King of The Nerds (2013) s02e04 Episode Script
Ready, Set, Robot Dodgeball
1 Previously on "King of the Nerds" This week is all about live-action role-playing! LARP it up! Curtis: While Midas Touch Attack battled before the challenge even started I will systematically destroy each and every one of you! - Gamer Xander You've probably heard of me.
Led the Titans of Rigel - as they slashed their way to victory.
- So nerdy.
Fantasy writer Zack continued to embrace the dark side She doesn't even know how gravity works! Everything we touch turns into a dramatic mess.
Curtis: leading the Titans to hatch a plan.
Zack should stay.
Chris: How do you keep Zack in this game? You send the weakest person to the Nerd-Off.
Curtis: Before Zack and rocket scientist Mary Kate faced each other in the Nerd-Off, - he apologized.
- What I said was wrong.
If he does win, I think we should probably try to push past this now, I think.
Curtis: Then, in the Nerd-Off, Zack, once again, destroyed his competition Victory for Sylvanas! A large part of me worries about what kind of a monster we have unleashed.
Curtis: so Mary Kate's dream of being crowned king of the nerds was crushed.
- I think there needs to be an M.
K.
memorial toast.
- Yes.
Katie: The purple team has been puppet-mastering the gold team in terms of who we've been putting into the nerd-offs, and I'm hoping that that is something we can continue.
All: To Mary Kate.
Long hair, don't care.
Nicole: Zack won again, but hopefully, losing Mary Kate will restore peace to Nerdvana.
[Coughing.]
Chris: Breathe.
The best part is that you guys get to see me choke on it.
I don't want to be a villain.
That's not my goal here.
You raise up five fingers, and you have to say something that you have never done.
I think it's possible I have been too brash.
Never have I ever used a pocket protector.
Jack: Damn it! I hate you! I think I lost sight of Nerdvana and what that's supposed to mean.
Never have I ever seen a Marvel movie in the theater.
You're so weird! You know, that is a compliment in this kind of group.
[Laughter.]
Curtis: Calling all nerds! Please join us in the courtyard! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Bobby is dressed like C-P3 was it C-P30? C-3P0 I don't know.
"Star Wars" sucks.
Those are some short shorts.
Brian: Curtis seems to be wearing some very tight red shorts.
If you were to shrink Sue Sylvester down and make her legs a bit hairier, you'd have Curtis.
Curtis: Since Mary Kate's departure, the two teams have been like an unbalanced equation.
Oh, no.
So right now, Titans of Rigel, one of your team members must join - Midas Touch Attack.
- What? One of our team is going to have to go over to the dark side Hashtag [Bleep.]
.
Bobby: You will draw tokens from a hat.
The first one to draw the golden token will join Midas Touch Attack.
Whoa.
Looks like whoever draws the gold coin has the privilege of joining the Midas Touch Attack.
Suck it up, bitches.
Katie, please step forward and face your new destiny.
Don't pick Katie, don't pick Katie.
Zack: The best to get would be Katie.
We don't exactly get along perfectly, but she's exactly what we need on our team to fill a couple missing gaps.
No.
Destinado! I'm the first one to draw, and I'm going over to the gold team.
You may join your new team.
[Groans.]
Katie's a huge part of our team.
Katie always contributes a whole lot of the fine detail, the things that win judges over.
You're always gonna be a Titan.
Yes.
Katie: This is the worst thing that could have happened.
The puppet strings that I had controlling the gold team just snapped.
I am on the island of misfit nerds.
Now, if you haven't noticed, I'm dressed as a robot.
[Gasps.]
That's because it's engineering week! - Ugh.
- Chris: Come on, guys.
We still have two great engineers on our team focus, and we need to be prepared for what's coming up next.
You have 24 hours For each team to build 4 robots Holy [Bleep.]
.
If there was ever a lucky break we needed, it was getting Katie, the robotics expert, for the robotics challenge.
[Ding!.]
which will then do battle in a game called Robot Dodgeball! Your robots will enter the arena in a timed test of survival and agility against your opponent's fiendish dodgeballs.
This Nerd War could have been about the main export of Uruguay, and I would know more about it than robotics.
[Twinkle!.]
Glitter fit.
Before the war begins, your robots will be judged on creativity and execution.
The team that has the least-impressive fleet will have one robot removed.
You will find everything you need in the RadioShack lab.
Let the great Robot Dodgeball wars Commence! Zack: Aah! Yeah! You're out! You are out, Curtis! Bobby: Curtis, Curtis.
Curtis, damn it.
Yikes.
- Let's see what we have in this box, guys.
- Oh, wow.
Chris: We walked into the RadioShack lab, and there's three giant tubs of stuff things that we can use to build all of the things that we want for our robot.
Got our soldering iron, robotic three-in-one kit.
It's amazing.
Jack: Let's not waste time, and let's just go.
I'll just go ahead and try to [Groaning.]
lift this up, then! Okay.
Okay, this is really heavy.
I'm a runner.
It's something that I'm very passionate about.
My arms, on the other hand, are something I sort of keep skinny and weak as a personal preference.
I kind of wish I had some upper-body strength now.
I don't do, like, any arm exercises.
That's it.
[Laughs.]
Aah! Mine's heavy.
Crap! Ugh! Bazinga! Okay.
They got Katie.
I know.
She is these books.
Kayla: I'm definitely nervous going against Katie.
Katie has some great skill sets when it comes to this.
I can put some creative things that I've had.
But you know what I was thinking? We're Titans, right? And each one of the Titans had a specialty.
- That's exactly where I was going.
- Yeah, baby.
Xander: We decided to go with the theme of "Titans," and we're going to do our individual type of robots that's going to represent ourselves, because we are the Titans.
Chris: Oh, and here are all Katie's fuses.
- Kayla: She's in heaven right now.
- Yeah, she is.
She's in heaven and in hell right now.
So, yes, we have a new member to our team.
If I can take point on this, that would be great.
I would ask you for you to be our leader in this.
Jack: Katie's pretty much in charge of everything, and I'm fine with that, 'cause she knows what she's doing, and I don't.
I kind of want to make a fleet of robots that appear to have some sort of set of purposes in a society.
Zack: Can we overload them with sound, too? Sound as a distraction material might not be as I would rather just kind of not talk over each other.
Katie: I'm terrified going into this team, because we all got along so well on the purple team, and it meant that we just had all of this time to put into preparing for the challenges.
Whoo! Okay, that was totally what I intended to do.
I just got to laugh at this challenge and do my best.
So, if you have something base-heavy so it won't fall over, we can take advantage of that natural wobble to make it harder to hit.
Oh, I have no aim, apparently.
- Don't do that.
Don't do that.
- I was trying to hit the corner of the table.
It's alive! Xander: We're building four robots.
If we lose the judging competition, only three get to participate, so it's my goal to win the judges over with our presentation.
Kayla: Holy [Bleep.]
, Xander.
We've planned it out to be two large robots and two skinny robots.
The larger robots will be used as a shield for the skinnier ones, which will be harder to hit.
Test it.
Ah, okay, good.
We're all trying to fill the void that was Katie, and I think we're all stepping up.
- Light! - Ahhhh Xander: Sweet.
Chris: I graduated from Rice University with a bachelor's of science in mechanical engineering, so I am excited that we finally get a true engineering Nerd War.
- There he goes.
Come on.
- Kayla: He's just so happy and gleeful.
Yay! - Katie: I'm gonna set you to these - Nicole: Okay.
And I'm gonna see what we can do for our communications robot.
I've taken charge of my new team.
I am delegating people to tasks.
If you guys could start making that structure.
You can use that white foam over there.
I'd like you to construct that.
We're looking to "Battlebots" for inspiration, specifically Grant Imahara.
Zack: Whoa! I have no idea how you're doing any of this.
Who doesn't love a good action movie with a killer robot? [Chuckling.]
Well, I got to say, I'm glad that you are here.
Jack: Katie's pretty much doing everything.
We're just helping when we can.
I learned how to hack an R.
C.
car to make a spinning cycle of death.
So, are you feeling okay, Katie? Yeah, I'm just a little stressed out, 'cause, like, it just feels like we're doomed to failure.
