Joel McHale Hijacks ‘Who Wants To Be a Millionaire,’ Forcing Jimmy Kimmel To Explain the Show’s Most Misunderstood Rule
ABC’s Who Wants To Be a Millionaire briefly turned into a comedy show when Joel McHale took over, leaving host Jimmy Kimmel to wrestle back control and explain one of the game’s most misunderstood lifelines in the process.
The Community alum was joined by his co-star Jim Rash as the charming comedic duo competed for charity. McHale’s infectious energy threatened to override the evening at times, but Kimmel stepped in to take control of the scene when required. The host even took the opportunity to offer an insightful lesson on the 50/50 lifeline that eliminates two of the four options available, which he said was, technically, the only tool of assistance offered “that can never be wrong.”
As McHale and Rash expressed doubt, Kimmel explained that while the host, the phone-a-friend, and, especially, the audience, can all offer up incorrect answers, the 50/50 lifeline is the only one that clears away two of the wrong options.
The ‘Community’ Duo Took Over the ‘Who Wants To Be a Millionaire’ Stage
Community viewers already knew that McHale and Rash have brilliant comedic timing, but their banter was on full display as McHale’s exuberance threatened to take over the gameplay, and his propensity to toe the line of corporate acceptability started from the moment the actor stepped on stage. When first asked how he was doing, McHale joyously responded that he was “super high.” Kimmel reigned things in before McHale had any time to expand on the statement, ushering him along with the observation that his guest was likely to be “relaxed” during the segment. He would shortly find out how wrong he was, as McHale’s energetic humor continued to steal the show.
As McHale and Rash progressed through the competition, the host of The 1% Club attempted to throw Kimmel a curveball by responding that he and his co-star were ready to “lock in” their answer. Kimmel dryly responded that his guest couldn’t lock in his response, noting he instead had to “say the thing.” Then McHale “remembered” to say the correct Who Wants To Be a Millionaire catchphrase: “final answer.” It wasn’t just the actor’s boyish habit of deliberately forgetting the rules that threatened to take over the show, as McHale’s consistent gambling made his and Rash’s appearance one of the most entertaining of the celebrity guest duos of the season so far, second only to the excitement of the two-part season premiere when Matt Damon and quiz show king Ken Jennings won the million-dollar grand prize.
Joel McHale Took Big Gambles That Stole the Show on ‘What Wansts to Be a Millionaire’
Like his shoot-from-the-hip comedic timing, McHale was inclined to pull the trigger on answers that he and Rash were only moderately sure of, gambling their charitable earnings on more than one occasion early in the game. Rash even joked his co-star was putting their friendship on the line when he consented to risk the $64,000 answer on a whim. The bet that they would thereby save their lifelines for the toughest questions in the game ultimately paid off in a big way, as the pair walked away with a whopping $125,000 for each of their charities. The duo decided to walk away at the $500,000 tier, rather than gamble their earnings on a question about The New York Times‘ Wordle app. Even though it wasn’t the biggest prize earned this season, McHale’s propensity to gamble, and his comedic chemistry with both his co-star and the game’s host, meant the episode generated some of the most memorable moments of the season so far.
McHale and Rash continued to debate using the 50/50 lifeline, which Kimmel suggested had a bad reputation since guests often thought it was rigged. In a bid to reassure his guests about the dependable nature of the computer-generated responses, the host introduced the computer-operator named Dennis. Kimmel suggested the technician looked trustworthy, while McHale argued his appearance made him look like “the commander of the Margaritaville.” Even though they worked so hard to save their lifelines for the end of their run, the pair ultimately decided to play it safe by walking away, instead of gambling by going for the ultimate prize. In the end, Kimmel even proved his lifeline prediction from earlier in the game correct, as even his own guess on what would have been the correct final response turned out to be wrong, making McHale and Rash’s Who Wants To Be a Millionaire takeover that much more satisfying.
Who Wants To Be a Millionaire airs Wednesdays on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
