Suvechha Sarkar
Fox’s ‘The Floor’ is back for season 4, and this time, it’s bigger, bolder, and more cutthroat than ever. Hosted by the beloved Rob Lowe, the premiere episode, titled ‘The Battle of the States,’ sets the tone for something fiery since it introduces a thrilling twist: every state in the nation is represented by two trivia warriors. There are 100 contestants, each with their own expert category. However, this season’s new element is Category Steal, which means that no one’s expertise is safe. Only one contestant can rise above all others, claiming supremacy and the ultimate $250,000 prize.
The Premiere Kicks Off With an Exciting Texas–Wisconsin Showdown
The night begins with Rob welcoming the contestants on the floor. It turns out that this season there are several categories like Simpson Characters, Phobias, Sandra Bullock Films, and so on. He announces that tonight, eight of the players will be eliminated, and the person with the most turf shall win $20,000 as usual. However, since it’s the premiere and the first state against state battle, that amount is going up to $40,000. With that being said, the Randomizer is activated to choose the first challenger. It lands on a 25-year-old Drift Driving Instructor, Charlie, who is from Texas and is an expert in the category of the Wild West. The options for his duel are: Geometry, Simpson Characters, Mammals, and Fried Foods. After careful consideration, Charlie decides to go against the Fried Foods category.
It belongs to the 59-year-old Director of Marketing, Rick, who hails from Wisconsin. As he and Charlie take their spot on the stage, Rob asks the former why he has Fried Foods as his category. Rick states that he often attends county and state fairs, which has increased his affinity towards them. Charlie also adds that he eats a lot of fried food himself. Ultimately, Rob explains to them that each gets 45 seconds to identify what’s on the screen. The correct answer stops the time, and the wrong answer keeps it ticking. If someone doesn’t know the answer, they get a new image, which costs them 3 seconds. The player whose clock runs out loses, and the winner takes the turf. They must name the tasty foods they see on the screen. As the duel ensues, Charlie passes several times, leading to Rick’s victory.
Rick inherits the category of Wild West along with two pieces on the floor. Rob explains that he can continue playing, and if he succeeds in winning three consecutive battles, it will help him gain the time boost, which can add 5 seconds to his time. Furthermore, he can win the category swap, where a competitor is allowed to swap their category with anyone on the floor. Rick notes that although it is a game-changer, he wants to return to his turf. The Randomizer is activated again, and this time it selects 36-year-old Special Educator Elizabeth from Vermont. The options for the topics she can choose to challenge are Formal Wear, Pet Supplies, Food Holidays, and Stamps. She reveals that she used to be a stamp collector, but since she isn’t sure about it, she decided to go up against Pet Supplies.
Surprises Arise When One Utah Player Turns on Another
The expert for the Pet Supplies category is Marcia, who is a 35-year-old Flight Attendant from Georgia. Since Elizabeth is the challenger, she is up first to identify the item shown on the screen. During the duel, although Marcia fumbles in between, she succeeds in taking the win, sending Elizabeth home. Apart from having two turfs on the floor, the winner inherits Sitcom Families as her category. As Rob urges Marcia to make her decision, she chooses to return to her spot but remarks that she is not clueless. The host then turns the attention to some familiar faces, one of whom is Bo Bice from ‘American Idol.’ There is also Jonny Fairplay, who is known for being in the ‘Survivor’ Hall of Fame. The contestant reveals that he is actually not the winner and is famous for being one of the greatest players to play the game.
The Randomizer is then activated, and it picks Laura as the next challenger. She is a 60-year-old Housewife from Minnesota, and she is given the options of Holiday Foods, Arcade, Sitcom Families, and Formal Wear. She decides to go against a 67-year-old Retired Forklift Operator from Utah, who is also an expert in the category of Formal Wear. In his confessional, he notes that Laura is quite nervous, and he will use it to his advantage. In their duel, the competitors have to identify the fancy article, clothing, or accessory. After an intense battle, Laura ends up getting eliminated. Her opponent now owns two pieces of the floor and has inherited her category of Sandra Bullock Films. After Rob informs Frank about his options of Holiday Food, Mattel Toys, Arcade, Hall of Famers, and Sitcom Families, the player remarks that he has said he will be aggressive in this game. He continues that he can only do so by continuing to play.
Frank discloses that Sport is one of his top categories, so he chooses to take out his fellow Utah player. He challenges a 25-year-old Data Analyst, Justin, who possesses expertise on Hall of Famers. This leaves the latter flabbergasted because he says his opponent originally told him that since both of them are from Utah, they needed to stick together. When Justin takes his place on the stage, Rob asks him if he is surprised at Frank’s decision. Justin truthfully expresses that he is shocked because his competitor had told him that he wasn’t going to go after the other Utah contestant today. For their duel, both of them have to name the famous athlete shown on the screen. Both of them pass several times, but in the end, Justin bags the win. Now he is in the lead for winning the $40,000 with three turfs under him.