Katie: It's rough not having my Titans around me.
There was some sort of feeling of safety, because we worked so well together.
I just hope that you feel welcome in this team.
I don't want you to have an impression that we're always losers.
Ow! - Katie: Did you get injured? - I'm fine.
Just took off a good portion of skin on my face.
This one time at robot camp, I burned my face with a hot-glue gun.
It was cool Well, it wasn't cool.
It was painful.
Is there still any hot glue on my face? Oh, hey, there's a big robot here.
They can be friends.
Ohh! All right.
We're fine.
Spilled some glitter.
The big issue that we have right now, is that we have to have time to practice with the robots, and practice throwing balls, because that's really what this competition's going to come down to.
Aah! Brian: Overall, I feel that the purple team does have more athletic nerds.
However, I'm not one of those people.
Aah! Brian can't throw.
Kayla, you're the person I hated in gym class.
Oh! I'm the nerd that knows how to kick ass.
It's been a while since I've played hockey and made boys cry, so I'm looking forward to getting some aggression out.
- Ow! - [Laughs.]
- I really hope that we win this one, finally.
- Jack: We will.
I'm happy with our robot.
I looked at the stats I'd give it like a 54.
3% chance of us winning and 45.
7% chance of us losing, so it's gonna be pretty close.
Oh, God.
I I can't fix that.
- Uh-oh.
- I I can't fix that.
All right, so, can we get another one? I don't know if we have any more R.
C.
cars.
Kayla: Jack cut two of the wires for our project.
Can you just not sit there? It's making me nervous.
Then, I turn around, and Zack sat on my R.
C.
controller for my gun.
Katie: I'm gonna go to the bathroom.
I just need to chill for a sec.
[Sobs.]
I feel like I'm gonna fail, and to have the work that I did do undone I'm not gonna do this in front of a camera.
[Sniffles.]
Welcome, nerds, to dodgeball as it was intended to be played Yes! Yeah! With robots! [Contestants cheer.]
Jack: Our team looks like battle-hardened robots meant to win at Robot Dodgeball.
Their team's looks like things meant for show-and-tell.
Before we start, we have to determine which team has an advantage in the game.
So, right now your two fleets will be judged.
Whichever team's robot fleet is deemed least impressive will lose a robot, diminishing its chances of winning dodgeball.
To help us judge, we have Matt Winston, cofounder of the Stan Winston School.
[Applause.]
Katie: This guy is my idol.
I'm stressing now because the obstacles that I faced in dealing with this new team I really haven't been able to present something I can be proud of.
The Stan Winston School is the world's premier school devoted to the teaching of the arts and sciences of special effects and character creation.
And with him today Nerdvana's own robot guardian Nerd Bot! Oh, my God! Xander: Whoo! What am I even looking at? Zack: The mech was just so awesome! I keep staring at it and wondering when I'm going to wake up.
Oh, my God! It's so cool! Built in collaboration with Stan Winston School, Legacy Effects, Wired, and YouTube, Nerd Bot was created to destroy humanity! Uh I'm sorry.
I misspoke.
I should have said Nerd Bot was created to instruct the youth of today in the arts and sciences of robotic technologies.
I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.
Bobby: And now, teams, you may present your robot fleets.
All right.
Why don't we start right here? My team did it as if we each had a TARDIS that could change shape based on our world.
So, my world is a red dragon.
This dragon represents me, 'cause, obviously, I live in a fantasy world.
- All right, Chris.
- Chris: That is the repair bot 747.
I like repairing things, and so that's what my TARDIS would be.
Xander: We are in a serious Robot Dodgeball competition.
It is extremely inappropriate for Nerd Bot to be coming on to Chris' robot.
I am offended! - Kayla.
- My dream is to go to Mars, and so I did my best attempt at the first Mars Rover.
All I see is function here, - and it looks like a real robot.
- Thank you, sir.
- Okay.
Brian.
- My creation is an homage to some of my favorite authors James Boswell, Marcel Proust, and Leo Tolstoy.
Asimov is a fantastic author.
I wish I could have included him.
- - [Laughter.]
Agreed! Bobby: Midas Touch Attack, - you may present your robots.
- Yeah! Brian: I think that having Katie on the gold team there's always a chance that we lose.
We're going with a "Battle bot" theme, so our robots are here to intimidate.
So, this is our intimidation machine, and we call it Paranoia.
Jack's robot looks like a child made it.
[Laughter.]
I love Nerd Bot.
Nicole: May I introduce you to the Mutilator? Stan: Fantastic.
This spinning-mace idea is genius.
Thank you.
My robot is Fluffy over there, with all the spikes, and they're sort of supposed to be hidden under all of the Fluffy streamer-ness.
[Laughter.]
That was pretty clever, I've got to admit.
This is Carnage I actually reverse-engineered a button-operated toy into an R.
C.
toy by using the wheel-turning mechanism of an R.
C.
car.
What's very cool about this, Katie, is that you've repurposed its function, which is something that special-effects guys do all the time.
Well, that's what I want to do someday.
Well, you're on your way.
We've had so many obstacles in this challenge.
I'm just hoping against hope that something good happens.
We're both very impressed with your creations.
Unfortunately, there can only be one winning team.
The winning team is If we lose the judging portion of how they look, we lose a robot that goes into the competition.
Titans of Rigel! [Contestants cheer.]
I like that you've told a story and I like function, and that has guided your designs, which is really cool and smart.
Any good robot has to have good function, so excellent work.
In a shocking turn of events, guess which team loses.
We do! Aw, boo.
All: Ohh! [Contestants groan.]
Jack's robot is deemed the least impressive of the gold team, and rightfully so.
I can't watch! The viscera! Kayla: Oh-ho! And now part two, "The Wrath of Khan" Oh, sorry, no.
Dodgeball.
It's dodgeball.
This game is played in four rounds, and you will be controlling two bots per round, except for the final round, where team Midas Touch Attack will only have one robot.
It's a timed event.
Tag the robots quickest, and you win.
Bobby: Midas Touch Attack, you are on offense first.
Ready for some dodgeball! - Midas Touch Attack, ready? - Yes.
- Titans of Rigel, ready? - Ready! Robot Dodgeball! Nicole: This is perfect.
I play roller derby, which makes me a tough competitor to go against.
So, when it comes to team sports, I don't lose.
Chris: Watch out, watch out, watch out.
Curtis: Oh! Oh! The ball comes hurtling at my dragon, hits it, then ricochets towards Brian's robot.
He slams on the brakes and misses this ball by a fraction of a hair.
Red bot's out.
One bot still in play.
Come on, Brian.
Come on.
Come on, Brian.
- There you go, there you go.
- Kayla: Good job, Brian! Keep it up! Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Oh! Close! Katie: I'm good at dodging, but I'm not really good at the throwing thing with the sports and the coordination.
No! Ooooh! - Jack: Come on, come on.
- Xander: Oh! They're throwing ball after ball after ball, and they just keep missing.
- Aah! - Referee: One bot still in play.
- Zack: Come on, come on, come on! - All: Ohh! - You're out! - Way to go, boys! Good job! Bobby: Okay, Titans of Rigel, now you're on offense.
Oh, my God! I cannot wait to destroy and murdilate.
- Titans of Rigel, ready? - Yes.
Midas Touch Attack, ready? Robot Dodgeball! I'm a terrible driver, so I knew I wasn't gonna last very long.
Nicole: Katie, stay on your side.
I can't back up.
That's all right, that's all right.
Get them going horizontal again.
Curtis: You see, now, it's interesting.
The Titans of Rigel are not bouncing.
They are going for a straight they're going for a direct hit.
Oh! Very close.
- Chris: Got it.
- [Whistle blows.]
That bot is out! Xander: Come on, guys.
Kayla: Oh-ho! - You're out! - Yes! From the first round, we had a bit of a lead, but Midas Touch Attack has just bounced back.
Get it? 'Cause it's dodgeball.
Curtis: After one round each, Titans of Rigel are in the lead with 1 minute and 8 seconds.
There are only two rounds left, and whichever team has the lowest time wins the Nerd War.
