Suvechha Sarkar
Season 4 of Fox’s ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test’ wastes no time in throwing its celebrity recruits into chaos. There are 18 personalities who land in the rugged landscapes of Morocco, where the heat and the relentless challenges push them further than ever. Unlike many other reality competitions, there are no judges, votes, or strategic alliances, just survival. The only way out is to quit on their own or be pulled out for medical reasons. What lies ahead is not a game but a grueling Special Forces selection course, designed to test their mental strength and physical endurance.
The Premiere Commences With 18 Recruits Divided Into Two Teams
The episode begins with a focus on the 18 well-known personalities on the bus, anticipating what is to come. The TV personality, Brittany Cartwright, wants to participate in the experiment because she has been through a lot this year. The 36-year-old has finally found the strength to step away from a toxic relationship with a person who said to her that she can never make it far. So, she wants to prove such people wrong. In his confessional, Foxy, the Director of Staff and a former Special Boat Service (SBS) officer, states that the recruits will understand what it feels like to operate behind enemy lines and how horrific it can get. TV Personality Teresa Giudice reveals that her 24-year-old daughter, Gia, also a participant, always pushes her mother. In the bus, several people are husbands, wives, and families, and the Drill Sergeants (DS) will see what they are made of.
Things begin to get real as all four of the DS stop the bus and make the 18 recruits get off it. They place small black sacks over their heads and take them to a secret location. Billy, another Director of Staff and a former Special Air Service (SAS), discloses that they are going to divide the 18 into two groups: Team Bravo, led by DS Foxy, and Team Alpha, led by DS Billy and Rudy. As Teresa and Gia are now in different groups, it makes the former a little nervous. The daughter opens up that she has a lot of haters, but she possesses great respect for her mother. Since it is an individual-based course, it is going to be challenging. As one by one, Foxy and Billy remove the sacks from the participants’ heads, their mental grit is tested. The spotlight is now on Andrew East, a 33-year-old Former NFL player.
Andrew is here with his 33-year-old wife, Shawn Johnson East, an Olympic Gymnast and gold medalist. Since they are always on the same team, the former feared they would be in a different situation upon being divided. However, Shawn feels that it’s better if they are separate since it can help her become serious. On the other hand, when 57-year-old TV Personality Kody Brown is disrespected by one of the DS, he notes that a man always wants to be respected, while women prefer being loved. So, he doesn’t care if someone loves him, but rather if someone respects him. The 42-year-old Actor and Singer, Jussie Smollett, is in the experiment because he has been publicly called a liar, with everyone believing something untrue. Hence, this place feels like a reset to him, like his phone.
Early Struggles Remind Everyone That the Course Will Expose Every Weakness
Johnny Manziel, another one of the recruits, is a 32-year-old Heisman Winner and former NFL Quarterback. In his confessional, he states that he wants to experience this because he self-sabotaged his football career. He wants to prove that he possesses the ability to fight his demons. Similarly, 40-year-old Nick Young is also an NBA Champion. Since he gets scolded by Foxy for smiling, he feels that the DS may presume he is not taking this seriously. However, it doesn’t matter how a job is done for Nick as long as he is smiling. Jovon takes over and asks the participant to move back while instructing the others to get down on their knees. They are first pushed into the mud, then asked to crawl on their hands and knees to a nearby muddy water, before eventually putting their face into the mud.
Nick, on the other hand, is asked to roll over inside that place for his mishap. The Drill Sergeants instruct them right after to get dressed as soon as possible. Wasting no time, Billy informs everyone that their first real test of selection will commence within a minute. They will all descend from a helicopter using a rope. As everyone boards the aircraft, the Chief Instructor and Former Recon Marine, Rudy, explains that they must rappel themselves to reach the ground as fast as possible. They have to keep their body rigid and commit to the jump upon taking their position. After making the jump, they will reach an abandoned village, from where they have to race with the supplies uphill to an extraction village. Gia, the youngest among the recruits, is the first person to attempt a rappel.
Gia tries her best to stay strong because she doesn’t like others to see her crumble. Unfortunately, she messes up her descent, which is a bad start for Team Alpha. Now, it is the turn of the tallest among them, Nick from Team Bravo. Although he is a little scared of heights, he can accomplish anything when he puts his mind to it. Sadly, he makes a good descent with his eyes closed, which is another mark against him. Following him is #4 Kody from Team Alpha, who believes that to do hard things is to be good at being a man, and it also serves as proof of who he actually is. With 15 recruits still in the air, Foxy remarks that all the DS wants the participants to feel they are dropped behind enemy lines and feel the adrenaline rush. The mission proceeds with Teresa and 34-year-old Supermodel Chanel Iman following suit right after.
