Ep 3 - We Played a 72 Hour Game of Tag Across Europe (2024)
Hello and welcome to episode three of our game of tag across Europe. Right now, I, Sam, am the Runner, and I'm trying to get to Lyon, France before Ben and Adam can catch me. Last episode started tough for me. I lost a ton of time failing to complete a puzzle box challenge, leaving me low on coins and stuck overnight in the small town of Bassano del Grappa. But then things started to turn around. Ben and Adam got so afraid of me taking a route north that they preemptively went around me to cut me off in the Alps.
And then, at the start of the day, I used a double-up powerup on my challenge, and this happened. Okay, ready? (exhales stiffly) Cursed! Your phone is dead. For the rest of your run, you cannot use your phone for navigation or research.
You may use your phone if a challenge specifies its use (ie. to take a photo of something) or to communicate with the Chasers. Is it good? (gasps) Chat... ...we are s-s-so back! Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.
I might have just pulled the single best card I could pull. Because this is one of the highest-value cards in the entire deck, and I get... 4,000 coins. So here's the thing. This means...
(sighs, blubbers) (in Italian) ...Centrale at 6:26 is arriving at platform three. You okay? Yeah. I think I got bit by one of them Italian spiders last night. Okay, well, you gotta, you gotta reckon that— (in Italian) The train... Oh my (bleep)-ing god. You gotta reckon that Sam is feeling pretty nervous this morning.
Yeah. We are so back. We are so, so back.
Oh my god. That is, that is... Oh boy. Oh boy. He's gotta know that we're right on top of him. Yeah, well, I mean, if we had taken the most direct route to him, we would be over to him... you know, in 20 minutes. Yeah.
We obviously— We didn't do that because we thought he was gonna get further last night. But, he should know that he's in pretty serious danger. I think I need to make a really important decision... quite fast. And that is basically do I go for it this run, or not? In the dying minutes of the veto last night, I did a little bit of research about this morning.
Assuming they position themselves exactly right, Ben and Adam can get here... 6:44, 6:45-ish is the first train in. I don't feel like...
I don't feel like I can make it all the way to Lyon, while evading them, without... train schedules on my phone and stuff. Because the ability to formulate a very specific plan and figure out, you know, trains and stuff is really crucial. I think my best chance of winning... and I really don't like this risk...
is to earn some more coins... get caught here... and then get a— have a really high coin balance and the ability to use my phone again for my second run and be able to just go. But the thing is... It's not a when, it's an if.
Because if Ben or Adam wins, I don't get a second run. And if any of them just take too long, and we don't have enough time, I won't get a second run. But, it's just... I'm just not in a position to win right now. But I can put myself in a very good position to win later.
If the stars align. Man. Okay. Okay. I think that's it. I think that's the strategy. So, we'll— I mean, we'll keep an eye on the tracker.
But we're pretty sure we know where he's going and... Well, he only has one way out of there now. Yeah.
I just don't think he has any options. I think, this is the whole point. Yeah. He's— We will be cutting him off. We will be establishing...
a choke point in the Alps. Which, once again, is a very cool sentence. So, I think considering I'm not worried about getting caught, I think it just makes sense for me to do another double-up powerup.
I think let's do it. Let's get another double-up powerup, potentially stranding me here for 90 minutes. (inhales stiffly) Okay. Cursed! Data leak! For the next two hours, you must provide the Chasers with all the following information: purchased transport, pulled cards, outcome of challenges, coin balance. (squeaks) It's another curse! It's another curse! Oh my— Things never go this way.
The only downside is I do have to tell them my coin balance. Ugh. Which I would prefer for them not to know. Considering it's so spicy. His coin balance is 5,790?! Hold on, hold on.
He just pulled the data leak curse. We can see his coin balance. Which is... outrageously high. Oh my god.
I would like to see the look on their faces when they hear that. And I will, because I get to watch this show. I don't— (wheezes) That's crazy. That is crazy. He has a crazy number of coins. Yeah. I don't... think... it's going to matter.
