Wild Jungle EP: The Secret Scrolls of Francis the First

[The Bamboo Forest]

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



The camera makes its way through lush greenery, and the palms move away as ambient animal noises are heard. Portions of a temple are shown, and suddenly the jungle ends, and we see Olmec?s face light up and shout, ?LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE!?

The show?s title card?a pendant of life?crashes together on the screen, and the camera shifts to focus on the temple and its rooms. ?With your guide, Kirk Fogg! And here he is now!?

The pendant splinters and Kirk is seen crawling out of the Jungle Crevice to run right into the center of the stage and up the Steps of Knowledge as he begins his narration.

?Thank you, thank you!? says Kirk. ?It's nice to see you! Thank you, Olmec. Welcome to the 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 going to hear about today??

Olmec replies, ?The Legend of The Secret Scrolls of Francis the First!?

?Ho-ho, it?s the Secret Scrolls of Francis the First!? says Kirk. ?Well, one of these six teams will have the chance to retrieve the Secret Scroll?will it be The Red Jaguars??

At this point, the camera focuses on each team as they are introduced.

?The Blue Barracudas??
?The Green Monkeys??
?The Orange Iguanas??
?The Purple Parrots??
?Or the Silver Snakes??

?They?re going to have to pass some tough mental and physical tests,? continues Kirk, ?and in the end, only one team will have the right to enter Olmec?s temple, but first they?ll have to cross the moat, and Olmec?s gonna tell us how they have to do it today.?

Olmec instructs:
?Before you, an ancient raft floats in the water, and above it, a path of vines. When Kirk gives the signal, both of you climb into the raft together and grab the vine in front of you. Then pull yourself to the next vine and do it again to cross the Moat. When you reach the other side, both of you, climb out of the raft, and hit? the gong!?

Kirk hits the Silver Snakes? gong to demonstrate, which?in turn?lights up a bright silver.

?The first four teams to hit their gongs will go on to the next round,? finishes Olmec. ?Hey, teams!? calls Kirk. ?Are you ready??

The teams excitedly reply, ?Yeeaahhhh!?

Kirk then asks, ?Olmec, are you ready??

?Let?s get crackin?!? replies Olmec.

?Yes, let?s,? remarks Kirk. ?On your marks, get set? GO!?

The six teams all begin to climb into the khaki-colored rafts floating in front of them and the vines begin to sway as the teams reach out for them. ?All they can do is grab those vines and pull themselves across,? explains Kirk. The Red Jaguars are in first position as the rafts begin to move through the mist-covered Moat, followed closely behind by the almost-tied Silver Snakes and Purple Parrots. ?Orange Iguanas having some trouble,? narrates Kirk. ?They? can?t quite reach those vines, there?? As the Purple Parrots speed up, they catch up to the Red Jaguars, with them grabbing their fifth vines almost simultaneously. ?It?s gonna be neck-and-neck between the Purple Parrots and the Red Jaguars,? says Kirk, as they climb out onto the deck, the girl on the Purple Parrots struggling to do so. Two gongs go off seconds after each other?the Red Jaguars and the Purple Parrots have gonged in, in that order. The Silver Snakes and Blue Barracudas are now at their fifth vine, while the Green Monkeys and Orange Iguanas trail behind. ?Here come our teams! Who?s going on to the Steps of Knowledge?? Kirk is interrupted by the Silver Snakes? gong, as the boy on the Silver Snakes slams down on it. ?We?ve got our third team?it?s the Silver Snakes,? announces Kirk. ?We?ve still got room for one more team, and it looks like it?s gonna be the Blue Barracudas?it is!? The girl on the Blue Barracudas hits her team?s gong as Kirk shouts. ?We?ve got our four teams!?

Kirk runs over to the Silver Snakes, who are standing beside their gong. ?The Silver Snakes are tired, but they made it,? he says. ?Going on to the Steps of Knowledge are the mighty Silver Snakes?and the Purple Parrots?and the Blue Barracudas?and the Red Jaguars.?

?The Green Monkeys and the Orange Iguanas gave it a great effort,? he says. ?They?re not going away empty-handed. We?ve got a great gift for them, and here?s what it is.?

