Tar 3/29

[lorene]

Oooh! Oooh! I get to start the new thread.
2-hours tonight. I'll be toast at work tomorrow, so it had better be worth it.
Predictions? Prayers? Wishes, hopes and dreams?

[PsychoBabble]

I was just thinking about making a thread. I'm very excited about the 2 hour episode tonight, I'm so addicted to the show it's scary. I predict that Greg and Brian get injured, have to pull out forcing a non-elimination leg, hence the two hour episode. Also, Rob and Ambuh continue to do well much to Lynn and Alex's chagrin.

[Slacker]

I'm waiting for Lynn and Alex to make a serious mistake due to their Rawb and Ambuh obsessing. I'm guessing they'll misread an instruction because their arch-enemies are approaching, flub a task, get a time penalty, and get Philiminated. The editing is focusing on their Rob-hate so much, it just has to end badly for them. ;)

I hope the brothers are hurt too seriously (or their camera-person for that matter), they're two of my favorites.

Really, thinking about this season - I'm not especially into any of the teams. I'm not especially put off by anyone either, I'm just not rooting for anyone like last season (Kris and John natch, and Hayden and Aaron - yes I liked them so what :P ). Still enjoying the heck out of the show though. ;)

And I'm assuming we'll see the first non-philimination tonight. I'm hoping we see a fast forward too.

[BiblioCat]

And I'm assuming we'll see the first non-philimination tonight. I'm hoping we see a fast forward too.
I agree; I bet tonight is the first non-elimination round.
"... you are the last team to arrive. <looooong pause> However, ...."
I hope the do something other than take all their money, maybe at least let them keep whatever they've accumulated from other rounds. I hate the begging part.

I'm wondering if they'll ever get outta South America.

[Interrobang!?]

I agree with your assessment, Slacker -- I'm not really rooting for anyone but Rob and Amber. I don't want Rob and Amber to be my favorite team -- I don't love 'em or hate 'em -- but who else is there?

Actually, Uchenna and Joyce are okay, but haven't yet shown much personality. Of course, the same was true of Kris and Jon, and I ended up liking them quite a bit, so there's always hope.

But really. Ray and Deana? Ugh. Gretchen and Meredith? Meh, and toast. Lynn and Alex? Shut up with the Rob and Amber thing and maybe you won't be so annoying.

[Judith Prietht]

I'm experimenting with the timer on the VCR (I have yet to move into the Tivo era), so I'm crossing my fingers that it records.

Car crashes are always freaky. I hope the brothers are okay, because I really like them, too. There ought to be some heart-tugging moments as Joyce and Uchenna visit the African orphanage. With all that drama--and Gretchen's bleeding head--I suspect this'll be a good episode.

[jsc1953]

As long as Ramber finishes ahead of the non-ambiguously gay duo; and The Old Couple finish ahead of Ray & Deana; and the brothers don't get philiminated -- I'll be happy.

[FlightlessBird]

I'm half expecting to feel abused by the promo-monkeys. But just can't see that, I just hope no one really gets hurt. (or no one gets really hurt) I'm also expecting a non-elim or a walk-off.

[Fiver]

Me, I set my sights low. I'll be happy if we can go just one episode without rail-thin Amber making a remark about how she wants to lose a few pounds before the wedding.

[The Big Cheese]

I hope the brothers are hurt too seriously (or their camera-person for that matter), they're two of my favorites.

Really, thinking about this season - I'm not especially into any of the teams. I'm not especially put off by anyone either,

I think you mean NOT hurt too seriously...Me too.

and it looks like they go to Africa tonight?? I thought I saw lions and stuff. maybe we'll get another "why do they keep breeding...?" line.

My only prediction is the Unambiguously gay duo will let it be known that they don't like Team Romber.

[Gangster Octopus]

My only prediction is the Unambiguously gay duo will let it be known that they don't like Team Romber.

The real suspense will be whether that happens before Ray says how much he hates be at the back of the pack with the 'oldsters'.

[Broken Wind]

I'm thinking (hoping) that the Dudes don't get too hurt in the car rollover, but maybe their cameraman does (he'd be flopping around in the back while they were belted in up front). It looked like from the promo that two were standing and only one was on the ground. We'll see.

Maybe the Old Couple will have to pull out because Gretchen has a concussion or something. It looked pretty ghastly in the promo but probably isn't as bad as it looked (she was sorta smiling after all, but could just be loopy from her head injury).

I think Rob and Amber will continue to cruise (yay!) and that, yes, there will be no Philimination tonight. I think they'll do something other than the 'lose all your money' thing because A) every viewer seems to hate it and B) it really hasn't proven to be that effective in the past - everyone just begs their money back.

Less than two hours to go!

[RitzyRae]

<very shrill scream>

Why!?!?! Why!?!?! Just eliminate them if you are going to do that! :mad:

[Broken Wind]

Did I mention I love The Dudes? They are cracking me up so far this episode!

"Don't do drugs!"

::fist punch with sizzle::

:p

[lorene]

<very shrill scream>

Why!?!?! Why!?!?! Just eliminate them if you are going to do that! :mad:

No shit. Except, what all did they have in those plastic bags when they were leaving the pitstop, and where did they get fresh clothes??

[GraceTX]

Meredith said that Joyce and Uchenna gave them clothes.

[drm]

I'm a rob and amber fan but that was definately bad form of them not to at least slow down. I like to think I would have stopped and helped but I can't really say until I am in the situation.

[GraceTX]

Wow! I can't believe Rob and Amber didn't stop or slow down to make sure the brothers were okay. Say what you like about Lynn and Alex, but at least they were concerned enough to stop. How many teams passed them up when they were talking to Brian and Greg?

[Broken Wind]

YESSS!!!

Awesome finish!

[Amazingrace]

Oh Hell yes!

I love you Zach Braff and Braff brother! They didn't get Philiminated, but it came down to a footrace with Ray and Deana

What a cool ending. I'm glad to hear that the cameraman is going to be okay.

[Jaade]

I didn't really see the not stopping to help thing as being that big of a deal. What are they going to do? It's a race. They didn't cause the accident and they really couldn't help. The paramedics for the race were already there and four racers were just standing around clueless. I probably would have slowed down at least and asked if they were ok but there wouldn't be much that Rob and Amber could have done and Lynn and Alex were making a big deal about it because they are drama queens.


The end was absolutely fantabulous! I loved the down to the wire ending. I've said it before - I think the race needs more moments like that.

[RitzyRae]

Okay, a bit calmer now...

