By Erin Kelleher

After a three-year hiatus, Road Rules, the show that pits the most unbalanced, self-centered, good-looking twenty-somethings against one another and rolls them across the U.S. in an R.V., is back.

Some of the challenges are dangerous, and more are disgusting.

MTV puts contestants up to a lot of inexpensive-to-execute physical challenges. They also provide a chance to see the cast whine, cry and eventually get sick and throw up.

This makes for the typical reality TV train wreck effect, and a recipe for some high ratings.

The main idea of this season is that MTV brought back the favorite Road Rulers of the past to compete.

To make it a little more interesting, the former cast members will have to battle against a group of newbies who start as the “pit crew.”

After each mission, the boys nominate a girl to go into “the pit” and the females elect a male. Viewers then vote on who from the pit crew is to battle the nominee from the RV.

A typical challenge includes the usual racing, puzzles and emotional hissy fits. The winner goes to the RV and the loser stays with the pit crew.

Apparently, whoever is on the pit crew can always be voted back into the pit and, if he or she wins, they then have a chance at getting back onto the RV.

Each member is fighting for a chance to win $10,000 and a Mazda 3. This is a lot of money for some contestants, but quite skimpy compared to the $150,000 prize the winners of “The Duel,” a similar show, took home last year.

Even after watching the first several episodes, the new rules still seem kind of confusing for some players. Just as confusing is the fact that Road Rules is based solely in Southern California this season.

The cast used to go to Europe and Australia, and once had a semester at sea.

Maybe MTV used the entire budget to buy the new and “improved” RV, because this driving an hour or two to your next destination is not the way of the old Road Rules.

After all the twists that are being thrown into the game, Road Rules is still a typical MTV challenge show.

The entertainment lies within vomiting, crying and, of course, the ever present back-stabbing.

Though there has not been too much sneaking around and talking behind people’s backs, there has been an amusing fist fight. That fight resulted in Abram’s, from “Road Rules: South Pacific,” second elimination from Road Rules due to throwing punches.

Both fights occurred within the first two weeks of the show.

Following the fight, newbie Tori, former Miss Virginia Teen USA, breaks down crying in shock of what just took place. A fight on Road Rules? How unpredictable.

Tori is also spicing things up by becoming involved with Dan, a Marine reservist, who returned from Iraq in 2004. Dan was recently added to the RV from the pit crew once Abram was kicked off.

And everyone knows those two are not hooking up mainly because they are attracted to each other.

If a cast member establishes a flirtatious relationship with a fellow cast-mate, it’s not necessarily because they’re interested in him or her.

It is all about establishing an alliance that is guaranteed to provide you with an extra chance to stay in the game – Examples being CT and Diem, and the always disturbing relationship between Beth and Nehemiah. Both couples are from the last season of “Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel.”

But hook-ups aren’t the only thing this cast is faking.

Despite the fact that no one has ever put a lot of trust in the idea that everything that happens is completely realistic, there is a gross amount of blatantly staged stuff going on.

It seems the cast is acting in order to promote the show at times.

The cheese-ball lines these guys throw out are obviously trying to hype up the show, and seem unnatural.

Adam, from “Road Rules: The Quest,” is talking about how incredibly exciting and crazy one of the challenges is, and at the end throws in an overly enthusiastic, “Come on! This is Road Rules!”

It’s probably safe to say no one is that excited about the opportunity to drown in the ocean.

If you’re put on Road Rules, it means you weren’t exactly crazy enough to be on The Real World. Meaning, you would not be able to captivate an audience for a whole season by living in a mansion.

The only other alternative to that is someone at MTV probably did not like you and wanted to see you tortured until you are so worn out you have a complete emotional breakdown.

And that is what Road Rules is all about.