Round 3 Midas Touch Attack, you are on offense! Chris: I am not scared of Zack's throwing abilities.
All he's gone on about is how he has absolutely no upper-body strength.
Robot Dodgeball! Brian: Right on.
Zack: Crap, no! What the hell?! [Bleep.]
Damn it! I can't believe I just did that! [Grunts.]
All: Ohh! Out! [Whistle blows.]
Green bot is out! Zack, you got me out? Disappointed.
Give me one of these things.
Give me one of these [Bleep.]
, now so bad.
Come on, Kayla.
[Grunts.]
Jack: Oh! Yes! Chris: Watch out, watch out, watch out, watch out.
All: Ohh! Yeah! Ow! There goes my control hand, dude.
Careful.
- Good play, guys.
- Thank you.
Hey, Titans, bite my shiny metal ass.
[Laughs.]
Yes! Curtis: Only 33 seconds separate both teams.
For the last round, Midas Touch Attack has chosen Zack as their driver.
If you can last more than 33 seconds, you could win this Nerd War.
But since Jack's robot was destroyed, you will have to do it with only one robot.
Zack is a great gamer.
He could outlast all of us and drive his way to victory.
Zack, you've always wanted to say you were better than everybody else combined.
Now go and prove it.
Would you all stop saying that? Because it's stressing me out more, because then if I don't do it, I feel like crap.
Just go do whatever you need to do.
- It's just scaring me.
- Shh! Okay, let Zack do it.
I mean, it's possible for him to do this.
He's a good gamer.
He knows how to use the controller.
- Referee: Titans of Rigel, ready? - Yes.
Chris: The last bot to go has got a very low center of gravity, so it's gonna be very, very hard to hit.
- Midas Touch Attack, ready? - Ready! Robot Dodgeball! What did I just do? It's stuck! What the - Zack: What the hell?! - [Whistle blows.]
- You're out! - Are you frickin' anghh! Pow! Right in the kisser! Crash and burn.
Kayla: Good job, boys! That's the way to do it! Xander: Victory is ours.
The reign of the Titans is continuing.
I'm so mad right now because I hate myself, and I hate that I just did that! [Sobbing.]
Come here, come here.
Okay, Zack, it's fine.
You did the best you could, okay? [Voice breaking.]
That's not my best.
Don't say I did my best.
I'm a world-class gamer, and I can't believe I just did something that freaking pathetic! Katie: I went from being on Titans of Rigel and being this unstoppable force of awesomeness to being on this team that is doomed to failure.
Oh, my God.
He's in a real bad shape right now.
- I know.
- Do not rub it in.
Titans of Rigel, you have won this war.
As a reward, your prize is up to $1,000 in product in the RadioShack lab.
Oh! Oh, my God! Team Midas Touch Attack, two of your members will be selected to go to the Nerd-Off tomorrow.
Good luck.
Zack: It's so frustrating because I am a world-class gamer, but the skills between the keyboard and an R.
C they just don't transfer.
Chris: Oh, my goodness! Kayla: Ooh! Oh, my God! As a reward for winning Robot Dodgeball, we Titans each got $1,000 of awesome RadioShack gear.
My own soldering tools! I'm not sharing with dad anymore! [Singsong voice.]
I got my own soldering kit.
This is more tools than I've ever had in my whole life! [Voice breaking.]
I worked so hard? Did you see my throwing arm on that? Did you see how well I hit that first one? Zack, can I tell you something? What? I have never felt more proud of you in my life.
I tried so hard.
I've never felt more proud because Zack finally admitted humility.
This is the first time you have blamed yourself for a loss.
I'm not blaming myself.
I screwed up, but I don't think it's my fault, overall.
Okay, maybe not, but he did mess up big time.
But the thing is that you actually took some blame that makes you grow as a person.
Jack is just giving me his whole usual "you're growing as a person" and all this bull[Bleep.]
.
But guess what, Jack I've grown a lot as a person.
It's not because of you.
I respect you for that, and I've never respected you more.
Katie: It's my first time on a losing team, and I could be going into this Nerd-Off.
We all individually contributed to losing.
Jack: And that's what the team spirit is.
- Whether you win ore, do it together.
- You live and die as a team.
Chris: Oh, my goodness.
We have to talk now about what we're gonna do.
Yeah, I really want Zack gone.
Every time he wins a Nerd-Off, he gets stronger and more confident in his own abilities.
We know they're going for Zack again.
Chris: Zack is a very interesting player.
We know how disruptive he is in a team environment, which is good for the purple team.
However, there will come a point where there are no more teams, and I'm very worried that when it comes to the individual portions of this show, he will be unstoppable.
So, we're definitely thinking Nicole unless something changes tomorrow.
She's the one who could beat Zack.
The Titans are planning on voting Nicole into the Nerd-Off.
If she loses, we lost a formidable opponent.
If she wins, we finally get Zack out of here.
Jack told me that both you and Katie want to vote me in? - I don't know.
- I would much rather work together to vote Katie.
She couldn't even do the engineering, you realize, even for our stuff.
She failed on that.
The person who I want to send into the Nerd-Off is Katie.
She's not a team member.
She's playing for the other side 100%.
The Titans will never vote Katie into a Nerd-Off.
We have to do it.
- Her most important challenges have now passed.
- So have mine.
No, because you're a generalist.
You have more general skills than anyone, basically, except me here.
Look how far my generalist knowledge has gotten us.
Nicole: Purple team is probably putting me in the Nerd-Off.
I guess they think I have the best shot of beating Zack.
But Zack has proven himself to be a great competitor in Nerd-Offs, so I don't really know who I'm voting for yet.
Will I know who you're voting for before you vote, and it won't be me this time? Curtis: Calling all nerds! Please join us in the throne room! Today, our team will be sending one member to the Nerd-Off, and I'm hoping that, for once, that cannot be me.
[Chuckles.]
I'd really like a break here, guys.
Today, two nerds go head-to-head in our Nerd-Off.
The winner stays to compete for $100,000 and the right to sit atop The Throne of Games! [Dramatic music plays.]
The loser goes home immediately.
Bobby: The teams have voted, and your tallies are here.
- Thank you, Robert.
- You're welcome, Curtis.
Titans of Rigel, by unanimous consent you have voted Nicole into the Nerd-Off.
Challenge accepted.
Titans of Rigel, why Nicole? Nicole is a strong individual competitor.
We believe that she has a good chance of winning this upcoming Nerd-Off, and so we would like her to stick around a bit longer.
Nicole, how do you feel? I have a lot to lose, so I'm not going to.
Curtis: Okay.
Team Midas Touch Attack The first vote Katie.
The second vote Zack.
The third vote Is Zack.
That's it.
And the final vote Zack.
Nicole: That's who I voted for, and I don't regret it.
If we get rid of Zack, we can be a stronger team.
Zack, it is your third week in a row.
Yeah, I mean, the depressing part is that this also means that this is the second time Nicole has lied to me.
"I want to be your friend" is a thing, but one of the things I have a really, really, really difficult time forgiving is when someone lies to me.
I had a really hard time forgiving the fact that you said you wanted to destroy the team from inside.
I'm gonna try my hardest today - Likewise - And I hope that you do, too.
Yes, I'm mad at her for lying to me, but Nicole is the person here who I'm able to be the most friends with, so it really sucks that this Nerd-Off had to happen.
Nicole, do you think you can beat Zack? I know what I will lose if I don't beat him, and that's all I need.
I want to get rid of him myself, and if it's the "Doctor Who" challenge, I'm winning, especially if it's classic "Who.
" Zack, Nicole, please step forward.
Bend the knee.
For today's Nerd-Off, you will be facing a horde of zombies in a structural logic, problem-solving game we call "Zombie Nerd Plunk.
" One of you will not survive the night.
May the best nerd win.
Life in Nerdvana has come to resemble an opera.
We've had friendships.
We've had betrayal.
The only thing lacking is a fat lady singing.
- Tensions are high - [Glass breaking.]
Xander doesn't really cut that.
- Katie: So, what's the game? - It's [Bleep.]
"KerPlunk.
" - It's "Jenga" with balls.
- Oh, that's what it is.
