The Floor Season 3 Episode 9 Recap: A Hot Streak

Season 3 of Fox’s ‘The Floor’ is back with another gripping episode, and the competition is more intense than ever. Episode 9, titled ‘A Hot Streak,’ picks up where the action left off, and the contestants test their knowledge in different categories like Road Trips, Travel Accessories, Medicine, and many more. Episode 8, titled ‘Let’s Get Physical,’ had left just 34 contestants from the original 100, with Shane emerging as the dominating player, claiming a massive $20,000 prize and 22 pieces of territory. With rising stakes as well as nine duels set for the night once again this time around, the decision of whether he wants to challenge a fellow player or go back to his turf falls on him.

The First Three Duels of the Night Keeps the Contestants on Their Toes

The game kicks off with Shane being ready to take on any tough competition posed before him. As his 18 options are laid before him, he challenges Devin, an expert in the category of Road Trips. He states that although he does not go on many road trips, he has studied the concept and hopes to beat his opponent. Meanwhile, Devin is excited because he believes it is finally time for someone to step up and take down Shane, and he is confident it will be him. Upon stepping onto the stage, he reveals to Rob that he chose this category because his mother does not believe in traveling by air, which means he has taken road trips that are sometimes even 16 to 17 hours long. So, their challenge is identifying the landmark or stop one might see on a cross-country drive. To much dismay, Shane ends up going back home after a very tough duel. Devin ends up with 23 pieces of the Floor and inherits the category of Nerdy Characters.

When Rob Lowe asks how Devin is feeling about his new category, he immediately quips that he is a nerd. After contemplating his many options of possible duels, he decides to challenge Eric from the Travel Accessories category. Eric confidently remarks that this duel will be all about speed, and his recall time is fast. On the other hand, Devin reveals that his strategy is to aim for the Time Boost. As the opponents get ready to face off against one another, Slim iterates that this round will be about speed more than knowledge. After an intense duel, Eric emerges victorious, and even Rob remarks that it was really a tough battle. As Eric views his available options, he discloses that he has been studying some categories, so he chooses to challenge Mary-Ellen, who has the category of Changemakers. Mary is over the moon with this decision owing to not only her passion for her category but also the fact she has been waiting weeks to get on the stage.

Mary feels ready for the duel despite noticing that Eric is a fierce opponent. After all, he decided to be aggressive in the hopes of achieving the time boost. When Rob asks, she tells him she picked this category for herself because she feels civil rights are crucial for all individuals, and these changemakers paved the way for it. As the duel begins, though, the stress seems to catch up to Mary, and she passes several times, sealing her fate. After she bids goodbye, the host reminds Eric that his Time Boost is just one duel away for him and can play an immense role going forward. He makes the big decision to keep dueling and chooses Slim, from the category of Medicine, as his opponent. Slim is psyched to finally be an active participant in the game, yet he remarks that he knows Eric is smart and fast. So, he is determined to do his best and win. As he steps up on the stage, he divulges that when he is not building sets at the college theatre, he is shopping either at the grocery or medicine aisle.

As the Night Progresses, a New Leader Emerges on The Floor

When Slim states that his brain is like a punch bowl, Rob cautions Eric to beware of his competitor. Finally, the fourth duel of the night commences. It starts off as a neck-to-neck battle, but ultimately, Slim fails to keep up and ends up bidding goodbye. Thus, his opponent is awarded the Time Boost and a whooping 27 territories on the Floor. Rob announces that five more duels are left for the night, and the most a contestant has won in a row is also five. He urges Eric, saying that records are meant to be broken. However, although the player is confident regarding some of his optionsthe, he sticks to his original plan and returns to his turf with the Boost. In a confessional, he opens up about his plan to let others challenge him. As the Randomizer is activated to choose the next challenger, anticipation rises. It lands on Kevin, with the category of Endangered Animals.

Since Toni, who has long held the category of Anatomy, has a Time Boost, Kevin challenges Andrew, whose category is Puppets. Although Kevin is nervous, he cleverly quips he knows this category like the back of his hand. Meanwhile, Andrew discloses how he and his opponent have been studying together, but he is confident because he has studied harder. When Rob asks if Kevin avoided choosing Toni because she is intimidating, he agrees while also admitting she is smart. Furthermore, he says that he does not want to face her with the Time Boost. After a nail-biting battle, Andrew wins with just 3 seconds to spare. He inherits the category of Endangered Animals and two additional pieces of the Floor, following which he has to carefully tally his options. Both Megan, whose category is Trees, and Toni have Time Boosts, and although Alex’s category of Cosplay is a good buffer, he decided to return to his territory.

