Legends: Rebirth-The Misfired Rocket of Wan Hu

[The Bandit King]

Episode 51: The Misfired Rocket of Wan Hu

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 Misfired Rocket of Wan Hu,” Olmec replies.

“Oh, the Misfired Rocket of Wan Hu,” Kirk replies. “Well, one of these six teams will have a chance to retrieve the Misfired Rocket—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?

“Of course, they’ll have to pass some tough physical and mental tests, but in the end, only one team will earn the right to enter Olmec’s Temple. But first, they have to cross the Moat, and Olmec will tell us how they’ll have to do that today…”

Olmec begins to explain the Moat Crossing:
“Before you hangs a row of ancient suspended rings. When Kirk gives the signal, one player from each team will reach up and grab the first ring, then swing out to the next one and grab onto it with their other hand, on their way across. Once you reach the other side, it’s your partner’s turn to cross in the same way. If you fall, you must go back and start again. Once both players are safely across, 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. “Teams, are you ready?”
All six teams scream and cheer in response.
“Olmec, are you ready?” asks Kirk.
“Ready, willing and able,” Olmec replies.
“Okay, great,” says Kirk. “On your mark, get set…GO!”

The first members of each team reach up and grab their first ring. The Blue Barracudas’ boy slips off and falls almost immediately, and the Red Jaguars’ girl soon follows. “It’s tough; you have to hang on to each and every ring—oh, Silver Snakes just went in!” Kirk narrates as the Silver Snakes’ girl hits the water. The Purple Parrots’ girl is struggling to reach her third ring as the Green Monkeys’ boy pulls way out in front of the other teams, having made it to his fourth ring already. The Red Jaguars’ girl falls in again on her second attempt, but the Blue Barracudas’ boy manages to hang on as he struggles to reach his third ring. The Orange Iguanas’ boy makes it to his third ring before falling in, and the Purple Parrots’ girl also falls in trying to reach her fourth ring. The Green Monkeys’ boy makes it across without falling in (the only frontrunner to do so) and his partner now starts to cross as well. The Silver Snakes’ girl is now halfway across the Moat as she reaches out for her fourth ring. The Blue Barracudas’ boy reaches for his fourth ring, but he lets go of the third one prematurely and falls face-first into the Moat. The Green Monkeys’ girl is now almost across, and the Orange Iguanas’ boy almost falls in while trying to reach his third ring. The Purple Parrots’ girl is now about halfway across on her second try, and the Silver Snakes’ girl manages to make it across as the Red Jaguars’ girl falls into the Moat for a third time just as she’s reaching for her fifth ring. A gong sound is heard, and we see the Green Monkeys standing beside their lit gong, having been the only team to cross without falling in (1:40). “Oh, Green Monkeys are across—three more teams left to determine!” Kirk narrates as the Blue Barracudas’ boy falls in the Moat for a third time. The Silver Snakes’ boy falls in the Moat about halfway across, but the Purple Parrots’ girl successfully crosses soon afterward, as does the Orange Iguanas’ boy. “They’ve got themselves across…now they just need their partners across!” Kirk narrates. The Red Jaguars’ girl is now about halfway across as the Silver Snakes’ boy falls in even before he can reach for his second ring. The Orange Iguanas’ girl is reaching for her fourth ring as the Blue Barracudas’ boy hits the water for a fourth time. The Purple Parrots’ boy reaches for his fourth ring, and the Silver Snakes’ boy hits the Moat for a third time. All the fog is gone from the Moat, and we can see the Red Jaguars’ girl finally make it across as her partner starts to reach for a ring. The Orange Iguanas’ girl and the Purple Parrots’ boy make it across successfully, and they both hit their team’s gong (3:25). “Three teams—now we only need one more!” Kirk observes as the Blue Barracudas’ boy falls for the fifth time. The Red Jaguars’ boy has now made it to the second ring as the Silver Snakes’ boy is now about halfway across. The Blue Barracudas’ boy just can’t seem to get across as the Red Jaguars and Silver Snakes have a drawn-out race to the end, but eventually the Silver Snakes’ boy makes it across, and at 4:48, hits his gong to end the incredibly long Moat Crossing.

