The chain reaction show hosted by Ion Aramendi on Telecinco continues to bring joy to the network, now surpassing one million viewers and proving to be one of the most watched competitions on the channel. Meanwhile, the Galician trio Mozos de Arousa has already crossed the one million euro milestone, a dominance that some critics doubt on social networks, accusing the contestants of knowing the answers in advance.
It is remarkable what this trio from Galicia has achieved, gaining considerable popularity that has even led to one member expanding his presence on the network by joining a new dance talent program hosted by Jesús Vázquez. Their growing influence is also evident on social media.
Not everyone shares the same opinion about the trio. Some viewers question their role in the competition. A comment on Chain Reaction’s Instagram account read, You can fire them now please, they’re boring anyway, you just want an audience and you can say they know the answers in advance. Another user responded, Let better people go. No one should be fired, let them beat them, prompting lively exchanges among fans and critics alike.
Yet there are fans who insist the young men from Arousa would be missed if they left the show. One admirer said, They’re great, if they leave then goodbye to the show, while another replied, So I stopped watching.
Chain Reaction, a captivating Spanish television competition presented by Ion Aramendi, premiered on December 19, 2022. Its fresh format has drawn audience attention and stands out in the genre, drawing inspiration from the American version of the show that aired on NBC in 1980 and adapting the successful Italian version Reazione a catena – L’intesa vincente. The format delivers a distinctive dynamic that resonates with viewers.
Two teams of three players each compete against one another. The teams can consist of friends, family members, or coworkers. They begin a sequence of challenges designed to decipher word strings while accumulating prize money. The prize pool can reach up to 150,000 euros, and the competition’s different stages add variety and suspense to the format.
Chained Words: In this opening stage, contestants must identify six words linked to the topic chosen by Ion. The link is that the last letter of one word becomes the first letter of the next. Each correct answer adds 2,000 euros to the team’s pot.
La Minicadena: Here contestants aim to guess a song by identifying five words tied to its lyrics. Each correct word contributes 3,000 euros to the jackpot, with an additional 5,000 euros awarded if the song itself is correctly guessed.
Center of the Chain: Contestants solve a chain of seven related words. For every correct word, the team adds 5,000 euros to their total.
Funnel: In this round, teams work to solve a puzzle about a character, object, or place using up to five clues. The value of the round changes with the number of clues used, and since June 29, 2023, this test has been featured intermittently.
One Leads to the Other: This challenge involves guessing a sequence of connections until a chain of seven words is completed. Each correct word earns 12,000 euros for the team.
Winning Guilt: The teams face a decisive elimination game in which they have 60 seconds to guess as many words as possible. The winning team takes the accumulated prize and returns to the program the next day.
The Last Chain: The victorious team proceeds to the final stage, where participants compete individually. To protect the money, they must solve a chain of fifteen words.
Epilogue: Players attempt to uncover the final word using the accumulated amount, with an option to purchase a mysterious link if the answer is not known. A successful guess yields the prize; otherwise, nothing is awarded. Regardless of the outcome, anticipation remains high for the next episode.
Chain Reaction has distinguished itself as a live television program with an innovative format and strategic challenges, keeping audiences engaged with every episode, as noted by viewers and media commentators alike [citation].