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Fear Factor Episode 301 Original airdate: October 7, 2002

Players gathered atop an imposing dam to preview their first stunt. Suspended 350 feet across the cement expanse was a tightrope with flags attached to it. Using only another cable for support/balance, players would have five minutes to cross the dam and collect as many flags as possible.

Myla, a self-proclaimed non-athlete, was up first. Using a side step, and grasping the top cable tightly, Myla slid across the tightrope and collected eight flags. When she returned to the group, she displayed her cut up hands - a result of the steel cable. A.J. was undeterred and climbed out next. She only needed nine flags to advance, but wound up collecting 16 flags just to prove her might! Now Kate only needed nine to send Myla home and advance herself to day two. Although the strong winds added a challenge, Kate kept her cool and nabbed nine. Myla was out.

Cowboy Randy was up first for the guys. Joe thought Randy's cowboy boots might be a handicap, but Randy rustled up 12 flags. Andy was next, and seemed to struggle against the increasing winds. He managed to pull it off, however, and with 13 flags made it to day two. The pressure was on Chris. He got off to a shaky start and never fully recovered. After grasping his fourth flag, the cables began to sway and Chris teetered back and forth. Using all his strength, he tried to stay on solid footing. The bouncing and the wind eventually got the best of him and he slipped off the tightrope.

The buzz on day two was, well, probably from the 200,000 bees that players were faced with! They would each be covered in bees (a process that takes 15 minutes!) and remain standing for two minutes. The combined venom of these bees was enough to kill five horses! That was all Kate needed to hear to back out. She feared an allergic reaction or just a general freak out, so she walked away from her shot at $50,000. With Kate out of action, Randy was up first. After removing his trademark cowboy hat, Randy was covered in pheromones and then carefully covered in bees. Even though he wore safety goggles and earplugs, Randy still had bees on his face, ears, neck and mouth in addition to his chest and arms. Even though he knew bees don't weigh much individually, Randy said the combined weight of the swarming insects felt like 15 pounds. After he completed the stunt (and changed to a non-pheromone shirt), Randy showed the others his bee stings! Andy was up next. Andy seemed to have a lot more bees on his face than Randy did, but he remained calm and finished the stunt. A.J. was really nervous and not thrilled about going last, since Joe said she'd get "the angriest bees". She pulled her long blonde hair up, but that didn't stop the buzzing swarm from getting tangled up in her tresses. Sure enough, before her two minutes even began A.J. got stung! Ultimately, she kept her composure and survived to advance to day three.

Day three combined two major fears: drowning and enclosed spaces. Players would be locked into a ventilated Plexiglas coffin, then lowered into ice-cold water. After being submerged, each player would have to free themselves using one of two keys tied around their wrist. The player with the fastest escape time would emerge victorious. Cowboy Randy ponied up first. As the coffin touched the surface of the chilly water, the carefully drilled holes allowed about four inches of water to seep in. Suddenly, Randy removed his nose plug. Joe chastised him and made him put it back on. But Randy continued to fuss and seemed like he was hyperventilating. Finally, he gave Joe the thumbs up and the coffin began its descent. When the signal light went on, Randy quickly tried the first key, with no luck. The second key did the trick and Randy surfaced in 17 seconds. A.J. climbed in next. She fumbled with the keys while trying to hold her breath. The keys gave her a lot of trouble with cost her valuable time. Her final time was 28 seconds. Only Andy remained to challenge Randy's time. He hoped his water polo background would help him remain calm and unlock the lock on the first try. Andy took a deep breath, but also had trouble with the key. As precious seconds ticked by, Randy realized he had won! Andy's final time was 26 seconds - not enough to wrangle in the cowboy.