Tonight on “The Challenge: USA,” players take on one of host T.J. Lavin’s favorite challenges, trivia, while hanging over the ledge of a 30-story building. Who will be eliminated on tonight’s episode, “Liberty and Justice for All”? Follow along with our live blog of Season 1 Episode 4 beginning at 9pm ET/ 8pm CT on CBS.
SEE ‘Big Brother’ winners list: All seasons, plus spin-offs
MTV’s original competition series “The Challenge” got a CBS-style facelift with more than two dozen former contestants from “Survivor,” “Big Brother,” “The Amazing Race” and “Love Island” competing against each other in a brand new reality TV show titled “The Challenge: USA.” T. J. Lavin hosts the grueling program, which will air every Wednesday night on CBS (and stream on Paramount Plus) throughout the summer. Click through our photo gallery of “The Challenge: USA” cast photos to see which 28 all-stars are competing.
SEE ‘Survivor’ winners list: All seasons
9:00 p.m. — Previously, on “The Challenge: USA”! In a game of “Hang on Man,” challengers played a grueling, stamina-testing version of Hang-Man. The duo of Kyland Young & Angela Rummons came out on top and banked $5,000. The duo of Tasha Fox & James Wallington fell into last when the “Survivor” challenger fell off her platform. Kyland & Angela decided to send the “weak” team of Domenick Abbate & Cashay Proudfoot into the arena to face them. The latter pulled off a victory and became the first players to be voted into the arena, win and return to the house. Will they get their revenge this week?
9:04 p.m. — With a new week brings new duos. What does the algorithm have to say? This week’s teams are: Leo Temory & Desi Williams, Kyland Young & Alyssa Lopez, Ben Driebergen & Azah Awasum, Enzo Palumbo & Cashay Proudfoot, David Alexander & Justine Ndiba, Xavier Prather & Shan Smith, Danny McCray & Kyra Green, Derek Xiao & Sarah Lacina, Tyson Apostol & Cayla Platt, Domenick Abbate & Angela Rummons and Cinco Holland Jr. & Shannon St. Clair.
9:06 p.m. — The players return to the house and Justine expresses her concern about being partnered with David, someone the house considers a weak player. She’s scared of how strong Kyland & Alyssa look, but Cashay reminds her that they remain “Big Brother” strong, so since Justine’s partner is from “Big Brother,” she should be safe if Kyland & Alyssa win. Justine already has the qualifying money it takes to get into T.J.’s final, so she just wants to lay low the rest of the season.
9:08 p.m. — Alyssa’s plot to take revenge on Xavier was not just words! She’s in Derek’s ear telling him the best thing for his game would be for Xavier & Shan to go home this week. Derek is nervous about who he can trust, but he and Alyssa have a bond. They were both pawns of the Cookout alliance on “Big Brother” last summer. They want them to know what that feels like. Meanwhile, Shan doesn’t trust Xavier as a game player, but she does trust him as a partner. They feel pretty safe about their ability to avoid the arena this week as long as they don’t lose the challenge.
9:10 p.m. — It’s time for this week’s challenge! They’ll be playing one of T.J.’s favorite games, trivia. In “Falling Off the Knowledge,” pairs will be placed on a ledge 250 feet above the ground. Then, he will ask them a series of questions. If they’re right, great! If they’re wrong, they will plummet. The game will be played in three rounds, which will produce a winner’s round and a loser’s round. The winner’s will receive $10,000 to be split in their challenge accounts. The losers will head straight into the arena.
9:25 p.m. — In the first round, Danny & Kyra are dropped first, sending them into the losers bracket. Next to go are Xavier & Shan and Cinco & Shannon, leaving Domenick & Angela as winners of Round 1. In the next round, Derek & Sarah fall first putting them in the loser’s bracket. Next to go are Leo & Desi and Tyson & Cayla, leaving Kyland & Alyssa as the winners of Round 2. In the next round, David & Justine fall first, sending them into the loser’s bracket. The next team to fall is Enzo & Cashay, leaving Ben & Azah as the winners of Round 3.
9:30 p.m. — It’s time for the Loser’s Round. The first team to fall will go straight into the elimination arena. It’s Danny & Kyra vs. Derek & Sarah vs. David & Justine. The team falling straight into elimination is David & Justine. The others breathe a sigh of relief.
9:33 p.m. — It’s now time for the Winner’s round: Domenick & Angela vs. Kyland & Alyssa vs. Ben & Azah. The last team standing will win today’s challenge. Ben & Azah fall first, followed by Domenick & Angela. That means Kyland & Alyssa are the winner’s of this challenge! They’ll bank $10k to split between them. It’s time for them to go back to the house and decide which team they want to send into the arena to face David & Justine.
9:40 p.m. — Xavier sits down with Kyland & Alyssa and finds out he’s not totally safe. It’s a friendly conversation, but you can tell there’s tension. He says they’re welcome to come after him if they want, but if he returns he’s “comin’ for both y’all’s asses.” Kyland & Alyssa were both burned by Xavier in the BB house, but I’m not certain they’re ready to bounce him out of this house just yet. Kyland is surprised to learn that Alyssa would even consider it. He thought Xavier was her #1. Later, they sit down with David & Justine to get their thoughts. Justine says she would prefer to not go up against Cinco. Kyland inquires about Xavier & Shan, and Justine says she’s open to that.
9:45 p.m. — Tyson drops in to see what Kyland & Alyssa are thinking. When they tell the “Survivor” champ they’re considering throwing Xavier & Shan into the arena, he can’t believe it. “Are you guys playing FOR me?” he asks in the Diary Room, before saying to their faces, “I am supportive of whatever you guys want to do.” Tyson is thrilled to see “Big Brother” eating itself. Angela gives her blessing as well, knowing that the rest of the house will see Kyland & Alyssa as wildcards. That takes pressure off of her. Angela tells them to blame everything on Shan so Xavier thinks he’s just being pulled down by a bad apple. Alyssa wonders if it’s too early to make this move.
9:47 p.m. — The players all enter the arena and T.J. introduces David & Justine to the field. Derek notices this contest looks like a puzzle and shakes his head “No” at Alyssa. He knows Xavier is a master of puzzles and this isn’t worth the risk of him returning to the game. Alyssa & Kyland decide to throw Xavier & Shan in anyways! “The tea is HOT!” exclaims Azah. Alyssa says she cares about Xavier outside of the game, but he’s partnered with someone that multiple people said they should be concerned about. Xavier is disgusted, saying, “Kyland really doesn’t know how to win these games. He’s still stuck in BB23.”
9:50 p.m. — Tonight’s game is called “Smash In Puzzle Out.” There are two giant steel tunnels. Each tunnel has sections separated by panes of glass. They will break those panes of glass and find a block puzzle. They need to bring the block puzzle out piece by piece, all the way to the start. The first team to solve the puzzle will win the elimination round and take the other team’s money.
9:59 p.m. — Xavier & Shan recklessly smashed through the glass and paid no attention to time penalties accrued by breaking glass color-coated to their own teammate. They have to wait 50 seconds to start the puzzle, giving David & Justine extra time to figure things out. And just like that, the unlikely duo finishes their puzzle and T.J. fires off his horn. David & Justine survive another week, while Xavier & Shan are sent packing. Alyssa & Kyland are thrilled to have gotten their sweet revenge on Xavier, but it may have cost them the game in the long run. I guess we’ll find out! Xavier says Tyson and the “Survivor” players will eventually take out the “Big Brother” players because “Big Brother” players are “petty little bitches.”
