Legends: Rebirth-The Infamous Lion Skin of the Tsavo Hunter

[The Bandit King]

Episode 1: The Infamous Lion Skin of the Tsavo Hunter

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, 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 swings in on a rope. He drops down and runs up the Steps of Knowledge, microphone in hand.

“Thank you! Thank you, everybody! Nice to see everyone again! It’s good to see you again, 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 newly discovered treasures in his Temple…which one are we gonna hear about today, Olmec?”

“The legend of the Infamous Lion Skin of the Tsavo Hunter,” Olmec replies.

“Oh, the Infamous Lion Skin of the Tsavo Hunter,” Kirk replies. “Well, the legend is set, and one of these six teams will have a chance to retrieve the Lion Skin—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 through some tough physical and mental tests, but in the end, only one of these six teams will earn the prestigious right to enter the Olmec’s Temple for the first time in fourteen years! But first, they have to cross the infamous Moat, and here’s the Olmec to explain how they’ll have to do that. Olmec!”

Olmec begins to explain the Moat Crossing:
“Before you, a long rope hangs into the Moat. When Kirk gives the signal, one player from each team will swim out to the rope, grab it, swim back with it, and swing across. Once you’re safely across, throw the rope to your partner, who will then swing across in the same way. If your feet touch the water while you’re swinging, 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, I’m ready,” Kirk says. “Teams, are you ready?”
All six teams scream and cheer in response.
“They’re ready, Olmec. Are you?” Kirk asks.
“This rock is ready to roll,” Olmec replies.
“Oho, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard that one,” Kirk laughs. “All right, on your mark, get set, GO!!!”

All six teams jump into the Moat and grab the rope at roughly the same time. The Silver Snakes’ girl is first back, followed about a second later by the Green Monkeys’ boy and the Red Jaguars’ boy. The Orange Iguanas’ girl and the Blue Barracudas’ girl climb back onto the dock as the Silver Snakes’ girl and the Red Jaguars’ boy swing across successfully, while the Green Monkeys’ boy touches the water. The Orange Iguanas’ girl swings across, with the Blue Barracudas’ girl right behind her. The Purple Parrots’ girl is quite slow, having only now just started her first swing attempt. The Silver Snakes’ boy catches the rope and swings across successfully, landing on his rear end. His partner quickly helps him up, and they hit the gong together. The Green Monkeys’ boy successfully crosses on his second swing, but has trouble throwing the rope to his partner. “This is really close—we need three more teams!” Kirk narrates. Almost instantly after he says this, the Orange Iguanas’ boy lands on the dock and dashes over to hit the gong. The Purple Parrots’ girl finally makes it across after several failed swing attempts, and throws the rope to her male partner. The Green Monkeys’ girl swings across, but her feet touch the water, prompting the spotters to send her back. The Blue Barracudas’ boy steps onto dry land at about same time as the Red Jaguars’ girl, and they both dash over to hit their gongs.

“That’s it! That is it!” Kirk shouts, standing beside the Silver Snakes. “They blazed across that Moat, no problem, and as a result, the Silver Snakes are going on to the Steps of Knowledge…along with the Orange Iguanas,” Kirk briefly pauses between each team’s name to allow for applause. “And the Blue Barracudas…and the Red Jaguars! Green Iguanas and Purple Parrots gave it a great effort, too. They’re not gonna go away empty-handed, because we’ve got a nice gift for ‘em, don’t we, Dee?” They receive a $50 gift certificate from Gamestop.

