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Games based on fitness, strength, and intellect feature prominently on reality shows like the long-running Survivor, The Biggest Loser, and now in the newest competition show, Karma. In 2002, JD Roth developed a kids’ version of Survivor called Endurance. Here, teenagers from the ages of twelve to fifteen competed in teams against one another in hopes of winning the grand prize vacation trip of a lifetime. Flash forward to June 2020 and you may have recognized a modified, high-definition version of Endurance on HBO Max.
Twelve years after the last episode of Endurance aired on the now-defunct Discovery Kids channel, creator JD Roth came out of retirement to executive produce Karma. While Roth himself discourages calling the new show “Endurance 2.0,” a lot of similarities between the two series blatantly surface for fans of Endurance. In this article, we’ll compare and contrast the two shows (with major spoilers) and examine important dynamics between the contestants of Karma.
Introducing A New Host On Karma
JD Roth famously created, produced, and hosted every episode of the six-season run of Endurance that aired on Discovery Kids. For Karma, Roth decided to emerge from retirement to work as an executive producer on the reality show that premiered on the new HBO Max streaming service. Last summer, before filming Karma, Roth decided to hire another individual to host the first season of the Endurance-style show.
As an onscreen veteran television personality since 1983, JD Roth exhibited comfort and familiarity with the role of a host on Endurance. Roth executed flawless leadership over the competitors of Endurance. To create good television soundbites, Roth arduously probed reluctant teens for answers to uncomfortable questions without missing a beat. Back in the 2000s, the contestants seemed less eager to stir up conflict with one another in the presence of an authority figure like JD.
By 2019, JD Roth had long since retired from the television world. Executive producer Roth hired YouTube content creator and athlete Michelle Khare to host the repackaged Endurance show. Khare landed her first television gig as a host, however, Khare was no stranger to presenting herself amicably on camera. Khare hosts her own YouTube show, “Challenge Accepted,” where she takes on physical challenges such as training like an Olympic figure skater.
Although Michelle revealed that taking on the challenge of hosting a network television show proved daunting during the first few episodes, she quickly adapted to the role. In Khare’s behind the scenes video, the Karma players admitted to Michelle that they expected JD Roth to act as host during the competition. Still, introducing Khare to the HBO Max show distances viewers from expecting the exact same format as its predecessor, Endurance.
While Khare speaks rather conventionally on the first few episodes of Karma, she eventually adjusts to narrating during the high-paced missions. She delicately relieves the tension between distraught teammates and players. Khare displays vulnerability, relatability, and a nurturing demeanor toward the energized teenagers. Importantly, she also brings diversity as a woman of color to the show, expanding on Roth’s goal of increasing diversity within the competitors seen previously in Endurance. Though Khare does not press the players for answers as hard as Roth has done, her compassionate nature evinces honest responses from the contestants that you can’t script.
Karma Conceptualized From Endurance
Most individuals might characterize the Buddhist belief of “karma” simply as, “what goes around comes around.” HBO Max’s Karma utilizes this ideal, first introduced in Endurance, to produce an elevated level of higher-brow entertainment. The concept acted as a mechanism to encourage camaraderie between players in the final two seasons of Endurance, High Sierras and Fiji. Eliminated contestants gain an opportunity to give an advantage to a player still competing through voting. Hence, Endurance first implemented the ideal to prove the karmic thesis.
Karma further centralizes upon this theme introduced by Endurance. The Karma players’ ultimate goal is to obtain medallions that each list a “law of karma,” which eliminates teams that can gift to the remaining team. The rules of the medallions are similar to those of the karmic law pyramid pieces labels previously seen in Endurance. In contrast to obtaining pyramid pieces by winning challenges on Endurance, teams on Karma heavily rely on gaining medallions solely based on their friendships with the eliminated teams.
Karma coins are also provided to each team prefacing the journey up to the Cave of Karma for two teams facing elimination on Karma. The teams subsequently give their coin to one of these teams to give their favored team an advantage over the elimination game. The show really enforces karmic ideals to the point of causing betrayal between players who dislike one another for the sole purpose of obtaining the mysterious medallions. Eliminating the ability to win pyramid pieces like on Endurance seems to reduce the importance of incentive of winning competitions anymore.
Returning To The High Sierras
Despite adding a new host, Karma pays homage to Endurance locationally by returning to a familiar location. The Karma contestants traveled to Northern California’s Shaver Lake just like the season five contestants from Endurance: High Sierras. Debatably, the fifth season of Endurance boasts some of the most memorable competitors, rivalries, and twists of the six-season run.
The high-profile relationship between opposing team members Dakota of the Purple Team and the fiercely competitive Cealey of the Green Team works to Cealey’s advantage in Endurance: High Sierras. Due to their relationship, the Purple Team carried the Green Team to the final two in Endurance. Unfortunately for the Purple Team, karma came around as they ultimately lost to the Green Team in the final Temple game. Shockingly, the early team switch in the fourth episode, “Hot Potato,” between the boys on the Gray and Blue Teams cements itself as a standout moment from the entire fifth season.
Similar to the tensions that arise in Endurance: High Sierras, the teenagers in Karma also undergo strained relationships with one another 14,000 feet above sea level at Shaver Lake. Thankfully, unlike the borderline bullying of Endurance‘s Season Five Blue Team contestant Taylor, the 2020 Karma competitors fought and resolved their issues in the same episode without further disputes.