"KerPlunk" is you have this giant tube, and there's all these little poles that are stuck into the tube, and then there's a whole bunch of balls on the top.
You pull out a pole, and you don't want any of the balls to drop to the ground.
- You can go online and practice.
- Zack: Yeah, I'm gonna go do that.
I really need Nicole to win this, because I can't do another challenge with Zack on my team.
You're gonna rock this.
And we need to win a Nerd War 'cause I am playing a long-term game to become King of the Nerds.
Oh, it's that game.
KerPlunk's actually a pretty straightforward game.
Nicole did something pretty stupid.
Does she honestly want to be in a Nerd-Off with me? That doesn't seem like it's actually the smartest option.
I'm clearly able to win these things.
- I'm just frustrated how this turned out.
- I know.
Zack's a tough competitor.
Am I afraid? Yes.
But, as the third Doctor says, "courage isn't a matter of not being frightened.
Courage is a matter of being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway.
" Am I gonna find a way to pull this off? I always do.
[Groaning.]
Well, this was unexpected.
Sweet.
Jack: There's zombies in there.
Today, Nerdvana faces a grave threat Zombies.
[Screaming, groaning.]
And they're hungry for nerds.
[Screaming.]
The only way to stave off inevitable destruction is to keep them from being fed.
Bobby: And you will be pulling these wooden stakes, taking turns.
The first nerd to accidentally release 150 nerd body parts to the zombies will be banished forever.
Let's begin with rock-paper-scissors to determine who goes first.
One, two, three, shoot.
Okay.
I'll go first, I guess Before we start, though, I just need to say that I am apparently the rock-paper-scissors champ of Nerdvana.
All bow to the rock-paper-scissors champion of Nerdvana.
- Cool.
- Let's get to the dead things.
- [Contestants cheer.]
- Brains! [Zombies groaning.]
Nicole: First one to drop 150 limbs loses.
And there's pails and books those don't count.
It's only the brains, the feet, and the hands.
- Zack, you will draw the first stake.
- Zack: Okay.
I cannot stress how much this really is a strategy challenge.
For starters, you try to figure out the actual structural integrity of everything.
Then you have how well you can actually pull the pole out.
If you shake them at any moment, you're gonna knock over a ton more things.
Two brains.
That's a fantastic start.
That's, like, way better than I expected.
Those zombies look vaguely familiar.
You know, you're right, Bobby.
She is such a beautiful bride.
She certainly is.
Nicole, it is now your turn.
Nicole: When you're pulling the stakes, you want to set up big drops for your opponent, but for the most part, you just hope for the best and hope they get the worse.
I didn't start off good at all.
Another foot three feet, and she'll have a yard.
[Laughs.]
All: Ooh! Mm.
The goal is to have the smallest score.
Not what I intended.
13 body parts just fell in.
Kayla: So, the first one to hit the ceiling at 150 loses today.
Nicole: I'm expecting at least six.
Chris: Ohh! Well, that sucked, didn't it? It was just this avalanche of body parts.
- Big body blow to Nicole.
- [Laughs.]
That's hilarious.
- [Laughs.]
Get it? It's a pun.
- You're welcome, zombies.
- I told you you're gonna win.
- She's psyching me out totally.
I'm freaking out now 'cause she keeps saying that.
Part of my master plan is to try to throw Zack off of his game.
- Nicole: I'm having fun.
- Please stop saying that, 'cause it's just frustrating, 'cause I don't think you're gonna lose.
- I don't think I'm gonna win, so we're good.
- Okay.
The more compliments I give, the more antsy he's getting.
Zack: I don't want to hear that, because I'm so not wanting to be the person to send her home, and at the same time, I want to win this.
I thought "Battle Hammer" was nerve-racking, and then this is nerve-racking.
[Clanging.]
No, no, no, no! Darn it! Feel your anger, Zack.
55 to 77.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa! - They're going for fresh meat.
Bad zombies! They keep pulling stake after stake, and the body parts just keep dropping.
- Give you your hand.
- Aww! It's raining hands and feet and brains.
[Groaning.]
If I were a zombie, it'd be like Thanksgiving for me.
114 to 63.
This is a bad one to pull.
I have to stop.
I messed up.
Zack is starting to have ones where he's dropping a few.
89 for Zack.
114 for Nicole.
That gap's closing! Nicole: Come and get it.
Ooh! Bobby: Oh, nice pull.
[Zombies grunting.]
That was not a single body part.
Huh? Huh? Huh? Oh, no.
This was a bad decision.
[Zombie grunting.]
No, no, no! No! Nicole, this is why I was upset with you saying I'm just gonna win, 'cause I'm not going to win.
- Calm down.
- You don't see the poison numbers.
I don't even know what poison numbers are.
- Zack - Zack: Yeah? What is a poison number? A poison number iIt's a game.
So, like, you count, you know, 1, 2, 3, and then the other person goes 4, 5, 6, and then if you get the 7, the person loses - that kind of thing.
- Now I get it.
Frankly, none of us can spot the poison numbers 'cause we don't know what the [Bleep.]
he's talking about.
The score is 107 to 114.
Nicole is closing the gap.
[Zombie squeals.]
There it goes.
Oh, no, no, no.
Oh, no.
- See, Zack? I told you you were fine.
- So stop showboating.
Nicole: That sucks.
It's pretty much dementor's kiss.
If more than 36 body parts fell, this Nerd-Off is over.
Poof away.
Bye, life.
Nicole, you have dropped 30 body parts! Ooh.
You have only ss until you lose this Nerd-Off.
- Zack, you're on.
- Okay.
There seems to be a lot at stake here.
[Chuckles.]
Don't fall.
Ugh! - There's a lot more up there.
- Nicole: It's okay.
There's a foot coming up.
That was very well done.
11 fell, but to me, it looked like it was like 40.
Curtis: Nicole, if you lose six or more body parts on this pull, you will have lost nerd.
All right.
Bobby: Good luck, Nicole.
Nicole, if you lose six or more body parts on this pull, you will have lost this Nerd-Off.
To be honest, Nicole has a lot of hidden talents.
So, if Zack can knock her out of this competition, that's another strong person that's gone that Zack took care of.
Nicole: It's like pulling teeth.
That's one.
- There it goes.
- There's two.
- Three.
- Zack: You can still win.
- Four.
- You can still win.
See? You win, Nicole.
See? - Five.
- See? This is why I didn't want to And she hangs on by one body part.
Kayla: Stay in there, girl.
You got this, you got this.
Zack, you're at 118.
If you drop 32 body parts on this pull, you are done.
Zack: I cannot make a mis-take.
Get it? "Mis-take" 'cause it's like a stake? I like wordplay.
I'm an English major, so I find it amusing.
Yeah, okay.
Nicole: Slow, slow.
[Zombies grunting.]
This is what I was trying to explain to you, Nicole.
See?! This is what I was trying to explain to you, and now all your showboating got you this! You've lost me as a friend completely.
Deep breath.
Zack - You have 144.
- Oh, my God.
Nicole, you must successfully remove one stake without a single body part falling to stay in the Nerd-Off.
Nicole has pulled off a couple of incredible zeroes earlier in the game, so I'm worried she can do it again.
Okay.
Go ahead.
Just just fall.
Stay up.
[Zombies grunt.]
[Applause.]
Zack, you live on to fight another day.
It is said that the Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin was stabbed, shot, poisoned, and beaten before he was finally thrown into a river in order to get rid of him, and I don't know what we're gonna have to do to get rid of Zack.
Hopefully, it won't come to that.
Nicole, while your time is ending in a minor key, please know that your song will remain with us as you take your musical, scientific, not to mention butt-kicking skills back to the real world.
Thank you.
Nicole held herself together wonderfully at the end.
- Hashtag Nicole, guys.
- Hashtag Nicole.
It's gonna be hard not to have her around in the house anymore.
I said I would take out Josh.
I said I would take out Mary Kate.
I said that, if forced into the position, I'd take out Nicole.
The prophecy has been fulfilled.
Nicole: I gave it everything I had in that Nerd-Off, and you know what? I went out like a boss! [Sniffles.]