[The Bandit King]

Kirk and the remaining four teams are now standing atop the Steps of Knowledge. “The quest continues, and now it’s time for the Olmec to tell us the legend about the Infamous Lion Skin of the Tsavo Hunter. But teams, pay close attention to Olmec, because your knowledge of this legend can bring you closer to the Olmec’s Temple…”

Olmec begins to tell the story:
“One of the most fearless leaders in the history of African colonization was Lt. Colonel John Henry Patterson of England. In 1898, Col. Patterson was the leader of a building committee in Kenya. He and his men sought to build a bridge over the Tsavo River for the newly constructed Kenya-Uganda Railroad. Things were going smoothly until March of that year, when one of the workers was found dead, dragged from his tent the night before, and half-eaten. The culprits were two huge maneless male lions, nicknamed ‘Ghost’ and ‘Darkness’. The workers built thorn fences around their camps to block the attackers, but the lions crawled under the fences. By December, the lions had killed 135 workers. Finally, Col. Patterson had no other choice.
“‘I’m going out there myself and bring back those vandals!’
“‘But Colonel, what if they kill you as well?’ asked one of his workers.
“‘That’s a chance I’m willing to take.’
“Col. Patterson set off with a small team to trap and kill the man-eating lions. Legend has it that one night, while his men slept, Col. Patterson, who was keeping watch, saw Ghost tear out of the bushes, headed straight for him. He stepped to the side, barely avoiding the lion’s attack. As the beast turned around to attack again, the colonel fired a single shot from his rifle, killing the animal instantly. Several days later, Darkness was killed as well. Col. Patterson sent the lions’ skins home, where he made them into floor rugs. When he died, one of them made its way to the Temple. Your quest is to find the Infamous Lion Skin of the Tsavo Hunter and bring it back here.”

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

“The Infamous Lion Skin of the Tsavo Hunter can be found in the Safari Room,” Olmec replies. The camera zooms in on the full-sized skin positioned on the guardrail of the Safari Room, and then cuts back to Kirk.

“Of course,” Kirk says. “Teams, you are now standing on The Steps of Knowledge. In a moment, the Olmec’s gonna ask you a question about the legend. If you think you know the answer, I want you to stomp down on that marking right there in front of you. If you’re first to ring in, you’ll have three seconds to answer the question. If you’re right, you’ll be able to move on down to the next level, but if you’re wrong or you run out of time, the other teams will get a chance to answer the question.” Kirk begins descending the Steps. “The first two teams to answer three questions and make it all the way down to the bottom step will be one step closer to the Olmec’s Temple. Olmec…we’re now ready for the first question.”

Olmec begins:
“Was Col. Patterson from: England, France, or—”
The Blue Barracudas ring in early. “England?”
“That is correct,” Olmec responds. The Blue Barracudas step down one level.
“The Blue Barracudas take first blood,” Kirk narrates. “Next question.”

“Did Col. Patterson lead a building committee in—”
The Red Jaguars ring in early. “Africa?”
“You must be more specific,” Olmec replies.
“Uh…Kenya?” he says unsurely.
“That…is correct,” Olmec replies. The surprised Red Jaguars step down.
“This match is heating up,” Kirk says. “Next question, Olmec.”

“Was Col. Patterson’s army in charge of building a bridge over: the Mara River, the Zambezi River, or the Tsavo River?”
After a few seconds, the Red Jaguars ring in. “The Tsavo River?”
“That is correct,” Olmec responds. The Red Jaguars step down another level.
“Just like that, the Red Jaguars are only one step away from the Temple,” Kirk narrates. “Next question, Olmec.”

“Were Col. Patterson’s men attacked by: elephants—”
The Silver Snakes ring in early. “Lions?”
“That is correct,” Olmec responds. The Silver Snakes descend one level.
“It’s neck-and-neck,” Kirk narrates. “Next question.”

“Were the two lions that attacked Col. Patterson’s men named: Romulus & Remus, Ghost & Darkness, or Tom & Jerry?”
The Blue Barracudas ring in. “Ghost & Darkness?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Blue Barracudas step down to the next-to-last step.
“Blue Barracudas join the Red Jaguars in being only one step away from the Temple Games,” Kirk says. “Still plenty of time for the other teams, though. Next question, Olmec.”

