King of The Nerds (2013) s02e01 Episode Script
In Search of a King
1 Female voice: Legend tells of a lord [Indistinct whispering.]
Crowned the nerdiest uber-nerd of all nerds Arise, your majesty, and claim your throne! [Indistinct whispering.]
A king of the nerds.
But the gods rebelled.
Insolubrio necroma! The king was smote.
Nerdvana, the high seat of nerd-dom, was destroyed.
Man: I shall rain fire upon this land! [Laughs evilly.]
In secret, the elder nerds escaped to a new hallowed hall, a new Nerdvana, where it is whispered that a search for a new king has begun a new nerd to rule them all.
You always do this.
I hate it.
I can't make it stop.
Well, just stop.
You k no, no, look, I'm just gonna do it myself, all right? Okay.
Now A new fellowship has formed Did you get shoved in a locker, too? 11 more of the brainiest - Can I overpower some capacitors? - Man: Let's do it.
[Chuckling.]
Where is the linux machine? Gaming Frostmournes! I could destroy each and every one of you.
Fantasy and science-fiction- lovingest nerds in the world.
I'm actually inside tron.
The enterpri would beat the millennium falcon.
The falcon can fly circles around the enterprise, especially when the latter is diverting all power to shields.
They will compete in games of knowledge and skill Imagine calculating relativity while flying on a broomstick.
Do you really think you can beat me in a larping and gaming challenge? [Laughs.]
That's cute.
Vying to impress the great nerd experts - Oh, my.
- From around the world.
[Chanting.]
Nerds! Nerds! You're gonna be working for them pretty soon.
So nerdy.
Love it.
But only one can claim the throne.
There's gonna be bloodshed to get to that chair.
Only one can wear the crown.
Lives hang in the balance.
I will slash through and destroy anyone who stands in my path! - Poof! - [Robotic voice.]
Let's do this, nerds.
Only one can be King of the nerds! Yeah! Heh! Heh! Heh! Heh! Heh! That's awesome.
Ahh.
[Dramatic music plays.]
- That's a furry one.
- Indeed.
My name is Brian, and I'm a complete bookworm.
I'm gonna be king of the nerds because everybody loves a hobbit in a vest.
My name is Mary Kate.
I'm studying aerospace engineering.
I'm an avid costumer.
I mostly costume superheroes, but I also can don my pony gear because I'm a bronie.
Put your hoofs up! - [Giggles.]
- He's very happy to be here.
I'm Zachary storch.
I'm one of the top 25 world of warcraft gamers on the planet.
Being a nerd is about passion.
Being a nerd is a way of life because the greatest people throughout all of history the greatest people were nerds.
[Laughs.]
Welcome to the new Nerdvana! Bigger and nerdier than ever before! [Cheers and applause.]
- I'm Curtis.
- And I'm Bobby.
I'm beyond stoked to meet the nerds I grew up loving.
You will be competing for $100,000 and the right to be crowned king of the nerds.
[Cheers and applause.]
$100,000 is a life-changing amount of money.
I could buy bigger rockets, better rockets.
One of my pipe dreams has always been that I want a waterfall in my house one day.
Each week, you will compete, team against team, in a battle royale known as the Nerd War.
Now, last season, the first Nerd War was dividing into teams.
This season, we pick teams again.
You will divide yourselves into two teams of five nerds each.
Now, there are 11 of you, and one of you will be left out.
Or not.
For today's war, we're going meta.
[Chuckles.]
The concept of meta refers to self-reference, so a meta game would be a game about a game.
Last season, in a stunning reversal, the last person picked had all of the power, because, as you know, there is nothing nerdier than being picked last.
We know that you know that nothing is nerdier, and you now know that we know That you know.
We know that they know that we know that there's a twist to this challenge, and we have no idea what's gonna happen.
Is being picked last still nerdy? It's an evil way to play a game.
The first team captain is Zachary! Awesome.
Victory for sylvanas! Sylvanas is the banshee queen of the forsaken.
The second team captain is - Chris! - Yes.
I'm Chris Jackson, and I am the coolest person I know.
I will be king of the nerds because I represent the engineering community.
You can't make an enterprise without engineers.
You can't do teleportation without engineers.
You can't make a lightsaber without engineers.
We rule the world.
Zachary and Chris, you get to make the first picks.
You now have two hours to explore Nerdvana and get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Let the nerd war of wits Commence! [Cheers and applause.]
Yeah! Nicole: Oh, my God! This is the coolest place ever.
[Laughing.]
Whoa! Nicole: Oh, my gosh! It's Celeste! Opening the door and looking at Nerdvana it was just like [Imitates explosion.]
Oh, my God! Come here! Come here! [Screams.]
Zack: Oh, my! There's there's two frostmournes! Frostmournes! I am so psyched to see all the swords I can pick up and just, like, be the power of the warrior.
[Laughs.]
Okay, here we go.
"Star Trek" or "Star Wars"? No! You can't compare! Yes, you can! My name's Kayla.
I have a master's degree in space studies.
Who all is on the trek side? "Star Trek" is better than "Star Wars" because "Star Trek" is about exploration, and my dream, my goal, and my passion is to send humans to Mars.
You want to bring it all together? "Firefly.
" [All cheering.]
Who cares who shot first? Nicole: Oh, my God! It's a tardis! It's a radioshack tardis! Zack: Guys, a radioshack tardis! Chris: The coolest thing in the house is a radioshack lab which is inside a gray tardis, where it had everything any mechanical engineer would ever need.
Katie: This is a rocket scientist's dream.
The tardis is doctor who's ship.
It stands for "Time And Relative Dimension In Space.
" Why did I look at the calculator first? My name is Jack, and I study medicine and bioengineering.
[Chuckling.]
Where is the linux machine? I am introverted, but I have been known to rap.
[Rapping.]
make them girls go loco when they see me bust a move on the periodic table It ain't easy, but it's nerdy And, yeah, there's some chemistry But if you want to learn it, then repeat after me Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon car uh Yeah, so Oh, yeah, but you get the gist.
[Laughter.]
Holy crap! That's all of us! Katie: I love how I'm a lightsaber-wielding robot with a Theodore Roosevelt puppet.
My name is Katie.
Got my bachelor's in mechanical engineering.
All of my graduating class are building spaceships, and I was like, "I'm gonna build puppets now.
" So I am currently an intern at "Sesame Street.
" Guys! We have two hours to learn everyone's life story.
I'm not done nerding out yet.
Mary Kate: After going into the house, we sat at a round table and talked about, like, what our credentials were.
I've been project manager of my rocket-design team for the past two years.
Actually, I won a contest by NASA to pick their greatest fan, and I was that winner.
[Laughter.]
Everybody's such an expert at their thing.
It's intimidating.
Yeah, I think I've seen you somewhere.
Some people know me as "JWittz" on the Internet.
- I'm a pokémon master.
- Ohh! Yeah! I'm Josh.
I run a pokémon-centered YouTube channel.
Right now, I have about 50 million views.
On top of that, I've also competed on the world level for the pokémon trading card games.
I know pokémon at one point became "not cool.
" I just never stopped caring.
Nice to meet you all.
God.
I don't know how to follow that.
I'm Nicole.
I got my bachelor's degree in chemistry.
My field of study was synthesis and characterizations of vanadium 345 complexes.
But the fact that I'm a chemist that puts a huge target on my back.
I'm probably the resident uber music nerd here.
I've been drum major for God knows how long.
So I'm gonna kind of make myself look a little weak at first.
Bet I'm the only one here that can write backwards.
Maybe later on, I might divulge, like, "hey, by the way", I'm an inorganic chemist, so I know my stuff.
" My name is Xander.
- Chris: Nice bow-tie.
