Endurance Hawaii Retrospective: The Season Everyone Remember

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Going into production with season 3 of Endurance, Endurance: Hawaii didn't seem to deviate from the ordinary. After the success of Endurance and Endurance 2, the series would continue to be on a beach--this time--on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Pilaa Beach was previously used for Endurance's predecessor, Moolah Beach, so why wouldn't J.D. and company go back to film another season?

Everything changed when they made it to Hawaii, and they didn't get permission to film in that area. Whether it's because the Hawaiian film office tried their best or a last-minute decision, the crew had to adapt. Ultimately, they settled on the Wainiha Valley, also on the North Shore of Kauai, which was as different as it could be. An island right in the middle of a river, the location was a rainforest which received 440 inches of rain in a year. Catalina Island also had bouts of wet weather, but this was another level.

For promotional purposes, it turned Endurance: Hawaii from another season into one that shifted the stakes. Dealing with the rain was out of the ordinary, but what amplified that sensation was the casting, which improved on that from Endurance 2 in terms of idiosyncrasies and storylines. Altogether, we see an iconic season of reality TV, though it was not without its flaws.

"And here comes the rain..."

J.D. would frequently say this when the weather would hit hard, which was, quite often. Right from the get go, the contestants were surprised by landing in a tropical rainforest, which would alternate between fog and rain alike. It would also impact the challenges, particularly in "Pipedreams", where several of the contestants were visibly struggling against the rainy poles. The girls managed to last up to ten minutes in dry weather, but for the boys, they didn't make it past the five minute mark.

Not only that, it could also pose problems for the production of the show. Combined with the variety of wildlife on Kauai (particularly with the mosquitos), it became the most extreme environment that the contestants had to endure. Midway through the game, the production had to bring in boots for the contestants, as it got so soaked. In fact, sometimes the contestants would have to be evacuated from the Wainiha Valley for their safety, that would mean getting hot showers and comfortable beds.

Admittedly, the show didn't continue Moolah Beach's focus on Hawaiian culture during shooting, Other than with the tiki heads in "Headstrong" or “Ring of Fire", inspired by the titular ring of tectonic activity around the Pacific Ocean, it lacked a certain visual identity which the viewers could latch onto. It also saw a lurch away from the education-based parts of earlier seasons and further leaning onto drama. But from the mud wrestling matches to the final three swimming in the river, it provided an experience very few people would get. As Nicole would say in the finale, "I looked around and was like, this is it, done. I wish I would've spent time in the rain. Even though it was raining, I should've just walked around and felt the rain...cause this will never happen again."

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On the mission front, Endurance: Hawaii experimented with a number of challenges, based on their formats. It also saw two new developments--a Superteam mission, where two groups of three teams competed to gain immunity for all of them; and "Create Your Own Game", which like DIY challenges in Survivor, has the competitors form their own mission based on materials from previous ones.

Starting with "Pipedreams", Endurance: Hawaii quite the knack for endurance-based challenges. The rainsoaked contestants trying to hang on continued on with "Ring of Fire", a challenge where both teams had to hold a metal pole inside a ring as long as possible. Despite the torrential rain coming in two minutes, the fire to signal the contestants had been eliminated still worked. In both cases, the competition was intense.

But none could be further than with "Out on a Limb". One of the more fondly-remembered missions, it involved the boys holding onto their partners onto a board above the water. With the new Superteam twist in place, the stakes were never higher, which led to one of the most unexpected outcomes of the series.

With the other missions, it went either way. "Cliffhanger", which allowed the contestants to pick their partners for the first time (with the right-numbered ball, of course!), is considered to be the best partner selection game, and bridged the gap between the fate-based ones in the first two seasons and the right to pick ones in the latter half of the series. "I'm Pulling for You" was an invigorating teamwork-based challenge, and the eventual Superteam mission, "Bamboo Jungle", set the bar for future seasons.