“Did the workers try to protect themselves by building: bonfires, thorn fences, or—”
The Red Jaguars ring in. “Fences…thorn fences?”
“That…is correct!” Olmec shouts.
“Red Jaguars are the first team going on to the Temple Games!” Kirk shouts as the Red Jaguars step to the bottom and high-five one another. “But remember, we’re looking for two teams. Who’s it gonna be—the Blue Barracudas, the Orange Iguanas or the Silver…Snakes? Let’s keep going, Olmec—next question.”

“How many of Col. Patterson’s workers did the lions kill: 49, 135, or 502?
The Silver Snakes ring in. “502?”
“Incorrect,” Olmec booms.
The Blue Barracudas ring in. “49?”
“Incorrect,” Olmec replies. “The correct answer was 135.”
“Okay, take it easy on 'em, Olmec,” Kirk appeases. “Next question, please.”

“Did Col. Patterson kill the lions by: shooting them, poisoning them—”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “He shot them!” the girl yells confidently.
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Silver Snakes descend to the next-to-last step.
“Silver Snakes are now one step away from the Temple Games!” Kirk narrates. “Still plenty of time for the Orange Iguanas—next question, Olmec.”

“Which of these animals is closely related to a lion: a meerkat, an ocelot, or a kinkajou?”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “Ocelot!” yells the girl.
“That is correct!” Olmec shouts. The Silver Snakes leap down to the bottom level.

“That’s it!” Kirk exclaims as he runs to stand between the two teams. “We’ve got our two teams: it’s the Red Jaguars and the Silver Snakes! Blue Barracudas and Orange Parrots, you guys gave it a great effort, too, we’ve got a nice gift for you guys and here’s what it is.” They receive Zoo Tycoon 2 for the Nintendo DS.

“These two teams will be playing for the right to enter the—Olmec’s Temple, and they’ll do it right after this!” Kirk explains.

The camera runs along the edge of the Moat and pans in on the Red Jaguars’ gong, which is still lit up, before the title appears onscreen, and we fade to a commercial.

[The Bandit King]

We return from the break and see Kirk standing in front of the Temple with one team on each side of him.

“Welcome back to Legends: Rebirth,” he says. “Now, the glory goes to the fastest and the strongest, but before we get started, I’d like to get to know our two teams a little bit better…

“On the Red Jaguars, we have Lyn: she told me she’s a cheerleader and she also likes to draw, and her partner, Randy, is into basketball and golf, and he wants to be a doctor—let’s hear it for the Red Jaguars!” The audience applauds for the short red-haired girl with green eyes and the tall, brown-haired, green-eyed boy.

“And on the Silver Snakes, we have Ashleigh: she wants to be a nurse and she and her family drove here all the way from St. Louis, Missouri—how about that? And her partner here, Joseph, likes soccer and he also collects coins—how ‘bout a hand for the Silver Snakes?!” The audience claps for the blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl and the black-haired, brown-eyed boy.

“All right, you guys, are you ready to play?” Kirk asks the Silver Snakes.
“Yeah!” they reply.

“How about you guys?” he asks, turning to the Red Jaguars.
They provide a similar response.

“All right, go get ready for the Temple Games. Now, in these Temple Games, the teams are competing for what we call ‘Pendants of Life’. They’ll need them to protect them from the dreaded Temple Guards as they make their way through Olmec’s Temple. The team that wins the most Pendants in the Temple Games is gonna be going inside Olmec’s Temple. There are a grand total of three Temple Games: one for each team member, and one for both members acting as a team. Olmec—will you please tell us about Temple Game #1?”

“I’d be delighted,” Olmec responds. The black lights under Olmec come on and he begins to explain the Temple Game:

“Some people believe that the Tsavo lions attacked people because their teeth were badly decayed, and couldn’t chew hard food very well. You are about to help a lion with its dental problems. When Kirk gives the signal, run over, grab a tooth from the lion’s mouth, come back and place it in your bin. Then run back, grab another tooth and do it again. The first player to get all the lion’s teeth or…the player that has the most teeth at the end of thirty seconds…wins.”