Dee reads the prize:
?It?s a savings bond from Hush Puppies! Every contestant will receive a pair of comfortable, stylish shoes that fit every pair of feet. Hush Puppies?we invented casual!

[The Bamboo Forest]

The screen transitions to a shot of the four teams atop the Steps of Knowledge. ?As we continue our quest,? says Kirk, ?it?s now time for Olmec to tell us about The Secret Scroll of Francis the First. But teams?pay attention, because your knowledge of the legend can bring you a step closer to Olmec?s temple.?

Olmec narrates the legend:
?One of the most famous painters in the world was Leonardo da Vinci. He was born in Italy and painted The Mona Lisa, which is sometimes regarded as the most well-known painting in the world.

?Meanwhile, in France, King Francis the First had heard of Leonardo?s great works.

??So dis Leonardo, you say he is very good at painting, yes?? the King asked one of his servants who had just returned from Italy.

??Yes, he is,? replied the servant. ?You must see ze painting called Ze Last Supper. Such detail! I tell you, his work is magnifique!?

?Francis, who was always interested in art, decided to take a trip to Italy?and ended up capturing Milan in the process. When he did meet Leonardo, however, he was impressed. Leonardo gave him one of his inventions as a gift, and the two soon became close friends. In 1519, Leonardo was about to die when Francis came to his side.

??Francis?? murmured Leonardo. ?I want you to do one thing for me. I want you to find my last painting and sell it for me. Read this and find it?? Leonardo handed Francis a scroll with the directions to the painting. But the scroll was in Italian, which Francis couldn?t read, and he never found the painting. Legend has it, Francis was so embarrassed that he kept the scroll a secret from everyone in the palace, and eventually, it made its way to the Temple. Your quest is to find the Scroll of Francis the First and bring it back here.?

?Thank you, Olmec,? says Kirk after a short pause, ?but tell us?where is this Secret Scroll??

?The Secret Scroll of Francis the First can be found? in the Catfish Cove.? reveals Olmec. The camera moves across the Temple?s top floor till it reaches the Catfish Cove, and then we fade to a close-up of the scroll sitting on the ledge where the middle bucket should be.

?Okay,? 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 Leonardo da Vinci?Italian, French, or American??

The Purple Parrots ring in: ?Italian!?

?That is correct,? replies Olmec. ?Okay, step down, Purple Parrots!? says Kirk in response. ?Next question??

Olmec asks: ?Was Leonardo most known for his?books, paintings??

The Blue Barracudas buzz in: ?Uh, paintings??

?That is correct!? says Olmec. ?Step down, Blue Barracudas,? instructs Kirk as they move down onto the second step. ?Okay, next question.?

Olmec asks: ?Is the capital of Italy?Venice, Rome??

The Purple Parrots stomp down: ?Rome???

?That is correct,? answers Olmec. ?And just like that, the Purple Parrots are one step away from the Temple Games!? Kirk announces. ?We?ve still got plenty of time, though. Let?s hear the next question, Olmec.?

Olmec asks: ?Which of these paintings did Leonardo da Vinci paint?The Mona Lisa??

The Red Jaguars interrupt: ?The Mona Lisa??

?That is correct,? replies Olmec. ?The Red Jaguars are on the board now,? commentates Kirk. ?This match is heating up! Next question.?

Olmec asks: ?Was Francis the First?King of France, King of Prussia, or the Pope??

The Silver Snakes buzz in: ?The King of France!?

?That is correct!? declares Olmec. ?Okay, step on down, Silver Snakes,? says Kirk in response. ?Olmec, next question.?

Olmec asks: ?When Francis the First visited Italy??

The Purple Parrots interject: ?Uh, he? conquered Milan??

?That is not one of our three choices,? Olmec says. ?When he visited Italy, did Leonardo da Vinci give him?his paintings, a book, or one of his inventions??

The Blue Barracudas then ring in: ?His invention??

?That IS correct,? announces Olmec. ?Okay, step down, Blue Barracudas,? instructs Kirk. ?We?ve got a tie on the second-to-last step now. We?re still looking for our first team, though. Let?s carry on, Olmec?next question.?

