- Netflix’s reality game show, Floor Is Lava, is back for Seaon 2.
- The reality game show features obstacle courses above "lava."
- Fans are curious about what happens actually to the contestants after they fall in the "lava."
- While the show makes it look like they never re-surface, it's likely just crafty editing.
One of Netflix’s most unexpected reality game shows, Floor Is Lava, is back for a second season. The competition pits teams of three against each other to make it through various obstacle courses—without falling into the red, steaming hot “lava.” The grand prize for surviving? Oh, just $10,000 (and a lava lamp—because, why not).
Netflix officially describes the series as: “Teams compete to navigate rooms flooded with lava by leaping from chairs, hanging from curtains and swinging from chandeliers. Yes, really.” And yes, fans have been waiting two long years for a new season.
Unfortunately, despite their best curtain-hanging and chandelier-swinging efforts, many contestants do fall into the lava. And the show makes it seem like they truly are lost in the lava forever, failing to re-surface.
But where do Floor is Lava contestants actually go when they fall in lava?
If you're looking for an answer from Floor Is Lava host Rutledge Wood—who's witnessed many a contestant sink into the red liquid—you won't get one anytime soon. "I don't know," he told Women's Health when asked about the contestants' post-lava whereabouts. "I've been so fortunate to not fall into lava... But I think that's the real mystery. You know, where do they go?"
While mum's the word on that particular part of the game, Wood does add, "I've heard from all of [the contestants] on social [media], and everyone's totally fine. Sometimes, when they come out of the lava, they come out in totally dry clothes, and they look completely unharmed." So, if you've got kids or know someone who does, tell them not to worry. "Everyone is just fine," Rutledge says.
The "lava" might not actually be liquid.
Okay, so the lava may look like liquid. But based on a description from the producers, that might not be the case. Irad Iyal revealed that they requested Hollywood slime manufacturers create a mix just for the show. However, they ended up with almost 100,000 gallons, which was way more than they needed, per ScreenRant.
Iyal also said that the closest thing he could compare the slime to was orange sauce. So do with that information what you will.
Reality TV editing works wonders.
The cameras probably stay focused on the contestant as they fall into the lava, but the footage cuts to a different scene before they submerge. (The slow-motion action replay of the falls also helps them make the editing seem less jarring to viewers.)
IRL, it's probable that the production crew stops the clock and helps the fallen teammate get out of the lava before the other two resume the obstacle course.
While that’s the most realistic explanation, it’s obviously not the most fun, as Wood and a fan on Twitter point out: "Watching #FloorIsLavaNetflix and the adult in me is aware these people are probably falling into the 'lava' and getting fished out between cuts. But the child in me is hoping they get sucked up into a tube Augustus Gloop style."
Another simply appreciated the crafty camerawork: "I really like how #FloorIsLava on Netflix is edited to make it look like people disappear forever once they enter the lava."
So, there you have it, folks.
Emily Shiffer has worked as a writer for over 10 years, covering everything from health and wellness to entertainment and celebrities. She previously was on staff at SUCCESS, Men's Health, and Prevention magazines. Her freelance writing has been featured in Women's Health, Runner's World, PEOPLE, and more. Emily is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she majored in magazine journalism at the Medill School of Journalism and minored in musicology. Currently residing in Charleston, South Carolina, Emily enjoys instructing barre, surfing, and long walks on the beach with her miniature Dachshund, Gertrude.
Lindsay Geller is the Lifestyle Director at Women’s Health, where she oversees the Life, Sex & Love, and Relationships sections on WomensHealthMag.com and the Mind section of Women's Health magazine. When she's not writing or editing articles about the latest dating trends and pop culture phenomenons, she's usually watching reality TV or playing with her dog, Lucille (Go Fetch That) Ball.
Sabrina is an editorial assistant for Women’s Health. When she’s not writing, you can find her running, training in mixed martial arts, or reading.