To quote the last words of the third incarnation of Doctor Who, "a tear, Sarah Jane? No.
Don't cry.
While there's life, there's still hope.
" Ouch! [Chuckles.]
[Warbles, dings.]
Led the Titans of Rigel - as they slashed their way to victory.
- So nerdy.
Fantasy writer Zack continued to embrace the dark side She doesn't even know how gravity works! Everything we touch turns into a dramatic mess.
Curtis: leading the Titans to hatch a plan.
Zack should stay.
Chris: How do you keep Zack in this game? You send the weakest person to the Nerd-Off.
Curtis: Before Zack and rocket scientist Mary Kate faced each other in the Nerd-Off, - he apologized.
- What I said was wrong.
If he does win, I think we should probably try to push past this now, I think.
Curtis: Then, in the Nerd-Off, Zack, once again, destroyed his competition Victory for Sylvanas! A large part of me worries about what kind of a monster we have unleashed.
Curtis: so Mary Kate's dream of being crowned king of the nerds was crushed.
- I think there needs to be an M.
K.
memorial toast.
- Yes.
Katie: The purple team has been puppet-mastering the gold team in terms of who we've been putting into the nerd-offs, and I'm hoping that that is something we can continue.
All: To Mary Kate.
Long hair, don't care.
Nicole: Zack won again, but hopefully, losing Mary Kate will restore peace to Nerdvana.
[Coughing.]
Chris: Breathe.
The best part is that you guys get to see me choke on it.
I don't want to be a villain.
That's not my goal here.
You raise up five fingers, and you have to say something that you have never done.
I think it's possible I have been too brash.
Never have I ever used a pocket protector.
Jack: Damn it! I hate you! I think I lost sight of Nerdvana and what that's supposed to mean.
Never have I ever seen a Marvel movie in the theater.
You're so weird! You know, that is a compliment in this kind of group.
[Laughter.]
Curtis: Calling all nerds! Please join us in the courtyard! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Bobby is dressed like C-P3 was it C-P30? C-3P0 I don't know.
"Star Wars" sucks.
Those are some short shorts.
Brian: Curtis seems to be wearing some very tight red shorts.
If you were to shrink Sue Sylvester down and make her legs a bit hairier, you'd have Curtis.
Curtis: Since Mary Kate's departure, the two teams have been like an unbalanced equation.
Oh, no.
So right now, Titans of Rigel, one of your team members must join - Midas Touch Attack.
- What? One of our team is going to have to go over to the dark side Hashtag [Bleep.]
.
Bobby: You will draw tokens from a hat.
The first one to draw the golden token will join Midas Touch Attack.
Whoa.
Looks like whoever draws the gold coin has the privilege of joining the Midas Touch Attack.
Suck it up, bitches.
Katie, please step forward and face your new destiny.
Don't pick Katie, don't pick Katie.
Zack: The best to get would be Katie.
We don't exactly get along perfectly, but she's exactly what we need on our team to fill a couple missing gaps.
No.
Destinado! I'm the first one to draw, and I'm going over to the gold team.
You may join your new team.
[Groans.]
Katie's a huge part of our team.
Katie always contributes a whole lot of the fine detail, the things that win judges over.
You're always gonna be a Titan.
Yes.
Katie: This is the worst thing that could have happened.
The puppet strings that I had controlling the gold team just snapped.
I am on the island of misfit nerds.
Now, if you haven't noticed, I'm dressed as a robot.
[Gasps.]
That's because it's engineering week! - Ugh.
- Chris: Come on, guys.
We still have two great engineers on our team focus, and we need to be prepared for what's coming up next.
You have 24 hours For each team to build 4 robots Holy [Bleep.]
.
If there was ever a lucky break we needed, it was getting Katie, the robotics expert, for the robotics challenge.
[Ding!.]
which will then do battle in a game called Robot Dodgeball! Your robots will enter the arena in a timed test of survival and agility against your opponent's fiendish dodgeballs.
This Nerd War could have been about the main export of Uruguay, and I would know more about it than robotics.
[Twinkle!.]
Glitter fit.
Before the war begins, your robots will be judged on creativity and execution.
The team that has the least-impressive fleet will have one robot removed.
You will find everything you need in the RadioShack lab.
Let the great Robot Dodgeball wars Commence! Zack: Aah! Yeah! You're out! You are out, Curtis! Bobby: Curtis, Curtis.
Curtis, damn it.
Yikes.
- Let's see what we have in this box, guys.
- Oh, wow.
Chris: We walked into the RadioShack lab, and there's three giant tubs of stuff things that we can use to build all of the things that we want for our robot.
Got our soldering iron, robotic three-in-one kit.
It's amazing.
Jack: Let's not waste time, and let's just go.
I'll just go ahead and try to [Groaning.]
lift this up, then! Okay.
Okay, this is really heavy.
I'm a runner.
It's something that I'm very passionate about.
My arms, on the other hand, are something I sort of keep skinny and weak as a personal preference.
I kind of wish I had some upper-body strength now.
I don't do, like, any arm exercises.
That's it.
[Laughs.]
Aah! Mine's heavy.
Crap! Ugh! Bazinga! Okay.
They got Katie.
I know.
She is these books.
Kayla: I'm definitely nervous going against Katie.
Katie has some great skill sets when it comes to this.
I can put some creative things that I've had.
But you know what I was thinking? We're Titans, right? And each one of the Titans had a specialty.
- That's exactly where I was going.
- Yeah, baby.
Xander: We decided to go with the theme of "Titans," and we're going to do our individual type of robots that's going to represent ourselves, because we are the Titans.
Chris: Oh, and here are all Katie's fuses.
- Kayla: She's in heaven right now.
- Yeah, she is.
She's in heaven and in hell right now.
So, yes, we have a new member to our team.
If I can take point on this, that would be great.
I would ask you for you to be our leader in this.
Jack: Katie's pretty much in charge of everything, and I'm fine with that, 'cause she knows what she's doing, and I don't.
I kind of want to make a fleet of robots that appear to have some sort of set of purposes in a society.
Zack: Can we overload them with sound, too? Sound as a distraction material might not be as I would rather just kind of not talk over each other.
Katie: I'm terrified going into this team, because we all got along so well on the purple team, and it meant that we just had all of this time to put into preparing for the challenges.
Whoo! Okay, that was totally what I intended to do.
I just got to laugh at this challenge and do my best.
So, if you have something base-heavy so it won't fall over, we can take advantage of that natural wobble to make it harder to hit.
Oh, I have no aim, apparently.
- Don't do that.
Don't do that.
- I was trying to hit the corner of the table.
It's alive! Xander: We're building four robots.
If we lose the judging competition, only three get to participate, so it's my goal to win the judges over with our presentation.
Kayla: Holy [Bleep.]
, Xander.
We've planned it out to be two large robots and two skinny robots.
The larger robots will be used as a shield for the skinnier ones, which will be harder to hit.
Test it.
Ah, okay, good.
We're all trying to fill the void that was Katie, and I think we're all stepping up.
- Light! - Ahhhh Xander: Sweet.
Chris: I graduated from Rice University with a bachelor's of science in mechanical engineering, so I am excited that we finally get a true engineering Nerd War.
- There he goes.
Come on.
- Kayla: He's just so happy and gleeful.
Yay! - Katie: I'm gonna set you to these - Nicole: Okay.
And I'm gonna see what we can do for our communications robot.
I've taken charge of my new team.
I am delegating people to tasks.
If you guys could start making that structure.
You can use that white foam over there.
I'd like you to construct that.
We're looking to "Battlebots" for inspiration, specifically Grant Imahara.
Zack: Whoa! I have no idea how you're doing any of this.
Who doesn't love a good action movie with a killer robot? [Chuckling.]
Well, I got to say, I'm glad that you are here.
Jack: Katie's pretty much doing everything.
We're just helping when we can.
I learned how to hack an R.
C.
car to make a spinning cycle of death.
So, are you feeling okay, Katie? Yeah, I'm just a little stressed out, 'cause, like, it just feels like we're doomed to failure.
Katie: It's rough not having my Titans around me.
There was some sort of feeling of safety, because we worked so well together.
I just hope that you feel welcome in this team.
