Ep 2. And Now for Something Different

King of the Nerds season 3 episode 2, titled "And Now for Something Different," takes the contestants on a trip outside of their comfort zone. As the title suggests, this episode is a departure from the typical challenges and activities that the nerds are used to.

The episode begins with a surprise announcement from hosts Curtis Armstrong and Robert Carradine. They inform the contestants that they will be traveling to a nearby wilderness area for their next challenge. The nerds are skeptical at first, as many of them are not particularly outdoorsy and would rather spend their time indoors playing games or conducting experiments. However, they all seem to be up for the challenge.

The next scene shows the nerds getting ready to depart for the wilderness. They are given backpacks and camping gear, and they all seem to be somewhat apprehensive about what lies ahead. Some of the contestants express their concerns about bugs, snakes, and other wildlife they may encounter in the wilderness.

Once the nerds arrive at the wilderness area, they are given a brief tutorial on basic survival skills such as building a fire, setting up a tent, and purifying water. This is all necessary for their first challenge, which involves spending an entire night in the wilderness with nothing but the gear they were given.

The contestants are split up into teams and sent off into the wilderness to set up camp. They all work together to gather firewood, start a fire, and pitch their tents. Some of them struggle with these tasks, as they are not familiar with camping or outdoor life in general.

As night falls, the nerds settle into their tents for the night. It's apparent that some of them are very uncomfortable with sleeping in the wilderness, while others seem to be enjoying the experience. Throughout the night, they hear various noises outside their tents - some of them are convinced that they are being attacked by bears or cougars, while others believe it's just the wind.

The next morning, the nerds are awoken by the hosts and informed that they will be competing in a series of wilderness challenges throughout the day. The challenges involve things like fishing, archery, and obstacle courses. The contestants are split up into different teams for each challenge, and they all seem to be enjoying themselves despite the challenges being very different from what they're used to.

At the end of the day, the contestants gather around a campfire and reflect on their experiences in the wilderness. Some of them admit that they were scared at first but eventually got used to the idea of being outdoors. Others say that they still prefer the comforts of their homes and would rather never have to camp again.

The episode ends with the hosts announcing the winner of the wilderness challenges and sending the nerds back to their headquarters to prepare for the next challenge. While it was a departure from the norm, the nerd contestants were able to push themselves outside of their comfort zones and come out of the experience with a newfound appreciation for the outdoors.