Estate of Panic
Encyclopedia
Estate of Panic is an American
reality show in which seven strangers compete to find cash in a large estate. The show is hosted by Steve Valentine
, and produced by Endemol USA
.
The first season aired on the Sci Fi Channel
from November 12, 2008 to December 17, 2008, and has also aired on USA Network
and the Chiller Network.
arrive at a large, mysterious mansion
. The mansion's eccentric owner (Valentine) spends his free time stashing his assets throughout the mansion, and he is assisted by his silent butler
, the eighty year old maniacal freak, Rupert. Once the players arrive at the estate, Valentine challenges them to find the cash he has hidden in a series of rooms. The task is made difficult, however, as the contestants must come face to face with their greatest phobia
s while in the house. In each room, the last person to leave and the person who collects the least money are both eliminated. After three rooms are explored and six players have been eliminated, the final contestant earns the opportunity to win (and add to) everything collected by all players by completing a final challenge in the estate's Vault
.
(also produced by Endemol
), the Nickelodeon
game show Finders Keepers, the French
game show Fort Boyard
, the British
game show The Crystal Maze
, and the GSN game show How Much Is Enough?
The seven contestants search through a series of three rooms for cash
. Bills of smaller denominations ($1, $5, etc.) are hidden in relatively easy locations in the rooms, or even placed out in plain sight; bills of larger denominations (up to $100) are hidden in areas that are either more difficult to reach or protected by various animal
s (snake
s, crab
s, spiders, maggot
s, insect
s, etc.), all of which are harmless, yet disturbing. Meanwhile, each room takes on a life of its own to make things trickier and scarier for the contestants. For example, the basement floods with water
; the study has moving walls and ceiling that "shrink" the room to a very small size; the floor in the kitchen has properties similar to quicksand
, and the garden is rigged with electric fence
s.
Once a contestant believes that he or she has enough money to secure a spot in the next round, the player must leave the room and place all cash collected on a tray held by Rupert. Not all exits remain open the entire time, however, and a contestant might either have to wait for an exit to unlock or take an alternate route to make it out of the room in time.
There is no reward for recovering the most money in the first room, but the person who does so in the second room usually receives assistance that may prove useful in the third room. The total money recovered by all eliminated contestants is placed in a cumulative pot, which is then offered as a prize to the last remaining contestant.
s, to protect against electric shocks).
The contestant is restrained (such as by a leg chain, a harness suspended from the ceiling, or a straitjacket
) in a vault containing 200 "safety deposit boxes." Some boxes contain cash, while others have worthless items or booby traps such as snakes; a few boxes contain tools the contestant can use to free himself from the restraint. In some versions, the player must recover the prize winnings as well. Unlike the previous rooms, the Vault features a time limit: ten steel balls roll at intervals through a "timing device." Once eight balls have finished dropping, red lights begin flashing to warn the contestant; when all ten have finished dropping, the door locks. If the contestant exits the Vault before the door locks, he or she wins all the money collected that night, plus any money recovered from the Vault. If the door locks, he/she loses all of the money. As a last resort, the contestant can choose to "panic," pressing a button in the corner of the vault to summon Valentine to the rescue. Alternatively, if the contestant cannot physically reach the button, he/she may shout out, "I'm panicking," to the same effect; in earlier episodes, Valentine told the contestant to do both. A contestant who panics forfeits any money collected in the vault as well as half of the money collected in the first three rooms. While not specifically stated, it is implied that if the player tries to cheat by removing a ball, he/she will be disqualified. If the contestant makes it out of the Vault, the host states the amount of winnings, hands it to the contestant, and says "Get out of my house" as the episode concludes.
, although some challenges are filmed in a studio because, according to Valentine, "the scope of the challenges is so ambitious and huge that there were times when we couldn't really destroy that person's house." A disclaimer at the end of each episode notes that only one challenge is filmed per day, and the complete show is filmed over the course of four days.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
reality show in which seven strangers compete to find cash in a large estate. The show is hosted by Steve Valentine
Steve Valentine
Steven John Valentine is a Scottish actor, singer and magician who has performed on stage and screen, but is best known for his role as the eccentric Nigel Townsend on NBC's crime drama Crossing Jordan...
