Episode Report Card M. Giant: B | 181 USERS: B YOU GRADE IT Too Much of a Good Thing
By M. Giant | Season 22 | Episode 1 | Aired on 2013.02.17
Jumpers get geared up, talking about the imminent leap with varying levels of anticipation. Meanwhile, their race partners board motorboats for the ride across the water to the landing zone. John is the first to find himself in the doorway of the helicopter with a human being strapped to his back and the tiny archipelago laid out below him. It's quite a stunning landform, with the main island in the center and what looks like a pentagonal sandbar surrounding most of it, with a ring of shallow, turquoise water separating them. It almost looks like a bird's-eye view of nature's Space Shuttle launch pad. With a few excited and obnoxious screams on the threshold of the chopper, John is soon tumbling through the sky and continuing to yell in a way that has me rooting for gravity.
Jamil is a little nervous about "leaving a perfectly good helicopter," but reminds himself that he's going to do anything for a million bucks. He seems to enjoy it once he's on his way down, though.
The second chopper takes off with Connor and Winnie on board, and Chuck is left standing alone on the landing pad watching them go. Does he have to wait for another team to show up before he can leave? I guess we'll see. Jessica high-fives a line of locals behind brick fence on her way to meet John, which she quickly does as he lands safely. They get a clue telling them to take a water taxi to Eden Beach. Jamil is not far behind and soon he and Idries are on their way there in second place. Not that these rankings mean much, given that very little has happened to determine order other than a lot of scrambling around a clipboard.
With a cry of "I love you, mom!" Connor is on his way down. Dave again gets emotional about Connor's cancer ordeal. He's going to wear himself out if he doesn't pace himself. Then Winnie takes her dive and with no catch-up editing, so does Chuck. So I guess he didn't have to wait to helicopter-pool with any of the other teams at all.