Legends: Rebirth-The Paint-Stained Tablecloth of Claude Monet

[The Bandit King]

Episode 64: The Paint-Stained Tablecloth of Claude Monet

The camera winds and twists its way through a thick jungle of strange and exotic plants.  After a few wrong turns, it finally stops in front of an ancient Mayan temple.  At the base of the temple, a giant stone head sits.  Suddenly, a torch on either side of the head begins burning.  The head’s eyes light up, and it begins to speak:

“Legends of the Hidden Temple: Rebirth!”  The words appear on the screen, along with a picture of a Pendant of Life.  “With your guide, Kirk Fogg!  And here he is now!”

As the Pendant of Life shatters, the camera cuts to a middle-aged man wearing a denim shirt and blue jeans riding in on an ATV.  He dismounts the vehicle and runs up the Steps of Knowledge, microphone in hand.

“Thank you!  Thank you very much!  Nice to see everyone!  Nice to see you, Olmec!  Welcome to Legends of the Hidden Temple: Rebirth.  The rooms are filled with lost treasures protected by mysterious Mayan Temple Guards.  Only Olmec knows the legends behind each of these all-new treasures in his Temple…which one are we gonna hear about today?”

“The legend of the Paint-Stained Tablecloth of Claude Monet,” Olmec replies.

“Ah, the Paint-Stained Tablecloth of Claude Monet,” Kirk repeats.  “Well, the legend’s been set, and one of these teams will have a chance to retrieve the Tablecloth—will it be:

“The Red Jaguars?”  The camera zooms in on each team as they are introduced.
“The Blue Barracudas?
“The Green Monkeys?
“The Orange Iguanas?
“The Purple Parrots?
“Or the Silver Snakes?

“They’ll have to pass some tough physical and mental tests, but in the end, only one team will receive the right to enter Olmec’s Temple.  But first, they have to cross the Moat, and Olmec is gonna tell us how that’s gotta be done today…”

Olmec begins to explain the Moat Crossing:
“Before you are two long rods which stretch across the Moat, and suspended from each rod is an ancient pedaling mechanism invented by Leonardo da Vinci himself.  When Kirk gives the signal, one player from each team will grab one pedal of the device with each hand, and then pedal across the Moat, just like if you were pedaling a bicycle.  Once you’re safely across, that’s your partner’s signal to cross with their own device.  If you fall off, you must go back and start again.  Once both players reach the other side, run over and hit the gong.”  Kirk hits the Silver Snakes’ gong to demonstrate.  “The first four teams to hit their gongs will go on to the next round!”

“All right, let’s get started,” Kirk says.  “Teams, are you ready?”
All six teams scream and cheer in response.
“I can’t hear you…” Kirk taunts.
The teams cheer even louder.
“Olmec, are you ready?” Kirk asks.
“Let’s rock,” Olmec replies.
“On your mark,” Kirk begins, “get set, GO!”

The six teams’ first members each grab the handles of the pedaling apparatus and start pedaling their way across the Moat.  The Red Jaguars’ boy makes it about halfway across before he falls in, but the other two teams stay strong and pedal quickly, trying to make it across before fatigue sets in.  “They’re pedaling fast and furious…we’ll see if that pays off!” Kirk narrates as the team members vigorously pedal the mechanisms.  The Green Monkeys’ girl falls off just as she’s almost across, but the other four teams’ first members make it successfully.  As the Red Jaguars’ boy is now about halfway across, the Green Monkeys’ girl and the other teams’ members start to cross as well, but the Silver Snakes’ girl falls off about three seconds after pedaling, but the other players hang on and keep pedaling across.  “Everybody’s hanging on tight to those—whoa, Green Monkeys went in!” Kirk exclaims as the Green Monkeys’ girl falls in for the second time.  The Red Jaguars’ boy has now made it across, and so has the Blue Barracudas’ girl, who runs over to hit her team’s gong.  “And…there’s our first team—there’s our second team!” Kirk narrates as the Orange Iguanas’ boy hits his team’s gong as well.  The Silver Snakes’ girl falls off again about halfway across, but the Purple Parrots’ girl successfully crosses and hits her team’s gong.  “Three teams down; we can only take one more!” Kirk insists as the three remaining teams’ members laboriously pedal their mechanisms.  The Silver Snakes’ girl is slowly making progress on her third try, and the Green Monkeys’ girl is now almost across.  However, the Red Jaguars’ girl reaches the other side of the Moat before they can, and her team becomes the final one to hit their gong.

