Wild Jungle EP: The Jolly Roger of Ned Lowe

[The Bamboo Forest]

To find more Wild Jungle episodes, click THIS LINK to go to the Official Episode Guide thread!



“Hey, Kirk, guess what?” says a giant talking stone head.

“Yeah, Olmec, what’s up?” replies Kirk, walking toward Olmec.

“I talked to the producers and they managed to get Scorpions to come onto the show,” Olmec says.

“The Scorpions?” Kirk says, raising his eyebrows. “I love their songs, where are they?”

“They’re practicing by the Rapids,” Olmec says.

Kirk walks out of the shot muttering to himself. “I can’t see them from here… AHHHH! THESE ARE REAL SCORPIONS! OLMEC!”

“WELCOME TO LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE: WILD JUNGLE!”

The theme music suddenly begins to play. There is a flash of green lightning, two halves of a Pendant of Life crash together to form the show’s logo, and underneath it the words “Wild Jungle” appear as the Pendant pushes back to allow the rest of the title to appear over it. The background quickly cross-fades to lush greenery as cascading water is heard. The camera then moves towards the right to reveal a channel of bubbling, steamy water, and what appears to be a tropical jungle.

“With your guide, Kirk Fogg!” Olmec then yells. “And here he is now!”

A bamboo gate opens below the audience sections, and Kirk runs out to greet the crowd, crossing a bridge to the other side of the rapidly-moving water. “Thank you very much!” he shouts. “Nice to see you—nice to see you too, Olmec. Welcome to Legends of the Hidden Temple. The rooms are filled with lost treasures that are protected by mysterious Mayan Temple Guards. Only Olmec knows the legend behind each of the treasures in his Temple. Which one are we gonna hear about today?”

The lights under Olmec switch on as he replies:
“The Legend of the Jolly Roger of Ned Lowe.”

“Ah, the Jolly Roger of Ned Lowe,” repeats Kirk. “Well, the legend is set, and one of these six teams will have a chance to retrieve that Jolly Roger—”

The camera segues back to the doorway that Kirk emerged from moments ago, and the teams come out of it one-by-one as Kirk introduces them.

“Will it be the Red Jaguars?
“The Blue Barracudas?
“The Green Monkeys?
“The Orange Iguanas?
“The Purple Parrots?
“Or the Silver Snakes?”

“They’re gonna have to pass some tough physical and mental tests,” says Kirk, “and in the end, only one team will earn the right to enter Olmec’s Temple. But first, they have to cross the Rapids, and Olmec will tell us how they’ll have to do it today.” The camera zooms in on Olmec’s face as a small animated representation of the game appears in the corner of the screen.

Olmec instructs:
“Before you, an unstable bridge stretches across the Rapids, and beside it, two old vines. When Kirk gives the signal, the first player will step onto the bridge and make their way across while holding on to the vines. If you fall into the water, you must return to the riverbank and begin again. Both partners must cross the Rapids the same way, and when both partners are safely on the other side, hit your gong to finish!” The camera rapidly zooms out all the way to the Red Jaguars’ gong, which Kirk slams down on to demonstrate.

“The first four teams to hit their gongs will advance to the next round,” finishes Olmec.

“Teams!” calls Kirk, who is standing on the wooden bridge at the front end of the Rapids. “Are you ready?”

The teams all shout and cheer in response.

“Olmec, are you ready?” Kirk then asks.

“Rock Me Like a Hurricane, Kirk!” replies Olmec.

“Haha, all right,” laughs Kirk in response. “Teams! On your marks, get set… GO!”

The boys on all the six teams immediately tread forward, some startled by the unstableness of the bridge at first. “There they go, across the Rapids,” shouts Kirk. “Green Monkeys doing good! So are the Silver Snakes—here they come!” The boy on the Silver Snakes tears across his bridge, barely making contact with the vines beside him, while the boys on the Orange Iguanas and Red Jaguars move across more carefully, walking across the bridge instead. “Blue Barracudas fell in,” narrates Kirk as the camera zooms in on the Blue Barracuda boy falling into the water, then back to the riverbank, where the boys on the Purple Parrots, Green Monkeys, and Silver Snakes are already standing. “We’ve got four—five players!” announces Kirk as the boys on the Red Jaguars and Orange Iguanas join them. “Now for their partners to come across. It’s tough, they gotta keep their balance…” The girl on the Green Monkeys falls into the water, and so does the girl on the Purple Parrots, who loses her balance about halfway across the bridge. “That leaves an opening for the Red Jaguars!” shouts Kirk. The Orange Iguana and Silver Snake girls both scramble toward the finish, both disregarding the vines and simply running across the bridge onto the deck.

