THE CHASE: Brad Rutter on His Memorable Season 3 Moments

Brad Rutter, one of the OG Chasers on ABC’s THE CHASE, goes head-to-head with a new group of contestants on the Thursday, July 6 episode of the game show.

After having one of the most memorable episodes in the first block of season 3 (with all the contestants opting to go for the high offer), how will this new group fare against the trivia master known as The Buzzsaw?

Here, Rutter talks with Give Me My Remote about his season 3 episodes, the addition of new Chasers, and more.

Season 2 expanded the Chasers from three to four, while season 3 has five. How has your personal game changed as the number of Chasers has grown?
I think I feel like I have to bring a little more personality—not that I didn’t before, but since there’s so many of us now, it’s sort of more important to distinguish the sort of persona each of us has. Which everybody does a great job with, but that’s sort of what I was focused on.

How does it impact your time in the lounge with so many different variables of who you might be watching with?
Well, that’s really fun, too, because everyone has different reactions. The fun part is just playing off the other Chasers and offering commentary; everybody has a unique perspective. So it’s fun to bounce that off new people.

Who has surprised you the most?
Probably Brandon [Blackwell], because I think a lot of people in the States didn’t know him. He was living in England for a while, but he got a lot of heat off UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE, which is sort of their version of COLLEGE BOWL—it’s a big deal over there. So he’s probably better known in England than he is here, but it’s been fun watching America get to know him.



Looking at the gameplay itself, how has your approach changed as you’ve settled into this show?
Well, I think the biggest difference is I think in the early seasons, not just me, but the other Chasers [as well], we all sort of tried to browbeat people into taking the high offer. And I found that coaxing them and slightly encouraging them is a better way to go—and it seems to have paid off.

For legal and professional reasons, I know you have to do your best and you try to win. But is it the second-biggest accomplishment to get them to take that high offer?
Absolutely. [Laughs.] The crazy thing is many times, from an expected value, a mathematical standpoint, the high offer is the way to go. But, understandably, people get up there, they’re facing a trivia professional and they don’t want to lose that extra step. Which I understand, but I think more people should [take it].

There are times when it really is a no-brainer. Your expected value goes way up on the higher offer and people tend to frame it as, “Oh, I’m gonna play for what I earned,” even if that might be the worst of the three possibilities.

To get nerdy about that, do you feel your mindset (and adrenaline level) change when someone does take that higher offer?
I think so, yeah. I get pretty amped up. [Laughs.] If they don’t go for it, I sort of vindictively want to catch them more—not that I’m ever not trying. It’s sort of a win-win for me. If they take the high offer, I’m really excited and the adrenaline starts flowing and if they don’t, I’m like, “Okay, I’m gonna show this person why it was a bad move.”



Last time we talked, you mentioned you had to keep up with the pop charts as research. Has your approach changed between seasons?
It’s pretty much the same. It’s just that I keep getting older, so it’s harder to keep up with all the new pop culture stuff. I have that thing, which I think a lot of people have, where I think about the movie, say, THERE WILL BE BLOOD—that’s like 15 years old now; it seems like three years ago to me. So you sort of have to remind yourself that oh, yeah, a lot of things have been happening in pop culture that maybe I’ve missed, and time is passing faster as you age. So there’s a lot of refreshing.

Do you do literal research like reading the Billboard charts, do you watch other game shows—what’s your process?
I do genuine research, for the most part. I do watch other shows and that helps a bit, but I have Spotify Top 10 playlists on my phone. So I won’t necessarily listen to all the songs, but I will definitely see who the titles and artists are.

Was there a particular question you missed in season 3 you’re still upset about?
There’s one that sticks in my head that, unfortunately, I don’t want to spoil because it’s in my episode coming up. It’s a really dumb mistake. And you can see my reaction on air. I can forgive myself because I was very close. But if I would have taken one extra second, I would have connected the dots.

It’ll bother me when I see it again, but it’s not like I’m losing any sleep.

It’s probably easier when it’s this kind of a game versus your literal money being at stake, too.
I get paid either way. It’s really just pride. That’s a big deal, too. But it does make it a bit easier.



Which contestants have stood out the most to you?
Well, in our last little group of shows, I’ve had a group [where] everyone took the high offer, which was amazing, and they were really fun and really game. And [they were] there to play, which are always the teams of contestants I like to see. And, unfortunately, I caught them all before the final Chase, but that’s just how it goes. [Editor’s note: The rules of the show say that if the Chaser knocks out all three contestants in the initial round head-to-head, a single contestant can compete head-to-head with the Chaser in the final round; Rutter knocked out the team in that final round, too.] I feel kind of bad about it, just because they were so game and so fun.

What is the reaction like when you beat the civilians at this point? Do you find fans are generally on your side, or do they say they were rooting for the contestants?
It’s kind of all over the map, which is one of the things that makes it so fun. As a viewer, you’re coming in knowing the Chasers at least a little bit. So, if you aren’t fans of us, you might not be tuning in. But, at the same time, everybody likes to see people go on a game show and win money. So I think that’s one of the fun things about the show: people can root for the Chasers or the contestants at different times, even in the same show.

Looking ahead, what’s something that you haven’t gotten to do on the show yet that you’re really hoping you can do?
I haven’t gotten one of the really bad double entendre dirty puns from [host] Sara [Haines]; that seems to fall on the other Chasers, because of the luck of the draw. I’m hoping I really get to have fun with one of those.

Have you asked the producers about that?
No, because I know they’re putting them in as much as they can. And it’s truly just pure luck that I haven’t had a really good one yet.



Is there any other trivia champ you’re hoping joins the show? Or do you think you have the right group now?
That’s tough, because I feel like we have a really good group now. And for the amount of shows we’re shooting, I think five Chasers is about right; it would be sort of hard to go [up] any more. But I’m always on the lookout for people who I think would be good. I don’t want to mention any names, so as not to leave anybody out. But it could be like when we added Brandon and Victoria [Groce] and Buzzy [Cohen]. It was really fun, bringing them into the old Chaser dynamic, and I’m sure if any new people came in that it would work the same way.

What else would you like to share about the next batch of season 3 episodes?
They’re just as exciting if not more so than the ones that aired so far. I feel like this third season has been the most exciting, and I think that’s just due to calibrating the show better after having some experience with it. So, yeah, it’s really exciting…I think everybody who tunes in will have a fun time.

THE CHASE, Thursdays, 9/8c, ABC

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• THE CHASE: Brad Rutter on Stepping Up His Game in Season 2

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