However, some experiments failed. "Pipeline" was supposed to be a teamwork challenge, but not only did only one team complete it, it was also by a landslide. "You're Fired" provided speed and intensity, but it also relied on luck. But the most notable of these missed chances was "Squaring Off", a simple game which tested the teams' trust in each other.

Placing tiles on whatever space they want, each team could try to eliminate teams they don't like. Then they could give the turn to the next team, except for the one who previously gave them the try. It should be a test in alliances, but in reality, they enforced the dynamics between the seven teams playing it, which played a major part in the characterization of the season...

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At nineteen episodes (not including the recaps and special episodes), Endurance: Hawaii is the longest season of Endurance. Filming took about three weeks, another record amongst the six seasons. As mentioned in the previous piece, the intense conditions influenced the roughness of the season, but what's important in every season of reality television is the casting.

And did they deliver on that front?

Hint: yes.

Endurance and Endurance 2 had strong casts of their own, each with their own quirks and storylines to accompany them. Endurance had one of the most potent fake romances of reality TV, along with a future contestant of The Challenge, whereas Endurance 2 had a bunch of dynamics which revealed themselves inside the game and out. Endurance: Hawaii, on the other hand, not only interesting characters, but also a compelling storyline which tied them altogether.

More than any other season, intra- and inter-team dynamics were a major part of the season. This is what made "Cliffhanger" notable, because it features major shifts in the status quo and seeing how the teams work well together. The main alliances were established, and the drama was ensured for the rest of the series. Despite several maneuvers here and there, strategy was less of a concern for these players, resulting in a substantially meaner season than the first two iterations of Endurance. And season 1 had Sabrina, who was an equal-opportunity manipulator.

Blue Team (Antonio and Willa): Not only the first non-Gray team to be eliminated, but also one of the biggest losses of potential in the series. From their audition tapes, Willa and Antonio stand out as dynamic characters, with Willa asserting her determination and Antonio bragging about his athletic prowess. They were seen talking together about partners, but a fatal decision was with Willa not communicating to Antonio before or after the partner selection. Worse still is that they were actually decent in challenges; they both got good-numbered balls in "Cliffhanger" (Antonio #4, Willa #7), came in third in "Ring of Fire", and got a sandbag on the platform on "Bagging on You". Had they managed to get along, they would've caused some damage.

Green Team (Bjorn and Alex): The team created with the least drama; and based on their interactions, managed to get along well. Based on their performance on "Ring of Fire", they proved their teamwork and strength (albeit with Alex taking breaks every few minutes), which led them to be seen as one of the strongest teams. On the other hand, Alex was Bryanah's only female friend during the latter's time of the show, which made the Green Team guilty by association and placed on the firing line by the main alliance. In the end, their fatal flaw was that they weren't able to win when they were supposed to, though Vanetta's decision in "Squaring Off" didn't help matters.

Red Team (Kareem and Rachel):

"Kareem: do you think we should have been cast on this season?

Rachel: i don’t even think we should have even been cast on our original season LMAO"

This quote from the fanfic Endurance Awful 2 says a lot about their role on Endurance: Hawaii. They didn't perform well in challenges, and fell into the background even in their own alliance. Their best known attributes were Kareem's facial expressions and them sparing Yellow for Blue in "Bagging on You" Rachel ranting against the Gray Team was also notable, but really...a pretty irrelevant team in the grand scheme of things.

Brown Team (Tom and Vanetta):

In the "J.D's Greatest Twists" special, J.D. put the return of the RTS contestants as the #1 twist of all six seasons. In theory, it should be an interesting twist, in that the eliminees would find a way to get revenge on those who survived. In practice, the Brown Team became irrelevant in the game, and just became another team which the contestants had to defeat.

