a masterclass in how not to manage a team. The US alliance forgot that you don't just need to get to the final; you have to be able to finish it.
- Prioritize Function Over Numbers: Having a 10-person alliance is great until you realize half of them can't run a mile. In any competitive environment, ensure your "core" is actually capable of performing the task, not just voting.
- The "Turncoat" Factor: Always account for the fact that an enemy you create today might be the person you have to rely on tomorrow. By alienating Jordan, Team USA literally handed the win to their opponents.
- Adaptability is King: The US team had a rigid plan and refused to deviate even when it was clear the team chemistry was toxic. Team UK, led by CT's calm (if occasionally grumpy) demeanor, adapted to their smaller size and won.
For those looking to rewatch, the season is usually available on Paramount+ or via digital purchase on Amazon. It’s worth a look just to see the sheer scale of the drama—even if the ending makes you want to yell at your television.
To dig deeper into the stats, check out the detailed elimination records on the Challenge Wiki, which tracks every "Proving Ground" battle from the season. You can also listen to retrospective interviews on the Challenge Mania podcast, where cast members like Jordan and Wes have broken down the move-by-move politics that defined this era.
Keep an eye on the "Redemption" arcs that started here; many of the rivalries born in the Thailand mud fueled the storylines for Total Madness and Double Agents years later.