Legends: Rebirth-The Broken Harpoon of Thor Heyerdahl

[The Bandit King]

Episode 42: The Broken Harpoon of Thor Heyerdahl

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 Broken Harpoon of Thor Heyerdahl,” Olmec replies.

“Ah, the Broken Harpoon of Thor Heyerdahl,” Kirk replies. “Well, the legend is set, and one of these six teams will have a chance to retrieve the Broken Harpoon—will it be:

“The Red Jaguars?” The camera zooms in on each team as they are introduced.
“The Blue Barracudas?
“The Green Monkeys?
“The Orange Iguanas?
“The Purple Parrots?
“Or the Silver Snakes?

“They’ll have to pass some tough physical and mental tests, but in the long run, only one of these six teams will have 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 it today…”

Olmec begins to explain the Moat crossing:
“Before you are two vines that stretch across the Moat: one at foot level, and one at arm’s reach. When Kirk gives the signal, one player from each team will walk across the Moat on the bottom vine while holding onto the top vine with their hands. Once you’re safely across, it’s your partner’s turn to cross in the same way. If you fall, or fail to keep at least one hand on the top vine, you must go back and start again. Once both players reach the other side, run over and hit the gong.” Kirk hits the Silver Snakes’ gong to demonstrate. “The first four teams to hit their gongs will go on to the next round!”

“Okay, let’s go,” Kirk says. “Teams, are you ready?”
All six teams scream and cheer in response.
“Olmec, are you ready?” Kirk asks.
“Let’s rock the moat,” Olmec replies.
“On your mark, get set, GO!”

“There they go, across the vines!” Kirk narrates as all six teams step out onto the bottom vine and begin making their way across, keeping one hand on the top vine at all times. The Silver Snakes’ boy takes an early lead, closely followed by the Blue Barracudas’ boy. The remaining teams are doing fairly well except for the Orange Iguanas’ girl, who is lagging way behind. “It’s tough to cross, because you’ve got to keep one hand on the vine all the time!” Kirk explains. The Silver Snakes’ boy makes it across a few seconds later, followed closely by the Blue Barracudas’ boy. Every other team gets their first member across within about ten seconds except the Orange Iguanas, whose female member is still lagging behind. The other teams’ second members start to cross, and most are neck-and-neck all the way. The Red Jaguars’ boy lets go of the top rope, though, and he loses his balance and falls into the water. “Oh, Red Jaguars have to go back…meanwhile, everyone else looking good!” Kirk narrates. The Blue Barracudas’ girl makes it across first, followed closely by the Silver Snakes’ girl; these two teams hit their gongs first. “Oh, two teams—we need two more!” Kirk affirms. A few seconds later, the Orange Iguanas’ girl finally makes it across, but by then, it’s too little, too late, as the Green Monkeys and Purple Parrots get their second member across and hit their gongs to end the Moat crossing.

“That’s it!” shouts Kirk as he rushes over to stand beside the Silver Snakes. “There’s our four teams—Silver Snakes are excited, and rightfully so, because they’re going on to the Steps of Knowledge…along with the Purple Parrots…” Kirk briefly pauses between each team’s name to allow applause. “…and the Green Monkeys…and the Blue Barracudas! The Red Jaguars and the Orange Iguanas gave it a great try, but 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 card from Best Buy.

[The Bandit King]

Kirk and the remaining four teams are now standing atop the Steps of Knowledge. “As the quest continues, it’s now time for Olmec to tell us about the Broken Harpoon of Thor Heyerdahl. 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 story:
“One of the most daring explorers of all time was Thor Heyerdahl. Born in Norway, Heyerdahl studied zoology and made many expeditions to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, studying the local plants and animals. However, this was not enough for Heyerdahl.
“‘I vant to do something daring,’ he said. ‘Something no one else has done before.’
“So Heyerdahl did just that. On April 28th, 1947, he and six other men constructed a raft out of balsawood and set sail from Peru. Heyerdahl’s goal was to prove that people from South America could have reached Polynesia in ancient times using only makeshift rafts.
“‘This is crazy,’ said Heyerdahl’s crewmate Herman Watzinger.
“‘I know,’ replied Heyerdahl. ‘But I have to find out.’
“For three months, Heyerdahl’s crew drifted along the current, bound for their destination. Legend has it that one morning, Heyerdahl awoke to see a huge shadow under the raft. It was shaped like a fish, but it was so large that Heyerdahl could see its huge head on one side of the raft and its giant tail on the other.
“‘Uh, guys, you may vant to see this…’
“The giant creature was a whale shark—the largest fish in the world. It circled the raft for over an hour. Heyerdahl’s crew readied a harpoon for him, and Heyerdahl rammed the harpoon into the creature’s skull. The whale shark broke the harpoon’s tip off, and swam away. Heyerdahl eventually reached his destination, having traveled almost 4,000 miles, but the harpoon he used to attack the whale shark ended up in the Temple. Your quest is to find the Broken Harpoon of Thor Heyerdahl and bring it back here.”