“Here they come!” Kirk narrates. “We’ve got one—two—” Two gongs ring almost simultaneously as the Orange Iguanas and Silver Snakes both gong in. “We’ve got room for two more teams! Here come the Blue Barracudas…” The girl on the Green Monkeys lets go of the vines to the sides and instead tries to make a dash for it, but ends up slipping and falling into the water again. “OH!” groans Kirk. “Green Monkeys’re down again, gives a chance for the Blue Barracudas—here they come!” The girl on the Blue Barracudas cautiously makes her way closer to the riverbank, but is overtaken by a frantic Purple Parrot girl who races onto the deck and slams down on her gong. “Purple Parrots are in!” shouts Kirk, but is interrupted by the sound of a fourth gong, coming from the Blue Barracudas at a little over 30 seconds into the round. “And the Blue Barracudas! We’ve got our four teams!”

The camera segues back to Kirk standing on the wooden bridge at the front end of the Rapids. “All right, nice job,” he says. “Going on to the Steps of Knowledge are the Blue Barracudas—” A shot of each qualifying team is shown as Kirk announces their name “—and the Orange Iguanas—and the Purple Parrots—and the Silver Snakes.

“The Red Jaguars and the Green Monkeys came up short,” he then says. “They gave it a great effort, though. They’re not going away empty-handed. We’ve got a great gift for ‘em and here’s what it is… Olmec?”

We see a close-up of Olmec’s face, and as he speaks, the prize plug covers the screen:
“You will now be able to tell time by splitting open a Pendant of Life on your new Legends of the Hidden Temple WATCH! A custom-made digital sports watch design from Casio.”

[The Bamboo Forest]

The screen transitions to a shot of the four remaining teams atop the Steps of Knowledge as Kirk walks into the frame. “As the quest continues,” he says, “it’s now time for Olmec to tell us about The Jolly Roger of Ned Lowe. But teams—pay attention, because your knowledge of the legend can bring you a step closer to Olmec’s Temple.”

Olmec begins to tell the legend:
“One of the most dangerous pirates that ever sailed the seas was Captain Ned Lowe. In 1723, Ned Lowe was about to begin an attack on what they thought was just a few ships, but turned out to be a massive fleet from Portugal, armed with cannons. Before they could attack, the Portuguese ships fired at them, tearing apart Ned’s Jolly Roger—his pirate’s flag.

“‘Arggg!’ growled Ned. ‘They be firin’ now, but let’s see how they like being twenty thousand leagues under the sea!’

“Ned Lowe led an attack, capturing a ship that contained gold worth over $20,000. Legend has it, the captain of the ship was so stubborn that he tossed the gold over the ship instead of giving it up to Ned.

“‘Aye, so you chose to make it so that no one gets the gold?’ Ned said, pacing around the captain. ‘So be it! I have a special surprise waitin’ for you…’

“‘Is it at the bottom of the sea?’ said the shaking captain.

“‘No, you pathetic squid! It’s somethin’ MUCH worse…’

“Ned then chopped off the captain’s ear with his cutlass and fed it to the ship’s crew while his own crew watched in terror.

“‘He’s a madman!’ one of them yelled. ‘A madman, I tell you!’

“‘And that’s for ruinin’ my flag!’ bellowed Ned, tossing one of the crew members overboard. Ned eventually replaced his Jolly Roger, but the tattered one ended up in the Temple. Your task is to find the Jolly Roger of Ned Lowe and bring it back here.”

“You know what, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to tell us,” jokes Kirk, prompting a laughing response from the audience. “All right, tell us where the Jolly Roger is.”

“The Jolly Roger of Ned Lowe can be found… in Calico Jack’s Ship,” declares Olmec. The camera moves past rooms on the top floor of the Temple and stops in front of Calico Jacks’ Ship, before fading to a close-up of the Jolly Roger hanging in front of the Temple Guard door.

“But of course,” says Kirk in response. “Teams—you are now standing on the Steps of Knowledge. In a minute, Olmec’s gonna ask you a question. If you think you know the answer, stomp down on the ancient marking in front of you. If you’re right, you’ll move down to the next level, but if you’re wrong or run out of time, I’m gonna have to give the other teams a chance to answer. The first two teams that make it to the bottom level—” Kirk runs down the steps, then walks out of view “—will be one step closer to Olmec’s Temple. Olmec, we’re now ready for your first question…”

Olmec asks: “Was Ned Lowe: a sailor, a pirate—”
The Orange Iguanas buzz in: “A pirate.”
“That is correct,” declares Olmec.
“Step down, Orange Iguanas,” says Kirk as they move down to the second step. “Next question, Olmec.”

