Ep 1. A Problem with Chocolate Turtles and Seeds

The Carbonaro Effect is a hidden camera television series that premiered on TruTV in 2014. The show stars Michael Carbonaro, a magician and prankster who uses his skills to perform trickery on unsuspecting individuals. Each episode features Carbonaro performing various illusions and pranks while hidden cameras capture the reactions of the people around him.

In season 1, episode 1 of The Carbonaro Effect, entitled "A Problem with Chocolate Turtles and Seeds," Carbonaro starts off by posing as a sales clerk at a pet store. A customer comes in looking to buy some turtle food and Carbonaro shows her a bag of "chocolate turtles." The customer is confused, thinking that the turtles are a type of chocolate candy. Carbonaro quickly reveals that the turtles are actually live turtles that he has painted with chocolate. The customer is shocked and slightly disgusted by the prank, but ultimately takes it in good humor.

Next, Carbonaro goes to a garden store and pretends to be looking for some seeds. He asks a sales clerk for help finding a particular type of seed, but when she turns her back, Carbonaro swaps out the seed packet for a packet of "candy seeds" that he has created. The candy seeds look like ordinary garden seeds, but they are actually candy-coated pieces of cereal. When the sales clerk tries to help Carbonaro open the packet, she is confused by the candy pieces that spill out.

Throughout the episode, Carbonaro performs more tricks and pranks on unsuspecting people, including a woman who is surprised by a giant bag of popcorn that seems to have appeared out of nowhere, and a man who is convinced that he is holding a talking bird.

One of the highlights of the episode is when Carbonaro goes to a framing store and tricks a customer into thinking that he has an amazing ability to paint portraits in just a few seconds. Carbonaro sets up an easel, puts on a wig and some fake glasses, and begins painting a portrait of the customer. However, instead of using a paintbrush, Carbonaro uses a spray bottle filled with water. He sprays the water onto a blank canvas and then uses a blow dryer to dry it quickly. To the customer's amazement, a portrait of her begins to emerge on the canvas. The trick is so convincing that the customer even buys the portrait from Carbonaro.

Overall, season 1, episode 1 of The Carbonaro Effect is a fun and entertaining introduction to the show. Carbonaro's illusions and pranks are cleverly designed to surprise and delight his unsuspecting victims, and the hidden camera format adds an extra layer of humor to the proceedings. Fans of magic and hidden camera shows will undoubtedly enjoy this episode and the rest of the series.