Game Rules Q&A

[Nashville]

Forum for asking - and answering - questions about the show's basic guidelines.

Initial rules:

1. Each couple is notified of a 48-hour time window within which they will be "alerted".
2. Once alerted, the couple has a one hour head start on their pursuers.
3. The couple is restricted to a single cash source during the course of their run - an ATM-accessible bank account containing $500, from which a maximum of $100 may be withdrawn per transaction.
4. The couple's "running range" is confined within a 100,000 square mile area spanning four states - all of Georgia and South Carolina, northern Florida, and eastern Alabama.
5. Escaping capture for 28 days wins the couple $250K.

Question:

If one member of a couple team is captured - does the remaining (un-captured) team member continue to play, or is the entire couple team disqualified?

Edited January 26, 2017 by Nashville
Correction/amplification of #3, correction for all of South Carolina

[MarkHB]

Darn good question.  The only additional rule on the official CBS rules page is that the Command Center receives only their name, photo and last known location.

[calvinshobbes]

I think a rule is the couple must stay together and stay with their camera person. The rule about only receiving name/photo/last known location doesn't seem accurate as one of the field units was able to gain entrance to the lawyer/wife's apartment via a key to mimic a search warrant. They found the calendar and basically found the couple's plans. I am sure the couples had to provide social media, contacts, phone numbers, bank account information, access to their house/apartment for them to track throughout the chase as main guy mentioned they were doing. 

[Nashville]

After going back and re-viewing the episode, I've corrected my original post of Rule #3.  From Episode #1 narration:

During their time on the run each fugitive team can only access money via a bank account containing a total of five hundred dollars, and they can withdraw up to one hundred dollars at a time.

Originally I had the impression the $500 was the only 'seed' money provided couples by the show; I didn't initially catch that this $500 was their SOLE source of cash throughout the entirety of their run.  Also, I had missed the $100 per transaction limit.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Nashville

[MarkHB]

7 hours ago, calvinshobbes said:

I think a rule is the couple must stay together and stay with their camera person. The rule about only receiving name/photo/last known location doesn't seem accurate as one of the field units was able to gain entrance to the lawyer/wife's apartment via a key to mimic a search warrant. They found the calendar and basically found the couple's plans. I am sure the couples had to provide social media, contacts, phone numbers, bank account information, access to their house/apartment for them to track throughout the chase as main guy mentioned they were doing. 

I am guessing - and that's all this is - is that keys, etc. are provided to the producers to be held in escrow, so that if the investigators get the home address of one of the fugitives they're allowed to access it.  No idea about all the CCTV feeds that the producers wouldn't actually be able to get into, though.

[Demented Daisy]

Quote

Escaping capture for 28 days wins the couple $250K.

Wow.  That's way short of the billion dollars a runner got for eluding the Hunters for 30 days in Stephen King's The Running Man.  ;-)

[Nashville]

2 hours ago, Demented Daisy said:

Wow.  That's way short of the billion dollars a runner got for eluding the Hunters for 30 days in Stephen King's The Running Man.  ;-)

Budget cuts.  ?

[kaygeeret]

11 hours ago, MarkHB said:

No idea about all the CCTV feeds that the producers wouldn't actually be able to get into, though.

Wait, I thought it was pretty clear that they had access to the CCTV feeds.

I was a bit stunned that they did not have 'access' to info about what cars the contestants own, altho' it was a bit moot in this epi as 2 of the 3 teams scheduled alternative transportation.

It seemed that if the team that took the bus had just stuck with the car they would have been fine...makes no sense to me tho'

Anyone have an answer for me...what did I miss?

All in all an intriguing start.. I'm in for next week.

I did laugh at the lawyer team making the rookie mistake - in spite of his history - of leaving In the middle of the night when they know someone is watching.  Ever hear of rush hour and blending in with the rest of the commuters?

[JoeSchwike]

Is there a rule about paying for a place to stay or earning it if not close friends? Both the two guys at the farm, and the two women who went to the salon, talked about doing work to earn their help?

[Nashville]

1 hour ago, JoeSchwike said:

Is there a rule about paying for a place to stay or earning it if not close friends? Both the two guys at the farm, and the two women who went to the salon, talked about doing work to earn their help?

As I understand it, the couples' sole cash access for the duration of their run is the ATM-accessible account of $500. 

This would prohibit begging, borrowing, stealing, working a job, or any other method of acquiring additional monetary funds. 

None of the show rules revealed to date, however, preclude bartering, trading labor, or accepting charity for goods or services.

So long as money is not a part of whatever trade is established, it would appear any such arrangement is acceptable.

Edited January 31, 2017 by Nashville
Get a job!

