If this review wanders, that is natural. You see, I wrote it with my eyes closed.
Well, not really. But according to Adam and Jamie, it’s impossible for a human, deprived of his or her senses, to move in a straight line. In “Walk in a Straight Line,” they test this by (shockingly!) walking. But also by swimming and driving a golf cart, in suitably safe and deserted areas.
This myth activated something very juvenile and arrogant within me—it made me want to try it. The comedy in this episode came from watching Adam and Jamie corkscrew around on land and sea, while saying that they are doing well. One wants to laugh in superiority. For me, the only thing preventing a Simpsons-style Haw Haw was the fact that Jamie is a superhero (or perhaps a robot). If he can’t do it, I’m willing to believe that I can’t either.
The real-world implication of this myth is that with limited visibility in the wilderness, one is likely to wander in circles, jiggling handheld cameras and crying in the night. But Blair Witch references aside, there’s a lesson to be learned: in this situation, acting like a Roomba might save your life. If you’re a mere mortal, like Adam, you might just draw a deadly ampersand.
Watch this episode for Jamie “dancing” with his hips tethered via ladder to Adam’s.
Meanwhile, the other Mythbusters tested the “myth” that binary explosives will explode in a car accident. Clearly, this is relevant to everyday life. Even Tori, Kari, and Grant hadn’t worked with this substance before, and spent the first few tests seeing how the stuff works. How it works is this: two parts are mixed, and once they’re mixed they need to be shot with a powerful rifle in order to explode. This is so oddly specific that it makes me A) wonder what use binary explosives could possibly be and B) want some.
I won’t spoil the results on this one. If you’re in the habit of carrying fifty pounds of this stuff, pre-mixed, in the trunk of your car, watch Mythbusters to find out if you’re going to end in a spectacular fiery death.
This article was originally published at TV Foundry.