“That’s it!” Kirk shouts as he runs over and stands beside the Silver Snakes, whose male member is panting heavily. “That’s it—four teams, right there! Silver Snakes are tired, they’re wet, but they stuck it out and made it over, and goin’ on to the Steps of Knowledge are the Silver Snakes…and the Purple Parrots…” Kirk pauses between each team’s name to allow for applause. “…and the Orange Iguanas…and the Green Monkeys! The Red Jaguars and the Blue Barracudas hung on as long as they could, but they came up just a little bit short. We’ve got a great gift for them, and here’s what it is!” They receive a $50 gift certificate from GameStop.

[The Bandit King]

Kirk and the four remaining teams are now standing atop the Steps of Knowledge. “As the quest continues, it’s time for Olmec to tell us the legend of the Misfired Rocket of Wan Hu. But pay attention teams, because your knowledge of the legend can bring you a step closer to Olmec’s Temple…”

Olmec begins to tell the story:
“One of the greatest daredevils in history was the Chinese official Wan Hu. A minor official of the Ming Dynasty in the early 1500s, Wan Hu was a born leader as well as an accomplished astronomer. He studied the night skies profusely, often mapping his own charts of the stars. Legend has it that one day, he made a startling announcement to his colleagues.
“‘Soon, I shall make history, as I become the first man to travel into the heavens!’
“After standing silent for a few seconds, his colleagues burst out laughing at him.
“‘He must have drunk some fermented green tea!’ they shouted.
“But Wan Hu would not listen. After consulting his charts one final time, he built a large chair, and attached 47 rockets to it. On the day of launch, Wan Hu, dressed in his finest, climbed into the chair and summoned 47 of his colleagues.
“‘All right, when I give the signal, light the fuses, then run for your life!’ he instructed them.
“The colleagues still didn’t believe that Wan Hu would go into space, but they knew that the rockets could seriously injure him. They tried to talk him out of it, but Wan Hu would not hear them. On Wan Hu’s signal, the men lit the fuses, and then ran for cover. After a few seconds, the colleagues heard a massive explosion, and when one colleague looked up, he saw Wan Hu, still seated on his rocket chair, careening off into the sky. All that was left was at the launch site was a single misfired rocket. Eventually, this rocket found its way to the Temple. Your quest is to find the Misfired Rocket of Wan Hu and bring it back here.”

“Thanks for that, Olmec,” Kirk says. “So tell us, where is the Misfired Rocket?”

“The Misfired Rocket of Wan Hu can be found in the Candelabra Room,” Olmec replies. The camera zooms in on a small rocket with a burnt-out fuse sitting on the left-hand side of the guardrail in the room, and then cuts back to Kirk.

“Okay, thanks,” says Kirk. “Teams, you’re now standing on the Steps of Knowledge. In a moment, Olmec’s gonna ask you a question. If you think you know the answer, I want you to stomp down on the ancient marking in front of you. If you’re right, you’ll be able to move down to the next level, but if you’re wrong or you run out of time, I’ll give the other teams a chance.” Kirk begins descending the Steps. “The first two teams to make it to the bottom level will be one step closer to Olmec’s Temple. Olmec, we’re now ready for your first question.”

Olmec begins:
“Was Wan Hu a member of: the Chang Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty, or the Mekong Dynasty?”
The Green Monkeys ring in. “The…Ming Dynasty…?”
“That is correct,” Olmec assures. The Green Monkeys step down to the second level.
“Step down, Green Monkeys,” says Kirk. “Next question, Olmec.”

“Besides astronomer, what other occupation did Wan Hu have: general, government official, or doctor?”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “Oh…uh, general?”
“Incorrect,” Olmec booms.
The Purple Parrots ring in. “Government…official?”
“That is correct,” Olmec says. The Purple Parrots join the Green Monkeys on the second step.
“Purple Parrots also step down,” says Kirk. “Next question.”