“That’s it—we’ve got our four teams!” Kirk says as he heads over and stands beside the Purple Parrots.  “Four teams, right here.  The Purple Parrots hung onto those…pedals; they stuck it out, and they’re goin’ on to the Steps of Knowledge…along with the Orange Iguanas…”  Kirk pauses between each team’s name to allow for applause.  “…and the Blue Barracudas…and the Red Jaguars!  The Green Monkeys and the Silver Snakes gave it a great effort, too; they’re not going home empty-handed.  We’ve got a great gift for ‘em, and here’s what it is!”  They receive a $50 gift certificate from Pacsun.

[The Bandit King]

Kirk and the remaining four teams are now standing atop the Steps of Knowledge.  “As the quest continues, it’s time for Olmec to tell us about the Paint-Stained Tablecloth of Claude Monet.  But teams, pay attention, because your knowledge of the legend can help bring you a step closer to Olmec’s Temple…”

Olmec begins to tell the story:
“One of the most famous artists of all time was the French painter Claude Monet.  He became an artist when he was about sixteen, drawing portraits and landscapes.  A few years later, he met an older painter named Eugène Boudin, who taught Monet all he knew about painting.  Under Boudin’s watchful eye, Monet became a master of oil painting, and also acquired Boudin’s love for en plein air painting, or painting while outdoors.  Both men produced incredible landscape paintings throughout the 1800s, but unlike the very neat Boudin, Monet was quite a messy painter, and often got paint all over the ground where he worked.  Legend has it that while having tea together one morning, Monet expressed his concern to Boudin about this.
“‘Mon Dieu, Eugène…I want to produce zee beauty of nature.  But every time I’m finished with my work, zee ground under me looks like a whole other painting!’
“‘Perhaps you should go back to painting indoors, mon ami?’ Boudin asked.
“‘Non!  I love painting en plein air…eef only I had some way to keep zee paint off zee ground…’
“Just then, Monet took a sip of his tea, and accidentally spilled some on the tablecloth.
“‘Zut alors!’ he exclaimed as he reached for a napkin.  ‘How clumsy of me…wait a minute, I sink I may have zee answer!’
“When he and Boudin finished their tea, Monet took the tablecloth from the table and brought it with him outdoors.  He spread the tablecloth on the grass, and then set up his easel normally.  When he was finished painting, the tablecloth was a mess of colors, but the ground had no paint on it at all.
“‘Fantastique!  Eet works like a charm!’
“Monet used the same tablecloth his entire life, and although it got very colorful over the years, he never once got another drop of paint on the ground again.  Today, Monet’s paintings are considered some of the greatest ever, but the tablecloth he used during his work was forgotten…until now.  Your quest is to find the Paint-Stained Tablecloth of Claude Monet and bring it back here.”

“Thanks, Olmec,” says Kirk.  “So tell us, where is the Tablecloth?”

“The Paint-Stained Tablecloth of Claude Monet can be found in the Shaolin Dojo,” Olmec replies.  The camera zooms in on a large white tablecloth spattered with many colors of paint hanging from the guardrail in the room, and then cuts back to Kirk.

“Teams, you’re now standing on the Steps of Knowledge,” Kirk explains.  “In a few minutes, Olmec’s gonna ask you a question.  If you think you know the answer, stomp down on that ancient marking in front of you.  If you’re right, then you’ll be able to move down to the next level.  But if you’re wrong or you run out of time, I’ll give the other teams a chance to answer.”  Kirk begins descending the steps.  “The first two teams to make it to the bottom level will be one step closer to Olmec’s Temple.  Olmec…we’re now ready for your first question.”

Olmec begins:
“Was Claude Monet: a painter, a sculptor, or a baker?”
The Blue Barracudas ring in.  “A painter.”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies.  The Blue Barracudas step down to the second level.
“Step down, Blue Barracudas,” Kirk instructs.  “Next question.”

“Was Claude Monet: English, French, or—”
The Red Jaguars ring in.  “French?”
“That is correct,” Olmec responds.  The Red Jaguars proceed to the second step.
“Red Jaguars step down now,” Kirk remarks.  “Next question, please.”