, and produced by Endemol USA
Endemol
Endemol is an international television production and distribution company based in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries and joint ventures in 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Poland,...
.
The first season aired on the Sci Fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
from November 12, 2008 to December 17, 2008, and has also aired on USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
and the Chiller Network.
Premise
Seven strangers from across the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
arrive at a large, mysterious mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
. The mansion's eccentric owner (Valentine) spends his free time stashing his assets throughout the mansion, and he is assisted by his silent butler
Butler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
, the eighty year old maniacal freak, Rupert. Once the players arrive at the estate, Valentine challenges them to find the cash he has hidden in a series of rooms. The task is made difficult, however, as the contestants must come face to face with their greatest phobia
Phobia
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational...
s while in the house. In each room, the last person to leave and the person who collects the least money are both eliminated. After three rooms are explored and six players have been eliminated, the final contestant earns the opportunity to win (and add to) everything collected by all players by completing a final challenge in the estate's Vault
Bank vault
A bank vault is a secure space where money, valuables, records, and documents can be stored. It is intended to protect their contents from theft, unauthorized use, fire, natural disasters, and other threats, just like a safe...
.
Main game
The game is similar in concept to several other shows such as Fear FactorFear Factor
Fear Factor is an American stunt/dare reality game show. The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland. When Endemol USA and NBC adapted it to the American market in 2001, they changed the name to Fear Factor. The show pits contestants against each other in a variety of stunts for a...
(also produced by Endemol
Endemol
Endemol is an international television production and distribution company based in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries and joint ventures in 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Poland,...
), the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
game show Finders Keepers, the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
game show Fort Boyard
Fort Boyard (TV series)
For the fortress see Fort Boyard Fort Boyard is a French game show created by Jacques Antoine that was first broadcast in 1990 and is popular to this day...
, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
game show The Crystal Maze
The Crystal Maze
The Crystal Maze was a British game show, produced by Chatsworth Television and shown on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom between 15 February 1990 and 10 August 1995. There was one series per year, with the first four series presented by Richard O'Brien and the final two by Ed Tudor-Pole, who made...
, and the GSN game show How Much Is Enough?
How Much Is Enough?
How Much Is Enough? was a game show that aired on GSN from January 8, 2008 to March 28, 2008. The show was hosted by Corbin Bernsen, and four contestants competed with a "money clock".-Gameplay:...
The seven contestants search through a series of three rooms for cash
Cash
In common language cash refers to money in the physical form of currency, such as banknotes and coins.In bookkeeping and finance, cash refers to current assets comprising currency or currency equivalents that can be accessed immediately or near-immediately...
. Bills of smaller denominations ($1, $5, etc.) are hidden in relatively easy locations in the rooms, or even placed out in plain sight; bills of larger denominations (up to $100) are hidden in areas that are either more difficult to reach or protected by various animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s (snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s, crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s, spiders, maggot
Maggot
In everyday speech the word maggot means the larva of a fly ; it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachyceran flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and Crane flies...
s, insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, etc.), all of which are harmless, yet disturbing. Meanwhile, each room takes on a life of its own to make things trickier and scarier for the contestants. For example, the basement floods with water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
; the study has moving walls and ceiling that "shrink" the room to a very small size; the floor in the kitchen has properties similar to quicksand
Quicksand
Quicksand is a colloid hydrogel consisting of fine granular matter , clay, and water.Water circulation underground can focus in an area with the optimal mixture of fine sands and other materials such as clay. The water moves up and then down slowly in a convection-like manner throughout a column...
, and the garden is rigged with electric fence
Electric fence
An electric fence is a barrier that uses electric shocks to deter animals or people from crossing a boundary. The voltage of the shock may have effects ranging from uncomfortable, to painful or even lethal...
s.
Once a contestant believes that he or she has enough money to secure a spot in the next round, the player must leave the room and place all cash collected on a tray held by Rupert. Not all exits remain open the entire time, however, and a contestant might either have to wait for an exit to unlock or take an alternate route to make it out of the room in time.
