Legends: Rebirth-The Tattered Banner of Mother Lu

[The Bandit King]

Episode 45: The Tattered Banner of Mother Lu

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 Tattered Banner of Mother Lu,” Olmec replies.

“Oh, the Tattered Banner of Mother Lu,” Kirk repeats. “Well, the legend is set, and one of these six teams will have a chance to retrieve the banner—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 really 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 that 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, let’s get started,” Kirk says. “Hey teams, are you ready?”
The teams all scream and cheer in response.
“Olmec, are you ready?” asks Kirk.
“Let’s get started already,” Olmec replies.
“Sounds good to me,” Kirk says. “On your mark, get set, GO!”

All six teams send their male members out first, and they all begin clambering across the giant rope net that covers the vast majority of the Moat. The Silver Snakes’ boy takes a lead, followed closely by the Purple Parrots’ boy and the Red Jaguars’ boy. “They’re scramblin’, scramblin’ to get across that huge spider web!” Kirk narrates. About halfway across, the Green Monkeys’ boy steps through one of the holes in the net, touching the water and prompting the spotters to send him back. The Silver Snakes’ boy makes it across first, followed by the Red Jaguars’ boy, the Purple Parrots’ boy, and the Blue Barracudas’ boy. The Orange Iguanas’ boy seems to be caught in the net about three-fourths of the way across as the Green Monkeys’ boy and the females from the rest of the teams start to cross. The Blue Barracudas’ girl puts her hand through a hole in the net and touches the water almost immediately, so she is sent back. The Purple Parrots’ girl pulls out in front, followed by the Silver Snakes’ girl. The Green Monkeys’ boy makes it across, as does the Orange Iguanas’ boy, and their female partners start to cross now. Soon afterward, the Purple Parrots and Silver Snakes become the first teams to hit their gongs. The Red Jaguars’ girl has steadily made it across, and she scrambles to hit her team’s gong as well. “Three teams in—we only need one more team!” Kirk narrates. The Blue Barracudas’ girl almost puts her hand through the net a second time when she’s almost across it, but she stops herself, finishes crossing, and hits her team’s gong to end the Moat Crossing, which only takes about thirty seconds.

“That’s it!” Kirk shouts as he rushes over and stands beside the Silver Snakes. “Stop right there—we’ve got four teams right there! The Silver Snakes did great; didn’t fall in once, and goin’ on to the Steps of Knowledge are the mighty Silver Snakes…along with the tenacious Purple Parrots…” Kirk briefly pauses between each team’s name to allow applause. “…and the Blue Barracudas…and the Red Jaguars! The Green Monkeys and the Orange Iguanas came up just a little bit short, but we’re not sending them away empty-handed. We’ve got a great gift for ‘em, and here’s what it is!” They receive a $50 gift card 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 now time for Olmec to tell us about the Tattered Banner of Mother Lu. But teams, pay attention, because your knowledge of this legend can bring you a step closer to Olmec’s Temple…”

Olmec begins to tell the story:
“One of the most generous, yet dangerous, women of all time was a first century Chinese woman named Mother Lu. She was known for her kindness, and provided food and other things to peasants, who were being taxed brutally by the emperor Wang Mang. When Lu’s son, who worked for Wang, refused to punish people who didn’t pay their taxes, he was done away with. Mother Lu was furious.
“‘These poor people can’t even pay attention, let alone their taxes! Something has to be done about that mangy Wang!’
“Mother Lu began buying horses and recruiting soldiers. When she had gathered up enough supporters, Lu revolted against the emperor. She and her ragtag army fought a guerilla war against the government on both land and sea. As taxes rose, thousands flocked to join Mother Lu’s cause. In 17 A.D., the peasants made a large banner, painted the word ‘Lu’ on it, and marched on the Chinese county of Haiqu. Mother Lu did not fight in the battle, but watched it all from her tent. Legend has it that when all hope seemed lost, a messenger came to Lu’s tent.
“‘Lu, there are too many of them,’ he said. ‘We’ll never win!’
“‘Do you see that?’ Lu pointed to the banner, standing strong in the thick of battle. ‘That’s still standing, and so am I! I’ll never give up!’
“Inspired by Lu, the peasants fought even harder. Haiqu fell after a fierce battle, and the tattered banner stood through it all. Mother Lu is long gone, but the banner with her name on it has found its way to the Temple. Your quest is to find the Tattered Banner of Mother Lu and bring it back here.”