- It's a clip-on.
[All groan.]
I know.
Aah! My name is Xander, and I am a gay gamer! So we go by G-A-Y-M-E-R.
Gaymer.
I know a little about a lot of things.
I'm like a Swiss army nerd.
I'm a larper.
I've got my foam cutlass! I'm a countertenor [Vocalizing.]
And a drama nerd [Japanese accent.]
This is a character that I love to play.
This is angry Japanese man.
I'm a japanophile.
[Speaking Japanese.]
[Speaking Japanese.]
Ahh! [Speaking Chinese.]
That means, "hello, my name is Kelsey.
" Learning languages is actually a big hobby of mine.
I speak Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and English.
I'm getting my master's in teaching English as a second language.
[Speaking Japanese.]
"I want to be king of the nerds.
" That would be very, very "suzushii desu.
" You know, very cool.
So, how are we gonna do this, guys? Are we just gonna talk and let the captains do their thing? Chris: This is an interesting decision.
So I'm going to tell you my full background.
I decided to tell Zack what I am.
I'm a chemist.
Yeah.
From a leadership standpoint, Chris would be a stronger leader, but Zack has what I don't have.
I needed someone that balances my skills and that's you.
Do you have a lot of math skills? - So, what I'd like to do is try to go final four with you.
- I'd be okay with that.
Hopefuy, Zack doesn't tell anybody I'm a chemist.
If he does, this alliance Poof! Gone.
Does it light up or something? Kayla, your opinion on the reboot "Star Trek.
" It's what happens when you give a "Star Wars" fan permission over "Star Trek.
" You can't put a starship under the freakin' ocean! The first Nerd War is to pick teams.
Zack is one captain, and Chris is the other one.
We've all been, like, talking, what this twist could be at the end, 'cause we know it can't be the same as last year's.
What if they're making us pick and then the person who's left out picks the teams? Actually, that's kind of what I was thinking of.
We're not exactly sure if the twist is that there is no twist, so things are getting kind of complicated.
Where's the other where's Zack? Obviously, you're the person I want to pick first.
Who do you think is the person we should pick next, - if I pick you first? - It'd probably be - What's his face? - Yep.
Going into the Nerd War, Zack and I have a plan.
Who would be the last one picked? I almost think Kelsey.
As long as there's no, like, crazy monkey wrench, we're good.
Do I mention what my actual profession is? - Let's keep that for now.
- Okay.
- All right.
- Cool.
[Alarm blaring.]
Calling all nerds! A Nerd War of wits is about to commence! Xander: And now it's time to pick teams.
This is every nerd's nightmare.
[Exhales nervously.]
Chris and Zack! Curtis.
- They're right there.
- [Laughs.]
I'm sorry.
[Laughter.]
Chris and Zack, join us and don your team cloaks.
Josh: Wow.
[Laughs.]
You will pick your teammates by placing your team cloaks upon their shulders.
Now, you will engage in a spirited rock-paper-scissors for the right to go first.
Ck: There is a significant amount of just ways you can kind of subtly manipulate someone.
Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.
As in, 1, 2, 3, go.
Okay.
That'll work.
I was kind of maybe hoping just a little bit that if I did that rock, paper, scissors that maybe, subconsciously, he'd be like, "I should pick rock.
" Ohh.
All right.
Covers rock.
All right.
What is your strategy? I need to pick someone right now who really complements my weaknesses.
You may proceed.
[Sighs.]
Nicole: I knew I was the first one being picked, so as long as he sticks to the plan, we're good.
- Aah! - [Laughs.]
Yellow! Yellow! Thank you! Once Zack picked Nicole, it was kind of a shock to me because shdidn't really stand out.
I thought he'd go more for the hard-core engineer, but Nicole? Chris, it's your turn to make your first pick.
Chris: I need a well-rounded team.
I need a gamer on my team.
I need a performer on my team and an electrician on my team.
And how am I supposed to pick and choose? Matches my hair.
Nicole.
[Indistinct whispering.]
This was Zack's decision, but I'm okay with it.
I'll stick to the plan for now.
- Nicole: Come join the yellow side.
- Whoo.
[Chuckles.]
Yeah.
I'm not picked yet.
Starting to get a little nervous.
I feel like a pokémon with a special condition.
Katie, you may make your pick.
It's just an awful feeling just standing there and not knowing if you're gonna get picked or not.
- Ah! - Jack.
Xander: Every clink of the cloak, you think that it's gonna be laid upon you.
- And then it wasn't.
- Brian.
I'm just going, "please, please, please pick me.
" And he does! Yeah! He manages to get those short, little arms around my big, tall body.
Josh, make your pick.
Kelsey: I kind of thought I'd get picked sooner.
I thought what I have is kind of unique, but the Chinese have a saying, you know [Speaking Chinese.]
And that literally means "there's nothing else that can be done.
" Oh! Oh, God.
And then there were two.
Okay, guys, I don't know the twist.
Chris: Choosing between Kelsey and Kayla is very difficult because last season, there was a twist to the nerd challenge.
Bobby and Curtis know that we know there's a twist to that challenge, and they told us, so it's unnerving what's about to happen.
If we get broken up, it's fine.
Purple team, you may make your final pick.
[Speaking Chinese.]
When you're left out, it really does hurt.
You know, you think you found your friends, and then your friends don't always turn out to be your friends.
It's a very complex way to feel.
Brian: I feel a little bit bad for Kelsey.
On the other hand, Kelsey's the big question now.
We don't know what kind of power, if any, she's gonna have.
It's all a big mystery.
- Kelsey.
- Yeah.
Last season, the person who was not picked for either team was given all the power.
Because there's nothing nerdier than not getting picked.
Yes, sir.
I'm familiar with this.
It hurts.
Right? - It does.
- We've been there.
But here's the thing.
Do you the one thing that is even nerdier than not getting picked? What? - Nothing! - [Chuckles.]
Nothing is nerdier than not getting picked! So, you, Kelsey Have all the power! In fact, you have even more power.
That's right.
Because now you have to choose who you would like to see banished from Nerdvana right now for good.
Hey, everyone! Now, you, Kelsey, have to choose who you would like to see banished from Nerdvana right now for good.
We're all just looking at each other like Hey, everyone! [Giggles.]
Worst Twist Ever.
Who would you choose to send home? Lives hang in the balance.
It's like a dream come true 'cause I've always wanted to be queen.
You get power.
I could just feel my heart go, you know, "pow-pow-pow-pow-pow.
" Your lives hang in my balance.
I was the last one to betray her by not picking her, so I'm in jeopardy of going home.
I am going to go with Based on data from last season, it seems that the smart people tend to be kicked out quickly.
That makes me a target.
Nicole.
No offense.
We could lose Nicole and not really notice.
I do apologize.
Curtis: All right, Nicole, say your goodbyes.
There's so many coulda, woulda, shouldas going in my head right now.
Thanks.
Maybe I should have said my strengths.
I didn't think I'd be going home this quickly.
Oops.
[Chuckles.]
Zack: This meta thing screwed everything up.
My alliance with Nicole was going to help me in this competition.
At the same time, I sure didn't want to go home, so I'm happy, but I'm not happy.
So, this is A frustrating thing.
Nicole, while you will not be crowned king of the nerds - Curtis? - Hm? You know, there technically is something nerdier than not being picked.
Katie: We have another twist.
Whooooooo.
It's nerdier to be kicked out by somebody who wasn't even on a team.
Bobby, you're right.
[Laughs.]
Stop the presses! [Exhales deeply.]
That means, Nicole You are the nerdiest of all nerds! Oh, my God.
And you have won this Nerd War of wits! Whoo-hoo! Thank you for scaring the bejesus out of me.
It's just our job.
Nicole, you will now choose the winning team.