Elimination
While there is no explicitly-stated time limit in any of the rooms, the rooms become more uninhabitable as time passes and the number of players shrinks, forcing the players to consider when to exit. In each round, the last player left in the room is eliminated; the show claims that the contestant is "trapped" inside once all the others have exited. In addition: of the contestants who did exit, the one who recovered the least money is also eliminated and escorted from the house by the butler. Should there be a tie for last place, both players advance, but the two players with the least money in the next room are eliminated in addition to the trapped player.There is no reward for recovering the most money in the first room, but the person who does so in the second room usually receives assistance that may prove useful in the third room. The total money recovered by all eliminated contestants is placed in a cumulative pot, which is then offered as a prize to the last remaining contestant.
Extras
At times, a monetary bonus is offered to a contestant who can retrieve a certain object or set of objects hidden in one of the rooms. Depending on the object, it could either help or hinder the player's actual progress in the room: carrying some objects around could impede the player's progress, while setting them down would put them at risk of being stolen, with the others have the ability grab the rest with out letting go. Other hidden objects could be worn to protect the player against some unwanted distraction(s) in the room (i.e. Rubber soled slipperSlipper
A slipper or houseshoe is a semi-closed type of indoor/outdoor shoe, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by a strap running over the toes or instep. Slippers are soft and lightweight compared to other types of footwear. They are mostly made of soft or comforting materials that allow a...
s, to protect against electric shocks).
The Vault
The last remaining contestant is given the chance to win all the money recovered by all seven contestants, plus more, in the Vault.The contestant is restrained (such as by a leg chain, a harness suspended from the ceiling, or a straitjacket
Straitjacket
A straitjacket is a garment shaped like a jacket with overlong sleeves and is typically used to restrain a person who may otherwise cause harm to themselves or others. Once the arms are inserted into the straitjacket's sleeves, they are then crossed across the chest...
) in a vault containing 200 "safety deposit boxes." Some boxes contain cash, while others have worthless items or booby traps such as snakes; a few boxes contain tools the contestant can use to free himself from the restraint. In some versions, the player must recover the prize winnings as well. Unlike the previous rooms, the Vault features a time limit: ten steel balls roll at intervals through a "timing device." Once eight balls have finished dropping, red lights begin flashing to warn the contestant; when all ten have finished dropping, the door locks. If the contestant exits the Vault before the door locks, he or she wins all the money collected that night, plus any money recovered from the Vault. If the door locks, he/she loses all of the money. As a last resort, the contestant can choose to "panic," pressing a button in the corner of the vault to summon Valentine to the rescue. Alternatively, if the contestant cannot physically reach the button, he/she may shout out, "I'm panicking," to the same effect; in earlier episodes, Valentine told the contestant to do both. A contestant who panics forfeits any money collected in the vault as well as half of the money collected in the first three rooms. While not specifically stated, it is implied that if the player tries to cheat by removing a ball, he/she will be disqualified. If the contestant makes it out of the Vault, the host states the amount of winnings, hands it to the contestant, and says "Get out of my house" as the episode concludes.
Production
Estate of Panic is filmed on an estate in ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, although some challenges are filmed in a studio because, according to Valentine, "the scope of the challenges is so ambitious and huge that there were times when we couldn't really destroy that person's house." A disclaimer at the end of each episode notes that only one challenge is filmed per day, and the complete show is filmed over the course of four days.
