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Fear Factor Episode 426 Original Airdate: March 1, 2004

The special, all-female Fear Factor boasted not one, but two models - and it just so happened that the first stunt would require everyone (okay, everyone but Joe) to don a bikini. Yet even with all of that, things were going to get ugly fast. Each player would be enclosed in a large cylinder submerged in a lake, filling the tube with near-freezing water. Each player would then have to dive to the bottom of the cylinder and turn two large handles to release the cylinder bottom and swim to the surface. The two players that did this in the slowest time would be sent home. Joe warned that the cold water would quickly sap contestants' strength and will. He didn't know how right he would be.

First up was Tammy, who had been a lifeguard for six years. She thought the water would prove little challenge for her. Tammy waited at the top of the cylinder where there was a tiny pocket of air. Joe yelled "go" and Tammy dove down. She managed to turn the first handle, but then had to come back up for air. She dove down again, but couldn't get the second handle to budge. She again had to come up for air. But when she dove back down, Tammy was confused and grabbed the first handle - the one she had already opened - and closed it! She came up for air yet again. Confused, exhausted and freezing, Tammy called it quits after just 2:15. Rochelle was a little unnerved by Tammy's rough experience and Rochelle got off to a rough start herself as she couldn't physically turn the first handle. But Joe encouraged her and even promised some hot chocolate if she completed the stunt. After over four minutes, Rochelle finally got the first handle opened. At 9:30 in the ice-cold water, Rochelle was only a half a turn away from completing the stunt, but the water had taken its toll. Rochelle couldn't go on and called it quits. The stunt had now claimed the first two players. Next, Sheena, in what may be a Fear Factor record, quit the stunt after only five seconds. No hot chocolate for her! Pamela looked like she might be the first to conquer the task, easily turning the first handle. But then she just couldn't get the second one. After a painful nine minutes and 30 seconds, she also quit. Okay, if Sheena set a Fear Factor record for quitting in the least amount of time, then Christine broke it. Suffering from a severe fear attack, Christine freaked and yelled that she had to quit even before the clock started! Yes, she had given up with a time of 0:00. (Definitely no hot chocolate for that one!) So far, everyone had failed the challenge. The only contestant left was Jennifer, who admitted that she never works out. Joe didn't hold out much hope for her. But Jennifer dove down to the bottom of the cylinder and, without even coming up for air, turned both handles, releasing the cylinder floor. She swam out of the bottom and when she broke the surface of the water, she and Joe yelled and screamed! She had done it. She was the only contestant to complete the challenge and she did it in only a minute. Because Jennifer was the only player to successfully complete the stunt, she automatically won half of the $50,000 prize right then and there. Next, the official Fear Factor rules dictated that all six players would return to compete for the remaining $25,000.

Jennifer, victorious from the first stunt, joined the other five women (all a bit humbled) to compete for the remaining money. Joe revealed a large, clear box with over 30 boa constrictors and pythons, and 600 geckos. Fortunately, there was still just enough room for two humans. Two players would compete inside the box in a head-to-head race using a magnet to slide metal discs from the bottom of the front wall of the box up to holders at the top of the wall. The first player to successfully transfer five discs would win. The other would be eliminated. Because Jennifer had won the first stunt, she got to pick the order. She chose Rochelle and Christine to go first. When Joe asked Jennifer why she picked Rochelle, Jennifer did a not-so-successful job of hiding the fact that she didn't like Rochelle, who said that the feeling was mutual. (Joe tried his best, but sadly, no catfight resulted from this exchange.) Although Christine seemed more upset about all of the critters in the box, she did well, moving snakes and geckos out of the path of her discs. Rochelle, on the other hand, had a tough time. She ended up dropping two discs and Christine won by a wide margin. Yet even as Joe was declaring her the winner, Christine was freaking out a bit, repeating that they needed to open the box and get her out of there. So, Jennifer's strategy had paid off - Rochelle was on her way home. Jennifer picked herself and Sheena to climb into the box next. Jennifer said that she thought that Sheena was a quitter and would make a weak competitor. Jennifer was wrong and the competition was a real race. Right at the end, they were tied at four discs each. But Jennifer shoved a gecko aside to get the last disc in its slot and Sheena was history. Finally, it was Tammy and Pamela's turn. Unfortunately, Pamela dropped three of her discs and Tammy took the win. Pamela was gone.

So it was now down to Jennifer, Tammy and Christine for the remaining cash. The three players met Joe at a dock where a Plexiglas tunnel had been constructed. Each player would have to maneuver up the inclined tunnel collecting Fear Factor flags as water and 100-mile-per-hour winds hit them head on. They would each keep trying until they got blown out of the tunnel and into the water below. Christine looked strong, fighting the forces and getting her first three flags. It clearly became more of a fight and she worked hard for number four and then managed even to get flag number five. But then, the elements literally knocked her legs out from under her and Christine hit the tunnel floor hard, sliding down its length and dropping into the water. She had retrieved five flags in 1:00 and was happy with her performance. Jennifer was up next, and Joe kindly pointed out her competitive advantage: she had more mass than the other women (nice, Joe!). Christine moved quickly, grabbing the first five in little time. Then, she struggled and reached flag number six. But before she could clip it onto her belt, Christine was knocked to the floor by the wind and water. As she slid, she struggled desperately to clip the flag, but couldn't. She splashed into the water and the sixth flag floated away. Since Christine and Jennifer had each gotten five flags, it would come down to time. Christine had gotten her flags in 1:00 flat. But Jennifer had worked quickly and gotten her five flags (and even struggled with a sixth) in just 39.3 seconds. Christine was going home empty-handed. Finally, it was Tammy's turn. Joe had managed to swipe Tammy's lucky, candy necklace and he gave it to Jennifer, who put it on and ate a piece of it to jinx Tammy. Well, the Candy Gods must have been watching, because Tammy had a tough time even with the first flag. As she tried to hook the second flag onto her belt, Tammy was knocked over and slid down the tunnel, losing. Jennifer had just won the second half of the money and was taking home all $50,000!