“Does this require a dental license?” Kirk asks someone off-camera. “Okay, just checking…let’s set the clock for sixty seconds!” The clock appears onscreen, set for thirty seconds. “On your mark, get set, GO!”

Lyn and Ashleigh are both pretty fast, and both maneuver through the zipline-guided slide fairly quickly. Several seconds go by and Lyn is ahead by three, but she has a little trouble getting the final few teeth off the red felt board, allowing Ashleigh to catch up during the last few seconds. Finally, the thirty seconds on the clock expire.

“Okay, that’s it!” Kirk explains as he heads over to the apparatus. “Come on down here, both of you, let’s get the bins and see how we did here. Silver Snakes got one, two, three, four, five teeth; and the Red Jaguars had one, two, three, four, five—they got six teeth, so that means the Red Jaguars get the half Pendant of Life!” The audience applauds. “Don’t worry though, Ashleigh, because your partner can catch up in this next Temple Game. It’s also worth a half Pendant—Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #2…”

Olmec begins:
“Another theory as to why the Tsavo lions attacked people was because their normal prey had been killed off by hunters. You are going to help gather some food for the lions. When Kirk gives the signal, run around, grab a piece of meat, come back and place it in your storage bin. Then run back, grab another piece of meat and do it again. The first player to get all the meat in their storage bin or…the player with the most meat at the end of sixty seconds…wins.”

“I hope our teams don’t mind getting their hands dirty,” Kirk comments. “Let’s set the clock for sixty seconds!” The clock appears onscreen, ready to go. “On your mark, get set, GO!”

Joseph and Randy both have a little difficulty adjusting to the rotating lever, but Joseph eventually gets the hang of it, developing a considerable rhythm and placing three plastic steaks in his bin about fifteen seconds into the game. Randy eventually does get a few steaks, but Joseph is noticeably ahead by the time the game clock reaches zero.

“That’s it! Come on over here, guys,” Kirk explains as he heads onscreen. “Let’s get the bins over here and see how many we’ve got…Red Jaguars got one, two, three, four pieces of meat; and the Silver Snakes, let’s see…they got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight pieces of meat! Wow! That means the Silver Snakes win the half Pendant!” The audience applauds. “So that means we’re tied now, with a half Pendant apiece. Now it’s time for the final Temple Game. It’s worth one full Pendant of Life. Olmec—tell us about Temple Game #3…”

Olmec begins to explain the final Temple Game:
“When Col. Patterson had killed the lions, he had them shipped back to England, then sailed back home himself. Fortunately for you, your voyage will be much shorter. When Kirk gives the signal, propel your boat off the dock toward your destination. Once you reach it, climb out and load the two lions into the boat. Then climb back in the boat, turn it around and sail back. The first team to step back onto the dock or…the team that’s further along at the end of sixty seconds…wins. Be careful not to touch the floor, or you’ll have to go back and begin again.”

“Okay, we’re about to embark on a very…dangerous journey here,” says Kirk, holding up one of the stuffed toy lions sitting at the destination. “Let’s set the clock for sixty seconds!” The clock appears onscreen, all set to go. “Better get out of the way here, don’t wanna be rolled over—on your mark, get set, GO! Bon voyage!”

Both teams start out at a relatively fast pace, although the Silver Snakes maintain a very slight lead, making it to the destination marked “Africa” first. Ashleigh and Joseph jump out and load up the two stuffed lions, with Lyn and Randy hot on their tail. However, the Red Jaguars have a tough time turning their boat back around, giving the Silver Snakes lead enough to pull themselves back to the dock and step onto it with 9 seconds to spare.