You will be joining that team.
Oh, gosh.
I'm gonna have to go back to my home team.
- The gold team.
- I want to join the gold team.
Gold team You have won this Nerd War! Yeah! Nicole coming back is like one of my favorite pokémon items the revive.
She comes right back up from the ashes and joins the fight, and I am so glad she chose to come back to our team.
You are also going to have to pick someone from the winning team to go to the losing team.
I'll trade it with you, Kelsey.
Understandable.
Hey, Kelsey, how do you like my reversal charm? Isn't it so cool? Curtis: Purple team, as the losers of this Nerd War, you are in peril.
Two of your members are going to be selected to go to the Nerd-Off.
You will be picking one of those two people.
Gold team will be selecting the other person.
You have 24 hours to decide.
And while you're at it, name your teams.
Good luck! Zack: [Laughing.]
Oh yeah! Meta.
- Jack: All right.
- Whoo-hoo! We have endured.
I am quite relieved that I have endured.
Zack: We have completely triumphed, and we are the gold team.
So, so happy! - Nicole, I was, like, so worried.
- I'm shaking.
You can't touch us, purple.
We're safe.
Kayla: [Sighs.]
Couch time.
Having two teammates go into the Nerd-Off it sucks.
Can I say "sucks"? [Laughs.]
Well, I'll start by saying "welcome to the team.
We love you.
" I didn't mean, you know, to condemn everyone, but No, it's fine.
We love you! It's the game.
Kelsey: There's a good chance I'm gonna be in the Nerd-Off tomorrow.
I jumped from, you know, the frying pan into the fire.
I think the first question we got to think is, - how are they going to look at - Who are they gonna pick? Mary Kate: All right, they've got three science people on their team Zack: So we don't want to take one of those out, do we? Well, I mean, do we want to? 'Cause we know they're gonna put in Kelsey.
Josh: You think so? Yes.
I honestly think they're gonna send in Kelsey.
She's kind of reserved, kind of quiet.
She thinks outside the box a lot.
I kind of compare myself to a mongoose because they're cute, they're Fluffy, and they're vicious.
I don't know whether we need to take out their smartest player.
Chris is pretty bright.
The one thing I do know is that Zack will get his way.
I am moderately nervous.
He's either gonna choose me or he's going to choose one of the creative types.
I wish I was not the team captain for the first Nerd War.
Because of that, I have a huge target on my back.
He's a very analytical person.
He does not have a lot of creative skills.
What's the heart, you know? Like, where can we well, it'll either be Chris or Katie.
I'm intimidated by any of the competitors that have a knowledge of science or math because it is a realm that I just don't understand.
I'm gonna do a stat table.
So, let's see science, engineering, math We made a stat sheet for everybody because I rank algorithms for a living.
Does Brian play video and/or board games? Actually, we could go much farther than this.
I could show my partial rank-list preference algorithms and things like that.
But I can't show off too much.
Word might get out.
This is why I'm glad I'm in the company of numbers people.
Yeah, numbers are pretty much all I do.
[Laughs.]
Brian: I think that whoever the gold team picks it's kind of irrelevant to who we pick.
The other, kind of "random" way that we could do it is to not talk about it and then just vote tomorrow.
Honestly, I kind of like the idea of just voting tomorrow.
Xander: I feel like the purple team we are level-headed about how we feel, how we want the game to be played.
Chris: Okay, so, then let's say tomorrow's vote is up to us choose our own adventure, pretty much, for this round only.
Xander: But when it comes down to it, we're gonna find out where people's allegiances lie in our team.
No hard feelings.
- [Rooster crows.]
- Curtis: All nerds to the throne room! Nicole: Oh, my Brian: Today is our first Nerd-Off, and it will be somebody from the purple team against somebody from the purple team.
It's like Bruce Wayne's hall of armor.
Josh: It really feels like this regal chamber where the king would sit and make his decisions.
Welcome, nerds, to this nerd elysium, where we will be revealing which two nerds will be going to head-to-head in our first Nerd-Off.
The winner will stay to compete for the crown and the right to sit atop The throne of games! [Cheers and applause.]
Xander: This is the first time that I've seen the throne of games, and it became a real competition.
There's gonna be blood shed to get to that chair.
The loser goes home immediately.
But first, have you come up with your team names? Our team is The Midas - Touch - Touch - Attack! - Attack! There was even a presentation.
It's amazing.
And how did that come about? We are the gold team, and the Midas Touch is the ability to turn things into gold.
The Touch Attack is a dungeons & dragons term for a direct physical attack that penetrates armor.
Okay, a lot of work went into that.
Thank you.
Purple team.
Standing upon the shoulders of giants, we are All: The Titans of Rigel! [All snap fingers.]
Last time, they just told us.
[Laughter.]
Why The Titans of Rigel? Could you explain that? We are titans, individually, we come together to work as a team, and Rigel is the foot star from the constellation orion.
And we are standing on the shoulders of giants to take our fields to the next level.
All the past scientists and philosophers have propelled us to this moment.
"Titans" also sounds more badass than "giants.
" And I'm sorry, Curtis, but it's "rhy-jel.
" - Uh, yes.
- Soft "G.
" Soft "G.
" Yeah, soft "g.
" I know.
[Laughs.]
We have your votes right here.
Team Midas Touch Attack Katie: I feel like the people who are on the chopping block are really Chris and Kayla.
They're seen as these, sort of, science powerhouses.
By unanimous consent Chris, you will be going to the Nerd-Off.
I'm hoping that the gold team thinks I'm a threat, rather than thinking that I'm the weakest player.
It's a compliment.
His own words, it's a compliment.
He is, you know he has a lot of skills, and we want to take those out early in the game.
Titans of Rigel Your first vote is Kelsey.
Second vote Kelsey.
Third vote Brian.
Fourth vote Kelsey.
Kelsey: I have a big "X" on my back just 'cause of what happened yesterday.
It's like, "man! Again? Oh, joy.
" - Kelsey - Yes.
You will be going to the Nerd-Off.
Well, after what happened yesterday, I have a lot to prove, don't I? And I'm going to prove it today.
Kelsey, Chris step forward, please.
Bend the knee.
Today, you will be tested on your knowledge of all things fantasy.
Bobby, the broom! [Laughs.]
I know that broom! Kayla: Oh, wow.
Behold The nerd bolt.
[Laughter.]
Today, you are going to be doing battle in the skies Like Quidditch! Curtis: In a game we call "Nerdditch.
" [Laughter, applause.]
I'm a huge "Harry Potter" fan.
I'm a Hufflepuff.
You have three hours to prepare.
Whoever loses will become he who must not be nerdy.
[Laughter.]
May the best nerd win.
Kelsey: I'm gonna prove that I deserve to be here.
I may not be an engineer or a scientist, but that doesn't mean that I can't win this entire competition.
This is pretty much the worst challenge for me, I would have to say.
I am not a fan of fantasy.
Are you guys familiar with "Game of Thrones"? Not the books.
I've read all the books.
I haven't seen the show.
Okay.
I think to be a nerd, you need to have a passion in something that can be useful to society, so that's why I'm actually a fan of science fiction, which is "Star Trek.
" I don't think that he has the ability to compete.
He knows Sci-Fi.
Mary Kate: He's got that engineering mind.
But fantasy? He's in the dark completely.
Like, this is exactly how we planned it.
We rolled the 20.
If we get rid of Chris on their team, we remove their foundation, and you get rid of the foundation of a building, it crumbles.
Midas Touch Attack! [Both cheer.]
Kelsey: I don't know.
When they say "fantasy," I'm like, "what kind of fantasy? Where is the fantasy? Whose fantasy?" Xander: Kelsey's definitely the luna Lovegood.