“Which painter served as a mentor to Monet: Picasso, Boudin, or da Vinci?”
After a few seconds, the Purple Parrots ring in.  “Boo-dan…?”
“That…is correct,” Olmec replies.  The Purple Parrots join the Blue Barracudas and Red Jaguars on the second level.
“Purple Parrots are on the board now,” Kirk narrates.  “This is a close match…next question.”

“Boudin and Monet both enjoyed painting en plein air, which—”
The Red Jaguars cut Olmec off.  “Um…painting outside…?”
“That…is correct,” Olmec responds.  The Red Jaguars step down to the next-to-last step.
“Red Jaguars are just one step away from the Temple Games,” Kirk comments.  “Next question, Olmec.”

“Was Monet’s main concern about painting outside: the sun in his eyes, getting paint on the ground, or making—”
The Blue Barracudas ring in early this time.  “Getting paint on the ground?”
“That…is correct,” Olmec replies.  The Blue Barracudas join the Red Jaguars on the penultimate step.
“Now the Blue Barracudas are just one step away,” Kirk comments.  “Anything can happen, though—next question.”

“What type of paints did Monet typically use: watercolors, oil paints, or finger paints?”
After a few seconds, the Orange Iguanas ring in.  “Watercolor…?”
“Incorrect,” Olmec booms.
The Blue Barracudas ring in.  “Oil paint?”
“That is correct!” Olmec booms, and the Blue Barracudas step down to the bottom level.
“Blue Barracudas are our first team for the Temple Games!” Kirk exclaims as the team high-tens one another.  “There’s only room for one more team—who’s it gonna be: the Red Jaguars, the Orange Iguanas, or the Purple Parrots?  Next question, Olmec.”

“Which of the following is a tool used by an artist: a palette, a squeegee, or—”
The Red Jaguars ring in.  “A palette.”
“That is correct!” Olmec booms, and the Red Jaguars leap to the bottom step to join the Blue Barracudas.

“We’ve got our two teams for the Temple Games!” Kirk says as he rushes over to stand between them.  “They are the Red Jaguars, and the Blue Barracudas!  Orange Iguanas and Purple Parrots, you guys gave a great effort, too.  We’ve got a great gift for you guys for trying, and here’s what it is!”  They receive a backpack from Outdoor Products.

Kirk is seen standing between the Red Jaguars and Blue Barracudas.  “These two teams will be playing for the right to enter Olmec’s Temple, and they’re gonna do it right after this!”

The camera flies over Kirk and the teams and veers to the left, zooming in on a group of fake plants beside Olmec as the title appears onscreen, and we fade to a commercial.

[The Bandit King]

We return from the break to see Kirk standing in front of the Temple with the two remaining teams.

“Welcome back to Legends: Rebirth,” he says.  “Now, of course, is when the glory goes to the fastest and the strongest.  But first, I’d like to meet our two teams…”

Kirk first turns to the Red Jaguars, who are made up of a cute blue-eyed girl with short auburn hair and a slightly taller brown-eyed boy with straight jet-black hair.
“On the Red Jaguars, first, we have Christy.  How old are you, Christy?”
“Twelve,” she replies shyly.
“And it says here you’re a cheerleader, but you also like to cook—what’s your favorite thing to cook?”
“Um…probably spaghetti,” Christy replies.
“Why’s that?” Kirk asks.
“Uh…I just like it,” Christy says bashfully.
“All right, nice,” Kirk says as he turns to Christy’s teammate.  “And over here is your partner, Caylen.  How old are you, Caylen?”
“Thirteen,” the boy answers.
“And it says you like to play basketball and soccer, but you also take taekwondo…tell me a little about that.”
“Um…I take it on—have classes on weekends,” Caylen explains.  “It’s pretty fun; I’ve got a lot of friends that take it with me.”
“What rank are you now?” Kirk asks.
“Uh, I’m a red belt,” Caylen replies.
“Is that pretty high up?” Kirk inquires.
“Um…not really,” Caylen says.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll be a black belt soon…let’s hear it for the Red Jaguars!”  Caylen and Christy applaud along with the audience.