International versions
| Country | Name | Host | Network | Date premiered | Prize |
 Brazil |
Jogo Duro | Paulo Vilhena | Rede Globo Rede Globo Rede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings... |
June 7, 2009-July 27, 2009 | R$ Brazilian real The real is the present-day currency of Brazil. Its sign is R$ and its ISO code is BRL. It is subdivided into 100 centavos .... 30.000 |
 Ukraine |
Замок страху | Sergei Siplivyi | Novyi Kanal Novyi Kanal Novyi Kanal is a Ukrainian television channel.- History :The channel was launched on August 15, 1998. At first, it was broadcast only in Kiev, but since 1999, it has extended its range to six other regions of Ukraine, and from 2000, is received in more than 17 major cities... |
March 5, 2011 | ₴ Ukrainian hryvnia The hryvnia, sometimes hryvnya or grivna ; sign: ₴, code: , has been the national currency of Ukraine since September 2, 1996. The hryvnia is subdivided into 100 kopiyok. In medieval times, it was a currency of Kievan Rus'.... 5.000.000 |
Episodes
| Episode Title | Contestants | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Get Out of My House | Chad, Debbie, Eben, Jessica, Jill, Lee, Zondra | Room 1: A basement Basement __FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system... that floods from a never-ending torrent from "busted" pipes; snake Snake Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales... s. Last in room: Jill Bottom two: Debbie and Zondra Least money: Debbie Room 2: A garden Garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has... surrounded with electric wires, the shocks of which grew in intensity as time went on. Players also could not wear socks or shoes during this round. Last in room: Jessica Bottom two: Eben and Zondra Least money: Eben Most money: Chad Room 3: A study constructed to have its walls and ceiling close in, crushing furniture as the space in the room grew smaller. For winning the previous round, Chad won a screwdriver Screwdriver A screwdriver is a tool for driving screws and often rotating other machine elements with the mating drive system. The screwdriver is made up of a head or tip, which engages with a screw, a mechanism to apply torque by rotating the tip, and some way to position and support the screwdriver... , which could be used to remove the vent covers, which concealed more money, but he simply used his hands. Last in room: Lee Least money: Zondra Winner: Chad Vault: Chad had one leg shackled to a chain on the floor that limited his range of movement to just short of the door. He had to either find a key or use some of the tools available in the safe deposit boxes to cut himself free (as such, he found a saw, a wrench, and a crowbar, and use the crowbar to break the wooden pedestal off the floor). Chad escaped the vault, winning $28,511 for the evening. |
| 2. That Sinking Feeling | Adrienne, Cassandra, Deanne, Joey, Royce, Serena, Ted | Room 1: A crawl space containing snake Snake Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales... s and tarantula Tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of often hairy and often very large arachnids belonging to the family Theraphosidae, of which approximately 900 species have been identified. Some members of the same Suborder may also be called "tarantulas" in the common parlance. This article will restrict itself to... s in some straw. Also hidden in the crawl space were two halves of a painting (which Valentine claimed was a painting of Rupert's parents). Only one player could bring it out, and needed both halves; the player bringing out both halves of the painting won a $1,000 bonus towards his or her score for the room. Last in room: Serena Bottom two: Adrienne and Cassandra Least money: Cassandra Bonus: Deanne (won another half of the painting with a quick rock, paper, scissors contest.) Room 2: A kitchen Kitchen A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a... containing maggot Maggot In everyday speech the word maggot means the larva of a fly ; it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachyceran flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and Crane flies... y food. The floor was actually a non-Newtonian fluid Non-Newtonian fluid A non-Newtonian fluid is a fluid whose flow properties differ in any way from those of Newtonian fluids. Most commonly the viscosity of non-Newtonian fluids is not independent of shear rate or shear rate history... into which the contestants would sink if they did not move quickly. Last in room: Deanne Bottom two: Adrienne and Ted Least money: Adrienne Most money: Royce Room 3: The sewer Sanitary sewer A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater... s underneath the mansion. Some routes contained dead ends. For winning the previous round, Royce was allowed to wear rubber glove Glove A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an opening but no covering sheath for each finger they are called "fingerless gloves". Fingerless gloves with one large opening rather than individual openings for each... s on his hands. Last in room: Joey Least money: Ted Winner: Royce Vault: Royce was suspended from the ceiling with his feet just barely touching the ground. He either had to find cutting tools to cut himself down, or find a way to grab a loop above his head to be freed instantly. Royce escaped the vault, winning $26,849 for the evening. |