I would say that this makes me feel much better about our plan now. If he has that high of a balance, getting ahead of him is... imperative. Yeah. Well, this also makes me think that... the stakes of catching him right now ...are so high. Are very high. Yeah. Because if we don't catch him...
He probably has enough to just go straight. My guess is that he has looked at the fastest we could get there, which is that we would be there basically now. And he did the double-up just to try to get coins before we caught him.
And now he has a crazy balance, and he just pulled this curse. And that is a valuable curse. And it got doubled. That's my guess. Yeah, I think that he probably thinks that he's about to lose, and he's just trying to farm coins. Yeah.
But it'll be interesting to see – when he doesn't get caught – what he then decides to do. Surely he'll just go to Trento. Given the fact that I think they'll be here so soon...
I don't think I want to do a double-up powerup this time. So let's just do a plain old, vanilla card pull. You ready? Date an old thing. Find an old structure. You have one guess to accurately predict which century it was built in.
You may not use your phone or any concrete information concerning its construction date. You must make this guess using contextual clues. If your guess is wrong, you cannot find a reliable date of construction, or if your building was constructed during the 20th or 21st century, this challenge is automatically vetoed. He's pulled date an old thing. He's still just pulling challenges. He's just... (scoffs)
Hmm. Oh, date an old thing. Date an old thing.
Okay, okay. This town, I looked it up on the way here, is famous for this old wooden bridge. And I know it's that way.
Let's get on the move. This is so handy. There's a map. You just kinda go through there. Alright, here we go. It's gotta be that bridge.
A good bridge. It's a very vibey bridge. I think Ben and Adam might have just pulled into the station, so I need to be quick. I think he still thinks he's in trouble.
Yeah. And I think, this is actually really interesting. I think he wants to get caught soon. Because I think he really wants a second run. That's my guess, is that he's like, "Please catch me, ASAP."
Which is not what we're doing. Once he starts moving... we'll have one chance to catch him. Mhm. If he goes for the win on this run.
Because otherwise he's just— he's really gonna be able to go without stopping for quite a while. And so we just need to make sure that if he does go for the win on this run... we'll be able to cut him off. (sighs) Oh, Sam.
This is a good bridge. Oh man. This looks so Italian. The water's so blue. I love this.
Okay, welcome to Verona. Two teams, both alike in dignity. In fair Verona, where we lay our scene. Oh yeah! From ancient grudge break to new mutiny. Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. Okay, so, my initial guess...
just based on how old, old things often are in towns like this in Europe... So my initial guess would be... 16th, 17th century kind of thing.
But on the other hand... It is a wooden bridge. I do feel like the fact that it's a wooden bridge does mean that it can't be that old.
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes... a pair of lovers... Eh, I lost it. Say we're in a kind of Romeo and Juliet situation, in that... ...I wanna poison Sam. I don't think something in the 1700s would be... as historically significant.
I think I'm gonna go... Yeah, let's try 16th century. So meaning the 1500s. The 16th century. Hmm.
That "hmm" is me going to check my answer, an exception to my no-phone curse. And discovering that while the original bridge was built in 1569, which would make my guess right, it was completely destroyed and rebuilt three different times, most recently in 1948. Alright, does not count since I guess the entire thing had been destroyed at one point. So, you know, the current version – while designed in the 1500s – was not, you know...
No part of it was built in the 1500s. Yeah. I am confused why I haven't been caught yet. I mean... it feels like if they were here... they should have been able to get from the station to here by now.
Because it definitely was less than a 20 minute walk, and they've had 20 minutes. So, maybe they... psyched themselves out yesterday and went way further than they needed to? I don't know. Yeah, so... We made the mistake of believing in Sam. We made what I believe was a smart decision to go ahead of him so we could cut him off.
The thing is, you can't cut someone off if they aren't trying to get anywhere. We are in front of him, right? We are blocking his path forward. The problem is, if he doesn't move... we can't go after him. Because if we go after him, then he can just go to Trento and go around, and he would beat us there.