“Thanks, Olmec. But tell us, where is the Broken Harpoon?” Kirk asks.

“The Broken Harpoon of Thor Heyerdahl can be found…in the Dungeon,” Olmec replies. The camera zooms in on a rusty harpoon, its sharp tip broken off, propped up against the back wall of the room before fading back to Kirk.

“Teams, you are now standing on the Steps of Knowledge,” Kirk explains. “In a moment, Olmec’s gonna ask you a question. If you think you know the answer, 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 to answer.” Kirk begins descending the Steps. “The first two teams to make it to the bottom level will be one step closer to Olmec’s Temple. Olmec, we’re now ready for your first question.”

Olmec begins:
“Was Heyerdahl born in: Sweden, Germany, or Norway?”
The Blue Barracudas ring in. “Norway?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Blue Barracudas proceed to the next level.
“Blue Barracudas, step down,” Kirk instructs. “Next question, Olmec.”

“Did Heyerdahl study plants and animals in: Samoa, Polynesia, or—”
“To sail to Polynesia, did Heyerdahl build: a ship, a canoe, or a raft?”
The Blue Barracudas ring in again. “A raft.”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Blue Barracudas step down to the penultimate step.
“And just like that, they’re just one step away from the Temple Games,” Kirk narrates. “But remember, we need two teams. Next question.”

“What material was Heyerdahl’s raft made of: gopher wood, balsa wood, or redwood?”
The Blue Barracudas ring in for a third consecutive time. “Balls—balsa wood?”
There is a short pause. “That…is correct!” Olmec booms. The Blue Barracudas jump down to the bottom step and high-five one another.
“The Blue Barracudas are going to the Temple Games!” Kirk says. “But we still need one more team. Who will it be—the Silver Snakes, the Purple Parrots, or the Green Monkeys? Olmec, next question, please…”

“Where in South America did Heyerdahl and his crew start their voyage: Colombia, Peru, or Argentina?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Silver Snakes step down to the second step.
“Step down, Silver Snakes,” Kirk instructs. “Next question, please.”

“What kind of shark did Heyerdahl see under his raft: hammerhead, great white, or whale?”
The Green Monkeys ring in. “Uh, whale…shark?”
“That is correct,” Olmec replies. The Green Monkeys step to the second level.
“Green Monkeys are on the board now,” Kirk says. “Still anyone’s game, though—next question, please.”

“Are sharks: mammals, fish, or reptiles?”
The Purple Parrots ring in. “Mammals?”
“Incorrect,” Olmec booms.
The Silver Snakes ring in next. “Fish.”
“You are correct,” Olmec replies. The Silver Snakes step to the penultimate step.
“Silver Snakes are now only one step away,” Kirk affirms. “Still plenty of time for you other two teams, though—next question.”

“What material is a shark’s skeleton composed of: bone, cartilage, or collagen?”
The Silver Snakes ring in. “Cartilage.”
“That…is correct!” Olmec booms. The Silver Snakes jump down to the bottom step.

“We’ve got our two teams for the Temple Games!” Kirk says as he runs onscreen and stands between them. “They are the Blue Barracudas, and the Silver Snakes! Green Monkeys and Purple Parrots, you guys were great, too—you were up against some quick-on-the-draw opposition. We’ve got a great gift for you guys for playing, and here’s what it is!” They receive Furry Vengeance on DVD.

Kirk is now seen standing between the two remaining teams. “These two teams are going head-to-head in the Temple Games for a right to enter Olmec’s Temple, right after this!”

The camera flies over Kirk, pans to the left, and zooms in on one of the king’s shields in the Tomb of the Headless Kings. The title appears onscreen, and we go to a commercial.

[The Bandit King]

We return from the break to find Kirk standing in front of the Temple with the two remaining teams standing on either side of him.

