Legends: Rebirth-The Bearskin Cloak of Jim Bridger

[The Bandit King]

Episode 47: The Bearskin Cloak of Jim Bridger

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!” These words appear on the screen. “With your guide, Kirk Fogg! And here he is now!”

A middle-aged man wearing a denim shirt and blue jeans rides 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 Bearskin Cloak of Jim Bridger,” Olmec replies.

“Ooh, the Bearskin Cloak of Jim Bridger,” repeats Kirk. “Well, one of our six teams will have a chance to retrieve the Bearskin Cloak—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 all have to pass some tough physical and mental tests, but in the end, only one team will have the right to enter Olmec’s temple. But first, they have to cross the Moat, and here’s Olmec to tell us how they’ll have to do it today…”

Olmec begins to explain the Moat Crossing:
“Before you stands a giant spider’s web that extends across the Moat. When Kirk gives the signal, one player from each team will climb onto the web and begin climbing across to the other side. Once you’re safely across, it’s your partner’s turn to cross in the same way. If you touch the water by stepping through one of the holes in the net, 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, then, let’s get started,” Kirk says. “Hey teams, are you ready?”
The players all shout and cheer in response.
“Olmec, are you ready?” Kirk asks.
“I was born ready,” Olmec responds.
“All right,” Kirk replies. “On your mark, get set, GO!”

All six teams send their male members out first, and they all have few problems scrambling across the giant net. The Blue Barracudas’ boy slips through the net and his foot touches the water, so the spotters send him back. The Silver Snakes’ boy gets his shoe caught in the webbing, and upon freeing himself, accidentally loses it. “It’s tough to hang onto that net—there are so many holes in it!” Kirk narrates. The Red Jaguars’ boy makes it across first, followed by the Purple Parrots’ boy, the Green Monkeys’ boy, and the Orange Iguanas’ boy. The Silver Snakes’ boy arrives about fifteen seconds later, and these five teams’ female members climb out onto the net and begin crossing. The Blue Barracudas’ boy has now made it across as well, and his female partner now begins crossing. “Oh, this is close, but I think I know who’s gonna make it!” exclaims Kirk. The Purple Parrots’ girl crosses first, and she hits her team’s gong first. Less than a second later, the Red Jaguars’ girl hits her team’s gong. Three seconds elapse before the Orange Iguanas and Green Monkeys hit their gongs at the same time to end the Moat Crossing.

“That’s it! We’ve got our four teams, right there!” says Kirk as he runs over to stand beside the Purple Parrots. “Purple Parrots had very little trouble getting across—they’re going on to the Steps of Knowledge…along with the Orange Iguanas…” Kirk pauses between each team’s name to allow for applause. “…and the Green Monkeys…and the Red Jaguars! The Blue Barracudas and the Silver Snakes didn’t quite make it, but that’s all right. We’ve got a great gift for them, and here’s what it is!” They receive a $50 gift card from FYE.

[The Bandit King]

Kirk and the four remaining teams are now standing atop the Steps of Knowledge. “As the quest continues, it’s now time for Olmec to tell us about the Bearskin Cloak of Jim Bridger. But teams, pay attention, because your knowledge of the legend can bring you one step closer to Olmec’s Temple...”

Olmec begins to tell the story:
“One of the roughest and toughest men in the history of the Old West was the mountaineer Jim Bridger. He explored countless expanses of the American West, and was the first American to see many natural wonders, including the geysers of Yellowstone Park. The fantastic stories he was famous for telling soon came to be known as ‘Jim Bridger’s Tales’. In 1835, he married an Indian princess, and along with Jim’s friends, they built a trading post named Fort Bridger where they served pioneers on the Oregon Trail. In 1850, Captain Howard Stanbury approached Jim with a question.
“‘Jim, you know of any way over the Rockies ‘sides that confounded South Pass?’
“‘Hmm…come with me, friend. I think I kin help y’ out.’
“Jim showed the Captain over a treacherous pass that carried south through the Great Basin. For days, they and their men trudged along, enduring the harsh terrain, sweltering heat, and vicious wild animals. Legend has it that about two-thirds of the way through the trip, a huge grizzly bear blocked the men’s path.
“‘Yeeow! That’s the biggest bar I ever seen!’ said the Captain.
“‘Ha! I’ve seen bigger ‘n that!’ With that, Jim picked up a rock and conked the bear on the head, killing it instantly. Jim pulled a knife from his pocket, skinned the bear, and slung the animal’s hide over his shoulders.
“‘Let’s go—we kin make it by sundown if’n we hurry.”
“Jim and the Captain successfully completed the route, effectively shortening the Oregon Trail by 61 miles. The trail, which is now called Bridger’s Pass, eventually became the basis for a railroad. Jim wore the bearskin he obtained on Bridger’s Pass until he died, when it disappeared—until now. Your quest is to find the Bearskin Cloak of Jim Bridger and bring it back here.”

