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Treasure Hunters (TV series)

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 This article or section contains information about an in-progress television show(s).
It may contain information of a speculative nature on future episodes, based on aired episodes, commercials for the show, its website, or other advance publicity. The content may change as future episodes are broadcast and more information becomes available.

Treasure Hunters is a reality television series on NBC (US) and Global Television (Canada) in which ten teams of three solve puzzles in hopes of solving the ultimate puzzle and winning the grand prize. Teams travel across the United States and around the world in search of seven "artifacts" which when assembled will "lead to the key. Find the key, and find the treasure."

The two-hour premiere episode aired on June 18, 2006 and beginning June 26 the series moved to its regular Monday night timeslot.

The Hunt is similar in format to The Amazing Race. Key differences include:

[Spoiler warningSpoiler warning]: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Contents

Teams and Rankings

Team Name Leg 1 Leg 2 Leg 3 Leg 41 Leg 5 Leg 6 Leg 7 Leg 8
Team Air Force
Brooke Rillos, 27, Air Force Officer
Matt Rillos, 26, Air Force Captain
Matt Zitzlsperger, 26, Air Force Officer 		1 1 6 1
Team Ex-CIA
Jacob Porter, 33, Consultant
Mark West, 35, Financial Analyst
Todd Moore, 32, Software Architect 		5 4 3 2
Team Southie Boys
John Collins, 32, Mortgage Broker
Matthew Mullen, 36, Firefighter
Martin Mullen, 36, Firefighter 		2 3 4 3
Team Fogal Family
Margie Fogal, 47, Student Service Technician
Kayte Andersen, 25, Teacher
Brad Fogal, 48, Pastor 		4 2 5 4
Team Miss USA
Melissa Witek, 25, Former Miss Florida USA
Kaitlyn Christopher, 20, Former Miss Indiana USA
Kristen Johnson, 24, Former Miss Kentucky USA 		3 5 2 5
Team Geniuses
Charles Taylor, 22, Student
Francis Goldshmid, 19, Student
Sam Khurana, 21, Student 		9 6 1 6
Team Brown Family
Keith Brown, 42, Telecommunications
Tonny Brown, 37, Admin Asst
Terrance Brown, 39, Office Depot 		7 9+ 7 7 Eliminated: Leg #4 (17 Jul 2006)

Team Wild Hanlons
Josh Hanlon, 19, Student
Patrick (Pat) Hanlon, 38, Small Business Owner
Ben Hanlon, 49, Entrepreneur 		8 8 8 Eliminated: Leg #3 (3 Jul 2006)
Team Grad Students
Jessica Schilling, 26, Bartender
Melissa Schilling, 26, Bartender
Kathleen Krapfl, 26, Bartender 		6 7+ Quit for medical reasons following Leg #2 (3 Jul 2006)
Team Young Professionals
Taryn Brown, 28, Law Student
Drew Brown, 25, Med Student
Chandra Lewis, 25, Public Relations 		10 Eliminated: Leg #1 (18 Jun 2006)
Notes:
Red numbers indicate the team was eliminated.
+Team Grad Students dropped out after Leg 2 because of injury; Team Brown Family was brought back to replace them.
1Leg 4 was shown over two episodes.

Trivia

The Hunt

Leg 1 (Alaska/Hawaii → Nebraska → South Dakota)

Ten teams started the hunt split into two groups of five, with each group of teams unaware of the other's existence. Five teams started at the Independence Mining Camp in Alaska and the other five started aboard the a ship identified as the U.S.S. Jefferson (although the US Navy currently has no ship by that name), off the coast of Hawaii. The first clue for both sets was in the form of a Morse Code message which teams had to decipher. Although none of the teams knew Morse Code offhand, there were guidebooks scattered around the locations.

The Alaska teams headed to Matanuska Glacier where they had to locate a block of ice. The words "Stillwater Washington" were etched on each block, and a map with various destinations was contained inside it, along with the word "dig." Teams had to figure out where to go next by associating the etched clue with a place on the map (the answer was Lake George, Alaska), and tell that location to one of the five awaiting helicopter pilots before they could commence. At Lake George, teams had to dig in order locate a cylinder and a clue directing them to the capital building in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Hawaii teams were led by their Morse Code clue to a dive site (Hāna Bay) where they had to locate a metal box containing a pilot's log with the coordinates of the next location, Black Sand Beach. There, the teams had to look for the Monticello crash site, where they had to find a locked box among plane wreckage. A key concealed within a Jeffersonian cane would open the box, but it would not work until assembled along with the handle segment of the cane. Inside the box was a coded map, with a painting on the reverse, and teams received a message to head to Lincoln.