“Welcome back,” he says. “Now is when the glory goes to the fastest and the strongest, but first, let’s get to know our two teams a little better…”

Kirk turns to the Blue Barracudas first, who are made up of a pretty brown-eyed Asian girl with long black hair tied into a ponytail and a slightly taller blue-eyed boy with bushy brown hair. Kirk turns to the girl first.
“On the Blue Barracudas, we have Keiko. How old are you, Keiko?”
“Thirteen,” Keiko replies.
“And it says here that you play soccer, but you also are interested in painting—what kind of stuff do you paint?”
“Well,” Keiko begins, “my ancestors are from Japan, so…I like to paint, like, traditional Japanese scenery…I really like to paint flowers.”
“Ah, very nice,” says Kirk. “And over here, we have your partner, Matt. How old are you, Matt?”
“Thirteen,” he replies.
“And it says here you run track and play basketball, but you also play drums, is that right?”
“Yeah,” replies Matt. “I’ve been playing for about a year now, and I’m still learning, but I’m getting pretty good at it.”
“You think maybe you’ll join a band?” Kirk jokes.
“Mmm…maybe someday,” says Matt hesitantly before laughing slightly.
“These guys look fired up—let’s hear it for the Blue Barracudas!” Keiko and Matt applaud along with the audience.

Kirk now turns toward the Silver Snakes, who are made up of a short brown-eyed girl with curly auburn hair and freckles and a much taller blue-eyed boy with a black buzz-cut.
“And over here on the Silver Snakes, we have Stephanie. How old are you?”
“Twelve,” Stephanie replies in a very mousy voice.
“And it says here you like to dance, but you’re also interested in photography—why’s that?”
“Well, I got into taking pictures about six months ago, and…I just really like it,” Stephanie explains.
“You’ll have to snap some victory in these Temple Games,” Kirk says. “And your partner is Josh. How old are you, Josh?”
“Thirteen,” he replies.
“And it says here you’re called a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ because you like all kinds of sports, am I right?”
“Right,” says Josh.
“Do you have a favorite sport?” asks Kirk.
“Uh…probably basketball, ‘cause I’m so good at it,” Josh replies.
“Your height probably has something to do with that, huh?” jokes Kirk. Josh only laughs.
“Looks like we’ve got another strong team here—let’s hear it for the Silver Snakes!” Josh and Stephanie applaud politely along with the audience.

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

“Yeah!” comes their reply.

“Hey, that’s what we like to hear!” Kirk says. “Go get ready for the Temple Games! Now, in these Temple Games, our teams are competing to win…” Kirk retrieves a Pendant of Life from his pouch and holds it up to the camera. “…Pendants of Life. The winning team is gonna need these Pendants to protect them from those nasty Temple Guards that lurk inside Olmec’s Temple. There are three Temple Games—Olmec, could you please tell us about the first one?”

The black lights under Olmec come on as he begins to explain the first Temple Game:
“For his experiment, Thor Heyerdahl and his crew built a massive raft out of balsa wood and sailed toward their destination of Polynesia. In this game, your voyage will be much shorter. When Kirk gives the signal, adjust your weight and begin turning the giant wheel you’re standing on. For each rotation you make, it symbolizes one mile sailed by Heyerdahl and his crew. The team that travels the most miles after sixty seconds…wins.”

“Round and round they go, where they stop? Nobody knows,” Kirk says. “Let’s set the clock for sixty seconds!” The clock slams down in the bottom corner. “On your mark, get set, GO!”

Matt and Josh start out very strong in this game—neither one falls off for about fifteen seconds, each one scoring five complete rotations. With 40 seconds left, Josh falls off his wheel, allowing Matt to take a slight lead. Josh solders on, and with a combination of speed and luck, eventually gets within two rotations of Matt. Josh falls off his wheel for a second time with 21 seconds left, and Matt takes even more of a lead. With only ten seconds left, Matt falls off his wheel for the first time in the game. Josh tries to catch up, but it’s mostly in vain—time expires soon afterwards.

“Okay, that’s it!” Kirk says as he runs back onscreen. “Stop spinning and come on down here! Dizzy, dizzy—they’re definitely dizzy after that game, but let’s see the scores here—it looks like the Blue Barracudas traveled fifteen miles, aaand…the Silver Snakes traveled ten miles! The Blue Barracudas get the half Pendant of Life!” The audience applauds for a few seconds. “The Blue Barracudas won the first game, but the Silver Snakes can catch up in the next one. Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #2…”

Olmec begins:
“While sailing from Peru to Polynesia, Heyerdahl saw lots of wildlife, including the massive whale shark his crew encountered. In this game, you’ll be categorizing sharks that Heyerdahl may have seen. Before you stands a platform with six holes, each one marked with the name of a type of shark. When Kirk gives the signal, insert your peg into one of the holes. If you’ve chosen the right shark, nothing will happen; otherwise, you’ll be squirted with seawater. The team that correctly identifies the most sharks in thirty seconds…wins.”