Olmec asks: ?Which of these famous museums is located in France?the Guggenheim, the Louvre??

The Silver Snakes stomp down: ?The Louvre!?

?That is correct,? declares Olmec. ?We?ve got a three-way-tie on the second-to-last step!? narrates Kirk. ?And we?re still looking for our first team! Next question.?

Olmec asks: ?According to our legend, did Leonardo want Francis to have?his last painting, all his inven??

The Red Jaguars cut him off: ?His last painting???

?That is correct!? says Olmec. ?It?s ALL tied up on the second-to-last step!? announces Kirk. ?Our next two correct answers go to the Temple Games. Next question??

Olmec asks: ?According to legend, how would Francis find the painting?by using a map??

The Purple Parrots hit their marking: ?He had to? use the directions on a scroll that Leonardo gave him??

?That is ABSOLUTELY correct!? yells Olmec. ?All right, we?ve got our first team!? shouts Kirk as the Purple Parrots move down to the final step. ?It?s the Purple Parrots?and if he had gone on, then that?s our show, thanks for watching, goodnight!? A few members of the audience laugh before Kirk continues. ?Haha, okay?next question, Olmec.?

Olmec asks: ?The arrival of Francis the First brought a new period that was rich in art and culture. Was this period called?the Da Vinci period, the Renaissance, or??

The Red Jaguars ring in: ?The Renaissance??

?You got it, kids!? shouts Olmec, and the Red Jaguars jump down onto the bottom step. ?These two teams will be going on to the Temple Games!? announces Kirk as he runs over to the teams on the bottom step. ?They are the Red Jaguars? and the Purple Parrots! The Blue Barracudas and the Green Monkeys gave it a great effort? We?re not gonna send them away empty-handed, though. We?ve got a great gift for them, and here?s what it is??

Dee reads the prize:
?It?s a Pulse Kick N? Go electric scooter! The Kick N? Go uses a unique self-propulsion pedal to keep your balance while riding. From Pulse!?

The screen wipes to reveal Kirk with his hands on the two remaining teams? shoulders. ?These two teams are gonna be playing for the rights to enter Olmec?s temple,? he says, ?and they?re gonna do it?right after this!? The camera cuts away from Kirk and moves sideways across the stage till it finds a gap in the foliage separating the Moat?s deck and the Temple Games floor. As it zooms in on the audience in the distance, the show?s titlecard appears, and then we fade out.

[The Bamboo Forest]

The pendant splits, the camera zooms out from an extremely foggy area of the set, near the end of the Temple, and then we fade to Kirk and the two teams.

?Welcome back to Legends,? says Kirk, standing in front of The Vine Drop with the two remaining teams. ?Now the glory goes to the fastest and the strongest? so before we get started, let?s meet our teams. On the Red Jaguars, we have Lorraine. It says here that you like to swim compepet?competitively, excuse me. Tell me about that.?

?Um, my mom put me in swimming lessons when I was six,? explains the tall girl with long, strawberry-blond hair, ?and I started taking part in like, swimming competitions when I was 10.?

?And um? do you have a best event?? Kirk asks.

?Yeah, probably backstroke,? she says.

?Okay, sounds good,? comments Kirk. ?And your partner here, Darren, likes playing old video games?so what do you usually play that?s considered ?old??? He holds his microphone up to the boy with brown eyes and brown hair that hangs down just above his eyebrows.

?Uh? I love the SNES,? says Darren, ?but I also have an NES and also an Atari 2600 that my dad used to have when he was a kid.?

?All right, sounds valuable,? remarks Kirk. ?Let?s hear it for our Red Jaguars!? The audience claps and cheers for the team as Kirk moves over to the boy on the Purple Parrots with dark, curly hair.

?And over here,? continues Kirk, ?on the Purple Parrots, we have Kurt. Now Kurt, I understand you want to become a game show host???

?Yeah,? he replies. ?I?ve watched game shows since I was young and they?re my favorite type of TV show.?