They were also notable for being split amongst alliances, with Vanetta quickly befriending Nicole and Tom reluctantly joining in with Yellow and Green. The former didn't believe in alliances, and stuck with her closest friend, which became fatal in Squaring Off. Since then, they only had Yellow, who even then stuck to strategy vis-a-vis the Superteams rather than their closest friends

Otherwise, they were a weak team--probably one of the weakest challenge-wise in all six seasons. A theory about why Max and Jenna managed to make it far on E2 but not them was because the former actually survived the Right to Stay, whereas Tom and Vanetta didn't. It clearly showed, particularly with Vanetta's lack of efforts in a few of them.

They were also the only team in the series to have a one-person team, with Tom standing alone in "Balance Ball" after Vanetta got injured. Despite Tom's efforts, he didn't do well in the mission and ended up in Temple. Despite the possibility of using Tom as a goat in the home stretch, the other teams only saw a rival to the status quo, which also embodied this season. Speaking of which...

Purple Team (Reece and Sarah):

E3's Purple Team is simultaneously a charming team and a complicit one. With the #3 ball, Reece chose Sarah, which was a surprise because not only did she visibly struggle in Pipedreams, she also appeared to be quite the girly girl and was pretty focused on her looks. Over time, however, they proved themselves in challenges, most notably in Ring of Fire, where Sarah edged out Alex in rallying her team to victory ("I win--the thingy!"). They also got along well, and became good friends.

Sarah showing her endurance was a little sparkle in this season. At one point, she got injured so bad she needed a wristguard for a couple of episodes. In "The Halfway Mark", she admitted to missing her comfortable life back in Illinois (which led to Darci auditioning for Endurance: Tehachapi), with her electronics and her makeup. Nevertheless, she proved herself quite strong and willing to get the job done when it needs be.

And yet, they were attached to the hip with the Gray Team--the Alex and Cealey to Gray's Dakota and Kelsey (though there could be an argument they are like Cameron and Aeriel). Like with the other girls of her alliance, Sarah didn't try to befriend Bryanah, suggesting she caused the drama in the jungle and wanted her gone. Reece was notably close with Chris, to the point where he didn't want to come back from the Temple of Fate in "The Final Four" because he wasn't going to be close to Chris anymore. Despite claiming that one should give the Samadhi to the strongest team in "Ring of Fire", he quickly gave it to Yellow, replying that "it just happened that way" when confronted about it.

With a charming athlete and a beauty queen with a lot more than meets the eye, Purple have their fans, though not as many as...

Yellow Team (Monroe and Bryanah):

Probably the greatest story in RTV history and should've flat out won their season. The end.

The beating heart of Endurance: Hawaii, Monroe and Bryanah famously didn't get off on the right foot. The shock of losing Chris and having to work with Monroe really shook Bryanah, and Despite her mild-mannered approach, she also mentioned in "The Arrival" she wouldn't want to have Monroe as a partner when discussing about who would get the free ride, which makes their partnership a bit...karmic.

And initially, there were concerns with Monroe himself. During Pipedreams, he struggled with the rain and Demian's attempts to shake his pole, and was the second to last person to catch the ball in Cliffhanger. The contestants' first impressions were not great; and the fanbase saw him as overly effinmate, which didn't translate to an environment a tough as Endurance.

What made them an iconic team was not only how they overcame these preconceived prejudices, but also how they did so with style. They were only the second team on Endurance to overcome the Samadhi in "Bagging on You", which, when paired with how early in the season they won, contrasted to other underdog teams in that they proved their strength and didn't manage to luck out. Out on a Limb showcased Monroe's strength in ways that no other contestant expected from him ("Monroe, you're a beast!" --Reece). And Try Tri Again was a comeback to form.

In addition, what was initially seen as their faults turned into virtues, when contrasted to the four team alliance they had to face off against. Monroe became known for his witty sound-bites and playful nature, but it hid a competitive edge and a sense for mischief, like when he spilled water on Reece and Chris' beds. After dealing with the aftereffects of Cliffhanger, Bryanah learned to work with Monroe and acknowledged this partnership with him as the reason why she became more open-minded and more of herself. She also didn't give in to the bullying of Lindi, Nicole, and Sarah, instead deciding to be sincere to everyone else.