I don't want you to have an impression that we're always losers.
Ow! - Katie: Did you get injured? - I'm fine.
Just took off a good portion of skin on my face.
This one time at robot camp, I burned my face with a hot-glue gun.
It was cool Well, it wasn't cool.
It was painful.
Is there still any hot glue on my face? Oh, hey, there's a big robot here.
They can be friends.
Ohh! All right.
We're fine.
Spilled some glitter.
The big issue that we have right now, is that we have to have time to practice with the robots, and practice throwing balls, because that's really what this competition's going to come down to.
Aah! Brian: Overall, I feel that the purple team does have more athletic nerds.
However, I'm not one of those people.
Aah! Brian can't throw.
Kayla, you're the person I hated in gym class.
Oh! I'm the nerd that knows how to kick ass.
It's been a while since I've played hockey and made boys cry, so I'm looking forward to getting some aggression out.
- Ow! - [Laughs.]
- I really hope that we win this one, finally.
- Jack: We will.
I'm happy with our robot.
I looked at the stats I'd give it like a 54.
3% chance of us winning and 45.
7% chance of us losing, so it's gonna be pretty close.
Oh, God.
I I can't fix that.
- Uh-oh.
- I I can't fix that.
All right, so, can we get another one? I don't know if we have any more R.
C.
cars.
Kayla: Jack cut two of the wires for our project.
Can you just not sit there? It's making me nervous.
Then, I turn around, and Zack sat on my R.
C.
controller for my gun.
Katie: I'm gonna go to the bathroom.
I just need to chill for a sec.
[Sobs.]
I feel like I'm gonna fail, and to have the work that I did do undone I'm not gonna do this in front of a camera.
[Sniffles.]
Welcome, nerds, to dodgeball as it was intended to be played Yes! Yeah! With robots! [Contestants cheer.]
Jack: Our team looks like battle-hardened robots meant to win at Robot Dodgeball.
Their team's looks like things meant for show-and-tell.
Before we start, we have to determine which team has an advantage in the game.
So, right now your two fleets will be judged.
Whichever team's robot fleet is deemed least impressive will lose a robot, diminishing its chances of winning dodgeball.
To help us judge, we have Matt Winston, cofounder of the Stan Winston School.
[Applause.]
Katie: This guy is my idol.
I'm stressing now because the obstacles that I faced in dealing with this new team I really haven't been able to present something I can be proud of.
The Stan Winston School is the world's premier school devoted to the teaching of the arts and sciences of special effects and character creation.
And with him today Nerdvana's own robot guardian Nerd Bot! Oh, my God! Xander: Whoo! What am I even looking at? Zack: The mech was just so awesome! I keep staring at it and wondering when I'm going to wake up.
Oh, my God! It's so cool! Built in collaboration with Stan Winston School, Legacy Effects, Wired, and YouTube, Nerd Bot was created to destroy humanity! Uh I'm sorry.
I misspoke.
I should have said Nerd Bot was created to instruct the youth of today in the arts and sciences of robotic technologies.
I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.
Bobby: And now, teams, you may present your robot fleets.
All right.
Why don't we start right here? My team did it as if we each had a TARDIS that could change shape based on our world.
So, my world is a red dragon.
This dragon represents me, 'cause, obviously, I live in a fantasy world.
- All right, Chris.
- Chris: That is the repair bot 747.
I like repairing things, and so that's what my TARDIS would be.
Xander: We are in a serious Robot Dodgeball competition.
It is extremely inappropriate for Nerd Bot to be coming on to Chris' robot.
I am offended! - Kayla.
- My dream is to go to Mars, and so I did my best attempt at the first Mars Rover.
All I see is function here, - and it looks like a real robot.
- Thank you, sir.
- Okay.
Brian.
- My creation is an homage to some of my favorite authors James Boswell, Marcel Proust, and Leo Tolstoy.
Asimov is a fantastic author.
I wish I could have included him.
- - [Laughter.]
Agreed! Bobby: Midas Touch Attack, - you may present your robots.
- Yeah! Brian: I think that having Katie on the gold team there's always a chance that we lose.
We're going with a "Battle bot" theme, so our robots are here to intimidate.
So, this is our intimidation machine, and we call it Paranoia.
Jack's robot looks like a child made it.
[Laughter.]
I love Nerd Bot.
Nicole: May I introduce you to the Mutilator? Stan: Fantastic.
This spinning-mace idea is genius.
Thank you.
My robot is Fluffy over there, with all the spikes, and they're sort of supposed to be hidden under all of the Fluffy streamer-ness.
[Laughter.]
That was pretty clever, I've got to admit.
This is Carnage I actually reverse-engineered a button-operated toy into an R.
C.
toy by using the wheel-turning mechanism of an R.
C.
car.
What's very cool about this, Katie, is that you've repurposed its function, which is something that special-effects guys do all the time.
Well, that's what I want to do someday.
Well, you're on your way.
We've had so many obstacles in this challenge.
I'm just hoping against hope that something good happens.
We're both very impressed with your creations.
Unfortunately, there can only be one winning team.
The winning team is If we lose the judging portion of how they look, we lose a robot that goes into the competition.
Titans of Rigel! [Contestants cheer.]
I like that you've told a story and I like function, and that has guided your designs, which is really cool and smart.
Any good robot has to have good function, so excellent work.
In a shocking turn of events, guess which team loses.
We do! Aw, boo.
All: Ohh! [Contestants groan.]
Jack's robot is deemed the least impressive of the gold team, and rightfully so.
I can't watch! The viscera! Kayla: Oh-ho! And now part two, "The Wrath of Khan" Oh, sorry, no.
Dodgeball.
It's dodgeball.
This game is played in four rounds, and you will be controlling two bots per round, except for the final round, where team Midas Touch Attack will only have one robot.
It's a timed event.
Tag the robots quickest, and you win.
Bobby: Midas Touch Attack, you are on offense first.
Ready for some dodgeball! - Midas Touch Attack, ready? - Yes.
- Titans of Rigel, ready? - Ready! Robot Dodgeball! Nicole: This is perfect.
I play roller derby, which makes me a tough competitor to go against.
So, when it comes to team sports, I don't lose.
Chris: Watch out, watch out, watch out.
Curtis: Oh! Oh! The ball comes hurtling at my dragon, hits it, then ricochets towards Brian's robot.
He slams on the brakes and misses this ball by a fraction of a hair.
Red bot's out.
One bot still in play.
Come on, Brian.
Come on.
Come on, Brian.
- There you go, there you go.
- Kayla: Good job, Brian! Keep it up! Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Oh! Close! Katie: I'm good at dodging, but I'm not really good at the throwing thing with the sports and the coordination.
No! Ooooh! - Jack: Come on, come on.
- Xander: Oh! They're throwing ball after ball after ball, and they just keep missing.
- Aah! - Referee: One bot still in play.
- Zack: Come on, come on, come on! - All: Ohh! - You're out! - Way to go, boys! Good job! Bobby: Okay, Titans of Rigel, now you're on offense.
Oh, my God! I cannot wait to destroy and murdilate.
- Titans of Rigel, ready? - Yes.
Midas Touch Attack, ready? Robot Dodgeball! I'm a terrible driver, so I knew I wasn't gonna last very long.
Nicole: Katie, stay on your side.
I can't back up.
That's all right, that's all right.
Get them going horizontal again.
Curtis: You see, now, it's interesting.
The Titans of Rigel are not bouncing.
They are going for a straight they're going for a direct hit.
Oh! Very close.
- Chris: Got it.
- [Whistle blows.]
That bot is out! Xander: Come on, guys.
Kayla: Oh-ho! - You're out! - Yes! From the first round, we had a bit of a lead, but Midas Touch Attack has just bounced back.
Get it? 'Cause it's dodgeball.
Curtis: After one round each, Titans of Rigel are in the lead with 1 minute and 8 seconds.
There are only two rounds left, and whichever team has the lowest time wins the Nerd War.
Round 3 Midas Touch Attack, you are on offense! Chris: I am not scared of Zack's throwing abilities.
All he's gone on about is how he has absolutely no upper-body strength.