Kirk now turns to the Blue Barracudas, who are made up of a short blue-eyed girl with her long blonde hair in a ponytail and a much taller brown-eyed boy with spiked brown hair.
“And let’s not forget the Blue Barracudas…this is Tanya.  How old are you, Tanya?”
“Twelve,” she says.
“And it says here you like to sing—what kind of music do you like to sing?”
“Uh, I like pop, mostly,” Tanya says.  “I like a lot of old stuff, um…Christina Aguilera, Pink, that kind of stuff.”
“Ah, okay,” Kirk says, turning to Tanya’s partner.  “And here we have your partner, Bob.  How are—old are you?”
“Fourteen,” Bob replies.
“And…you also like music; it says here you play the guitar.  How long have you been playing?”
“Um…about three years,” Bob says.  “I’m getting better at it; I know a few songs.”
“What’s your favorite song to play?” Kirk asks.
“Uh…I can play ‘Smoke on the Water’,” Bob replies.
“Wow,” Kirk says.  “Well, we’ll see if you can rock these Temple Games…let’s hear it for the Blue Barracudas!”  Bob and Tanya smile and clap along with the audience.

“All right, are you guys ready?” Kirk asks the two teams.

“Yeah!” they reply.

“Okay, go get ready for the Temple Games,” Kirk says. “Now, in the Temple Games, our teams are competing for…”  Kirk retrieves a Pendant of Life from a pouch at his side and holds it up to the camera.  “…Pendants of Life.  The winning team will need these Pendants to protect them from those dreaded Temple Guards as they make their way through Olmec’s Temple.  There are three Temple Games—Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #1…”

The black lights and torches under Olmec come on as he begins to explain the first Game:
“Claude Monet enjoyed working outdoors, and painted many beautiful landscapes in an outdoor setting.  In this game, you’ll be making a painting of your own.  When Kirk gives the signal, load your slingshot and shoot a water balloon at the canvas in front of you.  If the paint inside the balloon matches your team’s color, you will receive a point.  The first player to find four correctly colored water balloons, or…the player who finds the most at the end of thirty seconds…wins.”

“Okay, I guess this’ll be like abstract art, huh?” Kirk jokes.  “Let’s set the clock for thirty seconds, please!”  The clock slams down in the bottom corner of the screen with a loud gong sound.  “All right, ready, aim, FIRE!”

Christy and Tanya each load their slingshot and shoot a paint-filled water balloon at the canvas before them.  The “paint” (which actually looks like watered-down Slime) in each balloon is yellow, so the girls grab another balloon from the bin beside them.  Several seconds of launching yellow-paint balloons goes by until Tanya finds a balloon with blue paint in it with 21 seconds left.  Christy splats a balloon with red paint onto the canvas a few seconds later.  The seconds tick by and we only see yellow hitting the canvas, but Tanya finds another blue balloon with ten seconds left.  Christy finds another red paint balloon two seconds later, tying up the score.  It looks as if the game is going to end in a tie, but Tanya successfully fires a blue paint-filled balloon at her canvas with one second remaining, pulling her ahead just before the game ends.

“Okay, that’s it!” Kirk shouts as he heads back onscreen.  “Boy, are we gonna have a lot of cleaning up to do later!  Okay, let’s see what the scores are…the Red Jaguars found two red paint balloons, but the Blue Barracudas found three blue paint balloons!  That means the Blue Barracudas win the half Pendant of Life!”  The audience applauds for a few seconds.  “The Red Jaguars are behind, but they can catch up in this next Temple Game.  It’s worth a half Pendant—Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #2…”

Olmec begins:
“One of Monet’s most famous paintings depicts water lilies on a pond.  In this game, you’ll be gathering some water lilies of your own.  When Kirk gives the signal, jump up, grab a water lily, run back around and place it in your bin.  Then run back around, grab another water lily and do it again.  The first player to gather all their water lilies, or…the player with the most water lilies at the end of sixty seconds…wins.”

“All right, time to pick some flowers,” Kirk says.  “Let’s set the clock for sixty seconds!”  The clock slams down in the bottom right-hand corner.  “On your mark, get set, GO!”

Bob and Caylen both have a little difficulty at first adjusting to the rotating lever, but they both eventually manage to get the hang of it.  Bob develops a considerable rhythm and places three fake water lilies into his bin about 15 seconds into the game.  Caylen has horrible luck, though—for every lily he grabs, he doesn’t get it in the bin, and for every lily he gets in the bin, Bob places two in his.  Caylen eventually does get a few lilies, but Bob has noticeably more in his bin by the time the game clock reaches zero.

