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Fear Factor Episode 318
Original airdate: February 3, 2003

Six, new unsuspecting players arrived at a remote warehouse with no idea what they were about to face. Joe greeted them with a knowing smirk. He explained that this episode of Fear Factor would not be the typical show. There would be no dangling from helicopters or balancing precariously on high beams. This, he explained, was the all-gross episode. The players remained smiling, but the color slowly drained from their faces. Their first "gross" stunt was bobbing for small plastic rings. Sounds simple enough, right? The rings would be at the bottom of a 50-gallon container filled with cow blood! Kelly, an angelic looking blonde, was first. After retrieving the first ring, she was drenched in blood and looked like she stepped out of a horror movie. She kept going and managed to fish 13 rings out of the crimson pool. Kelly quickly moved over to a nearby shower and rinsed the blood out of her hair and clothes. Saira was shaking as she put her safety goggles on. She confessed a deep fear of darkness (nyctophobia for those keeping score at home) and also a bit of claustrophobia. Despite these fears, Saira dunked her head over and over until time ran out. She retrieved a total of 17 rings, advancing her to day two. While she showered off, Suzanne prepared for her blood bath. Suzanne's technique was to put almost her whole body into the rectangular container. She managed to pluck out 14 rings, which sent Kelly home to Wisconsin.

Joseph was up first for the guys and did a good job of seeming pumped up about the stunt. He started off slow, with only 11 rings. In the last 40 seconds, he tossed out 8 rings bringing his total to 19. Jelani started by saying "it looks like Kool-Aid," but quickly got a taste of real blood. Gulps and gulps of blood later, Jelani had succeeded in getting 20 rings! If Joshua could beat Joseph's score, he would advance to day two. And Josh was psyched! He kept giving off primal screams and pumping his fists like a warrior preparing for battle. He attacked the blood vat, tossing his head in and out of it and flinging blood everywhere. But he couldn't seem to get his mouth on a ring. He spent the entire two minutes flailing about - but didn't get one ring. Completely covered in cow's blood, Joshua stomped off to the shower where his tirade continued. The others moved on to day two.

A bright, cheery, wooded area greeted the four remaining players on day two. Joe stood in front of an array of plump, ripe tomatoes numbered from 0 to 5. With a blow-dart (how cool is that?), players would target two numbers. Of course the total of the two numbers would correspond with the amount of something they'd have to eat. On today's menu: tomato horn worms. These fat, green worms are actually the larvae of the five-spotted hawk moth and are known for the sharp horns on their rear ends. Sounds yummy! Jelani was first and hit a 3 and a 5. With thirty seconds for each live worm, he had two minutes and forty seconds to devour his eight worms. Jelani's first bite sent worm juice squirting towards Joe! While the other kept a safe distance, Jelani completed the stunt. Saira was next and had to eat nine worms! She was gagging by the fourth one and Jelani stepped up the trash talking. As soon as Saira was done she headed for the puke bucket. Suzanne was next, but wasn't worried at all. She said she had a poor childhood and was used to eating "whatever was dead and available." Sure enough, she chowed down ten worms in no time. Joseph was next and had no trouble consuming his ten worms. Everyone advanced to the final gross stunt.

Night three had to have been Saira's worst nightmare. It combined pitch black and enclosed spaces. The "skunk tunnel" was a series of abandoned drainage pipes decorated with dead, stinky skunks. One by one, players would enter the tunnel and have to collect at least three skunks. Then they would have to navigate the total darkness to the correct exit tunnel. The player who did this the fastest would be the next Fear Factor champ. Petrified Saira was first. She was a trooper and crawled into the tunnel with her skunk sack. Night vision allowed us to see her as she stepped out of the first tunnel and into knee-high, filthy water. She missed the second skunk and had to retrace her steps. She emerged, cold and shaking, after three minutes and forty seconds. Next, Jelani got into the tunnel quickly, but fumbled with his skunk bag. He also had trouble finding both the third skunk and his way out. Once he had passed Saira's time, Joe called to him that he was out. Joseph slithered in next. Before you could say "skunk tunnel" he was out the other side! Suzanne would have to beat Joseph's time of one minute and 48 seconds to win. She got a little turned around in the first tunnel, but was seconds away from beating Joseph; however, she just couldn't get through the exit tunnel in time. Joseph had not only survived the all-gross show, but he was the all-gross champ!