Series 5 Episode 5

[GrimaldineGrimwold]

I've started it now so the people who watched this morning can start ruminating if they so choose.

Anyone's opinions/comments very welcome.

[JamesA]

They're still plodding along aren't they - some people may think it's unbelievable they're now in Level 2, let alone reach there! (trying as much not to sound like Anne Robinson)  ;D

[GrimaldineGrimwold]

Not a hugely interesting episode, in my opinion. Lots of Eyeshield stuff, a Smirkenorff flight, some more Treguard/Pickle banter- hardly my favourite episode ingredients.

The team do a little better this time, although I expect the cutting room floor was filled with footage of their slow decision-making that had to be cut in order to stop viewers falling asleep. Better thought processes in the Level 2 Clue Room- well, Clue Ruins, I guess, and actually listened to Treguard this time. Sarah's bartering with Sly Hands was some of the best on the part of any Dungeoneer yet this series, although she does grate a bit by constantly asking "What shall I say?".

Nice to see the Superbitch make her first appearance this series. I like some of her later appearances this year a good deal.

I'm sure Sly Hands must have stolen that old "map of Level 2" ploy from someone, though, dearies.

[Cull]

Must agree - episode was a bit slow, not hugely interesting. The team are certainly taking their time, though it doesn't seem as bad as what I heard they were like on the previous episode. Plus Sarah was constantly asking what to do - not a sign of the best dungeoneers!

So... out of curiosity, what would YOU have taken in the Clue Room? Personally, I would have chosen the Statue and Glove (unless there was soemthing said in the last episode that would have suggested taking the Gold instead of the Glove)...

[GrimaldineGrimwold]

So... out of curiosity, what would YOU have taken in the Clue Room? Personally, I would have chosen the Statue and Glove (unless there was soemthing said in the last episode that would have suggested taking the Gold instead of the Glove)...

I don't think there was any clue in the previous episode.

I can definitely see what you mean. Unless they were given a clue we didn't see, it's a hard decision between the glove and the gold, given that the decision to take the chess piece is essentially made for them by Treguard. You're essentially guessing what would be most useful on the path ahead, and the team make a good job of talking through the possibilities. The gold may be a good all round bribe, although it's possible someone has lost a glove and it'll be curtains if we take it. I suppose the thing was not to second guess- if you had no knowledge of what's ahead, it's more likely you'll find a situation where the gold rather than the glove will be useful. But then there's all that business about a glove/gauntlet being a symbol of the challenge (although, to be fair, this glove was a bit delicate for that) and the cliche that all that glitters is not gold. Certainly if you'd watched the early series, they'd have seen occasions on which the gold was the wrong option. Interesting.

Also of interest is the fact that they had a similar decision to make in the Level 1 Clue Glade. Obviously they were supposed to pick up Treguard's hint and take the arrow, then decide between the silver and the poison based on no other clues (at least as far as we know). Strange that the obvious bribery item was the right choice in both cases in this team's quest, and had been the right choice in both Clue Rooms for the previous team too (silver to buy flowers, gold to bribe Skarkill).

Oh dear, I've babbled.  

[BelladonnaSilver]

The bits I saw I though were a bit of an imporvement because the team weren't as annoying as the last lot. I missed large chunks of it because I was getting the washing in (how exciting) but I'm still waiting for something amazing

[Crispin]

This quest seems different in that the present team didn't start their adventure in the "international departure lounge" followed by the ride on the dragon, instead they had a boat ride.  Then the life to level 2 was replaced by a dragon ride.

[Brangwen]

I got to see my first Causeway^_^ (hasn't seen the first 3 eps)

Strange thing is, I got to see this ep twice since the thing I usually watched at 6:00pm didn't air, and for some reason it still felt like I had learned something new.

I did find this bit very funny though when they reached the second Causeway:-
"The Sun goes to the Earth and then to these squiggles" Though the "Sun" didn't really look like a Sun to me:)

For the Clue room, I probably would of taken the Gold too. The Glove looked rather plain. If it was Silver then I probably would of taken the Glove though since of Silvers "inferiority"

[Purgatory]

not bad.. team is getting better.