“That’s it!  Come on over here, guys,” Kirk exclaims as he heads back onscreen.  “Let’s get the bins over here and see how many we’ve got…”  A spotter brings both bins over to Kirk as he kneels beside them.  “Red Jaguars got one, two, three, four water lilies; and the Blue Barracudas, let’s see…they got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven…eight water lilies!  That means the Blue Barracudas win the half Pendant of life!”  The audience applauds for a few seconds.  “So that means the Blue Barracudas are ahead, one Pendant to nothing.  Now it’s time for the third and final Temple Game.  It’s worth a full Pendant of Life—Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #3…”

Olmec begins to explain the final Temple Game:
“In this game, you’ll be taking the water lilies you gathered earlier and making a giant reproduction of the Claude Monet painting aptly titled Water Lilies.  When Kirk gives the signal, you and your partner will maneuver the chain along the slot of the giant canvas you’re attached to until you come to an opening.  Your partner will then pass a water lily to you, which you will then place on the spot above the opening.  Then head along the slot until you reach the next opening.  The first team to place all four water lilies, or…the player that’s further along at the end of sixty seconds wins!”

“This is for the Temple,” Kirk remarks.  “Let’s put sixty seconds on the clock!”  The clock slams down in the corner, ready to go.  “On your mark, get set, GO!”

Both teams have a little trouble working together to get through the modified vertical maze, slowing the progress of this game considerably.  The Blue Barracudas reach their first opening first, and Tanya passes a water lily to Bob, who sticks it on the Velcro spot above the hole with 45 seconds left before they move on along the slot.  The Red Jaguars reach their first opening and place a water lily about nine seconds later, but the Blue Barracudas have already pulled ahead quite a bit, and reach their second opening first, where they place their second water lily with 29 seconds left.  Slowly but surely, the teams progress through the maze, and the Red Jaguars make it to the second hole and place their lily with 12 seconds left, but by this time the Blue Barracudas are almost to their third slot.  They place the third lily with six seconds to go, and that’s as far as anyone gets before time expires.

“All right, that’s it!” Kirk shouts before he heads back onscreen.  “Get ‘em down here and we’ll see how we did.  Well, looks like the Red Jaguars got two lilies on the wall, and…the Blue Barracudas got three lilies!  That gives the Blue Barracudas the full Pendant; they got two, and the Red Jaguars didn’t score—the Blue Barracudas are goin’ to the Temple!”  Bob and Tanya, who are now on the ground, whoop and clap in excitement.  “Red Jaguars, you guys did great, too; it was a great match to the end there.  We’re not sending you home empty-handed.  We’ve got a great gift for these guys, and here’s what it is!”  They receive a custom-made Legends of the Hidden Temple: Rebirth watch.

As the prize disappears off-screen, Kirk is seen standing beside Bob and Tanya.  “We’ll see if the Blue Barracudas can make it through Olmec’s Temple; retrieve the Paint-Stained Tablecloth of Claude Monet—right after this!”

The camera pans in on the Temple and zooms in on the Tablecloth hanging off the guardrail of the Shaolin Dojo before the title appears onscreen, and we fade to a commercial.

[The Bandit King]

We return from the break to find Kirk standing in front of the Temple with the winning team.

“Welcome back to Legends: Rebirth,” he says.  “Bob and Tanya have proven themselves worthy, and now have earned the right to enter Olmec’s Temple.  But before they do, Olmec will give them some information to help them retrieve the Paint-Stained Tablecloth of Claude Monet…”

Olmec begins to explain the layout as the camera gives a first-person walk-through of the Temple:
“You could start…by running up the stairs to the Crypt!  Grab the book from the skeletons, and pass into the Bottomless Pit.  Swing across the gap, and climb into the Lookout Tower.  Focus the telescope to read the ancient print on the far wall, and a door may open into the Geographer’s Study.  Find the missing pieces of the map and correctly place them, and pass into the Shaolin Dojo.  Place the yin-yang on the correct suit of armor, and open the door to the SHRIIIINE of the Silver Monkey!  Assemble the statue and you may be headed toward the Lightning Ball Room!  Connect the power cords to create your own lightning, which will blast open the door to the Pharaoh’s Secret Passage.  Slide down the tunnel to the Dungeon, where you could smash through the wall into the Dark Forest…but beware of the Temple Guards that may inhabit the trees!  Find the key in the tree, and you’ll enter the Chamber…of the Four Elements.  Place the elements in the correct order, and you’ll gain entry to the Jewel Mine!  Place all the jewels into the mine cart, then…race through the Pit, climb through the Ledges, rrrrace down the stairs and back through the Temple Gate!  The choices are yours and yours alone!”  Olmec pauses.  “You won 2 Pendants in the Temple Games.  Who’s going first?”