When teams reached Lincoln, they learned that there were not five but ten teams. Each team was paired with one from the other starting point based on their order of arrival in Lincoln. Each pair of teams boarded a bus, which headed away from their next destination. By combining the cylinder found in Alaska (which had a code key engraved on it) and the coded map found in Hawaii, teams had to determine their next destination and relay this information to their driver. The decoded message, "Mount Theodore Roosevelt," could be interpreted in two ways: literally, leading to the incorrect location of Mount Theodore Roosevelt, South Dakota; or along with a clue given in a message to consider where the teams have been - Lake George (Washington), USS Jefferson, Lincoln, Nebraska - along with Mount Theodore Roosevelt together point to the four presidents carved on Mount Rushmore, the correct destination. Unbeknownst to – and undiscovered by – the teams, if they had put the two clues together in a different way (by placing the cylinder in the middle of the painting on the back of the map), an image of Mount Rushmore would have been revealed. All teams deduced or guessed the correct destination except for the Young Professionals/Geniuses. After a fruitless search at Mount Roosevelt eventually the Young Professionals/Geniuses called the Wild Hanlons, who gave away the correct destination.

At Mount Rushmore, the teams, no longer working in two-team pairings, had to find a spot on the Presidential Trail where only two of the four presidents could be seen and then follow a smaller path until they found locked boxes containing the first of seven "artifacts" necessary to find the treasure. In this instance, the artifact was a map. The boxes opened with a combination. Teams were earlier given a clue message telling them to pay attention to the natural order of things, but that sometimes history has a way of changing it. This clue referred to the fact that the heads are not in the correct presidential order; Roosevelt and Lincoln are reversed. This lead to the correct combination of 1-3-2-6-1-6 (each number referring to the order in which the given President – based on their location in Mount Rushmore – was in office). Team Young Professionals and Team Geniuses raced for the last artifact with the Geniuses eventually finding it.

Leg 2 (South Dakota → Montana)

Leg 2 was based on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Beginning at about 2:20am, teams travelled over 600 mi (965 km), from South Dakota to Lexington Mine in Montana. Teams travelled 10,000 ft (3,050 m) into the mine and searched for the clue, a bucket (which was covered with snakes) inscribed with the words "bend the light." Teams discovered that by filling the bucket with water, the words "Wood Bottom Missouri River Montana" became visible by refraction. Team Southie Boys never found this clue, instead allying with Team Brown Family to leave the Wild Hanlons 11 hours behind them in last place. Teams travelled to the Wood Bottom Recreation Area, from where they would have to canoe in search of the next clue. Canoes could not be in the water after 5:30 PM and no teams arrived at the campsite early enough to launch, so all teams camped there overnight.

The next morning, teams canoed along a 20 mi (32 km) stretch of the Missouri River (including a 3 mi (5 km) portage), following a trail of stars in search of the next clue buried 40 paces behind the fourteenth star. Team Brown Family capsized their canoe, nearly drowning for the second time in as many legs. While portaging, Jessica of Team Grad Students stepped in a hole and injured her knee. The production team intervened with medical assistance and the team was able to continue with Jessica alternating between crutches and being carried by her teammates. Team Fogal Family misled Teams Ex-CIA and Southie Boys into believing the Fogals were going to stop with them at the 13th star but instead kept paddling after those two teams had docked, which lead to contempt for the Fogals (and the expression, "You've been Fogaled!") by the other teams – especially since the Southie Boys had helped the Fogals portage their canoe earlier.

Buried within a fire pit behind the 14th star teams found a table and code key for a double substitution cipher devised by Thomas Jefferson and used by Lewis and Clark, and journal pages describing their next destination, Tower Rock, Montana. At Tower Rock, teams discovered an encrypted sign, which when deciphered read "Follow close and to the right. Look 'neath a rock as dark as night." This led teams to the second artifact, a compass, hidden under black rocks.

The Wild Hanlons spent four hours trying to decipher the clue before Ben decided that they would go get some food. After making an estimated 80 mi (130 km) round trip to a Burger King restaurant, Josh quickly deciphered the message and they were able to find the artifact ahead of Team Brown Family.