And then he would just be scootin' all the way to the end. That is to say, he has two paths to get to his win location. We're showing them on the map right now. And right now, we're in a spot where we can block either. Yeah. So this is quite safe.
But if we go after him, then it'll open up one of those two paths. And he can slip past us. Which means, unfortunately, I think, until he moves, we have to stay put. And I think that means that he can earn as many coins as he wants, and we just have to wait until he starts to go for the win. So I'm currently having to decide whether I want to take the train out of here north.
Considering that, for everything I can tell, Ben and Adam are not here, and therefore maybe I can take that train, which would be awesome. So I need to get there fast if I want to take that. I think I'll make it in time.
I'm almost— It's 7:15. I'm almost certain it was a 7:20-something train. The question is... was it after 7:23 when my veto period ends? And the other question is, do I even want to take it? Look, Sam. Eventually you have to move.
Eventually you have to move. And actually, every minute that you don't move, you decrease your odds of getting a second run, where you can use all of those coins that you earned. But I have to imagine, he's gotta— he's gonna shift gears soon. He's gonna say, "Okay, I've got enough coins. Let's just go for the victory."
If Sam gets away, and we can't get in front of him again, with the amount of coins he has now... He's just gonna go straight to Lyon. So he's really dangerous. Which means that staying in front of him is more important than ever. Where are they? What tomfoolery have they been up to? And how are they not here by now? They must have just massively psyched themselves up and thought I would get massively ahead...
went massively ahead to try to cut me off, and are now not here, so... The train to Trento leaves in three minutes. I think I want to take it, because here's the thing. Trento's not a big place. I think it would take a while for them to catch up with me there.
I don't know, because I can't research, but... if it takes a while for them to catch up with me... I will have safe challenge time where I can get more budget.
It's now 7:23. I'm officially freed from veto period. Are we gonna do it? We're going to make it north of the Alps? I didn't think there was any shot. Yeah. I don't see a reason not to. Oh! Great news.
It looked— It was dicey there for a minute. But it seems he has gotten on the train to Trento. Yep, he's on his way to Trento. Which means that in 15 minutes, we can hop on a train to Trento and beat him there.
And at least we have something to do now. Yeah! Let's do it. This morning I woke up thinking I was gonna get caught in about 15 minutes. And I really don't understand why Ben and Adam could not get there within the first hour and 25 minutes of the day.
So my only thought is that they must have been... really, really worried about how good of a run I was gonna have and, you know, try to go somewhere... in an anticipatory fashion. Like Verona or something, you know? How you feeling? Annoyed. I would say annoyed by how many coins he has. Just gotta make sure we catch him and that he doesn't go again.
(wheezes) Yeah. Yup. I've been eating nothing but those cereal bars. Yeah. For the last two days. They're not bad. Ben, what do you think about the Alps? Uh, I'm neutral.
It's a Switzerland joke. Did that make sense? Is that a good joke? Kind of. These are the Italian Alps, but sure. Look at this. Oh my god.
Gawr-geous. And I bet it's gonna get prettier. Okay. (imitates swishing) Welcome to Trento. Benjamin, I'd like to welcome you to Trento. Sam should be here in a half an hour.
We have to figure out where exactly his train is getting in. Yeah, so we can probably find an arrivals board. We'll have to sort of arrange ourselves to make sure that we can block all the exits from where he might get out. Yeah.
'Cause I do not like that Sam is good at running now. No, that could be a bit of a problem. My legs are completely shot from yesterday.
I do not think that I could beat Sam in a footrace. And though I could also normally beat Sam in a footrace, my legs are also shot. Okay, here we go. Departures and arrivals. I think it's, yeah, it's the one from Bassano. And platform one.
Great. So, looks like he'll get in on platform one. So if he does, in fact, get in on this platform, which seems to be right... Yeah, he's trapped. I don't...
I don't see how he could... get out of it. Our guy is trapped. I think we just post up here and wait for his arrival. Maybe it just works out. Maybe this is it.
Maybe I can... string together train routes in a region that I've never been to before. I mean, from Trento, I'm pretty sure I need to go to Innsbruck, Austria. I at least just need to go north. And then I need to cross into Switzerland.