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

“The Tattered Banner of Mother Lu can be found in the Tomb of the Headless Kings,” Olmec replies. The camera zooms in on a very long, beat-up banner with Chinese writing on it stretched across the laps of the two kings before fading back to Kirk.

“Teams, you’re now standing on the Steps of Knowledge,” Kirk explains. “In a moment, 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, you can move down to the next level, but if you’re wrong or you run out of time, I’m gonna 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 Mother Lu from: India, China, or Japan?”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “China?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Silver Snakes descend to the next level.
“Step down, Silver Snakes,” says Kirk. “Next question, Olmec.”

“Which of Lu’s relatives worked for the emperor: her husband, her son, or her brother?”
The Purple Parrots ring in. “Her son…”
“That is correct,” Olmec responds. The Purple Parrots join the Silver Snakes on the second step.
“Purple Parrots step down as well,” Kirk narrates. “Next question.”

“Was the emperor of China’s name—Bang Bang, Wang Mang, or Hong Kong?”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “Wang…Wang Mang?”
“That…is correct,” Olmec replies. The Silver Snakes proceed to the penultimate step.
“Silver Snakes are already just one step away from the Temple Games,” Kirk observes. “Remember, we need two teams—next question.”

“Why did the emperor do away with Lu’s son: he wouldn’t bow to him, he wouldn’t pay his taxes, or he wouldn’t punish non-taxpayers?”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “He didn’t…uh, wouldn’t pay his taxes?”
“Incorrect,” Olmec replies.
The Purple Parrots ring in. “He, uh…wouldn’t kill people that, uh…didn’t…pay their taxes?”
“That…is correct,” Olmec booms. The Purple Parrots proceed to the next-to-last step.
“Now the Purple Parrots are only one step away,” Kirk says. “Still time for the other two teams to catch up, though—next question.”

“When they revolted against the emperor, what city did Lu’s army invade: Shanghai, Haiqu, or Limerick?”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “Haiku?”
“That is correct!” Olmec says. The Silver Snakes step down to the bottom and high-five one another.
“And there’s our first team for the Temple Games!” Kirk exclaims. “Still looking for one more team—who’s it gonna be? Olmec, let’s go—next question.”

“During the battle, did Lu: command from the frontlines, watch it from a tent, or cower under a rock?”
The Purple Parrots ring in. “Watched it…watch from a tent?”
“That is correct!” Olmec booms. The Purple Parrots leap to the bottom step with the Silver Snakes.

“Just like that, we have our two teams!” Kirk shouts as he rushes onscreen to stand beside them. “The Purple Parrots, and the Silver Snakes! Red Jaguars, Blue Barracudas, come on down here. You guys made it this far, and that’s nothing to be a chain—ashamed of. We’re not sending you home empty-handed—we’ve got a great gift for ‘em, and here’s what it is!” They receive a package of camping gear from Outdoor Products.

Kirk is now seen standing between the two advancing teams. “These two teams are gonna be playing for the right to enter Olmec’s Temple, right after this!”

The camera pans in on the Temple and zooms in on the right-hand skeleton’s head in the Tomb of the Headless Kings. 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 before we get started, let’s get to know our two teams a little better.”