?All right, maybe someday you?ll take over my job,? jokes Kirk, as he turns to the girl on the Purple Parrots?a shorter girl with slightly tanned skin and blond hair. ?And over here, we have Julia, from Germany. So, Julia, it says here that you love basketball?tell me about that.?

?I pley at ze coort at my apartment? sometimes wits friend? she says. ?I zhust pley when I cahn.?

?That could come in handy today,? comments Kirk. ?And thanks for coming all the way here. Let?s hear it for the Purple Parrots!?

?You guys ready to play?? Kirk asks. The players cheer and yell in response. ?Well, go get ready!? The players all walk off-camera in different directions before Kirk continues.

?In the temple games, 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 now tell us about Temple Game #1. Olmec??

Olmec explains:
?Leonardo da Vinci was one of the best painters in the world, and while you don?t have to be as good as him, you will need to paint a picture yourself. When Kirk gives the signal, dip your hands in the paint, slide down the track, and make a mark when you stop. The player that makes the farthest mark at the end of 60 seconds wins.?

?Let?s paint a picture!? says Kirk. ?Let?s put 60 seconds on the clock!?

The clock slams down into the corner of the screen. ?On your marks, get set? GO!? Darren and Julia both quickly dip their hands in paint, and then jump onto the slippery path, sliding down it. ?This game?s all about having a good start,? explains Kirk, ?because if you don?t get a good start, you won?t slide far enough.? Julia beats Darren by about a good foot or so, planting down her hands with 52 seconds left. The spotters then mark the areas where the handprints are as Darren races back to the start to take the lead in speed, but once again falls short of Julia?s mark?but Julia doesn?t increase her mark either on her second try. [0:40] ?Purple Parrots still have the lead, though,? commentates Kirk as Darren dips his hands in paint for a third time with 35 seconds left on the clock. Julia extends her record by just a few inches, and Darren comes up short to Julia?s first mark. ?Oh, the Red Jaguars still can?t quite get there? Julia?s going back for another try?let?s see if she can make a further? painting, there?? [0:19] Julia slides all the way up to her second mark, and then slowly edges forward until she stops almost six inches away from it, and she slams her hands down on the footpath. ?Nice move by the Purple Parrots!? narrates Kirk. ?The Red Parr?Jaguars are still gonna have to catch up?? Darren beats his record, but again, comes up short against Julia?s, and as both players dip their hands in paint for a fifth time, the clock explodes and TIME IS UP!

?That?s it!? shouts Kirk as he motions for the players to join him, and they run over to Kirk, who is standing by the spotters? markers. ?All right, come over here, teams? I?m not even gonna get close to either of you, but the Purple Parrots did get a further mark, so they get the half pendant of life!? Julia raises two very wet purple hands in the air as she cheers with the audience.

?The Red Jaguars can catch up in the next game, though,? reminds Kirk. ?It?s also worth a half-pendant?Olmec, tell us about it.?

Olmec narrates:
?Leonardo did many things besides painting, and one of those things was inventing. In this game, you?ll be testing one of his inventions. When Kirk gives the signal, climb onto the wheel and spin it by adjusting your weight. For every rotation you make, you will score a point. The team with the most points at the end of 60 seconds wins.?

?I hope this thing is safe,? mutters Kirk. ?Okay, let?s put 60 seconds on the clock!?

On Kirk?s signal, the players climb up onto their wheels and begin running upwards to spin the wheel. ?This isn?t a game of speed,? reminds Kirk. ?It?s a game of balance. If you don?t have balance, you won?t stay on there.? [0:46] The score is now 3-2 Purple, but as Kurt is ? of the way on his way to scoring a fourth point, he loses his balance, sliding down onto the airbag below. ?Oh, Purple Parrots down!? announces Kirk. ?That gives a chance for the Red Jaguars to catch up.? But Lorraine, clawing at the disk, falls off moments later, landing on the airbag with 38 seconds remaining. ?Oh, but the Red Jaguars go down too,? comments Kirk. The Purple Parrots now take a lead of two points, racking up more and more revolutions until Kurt is at 8?with 15 seconds remaining?when he falls off the disk a second time. ?Oh, Purple Parrots down again! Red Jaguars can catch up?? Lorraine spins her wheel more quickly, completing her seventh spin?but Kurt is back on and completes his ninth spin. [0:09] Kurt picks up the pace as the audience counts down, making a tenth spin with just two seconds left? but Lorraine is unable to complete a ninth before time?s up!

