If there’s one thing FOX loves, it’s adding to their reality slate.
And Special Forces World’s Toughest Test has been an unexpectedly massive hit for the network.
It combines the things that people claim to hate but can’t always resist: a bizarre range of “celebrities,” a reality TV competition, and physical labor that’s only appealing from the comforts of your couch.
Aside from the fact that the series most notably collects the most notorious reality stars, Z-List celebrities, athletes, and some genuine gems and legends, there’s this notion that we’ll see pretty, rich, privileged people in dirty, messy, strenuous scenarios that challenge them.
Sure, it’s sometimes entertaining to see someone with handbags that cost more than our houses suddenly go makeup-free and wear athleisure wear, only to find themselves fighting for their lives as ex-special forces operatives push them to the absolute max with no mercy.
It’s not sadism; it’s entertainment!
What’s fascinating is that more often than not, the series lands controversial figures — television personalities and professional athletes with notorious attitude problems or who elicit strong reactions.
They’re the type of individuals you see in the tabloids trending on social media for one reason or another.
But sometimes, in those special occasions, when you strip some of these people down, make them share barracks, and they endure some interrogation sessions that have them at their most vulnerable — viewers, much like the participants themselves, gain perspective.
It’s through this series that I learned just how endearing Jack Osborne is as an adult and the trials and tribulations he endured. Last season, I not only gained a new appreciation and genuine sympathy for Brody Jenner but also for Kayla Nicole.
Tom Sandoval? Well, he’ll always be Tom Sandoval, now won’t he?
The series manages to squeeze out some genuine moments of insight and perspective.
You know, when it isn’t serving as more entertainment fodder and a blatant attempt at rehabilitating one’s image. I’m not sure if half of these people’s agents deserve a raise or should be fired immediately.
And that brings me to Special Forces Season 4. FOX has released the list of unfortunate, controversial, and unlucky souls, and I’m torn between thinking this is about to be a steaming hot dumpster fire of a season or reality TV brilliance.
For starters, the sheer number of athletes this season is rather disappointing.
Part of the appeal of the series is watching a bunch of individuals who don’t have the fortitude, resilience, and performance abilities of an athlete thrust into the most physically taxing situations imaginable.
To the show’s credit, the professional athletes often struggle with tasks, so they don’t always have an edge.
But it’s inarguably the most athletic they have yet — a total jock fest, and that sucks the fun out of some of this. However, it does speak to the series’ attempt to appeal to multiple demographics — raking in as many male viewers as female with a carefully curated cast of athletes with reality TV personalities and Hollywood-adjacent type.
On the athelete front we have Randall Cobb (NFL Pro Bowler), Nick Young (NBA Champion), Johnny Manziel (Heisman Winner and Former NFL Quarterback), Eric Decker (Former NFL Player), Christie Pearce Rampone (World Cup and Olympic Soccer Star), Andrew East (Former NFL Player), and Shawn Johnson East (Olympic Gymnastics Gold Medalist).
That’s SEVEN athletes out of the 18 recruits. It’s pretty stacked, and they tend to be the most competitive, the ones that are hardest on themselves, and those who are so set in their ways that they can’t always take the operatives screaming bloody murder at them.
Out of the bunch, I’m most excited about the Shawn Johnson. She’s spectacular, one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, a mom, and I have little doubt that she’s here for some really inspiring reason that will resonate.
But the others? Meh.
On the flip side, when they start putting “social media personality” and “TikTok influencer” into the mix, it generally just irks my spirit. These are the ways that the season could crumble because, honestly, WHO CARES?
We’ve just barely swallowed that we have to put up with reality TV personalities under the guise that they’re celebrities, and here comes the social media influencers!
Another frustrating thing is how they seem to recycle the same types of reality TV personalities. This season, we have freaking Teresa Giudice from RHONJ because apparently we haven’t seen her enough.
She’s just controversial enough to bring the salacious edge while still being just familiar enough to tap into a very specific fanbase.
And then there’s the controversial figures that very few actually would want to see onscreen longer than they have to: Sister Wives’ Kody Brown.
NO ONE wants this, and yet here we are, with him slithering onto another reality television series in either a weak attempt to rehab his image or as another attempt at extending his 15 minutes of fame by any means necessary. Ugh.
Of course, every season has a top-tier controversial figure that they promote like crazy, precisely because they know salaciousness sells. People will stay abuzz, whether it’s good, bad, or ugly.
And that’s where Jussie Smollett comes in. He has NOT been able to bounce back from his fake attack fiasco, the court proceedings, and everything else.
Of everyone there, he’s the one dripping in infamy, and yet, here we are!
Jussie Smollett hasn’t been able to really make any comeback since his scandal, and not for lack of trying. Of many of the recruits here, he’s the one who is most in need of rehabilitating his image.
He’s likely hoping that with a camera following him in this setting, and with him interacting with so many other personalities, athletes, and celebrities, that it’ll allow him to let the public see a side to him beyond just that scandal.
Sadly, he’s also going to be the one who the instructors will ride the most. They can be relentless and not immune from snap judgments of their own, so I don’t foresee this series going well for Smollett.
It’ll feel like a trainwreck, frankly, and I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.
They’re also doing too much this season by having participants from the same family there. Sure, I’m excited about Shawn Johnson East there, but I won’t lie, her husband, Andrew East, also being there takes some of the fun out of it.
And the same goes for country singer Jessie James Decker, who has to share a season with her husband, Eric Decker.
Meanwhile, Teresa Giudice was more than enough on her own without also casting her daughter, Next Gen NYC’s Gia Giudice, too.
For those who actually do enjoy seeing celebrities outside of their comfort zones and away from loved ones, what good is it having either one’s inspiration or one’s trigger right there beside them in the process?
Regardless, this season is going to be one hell of a ride.
Rounding out the cast are actress, model, and RHOA alum Eva Marcille, model Chanel Iman, The Valley star Brittany Cartwright, TikTok influencer Mark Estes, podcaster Brianna LaPaglia, and actor Ravi Patel.
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