“Did Wan Hu want to be the first person to—”
The Green Monkeys ring in early. “Um…go into space?”
“That…is correct,” Olmec says. The Green Monkeys proceed to the next-to-last step.
“Already, the Green Monkeys are one step away from the Temple Games!” Kirk observes. “Still time for the other teams, though…next question.”

“How many rockets did Wan Hu use to blast into space: 3, 47, or 100?”
After a couple of seconds, the Purple Parrots ring in. “Forty-seven?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Purple Parrots join the Green Monkeys on the penultimate step.
“Purple Parrots are also one step away now,” says Kirk. “Plenty of time left for the other two teams to catch up…next question.”

“Did Wan Hu attach the rockets that would launch him to: a chair, a table, or a clock?”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “A…chair?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Silver Snakes proceed to the second step.
“Silver Snakes are on the board now,” remarks Kirk. “Still looking for two teams…next question, Olmec.”

“According to legend, when the rockets went off, did the chair: go up in flames, take off into the sky, or do nothing?”
The Orange Iguanas ring in. “It, uh…went into space…?”
“That…is correct,” Olmec replies. The Orange Iguanas join the Silver Snakes on the second step.
“Now everyone’s on the board,” Kirk comments. “Anything can happen…next question.”

“Wan Hu studied the stars and heavens. Is someone who does this called: an astrologer, an astronomer, or a cartographer?”
The Green Monkeys ring in as the third choice is being given. “Astronomer…?”
“That is correct!” Olmec booms, and the Green Monkeys bound to the bottom and high-five one another.
“We’ve got our first team for the Temple Games!” Kirk exclaims. “Still need one more team—is it gonna be the Orange Iguanas, the Purple Parrots, or the Silver Snakes? Next question, Olmec.”

“Are groups of stars in the sky known as: nebulas—”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “Um…galaxies?”
“That is not one of our three choices,” Olmec replies. “The three choices are: nebulas, constellations, or supernovas?”
The Purple Parrots ring in. “Constellations…?”
“That is correct!” Olmec booms, and the Purple Parrots join the Green Monkeys on the bottom step.

“We’ve got our two teams right here,” says Kirk as he rushes onscreen and stands between them. “They’re the Green Monkeys, and the Purple Parrots! Orange Iguanas and Silver Snakes, you guys did a great job, too. We’re not sending you home empty-handed—we got a great gift for you, and here’s what it is!” They receive How to Train Your Dragon on DVD.

Kirk is now seen standing between the two teams. “These two teams will be going head-to-head to find out who enters Olmec’s Temple, and they’ll do it right after this!”

The camera zooms in on a pile of leaves beside the Silver Snakes’ gong next to the Moat before 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 two remaining teams.

“Welcome back,” he says. “Now the glory goes to the fastest and strongest…”

“So let’s hear it for Tyler and Kenya of the Green Monkeys!” The audience applauds for the lanky black girl with long, nappy black hair tied back into a ponytail and the blue-eyed boy with moppy brown hair.

“And Daniel and Melissa of the Purple Parrots!” The audience applauds for the short blue-eyed boy with spiky black hair and the slightly taller brown-eyed girl with long, curly blonde hair.

“All right, go get ready for the Temple Games,” Kirk says as the players disappear to his left and right. “Now, in the Temple Games, we’re competing for Pendants of Life. There are three Temple Games—Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #1…”

The black lights under Olmec come on as he begins to explain the first Game:
“Wan Hu was an accomplished astronomer, and often spent hours each night mapping charts of the stars. In this game, you’ll be creating your own star chart. When Kirk gives the signal, jump up, grab a star, run around, and place it on your map. Then run back, grab another star and do it again. The first player to place all seven stars, or…the player who places the most stars in thirty seconds…wins.”

“I hope our players don’t get ‘star-struck’,” jokes Kirk. “Yeah…let’s set the clock for thirty seconds!” The clock slams down in the bottom right-hand corner with a loud gong sound effect. “On your mark, get set, GO!”

