Netflix's Floor Is Lava is an extreme version of a popular childhood game, and basically perfect. I say "basically" because even though there's a lot I love about this series, I can't help but think there are just a few small things it could do better should it return to the streaming service for Season 2.
I say small tweaks because Floor Is Lava is just about one of the most enjoyable game shows I've seen in a while, so I don't want to alter this Netflix original too much. That being said, I think this show would be a television classic with these small changes that would raise the stakes and the fun for viewers at home.
More Course Secrets
Floor Is Lava claims there are multiple ways to finish a course, and I suppose that's technically true. Unfortunately, each course seemed to have at least one interactive object that made the course incredibly difficult to complete without reaching it. I'm not against that idea, though I would like if there was an opportunity to uncover more secrets that would be just as helpful to competitors looking to ease their journey across the lava.
Make it a physical challenge, but inject an escape room-esque element of puzzle-solving to reward crafty players with an easier road to travel. Maybe one obvious aid across the lava that is incredibly hard to reach physically, but a clever player could get their hands on a useful clue if they can crack the code. I think this would help change up strategies for future episodes, and add an element to the gameplay beyond who can keep from slipping off an object.
More Cash For Winners
In terms of prize money, Floor Is Lava isn't that lucrative of an experience for competitors. The winning team gets $10,000 to split between three people, and one lava lamp to split as well. In comparison, Fox's Ultimate Tag gives two competitors per episode (one male, one female) $10,000 each! I feel like the Floor Is Lava competitors are getting ripped off here!
And while I don't know for sure, I think the competitors feel that way too on some level in the first batch of episodes. There were many times during Season 1 where I saw a competitor have that hesitation in their eyes right before a big jump, and I had to wonder: were they weighing the cost of whether the risk of breaking an ankle would outweigh the $3000 and some change they stood to win? I think these players are putting their bodies on the line for our entertainment, and should get some more money to make them take those jumps without a moment of hesitation!
Keep The Eliminated Players "Dead"
The thing I love about Floor Is Lava the most is how the show hilariously edits out competitors once they fall into the lava as if they actually burned beneath the magma. Of course the illusion is broken when some victims appear unscathed at the other end if their team wins the episode, so why not play up the bit further by pretending those who fell in actually died?
Perhaps if a team wins with an elimination on their team, they walk out to a "funeral" of their fallen player or players and eulogize them? Maybe host Rutledge Wood presents them with an urn of their fallen comrade's ashes as opposed to the lava lamp trophy? There's no shortage of ideas here, and I think it's a concept that would make the show that much more hilarious. This is already a goofy show, so why not take it over the top and make it just a tad goofier with a fake funeral?
Floor Is Lava is currently available to stream on Netflix. List any suggestions you may have for a potential Season 2 of the show in the comments, and continue to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest news happening in television and movies.
