Hellevator returns October 7
We here at the Grave Plot Podcast have followed Hellevator for a long time, before it ever hit the airwaves in fact. Despite our affinity for the twisted twins – Jen and Sylvia Soska – we initially had our reservations. Our disdain for Blumhouse and their love of all things PG-13 is well chronicled on the show. “Hellevator” is also, quite frankly, a pretty dumb name. However, once it aired, I, for one, was hooked.
The show features teams of three entering the titular Hellevator and doing three different tasks, all intended to incite fear and dread inside. Each task increases in difficulty, and reward, and those that survive get to enter “the Labyrinth” for a chance at $20,000. In all, $50,000 is up for grabs. The Soskas are the sinister gatekeepers, watching over the events and narrating the backstories to each challenge. In season one, each episode centered on a serial killer, including real ones such as H.H. Holmes. Season two will center on the seven deadly sins.
I’m very interested to see the types of challenges that the show comes up with for sins such as lust or gluttony. Seeing people dig through an obese dead body or run from some kind of sex demon excite the sadistic part of my brain. Of course, the whole show centers on one specific sin: greed. The whole thing is about money and shows like this one and Fear Factor will push the limits of what people will do in order to score a few hundred dollars.
I thoroughly enjoy the show. I have long had a love affair with game shows and adding a horror element is right up my alley. SkeleTony enjoys the show too, but not with the intensity that I do. Certainly, the show is not without its faults. It can be a bit hokey at times, and feel like it’s just people walking through a haunted house at Halloween. Some of the contestants are so scared that you can’t even enjoy it – one such challenger in season one ran straight through the Labyrinth, screaming the whole time, and didn’t grab a single dollar. However, it’s entertaining to see adults screaming like children or grown men trying to hold back from decking a masked man. Not to mention that the Soskas’ banter and constant taunting of contestants (not to mention Sylvia’s cackle) is a never-ending source of entertainment.
One thing I never understood is why contestants tell them what scares them most. I would lie like crazy. “Oh, I’m afraid of cupcakes and puppies.” I dunno. I digress.
Season two of Hellevator premieres October 7 on Game Show Network. Here is a little teaser to hold you over.