Go Old People! Way to make your best finish so far.
Go Uchenna and Joyce for just being the nice, cool people you are.
Go Lynn and Alex for really stopping.
Go Boys for caring about your cameraman.

Rob, Amber... why do you think people don't like you? You race well, but you suck.

TAR... why did you make the non-philimination leg worse than before? RitzyRae would have preferred something in the realm of keep all your goodies and get a huge time penalty. Grrr...

[GraceTX]

Will Meredith and the Mrs. get their stuff back?

[PastAllReason]

I dunno; I don't think that Rob and Amber slowed down enough to figure out whether they could provide assistance or not. It wasn't clear to me that they realized that "official" help had arrived, and it certainly didn't impress me that they would have stopped if it hadn't.

Great finish though. And I was really pleased with the way it ended with the race to the line. And with a team going from first to last all in one leg. And for a guy that was starting to remind me of Jonathan-lite.

I don't much like the "lose everything you own rule". I wonder how the race organizers would handle any medication that the racers might need, for example. In this case, the lose all your money didn't seem to make much difference, since travel was by pre-arranged vehicles or by flights.

All in all, two good episodes, back to back.

[Cyros]

Will Meredith and the Mrs. get their stuff back?

Apparently not. When Meredith was on the mat, he said "So even if we stay in the race, we won't get our stuff back?"

[Frostillicus]

Towards the end of the second hour, Ray was doing his best Jonathan imitation with Deanna. What a tool! I feel sorry for her, but it was nice to see them fall from first to last in a single night. At least they each can drive away from their failed relationship in their brand new Toyota vans.

[Broken Wind]

I can't really condone Romber's actions, but I can't really condemn them either. If there were bleeding corpses in the road I would think they were jerks, but there were other vehicles stopped and people standing around, so it looked like things were somewhat under control. I admit the fact that they didn't even stop and ask if everyone was okay was pretty cold, but that could always be the work of TAR editors as well.

Phil did call them out on it at least. He must be taking hints from Jeff Probst this season...

Line of the night: Dude #1 (or #2, I can't tell the difference): "This (bushman) dude is like Yoda or something..."

He-hee!

[Barbarian]

The oldsters never get their stuff back for the entire race! But, way to come back from adversity for your best finish in the race. They won't last much longer-- the fatigue wearing them down is visible-- but they are still trying.

However, I feel somewhat cheated. That wasn't really a two-part episode-- that was two eps back-to-back, although they were very good episodes. I loved the spelunking, the head injury, and the non-elimination twist.

But Ray and Deana? You've just joined the select group of teams that went from first to last. Congratulations on bitching and whining at each other so much that you destroyed every marginal lead you had. And maybe you might want to consider having both team members learn to drive stick shift. Enjoy your notoriety!

Uchenna and Joyce deserve a special award for giving the oldsters clean clothes, while Romber get the 'boo-hiss' award for their failure to rubberneck. A little compassion means teams will let you share their cab, millionaires...

Next week is another two-hour extravaganza, right? Or is it just a recap episode?

[Jaade]

I agree with y'all about the bags. I don't think they should take all of their belongings and their money. I think we all agree that them taking the money is not the best idea and I think taking their belongings is worse. No sleeping bags, no clothes to change into? Poor people! The people who end up benefiting from those non-elimination legs are invariably eliminated within a few episodes anyway because they are weak teams! If they don't come up with a better punishment, I'm changing my vote to no non-elimination legs.

[Mama Tiger]

Next week is another two-hour extravaganza, right? Or is it just a recap episode?

I think next week is a regular one-hour episode and then the following week is a clip show.

Great episode tonight! Even if that new non-elimination twist utterly sucks. And boy, Rob & Amber were getting a hatchet edit tonight -- if this is what other teams have been seeing in them all along, I forgive all of them for their openly expressed Rob & Amber hatred. How hard would it have been to at least slow down and ask if everyone was okay, like all the other teams did?

I'm really glad the brothers are still in it, and that Ray is gone. Poor Deana, to still want a relationship with him. She's got some big problems if she thinks that's a relationship worth saving.

[Broken Wind]

I agree with y'all about the bags. I don't think they should take all of their belongings and their money. I think we all agree that them taking the money is not the best idea and I think taking their belongings is worse. No sleeping bags, no clothes to change into? Poor people! The people who end up benefiting from those non-elimination legs are invariably eliminated within a few episodes anyway because they are weak teams! If they don't come up with a better punishment, I'm changing my vote to no non-elimination legs.
Or give them the choice of "either you lose all your money and start the next leg with no money, or lose all your stuff and keep your money for the next leg." At least they would have a chance to make a tactical decision to ditch the money and beg for more or ditch the stuff and risk resupplying at the cost of lost travel funds.

[jayjay]

Next Tuesday is a new ep, then Wednesday night is the flashback show.

I can't fault Rob & Amber for not stopping, really. What are they going to be able to do? They saw that Lynn and Alex had already stopped and were getting the rundown on what was going on, and honestly, I think it would be more useful to go ahead to the next task and let the main production team know what happened than to stop and stand around with concerned looks on their faces, doing nothing effective.

[jayjay]

Oh, and Lynn & Alex lost a lot of points for me tonight anyway, with their Compton remarks and the Tupac crack. Yeah, it's a poor neighborhood full of BLACK people...must be Watts or Cabrini Green! "The role of Kendra will be played tonight by Lynn..."

[Broken Wind]

Ray: "We need to figure out what it is that is keeping us together, or driving us apart."

Um, one theory: You're a domineering asshole and she's a submissive whiner?

I think your bandana's on a little too tight bub...

Did anyone else notice Deanna's prizefighter eyes in the latter rounds? Did she have an eye infection or did Ray do a little 'splaining to her? :confused:

[annieclaus]

I didn't really see the not stopping to help thing as being that big of a deal. What are they going to do? It's a race.

I totally agree. (And I don't know quite what that says about me!!!)
I was in awe of Rob and Amber's performance with the water sucking and the enormous ostrich eggs. It sounded like it would be the more difficult of the tasks, but that Rob figured it out. He was very smart to pre-dig the hole while Amber sucked her little heart out. All around good job and they're back in close second place. Yessss!!!

I have to say I am in awe of Ray and Deana's performance in the Fast Forward. I could never have done that. And I think they deserved those cars!

That being said, I couldn't be happier that they were Philiminated in the next hour!!! Yesssss!!!

And can somebody please donate a sense of direction to Uchenna and Joyce!
Maybe in exchange for the nice togs they donated to Meredith (He's the Guy!) and Gretchen.

[Broken Wind]

Sorry, I can't keep going on about this episode(s). GREAT EPISODE!

