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Fear Factor Episode 413 Original airdate: January 19, 2004

Only 6 couples remained and the stunts got cranked up a notch. After all, a million dollars was at stake! Only one married couple remained: Tommie and Gina. Meanwhile, Meghan - who had battled the flu during the previous week's final stunt - was so sick that she was going to sit the first, non-elimination stunt out. Monica, also battling the flu, did show up however. Joe greeted all of the players at the Port of Los Angeles. There, in a busy shipping channel, was their first non-elimination stunt. The winning couple of this stunt would get their choice of one out of five Capitol One credit cards, without knowing the value attached to it. The cards ranged in value from ten to fifty thousand dollars! The stunt involved each couple hanging from their ankles from a long girder as it spun faster and faster over the water below. During this, they would hold onto a rope that connected them to each other. The couple that could hang on to that rope the longest would get to pick from the Capitol One cards.

Adam and Meg were disappointed that they were up first. Centrifugal force soon pitted Adam's body weight against Meg's. Each held on and even talked to each other while they spun. As the spinning increased, Meg slipped free and both plunged into the water. Their final time was 51.7 seconds. Once in the water, Adam shared his frustration by taking it out on Meg. They squabbled all the way back to the dock. Melissa and Jim took to the skies next and would have to hang on longer than 51 seconds to hope for the cash prize. Jim shouted encouragement to Melissa the entire time, but her tiny arms just weren't strong enough to hold on. Their final time was 30.3 seconds. Melissa compared the sensation to trying to hold a speeding truck in place. Would Todd and Rachael fare any better?

Rachael had some impressive biceps and she hoped they would give her an advantage. They passed the 30 second mark, but Rachael was straining. Soon after, she slipped. Their final time of 43.9 seconds was still not enough o beat Adam and Meg. Todd gave Rachael a hard time, but it more light-hearted teasing than actual blame. Jackson and Monica were pumped to go next, despite Monica's flu. There was a big weight difference between Jackson and petite Monica, but Monica was determined to beat Adam and Meg. Their determination paid off and landed them a final time of 1:07.4! Tommie and Gina faced the daunting task of going last. Gina had every intention of hanging on, but after 30 seconds, she lost her grip. Jackson and Monica had won the challenge! Jackson let Monica pick from the five Capitol One cards. Her pick had a value of $25,000! Would they be so lucky in the next stunt?

The next day, the players regrouped - included Meghan who was just getting over her flu. And what could be better for getting over the flu than a Fear Factor Pie Eating Contest? But there would be no apple or pumpkin here, oh no. The menu was Duck Tongue Pie, Maggot Pie, Pig Stomach Pie and Rotten Fish Pie, all with a delicious bile crust. Buried in the pies were coins that the couples would have to retrieve, using only their mouths, naturally. Then, as if finding 4 coins wasn't enough, they'd have suck down a Fear Factor shake. What's in the shake you ask? Nothing close to a dairy product. In fact, the shake was simply the pie ingredients blended into one, frothy Fear Factor drink. The couple with the slowest time would be eliminated.

Meghan and James were up first. They got four coins in fairly quickly and moved on to the big shake with two straws. Meghan gagged the entire time, but they sucked down that shake…until James puked it back up and they were eliminated! Later, James said that not only did it taste like "salty pus", but Meghan only drank part of the shake, and then faked the rest! David and Melissa were next. They were pretty timid with the pies, which cost them time. Since Meghan and James were out, time was really only a factor in order to win $10,000. They're final time was 2:51.9. They ran off to puke as the others watched horrified. Rachael and Todd bellied up next. In less than a minute, they were onto the shake. They emptied the glass in 1:05.1 and didn't even gag once. Next, Jackson and Monica went head first into pie. Jackson's gag reflex kicked in and his pauses ate up precious time. They ended with 1:13.2 as a final time. Adam and Meg were next. The coin search took longer for them than the others. Plus, Meg had trouble with the shake. Still, they came in at 1:17.1. All Tommie and Gina had to do was complete the stunt to stay in the competition. The shake had them both gagging, but they tried to focus. Meanwhile, Todd and Rachael's time whizzed by, earning them $10,000. Ultimately, Tommie and Gina couldn't stomach the shake and wound up quitting. Since two couples were eliminated and only one could go home, the remaining couples were forced to vote. It was unanimous vote for Meghan and James to stay, helped by the fact that Tommie and Gina wanted to go home to their kids. They also felt that Meghan and James performed better in the stunt.