“I have a feeling someone’s about to get soaked,” Kirk says. “Let’s put sixty sec—or thirty seconds on the clock, please!” The clock slams down in the corner with a loud gong. “Girls, go ahead and make your first choice right now.” Both Keiko and Stephanie insert their pegs into one of the six holes. “Ready, set, SQUIRT!”

Both girls get squirted with their first choice, and continue to be squirted on their second and third turns. Keiko scores a point with her fourth choice, and both girls score with their fifth choice. Each girl goes back and forth, mostly making incorrect choices, but still scoring here and there. Both girls are soaking-wet by the time the clock runs out.

“All right, that’s it!” Kirk says as he appears back onscreen behind the two girls. “I knew this game would be wet and wild! Our judges say that the Silver Snakes successfully found five sharks, but the Blue Barracudas also found five sharks! Both teams get the half Pendant of Life!” The audience applauds briefly. “Now the Silver Snakes have a half Pendant, and the Blue Barracudas have a full Pendant. But now we go to our third and final Temple Game. It’s worth a full Pendant, and it will decide our winner. Olmec, tell us about Temple Game #3, please…”

Olmec begins to explain the final Game:
“If Heyerdahl and his crew were familiar with whale sharks before they set out on their journey, they would have known that the animal never posed any danger to them at all. Whale sharks only feed on plankton and small fish—there have even been cases of whale sharks swimming right next to divers. In this game, you’ll see what that might be like. You and your team are now riding on top of a whale shark. When Kirk gives the signal, propel your shark off the dock and sail toward your destination. When you reach it, climb out, grab the fish to feed the shark, then turn around and sail back. The first team to step back onto the dock, or…the team that’s further along after sixty seconds wins!”

“Good thing these sharks don’t eat people, huh?” jokes Kirk. “Let’s set the clock for sixty seconds, please!” The clock slams down in the corner, ready to go. “Just let me get out of the way here…on your mark, get set, GO!”

Both teams launch their boats (or “sharks”, in this case) off the dock and roll toward the destination. The Blue Barracudas arrive first, but the Silver Snakes are just a few seconds behind them. Matt and Keiko clamber out and load the two fake fish in their vessel, but Josh and Stephanie are right on their tails. Both teams climb back in their boats at around the 40-second mark and start turning them around, but the Silver Snakes have a little trouble doing so, allowing the Blue Barracudas to take a slight lead. The Silver Snakes almost catch up, but the Blue Barracudas make it back to the dock with a whopping 23 seconds remaining.

“Whoa, that’s it!” Kirk says as the Silver Snakes appear on the other side of the dock mere seconds later. “It was close, it was fast, but the Blue Barracudas made it back first, so they get the full Pendant. That gives them two Pendants; the Silver Snakes had a half Pendant—that means the Blue Barracudas are going to the Temple!” Matt and Keiko high-ten one another in excitement as the audience applaud for them. “The Silver Snakes, you guys did a great job, too—that was a close race there at the end! Don’t worry, we’re not sending you two home empty-handed by a long shot. We’ve got a great gift for you, 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 now seen standing beside the winning team. “Will the Blue Barracudas make it through Olmec’s Temple and retrieve the Broken Harpoon of Thor Heyerdahl? We’ll see right after this!”

The camera pans in on Olmec and zooms in on our stone-faced friend. His eyes light up bright red and he opens his mouth wide as the title appears onscreen, and we go to a commercial.

[The Bandit King]

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

“Welcome back to Legends: Rebirth,” he says. “The Blue Barracudas have proven themselves worthy, and now have earned the right to enter Olmec’s Temple. But first, Olmec’s gonna give them some information to help them retrieve the Broken Harpoon of Thor Heyerdahl…”

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 Keiko, raising her hand.

“Very well, Keiko,” Olmec replies. “When Kirk gives the signal, you’ll race through the Gate into the Temple and make your way toward the Broken Harpoon. 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 Matt’s turn to enter and try his luck. If you can reach the Harpoon, all the doors of the Temple will instantly unlock, and the Temple Guards will vanish. Return through the Gates with the Broken Harpoon of Thor Heyerdahl 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 Harpoon within three minutes, they’ll also receive a bicycle from Mongoose.
• And if they can bring the Harpoon out of the Temple before three minutes expires, they’ll win a trip to Mexico.

