Suvechha Sarkar
Season 1 of Fox’s ‘Celebrity Weakest Link’ blends sharp wit, incredible humor, and palpable pressure with a star-studded contestant line-up. Episode 1, titled ‘Glee Homecoming,’ brings together familiar faces who are guided by the ever-charismatic actress and host, Jane Lynch. The concept is quite simple, as eight contestants must build a chain of correct answers within a strict time limit. Each right answer helps them add more money to the bank, but there is a catch. It works only if the next player remembers to secure the earnings before risking it all. By the end of each round, the “weakest link” is voted out until the final round, where the final two competitors go head-to-head to win the entire bank’s money for their charity.
Despite Some Hilarious Missteps, the Players Bank $7,000 in the Opening Chain
The episode commences with Jane welcoming the eight competitors, who all belong to the cast of the show, ‘Glee.’ One by one, they introduce themselves, with the first being Becca Tobin, known as ‘Kitty Wilde’ on the show. The second player is Heather Morris, AKA Brittany S. Pierce, followed by Dot-Marie Jones, who was Coach Beiste. The fourth contestant is Jenna Ushkowitz, who played the role of Tina, and right next is Amber Riley, popularly known as Mercedes Jones. The last two players are Max Adler, AKA David Karofsky, and Alex Newell, who had the character of Unique Adams. With the introduction out of the way, Jane announces that she will ask questions one at a time. In the first round, they can form a chain of eight correct answers, which can put $25,000 in their bank.
If a player gets an answer wrong, they will break the chain, which is going to take them back to zero. However, if they press the button in front of them and say “bank” before their questions are asked, that money instantly becomes safe. The competitors are playing to earn up to $1 million for the charity. The first question, “What blonde fairy tale character breaks into some bear’s home, eats their food, and judges their furniture?” begins with Becca, who answers it correctly with “Goldilocks.” With that, the chain continues with correct answers from Heather, Chord, and Dot. For the next turn, Jenna is asked, “What top-selling video game franchise was set during World War II until the release of its ‘Modern Warfare’ installment?” However, she wrongly responds with “Warcraft” when the correct answer is Call of Duty.
Although Amber provides an accurate response during her turn, things change when Max faces the question: “If I switched places with Coach Taylor in the 2000s, I’d be yelling at Dylan High School Students on what series?” Surprisingly, he provides ‘Dawson’s Creek’ as his answer when the correct one is ‘Friday Night Lights.’ The game moves forward with Alex and then Becca, who wrongly answers “True” when she is asked, “To be called buffalo wings, they must contain at least 51% buffalo.” Heather and Chord keep the momentum going, but unfortunately, Dot responds with “Certs” instead of “Mentos” when she has to answer which brand of Dutch mints causes geysers of diet cola in online videos. The round ends with perfect responses from Jenna and Amber. It turns out that the contestants have banked $7,000.
The Competition Picks up the Pace as Max is Voted Out as the First Weakest Link
The $7,000 goes through to the next round, but one of the players will not, as it is now time for the competitors to vote off the Weakest Link. Statistically, the weakest person is Max, who missed his only question. However, there is also Becca, who thinks buffalo wings come from actual buffalo. Jane asks her about her mean character on ‘Glee’ and how the audience perceives it. Becca reveals that people are afraid of her in public. It turns out she has voted for Dot since she was the only other person who got something wrong. The focus shifts to Dot, who is a champion arm wrestler and has won her first title when she was 19. Over the years, she has won 15 World Titles and broken two of her opponent’s arms. The host then moves on to Max and asks him if he hasn’t watched the popular show, ‘Friday Night Lights.’
Max discloses that he auditioned for the show, but when he didn’t get the part, he banned it. Finally, it is revealed that Heather, Chord, and Jenna have voted for Max, while the votes of the others are scattered among other contestants. Ultimately, Max is eliminated as the weakest one. In his exit interview, he states that it is ironic because he played a football player on a show, but is now being sent home for missing a football-related question. The game moves on to the next round, where the contestants can now compete for $50,000, and ten seconds are taken off the clock this time. It begins with the strongest link from the last round, which is Chord. After receiving an accurate answer from him, the streak continues for Dot, Jenna, and Amber.