| 3. Shocked and Dismayed | Andy, Brian, Chris, David, Kristen, Miriam, Nikki | Room 1: An electrical room Electrical room An electrical room is a room or space in a building dedicated to electrical equipment. The size of the electrical room is usually proportional to the size of the building. In large buildings there may be a main and subsidiary electrical rooms... covered in a web of shock wires, similar to the garden in the first episode; halfway through, the lights would periodically go out, further distracting the players and preventing them from seeing the wires. Also hidden in the room was a pair of slippers; only one player could bring them out, and could also wear them to lessen the effect of the electrical shocks; the player bringing out both slippers won a $1,000 bonus towards his or her score for the room. Last in room: Brian Bottom two: Kristen and Nikki Least money: Kristen Bonus: David Room 2: A wine cellar Wine cellar A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae or plastic containers. In an active wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system. In contrast, passive wine cellars are not... with spikes that appeared out of the wall and snakes in the barrels; eventually the walls themselves closed in on the contestants. Last in room: Chris Bottom two: Miriam and Andy Least money: Miriam Most money: David Room 3: A refrigerated room filled with ice Ice Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions... blocks, ice sculpture Ice sculpture Ice sculpture is a form of sculpture that uses ice as the raw material. Sculptures from ice can be abstract or realistic and can be functional or purely decorative... s, and a deep freeze containing ice cream Ice cream Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners... novelties with cash hidden inside of them. Halfway through the round it began to snow Snow Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by... ; money also fell with the snow. For winning the previous round, David was allowed to wear gloves on his hands. Last in room: Nikki Least money: Andy Winner: David Vault: David's leg was chained to the floor as in the first episode, but his arms were also handcuffed Handcuffs Handcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists close together. They comprise two parts, linked together by a chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each half has a rotating arm which engages with a ratchet that prevents it from being opened once closed around a person's wrist... to long chains extending from two of the deposit boxes. He had to free himself from the floor with hidden tools and also find the key to unshackle himself from the cuffs. David could not set himself free from the ankle chain and panicked, winning just under $13,000 of the near $26,000 found that evening. |
| 4. A Raw Deal | Adrian, Chioma, Chris, Courtney, Michael, Ron, Sharon | Room 1: A trash compactor filled with garbage Waste Waste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly... and worms, among which the cash was buried. As the round progressed, a garbage chute spewed more sludge as well as money; the compactor was also activated at points to close the walls in on the contestants. In addition, a mask Mask A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes... was buried in the trash; the contestant who found it earned an additional $1,000. Last in room:Courtney Bottom two: Chioma and Ron Least money: Ron Bonus: Adrian (keeps it secret by hiding it and asking if anyone saw it.) Room 2: A meat locker shielded in total darkness (though the audience is able to see, thanks to infrared camera Thermographic camera A thermographic camera or infrared camera is a device that forms an image using infrared radiation, similar to a common camera that forms an image using visible light... s), with rotten fruit and more garbage strewn across the floor; halfway through, the lights came on briefly, giving the contestants a glimpse into what they were actually touching. The carcasses and garbage concealed money, as well as things cut to feel like money to fool the contestants, such as lettuce Lettuce Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important... , newspaper Newspaper A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a... , and other paper products; there were also dummy "carcasses" containing bricks instead of money to further confuse the players. Last in room: Sharon Bottom two: Chris and Chioma Least money: Chris Most money: Adrian Room 3: A series of giant gopher Gopher (animal) The term gopher as it is commonly used does not relate to any one species, but is a generic term used to describe any of several small burrowing rodents endemic to North America, including the pocket gopher , also called true gophers, and the ground squirrel , including Richardson's ground squirrel... holes forming a maze of tunnels; as the contestants ventured through the space, additional dirt (as well as money) fell from the ceiling and piled up on and around the contestants. For winning the previous round, Adrian was given knee pad Knee pad Kneepads or knee pads are protective gear worn on knees to protect them against impact injury during , e.g., a fall or a strike, or to provide padding for extended kneeling.-In sports:... s to make it easier to maneuver throughout the tunnels. Last in room: Chioma Least money: Adrian Winner: Michael Vault: Michael was shackled to the floor; however this time the key to get out was located in a safe Safe A safe is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or damage. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door may be cast from metal or formed out of plastic through blow molding... next to him. The safe was held shut by a combination lock Combination lock A combination lock is a type of lock in which a sequence of numbers or symbols is used to open the lock. The sequence may be entered using a single rotating dial which interacts with several discs or cams, by using a set of several rotating discs with inscribed numerals which directly interact with... , the combination numbers of which were hidden in three separate deposit boxes in the room. Michael had to retrieve the numbers, place them in the correct order, and unlock the lock to obtain the key to unshackle himself. Michael escaped, earning $31,181 for the night. |
