Season 8 / All-Stars 2 just finished on Monday after exactly 100 episodes.
The appendix page for the season with a breakdown of results. It surprisingly hasn't been deleted by a mod yet...
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anexo:Exatl%C3%B3n_Estados_Unidos:_All_-_Stars_(2023)---
This season went back to having a single Grand Champion, where the men's finalist and women's finalist went head-to-head for a grand prize of $500,000.
Susana Abundiz became the 5th Grand Champion, and the 3rd woman to do so.
That match was done on a single course, so it wasn't as epic as the last time they did it back in Season 4 between Nate and Nona.
The separate men and women's finals before that were run on two courses.
The format of the grand finale match was about as even as you could get. They ran at the same time with the same start. The only difference was that Kelvin had to do his throws at the end about a foot further back compared to Susana, which was practically nothing.
The grand finale match was during the last 37 minutes of the broadcast and didn't have any commercial breaks. Almost making it look live. They filled time inbetween rounds by showing them resting around the other players, some quick interviews with family, and dramatic "who will win?" type of promos.
I feel like the runner-up of such a big season with this caliber of competitors should get at least $100,000. Unless they did get something and I wasn't paying attention.
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The season had so many injuries! Most of them knee injuries. 4 players had to leave due to injury, and a bunch had to sit out for observation.
There was a total of 30 players. 6 of them joined late in groups of 3 on Week 4 and Week 9. 2 of those from Week 4 made it to the individual top 10.
There was a stretch a couple weeks away from the top 10 where we lost 3 champions. Nate (Season 4 Grand Champion) eliminated, Yamilet (Season 7.5/All-Stars 1 Women's Champion) eliminated, and Yoridan (Season 7.5/All-Stars 1 Men's Champion) due to injury.
The top 10 had a good mix of players. Valeria (S2) was the only Grand Champion still left in the competition, and a huge turnaround after being eliminated first in All-Stars 1. All four Grand Champions competed this season. The other separate champions remaining were Briadam (S6 Men's) and Susana (S6 Women's). Two runners-up with Caterine (All-Stars 1 Women's), and Kelvin (S5 Men's). Kelvin is also one of two players this season to have competed on three different seasons prior. Jonny (S7 and All-Stars 1) at 42 is the oldest and one of three in their 40's this season. There were also a couple of underdogs with Horacio (S5) and Wilmarie (S5) who missed out on the top 10 in their original season.
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There was more variety with the courses, so it didn't seem like it was mostly junkyard or construction themed courses.
The course gimmicks this season involved more moving or mechanical or motorized parts, and sections where another teammate is assisting.
But, being the most sports-like of these shows, the course layout stayed the same throughout the season. Only the game at the end changed each time. Really wish they would modify the courses as the show went on.
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The season also had two matches against Mexico in Episode 30 and 62. USA crushed Mexico both times 10-2 and 10-3.