“I am,” says Tanya.

“Very well, Tanya,” Olmec replies.  “When Kirk gives the signal, you’ll race through the Gates into the Temple and make your way toward the Paint-Stained Tablecloth of Claude Monet.  Hidden inside the Temple are Temple Guards assigned to protect three specific rooms.  You can trade your Pendant for an extra life and go on, but…if you’re caught without a Pendant, you’ll be taken out of the Temple, and it’ll be Bob’s turn to enter and try his luck.  If you can reach the Tablecloth, all the doors of the Temple will instantly unlock, and the Temple Guards will vanish.  Return through the Gate with the Paint-Stained Tablecloth in three minutes, and you will both be handsomely rewarded…and here’s how!”

• Just for making it to the Temple, they’ll get an MP3 player.
• If they can reach the Tablecloth within three minutes, they’ll also receive a 4-in-1 game table.
• And if they can bring the Tablecloth out of the Temple before three minutes expires, they’ll win a trip to the Bahamas.

“All right, let’s see if we can send the Blue Barracudas to the Bahamas,” Kirk says.  “Let’s get in position here…now, Bob, do you have any kind of strategy on how you could reach the Tablecloth?”

“Um, we’re just gonna take the bottom road, and…maybe go up when we can,” Bob says.  “Maybe try to keep from goin’ up to the…Shrine there.”

“Okay, they seem to have it figured out,” Kirk remarks.  “Let’s get our mouthpieces in…Olmec, lower your gate.”  Olmec moans gutturally as the gate is lowered, and the black lights and torches under him go out.

“Set the clock for three minutes!”  The clock slams down in the corner, ready to go.

“On your mark,” Kirk tells Tanya, “get set, GO!”

Tanya darts up the stairs, clutching her Pendant.  She soon enters the Crypt, where she pulls all three books before opening the door to the Bottomless Pit.  However, she also opens the secret door at the back of the room, revealing the first TEMPLE GUARD (2:50).  “Whoa, Temple Guard right off the bat!” Kirk remarks as Tanya reaches for her Pendant.  “Just give him the Pendant, and you can keep going!”  Tanya does so, and advances into the Bottomless Pit, where she grabs the rope and swings across the Pit to the other side (2:40).  She tries the actuators leading to both the Lookout Tower and the Geographer’s Study, but only the latter’s door opens, so she heads here (2:35).  “She’s making good time,” Kirk remarks as Tanya looks around for missing map pieces.  “But those Temple Guards could be anywhere, and if she meets one more, it’s Bob’s turn to head on in!”  Tanya has already found and placed the missing part of Central America on the map, and looks around for a few more seconds before she finds South Africa and correctly places it (2:24).  She continues looking around for the final missing piece, but can’t seem to find it.  “Somewhere in that room is the last piece of the map,” Kirk narrates as Tanya keeps looking, wasting precious seconds.  Finally, she finds the Yakutsk peninsula piece on the floor, but is confused at first as to where it goes on the map.  She finds the open spot, though, and completes the map, opening the door downward to the Jewel Mine (2:08).  Tanya climbs down the ladder into the room, picking a jewel off the ladder as she heads downward.  As she throws it in the mine cart, however, the second TEMPLE GUARD jumps out of the cart (2:00)!