?Okay, stop right there!? instructs Kirk, as the players slide off the wheel onto the mats. ?Come on over here, guys?? He walks down to take a look at the spotters? scorecards.

?Let?s check it out,? he suggests as he guides the players down onto the floor. ?The Red Jaguars had? eight points, and the Purple Parrots had? 10 spins?the Purple Parrots get another half Pendant of Life!? The audience cheers briefly before Kirk continues.

?So now the Purple Parrots have one pendant,? counts Kirk, ?and the Red Jaguars are still looking to score, but maybe they will in this next game. It?s worth a full pendant?Olmec, tell us about it.?

Olmec continues:
?Because Francis the First was interested in art, he travelled all the way to Italy to see Leonardo da Vinci?s works. Today, you will recreate his journey to Italy. Before you is the route that Francis took: over a hill? through a jungle? across a lake? and up a tower. When Kirk gives the signal, the first player will conquer the first obstacle and tag their partner, who will then conquer the next obstacle and carry on. When you reach the Tower, both of you climb up to the top, and hit the gong! The first team to land four feet on the top of the Tower?and hit their gong?wins.?

?This is going to be a tough race,? notices Kirk. ?All right, the boys are up first?let?s get in position. And? on your marks, get set? GO!? Darren and Kurt immediately spring forward and begin to climb the first obstacle, a simple rock climbing wall, set at a 45-degree angle. ?Up they go,? narrates Kirk. ?I have a feeling it?s gonna be a close race, all the way. This is for the Temple?? Darren reaches the top of the hill first?but not far ahead of Kurt?and slides down the other side about 15 seconds into the game. ?Now they?ve gotta tag their partners and head into the Juuuuungle,? explains Kirk. The Red Jaguars take a small lead into the Jungle, but Lorraine uses a stand-up approach, pushing aside the tangled cords, while Julia simply dives into the Jungle, crawling her way through the lower part of it. ?Ooh, I like her technique,? comments Kirk. ?It looks like the Purple Parrots have taken the lead back!? Julia slaps Kurt?s hand, and he races up the steps to the deck of the Lake, and jumps right into the Lake. ?Woah! Nice move!? shouts Kirk as Darren races up the stairs?but Kurt is already furiously swimming his way across the Lake, reaching the end much farther ahead than Darren, who is still wading across the water. ?Oh, it?s gonna come down to the wire,? says Kirk, as Julia and Kurt run over to the Tower and begin to climb, with Kurt just below Julia. ?Here come the Red Jaguars?? Darren and Lorraine follow soon after, but the Purple Parrots are already halfway up the Tower, and they step off to hit the gong first?they?ve won the game!

?That?s it!? announces Kirk as he runs over to the base of the Purple Parrots? Tower. ?All right, stop right there? Purple Parrots, Red Jaguars? okay, well, the Purple Parrots got up to that Tower the first?so they get the full Pendant of Life!? The audience applauds as the Purple Parrots high-five each other.

?That means they have two pendants,? says Kirk, ?and the Red Jaguars didn?t have any? The Purple Parrots are going to the Temple!? Kurt and Julia hug atop the Tower as the audience explodes in applause. ?Great job!?

?The Red Jaguars gave it a great effort,? he continues, ?and we?re not gonna send them away empty-handed. We?ve got a great gift for them, and here?s what it is.?

Dee reads the prize:
?$100 worth of Toys ?r? Us Geoffrey Dollars! A great gift idea, because they?re good as cash at any Toys ?r? Us store.?

We see Kirk?now atop the Tower as well?with the Purple Parrots. ?Now we?re gonna see if these Purple Parrots can make it through Olmec?s Temple,? he says, ?retrieve the Secret Scroll of Leonardo? or Francis the First?right after this!? The camera moves sideways, past the other Tower, then turns and faces down to show Olmec and the areas around him. The titlecard appears on top of the shot, and then we fade to commercial.

