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Fear Factor Episode 309
Original airdate: March 3, 2003
This was a special 90-minute episode.

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink! Six new players soon learned that they were participating in a special, extended version of Fear Factor. A fourth stunt had been added, so becoming the champ would be that much harder! The first stunt involved a helicopter, 20 floating buoys and really cold water. Players would hang upside-down from the helicopter as it flew past the buoys - which were spaced 20-feet apart from each other. The two men and two women who could collect the most flags from atop the buoys would advance to day two. Mike, a muscled accountant, was up first and didn't get the "hang" of it until about the third flag. After grasping his sixth flag, he got pulled down by the buoy and splashed into the lake. Richard, an Ohio farmer, was next and predicted he would grab 12 flags. After snagging his sixth flag to tie Mike, Richard sort of spun out of control and consequently missed all the other flags. If Ed got six flags or more all the guys would advance to round two. If he got less than six, he was out. Eddie also started spinning after about the 3rd flag - but still managed to snag 11 flags total! Marisa admitted she was "freaking out" as she put on the life vest and prepared to go first for the ladies. After a few misses, Marisa managed to grab five flags before falling into the water. Tamie, a former pro wrestler, was out to prove she was more than a hot blonde. And did she ever! Tamie made getting 15 flags look like taking candy from a baby. All Janine needed to do was get more than 5 flags to send Marisa home. Janine looked good until her attempt at the fourth flag. She hung on a little too tightly and got sucked down into the water. Janine was out and Marisa was in!

An empty jail greeted players on day two. One by one they navigated the creepy rows of abandoned cells until they reached Joe. Surrounded by bars, the players faced what looked like an electric chair. As Joe explained, each player would be strapped to the chair. Then, their arms would be pierced with ten razor-sharp needles - which would get progressively thicker. He added a new warning as well: If you pass out, you're eliminated. Tamie, the daredevil who aced the first stunt, was up first. Would she be as brave this time? A professional piercer was brought in, and players were reassured that all needles were new and would not be reused from player to player. Tamie got strapped in and tried to think happy thoughts. The first two thin needles went in pretty easily. The screaming began with the third needle - but it was Marisa, not Tamie, who couldn't handle it! The fifth, thicker needle placed halfway between Tamie's shoulder and elbow had her in tears, but she refused to give up. She was shaking and shouting in pain as the final two needles were inserted. Now she had to stay calm as the needles were pulled back out! It looked like little vampire bites up and down her arm as the puncture wounds began to bleed. Tamie had survived! Mike was next. Could the needles get through his bulging biceps? Mike was calm through it all and barely said a word. Soon the needles were out and he had advanced to the next round. Eddie, the big talker and big winner on day one, got strapped in next. He liked to watch the piercer as the needles were inserted through his skin. Somehow, he also managed to keep trash talking through the entire process, even after he admitted that it hurt. Marisa was a nervous wreck - and was up next. She closed her eyes and tried some deep breathing to get through the first couple of skinny needles. Remaining calm got progressively harder as the needles got thicker. Joe's ongoing pep talk was the only thing keeping Marisa from a complete freak out. Soon, all the needles were inôand back out. Marisa and her bloody arm had made it! Farmer Richard was last to go. He seemed fine, but now Tamie was having a hard time watching! "Bad flashbacks," she said with her face in her hands. When Richard was done, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But they weren't done yet! This being the special, extended Fear Factor meant that another two stunts remained. The third stunt just happened to be right in the same cellblock.

Too bad there is no such thing as smell-o-vision, because this stunt stunk! Joe revealed a pile of maggoty cheese, crawling with little live larvae! On the menu was four ounces of maggot cheese per player. The four players who could eat it the fastest would advance to the final stunt and be that much closer to $50,000. Richard stepped up to the plate first. He seemed to have no reservations of putting handfuls of live maggots and rotten cheese into his mouth - until about the third bite. Then, he quit. He didn't think anyone would be able to do it. Now that there were only four players remaining, the time factor was eliminated. Everyone just had to finish their four ounces to advance; however, whoever did it the fastest would win a thousand-dollar cash bonus. Eddie started gagging with his first bite, much to Mike's delight. Once again, Marisa looked like she was going to pass out just from watching. In less than five minutes, Eddie had finished. He doubted anyone else would be able to do it. On Mike's turn, Mike took the bowl of maggots and cheese, flung it across the room and quit. He said it was braver to walk away. Uh-huh, whatever Mike. Tamie was next. She was smart in that she didn't look at what she was eating, she just closed her eyes, stuck handfuls in her mouth and tried to get through it. She seemed less concerned with beating Ed's time and more concerned with not throwing up. She finally finished the cheese - but had some leftover maggots to polish off before time ended. She had done it! Marisa was next and couldn't even keep the first bite down. She was a trooper, however, and she kept trying for at least two more bites. Ultimately, she couldn't stomach the stunt and quit! Only Tamie and Eddie would advance to the final stunt.

Day three began at an oil refinery. Tamie and Eddie climbed up to the top of a steel platform and learned about their final stunt. They would each shimmy out on a pole suspended over 10 stories in the air. When they reached the Fear Factor flag at the end of the pole, they would detach it and fasten it to a latch suspended overhead. The player with the fastest time would win the cash! Eddie was up first and felt that his firefighting experience would give him an advantage. He inched across the pole fairly quickly and unhooked the flag in less than 20 seconds. However, hooking it onto the latch above, took a lot of balance. Still, Eddie's final time was an impressive 29 seconds. Tamie was a intimidated by Eddie's quick time. As the wind picked up, Tamie took her place on the pole. The bruise and puncture marks from the piercing stunt were still visible on Tamie's arm as she made her way out to the flag. She reached the flag in less than 10 seconds, but had a little trouble hooking it. Her final time of 22 seconds earned her $50,000 and finally shut Eddie up!