Leg 3 (Massachusetts)

Leg 3 of the Hunt focused on the American Revolution and started from a bed and breakfast in Boston. It is not explained how the teams travelled from Montana to Boston. Prior to the leg, Team Grad Students bid a tearful farewell to the other teams, having been forced to withdraw because of Jessica's injury on the previous leg. Team Brown Family was brought back in their place, to the consternation of Team Wild Hanlons.

All teams travelled to the Old Burke School in search of their first clue for the leg. Everyone followed Boston natives Team Southie Boys except Team Air Force and Team Brown Family. Team Fogal Family called Team Geniuses, who misdirected them. Team Air Force arrived at the school first and discovered a sign reading "Look until you can see no more." In a classroom, they discovered a chalk board with Revolutionary War facts and decided to go to the location of the "shot heard 'round the world." All other teams except Team Fogal Family and Team Brown Family arrived at the school and discovered the sign. Josh Hanlon noticed light switches in the chalk board and flipped them. This caused the main lights to go out and black lights to come on, revealing two hidden messages. One read "Go to the Old Newgate Prison and search the darkness to find the way to the light." The other read "Go to the Wentworth House in Strawberry Banke and find what the Minutemen left behind." All teams present were instructed to pair off, with one team from each pair going to each destination. Messages hidden at each destination would when combined reveal the next destination. As the five teams were departing, Team Fogal Family again called Team Geniuses, who again misdirected them. Team Brown Family arrived at the school shortly thereafter and joined with the other five teams. Team Ex-CIA, Team Southie Boys and Team Wild Hanlons went to Wentworth House and Team Brown Family, Team Miss USA and Team Geniuses went to the prison. Team Wild Hanlons were partnered with Team Brown Family, but when the Browns called the Hanlons for a status update the Hanlons pretended they had bad cell reception, tried to mislead the Browns and finally hung up on them.

Team Air Force realized that the clue was at the school and headed back. They located the two black light clues and called Team Fogal Family. Team Air Force went to Wentworth House and Team Fogal Family went to the prison. As teams arrived at the two destinations, a Motorola message informed them they were searching for hollowed-out bullets with messages hidden inside.

Team Air Force arrived at Wentworth House after the other teams had found the clue and realized that all six remaining teams were allied against them and Team Fogal Family. The Fogals managed to arrive at the prison ahead of the other teams and found their bullet. Combined, the messages read:

Wentworth House Old New Gate Prison
Near Old North Church Near Old North Church
Only The Dead Can See the Light
One if by Land Two if by Sea
Plymouth Light if by Land
Boston Light if by Sea

Teams determined they needed to head for the cemetery at the Old North Church. Once there, they discovered two lanterns in the church steeple, thereby determining that the next destination was Boston Light. Teams raced to Pemberton Pier, from which ferries departed for Boston Light, and grabbed tickets to determine their order of departure the following morning. Ferries left fifteen minutes apart and could accommodate two teams, which gave teams with earlier departure times the option of sharing their ferry with a later team. Team Southie Boys got the first ferry slot, followed by Team Ex-CIA, Team Air Force, Team Wild Hanlons, Team Fogal Family, Team Miss USA, Team Geniuses and Team Brown Family.

The next morning Team Southie Boys departed first, allowing Team Geniuses to go with them. Team Ex-CIA departed next, inviting Team Miss USA along. Team Air Force left third, bringing Team Fogal Family with them. Team Wild Hanlons were next to depart but they refused to allow Team Brown Family to go with them, leaving the Browns in last place by 15 minutes.

As teams arrived at the lighthouse they were informed that seven artifacts were located in ten lockboxes scattered around the island. Team Southie Boys and Team Geniuses noticed rocks laid out in patterns and team members climbed the lighthouse. From above, the rocks formed Roman numerals which revealed the combinations for the two locks on each box. The combinations were IX II LIII, or 9253, and I III IV I, or 1341. The third artifact was an engraved box.

Team Wild Hanlons and Team Brown Family were the last two teams with one artifact left. Team Brown Family solved the Roman numerals but Team Wild Hanlons couldn't figure out the correct value for L. Team Wild Hanlons unsuccessfully attempted to spy on the Browns to get the combination, but ultimately Team Brown Family prevailed.