Both girls are pretty consistent about grabbing stars from the platform with their rotating lever, but Melissa can’t seem to jump up high enough on the opposite side of the lever to place many of them on the board there, which allows Kenya to pull ahead early in the game. Kenya falters in the last half of the game, failing to reach the last two stars that are placed further up on the vertical platform, allowing Melissa a small window of opportunity to catch up. Melissa’s fifth star is placed with five seconds left, but Kenya is still ahead by one star when the game ends.

“That’s it, come on down!” Kirk shouts as he rushes back onscreen. “Come back down here—let’s count it up.” He glances back at the maps. “Green Monkeys got one, two, three, four, five, six stars, and…Purple Parrots got one, two, three, four, five stars, so the Green Monkeys get the half Pendant of Life!” The audience applauds for a few seconds. “Green—Purple Parrots can catch up in this next game. It’s also worth a half Pendant—Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #2…”

Olmec begins:
“To launch himself into space, Wan Hu attached forty-seven rockets to a large chair. In this game, you’ll also be searching for rockets to attach to a chair—except that you only have four to find. When Kirk gives the signal, jump up and launch yourself onto the net, climb up, and break one of the compartments around the edge. If you find a rocket, come back down and place it in your bin; otherwise, break open another compartment and try again. The first player to bring back all four rockets, or…the player who brings back the most rockets at the end of sixty seconds…wins.”

“Let’s set the clock for sixty seconds, please!” Kirk simply says, and the clock slams down in the bottom corner with the usual sound effect. “On your mark, get set, GO!”

Both boys jump up to the net using the trampoline and clamber toward the first cubbyhole they come to. Neither one finds a rocket inside, so they continue searching. Daniel finds the first rocket and brings it back with 47 seconds left, but Tyler is right behind him, finding and bringing back his first rocket with 42 seconds left. Tyler manages to find a second rocket on the very next hole he breaks open, and brings it back with 31 seconds left. The boys have a dry spell for the next ten seconds or so until Daniel finds his second rocket and ties up the game with 18 seconds left. It appears as if the game will end in a tie until Tyler finds a rocket with four seconds left, and scrambles back to place it in his bin just in the nick of time.

“Okay, that’s it!” Kirk says. “Judges say that last rocket was in time, so good job there…let’s count it up and see how we did!” Kirk first walks to the Green Monkeys’ bin. “Green Monkeys—one, two…they got three rockets, and the Purple Parrots got one…two rockets! The Green Monkeys get the half Pendant of Life!” Kirk pauses to allow the audience to applaud for a few seconds. “So the Green Monkeys are ahead now, one Pendant to nothing. But now, it’s time for 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 Game:
“No one ever actually saw Wan Hu return to Earth, but some legends say that he had placed a small primitive parachute behind his chair, and gently floated back down to safety after his rockets burnt out. In this game, you’ll be catching the rockets as they drop from Wan Hu’s chair. You and your partner are tied to a strong rope, which is attached to a wall between you. When Kirk gives the signal, watch above you, because various rockets will come parachuting down from the rafters. When a rocket comes within reach of you, run out to it, grab it, and place it in your bin. You may not grab a rocket after it hits the ground, so be quick. The team with the most rockets in their bin at the end of sixty seconds wins!”

“This is for the Temple,” Kirk explains. “Let’s set the clock for sixty seconds!” The clock slams down in the corner, ready to go. “On your mark, get set, GO!”

Both teams have a lot of trouble with this particular game, as the parachutes float every which way, and some end up just out of the player’s reach. However, some float just right toward the players, and the Green Monkeys manage to place the first rocket in their bin about halfway into the game. Melissa grabs a rocket just before it hits the ground and ties up the game with 28 seconds left. Toward the end, the teams step up their game, and both boys grab a rocket with 14 seconds to go. Kenya grabs a rocket to give the Green Monkeys the lead with nine seconds left. Time expires before anyone can catch any more rockets.