What was up with the whole lion feeding thing?

"Even if a lion were to jump into the vehicle, do absolutely nothing."

WTF??? Next they'll have them carrying chum buckets while dangling in life preservers in shark infested waters. Apparently South African passenger safety rules are a bit behind the times.

[jayjay]

WTF??? Next they'll have them carrying chum buckets while dangling in life preservers in shark infested waters. Apparently South African passenger safety rules are a bit behind the times.

So, if you suddenly had a giant kitty with very sharp sharp ends in your lap, and another 20 or so outside the vehicle, what would you be doing? Staying very still and hoping Simba will get bored and leave, or jump up screaming and run through the whole pride of hungry lions? 'Cause let me tell joo, Lucy, you ain't ronnin' faster dan a lion...

[Mama Tiger]

Considering that when one of the lions did come too close to one of the trucks and the driver just leaned over and whacked it on the top of its head, I suspect they're exceedingly tame lions indeed. If one would have jumped in the truck, it probably would have just wanted a good skritch or something.

[Broken Wind]

"The role of Kendra will be played tonight by Lynn..."
Come on, Kendra's not THAT effeminate. ;)

[Smeghead]

Those were a couple of really good episodes. I've been a mild Robandamber fan until now, and I guess I still am, but I can't defend them not even pausing to check if everyone was OK. That wasn't cool. Everyone else at least slowed down enough to holler out. I suspect the bad feelings were just getting too strong on both sides.

Still, great episodes. I have to reluctantly give Gretchen credit. She still gets on my nerves, but she sucked it up and did a hell of a job after her wound.

[Broken Wind]

So, if you suddenly had a giant kitty with very sharp sharp ends in your lap, and another 20 or so outside the vehicle, what would you be doing? Staying very still and hoping Simba will get bored and leave, or jump up screaming and run through the whole pride of hungry lions? 'Cause let me tell joo, Lucy, you ain't ronnin' faster dan a lion...
I'm just saying the lions should never have had the opportunity to get into the truck in the first place. How about some glass shielding and little portholes to chuck meat from? Or at least some chicken wire or something. I was worried one of the kittys would smell the blood from Gretchen's gaping head wound and decide to kibble her head to bits. :)

[Fenris]

Ray: "We gotta see what's keepin' us together an' tearin' us apart"
Fenris: "Keeping you together? The fact that Deena believes in being kind to dumb animals? Tearing you apart? The fact that you're a dick. Not a mystery, asshole." I really didn't like Ray at all.

Plus, anyone else get that Ray, in another life, was the SDMB's Ukete ("Old people suk")? ;)

So....2 naughty evil teams down in the last two episodes. Several to go.

So, from most disliked to least:

1) Rob and Amber: I begin to see what's so annoying about Rob--when things don't go his way, he kinda gets whiney, don't he? Plus, I don't like that they're getting free help from their Survivor notoriety (although a friend pointed out that it's no more of an advantage than being strong or fast, say) Also, I don't expect him to get out and help or anything--it is a race, but to not at least stop and ask if they're ok is serious dick-like behavior. Bad form. It's also bad racing to not at least stop and ask--they've now pissed off every team except maybe Unchenna and Joyce*--and it woulda taken them 10 seconds to slow down and shout out "Youze guys ok?".

2) Team Fossil--this is the second season in a row where we've got an old couple made up of a gutsy old broad and a whiney old jerk. Meridith is such a pussy. She's not bad though, although she's not as funny as she seems to think she is--but then, hell, Robin Williams, Bill Cosby and Lucille Ball combined aren't as funny as she seems to think she is.

3) I don't like Team Gay, but dammit, they went way up by showing that the sissy act may be just that: an act. When the chips are down, they did the right thing. Good for them.

4) Team POW-Yeah. Dood. I get it. You were a POW in the Gulf. I applaud your service and I salute your courage but...enough. And lady POW--I can't even remember your name. And we're down to the final 6. Grow a personality.

5) Uchenna and Joyce--You're both nice people, you work well as a team. But LEARN TO READ A GAWDDAMNED MAP!!!. Thank you.

6) Surfer Brothers--You have had the suckiest luck, 'cause you've done most things right. I'm rooting for you over Uchenna and Joyce just 'cause you're more competent--but only just barely.

Regarding the challenges: Caves vs Village? DUH. Village--at most there were 15 (5+4+3+2+1) possible combinations even if you were too dumb to figure out that shield=Zulu. Caves? A "needle in a haystack" challenge. The only time you take a "needle in a haystack" option is if the other choice is "stupid animal tricks". On the food VS water challenge, not as easy, but anyone who's ever tried to grind spices in a mortar and pestle knows that it's harder than hell--I woulda tried the water.

Oh, and I loathe the new "non-Philimination" penalty. More begging. :rolleyes: Lovely. Look morons--everyone hates seeing fat, rich Americans beg for money from impoverished third-worlders--so why make it more important to beg? If it were up to me, a team could lose all existing money, get an hour penalty and lose all their belongings AND start with half the money next round--but any begging is strictly forbidden. They can't accept money from everyone.

Overall, a good season and a good episode.

(And what's going on next week? Is next week a clips show and the week after has Team Twink getting a flat tire? Or is it another two-parter? It wasn't clear to me from what Phil said)

Fenris

* Team Gay always had a hard-on for them, they didn't help the brothers, they refused to give aid to the old couple, I can't remember what they did to team POW...but I think they did something. Way to burn your bridges, folks.

[Broken Wind]

POW in the Lion's Den: "If he jumps on me, Kelly, I'm throwin' him you."

Obviously he's not a Veteran of relationships. Kiss this one goodbye dumbass.

[Batsinma Belfry]

POW in the Lion's Den: "If he jumps on me, Kelly, I'm throwin' him you."

Obviously he's not a Veteran of relationships. Kiss this one goodbye dumbass.


Or, when she was leaning towards him, obviously wanting a kiss.
"What are you leaning towards me for?" :smack:

When they got a close-up of Ray's face, while he was grinding the corn, he looked like a big ugly demon. As bad as Jonathan was, he would've never been able to look that evil. He just looked like a blue-haired dork.

But, it was awfully sweet of Ray to not give Merrideth & Gretchen money, "for their own good." :rolleyes:

[scotandrsn]

I got the feeling at some points during this ep that aliens had taken over the racers during the flight across the south Atlantic.

From the Leaderboard (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race7/show/ep02/route/leader):

Ron/Kelly (2nd/1st): As an example of what I mean, was that Rob displaying competence and usefulness in the cave challenge? And achieving a first-place finish purely on merit? Aliens!