“All right, let’s see if they can win all that,” Kirk says. “They look ready to me—let’s get you out in front, Keiko. Now, Matt, is there some kind of strategy you guys might have in the Temple?”

“We, uh—we’re gonna try to just stay high, and try and come down,” explains Matt. “If that doesn’t work, though, we’ll try to take the long road—one of those two paths, we think, is gonna work for us.”

“Well, here’s hoping it does,” Kirk says. “Both of you need your mouthpieces in—you never know when you’re gonna have to take off. Let’s set the clock for three minutes, please!” The clock slams down in the bottom corner with the usual gong sound effect.

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

“Looks like Olmec’s ready for you, Keiko,” Kirk says as he puts his hands on Keiko’s shoulders to encourage her. “On your mark, get set…GO!”

“There she goes, up, up into the Temple!” says Kirk via a voice-over as Keiko trots up the stairs and disappears behind Olmec and makes her way toward the Crypt. “When she comes back out again, will she have the Broken Harpoon? We’ll find out!” Keiko pulls two books in the Crypt before opening the door to the Bottomless Pit—however, she also opens the secret door in the back of the room, revealing the first Temple Guard (2:53). “Whoa—first Temple Guard, right away!” says the voice-over as Keiko hands over her Pendant without much hesitation. “She’s got a Pendant, though, so no worries!” As the Temple Guard disappears back behind the door, Keiko enters the Bottomless Pit, where she grabs onto the rope and swings across to the opposite ledge. She hits the actuator for the Great Seal Room and then the Candelabra Room; however, only the door to the latter one opens (2:42). “That’s it—headed into the Candelabra Room!” the voice-over narrates as Keiko enters the room. “There’s still plenty of time left, but Matt could have to take off at any time!” Keiko hits all five candelabras before any doors open, and when they do, it’s only the door that covers the ladder up to the Great Seal Room that reveals itself (2:35). “Whoa, that did it!” shouts the voice-over. “Now she’s headed up to the Great Seal Room!” Keiko climbs the ladder up to the room, but before she can head to the back and grab any seals, the second Temple Guard jumps out and grabs her by the arm (2:27).

“Whoa, there’s the second Temple Guard!” the Kirk voice-over shouts, and Matt takes off up the stairs. “Now it’s all up to Matt! Can he make it to the Harpoon in time?” Matt rapidly retraces Keiko’s steps, and motors up the ladder to the Great Seal Room (2:14). He goes to the back of the room, where he grabs all four seals and awkwardly walks them back to the middle of the room, where the central seal holder awaits. He places one seal in the holder, but nothing happens. He tries a second seal, and this time, the door to the Room of the Mystical Keys opens (2:05). “All right—onward and upward!” the voice-over exclaims. Matt enters the room, but before he can reach into any of the nine compartments in search of a key, the third Temple Guard ambushes him (2:00). “Oh, there’s the third Temple Guard!” the Kirk voice-over exclaims as Matt reaches for his Pendant. “That’s all of them, so it’s a straight shot to the Harpoon now!” Matt reaches into three compartments before finding the first key in the top right-hand compartment (1:48), and reaches into three more before finding the second key in the bottom left-hand compartment (1:35). He brings the two keys back to the front of the room and inserts them into the left and middle pedestals, but nothing happens. He tries the middle and right pedestals, but still nothing happens. Matt takes the middle key and places it in the left pedestal, and the door to the Shrine of the Silver Monkey finally opens (1:20). “Whoa, that’s the right combination!” the “Kirk-over” narrates. “Now he’s headed into the Shriiiiine of the Siiiiiilver Monkey!” Matt looks around for a second or two before heading to the back of the room and grabbing the head, the base, and the torso of the statue, in that order, and bringing them back to the front of the room (1:11). He successfully places the base and torso fairly quickly (1:03), and after a little difficulty aligning it properly, he jams down the head, opening the door to the Lightning Ball Room. After checking to make sure the door to the Dungeon didn’t open, Matt progresses into the room (0:55). “He’s right above the Harpoon, with one minute left!” the voice-over says. “I think he might reach it!” Matt is seen heading to the lightning ball before the camera cuts to Keiko, cheering and clapping from the sidelines. When we see Matt again, he’s inserting the two right-side power cords into the lightning ball’s pedestal. A massive thunderclap is heard, a white flash fills the room, and the door to the Pharaoh’s Secret Passage flies open (0:48). Matt slides down the tunnel, darts to the back of the room, and grabs the BROKEN HARPOON (0:42).