She's off in her own world.
She's a little bit spacy.
I wouldn't be surprised if she showed up with radish earrings.
How do you think they're gonna go with, like, maybe, traditional fairy tales? 'Cause I have a very good knowledge of But that's what makes her so dangerous, is that you don't know what's gonna happen.
Brian: Terry pratchett - how are you guys on Terry pratchett? - Got to learn it.
Chris: I'm not panicking.
The last time I've had to study something was when I was trying to figure out how to solve a rubik's cube I'm just going to try to put as much random information in my head as possible.
And it requires a lot of focus, so I'll probably be using those same resources to help me out in this challenge.
What about "Harry Potter"? Where are you guys on "Harry Potter"? Not good.
I've read all of the books, but it's just been years.
Yes, 2007 I was at space camp that year, yeah.
The results of this Nerd-Off can really change the dynamics of the team.
If we lose Chris, we lose our strongest player.
It could be a huge gravitational well that's just gonna send us flying in the wrong direction.
Brian: Getting put in the Nerd-Off is by no means a death sentence.
This is not facedown in the guillotine, slice it off.
It's time to prove yourself.
Jack: Mindy the pom pom girl is probably the cutest girl at this moment.
I'd take her out to dinner and a movie.
[Singsong voice.]
That would be a very nerdy relationship.
Whoo-hoo! Welcome to our first Nerd-Off a magical game of Nerdditch.
After correctly answering a fantasy-based question, you will have the chance to fly on a broom down a course while attempting to throw vials of potion into cauldrons of varying point value.
The nerd with the highest number of points at the end of five rounds is the winner.
The loser is banished forever.
Kayla: Who knows who's gonna win? This is going to be up to whichever God out there you believe in or non-God or whatever.
We come to our first question.
Dude, it's easy Nimbus.
It's a broom.
Duh.
Reveal your answer.
You are both correct.
The answer is Nimbus.
Kelsey, you will be flying first.
[Cheers and applause.]
[Dramatic accent.]
Nerdditch is about to begin! Kelsey: I don't throw potions into a cauldron as part of my daily routine, so I'm just gonna aim for one of the big ones right off the start.
Go! [Contestants cheering.]
Curtis: She's approaching the 100.
She's passed.
She must be eyeing one of the larger-point-value cauldrons, though she does have up to six potion vials to throw.
[Indistinct shouting.]
Oh! She just missed! It just went by too fast.
Jack: I was not expecting so much of a dexterity component.
Calculating relativity is hard on paper.
Imagine calculating relativity while flying on a broomstick.
Kayla: Chris! Fly! Katie: Whoo! Chris is gonna be a pivotal first elimination.
Ready If he loses, we took out a huge player right away.
Set If he wins, we're gonna fear him a whole lot more than we already do.
Go! Fly, nerd! Fly! [Contestants cheering.]
Chris is preparing his first vial, looking at that 100-point cauldron.
[Cheering.]
- That was a direct hit.
- It was a direct hit, by gosh.
Attempting the 500.
And it's off the rim! [Cheers and applause.]
Very good flight.
Boom goes the dynamite! Now the score is Chris 100 and Kelsey with 0.
And now the second question.
Zack: Is that a joke? I can't believe he's asking these questions.
Reveal! The correct answer is "slightly alive.
" How? What color is the red fire truck? That was the level of the question here.
This is crazy.
I'm sorry, Chris.
False is incorrect.
Kelsey, you get to fly.
Yay! [Laughs.]
You shall not pass! [Boom!.]
That was my staff.
Boom! Curtis: Great chance here to put some points on the board and pull ahead of Chris.
Go! Bobby: There she goes, Curtis.
Xander: Ganbatte! Curtis: Here she goes.
She's approaching the 100-point cauldrons, and Oh! She just missed it! Bobby: That was so close.
Oh! And she missed the 250! That's gonna hurt.
Missing was pretty frustrating, and "kirai desu.
" You know, I don't like it.
You know, I don't like it at all.
Next question.
Brian: If I were in their position, I'd be like, "okay, I have to study 'Game of Thrones, '" but I'm also really obsessive-compulsive about spoilers, and I wouldn't want to spoil myself just to win a challenge.
The correct answer is knight of the king's guard.
Kelsey, you are about to fly again.
Okay, but this is the problem she needs actually a score.
Ready Set Go! Bobby: Okay, Kelsey.
Curtis: She's reaching early for the vials.
And she hasn't even now she's approaching.
Oh! And she misses! She got one! She got one 100.
Kelsey is now tied with Chris.
Oh! Just misses a 250! Ohh! Kelsey has just pulled ahead 350 to 100! [Speaking Japanese.]
Awesome! This is the last question.
Chris, you must answer correctly for a chance to win.
One cauldron, pewter.
One plain, pointed hat.
One owl, any breed of choice.
One copy of "magical theory" by adalbert waffling.
Come on, Kelsey.
Chris knows a lot, but fantasy? Chris doesn't even know what a dungeon master is.
How do you get into Nerdvana without knowing what a flippin' dungeon master does? So, this is the perfect opportunity to get rid of him.
Reveal.
And the answer is one owl, any breed of choice.
You will both go flying.
Chris, you'll fly first.
The only reason I'm in this game is because I studied my butt off when it came to "Harry Potter" questions.
[Contestants cheering.]
Xander: If we lose Chris, it would be a huge blow to the titans.
We're putting a lot of stock in him keeping us together.
Set Go! Katie: It's Titan time! [Contestants cheering.]
Josh: The result of this Nerd-Off is big.
If they lose Chris, they lose their leader.
We want them to be in chaos.
Ready Set Go! - And he's off, Curtis.
- Yep.
Chris is down by 250 points and has to make it up here on the final run.
And He throws.
- Misses the 100.
- Misses the 100.
[Chanting.]
Chris! Chris! Chris! - Misses the 200.
- Misses the 200.
And it's 500! An amazing shot! And Chris has taken the lead! Chris has risen from the cauldron of his father's bones and the blood of his enemies like lord Voldemort.
Kelsey, you're gonna have to make 250 points.
Mary Kate: If Chris ends up winning, just like Newton's third law of motion with every action, there's an opposite and equal reaction and I'm just worried about the reaction that we're gonna get.
Let's do it! Go! You can see the concentration in her face now, Bobby.
She's really focused.
Bobby: She's serious this time.
She's already taken one of the vials out.
She's approaching the 100 cauldrons.
And she got one in! Kelsey's one cauldron away from victory! And she missed the second! She'll have one more chance at this 500-point cauldron.
And she missed the third! Kelsey has come up short, which means, Chris, you have won this Nerd-Off! [Cheers and applause.]
Oh, my.
I'm going back to Nerdvana, and I'm going for the gold team.
You will receive Texas justice.
Jack: Chris, you swallowed a bottle of Felix felicis.
That's the luck potion in "Harry Potter.
" Kelsey, while the sun may set for you here at Nerdvana, we know that you will always be one with the land of the rising sun.
So fly off, Kelsey, to all that the future will hold for you.
I can't wait.
[Chuckles.]
Brian: The Titans of Rigel we stand on the shoulders of our predecessors, and Kelsey becomes one of our predecessors.
Ja ne! Minasan, arigatou gozaimasu! Ganbarimasu! Brian: It's an honor for us to be able to stand on her shoulder.
On the other hand, nobody wants to be the shoulder.
Kayla: Being able to actually talk to people, get out of my computer and my books, it's just such a fascinating experience.
And these are all amazing people.
And Nerdvana was like its own mini-world.
You know, "chiisai sekai" its own "little, tiny world.
" And, oh, my goodness, what a world to be in.
[Speaking Japanese.]
Do your best, my new friends! She was unique.