Kirk turns to the Purple Parrots first, who are made up of an average-height blue-eyed girl with an ash-blonde bob-cut and a slightly shorter hazel-eyed Asian boy with shiny black hair.
“Over here on my right are the Purple Parrots, who are made up of Amanda. How old are you, Amanda?”
“Fourteen,” the girl replies.
“And it says you like science and history, and you want to be a teacher when you get older—why is that?”
“Uh…” Amanda struggles to find an answer. “I just…like to help people; like to teach people about things. So, I think it’ll be a good…fit for me.”
“Okay, nice,” says Kirk as he turns to her male partner. “And over here is Rob. How old are you, Rob?”
“Thirteen,” he replies.
“And it says here you like to play baseball and soccer, but you also like to work with computers—tell me about that.”
“Um, well, I like to do, like…Flash animations and stuff on the computer. I’ve been doing in for about…a year now, and it’s really cool.”
“Sounds like we’ve got an intelligent team here,” Kirk says. “Let’s hear it for the Purple Parrots!” Rob and Amanda applaud politely along with the audience.

Kirk now turns to the Silver Snakes, who are made up of a tall brown-eyed girl with long brown hair and an equally tall blue-eyed boy with short, wavy blond hair.
“And over on my left are the Silver Snakes; and this is Jessica. How old are you?”
“Thirteen,” Jessica replies.
“And it says here you like running and swimming—which one do you like better?”
“Um…probably swimming, ‘cause—my family lives pretty close to the St. Johns River, so…I like to swim there whenever I can. It’s really fun.”
“All right, sounds neat,” says Kirk as he turns to interview Jessica’s partner. “And on your right here is your partner, Tom. How old are you, Tom?”
“Fourteen,” Tom replies.
“And…you play baseball and basketball, but you also like to do mechanical work…tell me about that.”
“Well…my dad’s a mechanic, and I’ve…kind of gotten interested in working on cars and trucks and…other stuff with him. I’ve learned a lot…really interesting stuff.”
“Well, you’ll have to show us your stuff in these Temple Games,” says Kirk. “Let’s hear it for the Silver Snakes!” Tom and Jessica applaud excitedly with the audience.

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

“Yeah!” they reply.

“All right—go get ready for the Temple Games,” Kirk instructs, and the teams’ members do so. “Now, in the Temple Games, our teams are going head-to-head, trying to win…” Kirk retrieves a Pendant of Life from his pouch and holds it up to the camera. “…Pendants of Life. The winning team’s gonna need Pendants to protect themselves from the dreaded Temple Guards as they make their way through Olmec’s Temple. There are three Temple Games, and Olmec will tell us about Temple Game #1…”

The black lights under Olmec come on as he begins to explain the first Temple Game:

“When emperor Wang did away with Mother Lu’s son, she decided to revolt against the emperor, gathering supplies and soldiers to help support her cause. In this game, you will be helping Mother Lu gather supplies for her soldiers. When Kirk gives the signal, jump up, grab a shield off the ceiling, drop down and place it in your bin. Then jump up, grab another shield and do it again. Aim carefully, because if you drop a shield outside the bin, it won’t count, and you cannot pick it back up. The first player to gather all their shields, or…the player with the most shields at the end of sixty seconds…wins.”

“Time to take up arms,” says Kirk. “Let’s set the clock for sixty seconds!” The clock slams down in the bottom middle of the screen with a loud gong. “On your mark, get set, GO!”

Both bungee-corded boys jump up and grab a shield off the Velcro ceiling, then come back down and place it in their team’s bin. Both Rob and Tom remain very even throughout the game—neither one drops any shields, and they’re both quite fast about getting their shields. However, Tom is just a tad faster than Rob, and he manages to drop his eighth and final shield in his bin with only two seconds remaining.

“Okay, that’s it!” shouts Kirk as he runs back onscreen. Come on down here—each team did great; they were both fast, but the Silver Snakes got all their shields just in the nick of time—that means the Silver Snakes get the half Pendant of Life!” Kirk lets the audience applaud for a few seconds. “The Purple Parrots can tie it up in this next Temple Game. It’s also worth a half Pendant—Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #2…”

Olmec begins:
“Mother Lu’s army had to be fast and nimble on horseback to combat the emperor’s army, and in this game, you’ll also have to be handy with a horse. When Kirk gives the signal, hold on tight, because the horse you’re on now will begin to spin. If you fall off, your opponent will receive a point. The player with the most points at the end of sixty seconds…wins.”