Olmec asks: “Was Ned Lowe a pirate in: the 1600s, the 1700s, or the 1800s?”
The Blue Barracudas guess: “The 1600s?”
“Incorrect,” replies Olmec.
The Purple Parrots then stomp down: “Um, the 1700s…?”
“That is correct,” Olmec then says.
“All right, step down, Purple Parrots,” says Kirk as they move down to join the Orange Iguanas. “Next question.”

Olmec asks: “Was the fleet that attacked Ned Lowe form: Spain, Portugal, or England?”
The Purple Parrots ring in again: “Portugal?”
“That is correct,” replies Olmec.
“Whoa, just like that, the Purple Parrots are one step away from the Temple Games!” Kirk exclaims. “There’s still plenty of time, though. Next question.”

Olmec asks: “What is a Jolly Roger: a pirate’s ship, a pirate’s flag, or a pirate’s eye patch?”
The Silver Snakes stomp down: “A pirate’s flag.”
“That is correct,” says Olmec.
“All right, Silver Snakes are on the board now,” commentates Kirk as the Silver Snakes also move down to the second step. “Next question.”

Olmec asks: “Is the front of a ship called: the stern, the bow, or the crow’s nest?”
The Silver Snakes ring in: “The stern?”
“Incorrect,” Olmec declares.
After a few seconds, the Orange Iguanas hit their marking: “The bow…?”
“That is correct,” replies Olmec.
“All right, now the Orange Iguanas are just one step away from the Temple Games,” Kirk narrates. “We’re looking for two teams. Olmec, next question.”

Olmec asks: “Did the Portuguese ships fire at Ned with: guns, cannons, or giant catapults?”
The Orange Iguanas stomp down: “Cannons!”
“THAT IS CORRECT!” booms Olmec.

“We’ve got our first team moving on to the Temple Games—it’s the Orange Iguanas!” shouts Kirk as the camera zooms in on them cheering in celebration on the bottom step. “We’re still looking for another team, though—who’s it gonna be? Let’s continue, Olmec. Next question.”

Olmec asks: “How did Ned Lowe punish the Portuguese captain: by tossing him overboard, by making him walk the plank—”
The Blue Barracudas buzz in: “Um… he cut his ear off…?”
“That… is correct,” replies Olmec.
“All right, step down, Blue Barracudas,” instructs Kirk as the Blue Barracudas finally move down a step. “Next question, Olmec.”

Olmec asks: “Which of these units is often used by ships to calculate distance: kilometers, nautical miles, or feet?”
The Purple Parrots quickly ring in: “Nautical miles?”
“THAT IS CORRECT!” shouts Olmec.

“These two teams are going on to the Temple Games!” announces Kirk, running over to the bottom step. “They are the Orange Iguanas… and the Purple Parrots!” The audience applauds loudly as both qualifying teams are shown.

“The Blue Barracudas and the Silver Snakes did a great job,” Kirk then says, “gave it a great effort… they’re not going away empty-handed. We’ve got a great gift for ‘em, don’t we, Olmec?”

Olmec begins to speak as a prize plug covers the screen:
“You’ve just won a Legends of the Hidden Temple backpack each! Custom-designed and made to fit; never venture anywhere without the wildest backpack in the world! A product… of Jansport.”

The prize plug cuts away to reveal the remaining two teams on the bottom step. “These two teams are gonna be playing for the rights to enter Olmec’s Temple,” shouts Kirk, “and they’re gonna do it… right after this!” The screen cuts to a hand-held camera moving toward the mountain in the corner of the set and zooms in on a couple of tropical birds sitting on a ledge. Two halves of a Pendant of Life crash together to form the show’s titlecard, the words “Wild Jungle” appear under it, and then the screen fades to commercial.

[The Bamboo Forest]

When the screen fades back in, we see a shot of a pair of scorpions placed on top of the Green Monkeys’ gong, with the show’s logo in the corner and the words “Wild Jungle” next to it. The Pendant and the words shatter and spin off in different directions, and the camera zooms out before fading back to Kirk and the two teams, standing in front of Olmec.

“Welcome back to Legends,” says Kirk. “Now, before our next round… well, I thought the Scorpions were here to perform for us, but clearly they aren’t, so we’ll just have to do this ourselves, won’t we? Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Olmec leading our audience and players. All right, loud as you can, everyone! Olmec!”

The lights underneath Olmec come on as he sings: “Here I am…”

“ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE!” the players and the audience yell back before the audience explodes into cheers and applause.

“All right, nice job!” shouts Kirk as the camera cuts back to him. “Okay… well, now the glory goes to the fastest and the strongest, so before we get started, let’s meet our teams.” He turns to an average-sized boy with blond hair and blue-green eyes on the Orange Iguanas.