Rob/Amber (5th/2nd) And was that really Rob, showing chinks in the armor? I wondered what serious jet-lag would do to this team. Did you see Amber's look when Rob demanded she decide what to do at the FF? She seemed to be saying, "Let me remind you of a few things, pal:

a) We're not married yet
b) Only one of us doesn't know if they'll be sitting on a cool mil after this is over
c) It ain't me, big-mouth"

With 6 legs under our belt, we see that Team Romber's performance is all over the map. We also finally see what happens when Rob is pitted against others in a competition he can't weasel his way out of: he sucks. I can't necessarily see this team in the final three anymore.

Oh, and there is indeed a difference between a competitive nature and a complete lack of human decency. Don't hit your head on that horseshoe, Rob.

Uchenna/Joyce (6th/3rd): Apparently, aliens don't like doubling for people with no sense of direction. Same ol' U/J. Is it just me, or does Joyce look like the aging illegitimate child of Eartha Kitt, Diana Ross and Nichelle Nichols?

Lynn/Alex (4th/4th) And was that the true Unambguously Gay Duo going a step beyond merely disliking and bitching about Team Romber and actually doing something Rob-like to hinder them? I liked the cojones displayed in the "full taxi" maneuver. And their racing was solid enough that they could see to the brothers without losing any net ground in the end.

Meredith / Undead Gretchen (7th/5th) We know she was possessed, because mere mortals can not do what she is doing. I am very much more impressed by this team's staying power than I was a week ago. But there's only so far you can go on a headwound.

Brian/Greg (3rd/6th) Notice how their cameraman nearly snapped his neck, but they were unscathed? Aliens, again, no doubt. See also the superhuman burst of speed at the end.

Ray/Deana (1st/7th) This team was actaully my first hint at the alien takeover. Was that Ray getting humbled by the cooling tower challenge and calling supportively to Deana. And was that really Deana not wussing out at the most justifiable moment? Apparently however, aliens are afraid of cooling towers, and these two were back to normal shortly afterwards, although you could see the alien's Deana suit mask starting to sag around the right eye at the first Pit Stop. I won't miss this team.

Again, for all that people are impressed by Rob and Amber, they can not survive these 1st/5th place alternations, so I'd have to call it anyone's race at this point. Except for Meredith and Gretchen.

[amarinth]

Line of the night: Dude #1 (or #2, I can't tell the difference): "This (bushman) dude is like Yoda or something...""Don't do drugs" was better.

Best editing of the night was them imitating Lynn & Alex and then cutting straight to Lynn & Alex. Glad they're still in it.

Still can't tell them apart, though.

The Survivor duo are thoroughly unlikeable people. And I realize that stunt casting helps ratings, but the famous angle is a huge advantage. I'd be pissed off if I were one of the other teams.

[KGS]

Some serious injuries going on in this episode! I'm like George Carlin, I can't get enough serious injuries.

What on earth was the problem at the corn-grinding detour? Too lumpy? Too dry? Not pink enough? I missed the explanation of what exactly was required there.

I was reminded of season two where they also flew from Sao Paulo to South Africa -- except nobody could get a direct flight, so teams were connecting with flights all over Europe (and one through New York!) The "Amazing Yellow Line" looked like spaghetti. :) It seems like airplane seats have been much more in abundance the last few seasons, which is a drag...I used to love the crazy airport episodes.

Gotta hand it to the old farts, they've made it further than anyone else their age AND did it without money or luggage. Keep in mind this punishment will be taking place on each NEL, so we'll probably see ALL the teams stripped to their skivvies before they reach the finish line!!

[The Big Cheese]

In addition to above:

I don't like two episodes back to back. I'd rather them spread it out, let us savor it more.

- how about that Beauty Queen, when she's shopping....'this is so hard'. Hard??
- looks like next week she blows up at the redneck.
- so in addition to having Americans begging all over the world, now they're gonna stank to high hell.

[Fenris]

Lynn/Alex (4th/4th) And was that the true Unambguously Gay Duo going a step beyond merely disliking and bitching about Team Romber and actually doing something Rob-like to hinder them? I liked the cojones displayed in the "full taxi" maneuver. And their racing was solid enough that they could see to the brothers without losing any net ground in the end.
Yeah---the bit with the taxi stuck out in my mind--if Rob was as good as he'd seemed to be on earlier episodes, he'd have just shrugged and gone on. Maybe bitched to the camera or something, but wouldn't have let the other teams see him have the hissy-fit he had at the train station...or he would have just talked to the bus driver: "Dude, don't youze wanna make more money? Why won't youze take us?".

Either way, the "Oh, so dat's how youze wanaa play? Ok, dat's da kinda race we'll have." is a pretty pathetic retort when that's exactly how you've been playing all along.

KGS--they had to grind the corn into flour--you put the corn into the pestle and mash it until it's mostly powder. Then you dump it into a flat bowl and the woman will sort-of toss the flour lightly into the air. The lighter stuff will flip out of the bowl and into the measuring bowl and the heavier, non-ground stuff will stay behind (kinda like panning for gold). What a lot of teams (Ray and Deanna especially) were doing is spending a ton of time rushing to grind it to meal (which is coarser and wouldn't 'sift') rather than taking the extra few minutes to grind the meal into flour. So, after spending, say (at a guess) 5 minutes to grind each pestle into meal, they took it to the lady who sifted it and then ditched 80% of it since it wasn't fine enough. By the way, TAR racers: assuming that the big ones work anything like the smaller ones, the trick is to A) take turns thumping the stuff--don't try to get both your mortars in there at once and B) twist the mortar when you thump down it'll grind as it mashes--that's why the pestle is rough.

Femros

[lorene]

scottandrsn , you cracked me up with that. I hadn't thought of the alien angle (aliengle?), but, hell, it makes sense.

Did anyone else notice Deanna's prizefighter eyes in the latter rounds? No kidding. At their exit interview, when Ray was saying something about how she lacked a competetive fire or some suck crap, I was like,
"Dude, her fucking eyeball fell out 2 days ago and she's still going!"

KGS , the thing with grinding the corn was that it had to be fine enough to pass through the sifters that the African women were using to sift through it.

Are there any other Six Feet Under fans who kept thinking of the Grinding the Corn episode from last season, wherein Claire had her first orgasm? Different task, different result.

[zut]

A double episode with a non-elim and a footrace to the finish for elimination. And injuries galore.