“All right, let’s hope our teams know how to handle these horses,” says Kirk. “Let’s put sixty seconds on the clock!” The clock slams down in the corner, ready to go. “On your mark, get set, GO!”
As soon as Kirk says “Go”, the spotters begin agitating the sandbags that Amanda and Jessica are holding on to. No one falls off until about 15 seconds into the game, when Amanda slips and falls off her “horse” to give the Silver Snakes one point. Jessica falls off with about 31 seconds remaining to tie up the score. Almost immediately after Jessica climbs back on and the spotters start up again, Amanda falls off for a second time. Fifteen more seconds go by, and Amanda falls off again, giving the Silver Snakes a big lead late in the game. Time expires very soon afterward.

“Okay, that’s it!” says Kirk as he appears back onscreen. “Come on down, girls—they had to hold on for dear life there at the end, didn’t you? Let’s check out the scores…” Kirk glances back at the scorecards. “The Silver Snakes got three points; the Purple Parrots got one point—the Silver Snakes get the half Pendant of Life!” The audience applauds briefly. “So now, the Silver Snakes are ahead, one Pendant to nothing. Now, we go to 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:
“Mother Lu’s army was fearless in their struggle against the county of Haiqu, fighting off hundreds of government-appointed soldiers. In this game, you’ll only have to take down four of them. Before you stands an army of government soldiers. When Kirk gives the signal, load your slingshot and shoot a ball at one of the soldiers. Then your partner will load the slingshot. The first team to knock down all four soldiers, or…the team that knocks over the most soldiers at the end of sixty seconds…wins.”

“This is for the Temple,” explains Kirk. “Let’s put sixty seconds on the clock, please!” The clock slams down in the bottom right-hand corner with the usual sound effect. “Just let me get out of your way here…okay. On your mark, get set…GO!”

The Silver Snakes knock down their first target with the first ball they launch, but it takes the Purple Parrots three balls to knock over their first target. About eight seconds later, the Silver Snakes knock over a second target. The Purple Parrots knock over their second target with 41 seconds to go, but one second later, the Silver Snakes knock over their third target. The Purple Parrots get their third target knocked down with 29 seconds to go. From here, the cannonballs go flying everywhere, and no one scores for nearly the entire expanse of time left on the clock. But then, with one second left, the Silver Snakes knock over their fourth and final target.

“Okay, they got it!” Kirk says as he rushes back onscreen. “The Silver Snakes got all of their targets down first, so they get the full Pendant. That gives them two; the Purple Parrots didn’t score—the Silver Snakes are goin’ to the Temple!” Tom and Jessica high-ten one another and cheer in excitement. “The Purple Parrots were a great team; it was neck-and-neck all through these games today. They’re not going home empty-handed—here’s what we’ve got for ‘em!” They receive a $150 savings bond provided by Wonka candy.

As the prize disappears off-screen, Kirk is seen standing beside the winning team. “Now we’ll see if the Silver Snakes can make it through Olmec’s Temple and retrieve the Tattered Banner of Mother Lu—right after this!”

The camera flies over Kirk and eventually zooms in on a realistic-looking vine growing on the edge of the Temple. It follows the vine up to the edge of the Shrine of the Silver Monkey, then zooms in on the statue’s head on one of the shelves as 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,” he says. “The Silver Snakes have proven themselves worthy, and now they’ve earned the right to enter Olmec’s Temple. But first, Olmec’s gonna give them some information that could help them retrieve the Tattered Banner of Mother Lu…”

Olmec begins to explain the Temple layout as the camera gives us a first-person walkthrough 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 SHRIIIIINE 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 the 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 1½ Pendants in the Temple Games. Who’s going first?”

“I am,” says Tom.