She was.
[Beep.]
[Roaring.]
[Both laugh.]
Crowned the nerdiest uber-nerd of all nerds Arise, your majesty, and claim your throne! [Indistinct whispering.]
A king of the nerds.
But the gods rebelled.
Insolubrio necroma! The king was smote.
Nerdvana, the high seat of nerd-dom, was destroyed.
Man: I shall rain fire upon this land! [Laughs evilly.]
In secret, the elder nerds escaped to a new hallowed hall, a new Nerdvana, where it is whispered that a search for a new king has begun a new nerd to rule them all.
You always do this.
I hate it.
I can't make it stop.
Well, just stop.
You k no, no, look, I'm just gonna do it myself, all right? Okay.
Now A new fellowship has formed Did you get shoved in a locker, too? 11 more of the brainiest - Can I overpower some capacitors? - Man: Let's do it.
[Chuckling.]
Where is the linux machine? Gaming Frostmournes! I could destroy each and every one of you.
Fantasy and science-fiction- lovingest nerds in the world.
I'm actually inside tron.
The enterpri would beat the millennium falcon.
The falcon can fly circles around the enterprise, especially when the latter is diverting all power to shields.
They will compete in games of knowledge and skill Imagine calculating relativity while flying on a broomstick.
Do you really think you can beat me in a larping and gaming challenge? [Laughs.]
That's cute.
Vying to impress the great nerd experts - Oh, my.
- From around the world.
[Chanting.]
Nerds! Nerds! You're gonna be working for them pretty soon.
So nerdy.
Love it.
But only one can claim the throne.
There's gonna be bloodshed to get to that chair.
Only one can wear the crown.
Lives hang in the balance.
I will slash through and destroy anyone who stands in my path! - Poof! - [Robotic voice.]
Let's do this, nerds.
Only one can be King of the nerds! Yeah! Heh! Heh! Heh! Heh! Heh! That's awesome.
Ahh.
[Dramatic music plays.]
- That's a furry one.
- Indeed.
My name is Brian, and I'm a complete bookworm.
I'm gonna be king of the nerds because everybody loves a hobbit in a vest.
My name is Mary Kate.
I'm studying aerospace engineering.
I'm an avid costumer.
I mostly costume superheroes, but I also can don my pony gear because I'm a bronie.
Put your hoofs up! - [Giggles.]
- He's very happy to be here.
I'm Zachary storch.
I'm one of the top 25 world of warcraft gamers on the planet.
Being a nerd is about passion.
Being a nerd is a way of life because the greatest people throughout all of history the greatest people were nerds.
[Laughs.]
Welcome to the new Nerdvana! Bigger and nerdier than ever before! [Cheers and applause.]
- I'm Curtis.
- And I'm Bobby.
I'm beyond stoked to meet the nerds I grew up loving.
You will be competing for $100,000 and the right to be crowned king of the nerds.
[Cheers and applause.]
$100,000 is a life-changing amount of money.
I could buy bigger rockets, better rockets.
One of my pipe dreams has always been that I want a waterfall in my house one day.
Each week, you will compete, team against team, in a battle royale known as the Nerd War.
Now, last season, the first Nerd War was dividing into teams.
This season, we pick teams again.
You will divide yourselves into two teams of five nerds each.
Now, there are 11 of you, and one of you will be left out.
Or not.
For today's war, we're going meta.
[Chuckles.]
The concept of meta refers to self-reference, so a meta game would be a game about a game.
Last season, in a stunning reversal, the last person picked had all of the power, because, as you know, there is nothing nerdier than being picked last.
We know that you know that nothing is nerdier, and you now know that we know That you know.
We know that they know that we know that there's a twist to this challenge, and we have no idea what's gonna happen.
Is being picked last still nerdy? It's an evil way to play a game.
The first team captain is Zachary! Awesome.
Victory for sylvanas! Sylvanas is the banshee queen of the forsaken.
The second team captain is - Chris! - Yes.
I'm Chris Jackson, and I am the coolest person I know.
I will be king of the nerds because I represent the engineering community.
You can't make an enterprise without engineers.
You can't do teleportation without engineers.
You can't make a lightsaber without engineers.
We rule the world.
Zachary and Chris, you get to make the first picks.
You now have two hours to explore Nerdvana and get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Let the nerd war of wits Commence! [Cheers and applause.]
Yeah! Nicole: Oh, my God! This is the coolest place ever.
[Laughing.]
Whoa! Nicole: Oh, my gosh! It's Celeste! Opening the door and looking at Nerdvana it was just like [Imitates explosion.]
Oh, my God! Come here! Come here! [Screams.]
Zack: Oh, my! There's there's two frostmournes! Frostmournes! I am so psyched to see all the swords I can pick up and just, like, be the power of the warrior.
[Laughs.]
Okay, here we go.
"Star Trek" or "Star Wars"? No! You can't compare! Yes, you can! My name's Kayla.
I have a master's degree in space studies.
Who all is on the trek side? "Star Trek" is better than "Star Wars" because "Star Trek" is about exploration, and my dream, my goal, and my passion is to send humans to Mars.
You want to bring it all together? "Firefly.
" [All cheering.]
Who cares who shot first? Nicole: Oh, my God! It's a tardis! It's a radioshack tardis! Zack: Guys, a radioshack tardis! Chris: The coolest thing in the house is a radioshack lab which is inside a gray tardis, where it had everything any mechanical engineer would ever need.
Katie: This is a rocket scientist's dream.
The tardis is doctor who's ship.
It stands for "Time And Relative Dimension In Space.
" Why did I look at the calculator first? My name is Jack, and I study medicine and bioengineering.
[Chuckling.]
Where is the linux machine? I am introverted, but I have been known to rap.
[Rapping.]
make them girls go loco when they see me bust a move on the periodic table It ain't easy, but it's nerdy And, yeah, there's some chemistry But if you want to learn it, then repeat after me Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon car uh Yeah, so Oh, yeah, but you get the gist.
[Laughter.]
Holy crap! That's all of us! Katie: I love how I'm a lightsaber-wielding robot with a Theodore Roosevelt puppet.
My name is Katie.
Got my bachelor's in mechanical engineering.
All of my graduating class are building spaceships, and I was like, "I'm gonna build puppets now.
" So I am currently an intern at "Sesame Street.
" Guys! We have two hours to learn everyone's life story.
I'm not done nerding out yet.
Mary Kate: After going into the house, we sat at a round table and talked about, like, what our credentials were.
I've been project manager of my rocket-design team for the past two years.
Actually, I won a contest by NASA to pick their greatest fan, and I was that winner.
[Laughter.]
Everybody's such an expert at their thing.
It's intimidating.
Yeah, I think I've seen you somewhere.
Some people know me as "JWittz" on the Internet.
- I'm a pokémon master.
- Ohh! Yeah! I'm Josh.
I run a pokémon-centered YouTube channel.
Right now, I have about 50 million views.
On top of that, I've also competed on the world level for the pokémon trading card games.
I know pokémon at one point became "not cool.
" I just never stopped caring.
Nice to meet you all.
God.
I don't know how to follow that.
I'm Nicole.
I got my bachelor's degree in chemistry.
My field of study was synthesis and characterizations of vanadium 345 complexes.
But the fact that I'm a chemist that puts a huge target on my back.
I'm probably the resident uber music nerd here.
I've been drum major for God knows how long.
So I'm gonna kind of make myself look a little weak at first.
Bet I'm the only one here that can write backwards.
Maybe later on, I might divulge, like, "hey, by the way", I'm an inorganic chemist, so I know my stuff.
" My name is Xander.
- Chris: Nice bow-tie.
- It's a clip-on.
[All groan.]
I know.