“On the Orange Iguanas,” begins Kirk, “we’ve got Allen. Allen, where are you from?”

“Toronto,” Allen replies.

“And you came all the way down here?” Kirk says. “All right! And, Allen, I understand that you like skateboarding. Tell me about that.”

“Um, my friends and I just like to go to the park,” explains Allen, “and… um, we just… do tricks and… practice.”

“All right,” Kirk says, turning to a short girl with long, light brown hair and brown eyes. “And also, we have Natalie. Natalie, you like to play soccer, but also it says here that you collect old coins. Tell me about that.”

“Um, I started when I found this nickel from the 1950s, and I thought it was interesting, so I continued,” Natalie says.

“And what’s the oldest coin you have?” Kirk asks.

“I think… it’s one from 1939,” recalls Natalie.

“All right, sounds cool,” says Kirk in response. “Let’s hear it for these Orange Iguanas!” The audience claps and cheers for the team.

“And over here on the Purple Parrots,” continues Kirk, facing a short boy with tanned skin and dark brown hair, “we’ve got Raymond. I understand that you like all sports—what’s your favorite?”

“Um… probably basketball, because you’re always moving around,” says Raymond.

“All right, and what position do you play?” asks Kirk.

“Point guard,” replies Raymond quickly.

“Okay, well, let’s see if you can get some points during the Temple Games,” remarks Kirk, now turning to an equally short girl with light blue eyes and shoulder-length dark hair. “And also, Stephanie here; it says here that you like animals. Why do you like animals?”

“‘Cause… they’re cute, and they’re fun to take of—take care of,” says Stephanie, laughing.

“All right, and what do you want to be when you grow up?” Kirk then asks.

“A veterinarian,” replies Stephanie.

“Haha, I thought so,” Kirk remarks. “Let’s hear it for the Purple Parrots!” The audience once again cheers—this time for the Purple Parrots—before Kirk continues.

“You guys ready to play?” Kirk then asks. The players shout and cheer in response. “All right, boys, you can head over for Temple Game #1, and girls over there for the second one…” Kirk points the players in different directions, dismissing them before he turns to face the camera.

“In the Temple Games,” he explains, “teams are competing to win Pendants of Life…” Kirk grabs a Pendant out of his pouch and holds it up to the camera. “The winning team will need those Pendants to protect themselves from the dreaded Temple Guards as they make their way through the Temple. There are three Temple Games, and Olmec will tell us about Temple Game #1.”

The lights beneath Olmec turn on as he begins:
“Ned Lowe was a fierce pirate and would back down from no fight. In this game, we’ll see how well you can handle being attacked by your opponent. When Kirk gives the signal, venture out to collect cannonballs, load your cannon, and then fire at your opponent. If you hit them, the cannonball will stick to their clothes. If you run out of cannonballs, go out again to find some more. The player with the least cannonballs stuck to them at the end of 60 seconds wins.”

“I don’t wanna get in the crossfire,” Kirk says, “so I’ll back out of here. Let’s put 60 seconds on the clock!”

A countdown timer with Olmec’s face on the side of it lands in the bottom-right corner of the screen. “On your marks,” begins Kirk, “get set… GO!”

Allen and Raymond immediately head out to the ball pit, collecting as many balls as they can with their open arms and taking them back to their cannons. “All right, now let’s see if they can get their aim right when they shoot,” says Kirk. [0:50] “And there they go!” Both boys shoot barrages of balls out of their cannons, and with 43 seconds on the clock, one has stuck to Allen and two to Raymond. “Oh, Red—uh, Orange Iguanas gotta reload!” shouts Kirk. Allen ventures out while Raymond takes this chance to shoot, sticking a second ball to Allen… but needing to reload himself. “Oh, Purple needs to reload—that gives a chance for the Orange Iguanas to pull ahead,” narrates Kirk as Allen repositions himself behind his cannon. [0:31] “OH! Nice job by the Orange Iguanas!” shouts Kirk as Allen sticks three balls onto Raymond’s back as he makes his way back. “That was hard to dodge, that’s for sure.”

[0:25] With a score of 5-2 Orange, Raymond fires back quickly at Allen, pulling down the lever on his cannon hard to fire more quickly, but ending up shooting an uncontrollable stream of balls, of which only one sticks to Allen, as he heads down to gather more cannonballs. “Oh, that gives a chance for the Purple Parrots!” exclaims Kirk. Raymond fires a ball at Allen, which he dodges with 19 seconds on the clock, but fires a second and sticks it on. “OH! Orange Iguanas got hit!” commentates Kirk. [0:11] Raymond heads out to reload right as Allen heads back to his cannon with his cannonballs, putting them into his cannon as quickly as possible. “Just a few seconds left…” says Kirk, as Allen begins to fire again with only five seconds remaining, hitting Raymond with two balls, but before a third can stick, TIME IS UP!