While E1 Green and E2 Orange dealt with their fair share of conflict amongst the crowd, E3 Yellow was notable in that they were the heroes of it all. They gave a reason for fans to root for them, and managed to maneuver their way to becoming one of the strongest teams. They were more relatable in terms of being the outcasts in the context of their season, and had their moments where they shined individually. Which makes their final elimination amongst the saddest parts of the entire series.

Orange Team (Demian and Nicole):

If Monroe and Bryanah showcased how to work together when things didn't start off well, Demian and Nicole were the opposite of that. With his #1 ball, Demian used it to bump Kareem out for Nicole. They seemed to be a dream team, and had shown previous sparks of competitiveness. Demian not only "won" Cliffhanger, but was determined to speed up Pipedreams. Meanwhile, Nicole frequently made deals with other competitors in order to give them the free ride, which didn't work.

In terms of challenges, they didn't prove themselves quite often, which fell short of the expectations emanating from his choice. They did win three missions--two with their backs against the wall--but most of them were based on luck and alliances rather than skill. They also showed displays of bad teamwork, which would become fatal near the end of the season.

However, it was Nicole who was the driving force of their team. She was outspoken about whom she liked and whom she didn't, which led to a famous season-long rivalry with Bryanah because of the fallout of the partner selection. Nicole believed Bryanah caused the drama, whereas Bryanah thought Nicole was being insincere and fake (which are allegations Nicole leashed out on the latter). While not the brains of their alliances, Nicole was the loudest of the bunch, and would frequently try to take any approach to get ahead. From fake crying to stop Bryanah from sending her team to the Temple of Fate to getting Vanetta to switch course in Squaring Off, she knew how to manipulate the game, which brought a bunch of negative vibes to the season.

Despite his actions in "Pipedreams", Demian became the "good cop", at least in terms of alliances. He saw through Nicole's plans to get Orange on Yellow's superteam, and tried to keep the secret alliance between them, Yellow, and Brown secret. He developed a friendship with Bryanah, which irritated Nicole to the point where she tried to forbid him from talking to any teams not related to their alliance.

This led to several weird interactions with J.D. Roth on the island ("Is your face turning red, Nicole?"), completely divergent strategies, and a famous clash in "I'm Pulling for You", where Nicole claimed to have "been to every state in the United States" and even traveled to Europe! Over time, Demian regretted his choice of partner and even tried multiple times to get himself sent to the Temple of Fate so that Nicole wouldn't have to go on the grand prize trip with him. In the final three, he claimed that he deserved to win Endurance, and Nicole didn't.

Nevertheless, they had their redeeming traits. When it came to the final four, Nicole actually stuck to an alliance with the Yellow Team, won "You're Fired", and sent Purple and Gray like planned. It was one of the few truly strategic plans in the season, but one which was several episodes in the making. Before that episode's Temple ceremony, Nicole claimed, ""How can you be thinking about food when I'm trying not to cry, you insensitive people?!". It showed a bit of character development from the beginning, albeit with people who she considered her friends.

Despite Nicole's questionable actions, they were important to the fabric of Endurance: Hawaii. Nicole provided notable quips and confessionals (she had the most overall, with 60 across the season), and was a notable villain through her harshness and personality. Demian provided a notable counterpart for her, softening up from his earlier ways and trying to play the game fairly. They provided a notable conflict, which ultimately led to their downfall in the finale...

(to be continued)

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Gray Team (Chris and Lindi):

If Max from E2 was known for is outward strategizing, then Chris and Lindi were more lowkey in how they called the shots throughout the season. Starting with the partner selection, Chris purposely missed the #1 ball so that if Lindi wanted him as his partner, then she could go for it...which she did. And that set the tone for the rest of the season.