[The Bamboo Forest]

The pendant splits, the camera zooms out from two small flowers in the plant growth below Olmec, and then we fade to Kirk with his hands on the Green Monkeys? shoulders.

?Welcome back to Legends,? he says. ?Kurt and Julia have proven themselves worthy and now have earned the right to enter Olmec?s temple. But first, Olmec?s going to give them some information to help them retrieve The Secret Scroll of Francis the First.?

Olmec begins his rundown:
?You could start by climbing through the Tigers' Den and climbing down into the Vine Drop. Pull the right vine to raise the stone slab, then race into the Treasury of the Monkeys. Find the right bunch of bananas, and you could choose to go up into the Anaconda's Sanctuary, or into the Grand Marsh. Open the alligators? mouths to find the tongue, and you might have a chance to enter The Forest? of a Thousand Dragons. Reach into the dragon?s mouths and find the key?but be careful: one of the dragons might be inhabited by the spirit of a Temple Guard! If they grab you, you?ll have to give up a Pendant of Life. Next, plow through the wall and into the Secret Spring.

?There, climb up the Falls and into the Catfish Cove?where you can grab The Secret Scroll. Find the correct bucket, and open the door to the Shriiiiine? of the Silver Monkey. Assemble the statue, and you may be headed for the Lion Cave. Place yourself in the correct mouth, which will allow you into the Wildebeests' Hideout. Turn the correct horn, and run across the Walk of Faith. Then, pass through the Room of the Tropicana Birds, race down the stairs, and back through the temple gates. The choices are yours and yours alone. You won two pendants in the temple games. Who's going first??

?I am!? shouts Kurt.

?Very well, Kurt!? replies Olmec. ?When Kirk gives the signal, you'll race through the gates into the Temple, and make your way towards the Secret Scroll. 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 will be Julia?s turn to enter and try her luck. If you can reach the Secret Scroll, all the doors of the Temple will instantly unlock and the Temple Guards will vanish. Return through the gates with The Secret Scroll of Francis the First in three minutes, and you will both be handsomely rewarded?and here's how!?

Dee reads the team?s prizes:
?   For just going into the temple, you?ll both receive an electric guitar! The Schafer Electric SST Guitar is designed by Schafer & Sons!
?   If you can grab the Secret Scroll before three minutes is up, you?ll also receive this BMX bike from Mongoose! The 2010 Micron by Mongoose has a low frame that can withstand all the high-octane action kids can enjoy on it! From Mongoose.
?   And if you can bring the Secret Scroll out of the temple before three minutes is up, you?ll both be receiving a new Sony high-definition television! Your new high-definition TV will come with a 60-inch LCD screen with LED backlight, 16:9 widescreen format, built-in Surround sound, and only crystal-clear quality! From Sony!

?That is some TV!? comments Kirk. ?Let?s see if we can get that back to Berlin for you, Julia, and also one for you, Kurt. Let?s get in position? All right, let?s put three minutes on the clock!?

The clock slams down in the corner of the screen. ?Olmec,? says Kirk, ?please lower your gate.? The gate lowers as Olmec moans and the lights around him switch off. ?On your marks, get set? GO!?

Kurt sprints up the stairs into the Temple quickly as the Temple map and pendants slide into position onscreen. ?Into the Temple he goes,? commentates Kirk. ?This guy?s fast!? Indeed, Kurt launches himself down the slide using a branch above and into the Tiger?s Den with ease, maneuvering the rock formations in it with agility, but as he climbs deeper down, a masked face appears in the depths of the room? ?TEMPLE GUARD!? shouts Kirk as a guard emerges from the darkness below and holds its hands out. [2:49] Kurt hands the guard a pendant and moves on, unfazed, as he opens up the lower crawl tube to the Vine Drop. ?Down he goes into the Vine Room,? misnames Kirk, as the camera moves down to show Kurt entering the plant-filled room. ?Now he has to pull on the correct vine so he can raise the rock slab, which will reveal the door.? Kurt pulls down on the rightmost vine first, moves on to the second vine, and then finally the third. [2:40] The third vine sinks down easily, and the stone slab begins to unveil a red door behind it as it rises. ?All right, now he?s going to head right into the Treasury of the Monkeys,? narrates Kirk as Kurt hits the actuator and climbs through the doorway with 2:35 left. He enters the dimly-lit Treasury, immediately climbing up the ladder to grab all three bunches of bananas. ?This guy knows what he?s doing,? comments Kirk. ?He?s fast, and he?s smart, and I like that.? Kurt drops down to the ground of the room, and then places all three bunches of bananas on the altar at the same time. [2:26] At once, the altar glows a nuclear-type green as a monkey?s scream is heard, and a panel above falls open to allow access to the Anaconda?s Sanctuary with 2:22 remaining.