“Okay, time’s up!” Kirk shouts as he rushes back onscreen. “Let’s count up the parachutes and see how we did…” He walks next to the Green Monkeys’ bin first. “Green Monkeys got…one, two, three rockets, and…the Purple Parrots got…only two rockets! The Green Monkeys get the full Pendant; that gives them two Pendants; the Purple Parrots didn’t get any—the Green Monkeys are goin’ to the Temple!” Tyler and Kenya high-five one another as Kenya lets out a squeal of excitement. “Purple Parrots, come over here—you guys did great, too. We’ve got a great gift for you guys for making it this far, and here’s what it is!” They receive a custom-made Legends of the Hidden Temple: Rebirth watch.

As the prize disappears off-screen, Kirk is seen standing beside the winning team. “Now we’ll see if the Green Monkeys can make it through Olmec’s Temple and retrieve the Misfired Rocket of Wan Hu, right after this!”

The camera pans in on Kirk’s ATV and zooms in on the license plate in the front. We see that it reads “HDN-TMPL” before the title appears onscreen, and we go to a commercial.

[The Bandit King]

We return from the break to find Kirk standing in front of the Temple with the winning team.

“Welcome back to Legends: Rebirth,” he says. “Tyler and Kenya have proven themselves worthy, and have earned the right to enter Olmec’s Temple. But first, Olmec will give them information to help them retrieve the Misfired Rocket of Wan Hu…”

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 2 Pendants in the Temple Games. Who’s going first?”

“I am,” says Tyler.

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

• Just for making it this far, they’ll get a digital camera.
• If they can grab the Rocket within three minutes, they’ll also receive a bicycle from Mongoose.
• And if they can bring the Rocket out of the Temple before three minutes expires, they’ll win a trip to St. Thomas.

“All right, let’s see if they can win all that,” says Kirk. “Mouthpieces in, everybody…let’s set the clock for three minutes!” The clock slams down in the corner, ready to go.

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

“On your mark,” Kirk says to Tyler, “get set, GO!”

Tyler darts up the stairs, Pendant of Life in hand, and soon enters the Crypt (2:53). He pulls all three books from the skeletons before the door to the Bottomless Pit opens, so he heads into the room. After swinging across the gap with the rope, he hits the actuator for the Candelabra Room, but of course, the door doesn’t open (2:37). “Oh, that’s not gonna work—looks like he’ll have to take the long way around,” a Kirk voice-over narrates. Tyler slides down off the ledge into the balls that litter the bottom of the room and hits the actuator for the Tomb of the Headless Kings, where the door opens. He makes his way into the room, but just as he sets foot in it, the first TEMPLE GUARD ambushes him (2:26). “Oh, Temple Guard!” Kirk shouts as Tyler backs away to the front of the room. “Give ‘im your Pendant; that’s the only way he’ll leave you alone!” Tyler does as Kirk suggests, and the Temple Guard slinks back to the back of the room before disappearing behind one of the secret doors there. Tyler reaches for the rope in the room and pulls down hard, releasing about a thousand bones into the room. He looks around for a few seconds, but appears to be unable to find the skull. “There’s a skull in there somewhere,” the voice-over explains. “He’ll have to find it and put it on one of the bodies if he wants to keep going!” After looking around for a while, Tyler finds the skull buried under some bones and brings it to the stage-right king. He places it on the body, and the king’s torso begins pulsating with an eerie red light as the door to the Snake Pit flies open (2:00). “That’s it—into the Snake Pit!” Kirk narrates as Tyler makes his way through the now-open door. He sets foot into the room, but out from some foliage in the back of the room emerges the second TEMPLE GUARD (1:53).