“He’s got it!” a now-live Kirk shouts. “All the doors are open!” Matt breaks down the wall, entering the Dark Forest. He slowly climbs through the small door to the Snake Pit, where he begins making his way across (0:32). “Into the Snake Pit—Keiko’s going crazy over here!” The camera cuts back to Keiko, who is frantically jumping up and down, cheering “Come on!” We cut back to Matt, who is now entering the Tomb of the Headless Kings (0:25). He quickly makes it back through the ball-littered room of the Bottomless Pit, where he trudges through the balls, knocking several out of the Temple (0:19). “Into the Pit—back through where he came!” Kirk narrates excitedly. “Back through the Ledges—he’s gonna do it!” Sure enough, Matt enters the Ledges, clambers through, and chugs back through the Temple Gate with eleven seconds left on the clock.

“They did it!” Kirk shouts as Keiko practically tackles Matt and hugs him. “They got the Harpoon—the Broken Harpoon! They won all of it!” Matt and Keiko raise their hands as Matt holds the Harpoon up in his right hand. “They got the digital camera, they got the bikes—they’re going to Mexico!” Keiko cheers wildly as Matt simply nods and continues holding up the Harpoon. “They did great—this was a great team, all day long! They’re excited, I’m excited, but unfortunately, we’ve got to go. We’ll see you next time, and just remember: it’s not just Legends, oh no. It’s Legends: Rebirth! Buh-bye!”

Kirk, Matt and Keiko continue celebrating as the credits start to roll. Close-ups are seen of the Snake Pit, the Tomb of the Headless Kings, and the bottom part of the Bottomless Pit before we see Kirk and the winning team waving to the crowd. The camera zooms in on the Broken Harpoon in Matt’s hands before the Stone Stanley logo appears onscreen.

[The Bandit King]

The Broken Harpoon of Thor Heyerdahl
Season 1, Layout 1 (6 overall)
Team: Blue Barracudas (Matt Hoffman & Keiko Tomonaga)
Artifact Location: The Dungeon
Pendants: 2
Result: Escaped! (0:11 left)

After a slightly lackluster (but still watchable) season premiere, this episode really brought up my expectations of Season 2. The Temple Games in particular were very fun to watch, especially the last one, where the “boat race” game’s vessels were painted blue-and-white to match the pattern of a whale shark’s skin (look here if you want to see what I mean).  The layout of the Temple Run was pretty hard, but a fast team was able to decipher it and bring home the grand prize.

Cute little Keiko may not have spent much time in the Temple, but she was an average-speed contestant who held her bearings. She also wasn’t fazed by the Temple Guard she met in the Crypt, and was smart to try both top-level actuators in the Bottomless Pit. She was taken out in the Great Seal Room with almost two-and-a-half minutes remaining.

Matt wasn’t in the “Gator” category as far as speed goes, but he was one of the faster contestants I’ve ever seen. To boot, he was also intelligent—he grabbed all four seals in the Great Seal Room, all three pieces of the statue in the Shrine, and also checked the Shrine-Dungeon door to see if it had opened (it didn’t, but still). He grabbed the Harpoon with a healthy 42 seconds left, and made it out soon afterward. This was a great episode, and the team (especially Keiko) seemed genuinely excited about the win. All in all, this was a very nice addition to Season 2.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Notes and Trivia: In addition to being the first win of Season 2, this episode also marks the first of three successful Temple Runs by the Blue Barracudas, as well as one of only three times an artifact is successfully brought out of the Temple for this particular layout.

This episode’s Temple Run is narrated by Kirk via a voice-over, a fairly common occurrence in Season 2. The action switches over to live Kirk when Matt grabs the Harpoon.

Keiko and Matt are one of only two teams so far on Legends: Rebirth to place first in the Moat, sweep the Steps of Knowledge, win two Pendants, and win the grand prize in the Temple Run (the other team was Esteban and Kristin from “The Wedding Ring of Nocatula”).

[karmew32]

Wow, they went through every single room of the temple!

[The Ancient Warrior]

"Billy the Kid" team AND they entered every room AND the boy is a tribute to me? Holy crap I need to repay you for this. Awesome work!

EDIT: lol, "Matt Hoffman"

[The Bandit King]

No big...I'll probably have one for TBF eventually, too. Maybe Bob and RJF as well, but I'm not guaranteeing every one will be a win...