Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test came back for season 5, and honestly? It was a bloodbath. Out of the group that showed up in Malaysia – reality stars, athletes, a disgraced politician, the usual mix – most of them didn’t make it. And I’m not talking about “oh, they got a little tired and bowed out gracefully.” I mean full-on injuries, mental breakdowns, and the kind of humiliation that makes you wonder why anyone signs up for this stuff in the first place.

The First One Out (And It Wasn’t Even Close)

Brandi Glanville from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills became the first casualty, and it happened fast. The opening challenge – because of course this show doesn’t ease you in – involved jumping out of a helicopter headfirst into the ocean. Then you had to swim back to the dock. Simple, right?

Except Brandi got injured during the jump. The details are a bit fuzzy on exactly what happened, but she was done. Episode one, challenge one, and she’s out. Look, I actually feel for her here – there’s no shame in getting hurt doing something legitimately dangerous. But the thing is, this is what you signed up for. These ex-Special Forces operatives running the show aren’t messing around with pool noodles and participation trophies.

Who Else Couldn’t Hack It?

Here’s where it gets interesting. The cast included George Santos – yes, that George Santos, the former congressman who lied about basically everything. There was also Bre Tiesi from Selling Sunset and Collin Gosselin from Jon & Kate Plus 8. And from what we know so far, more than half the recruits failed to complete the program.

I mean, think about that for a second. These people walked into this knowing it’s called “World’s Toughest Test.” It’s not subtle about what you’re getting into. And yet the majority still couldn’t finish.

What’s wild to me is the mix of people they bring on. You’ve got actual athletes who presumably train for a living, and then you’ve got reality TV personalities who are famous for… what, exactly? Causing drama at dinner parties? Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying reality stars can’t be tough. But there’s a pretty big gap between surviving a season of The Real Housewives and surviving actual military-style training exercises. It's a dynamic that plays out on other competition shows too, where reality TV personalities like Jordan Wiseley and Tori Deal have built entire careers on The Challenge.

The Format Is Designed to Break People

And that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? The show works because it takes people who are used to being in control – celebrities, athletes, people with platforms – and strips all that away. In Malaysia, nobody cares if you have a million Instagram followers or if you were on TV for ten seasons. Can you complete the task or not? That’s it.

Several contestants did manage to complete that first helicopter challenge successfully. But as the season goes on (and based on previous seasons), the attrition rate is brutal. People quit, people get injured, people realize they’re not who they thought they were.

What Makes Someone Actually Survive This?

Here’s what I’ve noticed after watching multiple seasons of this show – it’s not always the people you think. The big muscular guys sometimes fold first because they can’t handle the mental game. The people who talk the biggest game beforehand? Yeah, they’re usually gone by episode three.

“I’m, like, so pro” – Brandi Glanville’s last words before exiting, which pretty much sums up the gap between confidence and reality

The ones who make it tend to be the people who can quiet their ego long enough to just do the work. They don’t argue with the instructors, they don’t complain about conditions, and they definitely don’t waste energy trying to maintain their image. Because in that environment, your image doesn’t matter. Your brand doesn’t matter. Can you carry that log up the hill in the mud while you’re exhausted and someone’s screaming in your face? That’s the only question.

Why Do They Even Do This?

I’ll be honest – I’m kind of fascinated by the motivation here. What makes someone like George Santos, who’s already been through the public humiliation of being exposed as a serial liar and kicked out of Congress, think “you know what I need? More public humiliation, but this time in the jungle”?

Maybe it’s redemption. Maybe it’s relevance. Maybe it’s just good money (because you know they’re getting paid something for this). Or maybe – and I think this is probably closest to the truth – these people are so used to being watched that they don’t know how to exist without cameras on them anymore.

The whole thing is fascinating in a can’t-look-away kind of way. You’re watching people volunteer for suffering, and then watching most of them realize they actually can’t handle what they volunteered for. It’s like a slow-motion car crash, except everyone bought tickets to be in the car.

The Actual Survivors

As of right now, with the season still unfolding, we don’t have the final list of who made it to the end. But based on what we’re seeing? It’s going to be a small group. Really small.

And honestly, good for whoever makes it. Because whether you think reality TV is stupid or these shows are exploitative or whatever – completing this program is genuinely hard. The ex-Special Forces guys running it aren’t faking anything. The conditions are real, the challenges are dangerous, and your body and mind will absolutely try to quit on you.

I just hope whoever survives has a better story than “I jumped out of a helicopter and didn’t die.” Because after everything they’re putting themselves through, they’re gonna need something good to tell people at parties. You know, assuming they ever want to do anything difficult again. Which, let’s be real… they probably won’t.