Leg 4 (Massachusetts → New York → South Carolina → Georgia)

Part One (Massachusetts → New York → South Carolina)

Leg 4 sent teams along the Underground Railroad. Teams woke up to find a facsimile copy of a Brooklyn Times newspaper. In the paper was a story written by Walt Whitman, directing teams to the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel in Brooklyn, New York. Team Miss USA was the first in the tunnel, the only entrance to which was a manhole. They found Civil War artifacts and lyrics to the slave song Follow the Drinking Gourd written on the tunnel walls. Among the artifacts were bundles wrapped in cloth, which Team Miss USA discovered but ignored. All other teams as they arrived recognized that the bundles were clues, consisting of a Don't Tread On Me flag, a copy of the Drinking Gourd lyrics and special glasses. The glasses revealed the words BENEVENTUM and GEORGETOWN SC in secret printing on the flag. The next destination was Beneventum Plantation in Georgetown, where the "Don't Tread On Me" flag was created. With the discovery of the destination, teams received a Motorola message that a $30,000 treasure could be claimed by the first team to reach an upcoming location. Team Miss USA realized their mistake in not taking a bundle and returned to the tunnel. Through it all a bluesman performed the song at the tunnel entrance.

After well over a 14 hour trip to arrive at Beneventum, teams located a key and a quilt with a map hidden in the embroidery, like those used by escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad. Combining the symbols on the quilt with the lyrics of the song would lead teams through a swamp to several locked boxes. Each box bore a symbol from the quilt map and contained the key for the next box and teams had to locate the boxes in order.

As teams struggled through the swamp, Team Fogal Family and Team Southie Boys allied but Kayte of Team Fogal Family became hysterical. At the third box (the "old man" box) a twist was thrown at the teams. Teams were given the option of at any time eliminating one of the three team members if they felt that the two-person team would be stronger. From the third box teams had to travel by boat but only two could travel at a time. If teams chose not to cut a member, retrieving that member would cost the team a three hour delay. A distraught Kayte insisted that her parents leave her behind, but like all other teams who reached that point by the end of the episode, the team stayed together.

Team Ex-CIA claimed the $30,000 treasure in gold coins, which they had to carry with them for the rest of the leg. With the coins was the instruction that the leg would end at the "safe house with the American flag."

Well behind the other teams, Keith Brown fell in the swamp, injuring himself. He had to be removed by ambulance. With teams having the option to cut a player, it appeared that the remaining Brown Family members would be able to continue. At the end of the episode, no teams had completed the leg. Team Geniuses members Charles and Francis were in the boat, still contemplating whether to cut Sam, and Team Brown Family had not yet reached the boats.

Part Two (South Carolina → Georgia)

Part two picked up where part one left off, with Team Geniuses deciding whether to abandon a team member and Team Brown Family dealing with Keith's injury. Team Geniuses decided to remain together. Team Brown Family was informed that because of Keith's injury they could either quit the Hunt or continue, skipping the swamp but incurring a six hour penalty. The remaining Browns, after consulting with Keith, chose to continue.

As teams arrived at the "safe house with the American flag," they discovered that the house was filled with quilts and gourds, and the word FREEDOM was written on the wall. Teams searched through the quilts until they found one with a pouch sewn onto it. The pouch contained a quilt panel with the message "I believed that in America most all men loved freedom and would rather go to their grave free than live their life as a slave." Followed by "This warrants some reflection. Dock Street Theatre, Charleston." The letters R, E and D in "FREEDOM" written on the wall were in red. Team Geniuses was the only team to figure out that by donning the red-lensed glasses retrieved from the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel, a star became visible on the quilts holding the message panels.

Team Brown Family was the last to arrive at the safe house and served out the penalty. The team was then advised to go to the theatre without having to locate the quilt panel and were verbally apprised of the reflection portion of the clue.

At the theatre, teams found a number of mirrors hung on the walls. Teams discovered that by breathing on the mirrors, a picture of a flag, a fort and the words FORT PULASKI appeared in the condensation. This led teams to Fort Pulaski National Monument near Savannah, Georgia. At the fort, teams discovered a room displaying a number of variations of the United States flag. Brooke of Team Air Force noticed a plaque that explained how soldiers hid messages in the finials of flag poles. Unscrewing the finials yielded maps of the surrounding area. Following the maps led to the location where the fourth artifact was buried. The artifact was a reproduction of the death mask of someone identified as a hero of the American Revolution. Although he was not identified by name either to the teams or on-screen, a portrait of La Fayette was shown. Teams were instructed to dig for the artifact, advised that there would be no indication of how deeply it was buried.

All other teams discovered the artifact before Team Brown Family arrived at Fort Pulaski.

External links

 

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