Aah! My name is Xander, and I am a gay gamer! So we go by G-A-Y-M-E-R.
Gaymer.
I know a little about a lot of things.
I'm like a Swiss army nerd.
I'm a larper.
I've got my foam cutlass! I'm a countertenor [Vocalizing.]
And a drama nerd [Japanese accent.]
This is a character that I love to play.
This is angry Japanese man.
I'm a japanophile.
[Speaking Japanese.]
[Speaking Japanese.]
Ahh! [Speaking Chinese.]
That means, "hello, my name is Kelsey.
" Learning languages is actually a big hobby of mine.
I speak Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and English.
I'm getting my master's in teaching English as a second language.
[Speaking Japanese.]
"I want to be king of the nerds.
" That would be very, very "suzushii desu.
" You know, very cool.
So, how are we gonna do this, guys? Are we just gonna talk and let the captains do their thing? Chris: This is an interesting decision.
So I'm going to tell you my full background.
I decided to tell Zack what I am.
I'm a chemist.
Yeah.
From a leadership standpoint, Chris would be a stronger leader, but Zack has what I don't have.
I needed someone that balances my skills and that's you.
Do you have a lot of math skills? - So, what I'd like to do is try to go final four with you.
- I'd be okay with that.
Hopefuy, Zack doesn't tell anybody I'm a chemist.
If he does, this alliance Poof! Gone.
Does it light up or something? Kayla, your opinion on the reboot "Star Trek.
" It's what happens when you give a "Star Wars" fan permission over "Star Trek.
" You can't put a starship under the freakin' ocean! The first Nerd War is to pick teams.
Zack is one captain, and Chris is the other one.
We've all been, like, talking, what this twist could be at the end, 'cause we know it can't be the same as last year's.
What if they're making us pick and then the person who's left out picks the teams? Actually, that's kind of what I was thinking of.
We're not exactly sure if the twist is that there is no twist, so things are getting kind of complicated.
Where's the other where's Zack? Obviously, you're the person I want to pick first.
Who do you think is the person we should pick next, - if I pick you first? - It'd probably be - What's his face? - Yep.
Going into the Nerd War, Zack and I have a plan.
Who would be the last one picked? I almost think Kelsey.
As long as there's no, like, crazy monkey wrench, we're good.
Do I mention what my actual profession is? - Let's keep that for now.
- Okay.
- All right.
- Cool.
[Alarm blaring.]
Calling all nerds! A Nerd War of wits is about to commence! Xander: And now it's time to pick teams.
This is every nerd's nightmare.
[Exhales nervously.]
Chris and Zack! Curtis.
- They're right there.
- [Laughs.]
I'm sorry.
[Laughter.]
Chris and Zack, join us and don your team cloaks.
Josh: Wow.
[Laughs.]
You will pick your teammates by placing your team cloaks upon their shulders.
Now, you will engage in a spirited rock-paper-scissors for the right to go first.
Ck: There is a significant amount of just ways you can kind of subtly manipulate someone.
Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.
As in, 1, 2, 3, go.
Okay.
That'll work.
I was kind of maybe hoping just a little bit that if I did that rock, paper, scissors that maybe, subconsciously, he'd be like, "I should pick rock.
" Ohh.
All right.
Covers rock.
All right.
What is your strategy? I need to pick someone right now who really complements my weaknesses.
You may proceed.
[Sighs.]
Nicole: I knew I was the first one being picked, so as long as he sticks to the plan, we're good.
- Aah! - [Laughs.]
Yellow! Yellow! Thank you! Once Zack picked Nicole, it was kind of a shock to me because shdidn't really stand out.
I thought he'd go more for the hard-core engineer, but Nicole? Chris, it's your turn to make your first pick.
Chris: I need a well-rounded team.
I need a gamer on my team.
I need a performer on my team and an electrician on my team.
And how am I supposed to pick and choose? Matches my hair.
Nicole.
[Indistinct whispering.]
This was Zack's decision, but I'm okay with it.
I'll stick to the plan for now.
- Nicole: Come join the yellow side.
- Whoo.
[Chuckles.]
Yeah.
I'm not picked yet.
Starting to get a little nervous.
I feel like a pokémon with a special condition.
Katie, you may make your pick.
It's just an awful feeling just standing there and not knowing if you're gonna get picked or not.
- Ah! - Jack.
Xander: Every clink of the cloak, you think that it's gonna be laid upon you.
- And then it wasn't.
- Brian.
I'm just going, "please, please, please pick me.
" And he does! Yeah! He manages to get those short, little arms around my big, tall body.
Josh, make your pick.
Kelsey: I kind of thought I'd get picked sooner.
I thought what I have is kind of unique, but the Chinese have a saying, you know [Speaking Chinese.]
And that literally means "there's nothing else that can be done.
" Oh! Oh, God.
And then there were two.
Okay, guys, I don't know the twist.
Chris: Choosing between Kelsey and Kayla is very difficult because last season, there was a twist to the nerd challenge.
Bobby and Curtis know that we know there's a twist to that challenge, and they told us, so it's unnerving what's about to happen.
If we get broken up, it's fine.
Purple team, you may make your final pick.
[Speaking Chinese.]
When you're left out, it really does hurt.
You know, you think you found your friends, and then your friends don't always turn out to be your friends.
It's a very complex way to feel.
Brian: I feel a little bit bad for Kelsey.
On the other hand, Kelsey's the big question now.
We don't know what kind of power, if any, she's gonna have.
It's all a big mystery.
- Kelsey.
- Yeah.
Last season, the person who was not picked for either team was given all the power.
Because there's nothing nerdier than not getting picked.
Yes, sir.
I'm familiar with this.
It hurts.
Right? - It does.
- We've been there.
But here's the thing.
Do you the one thing that is even nerdier than not getting picked? What? - Nothing! - [Chuckles.]
Nothing is nerdier than not getting picked! So, you, Kelsey Have all the power! In fact, you have even more power.
That's right.
Because now you have to choose who you would like to see banished from Nerdvana right now for good.
Hey, everyone! Now, you, Kelsey, have to choose who you would like to see banished from Nerdvana right now for good.
We're all just looking at each other like Hey, everyone! [Giggles.]
Worst Twist Ever.
Who would you choose to send home? Lives hang in the balance.
It's like a dream come true 'cause I've always wanted to be queen.
You get power.
I could just feel my heart go, you know, "pow-pow-pow-pow-pow.
" Your lives hang in my balance.
I was the last one to betray her by not picking her, so I'm in jeopardy of going home.
I am going to go with Based on data from last season, it seems that the smart people tend to be kicked out quickly.
That makes me a target.
Nicole.
No offense.
We could lose Nicole and not really notice.
I do apologize.
Curtis: All right, Nicole, say your goodbyes.
There's so many coulda, woulda, shouldas going in my head right now.
Thanks.
Maybe I should have said my strengths.
I didn't think I'd be going home this quickly.
Oops.
[Chuckles.]
Zack: This meta thing screwed everything up.
My alliance with Nicole was going to help me in this competition.
At the same time, I sure didn't want to go home, so I'm happy, but I'm not happy.
So, this is A frustrating thing.
Nicole, while you will not be crowned king of the nerds - Curtis? - Hm? You know, there technically is something nerdier than not being picked.
Katie: We have another twist.
Whooooooo.
It's nerdier to be kicked out by somebody who wasn't even on a team.
Bobby, you're right.
[Laughs.]
Stop the presses! [Exhales deeply.]
That means, Nicole You are the nerdiest of all nerds! Oh, my God.
And you have won this Nerd War of wits! Whoo-hoo! Thank you for scaring the bejesus out of me.
It's just our job.
Nicole, you will now choose the winning team.
You will be joining that team.
Oh, gosh.
