The Challenge Recap: Vets Are At Each Other's Throats In Season 42 Premiere — Who Was First Out?

"The Challenge" is getting "Cutthroat" on Paramount+. 

MTV's long-running competition series has finally made the jump to streaming, so you know what that means: No more bleeped F-bombs! (And boy, does this cast have a bunch of trucker mouths on 'em. Look no further than Johnny Bananas stating that he wants to "f**k my team in every way possible — no lube!" Okaaay.) This season, the number of challengers is down to 24, giving us three teams of eight, which host TJ Lavin says are locked in. Unlike, say, "War of the Worlds II," there will be zero team-swapping, setting the stage for a classic, good old-fashioned team-based "Challenge." At last! (Speaking of old-school seasons, check out our ranking of the five best seasons of "The Challenge" here.)

The cast has a healthy stock of "Challenge" mainstays like Johnny Bananas, CT Tamburello, Cara Maria Sorbello, Brad Fiorenza, and Tori Deal, alongside a stack of newbies who are stepping up to the plate for their chance at glory. "Big Brother 27" houseguest Keanu Soto is here, alongside Deb Chubb from "Love Island USA," and Alexis Lete from "Deal or No Deal Island" and "WWE NXT." My two favorite bits of casting this season? Cocky "Survivor" castaway Sydney Segal, who's still talking smack and backing it up. Plus, former Young Bucks Cory Wharton and Nelson Thomas are reunited, following Nelly's horrific drunk driving accident that led to his foot amputation. (Get a full rundown of the cast here.) 

Nelson says he's thankful he didn't hurt anyone else but himself. His road back to "The Challenge" — and his recovery in general — was a long one. Six months, 32 screws, two plates, and eight surgeries later, he still lost his appendage, but he's grateful for another chance to not only play the game, but to live his life, as well. "I realize I'm still here. I have the opportunity to be living proof to show that it's OK to make a mistake. It's OK to make a bad choice," he says in a confessional. "But own it... I'll be damned if I ever, ever drink and drive a car again. I promise you I will never do that." 

After a sprint through Bangkok, Thailand, Justin Hinsley ("Cheer"), Chris Underwood ("The Challenge USA 2" and "Survivor" champ), and newcomer Anna Leigh Wilson ("The Amazing Race 35") become the game's first Team Captains. The first twist? The captains have to pick each other's teams. When all is said and done, the captains for Team Orange are Justin and Michele, the leaders of Team Gray are Chris and Sydney, while Anna Leigh and Nelson head up Team Blue. 

If a team wins the Daily Challenge, that entire group is safe, and its captains will decide the elimination match-up. They can choose any player from the losing team to go into the Arena. Things get tricky for the second place team. The captains from the second place team are safe from elimination, however, the team must select two of its own players for possible elimination. The team captains will select one person, while the rest of the team votes on the other. Weeks will also alternate between male and female eliminations, as they tend to do. 

After the first Daily which sees players racing across a wobbly platform while the other teams attempt to shake them off, Gray comes out on top, while Orange takes second. It's a men's week, so Orange captains Justin and Michele select Will to go in and defend his spot. Michele and Tori then come up with a plan: They want to force a tie vote between Bananas and CT to keep team morale up and avoid drama. Then, may the "Challenge" gods decide the vets' fates. Bananas is cool with that plan, but CT wants no part of it. He says it doesn't work in his favor. How, exactly, does a 50/50 shot not serve as an equal chance for them both? I'm not exactly sure. CT's math ain't mathing here, and it doesn't take long for the two veteran guys to start bickering. Bananas even calls CT a "Boston mumble scumbag" in one of his interviews. Hilarious, but ouch! 

When the group tells TJ that it's a stalemate — a word that rookie Deb just learns for the first time — he brings Michele and Justin back in to make the tough call. Michele picks Bananas, and the stress eventually brings her to tears. The whole kerfuffle goes to show that there's really nowhere to hide. With only four male and four female teammates per group, the axe is going to fall and fall fast unless they start winning these things.

At the elimination, Sydney goes back on her (extremely) loose deal with Cedric and throws him to the wolves. (That bad blood from last season really came back to bite Young Ceddy, huh?) As for the competitor from Orange? Gray chooses Bananas to compete. 

Before the game starts, Cedric calls out Sydney saying, "I promise you, this is war." He then tells Justin that if there was "a little vendetta" between them, Justin should've "came down here and handled it yourself. Whether it gets handled this season or next, we'll see."  

The Arena game is called "Burnout." In front of them are loads of lights, some blue, some orange. Hit the button and it changes the color. The goal is to light up more lights than your opponent in a span of five minutes' time. Light up all of them with your color and the game is over. And unfortunately for Cedric, that beef with Justin is going to have to wait because he's got a plane to catch. Bananas lives to see another day — and hopefully for our sake, continue his bickering with CT like an old married couple. 

It's a surprising result. Cedric is 20+ years younger than Bananas, and not only that, but he's scrappy and agile. But Cedric seemed to panic and not think strategically throughout, and it ultimately cost him the game. 

After Ceddy gets to stepping, TJ tells the captains that they must name their replacement. Oh, and by the way, the winning captains of the final challenge get to decide how that $500,000 prize gets split among the team — if it gets split at all! 

Do you love the new season of "The Challenge" so far? Grade the "Cutthroat" premiere below, then fire away in the comments!