Season 3 Episodes
308: Giving a Helping Flipper
Missions:
7: Seal Rescue and Release
My comments:
Chris was so happy to be helping the seals, it was nice for the group to do something that helped out a good cause.
I have a feeling that Steve and Belou will not last much longer.
Ever one seems to want to the next job I hope that it is everything that they think that it going to be.
What Bonnie had to say about the episode:
Original Air Date: February 24, 1997
Segment #1
This mission: Lend a helping hand and get a seal of approval.
They all take a train to their next destination. The group has traveled 2,547 miles so far since the beginning of the season.
They go to Groningen, Holland. From there they are met by a woman who takes them to work with sick, wounded and abandoned seals at the Zeehondencreche seal rescue center. They take a van to Pieterburen, Holland where the animal center is located. There they find out their mission is to rescue and release a seal.
They try on glasses that show what the seals see when they are underwater. Everything looks lopsided. Chris says they fell in love with all the seal babies. They are cute.
Patrice talks to them about their rescue station. She said what's happening to the seals can happen to humans. The seals howl for their food. The group learns that the seals stay at the center for 3 or 4 months until they are healthy enough to be set free. They learn to feed the sick seals last so the healthy fish don't pick up any illnesses or infections from one another.
The woman who shows them the facility says you can compare a personality with a seal with that of a cat.
For some of the seals, they have to help them eat...sometimes even chew. Patrice says he was frustrated when he realized all these seals are sick because of pollution.
Chris says it's refreshing to see people do this work out of love and not for money.
Segment #2
They wake up very early to start the release of two seals. Chris says the seals looked unhappy when they crated them off and put them in the van. Chris says it's a spiritual experience to set a wild animal free. They load the crates on a boat and head out to meet a group of seals to let them out. They are instructed to stay still and be very quiet so they won't spook the herd who are sunning themselves on the island.
They release the seals. The seals swim out and meet their lost friends underwater.
Mission 7 completed!
They celebrate the release. Chris says this mission got the members emotionally involved the most. They all get a certificate and a book about the seal center.
They take a train back to Amsterdam for their next clue. They get on the train and there's two Barbie dolls waiting for them on the seats. The clue hints that the group will be walking the catwalk in Paris. Patrice gets really excited about going to Paris and jumps up and down.
Michelle asks if Paris is where they hate Americans for not speaking the language.
Michelle and Belou think they'll be modeling instead of doing behind-the-scenes work.
Segment #3
Belou takes a break from the group to spend some quality time with her boyfriend, Steve.
The rest of the group realize they have zero money. Chris gets the idea to wash people's car windshields for money. Antoine is against it because he finds it degrading. They end up scaring most of the people in their cars at the stop lights. They finally convince a bus driver to let them wash a bus. They make enough money to eat dinner that night.
The next morning they go to the bus station. Belou is supposed to meet them, but she is late.
Scenes of Belou leaving her apartment and Steve arguing with her. Belou says there's a lot of distance between her and Steve. She says she left a guy to date him and now she thinks he believes she'll do the same to him. She asks him if he trusts her. He says, "do you want me to yell at you now?"
Belou meets them at the train station and the catch their train. Belou says she was happy to leave Amsterdam and go on their next mission.
End Segment
They roam the infamous Red Light District in Amsterdam. There are scenes of hookers in the windows. Antoine says he's never even spoken to a hooker in his life. Chris says he could never see himself with one of those hookers. Antoine jokes around and asks Michelle if she's turned on by the spectical. She laughs and says sarcasticly, "oh yeah."
What MTV had to say about the episode:
Giving a Helping Flipper
During a day of work at the seal rescue center the sick, big-eyed baby seals wriggle their way into the hearts of our heroes. The next morning, the kids swallow the lumps in their throats as they help release "Jahneke" and "Winner" back into the wild. Back in Amsterdam, Michelle, Chris and Patrice come up with a scheme to make some quick money, and head to a busy intersection with squeegee and Windex in hand to wash windshields for spare change. Next mission....working the runways in Paris!
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