Ep 5. Penn & Teller Hit the Streets

Penn & Teller: Fool Us is a television series that premiered on the CW network in 2011. In each episode, aspiring magicians perform their best tricks in an attempt to fool the veteran illusionists Penn & Teller. If they manage to perform a trick that Penn & Teller cannot figure out, they win the opportunity to perform as the opening act for their Las Vegas show.

Season 6, episode 5, titled "Penn & Teller Hit the Streets," takes a bit of a departure from the usual format. Instead of inviting magicians onto their stage, Penn & Teller hit the streets to perform magic for unwitting strangers. The episode begins with Penn & Teller driving around Las Vegas in a vintage red convertible, decked out in their signature suits and ties. They pull up to a bus stop and surprise the unsuspecting commuters with a few card tricks. One lucky woman even gets to keep the signed card she chose from Penn's deck.

Next, Penn & Teller head to the world-famous Caesars Palace hotel and casino to perform for some tourists. They amaze a group of women with a trick involving a Rubik's cube and a red scarf. Their next stop is the Linq Promenade, an outdoor shopping and entertainment district. They set up a table and perform some close-up magic for passersby, including a young couple and a group of college students.

The bulk of the episode is devoted to a segment called "Penn & Teller's Worst Nightmare." In this segment, Penn & Teller interview several professional magicians and ask them to perform a trick that they themselves could never pull off. The first magician, Nora, performs a stunning mentalism trick involving a dictionary and a prediction that Penn & Teller could not have possibly known.

The next magician, Shin, performs a visually stunning trick that involves making a coin disappear and reappear under a playing card. Shin's sleight of hand is so quick and deft that Penn & Teller are completely baffled. Finally, Mahdi Gilbert, a magician born without hands, performs an incredible card trick that involves using only his feet to shuffle and deal the cards.

The final segment of the episode finds Penn & Teller back on the streets of Las Vegas. They approach a group of men and ask if they want to see a trick. One of the men, a large and imposing character, volunteers to be Penn & Teller's guinea pig. They ask him to choose a card from a deck they hand him, and then they reveal that they've magically teleported the signed card inside a sealed tube that's been in plain sight the whole time.

In the final moments of the episode, Penn & Teller reflect on the joy they get from performing magic on the streets. They note that while performing for a massive audience in their Las Vegas theater is fun, there's a special kind of magic that comes from performing close-up for everyday people. They tell the viewers that if they ever see Penn & Teller on the streets, to come say hello and watch a trick or two.

Overall, "Penn & Teller Hit the Streets" is an entertaining deviation from the show's usual format. It's fun to see these two veteran magicians taking their act to the streets and performing for a different kind of audience. The "Worst Nightmare" segment is a great addition too, as it allows viewers to see some incredible tricks performed by professional magicians.