Crime & Safety

'The Cops' Come Home to Share Their Adventure

The Expedition Impossible team was in Concord last night for a viewing party with family and friends.

There were no matching Ford Expeditions in the parking lot last night — but that's no spoiler since the winning team will not receive their $150,000 and new trucks until after the show completes its run.

Officers Robert Robillard and James Vaglica of "The Cops," were surrounded by family and friends at  in Concord Thursday night to watch their team compete on ABC's adventure reality show . The third teammate, Danielle Henderson, was not present.

Neither Robillard of Concord, nor Vaglica of Billerica, who each arrived via Concord Pedicab, could comment on the final outcome of the show, but each agreed that the month they spent filming and competing in Morocco earlier this year was one of the most rewarding experiences of their lives.

"It was an absolute epic adventure," Robillard said, looking back at everything they had do, from rappelling to cliff diving and mountain climbing. "It was the most challenging thing I've ever done in my life."

Traversing up to 10 miles a day over rugged terrain, Vaglica said the most daunting aspect of Expedition Impossible was knowing that no matter how hard he and his teammates worked one day, they were just going to wake up and do it all over again the next. Once he was back home in late April, however, Vaglica said he began to really miss the adventures and had dreams about being back in Morocco, racing against the other teams, for two weeks.

The return trip home was a welcomed one for everyone though. Robillard said when he arrived back in Concord on April 20, he did two things: showered, and slept like a rock.

"We got home late at night, we were tired. I talked to my wife for a little bit, then I crashed. I crashed hard," he said.

For Vaglica, it was the small comforts of home that he missed the most, like "good food, ice, cold drinks, clean clothes," and of course, not sleeping on dirt.

At the party last night, as folks clapped whenever "The Cops" were on the screen, Robillard — who says he had never watched a reality TV show before competing on one — said it was fun to get some insight into how the other teams were working. With each team focused other own challenges, the different competitors didn't always know what was going on with the teams around them.

"We were there, so we know what happened to us," Robillard said. "It's been very enjoyable and interesting to see these other teams."

Now that they are home, and reestablished in their normal lives, Robillard is focusing on his local television show and blog, A Concord Carpenter. He said he would love to go on another adventure like Expedition Impossible, "but it's going to be hard to top that."

Vaglica too said he would someday like to throw his backpack and hiking boots back on for another expedition.

"I would love to, I just don't know what it is right now," he said. "I'm open to suggestions."

Expedition Impossible airs Thursday nights at 9 p.m. on ABC. Check out "The Cops," on Facebook here.

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