Kaycee Clark and Devin Walker Give Their Reaction to 'The Challenge 40' Eras Theme

The Challenge 's 40th season premieres tonight, intending to be the most epic installment of the longest-running reality series yet. A whopping forty cast members are brought together, representing the show's earliest days as a Real World / Road Rules mashup, to being regarded as "America's fifth major sport" as of late. And to commemorate the anniversary season, MTV has brought back some of the best to do it to see which "era" of the show will reign supreme.

Suffice it to say, being forced to play with nine people you debuted alongside on The Challenge produces a myriad of feelings. For Kaycee Clark , it's a familiar motto: Let's go. Despite a rare appearance without her now-fiance Nany González , Season 37 champion Kaycee is happy to be playing on Era 4. The group of most recent debuts represents the proliferation of non-MTV shows on The Challenge , from Love Island to Survivor to Big Brother (which Kaycee won back in 2018). And so, even if drama carries over from previous seasons, they all have a sense of game to unify them.

Devin Walker , on the other hand, isn't so optimistic. The Season 38 winner is part of perhaps the most dramatic group in Era 3. On the eras tour of The Challenge , they have the most bad blood, between rivalries, confrontations both verbal and physical, and even a broken engagement. Combined with the apparent stigma attached to trying to strategize outside of your era, it led to a dynamic that was not conducive to Devin's usual game. But he was able to cultivate a very different relationship, as it was revealed after the season that he is dating Michele Fitzgerald .

Before tonight's premiere at 8:00 p.m. ET on MTV, Kaycee and Devin talked with Parade about their reactions to the eras theme, their respective romances, and who they wish had made the cast for the season.

Related: Everything to Know About The Challenge 40

You both are no strangers to playing with old-schoolers like Bananas, CT, and Cara. But, even from watching Episode 0, it feels like such a different tone for the season, bringing back some of these faces we haven't seen in years. As newer faces of the show, how did it feel for you all to get to interact and play with them?
Devin Walker-Molagan: There's a few that come to mind. I mean, Emily Schromm and Rachel [Robinson's] names both ring bells. Fortunately, I've been able to do this now for almost a decade myself. So I've gotten a play with kind of all the legends. Aside from those two and Mark Long, I think I've played with pretty much everybody else that I really perceive to be a huge threat. But just knowing that those two are here does definitely raise the bar. And you want to perform your best in front of the game's best, and this season has the game's best.
Kaycee Clark: I mean, yeah, there's a bunch of GOATs that I've never played with like Rachel, Emily, Cara. I never played a game with a lot of these people. There's Brad, there's Derrick and Mark Long. I don't know too much of the history on these relationships, but it's so cool to be able to play this game with the best of the best and and be included. Forty legends in one house, it's a lot of people. But it's really cool to be alongside these GOATs and these legends that literally paved the way for 40 seasons.

From the reverse perspective, as two of the more recent champions, what was it like from their POV to interact with you?
Devin: Well, from my perspective, it was very interesting. Because I'm coming off Ride or Dies , where, obviously we get the win. But also, in Kaycee's championship season in Spies, Lies, and Alles , both of us have great success; we're both in the final. So, coming into the game, I felt like a lot of people wanted to bend my ear, get on my good side. And as soon as the eras theme was revealed, all those conversations got crumpled up and thrown in the trash can. And all of a sudden, I was not the apple of their eye, so to speak. Instead, was perceived as a legitimate threat. So it was interesting to see those tides turn so quickly.
Kaycee: I feel like with Era 1, Era 2, they've been doing this for a long time. They did their homework. And they know how I play; they know how Devin plays. They may not know to the very tee. But when they come in this game, they have an idea. And coming into that, I know that they have the experience. They know what they're doing. But I honestly think that the OGs are also trying to figure out, because we do play a different game. We have Era 4. We have Survivor , Big Brother , Love Island . And so it is a different game from what it used to be 40 seasons ago. So, at the same time that we're being a student and watching them, they're doing the same thing on their end. So it's really exciting. Thirty-nine other people in this game, and different characters, different backgrounds, different strategies. I'm here for it, and I'm excited to play with them.

Let's talk about the "Battle of the Eras" theme. What was your initial reaction to it and, to Devin's point, how did that affect your approach to the season?
Kaycee: I'm excited. This is the exact team that I want to be on. I got like-minded [people]. Survivor , Big Brother , very similar. I'm a team player, and I'll ride for my team. Era 4 all day! And so when I'm surrounded right around like-minded people that also like to game and strategize, that's everything. Because I can't even imagine myself as a newcomer being in Era 1. It's just kind of like they just have a different mindset, different strategy. And it's really fun and more entertaining for me to be able to play this game with like-minded people. So I'm all about Era 4. I'm happy with this team that we have. And it's so funny how every era really does ride hard for their era. So I love it.
Devin: Completely bummed. Didn't love it. Wasn't really how I would have liked to kind of set this up for myself. And I say that because I have legitimate relationships with members of every era, and I've always played this game with the people that I like. And unfortunately, we really weren't able to do that because of the breakdown in the format. So I want to play with Josh, I want to play with Kaycee, I want to play with Aneesa, I want to play with CT. I want to play with all of these people that are in different eras. And it became very difficult to do that without looking shady to your era. And that was a balance that I struggled with in this game. And I think I did pretty well, all things considered. But, obviously, if I could go back and rewrite the format...I'm not great in a team of 10, not really where I thrive. So, yeah, didn't love it.