Bluffs, Bold Moves, and Surprising Exits Keep the Competition Unpredictable
Justin inherits Sandra Bullock Films and claims to be a big fan of these movies. Although Rob tells him he can challenge Sitcom Families and win the $40,000 tonight, Justin eventually chooses to go back to the floor because his favorite movie is ‘Miss Congeniality.’ In his confessional, the player reveals that he hasn’t seen that movie but is trying his best to scare everyone. He doesn’t know much about Sandra Bullock Films, and if the Randomizer picks someone next to him, he thinks he may be in trouble. To find the next challenger, the Randomizer is activated again. This time, it selects 62-year-old retired Clerk, Jackie from Georgia, whose category is Super Foods. Her options are: Box Office Flops, US Stadiums, Impressions, and Villains. She ultimately decides to go against 29-year-old Nurse, Demetrice, who is an expert on the topic of Villains.
When Rob asks him, Demetrice divulges that he has chosen Villains as his category because he is in his villain era. The host then asks Jackie if, during the break, she was doing some sort of yoga. However, she discloses that she was lying on the floor to think positively and get such vibes from the universe. Their battle between the two opponents finally begins when they have to identify the fictional villain on the screen. Unfortunately, Jackie passes on her chances several times, sealing the deal. With Demetrice as the winner, he inherits her piece on the floor as well as the Super Foods category. Upon asking, he reveals that he just started eating healthy because he used to be 300 lbs. Following that, Rob informs the contestant about his options, but he decides to play it safe and go back.
The Randomizer begins spinning again and lands on 28-year-old Dentist, Ricky from Alaska. His choices are: Famous Criminals, Famous Couples, Deli, and Witchcraft. Ricky states that since he is a little spooked by the Witchcraft category, he wants to challenge 29-year-old Cibelle, who is a Communications Specialist and has expertise in the Favorite Couples category. When Rob asks how she became an expert on this topic, she explains that she often identifies famous couples as she sees them around in New York. Her opponent, on the other hand, has chosen this topic because there are also famous people in Alaska. For this duel, the competitors must name both halves of the iconic pairs shown on the screen. After an intense neck-and-neck battle, Ricky ends up getting eliminated.
Luke Claims the $40,000 For Owning the Most Floor Pieces
As Cibelle inherits the Great Outdoors category, she remarks that she sometimes enjoys the outdoors. She states that since she is nervous, she wants to return to her space on the floor. It’s again time for the Randomizer to pick the next challenger, who turns out to be Luke from New Mexico. His category is On-Screen Judges, but he has to duel against someone among the following topics: Sandra Bullock Films, Harry Potter, Scents, and Mattel Toys. Since Luke can take the lead by challenging Justin for the $40,000, he decides to go up against him. As Justin goes up to the stage, the host remarks that he may go back to the floor, but the next thing he knows, he is back here in a category that makes him nervous. It is revealed that the competitor tried to hide the fact that he does not know the Sandra Bullock Films, but he adds that he has a good poker face.
The night moves on to the 7th duel, but Luke gets the victory as Justin passes on several turns. The winner now has the lead for the $40,000 with four turfs, and the state of Utah is the first one to get eliminated. Although Luke still has his original expert category, he chooses to return because he is nervous. As the Randomizer is activated again, it lands far away from Luke, making him the winner of the $40,000 with the most floor pieces. In his confessional, he opens up that he is going to help his mother retire, who is 70 years old. He would love for her to have a stable place to live. The focus then shifts to the last challenger of the night, which is none other than 51-year-old Podcaster, Jonny from Oregon. He goes up against Kwame, who is a 38-year-old Judicial Assistant with immense knowledge of Stamps.
Jonny makes his decision based on the fact that if he can defeat Kwame, he can move closer to taking over Luke’s turf. The former reveals that his strategy is actually intimidating other players. When Rob asks Kwame why his category is Stamps, the contestants disclose that he has family all over the world, and when he travels, he makes sure to send postcards. For this battle, they must identify the iconic person or item on a postage stamp. Despite being an expert, Kwame passes on multiple chances, eventually sealing his fate. Hence, Jonny successfully beats someone in their own category. Erin, who is another contestant, observes that he is showing a lot of bravado but adds that she doesn’t think he has what it takes to win. With the night finally ending, the control of the game is now in the hands of Jonny, but to make his next decision, he needs to wait until the next episode. By the end of the episode, only 92 players remain on the floor.
Read More: Chef Steven Havens: Where is The Floor Season 3 Winner Now?