Taxi Assessment

Stuck in the Desert and Officially Detained - or, Philiminated with extreme prejudice.
Ryan/Chuck and Megan/Heidi and Debbie/Bianca and Susan/Patrick - Do you suppose all these teams hang out together at te Loser Hotel? Rub lotion on each other's backs? Just idly speculating.
Ray/Deana (downgraded from Stopping) - If this had been just a single episode showing only the first leg, I might have been tempted to upgrade this team. Ray worked his inimitable magic to get seated in first class. They got off the flight first. They found the Fast Forward first. They exhibited some actual teamwork -- Ray even commented that they performed better when they worked as a team (duh!). They came in first. Good show all around. And the next leg they imploded. See, I loved the corn-grinding Detour (althoughthe water was a better choice, as the brothers showed), because the whole thing was about teamwork. Not getting in each other's way. Working together. And Ray and Deana blew it. Corn-grinding seems to be a nice metaphor for their entire relationship, apparently. Who'd a thunk? And how much of a dick is Ray? "We're not an effective team because Deana isn't more like me." Ass.

Flat Tire - or, not likely to get anywhere soon.
Meredith/Gretchen (holding steady) - Damn; could this team get any more lucky? I'll give them props for beating out Ray and Deana on the corn meal task, but they also benefited from the brother's wreck and from the first-half non-elim. Still, Racing with no personal possessions is harsh. I'm surprised this team is still in it, and I don't think they will be for much longer.

Stopping for Gas - or, not broken-down, exactly, but not a good sign.
No one this week.

"Hey, Homes!" - or, making meaningless ineffectual comments from the back seat, but in no immediate danger.
Lynn/Alex (holding steady) - I'm sorry, but I'm starting to get bored with this team. I don't really dislike them, but I don't particularly like them, either. They have personalities, unlike Ron and Kelly. But they just don't strike me as winning. Or losing badly.
Brian/Greg (downgraded from Passing Lane) - Ooooh. Terrible luck with the rollover. But they didn't give up and Raced their hearts out, and made it to the mat just before Ray and Deana. You've got to love them, just a little, for that; it's the people that want to Race -- really want to Race -- that makes this show great. I'm not exactly sure how this team will react to their Horrible No Good Very Bad Day, so I'm putting them here in the middle of the rankings. The next episode should be interesting.

In the Passing Lane - or, ahead of the pack, but not quite comfortably.
Ron/Kelly (upgraded from "Hey, Homes!") - OK, another first place. Time to upgrade this team. They seem to perform competently, but they're still so... colorless. Or something. I still haven't really gotten a handle on them yet. However, they haven't been in danger of elimination since the first episode. Now that the competition is fiercer, I'm wondering what will happen when they're both fatigued and trailing. Can they hold together? We might find out next ep.
Rob/Amber (downgraded from Cruisin') - A second place isn't bad, but I'm still downgrading this team. It looks to me like fatigue is setting in. The Fast Forward was a tactical error, and hanging around to see if Deana took a dive only compounded it. They did pick the correct Detour to jump ahead of some other teams, so they weren't hurt too badly, but still. Following Lynn and Alex to miss the airport wasn't so hot either. Rob was obviously frustrated at the spear-throwing Roadblock. More telling yet is that Rob is letting Lynn and Alex get under his skin. See, Boston Rob, if your strategy is to make the other teams lose focus by obsessing over you, that's all well and good, but you can't fall prey to your own scheme. A readjustment is needed here, methinks.

Cruisin' with Earl - or, drivin' on the shoulder, takin' shortcuts, and generally kickin' butt.
Uchenna/Joyce (holding steady) - Certainly showing promise. A wrong Detour choice in the first leg, but that's only in retrospect. I think Joyce should have taken the shopping Roadblock, but we'll see if it hurts them down the stretch. I'm a bit concerned about this team's prediliction for getting lost, but they also the didn't follow Lynn and Alex, and thus found the airport successfully. Good work. I think -- and this is important -- that this team has the best intra-team dynamic; at the end of the race when fatigue really sets in, that's going to be critical. So they stay here on the top of the rankings. Unless they get really, irretrevably lost, I'm thinking they're a lock for the final three.

Props to Mullinator and his Raj Ratings.

[Edward The Head]

Those were some pretty good episodes. And before I was luke warm with Rob and Amber, now I'm really not liking them.

So lets see, I like the taking of the packs, though I still hate the taking of all the money. Quite frankly I think had I been in last place and known it I would have just given all my money to the kids. It's not like I will need it if I get the boot, and if you would get the non-elimination round you don't get any money anyway. I'm pretty sure that Phil/CBS/TAR doesn't need the hundred bucks or whatever.

The gay couple, way to tell it to Rob and Amber in the cab, that was funny. Gotta love seeing the "full" bus with just the two of them. Good on you for stopping too, I don't care if it is a race or not, people could have been badly hurt and there's no one around.

Yo brothers, at least learn how to drive, it might be a race, but on roads like that you don't need to be driving that fast, no one can pass you and you can see what happens. At least you were cool enough to worry about your camraman and I'll forgive the wreck, but learn from it. And that was a hell of an ending you gave us, I'm glad you didn't just quit.

Did anyone happen to catch Gus and Hera on WUSA 9 in the DC area? I set up my DVD recorder to record and it wouldn't do it. It kept telling me disk error even though it was somewhat recording, so I missed them. I did catch that Gus will be in Korea next week. And for those in the DC area Gus is on the day after the show around 6:40am. I wasnted to know what he thought of the brothers and all.

[Draelin]

Man, I love Brian and Greg. I think mostly because I am also a big fan of the word "spelunking" and any reference to Yoda. Great comeback from total disaster. They picked the right Detour and caught up to the Dysfunctional Duo, and then ran their fannies off to get to the mat. They are now both on my list of Reality TV Boyfriends, along with Ian the Dolphin Boy. :)

Gretchen is a tough old broad. She whines on occasion, but less than her husband, so I'll give her props for that.

Deana seriously looked like somebody'd kicked the shit out of her by the time they got to the corn-grinding. I'm not sorry to see those two gone. Sometimes an antagonistic team is fun to watch--not this time.

Rob, Rob, Rob. *sigh* I almost hope that you end up bleeding on the side of the road, and no one stops to ask if you're alright.

[MissTake]

Ray and Deanna on The Morning Show today-
"We picked the wrong lady. Everyone else got through fast, but she didn't like anything we did"
"I was a jerk, and I know it"
"They (old folks) were our competition"

and..


"We're getting married in May"
Oy.

[Draelin]

and..

"We're getting married in May"
Oy.
Aw, hell. That's a sign of the apocalypse, I think.

[MissTake]

(I hit enter too soon!)
LilMiss posed the thought that Uchenna & Joyce may go back to the orphanage and make a family. I like that thought, and I hope they get over the constant "I can't have babies" and see the other side of creating a family.