I'm gonna have to go back to my home team.
- The gold team.
- I want to join the gold team.
Gold team You have won this Nerd War! Yeah! Nicole coming back is like one of my favorite pokémon items the revive.
She comes right back up from the ashes and joins the fight, and I am so glad she chose to come back to our team.
You are also going to have to pick someone from the winning team to go to the losing team.
I'll trade it with you, Kelsey.
Understandable.
Hey, Kelsey, how do you like my reversal charm? Isn't it so cool? Curtis: Purple team, as the losers of this Nerd War, you are in peril.
Two of your members are going to be selected to go to the Nerd-Off.
You will be picking one of those two people.
Gold team will be selecting the other person.
You have 24 hours to decide.
And while you're at it, name your teams.
Good luck! Zack: [Laughing.]
Oh yeah! Meta.
- Jack: All right.
- Whoo-hoo! We have endured.
I am quite relieved that I have endured.
Zack: We have completely triumphed, and we are the gold team.
So, so happy! - Nicole, I was, like, so worried.
- I'm shaking.
You can't touch us, purple.
We're safe.
Kayla: [Sighs.]
Couch time.
Having two teammates go into the Nerd-Off it sucks.
Can I say "sucks"? [Laughs.]
Well, I'll start by saying "welcome to the team.
We love you.
" I didn't mean, you know, to condemn everyone, but No, it's fine.
We love you! It's the game.
Kelsey: There's a good chance I'm gonna be in the Nerd-Off tomorrow.
I jumped from, you know, the frying pan into the fire.
I think the first question we got to think is, - how are they going to look at - Who are they gonna pick? Mary Kate: All right, they've got three science people on their team Zack: So we don't want to take one of those out, do we? Well, I mean, do we want to? 'Cause we know they're gonna put in Kelsey.
Josh: You think so? Yes.
I honestly think they're gonna send in Kelsey.
She's kind of reserved, kind of quiet.
She thinks outside the box a lot.
I kind of compare myself to a mongoose because they're cute, they're Fluffy, and they're vicious.
I don't know whether we need to take out their smartest player.
Chris is pretty bright.
The one thing I do know is that Zack will get his way.
I am moderately nervous.
He's either gonna choose me or he's going to choose one of the creative types.
I wish I was not the team captain for the first Nerd War.
Because of that, I have a huge target on my back.
He's a very analytical person.
He does not have a lot of creative skills.
What's the heart, you know? Like, where can we well, it'll either be Chris or Katie.
I'm intimidated by any of the competitors that have a knowledge of science or math because it is a realm that I just don't understand.
I'm gonna do a stat table.
So, let's see science, engineering, math We made a stat sheet for everybody because I rank algorithms for a living.
Does Brian play video and/or board games? Actually, we could go much farther than this.
I could show my partial rank-list preference algorithms and things like that.
But I can't show off too much.
Word might get out.
This is why I'm glad I'm in the company of numbers people.
Yeah, numbers are pretty much all I do.
[Laughs.]
Brian: I think that whoever the gold team picks it's kind of irrelevant to who we pick.
The other, kind of "random" way that we could do it is to not talk about it and then just vote tomorrow.
Honestly, I kind of like the idea of just voting tomorrow.
Xander: I feel like the purple team we are level-headed about how we feel, how we want the game to be played.
Chris: Okay, so, then let's say tomorrow's vote is up to us choose our own adventure, pretty much, for this round only.
Xander: But when it comes down to it, we're gonna find out where people's allegiances lie in our team.
No hard feelings.
- [Rooster crows.]
- Curtis: All nerds to the throne room! Nicole: Oh, my Brian: Today is our first Nerd-Off, and it will be somebody from the purple team against somebody from the purple team.
It's like Bruce Wayne's hall of armor.
Josh: It really feels like this regal chamber where the king would sit and make his decisions.
Welcome, nerds, to this nerd elysium, where we will be revealing which two nerds will be going to head-to-head in our first Nerd-Off.
The winner will stay to compete for the crown and the right to sit atop The throne of games! [Cheers and applause.]
Xander: This is the first time that I've seen the throne of games, and it became a real competition.
There's gonna be blood shed to get to that chair.
The loser goes home immediately.
But first, have you come up with your team names? Our team is The Midas - Touch - Touch - Attack! - Attack! There was even a presentation.
It's amazing.
And how did that come about? We are the gold team, and the Midas Touch is the ability to turn things into gold.
The Touch Attack is a dungeons & dragons term for a direct physical attack that penetrates armor.
Okay, a lot of work went into that.
Thank you.
Purple team.
Standing upon the shoulders of giants, we are All: The Titans of Rigel! [All snap fingers.]
Last time, they just told us.
[Laughter.]
Why The Titans of Rigel? Could you explain that? We are titans, individually, we come together to work as a team, and Rigel is the foot star from the constellation orion.
And we are standing on the shoulders of giants to take our fields to the next level.
All the past scientists and philosophers have propelled us to this moment.
"Titans" also sounds more badass than "giants.
" And I'm sorry, Curtis, but it's "rhy-jel.
" - Uh, yes.
- Soft "G.
" Soft "G.
" Yeah, soft "g.
" I know.
[Laughs.]
We have your votes right here.
Team Midas Touch Attack Katie: I feel like the people who are on the chopping block are really Chris and Kayla.
They're seen as these, sort of, science powerhouses.
By unanimous consent Chris, you will be going to the Nerd-Off.
I'm hoping that the gold team thinks I'm a threat, rather than thinking that I'm the weakest player.
It's a compliment.
His own words, it's a compliment.
He is, you know he has a lot of skills, and we want to take those out early in the game.
Titans of Rigel Your first vote is Kelsey.
Second vote Kelsey.
Third vote Brian.
Fourth vote Kelsey.
Kelsey: I have a big "X" on my back just 'cause of what happened yesterday.
It's like, "man! Again? Oh, joy.
" - Kelsey - Yes.
You will be going to the Nerd-Off.
Well, after what happened yesterday, I have a lot to prove, don't I? And I'm going to prove it today.
Kelsey, Chris step forward, please.
Bend the knee.
Today, you will be tested on your knowledge of all things fantasy.
Bobby, the broom! [Laughs.]
I know that broom! Kayla: Oh, wow.
Behold The nerd bolt.
[Laughter.]
Today, you are going to be doing battle in the skies Like Quidditch! Curtis: In a game we call "Nerdditch.
" [Laughter, applause.]
I'm a huge "Harry Potter" fan.
I'm a Hufflepuff.
You have three hours to prepare.
Whoever loses will become he who must not be nerdy.
[Laughter.]
May the best nerd win.
Kelsey: I'm gonna prove that I deserve to be here.
I may not be an engineer or a scientist, but that doesn't mean that I can't win this entire competition.
This is pretty much the worst challenge for me, I would have to say.
I am not a fan of fantasy.
Are you guys familiar with "Game of Thrones"? Not the books.
I've read all the books.
I haven't seen the show.
Okay.
I think to be a nerd, you need to have a passion in something that can be useful to society, so that's why I'm actually a fan of science fiction, which is "Star Trek.
" I don't think that he has the ability to compete.
He knows Sci-Fi.
Mary Kate: He's got that engineering mind.
But fantasy? He's in the dark completely.
Like, this is exactly how we planned it.
We rolled the 20.
If we get rid of Chris on their team, we remove their foundation, and you get rid of the foundation of a building, it crumbles.
Midas Touch Attack! [Both cheer.]
Kelsey: I don't know.
When they say "fantasy," I'm like, "what kind of fantasy? Where is the fantasy? Whose fantasy?" Xander: Kelsey's definitely the luna Lovegood.
She's off in her own world.
She's a little bit spacy.
