The Stars on Mars Crew Elects a New Leader in This Exclusive Clip

Ariel Winter got off to a rough start on the Fox reality show Stars on Mars. The Modern Family star admitted that her worst fear was saying something embarrassing while on the series, and within her few minutes aboard the faux space station (don’t worry, these celebrities aren’t really in space, just Australia), that fear was realized. When cycling champion Lance Armstrong came aboard, she confused him for the late Neil Armstrong, pioneering astronaut. The good thing about instantly making such a huge fumble, though, was that she could only go up from there.

Now, she might be rising all the way to the top as the next base commander, in charge of leading the crew through 48 hours of trials and at least one emergency mission. An exclusive clip from tonight’s new episodes shows Winter’s fellow crew mates nominating her to take the lead.

Winter has proven herself to be a team player — in past challenges, she stepped up to prove her physical strength, joining the on-the-ground crew to get through some unexpected hurdles like rebuilding a communications tower and replenishing the space station’s dwindling water supply. She’s also one of the most friendly and generally well-liked crew members so far, despite Tom Schwartz and Adam Rippon’s efforts to use their respective puppy dog eyes and general hotness to win everyone over. Whether or not those traits translate into strong leadership energy remains to be seen.

The biggest cons for taking on the role? For one, she’ll make an enemy of Tinashe, who’s been campaigning to be base commander from the start of the series. Plus, as we learned from Tallulah Willis’ short time in the role, it makes her the most likely candidate to be voted out if the next mission isn’t successful. The biggest pro? She would be able to poop in her very own private bathroom. That alone could be worth the risk.

New episodes of Stars on Mars air Mondays at 8:00 PM ET on Fox. Join the discussion about the show in our forums.

Brianna Wellen is a TV Reporter at Primetimer who became obsessed with television when her parents let her stay up late to watch E.R.