“Thank you, Olmec,” says Kirk. “So tell us, where is the Bearskin Cloak?”

“The Bearskin Cloak of Jim Bridger can be found in the Room of the Mystical Keys,” Olmec replies. The camera zooms in on a large, dark-brown fur cloak draped over the guardrail of the room before fading back to Kirk.

“Teams, you’re now standing on the Steps of Knowledge,” Kirk explains. “In a minute, Olmec’s gonna ask you a question. If you think you know the answer, I want you to stomp down on the ancient marking in front of you. If you’re right, you can move down to the next level, but if you’re wrong or run out of time, the other teams will get a chance.” 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 ready for your first question.”

Olmec begins:
“Did Jim Bridger explore: the Australian Outback, the American West, or—”
The Purple Parrots ring in early. “The, um…American West.”
“That…is correct,” Olmec replies. The Purple Parrots step down to the second level.
“Step down, Purple Parrots,” Kirk instructs. “Next question.”

“Was Jim Bridger the first American to see: Niagara Falls, Yellowstone National Park, or the Grand Canyon?”
The Green Monkeys ring in. “The…Yellowstone Park…?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Green Monkeys proceed to the second step.
“Green Monkeys can step down now,” Kirk says. “Next question.”

“Where did Jim Bridger and his wife serve travelers: the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the Oregon Trail, or the Appalachian Trail?”
The Orange Iguanas ring in after a few seconds. “Uh…the Oran—Oregon Trail?”
“That…is correct,” Olmec replies. The Orange Iguanas join the Green Monkeys and Purple Parrots on the second step.
“Orange Iguanas also step down,” says Kirk. “This is getting exciting…next question.”

“Who approached Jim to find a route through the Rockies—Captain Picard, Captain Stanbury, or Cap’n Crunch?”
The Purple Parrots ring in. “Captain…Captain Stanbury!”
“That is correct,” Olmec booms. The Purple Parrots trot down to the penultimate step.
“The Purple Parrots now, just one step away from the Temple Games,” remarks Kirk. “Remember though, we need two teams. Olmec, next question.”

“What species of bear attacked Jim and the Captain: a black bear—”
The Orange Iguanas ring in early. “Um…grizzly bear?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Orange Iguanas join the Purple Parrots on the next-to-last step.
“Orange Iguanas are also one step away,” says Kirk. “Still plenty of time for the other teams to catch up…next question, please.”

“What did Jim use to kill the bear: a gun, a rock, or a knife?”
The Purple Parrots ring in. “A rock.”
“That is correct!” Olmec booms, and the Purple Parrots leap to the bottom and high-five one another.
“The Purple Parrots are goin’ to the Temple Games!” Kirk narrates. “Only one team can join them—which one will it be? Olmec, next question.”

“When Jim and the Captain completed the route, was the Oregon Trail shortened by: 41 miles, 51 miles, or 61 miles?”
The Red Jaguars ring in. “41 miles?”
“Incorrect,” Olmec replies.
The Green Monkeys ring in. “61 miles?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Green Monkeys join the Orange Iguanas on the next-to-last step.
“Green Monkeys are one step away now,” Kirk narrates. “The Red Jaguars can still catch up, though…next question, please.”

“Are the Rocky Mountains primarily located in: Ohio, Colorado, or Washington?”
The Orange Iguanas ring in. “Colorado?”
“That is correct!” booms Olmec, and the Orange Iguanas join the Purple Parrots on the bottom step.

