Fear Factor Episode 218
Original airdate: March 11, 2002
This was a special 90-Minute episode.
Stephen Baldwin (BioDome), Alan Thicke (Growing Pains), Kevin Richardson (The Backstreet Boys), Alison Sweeney (Days of our Lives), Ali Landry (SPY TV) and Kelly Packard (Baywatch) arrived at a downtown rooftop on a crystal clear California day. As they peered upward at the building's additional floors stretching skyward, Joe explained their "Spiderman"-like stunt. They would each have to climb out a 36th floor window and using strategically spaced handholds make their way around the outside of the building! While navigating along a tiny ledge, they must transfer yellow flags from the starting point to the finish point. The four players who transfer the most flags in three minutes, advance.
While Stephen Baldwin talked macho trash talk, Kelly Packard rode the elevator up to the 36th floor. Once harnessed into a safety vest, Kelly made her way outside and around the building to post the first flag. She had a little trouble on her way back, but managed to place a second flag before time ran out. Ali Landry was next, and utilized a side-step technique. Ali's tall height may have been an advantage, enabling her to move faster and post three flags in three minutes. If Alison Sweeney could get two flags in less time than Kelly, she would bump Kelly out. Alison was focused and determined, which helped her beat Kelly's time before slipping off the ledge! As the men prepared to attempt the stunt, the women let them know just how difficult is was. Ali's shins were burning, Kelly's arms achedôit was more physical than it looked.
Kevin Richardson was up first. Would any of his dance moves come in handy? He did glide pretty quickly across the ledge, planting the first flag in twenty-five seconds! By the fourth flag, he looked shaky, but he placed it before time ran out. Stephen was a little less chatty by this point. Alan was pumped to "represent his demographic," and prepared to go next. Unfortunately, Alan couldn't get a grip - so to speak - and fell before planting a flag. This meant that all Stephen had to do was plant two flags to advance. Stephen - who had been promising record times and flags - transferred his two flags with time to spare, but quit while he was ahead! While Kelly and Alan had to take the "walk of shame," each of their charities would still receive ten thousand dollars a piece.
Day two found our celebrities in a dark, damp cellar-like atmosphere. When Joe revealed the stunt, Alison Sweeney's horrific reaction was only a tease of things to come. Each player would lay down in a Plexiglas "coffin", which was separated into three sections. From the knees down, players bare legs (they all had to wear shorts) would be covered in thousands of nightcrawlers (i.e. worms). Their midsections would be swarming in red and white snakes. And their heads would be surrounded by 3,000 hissing, crawling, gigantic Madagascar cockroaches. Plexiglas dividers would keep each section separate while players sorted out the white snakes from the red ones in a timed event. Alison was first. Words cannot describe how instantly she freaked out. Before the time even started, she was screaming. While simultaneously yanking the white snakes off of her chest and batting roaches off her face, Alison was shaking and screaming. Upon completing the stunt, she kept yelling at Joe to get her out of the box. Joe couldn't get her out until the snakes were safely removed, meaning Alison and the roaches had to wait together. Ali held Alison's hand, while the crew moved as fast as possible to clear the snakes. Alison was screaming "Get me out!" and telling everyone she was about to "seriously freak out." Once she was safely out of the box, she calmed down a little, saying "You think you have an idea of how creepy that would be [but it's] 150 times worse." She could barely watch as the others took their turns. Ali looked calm, but also a little unnerved by Alison's reaction. Ali calmly completed the "snake sort" in one minute, fifteen seconds. Kevin followed and remained calm even after a snake crossed the barrier and slithered over his face! With his time of one minute and thirty-three seconds, he joined Ali in the finals. Stephen was next and surprised everyone with an amazing time of one minute! Alison was out. Or was she?
Joe felt so bad about Alison's freak out and elimination, that he made her an offer. If she ate a roach, not only would she go to the final round, but Joe would eat one as well! Alison was thrilled at the idea of staying in the game, but not so thrilled about eating a roach. She made a bargain to eat three worms instead, and Joe agreed. So, after Alison literally choked down three slimy nightcrawlers, Joe choked down a big, fat, juicy roach!
A full moon greeted the players as they arrived on night three. There before them was a large tank of chilly water with a steel cage suspended above it. The cage, similar to the ones divers use to study sharks, had a key ring with three keys attached to it. Joe explained that each of them would be locked in the cage and lowered into the water. When a red light signaled them, they would have to free themselves and resurface to a nearby buoy. The person with the fastest time would win fifty-thousand dollars for his or her charity. Stephen went first, while the others tried to stay warm. Despite slamming his head against the side of the cage while exiting it, Stephen reached the buoy in an amazing 24 seconds!! Kevin was determined to beat that time, but knew it would be tough. Once submerged, he fumbled with the keys. Plus, when he resurfaced, Kevin was disoriented which also cost him valuable seconds. His final time was 43 seconds, which meant he was out. (And he didn't "want it that way.") Ali, a former swim team member, seemed confident as she was lowered into the water. After trying the lock, Ali panicked as she ran out of air and had to be rescued by the safety divers. She was immediately disqualified. Only spunky Alison remained. With a thumbs up she went into the water. She quickly freed herself and seemed primed to beat Stephen. However, a small hesitation at the surface cost her five seconds - and gave Stephen the victory! His prize money goes to the Carol Baldwin Cancer Research Fund founded by his mother.
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