Schmoedown Season Five mid-season awards (Patreon)

Believe it or not, but we are halfway through the year, and with Collider Collision just around the corner, Season Five of the Movie Trivia Schmoedown is about to mark its midpoint in style. 

As such, the time has come to look back over what has been a momentous campaign thus far and potentially predict who might be taking home a coveted Schmoedown Award in around six months' time. 

So without further ado – and while trying to ignore the somewhat threatening letter that arrived earlier this week that insisted upon Mike Kalinowski being named the winner of each and every prize – here are the Movie Trivia Schmoedown mid-season awards... 

MOMENT OF THE YEAR – RETURN OF THE GOAT 

While there has not been an organic gameplay moment to match that of Marc Andreyko's infamous 'XX5XX' Free 4 All showing in 2017, a number of storyline reveals have ensured Schmoedown fans have been left stunned during the first half of the season. 

Whether it was Andrew Ghai's return at this year's Free 4 All, Finstock's arrival at the same event of Kalinowski's turn to the dark side, there have been a number of memorable moments so far in 2018, but nothing truly comes close to our actual winner. 

While most predicted that the new iteration of the Horsemen would be revealed at the second live show of the season, few could have expected quit what came to pass as first Mark Reilly and then Dan Murrell revealed themselves to be part of the Five Horsemen. 

Murrell – who is widely regarded as the Schmoedown's GOAT – has been gone for almost a year, and fans have been calling for him to step back into the ring from the moment he announced his retirement. As such, his return was momentous, and given the secrecy that surrounded it, the storytellers over at Collider will have their work cut out topping it in the second half of the season. 

MANAGER OF THE YEAR – EMMA FYFFE 

A staple of the Schmoedown for the past 18 months, Emma Fyffe truly seems to have found her calling in Season Five having gone down the route of management. 

Having picked up Rachel Cushing, Clarke Wolfe, Marc Andreyko and Sam Witwer, the pressure was on "The Golden Mic" to ensure that her faction got off to the best possible start in 2018, and though there have been some bumps in the road, few can doubt her ability to effectively manage each of her competitors and ensure they each get a fair crack of the whip. 

Never absent when one of her players is competing and willing to help in any way she can when it comes to entrances, it's fair to say Fyffe has quickly surpassed some of the other more experienced managers within the league. While she retains her sunny outlook on life, the future of the Fyffe Club looks bright. 

HEEL OF THE YEAR – ANDREW GHAI 

Is there really any competition for this one?! 

While Kalinowski's descent into villainy is showing few signs of letting up and the Lion's Den remain as despicable as ever, they cannot hold a candle to Andrew Ghai in 2018. 

From the moment he duped the whole Schmoedown audience by entering the Free 4 All to Murrell's theme music to running riot around both the Collider studios and the El Portal Theatre, "Dastardly Drew's" behaviour since his release from Movie Trivia Jail has been shameful, to put it kindly. 

Whether his upcoming match with Murrell will be enough to tame him remains to be seen, but for now he is the Schmoedown's ultimate bad boy. 

ROOKIE TEAM OF THE YEAR – SHIREWOLVES 

When it was confirmed in the premiere episode of Season Five that Rachel Cushing and Clarke Wolfe would be teaming up in 2018, most would have awarded them this prize there and then. And as yet they have not disappointed. 

Though their win over the Lion's Den was a little closer than they would have liked, their impressive take down of Team Action in their second bout means they narrowly beat out their next opponents, World's Finest, for this gong. The winner of that clash will be big favourites for this award at the end of the year – what more inspiration could a Schmoedown team need? 

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – ETHAN ERWIN 

While Eric Zipper, Jeannine the Machine and Mara Knopic have all made big impacts in 2018 with unbeaten starts to their Schmoedown careers, they do not come close to that made by Ethan Erwin. 

Tipped by Kristian Harloff to be a potential future champion before his debut match was even scheduled, "Big Time" has been imperious thus far, taking out Yolanda Machado, Lon Harris and – most impressively – Drew McWeeny on his way to setting up a No.1 contender's match for his next appearance. 

Factor in his superb Free 4 All showing and the promise that he could even look to enter the team division, and Erwin has already established himself as one of the players to beat. Who knows – he could even end the season with a belt around his waist if he maintains his current form. 

FACTION OF THE YEAR – VIPER SQUAD 

Given the upheaval that surrounded Jay Washington at the end of Season Four, the fact he has been able to pull himself together and form a faction worthy of competing with the very best is credit to the "Urban Gladiator". 

Until Washington himself slipped to defeat to Emma Fyffe, the Viper Squad had won all five of their first five matches of the season. That loss was quickly followed by Rachel Cushing's win over Markeia McCarty, but that should not deter from their achievements thus far. 

Furthermore, the fact that Washington has two of his competitors in Stacy Howard and Jeannine facing off at Collision for a chance to secure a place in a No.1 contender match only illustrates the form of some those he manages. 

TEAM OF THE YEAR – ABOVE THE LINE 

Beat the Patriots. Nuff said. 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR – SAMM LEVINE 

Four matches. Four wins. While Schmoedown fans look forward to the return of the GOAT, there is a growing suggestion that the Greatest of All Time has been staring them in the face the whole time. 

Samm Levine has now won 13 of his previous 14 matches since the inaugural Collision, becoming the first double champion in the history of competitive movie trivia. In beating Rachel Cushing, Clarke Wolfe, MODOK and the Patriots already in 2018 he has already taken down some of the best movie minds on the planet, and he shows no sign of letting up. 

With tournament season just around the corner and past champions returning to the ring he is likely to face further tests of his mettle in the second half of the season, but do not bet against him further raising his game to end the year with plenty of hardware draped over his shoulders.