From Helicopter Jumps to Hauling Supplies Uphill, the Recruits Face Brutal Challenges
The next person to take a jump is 49-year-old Christie Pearce Rampone, a World Cup and Olympic Soccer Champion. As time ticks away, only one recruit from each team is left on the helicopter. Johnny from Team Alpha is their last recruit. Although he isn’t great with heights, he is ready to give his all and successfully makes a good drop. The only remaining participant from Team Bravo is Brittany. She is terrified of heights but is dedicated to trying anything that comes her way. Unfortunately, she gets stuck while making the rappel, which marks it a fail. With the first mission complete, both teams mobilize to the village below. Team Bravo possesses four drums of supplies, which they must move out of the compound to where the vehicles are standing. Team Alpha also has the same task, except that they have bags of grains.
The team that hauls the 800 lbs of supplies uphill first will win. Once everyone gets to work hand-in-hand, Kody remarks that he wants his children to see that he can still do the impossible. Team Alpha gradually moves forward, leaving Team Bravo behind. Amid the intensive work, Brittany states that she can’t make it. She admits she is currently not the fittest she has ever been, but chasing around her four-year-old has been helpful. With further motivation from Jovon, she proceeds to carry on. Although Team Alpha is inching towards finishing their task, their team member Johnny sits down because he is out of energy. He discloses that since leaving his football career, he frequently spends time on the golf course. So, this is the first time he is putting himself under a physical challenge.
In the meantime, Team Alpha comes in first, with Johnny’s team members still continuing. Their team also consists of the 46-year-old Actor, Ravi V. Patel. The winning team receives a ride to the barracks, while Team Bravo needs to run to the location. Around 500 yards into the run, Brittany from the losing team declares that she feels like she will pass out. As Jovon asks her to make a decision, she explains that although she doesn’t want to be the one to go first, she cannot go on anymore. Hence, she becomes the first recruit to leave the course, leaving only 17 of them. Meanwhile, the convoy with the winning team reaches the team base: a military camp in the desert. It shall serve as the home for the participants as long as they are on the course. Shortly after, Team Bravo also joins them at the base.
Intensity of the Day Continues to Rise With Brittany’s Shocking Exit
The Drill Sergeants gather everyone in the barracks square, where they bluntly inform the recruits that what they experienced in the morning is not the end. Since the participants volunteered for the same, none of the DS cares about their reputation. Jovon calls out #17, which is Teresa, and informs her that she will be responsible for maintaining the toilets if they get dirty. Once everyone is handed over their bags and heads back to the quarters, Foxy reveals that #1- Brittany is already out of the course. As everyone relaxes and begins discussing the day, Kody notes that they are being tested on every level of their emotional state to find weaknesses. In the meantime, all the DS gather to share intel on the morning’s performance. They specifically speak about Johnny, who they believe is mentally and physically falling apart already.
Back in the base, 25-year-old Internet Personality, Mark Estes, observes that Johnny became a sensation overnight. Meanwhile, Jovon summons the latter and takes him to the room where the Drill Sergeants are sitting because they have concerns about his poor performance. Once Johnny learns about the same, he explains that he did a lot of physical activities in the past, but after his success, he lost a huge part of his work ethic. He used to have fun grinding on his skills, but then he completely discarded them. Johnny continues that he walked away from his football career quickly and admits that he is a person who doesn’t realize his mistakes until it’s too late. Upon asking, he informs the professionals that he decided to come here to sort everything. Johnny adds that he is tired of struggling through months and even years.
The First Day of the Course Concludes With Mental Warfare and a Sudden Drill
Johnny confesses that he feels he has given up on himself, which is eating him alive. Billy explains to him that every single day here will help the recruit get a new view of himself because this morning was just the beginning. In his confessional, Johnny expresses that he has come into the process knowing failure, and he wants to be the one to persevere. However, he will see how everything goes. As he returns to the base, everyone asks him why he was summoned, and he tells them they want to know him better. Jussie promptly states that it is also a whole mental warfare. Around 23:45 hours, when everyone is almost asleep, Rudy comes in and asks the recruits to be out on the Barracks Square within five minutes. Once everyone makes it in time, Foxy informs them that the course is never over, just like a war.
To check the resolve of the recruits, the sergeants inflict a punishing exercise routine on them, where they also have to cross a big container of water and take a dip while running in circles. It is soon followed by intensive exercises. Billy reveals that every single person has a breaking point, and some people can go further than you expect. Similarly, some of them may give up and just crumble. Once the drill is over, they are asked at the end of the first day who doesn’t want to be here. Since no one speaks up, they are dismissed to the quarters. The audience now has to wait for the next episode to find out if these recruits truly possess the character to keep going on whatever it takes.
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