Yes, Meredith is a bit of a whiner, but his concern for Gretchen was sweet. I mean, picture if it was Deana? "C'mon, stop your bleedin' and whinin'!" I do think they would be lost without each other.

I loved watching Rob throw his hissyfits. Karma is a bitch, baby.

I think the brothers are at the end of their ropes. They are physically and emotionally wasted. Unless they can catch a break, I think they might be the next gone.

[annieclaus]

Ray and Deanna on The Morning Show today-
"We picked the wrong lady. Everyone else got through fast, but she didn't like anything we did"
"I was a jerk, and I know it"
"They (old folks) were our competition"

and..


"We're getting married in May"
Oy.

And the divorce is scheduled for. . . when???

[DeVena]

I'm not sure how I like the giving-up-all-stuff on the NELs but you have to admit that if any team didn't need to lug around 80 lb packs, it's Team Headwound.

[RitzyRae]

At their exit interview, when Ray was saying something about how she lacked a competetive fire or some suck crap, I was like,
"Dude, her fucking eyeball fell out 2 days ago and she's still going!"
Yeah, what was with that? First, it was her eye. Then her lip looked all beat up. Everytime you saw her, she looked like she had more and more face wounds. Creepy.

[ElvisL1ves]

Nice couple of eps, any time the most annoying team bites it is good. Also good to see the smirk wiped off Rob's face several times, even though we didn't see his reaction to Phil telling him they were the only team not to stop for the Bros. Best of all was his realization that all the other teams are shunning them, and if there were a Tribal Council coming up he'd be out on his ass next. Romber were also the only team not to give the Golden Oldies any cash. Loved seeing Bitch Queen and Mr. Slave shut them out of the bus.

[scotandrsn]

... but they also didn't follow Lynn and Alex, and thus found the airport successfully.

Ah, yes, of course. That was U/J's alien moment, failing to go in the wrong direction for once.

[lisacurl]

LilMiss posed the thought that Uchenna & Joyce may go back to the orphanage and make a family. I like that thought, and I hope they get over the constant "I can't have babies" and see the other side of creating a family.
Thank you! I said the same thing.

[Atrael]

Meh....I'm not sure why all the hating about Rob/Amber not stopping. There was one other team there, plus the original team, and they were basically all standing around looking at the guy on the ground. It's just like any accident you pass on the road, if there are people already there, and you don't have any particular first aid skills to contribute, then why stop? Sure the other teams sort of slowed down to ask if everyone was alright, but if they had been really concerned they'd have stopped, then asked if everyone was alright. That sort of slow down, but really keep going thing they did meant they really weren't going to stop. After all, nobody was in the road flagging people down.


It's interesting to note, that if it weren't for the accident, the brothers would have been way ahead, and Ray and Deena would have probably been eliminated anyway.


I still hate the taking money penalty, but kinda liked the "take everything they own" penalty. I'd rather that be the penalty rather than that and taking their money.

[scotandrsn]

Uh oh, folks, take another look at the Leaderboard (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race7/show/ep02/route/leader):

It only shows the results of last night's second leg. There are only going to be two more non-elims before the end, yet they show seven more episodes to fill(assuming ep 12 and the final are the usual two-hour extravaganza).

So I smell the stank of another No-Pit-Stop cliffhanger next time.

[annieclaus]

Romber were also the only team not to give the Golden Oldies any cash.

Actually, Ray and Deana refused to give Meredith and Gretchen any money as well. But Rob was the only one to call them "con artists."

And isn't it kind of beside the point if survivors of a non-elimination leg can just ask their fellow racers for money to replace what they had to give up?

[ElvisL1ves]

They got extra clothes from U/J, too. I agree; I'd rather see the saved-by-the-bells just get an extra roadblock instead of getting mugged.

[Atrael]

I've always thought that they should be given more tasks during the next leg. Like make them do both detour options. Of course, you'd have to change the legs a little bit in order to give anyone at least a chance. They need to go back to more puzzle solving tasks, rather than just physical challenges. And less helpfull clues. More along the lines of "Your next clue is by the large ardvarck in Boswana" or something. Let them figure out exactly where it is.

[Judith Prietht]

I liked being able to see the other teams cheering on Gretchen and Meredith at the Pit Stop; that Pit Stop, in itself, was pretty neat. Even though I'm not really a fan of sleeping outside.

I also liked the edit of Gretchen saying offscreen, "Be good, children," and a shot of a kid bouncing a soccer ball off another kid's head, and the kid turning around all pissed off and shocked. I thought it was a good Roadblock, in the sense that it meant something and wasn't just a pointless task. I like it when the tasks have a cultural or emotional significance.

Everyone's pretty much covered everything else, so I'll just say that after this episode, I think I'm in love with the brothers. I really like their relationship; it's honest, and funny, and their love and concern for each other is totally genuine and admirable. I hope they stay in it, and I hope they make it to the final three.

[jsc1953]

As long as Ramber finishes ahead of the non-ambiguously gay duo; and The Old Couple finish ahead of Ray & Deana; and the brothers don't get philiminated -- I'll be happy.

I'm triple-happy. Philiminating Ray & Deana was an extra bonus.

Rob seems to be losing his joie de vivre - it's no fun anymore. Can't make a decision at the Fast Forward. Decides to follow everyone heading in the wrong direction, instead of leading. And put me firmly in Rob is a Jerk camp: the decent, human thing to do was to at least stop for 10 seconds and say "everyoneok?great(screeeevrooom)."

However, best line of the night was "Boston Rob! This is soooo exciting....!" Who knew Survivor was a big hit in South Africa?

I love the brothers. "zziiipp. Go home and give your mom a big hug, and eat all her chicken enchiladas until you go into a food coma."

I dunno about giving up the packs. Downside: stinky clothes. Upside: traveling light 'n fast. What's in their packs that they can't do without?

[scotandrsn]

They got extra clothes from U/J, too. I agree; I'd rather see the saved-by-the-bells just get an extra roadblock instead of getting mugged.

I think this stemmed from early seasons, where talented teams hitting a patch of bad luck were able to come back almost too easily from non-elimination. But the taking of the money and stuff thing isn't doing much to make a challenge, and the spectacle of them begging leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Here's my suggestion. There are all kinds of things that artificially add time time your finish, but nothing that subtracts time. Right at the top of the ep after non-elimination, the team is delayed by another two hours, then is given the choice to start racing or take on some difficult task to perform. If they succeed, they get six hours subtracted from their finish time for the leg, possibly catapulting them ahead of other teams, unless the non-elim challenge and the rest of the leg take too long. Their choice. Then they get to have one of those moments where Phil sits two teams down for a chat:

"Ron and Kelly, although you finished second to last, Lynn and Alex completed their Non-Elimination challenge, subtracting six hours from their time. That places them ahead of you by 45 minutes... (pause for reaction shots from teams, back to C/U of Phil) ... so I'm sorry to tell you you've both been eliminated from the Race."