However, when Alex is questioned, “Lily Gladstone was the first native American to win a Best Actress for Golden Globe for her performance in what Martin Scorsese movie?” she fails to provide an answer. After Jane announces that the movie is actually ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ she moves on to Becca and asks, “Bridge or Tunnel: Which is a part of a song that connects two different sections.” Jane becomes baffled when she says the answer is “Bridge over troubled waters” when the correct one is just “bridge.” Although Heather responds incorrectly, Chord bags more money with the appropriate answer. Dot fails to hit the mark as the round progresses, while Jenna and Amber showcase their knowledge. With another wrong answer from Alex, the round ends just as the host announces the next question for Becca. Although she answers it correctly, sadly, it will not be counted.
Pressure Continues to Rise as the Votes Shift the Game by Trimming the Group
By the end of the last round, the players have banked $10,000, bringing the total up to $17,000. As the vote-off begins once again, Jane reveals that this time, Alex is the weakest link since she missed both of her questions. Once the voting ends, Chord reveals that it was an incredible experience when he went on tour with ‘Glee.’ The host then asks him about a $100,000 offer he got at that time, which he divulges was a shoot for the Playgirl Magazine. Chord adds that although he did the gig and got the money, his publicist pulled it off the racks after presales and preorders. Upon asking, he discloses that he voted for Dot because he felt everyone was going to vote for Becca. However, she has voted for Alex, who thinks she is not going home despite being the weakest.
Unfortunately, when the votes are revealed, it turns out that Heather, Dot, Jenna, and Amber have all voted for Becca. This brings her journey on the show to an end, and in her exit interview, she admits that her not knowing the difference between chicken and a buffalo sealed the deal for her. For the following round, the highest grab they can get is $75,000. Amber is the first to face her question for this time because she has been the strongest player. She maintains her reputation with another correct response, followed by Alex and Heather. However, the streak breaks when Chord and Jenna provide inaccurate answers, with just Dot holding her ground in the middle. Following that, Amber responds to her question confidently, but Alex surprises everyone when she fails to answer the superlative form of the word, smart.
Thankfully, Heather and Chord continue showing their expertise. Dot is then shown a video of the Running of the Bulls festival and asked to identify which city of Spain it takes place in. Sadly, she fails to state Pamplona as her response. In the last question, Jenna mistakenly identifies ASAP Rocky as the rapper in the song “WAP” besides Megan Thee Stallion instead of Cardi B at the last second. Jane announces that the players have banked only $3,500, bringing their total collection to $20,500. As the voting commences, it is revealed that this time Jenna is the Weakest Link since she missed both her questions. With the vote-off being complete, Heather discloses that she was a backup dancer for Beyoncé. The contestant has voted for Amber because she is playing reasonably well. So, Heather wants to get rid of the latter to ensure she wins.
The Competition Narrows as Jenna and Dot Are Eliminated in Consecutive Rounds
Upon asking, Amber opens up about how participating in ‘Dancing With the Stars’ was hard for her since she never expected to win. Aside from that, she is a talented singer. On the other hand, Jenna explains that she couldn’t answer her questions because she recently had a baby and has mom brain. She further showcases her talent in imitating a baby. Right after, the vote results are brought to light, disclosing that Chord, Amber, and Alex voted for Jenna, eliminating her from the game. In her exit interview, she confesses that she is a “sore loser,” and remarks that maybe when she cried like a baby, the other players wanted her out. As the game progresses, the minimum winning amount starts at $2,500 for this round. With 10 more seconds off the clock, the bank balance can go up to $100,000.
Heather and Chord start off the round on a high note, which hits a snag when Dot fails to answer her question and Amber provides an inaccurate response. Although Alex manages to identify “Godzilla” based on the image shown on the screen, Heather sadly gives the incorrect answer. Chord once again scores one for the team, but unfortunately, Dot wrongly responds that an aria is sung by “five” people instead of “one.” Thankfully, Amber maintains her streak since Alex gives the wrong answer right after. Jane begins announcing Heather’s question when, sadly, the last few seconds tick away. The host brings the players’ attention to the fact that they have banked $12,500, which means they have now collected $33,000 in total. As usual, the contestants have to vote someone off the game who they perceive as the weakest.