[Charlesman]

My firm belief is that everything in the "bullpen" was staged after all the "fugitives" runs were over. That the editors assembled the footage with empty spaces that just had text reading something like: "Cut to cop explaining how cell phone traces work" or "cut to furious activity in the bullpen". Then, once they figured out what footage they needed, they assembled a cast of law enforcement experts and consultants and had them act out the needed scenes. Probably over a single day or two. Which is why they're always in the same clothes.

I think, when actually filming, the "hunters" in their black SUV were on one side, the "runners" with their cameraman were on the other side, and in the middle were a couple of producers, an independent "judge", and the head FBI guy. The runner's cameraman would call in with updates as to where they were, the producers would act as a firewall and decide what information would leak to the hunters from those actions, and the hunters would then say something like "If this were the real world, we'd get a warrant for their GPS" or "We'd send up a bunch of drones" or "We'd make a fake tinder profile to alert all the women in the area" or something. They'd give this to the producers and judge, and they would confer and decide if it worked or not, and what the results were. If it was something that they approve, they'd call the camera guy: "OK, the hunters would be able to trace them with GPS, where are you right now?" or "Ask every girl they talk to if they use Tinder. If they do, ask them what they'd do if they saw one of the guy's pictures on there." and so on, back and forth.

So, effectively, the entire production is a game of Dungeons & Dragons. Each side is making decisions about what they would like to do, and the producers and a "judge" are acting like DM's deciding if they were successful or not.

Edited February 3, 2017 by Charlesman

[Wings]

On 2/2/2017 at 7:58 PM, Charlesman said:

The runner's cameraman would call in with updates

 What would be the point, lesson, information, fun, interest if, so?   Their camera man calling in their location is nuts.  That would mean there is no hunt at all.  

[CoolMom]

2 hours ago, wings707 said:

 What would be the point, lesson, information, fun, interest if, so?   Their camera man calling in their location is nuts.  That would mean there is no hunt at all.  

Sometimes it FEELS like there is no hunt at all like with the Frat Boys. 

[lovememyart]

My question is why when the FBI shows up to the accomplices' homes do they let them in and search the homes without a warrant and why are they compelled to answer the fbi's questions about the 'hunted' friends they just were with?  It's making us crazy.

My other issue is why is it fair that they get ATM pings when that is the only way to get money and a shoe-in to begin tracking the heels of the 'hunted'?

[NYGirl]

I agree with you.  I wouldn't answer any questions either.  Why did that woman force her way into the guy's house saying he had to let her in?

[walnutqueen]

^^^ Yes, and even if she had a warrant, why would the guy have to GIVE HER A LADDER to search his attic?

Also, why can't the "accomplices" refuse to answer ANY questions without their lawyer present?  That would certainly buy the hunted some time.  Not to mention, some people DO lie to the authorities, despite threats of prosecution for "aiding & abetting" a fugitive, knowing full well these threats are often empty.

This show is so fake, it's laughable.

[windtrix]

It seems like the hunters have no rules (interviewing children, no search warrants, etc.) and the hunted have unrealistic rules like limiting the amount of cash and ATM withdrawals.  Why is it that one side is a complete free for all without rules that would exist in real life situations, but the other side has rules that would NOT exist in a real situation. 

[piequinn35]

On 1/22/2017 at 8:01 PM, Nashville said:

1. The couple is restricted to a single cash source during the course of their run - an ATM-accessible bank account containing $500, from which a maximum of $100 may be withdrawn per transaction.

Is that $100 per day? Or they can withdraw 5 transactions of 100 in one day??

[FastLou]

I posted this in one of the episode threads, but I recall a similar reality show where people were on the run where the contestants and their "friends" (people who signed a waiver and agreed to participate) HAD TO talk with the investigators. They did not have to tell the truth or reveal anything, but they could not simply say. "Get a warrant or go the hell away." If that is the same situation here, it seems like a lot of people simply don't know how to keep their mouth shut when being questioned by "authorities."

As far as RULES - I believe people have already discovered that they Contestants MUST travel X amount of distance every X days. That was in an interview I saw in another post.

             It's also been determined that much of the investigative work - keys to houses, CCTV footage, access to social media - is somewhat faked for the show. But supposedly the investigators must follow the legal steps to get that information before it is provided to the Hunters.

[Wings]

20 hours ago, piequinn35 said:

Is that $100 per day? Or they can withdraw 5 transactions of 100 in one day??

Not all at once.  One withdrawal per day.  Since the hunters have super natural powers (camera guy) withdrawals in 5 consecutive days is impossible.  They barely get one in before they are on you.  

This show had such potential and right up my alley.  What a shame.  I will stick it out, hoping someone avoids capture though.  yuh

Edited February 10, 2017 by wings707

[Nashville]

On 2/9/2017 at 3:49 PM, piequinn35 said:

Is that $100 per day? Or they can withdraw 5 transactions of 100 in one day??

