Warning! The following contains spoilers for the premiere of Ultimate Tag. Read at your own risk!
Fox's primetime programming has progressively gotten weirder as of late, with The Masked Singer's success giving way to more inventive concepts. I'll admit I was surprised by how enjoyable Celebrity Watch Party was, but the Watt brothers' Ultimate Tag just seemed like a step beyond the line when I first saw the trailer. It turns out that I was wrong again, and after watching the premiere, it's looking like Fox might just have another bizarre hit on its hands.
At face value, Ultimate Tag may sound like the lamest thing one could engage in. Grown adults playing tag on an obstacle course doesn't really sound like something I'd watch, even if NFL stars are commentating it. Then you see it in action, and realize that this show recruited some superhuman parkour fiends to really amp up the intensity of this show. Have you ever seen someone do a flip and catch the person they're chasing? You're about to if you tune into Ultimate Tag! Here's just a taste:
The contestants of Ultimate Tag are all people of solid conditioning and physical fitness. The athletes chasing them have all the charisma of the most memorable people on American Gladiators, but replace most of their muscles with enough stamina to sprint a marathon. They're the real stars of this competition, and add a irreplaceable element that at first glance seemed like a lame premise.
The premiere featured people nicknamed The Kid or The Iron Giantess running down competitors like they're nothing, and even going the extra mile to embarrass them. It's as brutal as it is impressive and hilarious, as evidenced by the unfortunate soul who thought he could escape Big Deal by climbing under the maze to avoid getting his flag stolen.
The guy had no chance, and that was the story most of the night with competitors in Ultimate Tag. Luckily, most the games featured in the premiere merely penalized players with added time after being tagged, so the events were able to continue and keep the fun going. Had every event ended as soon as someone got tagged, this episode would've ended super early.
I also have to say that while I had my doubts about the hosting abilities of J.J. Watt, T.J. Watt, and Derek Watt, the NFL brothers did a fine job commentating on the action. Fox probably didn't need all three of them to host, obviously, though so far I'm digging the brotherly chemistry they share and think the way they play off each other is another strength of the show.
Ultimate Tag airs on Fox Wednesdays. Did you enjoy the premiere? Be sure to sound off in the poll and share any additional thoughts down in the comments below. Of course, be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest news happening in television and movies.
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