“Very well, Tom,” Olmec replies. “When Kirk gives the signal, you’ll race through the Gate into the Temple and make your way toward the Tattered Banner. 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 Jessica’s turn to enter and try her luck. If you can reach the Tattered Banner, all the doors of the Temple will instantly unlock, and the Temple Guards will vanish. Return through the Gates with the Tattered Banner of Mother Lu in three minutes, and you’ll both be handsomely rewarded…and heeeeeere’s how!”

• Just for making it this far, they’ll get a sports package from Outdoor Products.
• If they can grab the Hat within three minutes, they’ll also receive an Xbox 360, complete with three new games.
• And if they can bring the Hat out of the Temple before three minutes expires, they’ll win a trip to Jamaica.

“I can tell they wanna go to Jamaica, so let’s see if we can get ‘em there,” says Kirk. “Tom, you get out in front…now Jessica, what is your strategy on how you’re gonna reach the Battered…Tattered Banner?”

“Yeah, we’re just gonna stay high,” says Jessica. “Uh, we’re going up, and then double back to get the, uh…Banner, and then…try to get out with it in time.”

“Sounds like they have it all planned out,” says Kirk. “We’ll see if that works—Tom, you need your mouthpiece in…Jessica, you get yours in, too. Let’s set the clock for three minutes!” The clock slams down in the corner, ready to go.

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

“On your mark,” Kirk begins, “get set, GO!”

“There he goes; up, up, up into the Temple!” a Kirk voice-over narrates as Tom dashes up the stairs, clutching his Pendant. True to his partner’s words, he decides to take the high road right from the start, entering the Crypt, where he pulls all three books before the door to the Bottomless Pit opens (2:49). “Okay, onward to the Bottomless Pit!” the voice-over says as Tom enters the room, grabs the rope, and swings to the opposite ledge. He hits the actuator for the Candelabra Room, and the door to there opens. Completely ignoring the actuator for the Great Seal Room, he continues into the Candelabra Room (2:38), where he begins pushing the actuators under each candelabra. The third one he tries lights the room up a bright orange, and the curtain leading to the door to the Great Seal Room flies up (2:30). “All right, he’s got it—up to the Great Seal Room!” Tom climbs the ladder into the room at a fair speed, but when he enters the room and turns around, he comes face-to-face with the first TEMPLE GUARD (2:19). “Oh, the first Temple Guard!” laments the voice-over as Tom looks surprised. “He has a Pendant, though, so that’s good!” Tom hands over his Pendant, and the Temple Guard slinks to the back of the room, where Tom heads to retrieve all four seals, which he brings to the central holder in the room. He places one seal in the holder, but nothing happens (2:03). He places two more seals before finally opening the door to the Room of the Mystical Keys (1:49). Tom races into the room and begins to search the nine compartments. “This guy’s fast—he’s got to be, if he wants to reach the Tattered Banner!” The camera cuts down to Jessica, who is clapping and cheering “You can do it!” When we see Tom again, he has one key in his hands, and is searching the exact middle compartment. When he comes out empty-handed, he tries the one to the right of it, where he finds the second key he needs (1:36). Tom brings the two keys to the front of the room, where he places the two keys in the middle and rightmost of the three pedestals there. When he does, the rims of these two pedestals light up green, and the door to the Shrine opens (1:29). “All right, moving on to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey,” says the voice-over as Tom enters the room. “This is definitely a long path to get to the Banner, but he’s still got time to do it!” Tom races to the back of the room, and using his height to his advantage, grabs all three pieces of the monkey statue. He brings them to the front of the room and places the base on the pedestal (1:13). After having a little trouble aligning it properly, he places the middle (1:01), and finally, he jams down the head, opening the doors to both the Lightning Ball Room and the Dungeon (0:56). Tom chooses to enter the Lightning Ball Room, but he soon regrets his choice, as the second TEMPLE GUARD soon emerges from hiding and grabs him (0:50)!