Devin brings up an interesting point. It's no secret that there exists a "Vacation Alliance" that includes the two of you and has served as a dominant group for the past couple of seasons. And now you're all scattered across these different eras. Did that change your gameplay?
Kaycee: Oh yeah, for sure. It's definitely difficult. I mean, when you have your main alliance that you trust in different eras, it makes it very difficult. Because you're one [or] two of the 10 in your era, that's not maybe gonna be on the same page and have the same relationships that you do. So it really does make it difficult. And, again, that's the name of the game of being a little to adapt and work with what you do have. But it was definitely hard.
Devin: And no spoilers. But Era 4 had moles!
Kayce: Era 4 had moles? [ Pause .] Oh, moles! Got it. [ Laughs .]

Related: Everything to Know About Big Brother 26

When it comes to Era 3, we got this quote from Tony that alludes to some bad blood baked into your team. Indeed, on the surface, it does seem like your group has the most rivalries coming into the season outside of Cara and Laurel and Olivia and Nurys. Was that something you perceived initially when you found out that would be your group?
Devin: Well, anytime Tori and Amanda are in the same bedroom, you're not stoked. So having to wage that war was not something that I had really looked forward to. And then, obviously, you've got Tony and Cory and their storied history. Then you've got Jordan and Tori and their storied history. You've got myself in there, just kind of as somebody who generally takes a little warming up to. I've never met Nia before. I've only played with Averey one time. I'd never met Jonna before. So it was a difficult era for us, because we had a lot of people who played the game completely different ways. As opposed to an era like Era 4 that have very similar gameplay styles, because they are coming from similar games. We have completely different gameplay styles. We've got Tony, who's just a bull in a china shop. And then we've got Jonna, who kind of moves around very quietly and is strategizing on the low. We've got people that play up front. So, to be fair, it was kind of a nightmare.

Let's talk about relationships you're both in with other Challenge contestants. Kaycee, a belated congratulations on your engagement! How did it feel to appear on the show that brought you together for the first time since then, representing you and Nany?
Kaycee: So it was interesting. I started playing this game with Nany, and this was the second time that I've played this without her. And it's different. She is my right hand. She's my fiance. And so I know that not having her on this season, it was different. But I know she was cheering me on from home. So I definitely had to represent both of us. And it's hard being away from her. So playing this game and not having her has been difficult. But, yeah, it's been amazing.

Well, we move from romance outside the game to romance inside the game. Devin, it's become public knowledge that you and Michele are now in a relationship. So what are we anticipating from a season that ends with the two of you together?
Devin: So I decided coming into 40 that I was gonna make it as difficult as humanly possible on myself to come out as a victor. I really wanted to leave no stone unturned. And everybody knows a really good way to decrease your position in the game is to get in a showmance. So I figured, you know what? I said it at the reunion. "I'm single, I will be banging." And that's it. Got me a girlfriend who I absolutely adore. You know, no one knows who won. But I definitely won the heart of one Michele Fitzgerald.
Kaycee: I want to say something. I absolutely love seeing that side of Devin. Devin and Michele, it was such a beautiful thing to see. To see that side of Devin was the cutest. So definitely stan 1,000% and it was really freaking cool to see that side. That's Mom and Dad right there!

I'd be remiss to not bring up Jordan's previous statements about this season, where he spoke out about the way you were treated by production. What's your opinion on that?
Kaycee: Every season, The Challenge is hard. Mentally, emotionally, physically, it has all aspects. The weather out there was really, really hot, so people are going to be irritable. And I feel, honestly, every season, there's always some kind of, whether it's the climate or whatever it may be. But I mean, overall, you're on The Challenge , right? It was what we signed up for. We signed up to be away from our family. We signed up to give up our freedom to play a very intense game. So, emotions are high, name of the game. It's a fun, intense game.

Finally, this cast is truly full of stars. But who do you most wish had been part of The Challenge 40 from seasons past?
Devin: I mean, #Dyle, right? Where is my guy? Where is Kyle? My better half, I don't have him. I don't have Wes. I am kind of a man on an island here. I do have good relationships with Tony, with CT. Darrell, Jordan, Cory, all those guys are good friends of mine, even Johnny. But I don't really have a true number one. So I would have loved to see Kyle or Wes walk through those giant castle doors. And it just didn't happen for me.
Kaycee: For me, of course, my fiance, Nany. She is a GOAT in this game, and I love playing this game with her. Unfortunately, she didn't want to go on the season. And if she was on the season, she would have been on Era 3, which would have been really, really cool. Another one, I would have to say, it's different playing this game without Fessy. So I always have my guys Fessy and Josh. So I would say Nany and Fessy. Those are the two that come to mind for sure.

Next, check out our The Challenge: All Stars Season 4 interview with Cara Maria Sorbello .