Crossing Switzerland, I think I could do. Because I've traveled Switzerland a lot. I mean, we were just there with hide and seek recently. I mean, I could definitely get to Lyon once I get to Zürich.
Because from Zürich, you get to Geneva. And from Geneva, it's just a quick train. I mean, hopefully there's a map in the station. Yeah, I don't know.
Hello! Hello. We put the camera on a tall pole. Yep, we're doing some awesome stuff over here. So, we believe that Sam's train which should be here fairly soon... Yeah, 20 minutes? ...will get in right here, on this platform. And then... (whap) We got him.
And then... So... I'm feeling ready. I mean, look, if I were Sam, I think...
I don't know. I don't know what I'd do. I'd say, "Oh no, I'm screwed "because Ben and Adam are so talented at Jet Lag: The Game that I simply cannot win." Yeah, he has so many coins, Ben. I hate how many coins he has.
Well, it's not a problem because he's not going to get a second run because I'm going to win. Sure, yes, you've said this several times. So, we keep forgetting that. Yeah.
Bellissimo. So, I think that if we just... hide behind that pillar.
Oh, and there's even a little... They put a little bench here for in case you're trying to trap your friend who is coming from southern Italy. He can't exit that way. He has to go this way. We've posted up Adam here. I'll hide right behind there. I don't think he'll have any way out.
No. It's a perfect plan. That's his train. (whispers) Signal me. What?
Signal me when he walks out. That train was scenic. Hello.
Gotcha! Buongiorno. Buongiorno. Okay, I need the cards. I do need the cards quickly.
Okay. I hate to be a rush, but... to quote the great Sam Denby, please give me the cards. Now? Yes, thank you. Okay, okay. Good bye. Good bye. Here we go! Alright, well, he wanted the cards very quickly, and I think I know why, which is that— —there is a train to Verona leaving very soon. I looked... sneakily...
while we were waiting for Sam. And I saw that it was on platform two. Okay, Verona. The good thing about this train to Verona is... I don't think they can get to Verona for quite a while. I'm going to do some quick little research.
Okay. This says... that they cannot get on a train to Verona until 12:33.
That gives me several hours to work with, and I could really make some bank. Oh boy, this... This might be a really good start. Okay, I believe... This is my train— wait.
Oh my god! It was delayed. Oh my god. Oh god, the train... left without me. It said it was delayed for five minutes, but then it left on time, and I didn't even look. Okay.
Okay. That's fine. We simply won't go on that train. We'll go to a different place.
(bleep) You got his location? Um... Sam, confusing news. Yes, so you were explaining to me when he got caught that the reason he was running is because there was about to be a train to Verona. Yeah, so I had checked on this.
There was a train at... (phone drops) Whoop! There was a train at 9:37 to Verona. Really well timed.
And we wouldn't have been able to get to Verona until two hours later. So it seemed like a total, obvious win for him. And I assumed that was why he wanted the cards so much. But I think he is... still in the station.
Which does— would not make any sense. It was the perfect train. It was the perfect train. It was the perfect train. And I thought it was delayed by five minutes, because it said delayed by five minutes.
And then it left. (tsk) (microphone grinding) (mouth peels open) (faint mouth pop) Ugh. So... I don't— I'm very confused. Did his tracker update? Oh, he's still here. It doesn't show him on— Okay, theoretically, this could be really, really good for us.
But last time we thought something really— Ben was doing something that was really, really good for us... I've learned now... that when Ben is doing something really weird, it's usually not good for us. On the bright side...
they are not gonna know what... ...I was thinking. That might freak 'em out a little bit. 'Cause it's like, oh my god, what is Ben doing? Is this all part of Ben's... plan? Ben was really confident. He insisted. He had this very specific strategy this season.
He wrote down on a piece of paper his strategy. I did not know this. He wouldn't let me show it. I figured out a strategy...
And what is that? ...that'll win me the game guaranteed. You know what, in fact, I'm gonna do something cool. I'm gonna write it down, I'm gonna show it to the camera, and then you can play this clip when I definitely win. You can't look at this.