“Whoa, Temple Guard! Go, Jessica!” the voice-over shouts, and Jessica takes off. She follows Tom’s path exactly, ignoring the newly open door from the Candelabra Room to the Room of the Mystical Keys. “She’s got a long way to go, and just a short time to do it!” says Kirk. “She’s gonna have to run like the wind!” Jessica finally makes it to the Shrine (0:20) and starts to enter the Lightning Ball Room, but she changes her mind when she sees the open door to the Dungeon, taking this door instead (0:17). “Oh, she found a shortcut—but will it be enough with only a few seconds left?” As Jessica drops off the ladder into the Dungeon, the third TEMPLE GUARD jumps out from hiding (0:09). “Whoa, Temple Guard! Give him the Pendant—hurry, HURRY!” the voice-over urges. Jessica hands her Pendant to the Temple Guard and turns to break down the wall and enter the Dark Forest, but unfortunately, we’re out of time…

“Oh, time ran out on her in the Dungeon!” Kirk laments. “She still had a long way to go to reach the Banner, too—tough break for this team. But still, they get the, uh…the sports packages for playing, and I know they had a great time, right?” Tom nods his head as Kirk places his hand on his shoulder. “Well, we’ve got to go. But don’t worry—we’ll see ya again next time on Legends: Rebirth! Buh-bye!”

Kirk and Tom start chatting as the credits start to roll. The camera shows shots of numerous rooms in the Temple, including the Crypt, the upper half of the Bottomless Pit, and the Candelabra Room. When we cut back to Kirk and Tom, Jessica has joined them, and they wave to the audience as the credits finish, and the Stone Stanley logo appears onscreen.

[The Bandit King]

The Tattered Banner of Mother Lu
Season 2, Layout 1 (6 overall)
Artifact Location: The Tomb of the Headless Kings
Team: Silver Snakes (Tom Burckhardt & Jessica O’Conner)
Pendants: 2
Result: Ran out of time

This episode started out on a strong note with the exciting new “spider web” Moat crossing and the commanding performance by both the Silver Snakes and Purple Parrots at the Steps of Knowledge. However, the Temple Run itself kind of disappointed me.

Tom was a fairly fast runner who knew what he was doing in most of the rooms he entered. He took a slightly longer path than was necessary, choosing to go into the Candelabra Room instead of the Great Seal Room from the Bottomless Pit, but he cleared an impressive seven rooms in his tenure in the Temple. He was taken out in the Lightning Ball Room with fifty seconds to go.

Jessica had a long way to go to get to the Banner, but she was very much on the slow side—it took her a full thirty seconds to reach the Shrine from standing beside Kirk. Fortunately, she was smart—she chose to enter the Dungeon from the Shrine, saving her from having to complete the Lightning Ball Room’s objective (she met a Temple Guard in the Dungeon which slowed her down anyway, but at least she showed intelligence). Time ran out as she was about to enter the Dark Forest.

When an artifact is hidden at the bottom of the Temple’s central shaft, the path to it is usually long and time-consuming. This was definitely the case here, as the team would have had to pass through at least eight (or in this team’s case, nine) rooms before reaching the artifact. The only shortcut seen was the omission of the Candelabra Room, which even then wouldn’t have saved the team much time. This run was definitely a tough one, and this team sadly couldn’t cut the mustard.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Notes and Trivia: This is the first episode of Rebirth in which a savings bond is given as a consolation prize.

This episode marks the first time on Legends of the Hidden Temple that a Temple Guard is encountered in the Lightning Ball Room.

[The Ancient Warrior]

Devious, devious, devious.  I'd say the crew definitely messed with the players with the different possible paths (and the paths that only opened up AFTER objectives were cleared? something that actually makes some of these setups stand out).

Btw, a little suggestion/nitpick: Would it be possible to break the Temple Run down into smaller paragraphs in the future? I think I actually lost my place reading this one. ^^;

[The Bamboo Forest]

I had a strong feeling that it would be this episode.