Game Show NewsNet

Episode 3.2 - September 29

A few months ago, I've said Viva Las Vegas, as I wrote out my report on the Game Show Congress. I will say it again for a few reasons - 1. This Fear Factor is indeed in Vegas, and 2. and more importantly, at least one of the segments was open to the public - which I was at and got to see played out life. Unfortunately, you can't see me very well, as I am one of the speckles in the back somewhere.

But before we get there, we need to meet our 6 gamblers.

Bobby Scali - Stoneham, MA - Computer Engineer - he wants to double the money on the black jack tables.

Krisandra Johnson - Hillsboro, ND - NBA Dancer - she wants to try everything at least once. Remember this statement - we'll get back to it later...

Jamison Gilkey - Wichita, KS - Retail Sales - he's a strong, athletic and confident African American - which is the profile of a winner - or the first person to go home.

Lark Schmidt - Lake Havasu City, AZ - Realtor - She says that she learns from her mistakes. You don't get a shot at do overs here...

Josh Schwadron - Miami, Fl - Business Student - He's not cocky - but he likes to get the job done. Call him the anti-Jamison in term of personality. Now how will that translate on the stunts?

Melinda Russel - Bend, Or - Receptionist - She's the wild blonde who loves to do whatever is wacky. She seems perfect for Sin City.

Joe Rogan brings everyone together, and says that not only can you win $50,000, but like the last time Fear Factor went to Vegas, they have to bet at least $25,000 on a hand of Black Jack. Here's the catch - they can risk it ALL if they want to, for a $100,000 payoff - or if they have bad luck, then Mandalay Bay gets a little royalty bonus.

Speaking of them, we start 400 feet above the Mandalay Bay. There is a circular pole with Fear Factor flags draped across it. You have to get rid of all of the flags - EXCEPT the last one, which you must collect and post on a separate pole. The man and woman who gets the least number of flags - or the man and woman who is the slowest in completing the stunt, will be going to the black jack tables earlier than expected.

Lark is first and she is inching along - and I mean inching. She looks like a inchworm up there. She gets it done in 1:26, and I have no clue if that's a good time or not. She shows her pole marks on her legs. "This is competition, baby!"

Krisandra, who is a dancer for the Minnesota Timberwolves, thinks that it's a bad time - and she is determined to beat it. She gets the job done and completes it in 1:14. Krisandra loves the view that she got - but Lark isn't liking what she's seeing.

She'll like it even less if Melinda gets it done quicker - because that means that Lark will be going home. Melinda, after seeing the women complete the stunt before her, changes her strategy - and it seems to be workking, because she is moving very quickly - until she commits the dumb-ass move of the episode and throws away the last flag. You have to KEEP the last flag for the post, remember? With that, Melinda gets eliminated and Lark avoids a huge bullet.

Will the men do anything as stupid when it's their turn to try the stunt? Bobby goes first, and Joe is already preceding this with "I hope he doesn't throw the flag away like Melinda." says Joe. Sure enough, he does, and Bobby is an even bigger dumb-ass because he already saw someone do that and get herself knocked out. Bobby can sit with Melinda and play the dummy hand...

This, of course means that barring disaster, Jamison and Josh will get in - so Joe offers them a $1,000 bonus for the person who does it quicker. Jamison is next - and Josh can collect the money now. Jamison is terrified of heights, so he takes his sweet time - and since time is not a factor anymore, he gets it done in a time (6:17) that it could take some people to blow $50,000 at a craps table. Joe - "Your time is longer than everyone else's time combined!" Ouch.

"How crazy would it be if Josh screwed up and you got the money anyway?" asked Joe. Bobby would love to see it, but Josh doesn't screw up. Josh gets it done in 2:01, which is good for $1,000 - and it's good to send Bobby (who was the quickest at 51 seconds) home.

"Who knows what craziness they could come up with?" asks Krisandra. In Vegas? Anything. Joe brings us over to a covered tank, which he uncovers over 500 hungry piranha. At the bottom of the tank, there is pig kidneys. The three people who get all 7 pig kidneys out of the tank using only their mouths in the quickest time goes on to the final (and televised) stunt.

Josh - "What do piranhas eat?"
Joe - "They eat flesh."
Jamison (the African American) - "I hope they don't like dark meat."

Josh goes first - and he's hoping that the gel in his hair will deter from the piranha. I thought that Josh was taking his time in the first stunt because of the money - but Josh is inherently slow and he finds the kidneys in 2:57.

Lark is determined to make sure that her performance in the first stunt was a fluke - but it may not have been as she does worse than Josh. She gets it done in 3:20, ad barring a disaster from either Krisandra or Jamison, all Melinda did was postpone Lark's inevitable departure.

If someone screws up, it's not going to be Krisandra. She shows everyone how it's meant to be done, as she scorches through it in 1:20. Only Jamison is left, and Josh is starting on him, "I would love nothing better than to be in the finals with 2 girls." Based on what Jamison did in the first stunt, I would say 3 girls. Jamison does spend the first 20 seconds in the pool staring at the piranha, but once he sees that they don't stare back at him, he goes to work and gets it done in 2:41. Lark does go home and Melinda must be kicking herself in the head.

We are down to the Final Three - and it's time to play Fear Factor Roulette, and Roulette is Josh's favorite game. It may not be as much fun for him when he sees that hanging out on the roulette table are African Cave Dwelling Spiders. This is a bonus stunt - and no one gets eliminated. For each spider that you eat, you get 2 chips on the roulette table. If Joe spins the wheel, and the ball lands on your number, then you win a NEW 2004 MAZDA RX 8! You can eat as many as 6 spiders, which would be 12 chips, or almost a third of the board.

Krisandra starts first, and while she's wondering on whether or not to eat the bugs. Josh is wondering if he will get any women - and Joe says no - but he can probably get some hookers. Heh. After ten minutes of deliberation, Krisandra finally eats a spider and the audience goes nuts. She gets a second one and a third one - and she's done.

Jamison is next - and it seems like they finally have something that he's good at. He pops them down like they are chicken fingers and he gets the maximum of 6. Josh is up, and he does the buffalo shrimp method of eating African spiders. He's putting the spiders in his hair, and Joe tells him that he has redeemed himself. He bites one in half and shows everyone it's innards. Ewwwwwwww. Krisandra looks like she's going to yak all over the table. Josh gets his maximum of 6 and everyone puts all of their chips down.

Joe spins the wheel, and the number landed on...is....well, we won't know until next week. Will someone walk out with a car and $100,000? Or will Vegas claim 3 more victims? We will see next week...