Or they could just return the Fast Forward to the status of something that is available every episode again, and revive the usefulness of that option.

And screw the Yield. (I know it nothing to do with the rest of it, I just felt like saying that.)

[Gangster Octopus]

Well that was one of the best, if not the best TAR ending ever. -10 points to Rob And AMber, +10 to Lynn and Alex for the Borthers. But -15 from Lynn and Alex for their stupid remarks about S.Africa.

[Barbarian]

scotandrsn that is strange, but I'm hoping that's a goof caused by lack of sleep on some producer. And if not-- more TAR episodes!

As for what's in their packs-- travel guides, raincoats, sandals, food, sunglasses, cold weather gear... Any non-eliminated team is going to be suffering when they get back to the northern hemisphere.

[Mama Tiger]

Uh oh, folks, take another look at the Leaderboard (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race7/show/ep02/route/leader):

It only shows the results of last night's second leg. There are only going to be two more non-elims before the end, yet they show seven more episodes to fill(assuming ep 12 and the final are the usual two-hour extravaganza).

So I smell the stank of another No-Pit-Stop cliffhanger next time.

According to a recent post from Aaron of TAR6 over on TWOP, that No-Pit-Stop leg was the result of production stupidity -- they didn't learn until they were actually IN Hungary that begging is against the law there. So they just turned it into an über-leg on the spot. That was definitely not a preplanned occurrence.

The brothers definitely had some funny stuff last night. "Spelunking. I just love saying it!"

[Jaade]

[

Are there any other Six Feet Under fans who kept thinking of the Grinding the Corn episode from last season, wherein Claire had her first orgasm? Different task, different result.


Gah! I've not seen that episode yet. :(

[Robot Arm]

Wasn't it Ray who said to Meredith and Gretchen that he might give them some money later in the leg, once they found out how much they could spare? Right at the end, when it was clear that they were on the way out, they should have donated everything (money, clothes, everything) on the spot. (And if it's another non-elim leg, Phil's taking it all anyway.)

I had a question about the water challenge. Were you only allowed to suck the water up into the straw to transfer it to the egg, or could you suck up a whole mouthful? Amber mentioned that Rob was filling the eggs much faster; I'm wondering if there are ostrich eggs buried somewhere in Botswana filled with Rob's backwash.

Hi, lorene, long time, no see.

[zut]

I think this stemmed from early seasons, where talented teams hitting a patch of bad luck were able to come back almost too easily from non-elimination. But the taking of the money and stuff thing isn't doing much to make a challenge, and the spectacle of them begging leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Actually, I kind of like the current take-away-your-worldly-goods setup; the exception being that I'd like to see the non-eliminated team get the cash at the start of the next leg (but they'd still have to give up the cash they had). That gets rid of the begging, which isn't really enjoyable to watch, but still puts the team in a bind. Then they'd have to make the decision about how to spend the money they do get. Do they save it up, or replace the maps and guidebooks and winter hats and whatnot thet they've lost? Decisions, decisions.

I don't think the non-elimination penalty should be unduly harsh -- it wouldn't be enjoyable to watch an episode where one of the teams is surely going to lose because they have to do an extra task or something. But the penalty should be just enough that teams will put forth some effort to avoid it.
Or they could just return the Fast Forward to the status of something that is available every episode again, and revive the usefulness of that option.Yeah; amen to that. The FF just isn't a factor any more. At least they ought to have the FF available on four or five legs, instead of just two. As it is, they might as well just can it.

[Green Bean]

Karma, sweet karma. I love you, you twisted bitch!

Ramber fell far in my personal standings this week. On one hand, it's stupid to try to play this game with "alliances" like Patrick and Susan tried to do, but on the other hand, it's stupid to antagonize the other teams if you don't absolutely have to. And it seems like doing a little good turn for other teams can really pay off--they may return the favor. In the end, you have to put your own team first, but if you can afford to be friendly, why not?

Now, Lynn and Alex had a major hate on for Ramber from before day 1, but Ramber did nothing to mitigate that. If anything, they gave Lynn and Alex even more reason to dislike them. Ordinarily, I'd think that Lynn and Alex insisting that there was no room in the cab would be a fairly dickish maneuver, but in this case, I think it was entirely justified. More than justified. It was great!

Here's my list, in order of most liked to least liked.

1. Uchenna & Joyce: They've shot up from "meh" to favorites. They're pretty low-key, so they didn't get much screen time at the beginning. Also, their initial introduction segment put me off. Racing to save their marriage and to afford more fertility treatments? Ick. But as I've gotten to know them a little better, I find them refreshingly normal and nice. I wonder if the producers played up the baby thing in the beginning just to give them a "story." And I was worried that they'd get really annoying with the whole "African homeland" thing this episode. But they didn't. They just seemed to really appreciate being there. Anyway, I'm rooting for them.

2. Brian and Greg: "Don't do drugs." Funniest line of the whole series so far. What, are you going to tell them not to take any wooden nickels, too? These guys are pretty good racers, but their consistent bad luck makes me wonder if they're doing something to bring it on themselves. Anyway, they're cute and nice and I just want to take them home and give them milk and cookies. And then have them take off their shirts and pound my corn. Rowr!

3. Ron & Kelly. They're not #3 because I like them so much, but because I dislike them less than the others. Actually, I'm starting to like her more and him a whole lot less. She seems like the type of person I wouldn't want to be friends with in real life, but that I might respect. Different values and all that. But she seems like a trouper, and doesn't mind getting dirty or looking foolish. Ron, on the other hand, is a big losery oaf. Nice to see that the military training finally paid off with the rapelling and spelunking. And overall, they're decently good racers.

4. Meredith and Gretchen: Still annoying as all-git-out, but I was impressed with the way they handled the head injury and the losing of all their stuff. They didn't give up (unlike stinky Patrick). Good for them. Most importantly, they beat Uekte...er...Ray and Deana. Take that, you ageist pig!

5. Rob and Amber: So, apparently Rob is aware that Amber rides his coattails. Heh. Their continual unnecessarily jerky behavior and obvious conceitedness has really begun to irk me.

