Possible Alternative Routes

[Purple Parrots Fan]

That happened quite a bit in Season 2 if I remember correctly. That same door also opened in Silver Cannonball and in Icarus, but Amber and Jason unnecessarily detoured into that room. So that would be more of a dead end to me.

[The Red Jaguars]

That happened quite a bit in Season 2 if I remember correctly. That same door also opened in Silver Cannonball and in Icarus, but Amber and Jason unnecessarily detoured into that room. So that would be more of a dead end to me.

It also happened in the Charles Lindbergh run too. I think Kim even backtracks into the same room as Jason and Amber. 

[Purple Parrots Fan]

*Shudders* I think I've blocked that run out of my memory.

And since we were talking about it in the other thread, could Sacred Ring have been an alternative route as well? If the Shrine door DID open, then both Medusa's Lair (and obviously the Ledges) could've easily have been avoided. Then maybe Brian and Gracelyn would've had a shot at a solo victory. I know we don't actually see the Storeroom/Shrine door open, but I just thought I'd throw that in there anyways.

[The Red Jaguars]

*Shudders* I think I've blocked that run out of my memory.

And since we were talking about it in the other thread, could Sacred Ring have been an alternative route as well? If the Shrine door DID open, then both Medusa's Lair (and obviously the Ledges) could've easily have been avoided. Then maybe Brian and Gracelyn would've had a shot at a solo victory. I know we don't actually see the Storeroom/Shrine door open, but I just thought I'd throw that in there anyways.

We never get a good shot of the King's Storeroom-Shrine door in Sultan Suleiman. I watched that run a million times to see if we can see it open. The only reason why I think it should've opened because all the other Dark Forest runs had it open from that day. Both Captain John Smith and Missing Weather Maps from Season 2 anyways. And if Medusa's Lair was avoidable, then Brian and Gracelyn would've had the potential for a solo shot. But with Brian as a frontrunner, I don't see that happening.

And as much as I don't want to bring it up, I am pretty sure Golden Cricket Cage's temple run had an alternate path. The layout was exactly like Kamehameha's right down to the temple guard placement. Had John and Tia started in the Observatory, it probably would've been a solo shot. But that would be asinine to think they even had a chance. 

[Purple Parrots Fan]

But that would be asinine to think they even had a chance.

Unless the Purple Parrots made it to the temple instead and tried that route.

[Red Jaguars Fan]

*Shudders* I think I've blocked that run out of my memory.

And since we were talking about it in the other thread, could Sacred Ring have been an alternative route as well? If the Shrine door DID open, then both Medusa's Lair (and obviously the Ledges) could've easily have been avoided. Then maybe Brian and Gracelyn would've had a shot at a solo victory. I know we don't actually see the Storeroom/Shrine door open, but I just thought I'd throw that in there anyways.

I don't know if it helps much, but the Observatory/Lair door opened. It's usually that trick where the player goes for the middle door instead of down the stairs where the slab was. Also, Gracelyn never properly looked at the Shrine/Storeroom door despite what Kirk said. And Kirk can see if the door is open from his view point. It's most likely the Shrine door did open. If so... Gracelyn is an even bigger idiot than I thought.

[The Viper]

Although it's unlikely, there might have been a separate path that reqiured going down the central shaft and through the Swamp,  like a reverse Davy Crockett, but there most likely wasn't, and the girl was just being stupid.

[Purple Parrots Fan]

The whole central shaft path could've been possible, even the Missing Eye layout had the kids traversing down the central shaft. Of course, Michael and Emily were MUCH more competent than Brian and Gracelyn were. So maybe the Shrine door did open after all.

[PurpleParrot4Life]

For what it's worth, I don't think the Shrine opened from the King's Storeroom during the Sacred Ring of Sultan Suleiman run. A different sound effect goes off when the doors open from the King's Storeroom during this run in comparison with other Season 2 runs. I think the intended path was for the team to go down the central shaft and then across the bottom floor to the Dark Forest. This would leave the King's Storeroom as an extra, albeit unnecessary, room objective to complete (similar to Medusa's Lair space in a number of Season 2 episodes).

[The Red Jaguars]

I like the idea of the Sultan Suleiman path forcing the team down the entire centeral shaft too. It would've been more unique than most of the Dark Forest paths on the show. And there is no way that Gracelyn would've missed the Shrine door opening too. It was not like the tiny door leading to the center of the temple that fooled some players like Shem and Jonathan from Battle Flag. So maybe Gracelyn was going in the right direction and the King's Storeroom was just a dead end?

[PurpleParrot4Life]

And then that begs the question, "What was meant to happen after Christina completed the King's Storeroom during the Secret Battle Plan of Nathan Hale run?" Was that another run where they were meant to descend down the central shaft and possibly avoid the King's Storeroom, or was the layout similar to Broken Wing of Icarus in that they were meant to head down from the King's Storeroom and then back up?

As much as I'd like to think that they were meant to go down from the King's Storeroom, the Crypt and Observatory guards were forced based on the way the temple layout appeared to be set up. Although there were some instances where all of the guard were forced during a 1.5 pendant run, I'm not sure that this was one of those instances.

Additionally, the camera angle in the Ledges and Kirk's commentary when James was in the Ledges makes me think that perhaps the bottom door to the Pit could have opened and created an alternate route straight along the bottom of the temple, a la Silver Horseshoe of Butch Cassidy, although I feel like this is a very unlikely scenario.

[The Red Jaguars]

I think the path that James and Christina took in Nathan Hale was their intended path. It seems unfair for a team with 1.5 pendants to encounter all three guards, but it happened in Missing Eye before and later in Lost Taj Mahal Turban. It is an example of the producers banking on the 1.5 pendant teams. All of this could've been avoided if Christina simply found her half-pendant. Not that it mattered, because she was so slow in the temple already. It would've been a loss anyways.

[Purple Parrots Fan]

Yeah, I also think the path the Battle Plan kids took was their intended path, like TRJ said. But their triple capture could've easily have been avoided if Christina had paid attention and actually found the half pendant.

Also, have we brought up Paintbrush and Stone Marker yet? If not, then that could've been an alternative path too. I mean, neither of those teams tried all three Gargoyle tongues, so maybe those top floor doors would've opened. And the teams wouldn't have gotten caught up in the Swamp/Bamboo Forest dead end. You never know.

[The Red Jaguars]

Both temple runs probably would've allowed access to the Trouble Bridge. But the Stone Marker team was more to be blamed for missing this opportunity. Keeli entered the Gargoyle Room as a frontrunner, and if she pressed all three tongues, then she probably would've been allowed to the Trouble Bridge. And with her quick speed, the Stone Marker run would've been more successful.

In Leonardo Da Vinci, Roberto was a second runner and Katie never entered the Gargoyle Room. I thought it was clever of him to try the top floor even with little time left. But he also failed to press all three tongues too. Not that it mattered, because he only had little time to do anything. And he almost pulled a Harriet Tubman by taking a different path. 

[Purple Parrots Fan]

But the Leonardo Da Vinci kids had 2 pendants. So even if there was a third guard in there, it wouldn't have mattered.