WiTWICS The Case of the Filched Freedom Fighter

Tracking Robo Crook Across Continents in the Carmen Sandiego Caper

The Crime and the Cambodian Clue

this time they've pinched a plane in Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City... a captured f5 freedom fighter jet complete with a loaded 20 millimeter nose gun

• The program opens with announcements for Acme Crime Net and its sponsors, then introduces the caper: Carmen Sandiego’s henchman Robo Crook has stolen an F-5 Freedom Fighter jet from the Military Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The museum, located in the city still widely known as Saigon, honors Vietnam’s long history of outlasting military powers such as China, Japan, France, and the United States, and the stolen jet with its 20-millimeter nose gun is among its most prized exhibits.
• The Chief explains that contestants can earn 50 Acme Crime Bucks at the start and 10 more for each correct answer, with the top two scores advancing to the next round. The first clue describes the country as Kampuchea to its own people, with an ancient Khmer Empire core and the temple of Angkor Wat, a 37-year construction project. Ricky, Amanda, and Jonathan all correctly identify the country as Cambodia.
• The host briefly introduces the three contestants: Ricky has a collection of around 10,000 sports cards, including roughly 120 Bo Jackson cards; Amanda enjoys swimming, singing in the chorus, drawing, and painting; Jonathan collects comic books, plays violin, reads, and listens to music. The tone is educational and playful as the global search begins.

Buzkashi and the Khyber Pass Point to Afghanistan

the first team to carry the carcass to the winner's circle win

• A clue from Acme Beekman describes the national sport of Robo’s hiding place: two teams on horseback fight to carry a headless calf carcass around a field, and the first team to bring it to the winner’s circle wins. The informant adds that this rugged sport suits tough guys like Robo and that if cornered, Robo could slip through the Khyber Pass into Pakistan.
• The multiple-choice options are Afghanistan, Iraq, and Turkey. Ricky and Amanda both select Afghanistan, while Jonathan chooses Iraq. The correct answer is Afghanistan, reinforcing the show’s method of using cultural and geographic clues such as a national sport and a famous mountain pass to identify a country.
• After this clue, Ricky and Amanda each move to 70 crime bucks, while Jonathan remains at 60. The section highlights the close competition and the show’s emphasis on learning through detective work.

Picasso, Guernica, and a Spanish Lightning Round

Picasso painted it to protest the bombing of the town of Guernica during a civil war in the country where robo crook is hiding

• A cluttered office reveals a piece of Picasso’s famous anti-war painting Guernica, described as 11 feet 5.5 inches high and 25 feet 5.75 inches long. The painting protests the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, and Spain is identified as the birthplace of Picasso, Velázquez, and Goya.
• Ricky and Amanda correctly answer Spain, while Jonathan selects France. Scores rise to 80 for Ricky and Amanda, while Jonathan stays at 60. The host encourages Jonathan not to give up, maintaining the supportive atmosphere of the competition.
• A lightning round tests rapid knowledge about Spain: the Mediterranean Sea as one of the bodies of water around the Iberian Peninsula; flamenco as the classical Spanish dance form, with Ricky incorrectly saying tango and Amanda correcting it to flamenco; and baby eels as a food served in Spanish tapas bars. These rapid questions blend cultural and geographic trivia.

Carmen's Fruit Prank and the Capital of Zaire

what is the meaning of K Congo it's one of the national languages spoken in Zaire but the official language is French because it was once a Belgian colony

• The host leaves to find the Chief’s office full of fruit, prompting suspicions that Carmen Sandiego is behind a practical joke involving an Acme fruit-of-the-month club. The Chief insists on refocusing efforts to capture Carmen rather than being distracted by the prank.
• The next clue comes from an intercepted phone message in Portuguese about a country whose name means “large river,” located on the Congo River, with Kikongo as a national language and French as the official language because of Belgian colonial rule. The options are Khartoum, Luanda, or Kinshasa.
• Ricky and Jonathan correctly answer Kinshasa, while Amanda chooses Khartoum. As a result, Ricky climbs over 100 crime bucks, Amanda has 85, and Jonathan has 70. This section shows how language and colonial history clues help identify capitals and countries.

Rapid-Fire US Chase and a Wager on Neutrality

they haven't been in a major war in 400 years but their army is very strong

• A chase round focuses on United States geography as Robo flies the stolen jet across state lines. Contestants answer quick questions: Cheyenne as Wyoming's capital, Montana as the next state north, the Crazy Horse monument in South Dakota, North Dakota on the path to Canada, and St. Paul as Minnesota's capital.
• These correct responses leave Ricky at 105, Amanda at 90, and Jonathan at 80 crime bucks, tightening the contest. The host uses landmarks, state capitals, and borders as clues to track the crook’s flight path.
• The final clue of the round introduces a wager: a country known for neutrality, no major war in 400 years, and a strong defensive army. The options are Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Jonathan and Amanda both risk 30 on the Netherlands and lose, while Ricky risks 30 on Switzerland and wins. The wager format adds strategic risk and eliminates Jonathan, while Amanda and Ricky advance.

Jonathan's Exit and the Swiss Briefing

Switzerland is politically neutral scenically it is anything but

• Jonathan is eliminated and receives an official Acme Crime Net travel kit that includes a world atlas, a Carmen watch, a subscription to National Geographic World, and a hanging organizer. The host praises his detective work and encourages him to help in future cases.
• The program then presents a photo reconnaissance briefing on Switzerland, emphasizing its political neutrality but spectacular scenic beauty, with about 70 percent of the country covered by mountains. The Swiss Air Force hides planes in carved-out caverns deep within the Alps, which could explain Robo’s choice of hiding place.
• Additional Swiss facts include the role of Saint Bernards in finding lost travelers, the bacterial production of carbon dioxide gas that creates holes in Swiss cheese, and the importance of cows, which can require about 11 pounds of milk to produce one pound of cheese. Some Swiss regions garland cows with flowers and serenade them before seasonal migration.

Locating the Loot, Warrant, and Crook in Swiss Locations

first thing you have to do is find the loot that's the evidence you need so that you can get the warrant with a warrant you can then arrest the crook

• The second-round game requires finding three items in a specific order: first the loot as evidence, then the warrant, and finally Robo Crook himself. Landing on the correct item grants a free turn, and connecting all three in a single turn earns a chance to catch Carmen Sandiego.
• Ricky and Amanda take turns visiting various Swiss sites. They locate the warrant at Parliament and the loot at Chillon Castle, then search places such as the Swiss Postal Museum, the Palace of Nations, the Basel Zoo, and St. Moritz resort without finding Robo. The alternating turns add suspense and test their strategic choices.
• Ricky eventually finds Robo after first securing the loot and warrant, and the host congratulates him for jailing the crook. Amanda is praised as a great detective and receives a collection of world music CDs and a portable CD player. Ricky advances to the bonus round with a chance to find Carmen Sandiego.

Ricky's Bonus Round Hunt for Carmen Sandiego in Europe

robo crook in jail Carmen still free theological does not compute look for Carmen in Europe

• Ricky receives instructions for the final bonus round: he must identify where Carmen Sandiego is hiding in Europe within 45 seconds. He is shown a list of possible locations including Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Estonia, Vatican City, Denmark, Finland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Greece, Slovenia, and others.
• The host reveals that Robo is in jail but Carmen remains free, and the information points to Europe. Ricky writes down his chosen destination and the timed bonus round begins, with the host urging him to move quickly.
• The program closes by noting that all contestants were briefed on game rules before appearing, geographic information was accurate as of the recording date, and the program was funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and viewers. This final section maintains the show’s educational mission and wraps up the caper with the possibility of catching Carmen.