| 5. Don't Burst My Bubble | Alex, Bonnie, James, Jenileigh, Jordan, Maya, Nancy | Room 1: Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... ian-themed room filled with artifacts and sarcophagi containing cash, as well as insects, tarantulas, scorpions, and "water snakes". Once underway, sand began pouring from the ceiling, burying the money and making it harder for the contestants to move about. There are also rubies Ruby A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires... hidden in the room, which were worth $200 each if found. No other gems would generate bonus money, as shown when Bonnie brought a count Count A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is... out of the room. Last in room: Alex Bottom two: Bonnie, Maya Least money: Tied; both Bonnie and Maya advanced. Room 2: "Steve's childhood bedroom" filled with toys, balloon Balloon A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig... s and party favors. Giant balloons on the wall filled with air and exploded at random times, spreading confetti and cash all over the room. For that reason, players were given safety glasses for this room. Last in room: Jordan Bottom three: Bonnie, Maya, Nancy Least money: Maya, Nancy Most money: Jenileigh Room 3: The three contestants were put into the storm drains, a maze of pipes with many dead ends. In addition, it was raining, causing large amounts of water to flow through the drain at random times. For winning the previous round, Jenileigh was given a plastic bag, which she used as additional storage space for her money. Last in room: Bonnie Least money: Jenileigh Winner: James Vault: All of the winnings from the evening were placed inside a safe in the vault, while James was tied to a chair in the middle of the room; he had to cut himself free from the chair, find the combination to open the safe, place the night's winnings and any other money he found back into the bag they were kept in (which was also left in the room), and escape. The combination to the safe was the number of jewels inside each of three numbered velvet bags hidden in the Vault (each bag was numbered, so the number of jewels in the bag labeled #1 would be the first number in the combination, etc.); the jewels themselves were worth $50 each if they were brought out along with the money. The combination was shown to be 46-15-82, for a total of 143 jewels, thus $7,150. James escaped the vault, winning $36,652 for the evening. |
| 6. A Grave Situation | Chris, Janet, JoAnn, Kaleti, Milo, Ruby, Tenille | Room 1: The estate's attic Attic An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it... , which was cluttered with old knick-knacks, cobwebs, and tarantulas. Also in the attic was a hidden compartment that contained cash but also featured a door that closed behind the contestant, trapping him inside until a good amount of force was used to open the door. Inside the room was an urn Cremation Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation.... worth a $1,000 bonus to the person that found it. Last in room: Tenille Bottom two: Janet, Ruby Least money: Ruby Bonus: Chris Room 2: A trophy Trophy A trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics... room, which partway through the round began flooding with mud Mud Mud is a mixture of water and some combination of soil, silt, and clay. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone . When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries the resultant layers are termed bay muds... that spewed from behind the room's pictures and from some of the mounted animal heads Taxidermy Taxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians... . Some of the treasure boxes in the room contained large snake Snake Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales... s; others required keys to open, which were hung in giant clusters on the wall. Unlike previous episodes, the special advantage was not given to the player that collected the most money in the round; instead, it was given to the contestant who found a "guardian angel" statue hidden in the room. Last in room: Kaleti Bottom two: JoAnn and Janet were called out, but neither had the least money. Least money: Chris Bonus: Milo Room 3: The estate's graveyard Graveyard A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones... , which contained coffin Coffin A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which... s in various states of burial, some filled with crab Crab True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax... s and/or garbage; a mausoleum Mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the... filled with money; one particularly deep coffin that could be used to trap the player(s) who went for its contents (Milo entered and was trapped by JoAnn, but forced his way out); and guard dog Guard dog A guard dog, an attack dog or watch dog is a dog used to guard against, and watch for, unwanted or unexpected people or animals. The dog is discriminating so that it does not annoy or attack familiar people.-Barking:... s to intimidate the players. For finding the hidden bonus in the previous round, Milo received a 10 second head start. Last in room: Janet Least money: JoAnn Winner: Milo Vault: Milo was locked inside a straitjacket Straitjacket A straitjacket is a garment shaped like a jacket with overlong sleeves and is typically used to restrain a person who may otherwise cause harm to themselves or others. Once the arms are inserted into the straitjacket's sleeves, they are then crossed across the chest... with only one hand (and very little arm movement) available to open doors. Milo had to find the key located in one of the deposit boxes and free himself from the straitjacket before escaping the vault. Milo escaped, winning $26,095 for the evening. |