“And there’s our two teams for the Temple Games,” remarks Kirk as he trots over and stands between them. “They are the Orange Iguanas, and the Purple Parrots! Red Jaguars and Green Monkeys did great, too—come down here. We’re not sending you guys home empty-handed. We’ve got a great gift for you, too, and here’s what it is!” They receive Endless Ocean: Blue World for the Nintendo Wii.

Kirk is now standing between the two advancing teams. “These two teams are gonna play for the right to enter”—he points at the Temple—“that right there, and they’ll do it right after this!”

The camera cuts to the left, zooms in on the Temple and stops on the Bearskin Cloak as the title appears onscreen, and we go to a commercial.

[The Bandit King]

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

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

Kirk first turns to the Orange Iguanas, who are made up of an average-height blue-eyed girl with long, curly brown hair and a slightly shorter green-eyed boy with dark, wavy hair.
“First, on the Orange Iguanas, we have Emily. How old are you?”
“Thirteen,” Emily replies.
“And it says that you like to play soccer, but you really like to draw…what kind of things do you like to draw?”
“Um…mainly people,” says Emily. “I’ve done a few portraits of some of my friends, and…my family.”
“Ah, neat,” says Kirk before turning to her partner. “And over here is your partner, Mike. How old are you?”
“Thirteen,” Mike says.
“And here it says that you have nineteen pets…is that true?”
“Yep,” replies Mike matter-of-factly.
“What are they?” asks Kirk.
“Um…I’ve got six dogs, two cats, two rabbits…a hamster…uh…seven goldfish…and a lizard.”
“The guy’s a zookeeper,” says Kirk to the audience, and Mike laughs. “Anyhow…let’s hear it for the Orange Iguanas!” Mike and Emily applaud politely along with the audience.

Kirk now turns to the Purple Parrots, who consist of a short brown-eyed girl with a shoulder-length bob hairdo and an average-height brown-eyed boy with bushy black hair.
“And here on the Purple Parrots, we have Connie. How old are you, Connie?”
“Twelve,” she replies.
“And here it says that you’re a big fan of pop music—do you like to sing it or listen to it?”
“Um…both, but I like to listen to it more,” replies Connie.
“Who’s your favorite singer?” asks Kirk.
“Probably Lady Gaga,” says the girl without hesitation.
“Hmm,” says Kirk with a slight hint of disdain in his voice before turning to Connie’s partner. “And over here, is your partner Lane. How old are you, Lane?”
“Thirteen,” he replies.
“And it says that you like to play baseball and soccer—which one’s your favorite?”
“Um…probably soccer,” he says.
“Why’s that?” asks Kirk.
“Well, ‘cause…” Lane pauses for a few seconds. “I don’t know, I just like it.”
“He just likes it,” repeats Kirk. “Well, let’s hear it for the Purple Parrots!” Connie and Lane applaud with the audience.

“Okay, are you all ready?” asks Kirk.

“Yeah!” the two teams reply.

“Okay, go get ready for the Temple Games,” he instructs. “Now, in the Temple Games, our teams are competing to win…” Kirk retrieves a Pendant of Life from his pouch and holds it up to the camera. “…Pendants of Life. The winning team will need those Pendants to protect them from those dreaded Temple Guards when they enter Olmec’s Temple. There are three Temple Games—Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #1, please…”

The black lights under Olmec come on as he begins to explain the first Temple Game:
“Jim Bridger explored many expanses of the American west, and was the first to discover the famed geysers in what is now Yellowstone National Park. In this game, you’ll be trying to locate where geysers are not located. When Kirk gives the signal, insert your peg into one of the five holes you see before you. If you’ve located the right hole, nothing will happen, and you’ll receive a point; otherwise, you’ll be squirted with water from a tiny geyser. The player who receives the most points at the end of thirty seconds…wins.”

“Trying not to get blasted by the geysers,” remarks Kirk. “Let’s get started…let’s set the clock for sixty—uh, thirty seconds!” The clock slams down in the bottom corner of the screen, ready to go. “Go ahead and make your first choice right now.” Emily and Connie each insert their peg into one of the holes. “Okay…ready, set, SQUIRT!”

Both girls get squirted on their first, second and third choices, but they both get the fourth choice correct. Only Connie gets the fifth choice right, and Emily gets the next choice correct. They go back-and-forth for a few more seconds until time expires.

