Steve tells the tale of Eggbert Nobacon
Steve’s attention is immediately drawn to a little stagecoach on one of the shelves, which has “No. 9” painted on it, which he feels is serendipitous, given his involvement with the show Inside No. 9 (note: on the relevant episode of the Taskmaster: The People's Podcast for this episode, it was confirmed that the producers intentionally left this reference in the room for Steve). He therefore decides to put the egg on the wagon and take it on “a hell of a ride”.
With the egg in its cup on the stagecoach playing the role of the explorer “Eggbert Nobacon”, Steve tells the story of his visit to the town of Yolkstone, drawn along by his goat named “Shelly”.
Steve puppeteers the stagecoach through two rows of old-fashioned cameras, which he refers to as the town’s “CCTV”, and states that this some “poachers” (played by dolls of Greg and Alex) to pursue Eggbert. A chase scene ensues through the town, and across a railway line, narrowly missing a train which he names the “Omelette Express”, before the poachers grow exasperated and give up.
Eggbert and Shelly then pass over a slight incline and decline that Steve refers to as “Crackatoa Falls” (though it is labelled “Crackatoa Hill”), before passing between Alex’s legs, which Steve calls the “Cape of Good Horne”, and then riding off into the sunset.
Unfortunately, as Steve begins to open the door of the living room, the bottom of the door knocks Eggbert and his cup off the coach, and there is an audible crack. Steve picks up the egg and claims that Eggbert is still happy, and that the albumen leaking out of his shell is just sweat, from all the risk that he had endured.
In the studio, Greg comments on the duality of Steve’s attempt, with its masterful puppetry but also the impression that Steve is “a very lonely boy in his bedroom”. Steve tries to defend himself by arguing that the crack happened “after the task had been completed”, but also admits that albumen had indeed leaked out.
Steve is ultimately disqualified for breaking the egg.
(Written by M3 / Andres Sanchez and proofread by Karl Craven)
(Illustrations collected by Jenny R and adjusted by David Fuller)