Kurt immediately heads up the ladder, and we switch camera shots as the Anaconda?s Sanctuary fills the frame. ?He?s doing a great job so far?Julia?s cheering him on!? says Kirk, as Julia can be heard yelling, ?GO! GO!? [2:15] Kurt grabs the rubber snake from the front ledge, and then takes it to the camera-left nest first, putting the snake?s head into the hole in the rock wall. He then feeds the snake hand-after-hand into the slot, and as the snake completely fills the hole, a noise indicates the unlocked door at his feet with 2:03 remaining. ?Nice job! Now he?s going into the Lion Cave? and he?s still got two minutes left?? [1:57] Kurt appears in the doorway at the other side of the crawl tube connecting the Cave and the Sanctuary, and as he stands up, the center panel flips to reveal a second TEMPLE GUARD which captures him with 1:55 remaining!

?Oh no, Temple Guard got him?go, Julia!? Julia immediately takes off from the base of the Temple steps, running up past Olmec and then rounding the corner to slide down into the Tiger?s Den. [1:46] She navigates the ledges and climbs down into the darkness, before climbing up again to slide her way into the crawl tube. ?She?s heading down to the Vine Drop now,? commentates Kirk. ?She has to follow Kurt?s path if she wants to get to that Secret Scroll?? Julia runs through the Vine Drop, and then hops her way into the doorway leading to the Treasury. She appears in the room with 1:30 remaining, and then begins to climb the ladder up to the Anaconda?s Sanctuary. ?She?s moving fast too,? remarks Kirk as Julia enters the Anaconda?s Sanctuary and immediately makes a left turn to the doorway. [1:21] She crawls her way through the passage, and then sets foot in the Lion Cave with 1:16 left. ?All right, now she just has to get inside the correct mouth and then hit the button on the back?? Julia goes for the middle mouth first?which is the only lioness mouth?and presses her head back in it? but nothing happens. [1:10] ?The second one didn?t work, so she?s gonna try the first,? narrates Kirk as Julia places her head in the rightmost mouth, and as she presses her head back, a lion?s roar is heard as the door to the Shrine slams open. ?Okay, now she?s heading into the Shriiiiine of the Silver Monkey,? says Kirk, stretching out the room?s name. Mist immediately fills the open doorway which Julia heads through, and then we see her jump up on the box containing the downward door to grab the base of the monkey. ?Nice leap!? comments Kirk. [0:58] ?She?s just one room away from that Secret Scroll, but first things first, she has to put that monkey together?first the base, then the middle, and then the head!? Julia places the first two pieces flawlessly in less than 10 seconds, and she heads back to grab the head of the monkey, bringing it to the front of the room. She slides the pole into the holes in the two previous pieces and jams it down?but it doesn?t quite fit. ?Turn it around,? advises Kirk. Julia adjusts the head?s position slightly before slamming down on it again, and as bats screech, the door to the Catfish Cove bangs open. [0:42] Julia races right through the doorway, and grabs the SECRET SCROLL from the front of the room with 38 seconds remaining!