“Okay, that’s it!” says Kirk as he walks over between the two girls. “We had water squirting all over the place in that one, but the Purple Parrots scored three points, and the Orange Iguanas only scored two. That means the Purple Parrots get the half Pendant of Life!” The audience applauds for a few seconds. “The Orange Iguanas can catch up in this next game. Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #2…”

Olmec begins:
“When Jim and the Captain met up with the giant grizzly bear in the wild, Jim fearlessly approached the bear and hit it on the head with a rock. In this game, you’ll have to do the same thing. When Kirk gives the signal, grab your rock, and without letting go of it, shinny up the bear’s back until you reach its head. Then, hit the bear on the head with the rock. Be careful, though—this bear is a lively one, and will try to shake you off all the way up its back, and if you fall off, you must start all over again. The first player to hit their bear on the head, or…the team that’s further along at the end of sixty seconds…wins.”

“We’re dealing with a very dangerous animal here,” says Kirk jokingly as he twirls one of the “bears’” twirling plastic heads. “Let’s get started…let’s set the clock for sixty seconds!” The clock slams down in the corner, all set to go. “On your mark, get set, GO!”

Mike and Lane both grab their colored rocks and grab onto the slanted, slippery pole that makes up the bear’s body. The devices violently agitate throughout the entire game, and Mike falls off almost immediately. Lane makes it about halfway up before he also falls off the bear and has to start again. This continues all throughout the game, as the boys can’t get hardly enough grip on the slick pole to hang onto it. Finally, with about seven seconds left, Lane makes it to the top of his pole, and hits the plastic bear’s head there with his rock, stopping the device from agitating and ending the game.

“Whoa—he’s got it!” says Kirk as he appears back onscreen. “That’s it—those bears were wild and wooly, but the Purple Parrots were able to reach the top first, so they win the half Pendant of Life!” The audience applauds briefly. “So now, the Purple Parrots are ahead, one Pendant to nothing. But now, we go to the final Temple Game. It’s worth a full Pendant of Life—Olmec, we’re ready for Temple Game #3…”

Olmec begins to explain the final Game:
“Jim and the Captain successfully made it through the Rocky Mountains, shortening the Oregon Trail considerably upon doing so. In this game, you and your partner also have a journey to make, but yours will be much shorter. When Kirk gives the signal, maneuver yourselves along the chain in the maze you are attached to until you reach the exit. The first team to exit the maze, or…the team that’s further along after sixty seconds wins!”

“This is for the Temple,” Kirk explains. “So 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 start making their way through the vertical maze, and the Orange Iguanas have a sizable lead until they find a dead-end in the maze about a fourth of the way through. The Purple Parrots take a slight lead, but the Orange Iguanas regain it with fourteen seconds left. Unfortunately for Mike and Emily, they find another dead-end close to the exit, allowing the Purple Parrots to exit the maze with two seconds left.

“Okay, that’s it!” Kirk shouts as he comes back onscreen. “The Purple Parrots made it outta their maze just in the nick of time, so they get the full Pendant. That gives them two; the Orange Iguanas have none—the Purple Parrots are goin’ to the Temple!” Connie jumps up and down in excitement, and Lane applauds, looks equally excited. “The Orange Iguanas gave a great job, too…they’re not going home empty-handed at all. We’ve got a great gift for ‘em, and here’s what it is!” They receive a $150 savings bond provided by Slim Jim.

As the prize disappears off-screen, Kirk is seen standing between Lane and Connie, with one hand on either player’s shoulders. “It’s time to see if the Purple Parrots can successfully make it through Olmec’s Temple and retrieve the Bearskin Cloak of Jim Bridger, right after this!”

The camera flies over Kirk, zooming in on the Purple Parrots’ torch at the edge of the Moat before the title appears onscreen, and we go 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. “Connie and Lane have proven themselves worthy, and have now earned the right to enter Olmec’s Temple. But first, Olmec is gonna give them some information to help them retrieve the Bearskin Cloak of Jim Bridger…”

Olmec begins to explain the layout as the camera gives us a first-person tour 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 Great Seal Room. Place the correct seal in the central holder, and a door may open into the Candelabra Room. Light the correct candelabra, and pass into the Room…of the Mystical Keys! Reach into the compartments to find the two correct keys, 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 Snake Pit! Place three snakes in the hollow stump, and you’ll gain entry to the Tomb of the Headless Kings! Pull the vine to release the bones, and attach the missing skull to its proper king, then…race through the Pit, climb through the Ledges, rrrrrrace 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 Connie.