“Whoa, Temple Guard—go, Kenya!” the ‘Kirk-over’ says, and Kenya takes off up the stairs. Kenya begins following Tyler’s path exactly, heading to the Snake Pit. “She’s got just under two minutes to make progress—can she reach the Rocket?” Kirk asks rhetorically. Kenya eventually makes it to the Snake Pit, where she finds one of the stuffed snakes almost immediately (1:29). She takes it to the stump at the back of the room and begins stuffing it through one of the holes at the back, threading it through another hole next to it before a hissing sound is heard. She looks around for a few seconds in search of the other snake. “There’s another snake around there somewhere—oh, it looks like she found it!” the voice-over narrates as Kenya heads to the front of the room and takes the plush snake from the foliage it was hidden in (1:10). She brings it to the stump, threading it through completely, and the door to the Dark Forest opens (0:59). Kenya ventures into the room, where she looks around before sticking her hand in the stage-right tree in search of a key. Unfortunately, she comes out empty-handed (0:49). She tries the stage-left tree, and this time, comes out with a key. She takes it to the back and inserts it in the middle door, but nothing happens. At this point, Kenya simply drops the key, heads to the front of the room, and breaks down the wall leading into the Dungeon (0:38). She immediately begins climbing the Pharaoh’s Secret Passage, and emerges in the Lightning Ball Room a bit later. She gets to her feet, but the third TEMPLE GUARD emerges from the door at the back of the room (0:26). “Whoa, third Temple Guard!” Kirk says. “She’s got a Pendant, but there are no more Temple Guards to worry about!” Kenya heads to the front of the room and fumbles with the cords for a second trying to find where they go. She eventually finds the holes, and begins inserting the cords into them (0:13). “Thirteen seconds—I don’t know if she’s gonna make it or not!” the voice-over laments. Sure enough, just as Kenya inserts the last power cord into its connection and the lightning effects fill the room, time expires.

“No, she ran out of time!” Kirk laments as Tyler looks disappointed. “They didn’t reach the Rocket in time, so that’s that! That’s okay, though, because they still get the digital camera for being such good sports—here comes Kenya, out of the Temple, and we’ve gotta get out of here, too. We’ll see you next time—buh-bye!”

The credits start to roll even before Kenya emerges from the Temple, and when she does, she, Tyler and Kirk wave to the audience. The camera only has time to show a calla lily growing next to the Moat and a shovel propped up against the Dungeon’s outer wall before the Stone Stanley logo appears onscreen.

[The Bandit King]

The Misfired Rocket of Wan Hu
Season 2, Layout 1
Artifact Location: The Candelabra Room
Team: Green Monkeys (Tyler Wilcox & Kenya Parkins)
Pendants: 2
Result: Ran out of time

This episode was, on the whole, a pretty boring one to watch, starting with the Moat Crossing that took forever and the snooze-fest of a Steps of Knowledge. The Temple Games were at least watchable, where the Green Monkeys (the only team that had shown a good deal of competitiveness that day) shut out the Purple Parrots, 2-0.

Tyler was a fairly fast frontrunner, but he made a mistake by trying the direct path to the artifact. He also burned up a lot of time trying to locate the skull in the Tomb of the Headless Kings. He was taken out in the Snake Pit with just under two minutes left.

Kenya did fine, but her slight lack of speed cost her team the victory here. She took too much time finding the snake in the Snake Pit, the key in the Dark Forest (which could have saved her a little time), and where the power cords connected in the Lightning Ball Room. Time ran out on her just as she was finishing this room’s objective.

If Kenya had been a little faster, she may have at least been able to reach the Misfired Rocket. If she had gone in first, perhaps Tyler would’ve had the speed to make this a victory. On the whole, though, a slow day for Legends…

Rating: 3 out of 10

Notes and Trivia: This episode has by far the longest Moat Crossing in Legends history, lasting a whopping four minutes, forty-eight seconds. Because of this, the episode cuts a lot of things short, including the pre-Temple Game interviews, Kirk’s Temple Game explanations, the pre-Temple Run interviews, and Kirk’s sendoff at the end of the episode. Even the credits roll faster than usual.

This episode features the only appearance of the “Catch the Parachutes” Temple Game. The game must have been deemed too difficult to complete, so it may have been retired after this particular layout.

[The Ancient Warrior]

Geezus Kriced... 4:48 on the Moat...

Seeing a creative legend and team Temple Game was pretty cool (although I had a little trouble visualizing it), even if the rest of the episode wasn't really anything special.  I'll admit I expected more detail on the Moat, but it was still a fine read all things considered.