“That’s it, time’s up!” Kirk shouts as Ashleigh and Joseph step onto the dock. “Or time’s not up—the Silver Snakes made it back to the dock before time was up, and that means the Silver Snakes win the full Pendant of Life!” The audience applauds briefly. “That means that the Silver Snakes have 1½ Pendants, the Red Jaguars have ½—that means the Silver Snakes are going to the—Olmec’s Temple!” The audience applauds as Ashleigh and Joseph hug, and Lyn and Randy look somewhat disappointed. “Red Jaguars, you guys were terrific, it was really close. You guys are not going home empty-handed by a long shot. We have some great gifts for you guys, and here they are!” They receive a custom-made Legends of the Hidden Temple: Rebirth watch.

As the prize disappears off-screen, Kirk is seen standing beside the winning team. “These guys have done it, and now it’s time to put their skills to the test! We’ll see if they can make it through Olmec’s Temple and retrieve that Infamous Lion Skin of the Tsavo Hunter, and we’ll see right after this!”

The camera pans in on the Temple and zooms in on the Lion Skin 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 winning team.

“Welcome back to Legends: Rebirth,” he says. “Ashleigh and Joseph have proven themselves worthy and have earned the right to enter Olmec’s Temple. But first, Olmec’s gonna give you guys some information to help you retrieve the Infamous Lion Skin of the Tsavo Hunter…”

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 Rope Labyrinth. Maneuver through the ropes, and climb into the Great Seal Room. Place the correct seal in the central holder, and a door may open into the Chamber…of the Sacred Markers. Match the symbols on the right to those on the left, and pass into the Safari Room. Push in the correct animal head, and open the door to the SHRIIIINE of the Silver Monkey! Assemble the statue, and you may be headed toward the Room…of the Secret Password. Find the tablet with the correct inscription and shout it out to 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 Bamboo Forest! Maneuver through the thicket, 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…crawl through the Labyrinth, climb through the Ledges, race down the stairs and back through the Temple Gate. The choices are yours and yours alone!” Olmec pauses. “You won 1½ Pendants in the Temple Games. Who’s going first?”

“I am,” says Ashleigh, raising her hand.

“Very well, Ashleigh,” Olmec replies. “When Kirk gives the signal, you’ll race through the Gates into the Temple and make your way toward the Infamous Lion Skin. 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 Joseph’s turn to enter and try his luck. Hidden somewhere in the Temple is the other half of your Pendant, Joseph. If you can find it and you’re carrying the other half, you will receive an extra life. If you can reach the Lion Skin, all the doors of the Temple will instantly unlock, and the Temple Guards will vanish. Return through the Gates with the Infamous Lion Skin of the Tsavo Hunter in three minutes, and you will both be handsomely rewarded—and here’s how!”

• Just for making it this far, they’ll get a bicycle from Mongoose.
• If they can grab the Lion Skin within three minutes, they’ll also receive a Nintendo Wii, complete with three new games.
• And if they can bring the Lion Skin out of the Temple before three minutes expires, they’ll win a trip to Waikiki Beach, Hawaii.

“All right, Waikiki, let’s see if they can make it through the Temple and claim that prize,” Kirk says. “All right, Joseph, do you guys have a strategy?”

“Not really,” he says, “but we’ve both seen the old show before, and—we know how it works. So we’re just gonna complete the, uh—goals and take the shortest path we can.”

“Okay, let’s see if that’s gonna work—let’s get the mouthpieces in,” Kirk instructs Ashleigh. “Joseph, you need yours in, too. Never know when you might have to take off. Let’s put three minutes on the clock!” The clock appears onscreen, all set to go.

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

“All right, Ashleigh, are you ready?” Kirk asks one final time.

“Yeah,” Ashleigh replies, positioned eagerly at the starting line.

“Okay,” says Kirk. “On your mark, get set—GO!!”