Robot Dodgeball! Brian: Right on.
Zack: Crap, no! What the hell?! [Bleep.]
Damn it! I can't believe I just did that! [Grunts.]
All: Ohh! Out! [Whistle blows.]
Green bot is out! Zack, you got me out? Disappointed.
Give me one of these things.
Give me one of these [Bleep.]
, now so bad.
Come on, Kayla.
[Grunts.]
Jack: Oh! Yes! Chris: Watch out, watch out, watch out, watch out.
All: Ohh! Yeah! Ow! There goes my control hand, dude.
Careful.
- Good play, guys.
- Thank you.
Hey, Titans, bite my shiny metal ass.
[Laughs.]
Yes! Curtis: Only 33 seconds separate both teams.
For the last round, Midas Touch Attack has chosen Zack as their driver.
If you can last more than 33 seconds, you could win this Nerd War.
But since Jack's robot was destroyed, you will have to do it with only one robot.
Zack is a great gamer.
He could outlast all of us and drive his way to victory.
Zack, you've always wanted to say you were better than everybody else combined.
Now go and prove it.
Would you all stop saying that? Because it's stressing me out more, because then if I don't do it, I feel like crap.
Just go do whatever you need to do.
- It's just scaring me.
- Shh! Okay, let Zack do it.
I mean, it's possible for him to do this.
He's a good gamer.
He knows how to use the controller.
- Referee: Titans of Rigel, ready? - Yes.
Chris: The last bot to go has got a very low center of gravity, so it's gonna be very, very hard to hit.
- Midas Touch Attack, ready? - Ready! Robot Dodgeball! What did I just do? It's stuck! What the - Zack: What the hell?! - [Whistle blows.]
- You're out! - Are you frickin' anghh! Pow! Right in the kisser! Crash and burn.
Kayla: Good job, boys! That's the way to do it! Xander: Victory is ours.
The reign of the Titans is continuing.
I'm so mad right now because I hate myself, and I hate that I just did that! [Sobbing.]
Come here, come here.
Okay, Zack, it's fine.
You did the best you could, okay? [Voice breaking.]
That's not my best.
Don't say I did my best.
I'm a world-class gamer, and I can't believe I just did something that freaking pathetic! Katie: I went from being on Titans of Rigel and being this unstoppable force of awesomeness to being on this team that is doomed to failure.
Oh, my God.
He's in a real bad shape right now.
- I know.
- Do not rub it in.
Titans of Rigel, you have won this war.
As a reward, your prize is up to $1,000 in product in the RadioShack lab.
Oh! Oh, my God! Team Midas Touch Attack, two of your members will be selected to go to the Nerd-Off tomorrow.
Good luck.
Zack: It's so frustrating because I am a world-class gamer, but the skills between the keyboard and an R.
C they just don't transfer.
Chris: Oh, my goodness! Kayla: Ooh! Oh, my God! As a reward for winning Robot Dodgeball, we Titans each got $1,000 of awesome RadioShack gear.
My own soldering tools! I'm not sharing with dad anymore! [Singsong voice.]
I got my own soldering kit.
This is more tools than I've ever had in my whole life! [Voice breaking.]
I worked so hard? Did you see my throwing arm on that? Did you see how well I hit that first one? Zack, can I tell you something? What? I have never felt more proud of you in my life.
I tried so hard.
I've never felt more proud because Zack finally admitted humility.
This is the first time you have blamed yourself for a loss.
I'm not blaming myself.
I screwed up, but I don't think it's my fault, overall.
Okay, maybe not, but he did mess up big time.
But the thing is that you actually took some blame that makes you grow as a person.
Jack is just giving me his whole usual "you're growing as a person" and all this bull[Bleep.]
.
But guess what, Jack I've grown a lot as a person.
It's not because of you.
I respect you for that, and I've never respected you more.
Katie: It's my first time on a losing team, and I could be going into this Nerd-Off.
We all individually contributed to losing.
Jack: And that's what the team spirit is.
- Whether you win ore, do it together.
- You live and die as a team.
Chris: Oh, my goodness.
We have to talk now about what we're gonna do.
Yeah, I really want Zack gone.
Every time he wins a Nerd-Off, he gets stronger and more confident in his own abilities.
We know they're going for Zack again.
Chris: Zack is a very interesting player.
We know how disruptive he is in a team environment, which is good for the purple team.
However, there will come a point where there are no more teams, and I'm very worried that when it comes to the individual portions of this show, he will be unstoppable.
So, we're definitely thinking Nicole unless something changes tomorrow.
She's the one who could beat Zack.
The Titans are planning on voting Nicole into the Nerd-Off.
If she loses, we lost a formidable opponent.
If she wins, we finally get Zack out of here.
Jack told me that both you and Katie want to vote me in? - I don't know.
- I would much rather work together to vote Katie.
She couldn't even do the engineering, you realize, even for our stuff.
She failed on that.
The person who I want to send into the Nerd-Off is Katie.
She's not a team member.
She's playing for the other side 100%.
The Titans will never vote Katie into a Nerd-Off.
We have to do it.
- Her most important challenges have now passed.
- So have mine.
No, because you're a generalist.
You have more general skills than anyone, basically, except me here.
Look how far my generalist knowledge has gotten us.
Nicole: Purple team is probably putting me in the Nerd-Off.
I guess they think I have the best shot of beating Zack.
But Zack has proven himself to be a great competitor in Nerd-Offs, so I don't really know who I'm voting for yet.
Will I know who you're voting for before you vote, and it won't be me this time? Curtis: Calling all nerds! Please join us in the throne room! Today, our team will be sending one member to the Nerd-Off, and I'm hoping that, for once, that cannot be me.
[Chuckles.]
I'd really like a break here, guys.
Today, two nerds go head-to-head in our Nerd-Off.
The winner stays to compete for $100,000 and the right to sit atop The Throne of Games! [Dramatic music plays.]
The loser goes home immediately.
Bobby: The teams have voted, and your tallies are here.
- Thank you, Robert.
- You're welcome, Curtis.
Titans of Rigel, by unanimous consent you have voted Nicole into the Nerd-Off.
Challenge accepted.
Titans of Rigel, why Nicole? Nicole is a strong individual competitor.
We believe that she has a good chance of winning this upcoming Nerd-Off, and so we would like her to stick around a bit longer.
Nicole, how do you feel? I have a lot to lose, so I'm not going to.
Curtis: Okay.
Team Midas Touch Attack The first vote Katie.
The second vote Zack.
The third vote Is Zack.
That's it.
And the final vote Zack.
Nicole: That's who I voted for, and I don't regret it.
If we get rid of Zack, we can be a stronger team.
Zack, it is your third week in a row.
Yeah, I mean, the depressing part is that this also means that this is the second time Nicole has lied to me.
"I want to be your friend" is a thing, but one of the things I have a really, really, really difficult time forgiving is when someone lies to me.
I had a really hard time forgiving the fact that you said you wanted to destroy the team from inside.
I'm gonna try my hardest today - Likewise - And I hope that you do, too.
Yes, I'm mad at her for lying to me, but Nicole is the person here who I'm able to be the most friends with, so it really sucks that this Nerd-Off had to happen.
Nicole, do you think you can beat Zack? I know what I will lose if I don't beat him, and that's all I need.
I want to get rid of him myself, and if it's the "Doctor Who" challenge, I'm winning, especially if it's classic "Who.
" Zack, Nicole, please step forward.
Bend the knee.
For today's Nerd-Off, you will be facing a horde of zombies in a structural logic, problem-solving game we call "Zombie Nerd Plunk.
" One of you will not survive the night.
May the best nerd win.
Life in Nerdvana has come to resemble an opera.
We've had friendships.
We've had betrayal.
The only thing lacking is a fat lady singing.
- Tensions are high - [Glass breaking.]
Xander doesn't really cut that.
- Katie: So, what's the game? - It's [Bleep.]
"KerPlunk.
" - It's "Jenga" with balls.
- Oh, that's what it is.
"KerPlunk" is you have this giant tube, and there's all these little poles that are stuck into the tube, and then there's a whole bunch of balls on the top.
You pull out a pole, and you don't want any of the balls to drop to the ground.