Coincidentally, the Blue Team of Luke and Ariana in Karma also partake in slightly more drama than the other players in their struggle to win the $50,000 prize. Maybe there’s something about the High Sierras air that generates hostility in teenagers. Let’s not forget that we’re still watching reality television, though.
Alliances, Friendships, And Competition
There’s no doubt that most kids and teenagers refuse to shy away from confrontation and transparency. The intriguing dynamics between the contestants always allured viewers of Endurance, and Karma proves to have the same appeal. On Karma, we root for the kind-hearted Illya of the Yellow Team, beautifully adorned with a hijab. Representing hijab-wearing women, Illya and her partner Eli’s relentless pursuit of winning demonstrates their perseverance in the face of adversity. Despite their weakness as a team, the kids ruthlessly sent them to the Cave of Karma three times. Team alliances and friendship play a crucial role in who ultimately faces the prospect of elimination in these competition shows.
Most Endurance fans dubbed Monroe from Endurance: Hawaii an all-time favorite contestant. Because of his outspoken and exuberant nature, Monroe didn’t mesh well with many of the more reserved Hawaii players. His equally more disliked partner on the Yellow Team, Bryanah, doubted Monroe’s physical ability to play the game. Regardless, Monroe and Bryanah dominated challenges, exploited alliances, overcame every crippling Samadhi, and outsmarted their way into the final three. Monroe also gave us some of the most iconic, sarcastic confessional pull quotes ever spoken on Endurance.
“Hello Nicole, she feels sorry for [Demian] because he has a whack partner like yourself.”
Monroe Gierl (Endurance: Hawaii)
Karma bestowed viewers with its own Monroe-worthy, spirited teenager on HBO Max in the form of Purple Team competitor Jack. Jack confidently informs everyone that he’s going to win the $50,000 prize in the first episode. The proclamation quickly promotes Jack from a less athletic chess-player to a potentially powerful contender. It should be noted that the other boys in the game were intensely competitive. The Karma boys stirred up more drama with one another, historically seen by the girls on Endurance. Needless to say, Jack was not an initial fan-favorite among the boys of Karma amidst their strong personalities.
Jack’s immediate elimination from the Right-to-Stay challenge by the first episode’s conclusion seems to dash his dreams. Despite this, the show administers a twist comparable to bringing back Season One Endurance contestants Jenna and Max for Endurance 2. Harrison of the Purple Team gets homesick and leaves the game early, parting the waters for the return of the enigmatic Jack. Akin to Monroe’s characteristics, Jack’s self-assurance yields many quotable moments.
Unlike Monroe, Jack fully relies on his ingenuity to compensate for losing every challenge. His physically strong partner, Skyla, was also forced to form a functional relationship with Jack in order to grasp any chance of victory. The two use Jack’s smarts to form volatile relationships with others that sometimes pay off. Ultimately, Jack craftily engineers his way to the top, making good on his declaration of winning the entire game on the HBO Max show. What goes around truly comes around for Jack in this first season of Karma.
What Could Improve Karma‘s Next Season?
Karma‘s strong entry into kids’ reality television engages new audiences with its updated film structure narrative and its long run time. Endurance fans reminisce on their fond memories of the former show while spending more time getting to know the complexities of the diverse Karma contestants. The relationships the players develop with one another and with host Michelle Khare foster authentic growth and connections with people from all walks of life. Despite its positive elements, Karma‘s second season will heighten its appeal by improving certain facets lacking in the show.
Firstly, some complaints online about the show centralize around the absence of variance in competition styles. While Endurance intermingled physical challenges with mental ones, Karma‘s only mental tasking competition appears in the finale. Jack obviously used his intelligence to manipulate the other players to save him from the Cave. The Purple Team failed to win a single physical competition yet managed to win the grand prize, even with a medallion disadvantage in the final episode. Including cognitive challenges might generate both physically and mentally strong contestants like Endurance‘s Season One champions, the outstanding Blue Team of Jonna and Aaron.
Allowing contestants to earn Karma medallions rather than just receiving them from eliminated players is another change with the potential to benefit the show. As mentioned earlier, Endurance players won pyramid pieces after winning missions that helped them in the final game. Reintroducing this element increases motivation for players to compete their hardest in each challenge and earn a reward. The contestants really only wanted to win individual missions due to fearing chance-based elimination at the Cave of Karma.
At a minimum, the show might also re-institute the dreaded Samadhi to raise the competition stakes. Every mission permitted an even playing field in Karma. The Samadhi dismantled one team in Endurance with a disadvantage. Stronger Endurance players typically attack threatening teams first with Samadhi for a greater chance of sending those teams to the Temple of Fate. That could change by targeting the less powerful teams on Karma like llya and Eli’s case. Without the Samadhi in Karma, two weaker teams who rarely win challenges floated their way to the finals merely because they received those medallions and karma coins. Incorporating elements to give Karma players more incentive to win varying types of challenges will improve Season Two.
Karma Proved Its Endurance
JD Roth blessed Endurance fans with the perfect summer show by bringing us this HBO Max revival. I anticipate an exciting new location in Karma‘s Season Two if it follows the formula of its predecessor. We can only hope for additional twists and a similarly entertaining cast of kids.
While waiting for the next season, Michelle Khare posted a podcast with JD Roth providing inside information about Karma. You can also watch Michelle interview each of the former Karma contestants on her Instagram Live videos. Every season of Endurance is also available to watch on YouTube if you’re craving a trip down memory lane for one of the greatest kids competition shows of all time. Karma has plenty of room to make more positive changes for the coming seasons but has successfully revived the beloved Endurance competition show.