Hug your special friend

Task notes

• In front of the marker spot, there are 45 sheets of A4 card, laid out in a nine-by-five grid on the ground, each featuring a seemingly random capital letter.
• Items are hidden underneath some of the cards, including: a cookie wrapped in cling film; a large ball of string, which happens to be as long as the distance between the contestants’ starting position and their ‘special friend’; a compass; a written clue painted on a pebble, pointing them in the direction of 330 degrees northwest; and an iPhone (identical to one in the breast pocket of their ‘special friend’), which has phone numbers (likely belonging to members of production) pre-programmed into it.
• As the contestants turn the cards over, a pattern is revealed in the form of a red triangle against a green background. Along the left and right edges of this triangle, the letters printed on the other side of the cards reappear, spelling out the word ‘MANEQUIM’ (mannequin).
• The triangle is pointing directly towards the location where the ‘special friend’ – a mannequin, dressed in one of Markl’s suits, and wearing a straw hat – is hidden, behind some trees across the park.
• When introducing the task in the studio, Markl mentions that Taskmaster is often credited with bringing Portuguese families together to watch TV. He and Vasco then sing a bar from the theme song to Ponto de Encontro (‘Meeting Point’), a reality show focused on mending strained family relationships.