“Whoa, Temple Guard!  Go, Bob!”  Kirk doesn’t have to tell Bob twice—he shoots off up the stairs, set to retrace Tanya’s path.  “He’s fast and furious, and he’s determined to reach that Tablecloth!” Kirk narrates as Bob swings across the Bottomless Pit.  Bob soon makes it to the Jewel Mine, where he quickly starts grabbing jewels off the walls of the room.  He finds an impressive six jewels in just a few seconds, and places them all in the mine cart (1:42).  He looks around for a few more seconds, finding the last two jewels on the back wall and placing them in the cart, opening the door to the Chamber of the Four Elements (1:35).  “That’s it—into the Chamber of the…the Four Elements!” Kirk narrates as Bob enters the room.  He studies the order of elements on the set places on the back wall for a few seconds before grabbing the element tiles and placing them in the order “fire, water, earth, wind”.  After a little trouble getting them properly aligned, the door to the Dark Forest flies open (1:18).  “One minute left as he enters the Dark Forest!” Kirk remarks.  “He’s close—will he make it?”  Bob reaches into the stage-right tree and feels around for a second or two before pulling out a key.  He takes it to the back of the room, where he places it in the rightmost door; however, nothing happens (1:07).  He tries the middle door, and this time the door opens, and he soon disappears behind it (1:02).  “That’s the door to the Shriiiiine of the Siiiiiilver Monkey,” Kirk explains.  “He’ll have to put the monkey together, then…hopefully he’ll be right on the Tablecloth!”  Bob enters the room and rushes to the back to grab all three pieces of the statue before bringing them to the pedestal.  He places the base (0:48), the middle (0:43), and finally the head, opening the door to the Shaolin Dojo.  He rushes into the room and grabs the PAINT-STAINED TABLECLOTH (0:33).

“He’s got it!  All the doors are open!” Kirk shouts as Bob takes off through the open door to the Geographer’s Study.  He scrambles back into the Bottomless Pit, where he grabs the rope.  The camera cuts to Tanya, who is jumping up and down and cheering like a crazy person.  Bob soon exits the Crypt and darts down the stairs, passing through the gate with 15 seconds to spare!

“They did it!” Kirk shouts as Tanya tackles Bob in a hug.  “They got it all!  They got in, and they got out with it!  Unbelievable; they got the MP3 player, the game table—they’re goin’ to the Bahamas!”  Tanya screams in excitement as Bob opens his mouth, sticks his tongue out and rapidly shakes his head from side to side while growling.  “He’s crazy, folks, but he got the Tablecloth—here it is, here’s proof!  Well, we’ve gotta get out of here—I don’t wanna, but we have to.  Just remember, everybody: it’s not just Legends, it’s Legends: Rebirth!  Buh-bye!”

Kirk, Bob and Tanya whoop and celebrate as the credits start to roll.  The camera shows various rooms of the Temple, including the Crypt, the Bottomless Pit, and the Geographer’s Study.  We also see a Temple Guard jump out from behind a hidden door in the Lightning Ball Room, indicating where the third one was hiding.  Kirk, Bob and Tanya wave to the crowd as the credits end, and the Stone Stanley logo appears onscreen.

[The Bandit King]

The Paint-Stained Tablecloth of Claude Monet
Season 2, Layout 2
Artifact Location: The Shaolin Dojo
Team: Blue Barracudas (Bob Patton & Tanya Addison)
Pendants: 2
Result: Escaped! (0:15 left)

Well now…it seems the short string of seven relatively uneventful episodes has been broken.  This episode was a welcome change from the uneventful Temple Runs from those last seven in a row.  The Moat was fairly quick for the “pedal” Crossing, and the teams were extremely competitive throughout.  The Temple Games, too, were very innovative, with two being modified versions of existing ones.  In the end, though, the Blue Barracudas shut the Red Jaguars out and were off to Olmec's Temple.

Future pop star Tanya (who apparently considers Christina Aguilera and Pink “old stuff”) was a relatively fast player, but she cost her team a good chunk of time because she couldn’t locate a piece of the map in the Geographer’s Study.  Thankfully, though, she was taken out in the Jewel Mine with a healthy two minutes remaining.

Budding rock guitarist Bob seemed like a strong, determined player throughout the episode, and he certainly cleaned up in the Temple Run.  He completed the objectives for the Jewel Mine and the Shrine in very impressive time, and smartly took the Dark Forest-Shrine passage to save the time Tanya ate up in the Geographer’s Study.  He grabbed the Paint-Stained Tablecloth with 33 seconds left, but he needed only about half that to make it out of the Temple and win the trip to the Bahamas for his team.

This Temple Run was great, and the players looked genuinely excited about their win.  Couple that with Bob’s “enthusiasm” near the end of the episode, and you have quite a memorable episode.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Notes and Trivia: This is the only episode with a paint-related version of the “Slingshot Targets” game.  It was probably discontinued for being too messy, which is a shame, because it looked like a lot of fun for the contestants.