“That’s it!” shouts Kirk, running back into view of the camera. “Stop right there, time’s up… all right, come on down here, Raymond… Both of you, come on down here. Let’s count up—” Allen and Raymond run to Kirk in front of the camera.

“Let’s see,” says Kirk, “the Orange Iguanas had one—” Kirk begins to count the cannonballs stuck onto the Velcro pads worn by the players as he pulls them off one-by-one “—two, three balls stuck to ‘em. And the Purple Parrots had… one… two… three… four… five— Gotta check the back, there… six… SEVEN balls stuck to them. The Orange Iguanas had the least, so the Orange Iguanas get the half a Pendant of Life!” The audience cheers briefly and a small scoreboard appears in the corner, with a half-Pendant under Orange and an empty space below Purple.

“The Purple Parrots can catch up in the next Temple Game,” reminds Kirk. “It’s also worth a half-Pendant. Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #2.”

The camera cuts back to Olmec as he explains:
“Ned Lowe sailed the seven seas with his fearsome fleet searching for treasure. Luckily for you, you won’t be sailing for as long. When Kirk gives the signal, roll your boat down the ramp and into the water. When you reach the island, grab the treasure chest, and—without letting any part of your body touch the water—pull yourself back to the dock with the rope. The first player to land both feet on the dock with their treasure chest—or the team that’s further along at the end of 60 seconds—wins.”

“Bon voyage, teams!” shouts Kirk from the sidelines. “Let’s put 60 seconds on the clock!”

The clock lands in the corner of the screen with a bang. “On your marks,” shouts Kirk, “get set… GO!”

Both boats roll down the ramp toward the islands at the same speed. “There they go!” Kirk narrates. “They’re heading on a pirate’s voyage to the island!” Both girls reach their islands at around the same time. [0:52] “Now they have to get their treasure chests in, and then come back!” Natalie stumbles a bit with her treasure chest, but Stephanie grabs hers and places it in her boat quickly, immediately grabbing the rope. “Purple Parrots, nice job—she’s not even gonna turn her boat around!” shouts Kirk as Stephanie pulls herself back to the dock. [0:44] “Oh, it’s gonna be close… THAT’S IT!” yells Kirk as Stephanie races up the ramp and onto the center of the dock (where Kirk is standing) to end the game with 37 seconds remaining.

“Nice job, Orange Iguanas!” Kirk says as Natalie also comes running up the ramp a little too late, “but the Purple Parrots made it back here first, so that gives them the half Pendant of Life!” The audience cheers as the scoreboard appears in the corner, with a half-Pendant under both Orange and Purple.

“So now it’s a tie—they each have a half a Pendant,” announces Kirk. “We’re going into our third and final game. It’s worth a full Pendant… Olmec, tell us about it.”

We see a close-up of Olmec as he speaks:
“Ned Lowe was often called a madman, and would attack fleets of up to ten boats at a time. Fortunately, the fleet you’ll have to take down is much smaller. One of you is suspended from the crow’s nest in a sack. When Kirk gives the signal, swing your partner at one of the ships and sink it by knocking it over. The first team to sink all three ships—or the team that sinks the most ships at the end of 60 seconds—wins.”

“This is for the Temple,” reminds Kirk. “Let’s put 60 seconds on the clock!”

The clock slams down into the corner of the screen. “On your marks,” begins Kirk, “get set… GO!”

The boys on both teams pull their partners back before swinging them forward. “Once they get started, it’s all about keeping up that momentum,” explains Kirk. “You don’t wanna lose your momentum.” Both teams swing their sacks toward their ships—the Orange Iguanas coming fairly close to their middle ship—but they both miss on their first tries. “Oh, they both miss!” [0:51] The Orange Iguanas swing their sack, knocking down their center ship without trouble, but then have some difficulty changing direction. “Orange Iguanas got one,” commentates Kirk, “but so do the Purple Parrots,” he says as the Purple Parrots also knock over their center ship, swinging back and forth to hit their rightmost ship. “That’s two for the Purple Parrots!” exclaims Kirk as the Orange Iguanas miss with 46 seconds on the clock. “Purple Parrots just need one more—can they get it…? NO!” The Purple Parrots nearly hit their last ship down, barely missing it by inches. [0:42] “Oh, Purple Parrots just need one more ship!” wails Kirk as they swing in again. “Aaaaand… that’s three! Stop right there!”

