The Floor Recap Season 3 Episode 12: Conquer the Floor

Season 3 of Fox’s ‘The Floor’ has returned with a thrilling finale in episode 12, titled ‘Conquer the Floor.’ From an intense field of original 100 contestants, only 9 remain, each of whom will be fighting for the grand prize of $250,000. The stakes are now higher since tension, strategy, and knowledge will collide for the final showdown. David was the last contestant to dominate the floor, winning 32 pieces of turf. Now, with the finish line in sight, he faces the crucial decision – whether he will risk his territory and challenge someone or choose to defend his category of Weddings.

With Three Major Wins, a New Contestant Now Dominates the Floor

The episode kicks off with Rob Lowe announcing David’s options. The contestant notes that he is confident in his speed and general knowledge. Hence, he chooses to return to the floor since his odds are better there. This calls for the activation of the Randomizer for the first time in the night, and it lands under Laurel from the category of The Crown. After deliberation, she chooses to challenge Ted, who is an expert on the topic of Hotels and Motels. Her opponent reveals his confidence regarding his category since he has been studying it for a long time. When the host inquires about his plans if he wins the prize, Ted discloses that he wants to show appreciation for the people who stood beside him as his support.

Rob announces the first challenge: identifying the hospitality brand from its logo. As the intense duel commences, Laurel passes multiple times and ultimately bids goodbye to the floor. Meanwhile, Ted has won an impressive 34 pieces of territory and inherited The Crown as his category. He contemplates the fact that he has played a defensive game until now, but he remarks that, hopefully, it comes down to speed. Despite Rob’s reminder that Magan has a time boost, Ted boldly challenges her in the category of Trees. When she arrives on the stage, the competitor divulges her excitement and decides not to use her time boost since her instinct tells her so. However, several passes during the nail-biting battle finally sealed the deal for her.

Ted again emerges as the winner and now has 38 pieces of the floor. As Rob asks if he wants to reach for the time boost with another duel, he declares that he will challenge Mark from the Fortune 500 category. Ted notes that he will need the time boost even to have a chance at winning. As the third battle of the night commences, the tensions are through the roof. Ultimately, Mark ends up losing the round while Ted gains 40 pieces of turf along with the crucial time boost. The contestant now deliberates on his next step and states that although he is fast, David also has incredible speed. He further adds that he does not want David to inherit The Crown and chooses to step down.

The Power Player Finally Falls as the Time Boost Proves to be Inadequate

The Randomizer is activated again for the second time, and it selects Toni from the category of Cosplay as the next challenger. Looking at her options, she notes her assumption that Ted has not studied his newly acquired category of The Crown properly. Although he has a time boost, she is also a fast player. Eventually, she decides to challenge Ted. In her confessional, Toni reveals that her opponent seems like an individual with less knowledge of the royal family. Hence, she will use that to her advantage despite his time boost. Ted decides to use his hard-earned extra five seconds for this duel. However, it fails to save the day, and he loses the battle.

On the other hand, Toni has retained her category of Cosplay and now has won 52 pieces of the floor. When she faces the tough choice, the contestant states that although her options are intimidating, playing it safe may become a hindrance to her path of winning. She chooses to keep playing and challenges David, who is an expert in the category of Weddings. However, this decision puts her opponent in a tough spot because if he wins this round, he will inherit Toni’s category, which may affect his strategy. Rob announces that this battle will be for 84 pieces of the floor and expresses his excitement, noting that both contestants are in a good spot. While David has been a 19-time Jeopardy winner, Toni has won seven duels this season.

When the host asks David about his opinion on inheriting Cosplay, he reveals that he is not happy about it. However, he refuses to reveal anything further and states that he has had his eyes on the category of Poetry for a while. Hence, David challenges Alex to the next duel. The latter remarks that he is also a two-day Jeopardy champion and a five-time duel winner. So, he desperately wants to defeat his opponent to grab the chance at winning. Another intense duel of the night finally begins, and after a neck-to-neck battle, David seizes the victory. He wins 92 pieces of the floor and now faces the only two remaining options – Endangered Animals and Boy Bands.

Tensions Are Rising as the Floor Narrows Down to the Final Two Contestants

After serious contemplation, David picks Andrew from the category of Endangered Animals for the next challenge. The latter confesses that he thinks that his opponent is quite intimidating. However, he is excited because if he wins this round, he will be in the final two and have a serious shot at winning the $250,000 prize. Upon arriving on the stage, he divulges to Rob that three years ago, he was homeless, but the animation industry proved to be his savior. So, if he wins the grand prize, he would love to assist struggling animation studios achieve stability. The pressure keeps mounting as the seventh showdown of the night begins. This time, David misses the mark by a mere few seconds and ends up going home.

The excitement is through the roof as Rob announces that Andrew will finally play for the prize with 95 pieces of turf and as one of the final two contestants. As Steven arrives on the stage for the final showdown, the host asks him how it feels to be in the finals. The contestant remarks that his strategy has paid off, and he has to thank his coach for it. In his confessional, Steven opens up about how he has played mock duels with his friends and family every night using a chess timer, but now he will have to duel Andrew, whom he would hate to send home. Meanwhile, Andrew notes that the game has been more than just memorizing and speed since one has to bluff and even read people.

A Neck-to-Neck Battle Finally Determines the One True Champion of the Floor

With the ultimate prize at stake, Rob announces that the winner will be determined by the best of three duels. Since Andrew is the last winner, he selects Boy Bands as the first battle category. However, he passes several times and loses the first round. Rob reminds him that in order to win the finals, he has to win the second round. For this battle, the contestants will duel in the category of Cosplay, where they have to identify the character the person shown on the screen is dressed as. The challenge begins with to-and-fro answers, but Steven passes three times, sealing his fate. As Andrew has won the second duel, it all comes down to one final battle.

However, Rob declares that this time, Andrew and Steven will play in the category of International Foods, which has not been played in any of the three seasons on ‘The Floor.’ The host further adds that all the contestants had been informed about this topic in advance, so they all had time to study it. The pressure slowly gets to the finalists as the last showdown begins with nail-biting tension. After a fierce duel, to much dismay, Andrew fails to save the day, while Steven succeeds in emerging victorious. As Andrew bids his final goodbye, he accepts that he has been proud to be in the final duel.

However, Andrew regrets not having gone against his opponent a little better. Finally, Rob asks Steven about the mysterious coach who helped him with his strategy. He discloses that it is none other than his husband, Jeb. The chef further expresses that Jeb motivates and inspires him, and he could never have won the competition without him. He adds that his next goal is to open a food truck in Portland. From 100 formidable competitors, Steven emerges as the one to conquer the floor and win the coveted grand prize of $250,000. Now, all eyes have turned to the next season, wondering what the show has in store for the audience.