 

10 hours ago, wings707 said:

Not all at once.  One withdrawal per day.  Since the hunters have super natural powers (camera guy) withdrawals in 5 consecutive days is impossible.  They barely get one in before they are on you.  

Actually, this is one of many cases where the rules and/or their terms have never been fully clarified; the show has been deliberately vague about the specifics of the "transaction" ground rules.  

• Hunted's Official Rules site says nothing more than "Fugitives are provided limited funds."
• In the course of the first episode, the narration provided partial expansion: the ATM-as-sole-cash-source / $100 per transaction / $500 max conditions.  
• Once again, however, viewers are left in the dark on the transaction restrictions.  One per day?  One per hour? One per ATM machine?  No clue.

[Wings]

I read that in the rules, too, and came to this conclusion.  If they were allowed to do several transactions in a row then the kayack duo would have done that day one and not had to paddle up the lake to get more money.  To me, one transaction at a time says one per day.  

Why have the limit of $100 per transaction if they are allowed to stand there and make 5 withdrawals in a row?

[kharley]

Do reality competition shows have to follow the same rules as regular game show?  Because regular game show rules are very strict due to a cheating scandal back in the 50s.

[walnutqueen]

6 hours ago, wings707 said:

I read that in the rules, too, and came to this conclusion.  If they were allowed to do several transactions in a row then the kayack duo would have done that day one and not had to paddle up the lake to get more money.  To me, one transaction at a time says one per day.  

Why have the limit of $100 per transaction if they are allowed to stand there and make 5 withdrawals in a row?

But, what if it were one transaction per ATM?  Less than a mile from my house, there are a few mini-malls, each with a couple of banks, a grocery store, drug store, gas station, etc. - all with ATM machines.  Not to mention the convenience stores on so many corners and highway exits.  Ergo, there must be a rule about one transaction per day, or per week; otherwise the hunted would hit a bunch of ATMs immediately.

[Nashville]

Some clarification from a YouTube Q&A broadcast with two of the Command Center leads - Theresa Payton, Head of Intelligence and Lenny DePaul, Head of Operations (thanks @kharley for the link!!!):

• Formal camera crews are not being used.  All runner video capture is via GoPro cameras.
• Hunters are not permitted to hack the GoPro camera feeds.
• The $500 cash available to the runners is not in an ATM-accessible bank account, but in the form of a $500 stored-value card, similar to a gift card, but from which the cash value may be directly withdrawn.
• Transactions on the $500 stored-value card are limited to no more than $100 per day in withdrawals.

[Mystery]

Ah, very interesting!

[kharley]

I read a lot of TV forums and a post today on one of those boards said that the teams had to move at least 5 miles every 48 hours.

[SVNBob]

On 1/22/2017 at 10:01 PM, Nashville said:

Initial rules:

1. Each couple is notified of a 48-hour time window within which they will be "alerted".
2. Once alerted, the couple has a one hour head start on their pursuers.
3. The couple is restricted to a single cash source during the course of their run - an ATM-accessible bank account containing $500, from which a maximum of $100 may be withdrawn per transaction.
4. The couple's "running range" is confined within a 100,000 square mile area spanning four states - all of Georgia and South Carolina, northern Florida, and eastern Alabama.
5. Escaping capture for 28 days wins the couple $250K.

To add to this, a final rule revealed in the intro of the penultimate episode.

In addition to not getting caught for the 28 days, the fugitive teams must also "select an extraction method", then use that to "escape the hunt zone/running range" in order to win.

[Christina]

They are claiming formal camera crews aren't being used for the fugitives? Others are reporting that there are camera crews with them, and the video is clearly not captured by GoPros. Just keep lying to your viewers show.

[Nashville]

Rules update (since P.tv will no longer let me update the original post):

Initial rules:

• Each couple is notified of a 48-hour time window within which they will be "alerted".
• Once alerted, the couple has a one hour head start on their pursuers.
• The couple is restricted to ONE cash source during the course of their run - an ATM-accessible bank account containing $500, from which (a) a maximum of $100 may be withdrawn per transaction, and (b) couples are limited to one transaction per day.
• The couple's "running range" is confined within a 100,000 square mile area spanning four states - all of Georgia and South Carolina, northern Florida, and eastern Alabama.
• Escaping capture for 28 days wins the couple $250K.

Sources: Hunted Official Rules site, YouTube Q&A

 

Additional rules (based on interviews with participants):

• Teams must move every 48 hours.

• Teams cannot return to the same place twice.

• Teams cannot be helped by the same person twice.

• Teams have to use the ATM at least twice during the competition.

• No one can give the teams money.

• Producers can create a rule or take away a rule at any point in time.

Source: RealityBlurred

 

Standing Question(s):

• If one member of a couple team is captured, does the remaining (un-captured) team member continue to play - or is the entire couple team disqualified?