As the Randomizer is activated again, Rob notes that the stakes are rising with every passing second. It chooses Marcus as the next challenger for the sixth duel of the night. He reveals that he has chosen his category of Critters because he loves things that are “creepy” and “weird.” Rob announces his limited options: Nerdy Characters, The Crown, and Weddings. He further remarks that he may be just one duel away from winning the $20,000 for the night if he chooses to challenge Eric’s Nerdy Characters. Marcus decides to go big with the belief he is faster than his opponent even with the Time Boost. Marcus says his competitor will need the 5 extra seconds because he is here to take over the Floor and walk away with the grand prize. The game finally commences with Eric using his Boost. During the duel, Eric fumbles a bit but ends up securing the win, along with the Critters category.

After a Long Break, Brian Steps on the Stage Again and Maintains His Streak

Although Eric claims to have knowledge in the area of Critters since he is from Florida, he also admits he has been studying all the different categories. Yet, he chooses to hold on to the idea of possibly winning the $20,000 prize for the night, returning to his 28 pieces of the floor. The Randomizer starts again, and this time, it selects Anthony, who has the Haunted Locations category. While pointing out his options, Rob mentions that Brian has not come up on stage for a while. This soon changes as the player decides to battle Brian and his once-inherited category of Aviation. However, his opponent is confident, saying that he can send Anthony home because he has studied up, traveled a lot, and has friends who are pilots. As Brian, who already has 14 categories under his belt, comes up on the stage, Rob refers to him as “the goat” and “the legend.” With the duel about to begin, Alex notes from the sideline that he is curious to see this fight because he does not know what to expect.

Brian wins the round with flying colors and inherits Haunted Locations as his new category, and Rob exclaims that he has not missed a step. Yet, before the conversation or the game can even go further, Brian makes the host’s job easier by immediately expressing that he wants to return and protect his turf. Once again, the Randomizer is activated, and it stops under Kaylie, whose category is Billionaires. On learning her options, she discloses that Laura, with the category of Languages, has been her front neighbor since the first week, but she has also studied her category. But then, she also mentions that she grew up in the Midwest, where there are a lot of Critters. In the end, joking that her her husband would be disappointed if she did not go big, she challenges Eric. Kaylie feels she is an even match with him since he has just inherited that topic, meaning he hasn’t had time to brush up on it in any way. Meanwhile, her competitor says that his strategy has always been to believe in his recall time to win.

The Last Duels Bring About A Huge Shift in the Game

Kaylie is pumped to finally get in front of Rob, expressing she has been ready to play since the beginning. Despite her enthusiasm, she falls behind during the duel and ultimately loses. Eric wins his fifth battle of the night and ends up with an astounding 29 pieces of the Floor. So, he decides to defend his newly acquired category of Billionaires, and Rob announces that he may just win the $20,000 prize if the Randomizer does not land on someone next to him who then decides to challenge him. For the final duel of the night, it selects Kathy from the category of Murder Mysteries. She only has one option with Eric as her neighbor, and again, the player does not get any time to study his new category. She also didn’t get to do so, so she believes they are an even match and challenges him for the final duel. Eric then concedes in a confessional that he is motivated to win because he plans on using the money on his fiancé, who he asserts, deserves to have a wonderful wedding and honeymoon.

Meanwhile, Kathy remarks that she feels confident regarding this category and is just one battle away from the prize. When she gets up on the stage, Rob asks her to inform the audience what she had told him during the break, and she discloses that she had a poster of Rob’s when she was a high schooler. The host jokes that she only has him to as company for now. The final battle for 30 pieces of the floor and the $20,000 finally begins. After an intense duel, Kathy is victorious with an immense win, and Rob says they will miss Eric. Although he wished to win the prize for the night, he is happy to have come this far. With just 25 contestants left on ‘The Floor,’ it is only a matter of time before we see who will gain more grounds to win the ultimate grand prize.