But they had a clue to take the Gold.. (spy glass)
even if they wasn't told to get the key untill after the clue object the spy glass was based around that... its just a matter of working it out..  the glove would have been pointless... but fair more clues where giving towards gold.  

A mention about Merlin did i hear? so between season 4 and 5 he was killed?  (lord fear?)

Also pikle have them a odd look when the spoke of the level 2 password.. lol as if they wasn't ment to know about it.

all these years and i always rememberd the sistuation with the chess peace lol

[JamesA]

Has anyone else found it strange that both time outs for this team so far have stopped at a causeway?

[Lord_Bob]

good editing I supposed, Good episode if slightly slow. This team really need to make more decisions, KM is about having to make decisions quickly and get out of danger not having a groupd discussion about what to say to one person. Still they handled Sly well

[Dan]

Not a hugely interesting episode, in my opinion. [...] I expect the cutting room floor was filled with footage of their slow decision-making that had to be cut in order to stop viewers falling asleep.

We want series 2! ;-)

I'd be interested to see what order people would've gone for if Challenge? had asked the community which series they wanted, as they did initially with series 3.

[HarveyTowers]

Was this the first indication we have that Merlin has left the dungeon.

Mace: "Although Merlin is no longer with us..."

Enjoyed Mark Knight's double shift - presumably the Lord Fear sequence is a pre-rec.

Sly Hand's voice isn't right yet - it seems to change every episode!

Teams arre very careful as they trade - put the gold oj the table, pick it up, get the key ... cripes just hand it over!

Elf Warnings? Ohh, nhsty!

[Tom41]

Started off with the team navigating the causeway very well, keeping to the path of defense. They didn't panic much when the blocks started dropping like the previous team!

Then onto the back of Smirkenoff. But Elita rushed in, (first appearance) and was very rude! Elita accepted the bag of silver from the dungeoneer and allowed her to get onto Smirkenoff and fly to level 2. Is it just me, or did Smirkenoff fly a full 360 degrees and arrive back at the same castle again?

Through an eye-shield sequence and entered a clue 'room' inside the castle. Got food there, read a scroll (One step forward two steps right), then took a LONG time deciding which of the items to take! Eventually they decided to take a gold bar and a statue thing. They said the statue was of a knight with a dragon round his legs - George, maybe?

In the next room encountered Brother Mace at a chess board. It turned out that the knight 'statue' was in fact the piece missing from Mace's chess set! After a discussion about chess (which didn't seem to have much relevance), they learned that Sylvester Hands was a 'pawn' of the opposition and had stolen a key to Merlin's Magic Box.

Into a forest clearing, and Sir Hugh de Witless made his debut riding a white horse. Hugh tried to 'rescue' the dungeoneer but she didn't need rescuing! He didn't know the password to level 2, but he decided that the team could call on him in their moment of need.
Also accompanied Sarah into the next area (entrance to a farm). Here, they got food and looked through a spy-glass. Learned that Sylvester Hands had stolen something that Lord Fear really wants - then had to put the spy-glass down fairly quickly as the security alert sounded! Hugh stayed to fend off some goblins that were approaching allowing Sarah to make an escape into the farmhouse.

In the farmhouse, there was a barmaid who guided Sarah to her seat. Also Sylvester Hands was there. He tried to sell them a dungeon map of Level 2, but they wisely refused! Instead, they persuaded Hands to sell them the key he had for a bar of gold. Took some food and went through another eye-shield sequence.

Entered yet another causeway. This time there were element symbols, Earth, Fire and Water on the hexagons with a 'solution' above the door. Earth -> Water -> Fire -> back to Earth. But timed out here before they could make a move. This time there was a long view of Sarah with the boatman rowing under the credits.

[123Pooka]

This team seem to have serious trouble decision making, advisors William and Helen (I think) tend to have very different ideas on what Sarah should do.
Take the Hugh de Witless scene: William is certain they should not have much to do with Sir Hugh, and should just get the password and have done with it . There's some confusion after this and then eventually they all agree to have Sir Hugh's help.

However, in spite of their slow decision making, they do eventually seem to make correct decisions, so perhaps they're a good team after all?

Enjoyed Mace scene, Sly scene, and a few of those eyeshield views.