?She?s got it!? yells Kirk as all the doors of the Temple unlock with a loud array of noises. ?All the doors are open! She?s just got to come all the way back now!? Julia turns around and darts back into the Shrine of the Silver Monkey, barely placing a foot on the room?s floor before she leaps back up onto the opposite stairway to enter the Lion Cave. ?This girl knows how to jump?she said she loves playing basketball in Germany, folks, and now it?s paying off!? [0:29] She races right through the Lion Cave, choosing the pathway that diverges to the left, and ending up on the spiraling stairwell up to the Wildebeests? Hideout. ?She?s going up, up into the Wildebeests? Hideout!? commentates Kirk. ?She still has 23 seconds?? Julia passes through the room and then carefully heads down the opposite stairway and pass a crumbling wall to the next doorway, connecting to the Walk of Faith. With 17 seconds on the clock, Julia begins to cross the Walk of Faith, grasping the upper vines along the side tightly as she nimbly scrambles her way across. ?Nice job!? praises Kirk as she makes it to the other side in six seconds flat, and then races up the stairs to enter the Room of the Tropicana Birds. ?I think she?s gonna make it,? declares Kirk, as Julia runs down the first flight of stairs leading out. ?Bring me that Secret Scroll!? [0:06] She quickly races down the second flight, behind Olmec, and then makes the final turn to cross the gate with three seconds remaining, continuing her way down to her excited partner and Kirk.

?She made it!? shouts Kirk as Kurt and Julia hug in celebration. ?They did it! They got it all! Unbelievable! She?s out of breath?I?m out of breath! They got it all: the electric guitar, the BMX bikes? they?ve both got an awesome new television! Julia came all the way here from Germany, and her trip was worth it, because she?s takin? all that stuff back with her! We?re all outta time, and I?d love to stay longer, but we?ve gotta go. See you next time for another great Legend of the Hidden Temple! Buh-bye!?

The credits begin to scroll as various ending scenes are shown: the camera panning away to the Vine Drop and the Treasury of the Monkeys, and a small lizard sitting on the front ledge of the Room of the Tropicana Birds. Finally, the camera fades out, and the light bulb-Nickelodeon logo is shown as an electric buzzing noise is heard.

[The Bamboo Forest]

Artifact Name: The Secret Scrolls of Francis the First
Location: The Catfish Cove
Result: Won!
Time Remaining: 0:03
Pendants Won: 2
Diagram:



Summary:

I knew from the start that this would be an exciting episode. At the Moat, players had to work together, using vines to get a circular raft they sat in across the Moat. The Red Jaguars and the Purple Parrots blazed across the Moat, ending up hitting their gongs at almost the same time. The Blue Barracudas and Silver Snakes also advanced. The legend revolved around Leonardo da Vinci and his friendship with King Francis I of France, to whom, according to legend, Leonardo gave a secret scroll with directions to his last painting. After a four-way-tie on the second-to-last step and a tiring amount of 10 questions, the Red Jaguars and Purple Parrots moved on to the Temple Games.

The Red Jaguars were made up of swimmer Lorraine and retro video game player Darren, while the Purple Parrots were made up of future game show host Kurt and German basketball player Julia, the third international contestant of the season to have made it this far. In the first game, Darren and Julia had to slide down a slippery footpath the farthest, making their marks with paint. Julia won, giving the Purple Parrots a half-pendant. In the second game, Lorraine and Kurt had to test one of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions by spinning a wheel as many times as possible. Kurt won this game, bringing the Parrots' score up to a full pendant. And in the third game, the teams raced in a relay-style obstacle course, which the Purple Parrots completed first, bringing the score up to 2-0 and sending them to the Temple.

The Purple Parrots, who had been a strong team throughout, definitely showed their physical ability in Olmec's Temple. Kurt was a speedy frontrunner, clearing much progress in the time he spent in the Temple - which was just over a minute. He started off low in the Tiger's Den, but went up from the Treasury of the Monkeys, through the Anaconda's Sanctuary, and was taken out in the Lion Cave. Julia was not quite so fast, but her memory made up for it. She knew exactly what she was doing and seemed to have the passages of the Temple burned into her memory. She grabbed the Secret Scroll with 38 seconds to go, and appeared at the front gate to record a victory with three seconds remaining. This was most likely the best - and my personal favorite - Purple Parrots team ever.

Trivia and Records
In this season, this is the first time that a team with an international contestant advances to the Temple, and the only time that such a team wins the grand prize.

[The Ancient Warrior]

Not bad, not bad at all.