Game Show NewsNet - Fear Factor: Season 4

Episode 4.22 (Couples Finale) - February 14

This is it. One couple will win one million dollars. Two other couples will wallow in the depths of despair...and felt like they have gone through the 12 stunts so far for nothing. That would really be the case for Craig and Maria, who so far have won bupkiss, while Roberto and Leah have won $30,000 and a Trip to L.A. and Dean and Ashley have won enough to move up a couple of tax brackets.

We start this episode at night in a forest-like glen. Joe reminds them about what they have done throughout the series. Dean and Ashley say that the fact that they narrowly escaped the last stun was a sign, Roberto ad Leah may be coming back together (awwwwBarf) and Craig and Maria say that they only need one prize - the million.

CHALLENGE 1: In order to get to the million, they have to drink 16 ounces of blended bullfrog combined with rotten swamp water. Yummy. To get to the drink, the men have to free the women, who are in a cage of 500 bullfrogs. To free the women, the men have to get keys that are in cages filled with scorpions and rats. No one is getting eliminated, but the quickest team wins Jeep Liberty's 4 by 4's. Roberto and Leah REALLY want those cars - and so do Dean and Ashley. Now what are Dean and Ashley going to do with 4 cars?

Craig and Maria go first, and Craig is already brooding on the stunt. Joe complains that Craig and Maria have done just enough to not be eliminated - but they haven't really competed with heart, either. As Craig starts the stunt, Joe keeps harping on the fact that Craig and Maria have gotten zippo. Based on the fact that it took him all day to get the first key in the pit of rats, I don't think Craig and Maria will win this one, either. They get to the drink in 3:00 - but they don't complete the drink or the stunt until 15:38.1. There's no way that time is standing.

Dean and Ashley are there do break that time, while the other teams are talking and wondering if Ashley would quit before having to drink her share of the bullfrog concoction. Dean and Ashley are speed demons, getting to the drink in 1:45 - well ahead of Craig and Maria. Now comes the drinking part...Ashley, like the other two teams thought, wants to quit, but Dean yells at her to continue and she complies. Dean then uses great strategy - he gets his whole drink, then finishes off Ashley's. TIme of completion - 4:18. Damn. Dean says that he is going to give the jeeps to the parents if they win. AwwwwBarf.

Roberto and Leah are the only group that can take the cars away for themselves. Leah tells Roberto that they have to destroy Dean and Ashley. They make great time on the first part of the stunt, and get to the drink quicker than Dean and Ashley. Can they finish the drinks faster? Roberto actually does, but Leah can't finish her part and time runs out on them. Dean and Ashley once again win and they are over $100,000 worth of stuff.

Roberto sees Ashley celebrate, and he gets miffed because they have won everything while Ashley couldn't even finish her whole drink. Craig and Maria are still convinced that they will win the million. Can either underdog team pull it off?

CHALLENGE 2: If they do, they will have to do it on this, the final stunt.... you start on a skiboat and use a ladder to climb into a helicopter. Once in the copter, you move to a semi-truck, where you have to get in the truck and unlock two combination locks that are guarding a locker. Inside the locker - protective gear that the contestants have to put on, then get in a sportscar and bust out of the truck. The team that does this the quickest wins the million dollars.

Dean and Ashley, by winning the last stunt, select the order of this stunt. They want Roberto and Leah to go first, as Roberto and Leah acknowledge that they could be the biggest threat. They won't be much of one in this stunt, as Leah takes her sweet time to get into the helicopter. She wastes even more time to unlock her combination, and although a final time of 1:28.4 seems fast, the other two teams aren't going to be that slow.

Team number two will be... Craig and Maria. Maria says that today will be the day that the underdogs will win. They get in the helicopter faster than Roberto and Leah and although they don't get out of the car faster, the time saved on the helicopter is enough to pull them through. Their final time...1:17.8, which is good enough to stay in the game. Leah and Roberto are eliminated, but they do leave with over $30,000 worth of goodies. They walk out holding hands, and even though they know they didn't bring their A game to the last stunt, they are closer than before. AwwwwBarf.

Can Dean and Ashley add a million to their stash? They should, barring a disaster. Dean says that there is one more celebration left for them and predicts a time of 1:11. They get into the helicopter faster than either of the other two teams, and they barring a complete meltdown in the truck, it's theirs to win. They don't melt down, as they both get the helmet at the same time without a hitch. Just for the record, the final time is...1:11.6. They call it, they get it, and Dean and Ashley win the million.

Maria and Craig come in second, but what do you get for no heart? No prizes. Craig admits that it was strategy to lay low as much as possible and then turn it on at the end to win the million. The only problem is... it didn't work, and they have nothing to show for 8 weeks worth of work. OUCH!

Dean/Ashley	$1,040,000, a set of SONY walkmans, a Jamaican vacation, a set of Wranglers, a set of Jeep Libertys - and the finger from Randy
Craig/Maria	Second place - and $0. Yikes
Leah/Robert	$30,000 and a trip to L.A.
Andre/Amirah	A 2 Week Trip to Belize - which they can take right now
Randy/Tina	$10,000 - but they lost their shot at a million dollars -and some maturity
Bobby/Amy	$10,000 - and ELIMINATED VIA SEWAGE
Scott/Lisa	$10,000 - but they are ELIMINATED
Tara/Richard	$0 AND ELIMINATED. Sucks to be you

Congratulations to Dean and Ashley, who wins the loot. Next week, we'll see if Lady Luck has a hand in winning more loot, as we go to Vegas. Join us in 7 days for the fun.