Ashleigh runs up the stairs into the Temple. She enters the Crypt (2:56) and looks around for a couple seconds before pulling the books from the skeletons, eventually opening the door with the third pull (2:48). Ashleigh rushes from the Crypt and maneuvers through the Rope Labyrinth, heading downward and slowed just a bit by the new room. She hits the actuator for the Tomb of the Headless Kings, which opens (2:29), and in the process signals back to Joseph. She enters the room and screams as she immediately meets up with the first TEMPLE GUARD (2:23)! “Oh, that’s a Temple Guard!” Kirk narrates. Ashleigh hands over her Pendant and pulls the rope, opening the trap doors to release a shower of bones into the room (2:17). She finds the skull and places it on the stage-left king (2:14). It’s the right one, and the door opens to the Bamboo Forest. Ashleigh runs into the room and makes her way about halfway through it only to meet the second TEMPLE GUARD (2:08)!

“Oh, another Temple Guard! Go, Joseph!” Kirk narrates. Joseph dashes into the Temple, retracing Ashleigh’s steps. He climbs through the Rope Labyrinth, picking up the hidden half Pendant on the actuator to the Tomb of the Headless Kings (1:59). “He found the half Pendant—that gives him another Pendant—or a full Pendant, I should say,” Kirk narrates. Joseph races through the Tomb, maneuvers through the Bamboo Forest, and hits the actuator for the Dark Forest, which opens (1:51). He crawls through, reaches into the hole of the stage-right tree, but comes out empty-handed (1:46). He tries the other tree, finding a key and dashes to the back of the room, opening the gold door leading to the Room of the Secret Password (1:36). “He’s heading into the Room of the Secret Password—some people never come back from there!” Kirk narrates. Joseph appears in the room (1:26) and opens the stage-left cabinet. He takes out his mouthpiece and yells “Dr. Livingstone, I presume!” Nothing happens, so he dashes to the back of the room (1:19), opens the cabinet, and screams “Open sesame!” It’s the right password, and the door opens to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey (1:13). Joseph enters the room and grabs all three pieces of the monkey. He is just putting the base onto the pedestal, when out jumps the third TEMPLE GUARD (1:08). “Oh—that’s gonna cost him his only Pendant!” Kirk narrates. “Lucky for him there’s no more Temple Guards left!” Joseph has a little trouble lining up the monkey statue, but he eventually gets the base on straight (1:00), places the middle on correctly (0:55) and jams the head down, opening the door to the Safari Room (0:49). He dashes into the room and grabs the LION SKIN (0:46).

“He’s got it! All the doors are open!” Kirk narrates. Joseph rushes into the Chamber of the Sacred Markers and begins descending the ladder (0:41). He appears in the Tomb of the Headless Kings and dashes out the right-side door, bolting through the bottom half of the Rope Labyrinth (0:30). “Thirty seconds left—is he gonna make it?” Kirk asks. Joseph crawls up the tube into the Ledges (0:26) and clambers through, clutching the big Lion Skin. He makes it out of the Ledges, falling down in the process, but he regains his footing, and jogs through the gate with 12 seconds left on the clock.

“They did it!” shouts Kirk as a fanfare of trumpets plays. Ashleigh jumps into Joseph’s arms and Joseph nearly drops the Lion Skin in surprise. “They got it! They got it! All of it! I can’t believe it! They did it! They got the bike, the Nintendo Wii—they’re going to Hawaii!” Joseph is panting hard as tears stream down Ashleigh’s face. “These guys were an incredible team—I’m really glad we got to meet ‘em! And we’ve gotta get out of here—if I had my way, we’d be here all day! We’ll see you next time, and remember…it’s not just Legends: it’s Legends: Rebirth! Buh-bye, everybody!”

Kirk, Ashleigh and Joseph celebrate, periodically holding the Lion Skin high as the credits roll.