Fortunately for Chord, he has maintained being the Strongest Link twice in a row. Once the vote is complete, Jane inquires about how Alex got on ‘Glee.’ It turns out that before joining the cast, she was in a reality show, ‘The Glee Project,’ and impresses everyone more by revealing she had never had a voice lesson before the show. Alex also states that she has voted for Dot again this time. During the reveal, they face an unusual occurrence because Dot and Alex have each received two votes, resulting in a tie. Since Chord is the strongest one in this round, he shall cast the deciding vote. He notes that although Dot has cast his vote for him once, Alex hasn’t. So, he decides to keep the latter, leading to Dot’s elimination. She confidently states in her exit interview that she has seen fear in Chord’s eyes, and she isn’t done yet.
Despite Banking a Huge Amount, Alex is Eliminated in a Tense Tie-breaker
For the present round, the players can answer the questions to earn up to $250,000. This time, the game is off to a very bright start as the contestants, back-to-back, provide the correct answers to the questions posed before them. Thankfully, Alex banks $30,000 before she eventually gives the inaccurate response. Although Heather picks up the round very quickly, they are soon left disappointed when Chord misses his mark. Unfortunately, when the next turn for Amber arrives, the time comes to an end right when Jane finishes reading the question. Impressively, the contestants have managed to bank $30,000, bringing the total amount for their charity to $63,000. The host observes during the vote that Alex is the Weakest Link in this round, which is not the case for Amber. The latter missed only one question during the entire game and was the only player to make money.
It is soon disclosed that while Heather and Alex voted for Chord, Amber and Chord want Alex out of the game. Since they are once again at an impasse due to a tie, Amber is now the one to make the decision. While Chord explains that he missed his answer because he is a clueless fan, Alex justifies that she banked the most money, which should keep her in the game. Ultimately, Amber decides to stick with her original vote, sending Alex home. She makes a memorable exit as she dances off the stage. During her last interview, she expresses disbelief that others thought she was the weakest, even though she banked $42,500 in total. The game has now reached the final three players: Heather, Chord, and Amber. As the show progresses, the contestants now stand a chance to bag $500,000. The round begins with a blast as Amber provides a swift correct answer.
However, it starts going downhill as all three players fail to respond accurately. Fortunately, they soon pick up the pace until Heather banks $10,000 more and gives a wrong answer right after. Since the time ends before Chord can hear his question, Jane wastes no time revealing that they have bagged $12,500 for this round. It brings their final amount $75,500, but the pressure is at an all-time high since it is the final vote. Amber has emerged as the most worthy opponent for the third time, while the weakest one is Heather. The latter opens up that she wants Chord to go home because she wants to see Amber win this game. Chord quickly adds that he is taking this personally, and he definitely voted for Heather out of spite. It is finally disclosed that Amber has also voted for the latter, which means that Heather’s time on the show has come to an end.
A Tense Battle Ends in Triumph as Amber Secures $75,500 For Her Charity
During Heather’s exit interview, she notes that since she was Beyoncé’s backup dancer, the BeyHive will come for Chord and Amber. The game has currently reached the Final Round, where Chord and Amber are going to go head-to-head. While one of them will go home with $75,000 for their charity, the other has to leave empty-handed. Chord divulges that he is playing for the organization named Feeding the Carolinas. His opponent is here for the non-profit, named BUILD POWER. It is mainly for their social justice and community-building program for black and indigenous people. Jane then explains that each of them has to answer five questions each, with no voting or banking. In the end, the person who gives the most correct responses shall win.
Amber is given the choice to select who can go first since she was the Strongest Link last time. When she decides to go second, the first question goes to Chord. Although both the competitors remain tied till the second question, things take a turn for Chord on the third one: “Formerly known as Shangri-La, what president retreat did Dwight Eisenhower rename for his grandson?”It turns out that his response stating “the Hamptons” is the wrong one, since the accurate response is “Camp David.” He becomes disappointed as Amber takes the lead by providing the correct answer to her third question.
By the next one, they are tied, and the host explains to Chord that he has to answer the last one correctly to ensure that his opponent doesn’t automatically win. Although Chord is delighted to have correctly answered the fifth question, the ball is now in Amber’s court. Jane cautions her that she can win the game only if she answers the last question correctly, which is “What literary character’s mailing address was the Cupboard under the stairs, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey?” As Amber correctly provides “Harry Potter” as her response, she becomes elated to become the winner. Tonight, she becomes the Strongest Link, which means she is proudly leaving with $75,500 for her charity.
