Series 8 Episode 5

[Tom41]

Good ep today. I liked in the clue room how the team decided on the items to take first, before using the spy-glass, because the troll footsteps meant they had to get out of the room fairly quickly!

We saw the return of the Play Your Cards Right puzzle. I never really understood that puzzle though... but they got through, despite the goblin horns making them panic a bit! Interesting 'music' on the PYCR puzzle as well! Took a while to decide whether to choose the Queen of Clubs or the 8 of Spades! I thought they were going to fall because of the music again

And the black cat from the previous series also returns, this time it's Hordriss in disguise! I liked how he tried to make cat meow and purr noises

This team, in my opinion, is far less excitable than the previous team - makes a good change

[Billy]

This was a fantastic episode. I wish Majida would someday learn that 'Too' doesn't rhyme with 'Below' in the opening recap, though. There was a brilliant moment where the advisors had a discussion with each other over which card to take in Play Your Cards Right, I wish the unlucky Series 7 teams had done something similar. They also almost didn't use the SIGHT potion, and there was a funny moment where everyone thought Nathan had lost it (the potion, not his mind!). And then there was Lord Fear's 'Bimboid' (love that word!) which was a Skeletron disguised as Sidriss. Nice to see her back, albeit not in the flesh. I've got a horrible feeling this team will perish because they didn't ask for something in return from Maldame...if that IS the reason, then it would be a shame, as this wasn't hinted at until AFTER they left the room. Then again, they might perish under Snapper Jack, because it seemed to me as if they missed the Spyglass clue that occured while the fireball was approaching. Is it me, or did Bhal-Shebah call Lord Fear a 'Smarta%#e'? :o
The episode ended with Honesty Bartram (appearing for the second time) offering a 'Talking Book' which could very well be the 'Bookworm' from Series 7!

[Tom41]

Then again, they might perish under Snapper Jack, because it seemed to me as if they missed the Spyglass clue that occured while the fireball was approaching

I could only just hear the speech over the fireball noise before they put it down. Sounded to me like "Get him to base his riddles on... mythology".

Besides, I know how this team dies - but I won't spoil it here since it won't happen until next episode

Sounds like Bal-Sheba definitely said "Smart-a***" to LF - or rather, to his alternate personality
In that Spyglass scene, notice how the background animation (the dancing lights) froze briefly as Lissard ran onto the screen.

[Malefact]

This was a fantastic episode. I wish Majida would someday learn that 'Too' doesn't rhyme with 'Below' in the opening recap, though. There was a brilliant moment where the advisors had a discussion with each other over which card to take in Play Your Cards Right, I wish the unlucky Series 7 teams had done something similar. They also almost didn't use the SIGHT potion, and there was a funny moment where everyone thought Nathan had lost it (the potion, not his mind!). And then there was Lord Fear's 'Bimboid' (love that word!) which was a Skeletron disguised as Sidriss. Nice to see her back, albeit not in the flesh. I've got a horrible feeling this team will perish because they didn't ask for something in return from Maldame...if that IS the reason, then it would be a shame, as this wasn't hinted at until AFTER they left the room. Then again, they might perish under Snapper Jack, because it seemed to me as if they missed the Spyglass clue that occured while the fireball was approaching. Is it me, or did Bhal-Shebah call Lord Fear a 'Smarta%#e'? :o
The episode ended with Honesty Bartram (appearing for the second time) offering a 'Talking Book' which could very well be the 'Bookworm' from Series 7!

That poetry is so dreadful it has to be tongue-in-cheek.

[HarveyTowers]

Hordriss is even dimmer than Sidriss sometimes. Despite just being told about the Bimboid, he runs right in. Just as well Sly Hands was not about with his catty-pult! I've also got a feeling that if the team didn't have the feather then Hordriss would have let him drop like a stone.

It's not like Treguard not to help the dungeoneer at the time if they are about to lose out. I hope that Bartrum doesn't cheat them like Maldmade did.

Majida was on top form, though. She's going to fall in the pool one of these days.

Snipper-Snap!

[Purgatory]

Well Bartrum has already got one death to his name can he do it again? :o

Now how would a goblin get you on the PYCR? i have never seen a goblin jump over a gap


So Lord fear doesn't want to guard the quest object him self? well I'm not surprised after seasons 6 and 7

And how come the Dragon wasn't dim in the 1st episode?

Also that Maldame, she hate lord fear? well she was part of his 'team' during the opining scene of the new season...

[HarveyTowers]

Maybe it was only one half of the dragon in ep 1...

The half that minds its language!

[angelordevil4585]

Yes, one personality did say 'Smartar*e' which i had to rewind just to be sure!

D'ya reckon that was bleeped over, or edited out, when it was on Citv? I can't see any kids programmes saying that nowadays? Anyone remember back?

[Malefact]

Nope, it was never bleeped out. I know because my 1994 recordings of series 8 off CITV are still intact.

[knightmaredave]

ireally enjoyed the card gAME
Shame it was only used 1 in s8

[Fidjit]

Play your Cards Right was tinged with green in this series and the bell chime has had its pitch increased

[chrysalis]

they drank the sight potion on PYCR but what difference did it make? they still had to guide him and tell where everything is but tregaurd insisted on it so one wonders what would have happened if they didnt have it.

[Eyeshield]

I've always thought that all sight potions and spells were a bit pointless. All situations in which they were used (PYCR, firebomb room, dark dwarf tunnels, troll-blocked paths) could have been dealt with by competent guiding alone. The challenge where a sight potion or spell would have been most useful, I'd have thought, would have been the Corridor of Blades, but this never happened.

[Drassil]

We're led to believe that it would have happened in Quest 2 of Series 8 (see clip). And yet no previous or later team required a "seeing-eye spell" or potion to traverse the Corridor of Blades. Also, it's possible that Treguard was linking the reason for the team being in 'losing status' to the dangerous obstacle at hand in order to tie up the quest, as I suspect he did on some other occasions (Quest 5 of Series 4, and maybe even Quest 10 of Series 3).

More generally, I agree about the pointlessness of sight potions and spells, and powders. In my previously stated opinion,

the dungeoneer sight magic (e.g. VISION and LOOK spells) seemed gimmicky and superfluous. The price of technological capabilities being demonstrated in this way was that great harm was done to one of Knightmare's core concepts: 'Now your advisors will be your eyes'.

[Eyeshield]

That's right. We all know that Vicky didn't need Merlin's spell (SPRINT) to get through the Block and Tackle, but rather to escape from Ariadne later on. However, Treguard said they needed it on the Block and Tackle so they could neatly be killed off there. Even at the age of 7, this rankled with me. I think Daniel and the CoB/SIGHT potion thing was exactly the same. He clearly was supposed to have SHADE to get onto the ship, and what else could he have taken to give to Honesty Bartram apart from the potion? The key, perhaps, or the oversized novelty needle... I doubt it.