I wouldn't be surprised if she showed up with radish earrings.
How do you think they're gonna go with, like, maybe, traditional fairy tales? 'Cause I have a very good knowledge of But that's what makes her so dangerous, is that you don't know what's gonna happen.
Brian: Terry pratchett - how are you guys on Terry pratchett? - Got to learn it.
Chris: I'm not panicking.
The last time I've had to study something was when I was trying to figure out how to solve a rubik's cube I'm just going to try to put as much random information in my head as possible.
And it requires a lot of focus, so I'll probably be using those same resources to help me out in this challenge.
What about "Harry Potter"? Where are you guys on "Harry Potter"? Not good.
I've read all of the books, but it's just been years.
Yes, 2007 I was at space camp that year, yeah.
The results of this Nerd-Off can really change the dynamics of the team.
If we lose Chris, we lose our strongest player.
It could be a huge gravitational well that's just gonna send us flying in the wrong direction.
Brian: Getting put in the Nerd-Off is by no means a death sentence.
This is not facedown in the guillotine, slice it off.
It's time to prove yourself.
Jack: Mindy the pom pom girl is probably the cutest girl at this moment.
I'd take her out to dinner and a movie.
[Singsong voice.]
That would be a very nerdy relationship.
Whoo-hoo! Welcome to our first Nerd-Off a magical game of Nerdditch.
After correctly answering a fantasy-based question, you will have the chance to fly on a broom down a course while attempting to throw vials of potion into cauldrons of varying point value.
The nerd with the highest number of points at the end of five rounds is the winner.
The loser is banished forever.
Kayla: Who knows who's gonna win? This is going to be up to whichever God out there you believe in or non-God or whatever.
We come to our first question.
Dude, it's easy Nimbus.
It's a broom.
Duh.
Reveal your answer.
You are both correct.
The answer is Nimbus.
Kelsey, you will be flying first.
[Cheers and applause.]
[Dramatic accent.]
Nerdditch is about to begin! Kelsey: I don't throw potions into a cauldron as part of my daily routine, so I'm just gonna aim for one of the big ones right off the start.
Go! [Contestants cheering.]
Curtis: She's approaching the 100.
She's passed.
She must be eyeing one of the larger-point-value cauldrons, though she does have up to six potion vials to throw.
[Indistinct shouting.]
Oh! She just missed! It just went by too fast.
Jack: I was not expecting so much of a dexterity component.
Calculating relativity is hard on paper.
Imagine calculating relativity while flying on a broomstick.
Kayla: Chris! Fly! Katie: Whoo! Chris is gonna be a pivotal first elimination.
Ready If he loses, we took out a huge player right away.
Set If he wins, we're gonna fear him a whole lot more than we already do.
Go! Fly, nerd! Fly! [Contestants cheering.]
Chris is preparing his first vial, looking at that 100-point cauldron.
[Cheering.]
- That was a direct hit.
- It was a direct hit, by gosh.
Attempting the 500.
And it's off the rim! [Cheers and applause.]
Very good flight.
Boom goes the dynamite! Now the score is Chris 100 and Kelsey with 0.
And now the second question.
Zack: Is that a joke? I can't believe he's asking these questions.
Reveal! The correct answer is "slightly alive.
" How? What color is the red fire truck? That was the level of the question here.
This is crazy.
I'm sorry, Chris.
False is incorrect.
Kelsey, you get to fly.
Yay! [Laughs.]
You shall not pass! [Boom!.]
That was my staff.
Boom! Curtis: Great chance here to put some points on the board and pull ahead of Chris.
Go! Bobby: There she goes, Curtis.
Xander: Ganbatte! Curtis: Here she goes.
She's approaching the 100-point cauldrons, and Oh! She just missed it! Bobby: That was so close.
Oh! And she missed the 250! That's gonna hurt.
Missing was pretty frustrating, and "kirai desu.
" You know, I don't like it.
You know, I don't like it at all.
Next question.
Brian: If I were in their position, I'd be like, "okay, I have to study 'Game of Thrones, '" but I'm also really obsessive-compulsive about spoilers, and I wouldn't want to spoil myself just to win a challenge.
The correct answer is knight of the king's guard.
Kelsey, you are about to fly again.
Okay, but this is the problem she needs actually a score.
Ready Set Go! Bobby: Okay, Kelsey.
Curtis: She's reaching early for the vials.
And she hasn't even now she's approaching.
Oh! And she misses! She got one! She got one 100.
Kelsey is now tied with Chris.
Oh! Just misses a 250! Ohh! Kelsey has just pulled ahead 350 to 100! [Speaking Japanese.]
Awesome! This is the last question.
Chris, you must answer correctly for a chance to win.
One cauldron, pewter.
One plain, pointed hat.
One owl, any breed of choice.
One copy of "magical theory" by adalbert waffling.
Come on, Kelsey.
Chris knows a lot, but fantasy? Chris doesn't even know what a dungeon master is.
How do you get into Nerdvana without knowing what a flippin' dungeon master does? So, this is the perfect opportunity to get rid of him.
Reveal.
And the answer is one owl, any breed of choice.
You will both go flying.
Chris, you'll fly first.
The only reason I'm in this game is because I studied my butt off when it came to "Harry Potter" questions.
[Contestants cheering.]
Xander: If we lose Chris, it would be a huge blow to the titans.
We're putting a lot of stock in him keeping us together.
Set Go! Katie: It's Titan time! [Contestants cheering.]
Josh: The result of this Nerd-Off is big.
If they lose Chris, they lose their leader.
We want them to be in chaos.
Ready Set Go! - And he's off, Curtis.
- Yep.
Chris is down by 250 points and has to make it up here on the final run.
And He throws.
- Misses the 100.
- Misses the 100.
[Chanting.]
Chris! Chris! Chris! - Misses the 200.
- Misses the 200.
And it's 500! An amazing shot! And Chris has taken the lead! Chris has risen from the cauldron of his father's bones and the blood of his enemies like lord Voldemort.
Kelsey, you're gonna have to make 250 points.
Mary Kate: If Chris ends up winning, just like Newton's third law of motion with every action, there's an opposite and equal reaction and I'm just worried about the reaction that we're gonna get.
Let's do it! Go! You can see the concentration in her face now, Bobby.
She's really focused.
Bobby: She's serious this time.
She's already taken one of the vials out.
She's approaching the 100 cauldrons.
And she got one in! Kelsey's one cauldron away from victory! And she missed the second! She'll have one more chance at this 500-point cauldron.
And she missed the third! Kelsey has come up short, which means, Chris, you have won this Nerd-Off! [Cheers and applause.]
Oh, my.
I'm going back to Nerdvana, and I'm going for the gold team.
You will receive Texas justice.
Jack: Chris, you swallowed a bottle of Felix felicis.
That's the luck potion in "Harry Potter.
" Kelsey, while the sun may set for you here at Nerdvana, we know that you will always be one with the land of the rising sun.
So fly off, Kelsey, to all that the future will hold for you.
I can't wait.
[Chuckles.]
Brian: The Titans of Rigel we stand on the shoulders of our predecessors, and Kelsey becomes one of our predecessors.
Ja ne! Minasan, arigatou gozaimasu! Ganbarimasu! Brian: It's an honor for us to be able to stand on her shoulder.
On the other hand, nobody wants to be the shoulder.
Kayla: Being able to actually talk to people, get out of my computer and my books, it's just such a fascinating experience.
And these are all amazing people.
And Nerdvana was like its own mini-world.
You know, "chiisai sekai" its own "little, tiny world.
" And, oh, my goodness, what a world to be in.
[Speaking Japanese.]
Do your best, my new friends! She was unique.
She was.
[Beep.]
[Roaring.]
[Both laugh.]