The clock freezes at 36 and disappears from the screen as Kirk runs over to the sacks, which are being stopped by the stunt spotters running onscreen. “All right… we’ll stop our players first,” says Kirk. “Okay, well, the Purple Parrots got all their ships down with time to spare, so that gives them the full Pendant of Life—” Kirk is briefly interrupted with applause before he continues.

“All right, that gives them a Pendant and a half,” Kirk recounts. “The Orange Iguanas had a half—the Purple Parrots are going to Olmec’s Temple!” The camera cuts to Stephanie still in her sack, cheering with her hands in the air as the scoreboard comes up in the corner again—reading 1.5-0.5 Purple and the Purple side’s border flashing a bright yellow.

“The Orange Iguanas gave it a great effort,” Kirk reminds. “It came down to that last Temple Game, and they didn’t quite make it, but we’ve got a great gift for ‘em and Olmec’s gonna tell us what it is.”

Olmec announces the prize as a picture of it appears onscreen:
“It’s a savings bond from… Skechers Footwear. Makers of fun, exciting, cool shoes, sneakers, and boots. Skechers—it’s the ‘S’!”

The prize plug cuts away to reveal Kirk standing next to the Purple Parrots, now both on the ground. “Let’s see if the Purple Parrots can make it through Olmec’s Temple,” he shouts, “retrieve that Jolly Roger of Ned Lowe… right after this!” We cut to a crane cam passing by several rooms of the Temple quickly, stopping to show the Secret Spring, the Quartzite Canyon, and the Oasis all in one shot. Two halves of a Pendant of Life crash together to form the show’s titlecard, the words “Wild Jungle” appear under it, and then the screen fades to commercial.

[The Bamboo Forest]

When the screen fades back in, we see the camera focused on an anaconda curled up in the branches of a tree by the Rapids, with the show’s logo in the corner and the words “Wild Jungle” next to it. The Pendant and the words shatter and spin off in different directions, and the camera zooms out before fading back to Kirk and the Purple Parrots standing at the base of the Temple steps.

“Welcome back to Legends!” says Kirk. “Stephanie and Raymond have proven themselves worthy and now have earned the rights to enter Olmec’s Temple. But first, Olmec’s gonna give them some information on how to retrieve the Jolly Roger of Ned Lowe.”

The lights underneath Olmec turn on as he explains:
“You might begin by running up the stairs to the Oasis.” A computer animation of the Temple now appears onscreen to illustrate each room’s objective. “Push in the correct tree, and fly across the water on the Seagull Swing! You could race up to the Eagle’s Nest, and smash the correct egg to find the key, which will lead you… into the Boneyard. Hang the bones in the right pattern, and pass into the Leopard’s Lair. Place the pieces hide to complete the pattern, and open the door to the SHRIIIIIINE… of the Silver Monkey. Assemble the statue, and you may be headed for Calico Jack’s Ship. Place the cutlasses in their correct sheaths, and open the door to the First Mate’s… Secret Passage.

“Slide down the tunnel to the Sandy Shore, where you could smash through the wall to the Orangutan’s Refuge! Find the key from the orangutan’s hands and open the door… to the Bamboo Forest. If you escape, you might have a chance to enter the Ghostly Gorge. Pull down the correct bat from the branch, and crawl back through the Secret Spring.

“Then, climb… through the Quartzite Canyon, race down the stairs… and back to the Temple Gate. The choices are yours and yours alone!” The animation fades back to a far shot of Kirk and the Purple Parrots standing before Olmec.

“You won one-and-a-half Pendants in the Temple Games,” Olmec then says. “Who’s going first?”

“I am!” yells Raymond.

“Very WELL, Raymond!” replies Olmec. “When Kirk gives the signal, you’ll race through the gates into the Temple and make your way towards the Jolly Roger. Protecting three specific rooms of the Temple are the Temple Guards. If you are caught, you may 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 will be Stephanie’s turn to enter and try her luck. Hidden somewhere in the Temple is another half-Pendant for Stephanie. If you find it and you complete your Pendant, you will earn an extra life. When you grab the Jolly Roger, all of the doors of the Temple will instantly open and the Temple Guards will vanish. Return through the gates with the Jolly Roger of Ned Lowe in three minutes, and you will be handsomely rewarded with these prizes!”

Olmec then reads the prizes as prize plugs cover the screen one after another:
•   For just entering my Temple, you will both receive an electric guitar! The Schafer Electric SST Guitar is a quality guitar designed by… Schafer & Sons.
•   If you can grab the Jolly Roger before three minutes is up, you will also receive a Diamondback bike. This mountain bike will cross all terrain with its lightweight aluminum body and 24 speeds.
•   If you can bring the Jolly Roger out of my Temple in less than three minutes, you will both be embarking on a trip to Magic Mountain! Stay at the Hilton Garden Inn in Valencia, California, with an outdoor pool and spa, and enjoy all of the rides and attractions at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

The audience cheers briefly as the camera fades back to Kirk and the Purple Parrots standing before the Temple steps.