“Very well, Connie,” Olmec replies. “When Kirk gives the signal, you’ll race through the Gate into the Temple and make your way toward the Bearskin Cloak. 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 Lane’s turn to enter and try his luck. If you can reach the Bearskin Cloak, all the doors of the Temple will instantly unlock, and the Temple Guards will vanish. Return through the Gate with the Bearskin Cloak of Jim Bridger in three minutes, and you’ll both be handsomely rewarded…and here’s how!”

• Just for making it to the Temple, they’ll get a sports package from Regents.
• If they can reach the Bearskin Cloak within three minutes, they’ll also receive a Nintendo Wii, complete with three new games.
• And if they can bring the Bearskin Cloak out of the Temple in three minutes, they’ll win a trip to Mexico.

“All right, we’ll see if they can make it through and win that trip,” Kirk says. “Lane, Connie—you both need your mouthpieces in. Lane, could you let us know what kind of strategy you guys have for getting the Bearskin Cloak?”

“Yeah, we’re just gonna try to go around and get to it…um, if I’ve got enough time leftover, I’ll try to do that, but if I don’t, I’m just gonna try to make a beeline for it.”

“Well, hopefully, that’ll work for you guys. Let’s set the clock for three minutes!” The clock appears in the bottom corner of the screen, all set to go.

“Olmec, lower your gate, please.” Olmec moans gutturally as the gate is lowered, and the black lights under him go out.

“Looks like Connie’s ready here,” remarks Kirk. “On your mark, get set, GO!”

Connie trots up the Temple’s stairs and soon disappears behind Olmec. After stalling for a few seconds, she decides to slide down into the Ledges, where she is immediately ambushed by the first TEMPLE GUARD (2:55). “Whoa, Temple Guard, right from the get-go!” narrates Kirk. The Guard beckons for Connie to hand her Pendant over, but Connie just stands there dumbstruck. “Give him the Pendant, and he’ll go away!” instructs Kirk. Connie finally hands over her Pendant, and the Temple Guard slinks back into the room. Connie looks around the Ledges for a while, heading back and forth, trying to figure out what to do. She eventually climbs up to the upper part of the room, where she hits the actuator for the Crypt, opening the door there (2:20). “Okay, that takes her into the Crypt!” explains Kirk. Connie slowly climbs up into the room, where she finds and pulls the books from two of the three skeletons before opening the door to the Bottomless Pit (2:10). Connie makes her way into the room, where she sees the rope, grabs it, and swings across. She almost falls off the ledge, but regains her footing and hits the actuator for the Candelabra Room. The door opens, so she heads here (2:10). “She’s doing great, but Lane could be—have to take off any time!” Kirk narrates. Connie enters the Candelabra Room, where she sees the candelabras at the back of the room. She hits two before opening the doors to both the Tomb of the Headless Kings and the Great Seal Room, revealing the second TEMPLE GUARD behind the latter room’s door (2:00).