- You can go online and practice.
- Zack: Yeah, I'm gonna go do that.
I really need Nicole to win this, because I can't do another challenge with Zack on my team.
You're gonna rock this.
And we need to win a Nerd War 'cause I am playing a long-term game to become King of the Nerds.
Oh, it's that game.
KerPlunk's actually a pretty straightforward game.
Nicole did something pretty stupid.
Does she honestly want to be in a Nerd-Off with me? That doesn't seem like it's actually the smartest option.
I'm clearly able to win these things.
- I'm just frustrated how this turned out.
- I know.
Zack's a tough competitor.
Am I afraid? Yes.
But, as the third Doctor says, "courage isn't a matter of not being frightened.
Courage is a matter of being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway.
" Am I gonna find a way to pull this off? I always do.
[Groaning.]
Well, this was unexpected.
Sweet.
Jack: There's zombies in there.
Today, Nerdvana faces a grave threat Zombies.
[Screaming, groaning.]
And they're hungry for nerds.
[Screaming.]
The only way to stave off inevitable destruction is to keep them from being fed.
Bobby: And you will be pulling these wooden stakes, taking turns.
The first nerd to accidentally release 150 nerd body parts to the zombies will be banished forever.
Let's begin with rock-paper-scissors to determine who goes first.
One, two, three, shoot.
Okay.
I'll go first, I guess Before we start, though, I just need to say that I am apparently the rock-paper-scissors champ of Nerdvana.
All bow to the rock-paper-scissors champion of Nerdvana.
- Cool.
- Let's get to the dead things.
- [Contestants cheer.]
- Brains! [Zombies groaning.]
Nicole: First one to drop 150 limbs loses.
And there's pails and books those don't count.
It's only the brains, the feet, and the hands.
- Zack, you will draw the first stake.
- Zack: Okay.
I cannot stress how much this really is a strategy challenge.
For starters, you try to figure out the actual structural integrity of everything.
Then you have how well you can actually pull the pole out.
If you shake them at any moment, you're gonna knock over a ton more things.
Two brains.
That's a fantastic start.
That's, like, way better than I expected.
Those zombies look vaguely familiar.
You know, you're right, Bobby.
She is such a beautiful bride.
She certainly is.
Nicole, it is now your turn.
Nicole: When you're pulling the stakes, you want to set up big drops for your opponent, but for the most part, you just hope for the best and hope they get the worse.
I didn't start off good at all.
Another foot three feet, and she'll have a yard.
[Laughs.]
All: Ooh! Mm.
The goal is to have the smallest score.
Not what I intended.
13 body parts just fell in.
Kayla: So, the first one to hit the ceiling at 150 loses today.
Nicole: I'm expecting at least six.
Chris: Ohh! Well, that sucked, didn't it? It was just this avalanche of body parts.
- Big body blow to Nicole.
- [Laughs.]
That's hilarious.
- [Laughs.]
Get it? It's a pun.
- You're welcome, zombies.
- I told you you're gonna win.
- She's psyching me out totally.
I'm freaking out now 'cause she keeps saying that.
Part of my master plan is to try to throw Zack off of his game.
- Nicole: I'm having fun.
- Please stop saying that, 'cause it's just frustrating, 'cause I don't think you're gonna lose.
- I don't think I'm gonna win, so we're good.
- Okay.
The more compliments I give, the more antsy he's getting.
Zack: I don't want to hear that, because I'm so not wanting to be the person to send her home, and at the same time, I want to win this.
I thought "Battle Hammer" was nerve-racking, and then this is nerve-racking.
[Clanging.]
No, no, no, no! Darn it! Feel your anger, Zack.
55 to 77.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa! - They're going for fresh meat.
Bad zombies! They keep pulling stake after stake, and the body parts just keep dropping.
- Give you your hand.
- Aww! It's raining hands and feet and brains.
[Groaning.]
If I were a zombie, it'd be like Thanksgiving for me.
114 to 63.
This is a bad one to pull.
I have to stop.
I messed up.
Zack is starting to have ones where he's dropping a few.
89 for Zack.
114 for Nicole.
That gap's closing! Nicole: Come and get it.
Ooh! Bobby: Oh, nice pull.
[Zombies grunting.]
That was not a single body part.
Huh? Huh? Huh? Oh, no.
This was a bad decision.
[Zombie grunting.]
No, no, no! No! Nicole, this is why I was upset with you saying I'm just gonna win, 'cause I'm not going to win.
- Calm down.
- You don't see the poison numbers.
I don't even know what poison numbers are.
- Zack - Zack: Yeah? What is a poison number? A poison number iIt's a game.
So, like, you count, you know, 1, 2, 3, and then the other person goes 4, 5, 6, and then if you get the 7, the person loses - that kind of thing.
- Now I get it.
Frankly, none of us can spot the poison numbers 'cause we don't know what the [Bleep.]
he's talking about.
The score is 107 to 114.
Nicole is closing the gap.
[Zombie squeals.]
There it goes.
Oh, no, no, no.
Oh, no.
- See, Zack? I told you you were fine.
- So stop showboating.
Nicole: That sucks.
It's pretty much dementor's kiss.
If more than 36 body parts fell, this Nerd-Off is over.
Poof away.
Bye, life.
Nicole, you have dropped 30 body parts! Ooh.
You have only ss until you lose this Nerd-Off.
- Zack, you're on.
- Okay.
There seems to be a lot at stake here.
[Chuckles.]
Don't fall.
Ugh! - There's a lot more up there.
- Nicole: It's okay.
There's a foot coming up.
That was very well done.
11 fell, but to me, it looked like it was like 40.
Curtis: Nicole, if you lose six or more body parts on this pull, you will have lost nerd.
All right.
Bobby: Good luck, Nicole.
Nicole, if you lose six or more body parts on this pull, you will have lost this Nerd-Off.
To be honest, Nicole has a lot of hidden talents.
So, if Zack can knock her out of this competition, that's another strong person that's gone that Zack took care of.
Nicole: It's like pulling teeth.
That's one.
- There it goes.
- There's two.
- Three.
- Zack: You can still win.
- Four.
- You can still win.
See? You win, Nicole.
See? - Five.
- See? This is why I didn't want to And she hangs on by one body part.
Kayla: Stay in there, girl.
You got this, you got this.
Zack, you're at 118.
If you drop 32 body parts on this pull, you are done.
Zack: I cannot make a mis-take.
Get it? "Mis-take" 'cause it's like a stake? I like wordplay.
I'm an English major, so I find it amusing.
Yeah, okay.
Nicole: Slow, slow.
[Zombies grunting.]
This is what I was trying to explain to you, Nicole.
See?! This is what I was trying to explain to you, and now all your showboating got you this! You've lost me as a friend completely.
Deep breath.
Zack - You have 144.
- Oh, my God.
Nicole, you must successfully remove one stake without a single body part falling to stay in the Nerd-Off.
Nicole has pulled off a couple of incredible zeroes earlier in the game, so I'm worried she can do it again.
Okay.
Go ahead.
Just just fall.
Stay up.
[Zombies grunt.]
[Applause.]
Zack, you live on to fight another day.
It is said that the Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin was stabbed, shot, poisoned, and beaten before he was finally thrown into a river in order to get rid of him, and I don't know what we're gonna have to do to get rid of Zack.
Hopefully, it won't come to that.
Nicole, while your time is ending in a minor key, please know that your song will remain with us as you take your musical, scientific, not to mention butt-kicking skills back to the real world.
Thank you.
Nicole held herself together wonderfully at the end.
- Hashtag Nicole, guys.
- Hashtag Nicole.
It's gonna be hard not to have her around in the house anymore.
I said I would take out Josh.
I said I would take out Mary Kate.
I said that, if forced into the position, I'd take out Nicole.
The prophecy has been fulfilled.
Nicole: I gave it everything I had in that Nerd-Off, and you know what? I went out like a boss! [Sniffles.]
To quote the last words of the third incarnation of Doctor Who, "a tear, Sarah Jane? No.
Don't cry.
While there's life, there's still hope.
" Ouch! [Chuckles.]
[Warbles, dings.]