“All right, Magic Mountain!” says Kirk. “Let’s see if we can get the Purple Parrots to Magic Mountain. Let’s get in position, mouthpieces in… And Olmec, lo—or, actually, let’s put three minutes on the clock first—”

The clock—now set at 3:00—slams down into the corner of the screen. “Olmec,” continues Kirk, “lower your gate.” The gate beside Olmec lowers as he lets out a low growl, and the lights below him switch off.

“On your mark,” he then says, “get set… GO!”

“There goes Raymond, into the Temple!” begins Kirk as Raymond races up the stairs of the Temple. “This guy knows how to move, all right! He’s heading down into the Quartzite Canyon…” Raymond quickly slides down into the Canyon, transitioning quickly into a crawling position to squeeze through the entrance of the cave, but from right under him, the first TEMPLE GUARD appears!

[2:54] “TEMPLE GUARD!” yells Kirk as Raymond scrambles back to the entrance of the Quartzite Canyon in surprise. “Gotta give ‘im the Pendant!” shouts Kirk. “Give him the Pendant!” Raymond hands the Pendant to the guard, who then disappears, before heading deeper down into the Canyon and climbing his way to the lower crawl tube. “There it goes,” narrates Kirk as Raymond opens the door and begins crawling down toward the Secret Spring. “He’s out of Pendants now, so next time a Temple Guard gets him, it’ll be time for Stephanie.” Raymond enters the Secret Spring with 2:39 left on the clock, wading through the “water” and hitting the actuator on the other side of the room, immediately opening the door to the Ghostly Gorge. [2:33] “All right, nice job, Raymond!” cheers Kirk as Raymond crawls his way into the open doorway and slides down the crawl space on his stomach. “Into the Ghostly Gorge he goes—he’s gonna have to grab the bats off the… wall, the ceiling up there to open the doors.” Raymond immediately races onto the bridge in the center of the room, stumbling momentarily on its instability, but recovering quickly and reaching up to grab the bats from the branch. “No, no, no,” Kirk says as Raymond pulls the bats off one-by-one. [2:17] “No, YES!” Kirk shouts as the door to the Bamboo Forest opens. “All right, he’s gonna head his way into the Bamboo Forest now…” Raymond runs to the other side of the room, climbing his way over the ledge and entering the Bamboo Forest with 2:11 remaining. He begins to climb through the first layer of bamboo poles, but as he squeezes his way through two poles, a second TEMPLE GUARD emerges from underneath the murk to take Raymond out of the Temple with 2:04 remaining!

“Oh, Temple Guard got him—go, Stephanie!” Kirk quickly says as Stephanie begins jogging up the Temple steps past Olmec. “She’s got to make up some time now…” Stephanie slides down into the Quartzite Canyon swiftly, crawling her way through the sparkling ledges of the room and finding her way to the exit quickly. [1:52] “She has a half-Pendant,” reminds Kirk. “Somewhere in that Temple is the other half. Will she find it?” Stephanie scrambles her way into the Secret Spring, tripping slightly in the blue plastic balls but recovering and wading her way across the Spring to the open door on the other side of the room. “Into the Ghostly Gorge… she’s making good time, folks.” Stephanie slides her way down into the Ghostly Gorge, entering the room with 1:34 remaining. She lands both feet on the floor, running around the front of the room to avoid the misty central pool, climbing through the doorway into the Bamboo Forest. “All right, into the Bamboo Forest—this was where Raymond was taken out of the Temple by a dreaded Temple Guard,” narrates Kirk. [1:22] Stephanie squeezes her way through two bamboo poles first before heading toward the center of the room, where the bamboo poles are slightly more spread out. “It’s tough getting through that Bamboo Forest some times,” says Kirk as Stephanie reaches a point about halfway across the room with 1:15 left. “You just gotta put your head down and squeeze your way through,” explains Kirk. Stephanie stumbles over a small bamboo “step”—a small link between two vertical poles—but is able to pull herself through to the clearing on the opposite side with a good 1:07 remaining. She hits the actuator, opening the door to the Orangutan’s Refuge closer to the camera, but as she crawls through, the camera zooms in on a small golden object hanging off the actuator of the door further away from the camera.