This intimately tied their arc with the Yellow Team's; Bryanah had a crush on Chris, but that didn't translate towards a merciful approach to them. Instead, Gray considered the Yellow Team one of the weakest teams, and managed to make their path difficult in every way. Even when they showed a little bit of mercy--when they eliminated themselves in Squaring Off so that Orange could win--it was so that other contestants could do their dirty work (since Yellow spared Gray the previous episode, Orange could send them and Green instead). However, a mix of Yellow's persistence and Orange's dysfunction led them to believe that Yellow would be a more worthy adversary in the finale; Monroe's last words were telling them to "not let Nicole win this game".

Despite Chris' comment on honesty looking sour considering how the team paired up together, one thing that can't be denied about the Gray Team is how great their teamwork was. Though they started slow in missions, by "Pipeline", they managed to start winning challenges, with the aforementioned won by a clear landslide. They knew how to communicate with each other; in contrast with Demian and Nicole, were always on the same page in terms of strategy.

Their ability to run things from the sidelines is probably one of their most notable traits. Despite having a close four-team alliance, their best friends were clearly on Purple. Combined with Purple accumulating a good amount of pieces themselves, it allowed them to develop a steady lead down the home stretch, and accelerate towards victory near the end. Their utter dominance in "Float Your Boat" was pretty notable, which led to the most anticlimactic finale of all six seasons.

Overall, Gray's perception (other than being the only Gray Team to make it past the first elimination) is quite polarized today. When the season first aired, people rallied around Chris and Lindi for their good teamwork and nice personalities. They were also notably strong, so what was not there to like? Over time, fans started to see their more sinister sides, being the ringleaders of their alliance and their complicity in harming the Yellow Team. They just managed to paint it with sleuth, not unlike with how E5 Purple (Dakota and Kelsey) would do so two seasons later.

Whereas Endurance saw the contestants learn how to play the game and Endurance 2 amplify it, Endurance: Hawaii saw things go personal with their conflicts, which led to an epic arc throughout the season. Those who managed to figure out their interpersonal conflicts managed to rise to the top, while those who were on the wrong side of the tracks would end up taking the fall.

Not surprisingly, Nicole and Monroe have the most confessionals of this season, with 60 and 49 in their appearances, respectively. Lindi comes in third with 42 confessionals, but curiously--in contrast to the other two--she doesn't stand out as a major personality. In contrast, Bryanah and Demian stand out as more substantial characters, and show some of the development that Lindi seemed to lack on E3. This season had some interesting secondary characters such as Alex and Tom, but eventually, the spotlight focused on the top three teams.

Conclusion:

With a combination of an intense location, a vibrant cast of characters, and compelling storylines, Endurance: Hawaii amplified the show to newer heights, and even got it its first Emmy nomination for Best Children's Show. The show, while educational in terms of virtues, shifted its focus to the interpersonal drama, which shone thanks to said casting decisions.

Nicole and Monroe stood out as stellar casting choices, reaching out both in terms of their quotes and their animosity towards each other. The others played major parts of this great ballet with their storylines, which coalesced together into one big storyline which dominated the season. The underdog arc was especially stark--with contestants the fanbase would eventually learn to embrace, it made the journey all the stronger.

This didn't mean that the season was flawless, however. Some of the experiments in challenges notably failed in practice, with Squaring Off and Pipeline being the most notable of these. The drama between the main clique and Yellow meant, with a few exceptions, actual strategizing didn't really exist on E3. And despite the well-known underdog story of Monroe and Bryanah, the ending was still pretty straightforward, leading to one of the most anticlimatic ends of a season of RTV.

While I agree with everyone who believes Endurance: Hawaii belongs in the Library of Congress, something which bugs me is how this is the one season of Endurance which survives in the collective memory of anybody who has watched the show. Sure, other seasons had contestants who would later make their name on other shows (Endurance and Endurance 2 in particular), but it's always this season which people go back to. It piques one's interest, but how much does it get fans to watch the other seasons?

Endurance: Hawaii ultimately builds on the strengths of the first two seasons, and delves into an arc like no other. In the context of mid 2000s, it had those conflicts, but also an inspiring arc which latches the fandom on.