This is my strategy to win the game that Sam can't see because it's so powerful. And it's definitely going to win me the game. He has some very specific ideas about how to win this. And I feel like this could...
...play a part in... that? What is he doing? It's mind games. Why would he take— Why would he not take the perfect train? It's because... Now I need to figure out a new plan.
Okay, we're not too long to the end of our jail period. So how about let's go back to— Yeah, we should go back there. We need to figure out what he's doing.
Okay. I think my best bet now is... just hop on the train to Bassano... ...at 10:05. (huffs) The tracker shows him live in the station.
Is that him? Okay. Good bye! (sighs) Oh, man. Caption+ by JS* caption.plus | @caption_plus So, was... Yeah, so he's getting on a much worse train. Ben, why are you getting on a worse train? Why didn't you get on the good train? Doesn't seem to make much sense.
I don't wanna do this one. But we need an answer for the show. I don't wanna talk about it.
But why did you take— I don't wanna talk about it. How can the audience sort of learn more about what's going to happen now? (sighs) Look.. If the audience wanted to watch the next episode and see what happens, they could go do that right now if they signed up for Nebula. I guess that would provide some... Yeah, that would help.
But is there a different way that they could sort of hear you talk more about (bleep)-ing this up really bad and kind of we could sort of make fun of you for it and stuff? Yeah, there is, there is. There is, in fact. They could sign up for Nebula and go listen to our exclusive aftershow podcast, The Layover, where we get into the behind the scenes and all the strategy of the games and everything.
Yeah, the strategy. It's the best way to get the Jet Lag experience. That sounds good. Seems like a good idea. I'm sure he has a lot of strategy to explain.
Yeah, no, I'd love to hear the strategy behind why you did that, Ben. Yeah. Yeah. Nope. Oh, he seems... Yeah, okay.
Well, let's... Yeah, so, you know, another thing you could watch on Nebula is The Getaway. The Getaway is a whole series that we made that is only on Nebula. We worked really hard on it, and basically the premise is that we made, like, The Traitors, but we made everybody the traitor, but they all think that they're the only one. Yeah, it's pretty funny. It's sort of a pretty fun thing to do.
And you know, we're really proud of it, and... It's actually shot on real cameras, not iPhones. It looks good and stuff.
Yeah, we had... We had a whole crew. We had gaffers Yeah, we had— and light people. You know what a gaffer does? You know what a key grip does? We do now, because we had those on the set.
I totally knew ahead of time. I knew everything. Yeah, I know. You totally knew what a key grip did. No, yeah. Yeah, what about a best boy grip? Oh yeah, I am an expert. Helps the key grip! Anyway! The reason why we have that on Nebula is because Nebula makes this whole series and catalog of original content, exclusive things called Nebula Originals. And it's done this with all sorts of creators that you probably already watch or have heard of.
If you go to nebula.tv/jetlag, you'll get 40% off an annual subscription. That's a pretty good deal, isn't it, Ben? Yeah.
That's a great deal! What do you want me to say?! It's a great deal for that amount of content? It's unprecedented! It's—It's unprecedented. Okay. Okay, what do you want me to say? No, that's good. No, that's a really good point. Yeah. Ben, would it make you feel better if they signed up, do you think? Yeah, I don't know.
It'd be pretty cool if they signed up, I think. It'd be good. Why would it— Because we get money, right? From their subscriptions? Yeah, we would.
If they used our code, then we would get a cut of their money. Yeah. We could make the show more and better. Yeah, use it to make the show and stuff. Yeah we could give him another shot at... Yeah, you know. We can, yeah.
We can make another season where you can do a better job. No, he did great. Yeah. Yeah. He did great. It might not have been manifested in, yeah, but he did great.
So yeah, go to nebula.tv/jetlag to sign up. And thanks in advance. And thanks in advance for your support. Yeah. Do you want to say anything, Ben? No.
Oh, okay. I think we're done.
2024-09-14 12:37