[1:02] “Into the Orangutan’s Refuge she goes,” commentates Kirk. “She’s looking for a key… it’s in one of the hands of the monkeys… orangutans, up there!” Stephanie has a little trouble navigating the thick shrubbery that covers the floor of the room, but makes her way over to the tree on the right side of the room and begins to climb it. “Can she find the key?” [0:56] Stephanie stops about an arm’s length away from the orangutan highest up in the tree and looks in its arms, but is unable to find the key. She then moves on to the other orangutan in the same tree, slightly lower down on a branch closer to the camera, but still unsuccessful. “She’s gonna bust through the wall!” Kirk says as Stephanie climbs down, but instead of heading for the breakaway wall, climbs the other tree instead with 49 seconds on the clock. “No, she’s still going for that key!” Stephanie finally grabs the key out of the third orangutan’s hands, climbing back down quickly and sticking the key to the panel next to the door in the back of the room. Immediately, the pair of doors opens  to reveal a ladder. [0:43] “All right, she’s heading up into the Shrine of the Silver Monkey,” narrates Kirk. “She’s just one room away from the Jolly Roger now!” Stephanie climbs the ladder quickly, making her way up, and entering the room with 37 seconds on the clock. She immediately turns around to grab the base of the monkey, but as she lays her hands on it, the blue door in the back of the room suddenly slides open, revealing a third TEMPLE GUARD that ends the run with 34 seconds remaining!

“Temple Guard!” shouts Kirk, as the credits begin to flash in blocks of text at the bottom of the screen. “Aw, they were just one room away, but the Temple Guard got her! She didn’t find the other half-Pendant, so they took Stephanie out of the Temple… This was a great team; they still get the guitars for trying, though. We gotta get out of here—see you next time for another great Legend of the Hidden Temple! Buh-bye!” Kirk and Raymond wave to the camera and the screen fades to the Stanley Entertainment Group logo, followed by the Nickelodeon Productions Logo as the theme music concludes.

[The Bamboo Forest]

Artifact Name: The Jolly Roger of Ned Lowe
Location: Calico Jack’s Ship
Result: Got Caught by Three Temple Guards
Time Remaining: N/A
Pendants Won: 1.5

Diagram:



Summary:

Absolutely hilarious intro (watch it and you’ll understand what I mean). As for the episode itself, it wasn’t too bad, but it did end on a bad note. The Rapids crossing required players to cross an unstable bridge while walking across it. This probably would’ve taken less than 15 seconds (as it did when it was on the original show back in 1995), but the vines on the sides of the bridge did a good job at distracting the players, costing teams such as the Green Monkeys. Eventually, the Blue Barracudas, Orange Iguanas, Purple Parrots, and Silver Snakes advanced on to the Steps of Knowledge. The legend was about Ned Lowe attacking a fleet of Portuguese ships that attacked him first. I’ve got to say, Dee does a great pirate voice. XD Either way, the Orange Iguanas and the Purple Parrots made it to the bottom step first, moving on to the Temple Games.

The Orange Iguanas were made out of Canadian skateboarder Allen and coin collector Natalie, while the Purple Parrots were made out of point guard Raymond and future vet Stephanie. The Temple Games were boring to watch and were over fairly quickly because of the nature of the games. In the first, the boys needed to play the rarely-played cannon game, firing balls at their opponents. The Orange Iguanas won with only three balls stuck to them. In the second, the girls sailed to an island, collected a treasure chest, and returned to the dock in a boat race. The Purple Parrots made it back first, tying up the score. And in the third, teams worked together to knock down a fleet of ships. The Purple Parrots were first to complete this task, taking 1½ Pendants with them to the Temple.

Believe it or not, the producers gave the Purple Parrots a good lot of choice in the Temple. Raymond was a fast players, starting off low and being caught immediately by a Temple Guard. He was taken out in the Bamboo Forest with a solid two minutes remaining. Stephanie wasn’t quite as fast, but she was heading on the right track as she headed into the Orangutan’s Refuge, passing up the half-Pendant in the Bamboo Forest along the way. Instead of breaking through the rock wall and climbing up from the Sandy Shore, which would have been easier than putting together the Silver Monkey anyway, Stephanie found the key and went up to the Shrine, where she was taken out by a third guard just one room away from the Jolly Roger. Even I could see the disappointment in Raymond’s face. Oh well…

As a side note, I loved the Scorpions references during the episode. The intro, Olmec’s “are you ready?” line… Olmec even led the audience and the players in the chorus for “Rock You Like a Hurricane”. I’m pretty sure that the scorpions shown when the show returned from the first commercial break were also a reference.

[The Ancient Warrior]

Scorpion running gag = awesome.

The Temple Run was a bit more exciting than most of the Season 3 ones so far, I have to admit, and that might be because it felt like a more detailed read.  I was waiting for Stephanie to get taken out in the bottom floor, so having her go up into the Shrine and lose there was definitely an unexpected twist, and a nice way to mix things up even at the end.  And yay for the cannon game being brought back!