“Whoa, Temple Guard! Go, Lane!” Kirk shouts, and Lane takes off. He hurriedly follows Connie’s path, but instead starts in the Crypt to save time. He makes it to the Candelabra Room (1:48) and chooses to head up to the Great Seal Room. “Oh, he’s going up—that’ll put him only one room away from the Bearskin Cloak!” Kirk observes. Lane rushes to the back of the room the second he enters it and grabs all four seals from the shelf there (1:38). He brings them back to the central holder in the room and places one seal in it. Nothing happens, so he tries another. He tries the third and fourth seals, but the door to the Room of the Mystical Keys doesn’t open (1:19). “Oh, the door won’t open—I had a feeling it wouldn’t,” Kirk comments as Lane wastes no time heading back down the central shaft of the Temple. He quickly climbs down the ladder into the Candelabra Room, and heads down into the Tomb of the Headless Kings (1:07). He grabs the vine in the room and pulls hard, releasing a big shower of bones from the ceiling. He looks around for a moment or two before finding the skull amidst the avalanche. He places it on the stage-left skeleton, but nothing happens (0:50). He goes over to the stage-right skeleton and jams the head down, and the “heart” of the king starts beating, opening the door to the Snake Pit (0:44). “Okay, into the Snake Pit—he’s gonna really have to hurry now!” Kirk comments. Lane enters the room, but hidden in the foliage near where he enters is the third TEMPLE GUARD (0:39). “Whoa, Temple Guard scared him!” Kirk says as Lane reaches for his Pendant. “Good thing for him there’s no more left!” Lane hands his Pendant over, and as the Guard exits the Temple via the outer ledge, Lane finds a stuffed snake near the stump itself, jamming it into one of the stump’s three holes (0:30). He looks around for a bit before finding another snake, and continues searching until he finds the third and final snake. He brings them to the stump and jams them in, one at a time, until the door to the Dark Forest opens (0:20). “Into the Dark Forest—twenty seconds left!” Kirk urges. Lane enters the room and reaches into the stage-left tree in search of a key. “Just break through the wall!” Kirk shouts, but instead, Lane tries the stage-right tree, and finally finds a key (0:12). He tries the left-hand door at the back of the room, but it won’t open (0:04). He goes over to try the door to the Shrine, but time runs out on him before he can put the key in the hole.

“No, they ran out of time!” laments Kirk. “They were doing so well, but this was a tough Temple! That’s okay, because they still get the sports packages for being such good sports, and I know they had a good time, right?” Connie nods as a response. “Well, we’ve gotta go. We’ll see you next time, though, and just remember: it’s not just Legends, oh no—it’s Legends: Rebirth!”

Kirk and Connie chat as the credits start to roll. The camera shows various shots of scenery around the set, including a small dirty shovel propped up beside the Ledges and a few pieces of stone “ruins” next to the Moat. Lane exits the Temple, and Kirk places his head on his shoulders. Lane smiles and looks at the camera as the credits finish up, and the Stone Stanley logo appears.

[The Bandit King]

The Bearskin Cloak of Jim Bridger
Season 2, Layout 1 (6 overall)
Artifact Location: The Room of the Mystical Keys
Team: Purple Parrots (Lane Hogan & Connie Powers)
Pendants: 2
Result: Ran out of time

Tough, tough break for this team. A dead end probably cost them from at least grabbing the artifact, even though I don’t believe they could’ve made it out at the rate the first player screwed their chances up.

Connie was a pretty bad player. She spent WAAAAYY too much time in the Ledges, and didn’t even try any actuators to the Bottomless Pit. After finally making it to the Candelabra Room and completing the objective, she was removed promptly with about two minutes left on the clock.

Lane was an exponentially better player than Connie, even though he tried the direct path to the artifact (maybe he thought that they’d wasted too much time already). He made it to where Connie was taken out in only twelve seconds, taking a shorter route by detouring through the Crypt. He was shafted when no doors opened when he completed the objective in the Great Seal Room, though, which cost him valuable time. He headed back down the central shaft and made it quite far with what time he had left, but by then, it was too little, too late—time ran out on him just as he was about to try the door to the Shrine.

This was a fairly typical run, in which a pseudo-smart yet very fast player is paired up with a dumb, much slower player. Fortunately, this team had the foresight to send in the slow player first. It would’ve taken two fast, intelligent players to decipher this “round-the-bend” Temple Run, and this team didn’t have what it took.

Rating: 5 out of 10

Notes and Trivia: Lane is the first player to complete the Snake Pit’s new, less time-consuming objective—now, only two snakes must be placed in the stump instead of eight. The snakes are a lot larger, too, and made of cloth and/or fabric instead of plastic, making them easier to find.

Strangely, the Temple Guard in the Snake Pit exited the Temple by stepping over the Temple’s outer wall.

Anyone else notice the disdain in Kirk’s voice when Connie said she likes Lady Gaga during the player interviews? <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/lol.gif" alt="" title="" />

[The Ancient Warrior]

Gotta love how Kirk actually shows a little bias during the interviews, along with the Temple Guard pulling a "Henry VIII." Converting what I've referred to as the "vertical maze" game into an actual maze was an especially good touch, IMO.  Nicely done!