[The Bandit King]

The Infamous Lion Skin of the Tsavo Hunter
Season 1, Layout 1
Artifact Location: The Safari Room
Team: Silver Snakes (Ashleigh Morrows & Joseph Bartlett)
Pendants: 1½
Result: Escaped! (0:12 left)

Wow. Just…wow. I can’t think of a better way to start off the “new and improved” revival of Legends of the Hidden Temple. Kirk, at age 49, seems as vibrant and enthusiastic as ever (even though his “Kirk locks” are now gray with age), the new “black light” Olmec looks awesome, the Temple has been rebuilt almost perfectly, and the teams are just as competitive. This Temple Run was incredible, too; just look at the diagram.

Ashleigh was an average player. She stalled a few times, especially in the Rope Labyrinth, but had a good concept of what to do in each room—she had apparently seen the original ’90s Legends. She eventually made it to the Bamboo Forest, where she was taken out with 2:07 left.

Joseph was a great player. He blazed through the rooms Ashleigh had cleared, although he did stall in several places. According to his pre-run interview, he had also watched the original Legends before, and it showed—to his credit, most of the rooms he entered were used at some point in the original show. He did stall in the Dark Forest, but he was pretty quick to hand his Pendant over to the third Temple Guard and to put the Silver Monkey together (19 seconds). He grabbed the artifact with a very healthy 46 seconds left on the clock, and made it out of the Temple with twelve seconds to spare (he took the ladder from the Chamber of the Sacred Markers to the Tomb of the Headless Kings, slowing him down quite a bit). Overall, a strong start for the rejuvenated series.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Notes & Trivia: Several changes are visible on this “new and improved” set of Legends. For one, there’s much more plant life than the original set. Olmec looks about the same, except his headdress is a bit bigger, and he’s now lit up with black lights, which simulates a jungle at night very well. The Temple has some slight differences, too—for instance, there’s only one vine now in the Tomb of the Headless Kings, and “Klatu barata nikto” has now been replaced with “Dr. Livingstone, I presume” in the Room of the Secret Password (possibly because the kids in the original series had such trouble pronouncing it).

It shows that Kirk has been away from the show for awhile. For example, he called Dee Baker by name at one point, and he kept referring to Olmec as “the Olmec”. He also screwed up the teams’ names periodically (Green Iguanas, Orange Parrots, etc.). Dee wasn’t without his share of errors, either—he must have forgotten one part of Temple Game #3, because he added a stipulation after he had apparently finished explaining the entire game.

As the Red Jaguars were introduced prior to the Moat Crossing, they did the D-Generation X crotch chop (wrestling fans will understand what I mean).

Temple Diagram provided by JTH1

[The Silver Monkey]

You weren't watching The Pearl Necklace of Gwalior while you were writing this, were you? Because the names of the Green Monkeys who lost the Temple Games in that episode were named -wait for it- Ashleigh and Joseph.

Just thought that was an eerie coincidence.

And nice work on the fic! I can't wait to see more from you!

[The Bandit King]

I swear to God, I wasn't. In fact, I can't even remember most team members' names that don't go to the Temple.
Actually, I named these players after my two young cousins, who also liked to watch the show. They're 9 and 11, respectively, and it warms my heart to see the younger generation getting some exposure to Legends.

[The Bamboo Forest]

Good stuff, my man, good stuff! *Holds both thumbs up*

I'm a sucker for detailed, in-depth fanfics, and you pulled off both criteria very well. Put quite frankly, ou've mastered the "story style" of fanfics in just your first fanfic. Good work, and looking for more from you.

I think I've just found myself a new series that I'll enjoy reading. :wink:

[The Bandit King]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.  There's plenty more fanfics where this one came from!

[The Ancient Warrior]

I feel like it took me about 30 episodes to get the right amount of detail and naturalism with the writing down, and it looks like you're just about  there already.  This is a really good start to the season; I like it.

Just curious: Are there any other passages that were added to the Temple, or just the Forest/Password one is new?

[Asian Legends Fan]

Cool episode! A little bit like TAW's, but...oh well, it's a story style fanfic, and those are a little harder to do. So, good job overall!