6. Lynn and Alex: Oh, how do I hate thee. Let me count the ways. Oh, who am I kidding. I can't count that high. Look, it's one thing to be so ignorant that you don't know Joburg is a "real city." It's another to think that that kind of ignorance is okay. Jerks. And the the "catty queen" thing is so five years ago. But they're pretty good racers, I'll give them that.

[middleman]

Man. Ramber are being treated like a red-headed stepchild! Which is exactly what Lucille Ball would have been, had her parents divorced and remarried someone else (A weak joke? Maybe. But, you count all the I Love Lucy references in this thread!)

A few random thoughts:

* Ramber at least should have pulled a Ray/Deana. Take your foot off the gas. Continue to coast, roll down the window, mutter a concern and gun it before you hear the response. Rob made it tougher for his defenders this week.

* I like this season because the inter-couple tension seems natural. We saw the first rift in the Ramber relationship at the cooling tower. He almost flat-out said "The next time you make a strategic decision in anything will be the first." Someone laid out the three things going through Amber's head. Allow me to add one to that list:

(d) "You KNOW I don't ever make decisions!"

* I love that the clip show is supplemental next week and not a replacement episode. Thank You, TAR Producers.

* I loved the new penalty. I only wish it would have REPLACED the money penalty. I imagine that the next team to finish last, if there is time, will be wearing everything they own.

* I loved the ongoing "Meredith is the guy" bit.

* I still don't think Ray is that bad. She really did stink. All he kept doing was act like a coach. He may be abrasive, but his comments were not even Ass-lite. I will say though, speaking as a man that has been happily married for five years, that "the ability to compete" in a Race Around the World! is not a prerequisite for a healthy marriage. That sounds like the kind of excuse Seinfeld would use to dump a woman.

* I liked the fact that this was two seperate episodes. We had TWO conclusions to get excited about. And at the end of this one, there was finality. It really lessened the suckitude of the NEL. Because we had instant gratification the next hour of seeing Ray get bounced.

* Ron seems like such a tool. He seems like a stereotypical military guy (not a bad thing) who got thrust into the "hero" role and is acting like he thinks he is supposed to act. I doubt Ron has much personality or individuality at all. That kind of thing plays well when you are making a speech at the Rotary Club, but not in an inter-personal dynamic.

I also think he may benefit from Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Kelly was clearly attempting cute affection. He's either blind, or in denial. I am starting to like her, if only because she is trying to be nice to him. He is now my least favorite person left on the race.

*I doubt there will be any psychological baggage hindering Team Dude. The fact that they got in the Hummer after the Detour and RACED Ray and Deanna to the Pit Stop took moxie. I would think you'd be more likely to take it slow after that wreck. I think that was very cathartic.

* Fenris, I must be dumb. The only thing I know about "Zulu" is that it is a a time zone and a word the army uses for the letter Z. I had no knowledge of their tribe. I would have totally missed any spear reference!

[middleman]

And then have them take off their shirts and pound my corn. Rowr!

That is one of the single, dirtiest metaphors I have ever read! Move over, Danielle Steel!

:eek: :D

[jsc1953]

The only thing I know about "Zulu" is that it is a a time zone and a word the army uses for the letter Z. I had no knowledge of their tribe. I would have totally missed any spear reference!

You must not have seen the movie (of the same name) 185 times. As soon as I saw the spear (assegai, IIRC) and shield, I wanted to bang them together and start chanting.

[Interrobang!?]

Yes, it would have been nice of Rob and Amber to do the polite "need any help?" driveby. But I also thought it was unnecessary for Lynn and Alex to stop themselves. It's nice, yes, but it's not like this is an event cut off from any human contact -- there were people able to move around after the accident, and the production team has ways of contacting each other so it's not like L&A or any other racers were necessary for reporting the accident.

That said, I'd have stopped, but I'm not the competitor Rob is, for good or ill.

Not that I'm defending Rob, but the incident doesn't make me think less of him. His sour grapitude about L&A not sharing a taxi, on the other hand, does, just because if the roles were reversed he'd have done the same thing. Nothing wrong with that, but don't get pissy when your own self-reliant strategy gets in your way.

I'm still not in love with any of these teams. The brothers are nice enough, Uchenna and Joyce are nice enough, but I wouldn't be upset to see either of them leave the game. Or win it. But oh, it was sweet to see Brian and Greg outsprint Ray and Deana to the mat, because R&D were easily my least favorite team left in the race.

Finally, Ron is a tool.

[BiblioCat]

Wasn't it Ray who said to Meredith and Gretchen that he might give them some money later in the leg, once they found out how much they could spare?
Yes, it was Ray. He said something along the lines of, "Not right now, but maybe later." Like he wanted to see how much money they'd need for the leg and he'd give him some after it was over.
Anyone know if they would have had any contact with the others afterwards or are the recently Phil-imenated whisked off without saying goodbye?

[lorene]

Gah! I've not seen that episode yet. :(

Crap.
Jaade , I'm really sorry. I didn't think to put a spoiler from a different show in a spoiler box, especially since I know there are open spoilers about that episode floating around here.

I missed part of the neginning of the 2nd show, and I'm a little bit confused about the non-philimination mugging. I thought he said to Gretchen and Merideth that they had to start this leg of the race without a penny to your names , or something to that effect, and I took that to mean that they couldn't beg from other teams or even the world at large prior to starting the race. When did they ask the other teams for money?

Hi, lorene, long time, no see. Hello to you, too! I saw you in a thread about last season's TAR, and I made some joke about not seeing you around these parts in a while, and then I wondered if perhaps you had been off running the Amazing Race 7. When you neither confirmed nor denied it...well, I just wondered if we'd be seeing you on TV. Maybe next season ;)

[Robot Arm]

I've got a better idea. You'll probably want to make plans for this in advance by having an alliance (ugh) with another team. If you're the last team coming to a pit stop, give everything to that other team except your passports. If it's a non-elimination leg, you can stand on the mat and tell Phil you don't have anything for him to confiscate. Then, during the rest break, the other team gives you your stuff back.

It's not a perfect plan, and I hate the idea of alliances intruding into a mostly objective contest, but it could be worth a shot.

There was something at the first pit stop that I thought was interesting. When Ray and Deana got to the mat, Phil pointed them to two SUV's and said "you've won those two cars." (or words to that effect.) If I'm going to win a car, I'd prefer one with the steering wheel on the left.

[Robot Arm]

Hello to you, too! I saw you in a thread about last season's TAR, and I made some joke about not seeing you around these parts in a while, and then I wondered if perhaps you had been off running the Amazing Race 7.Not exactly, but close. I had the opportunity to do a bit of traveling. It was odd to read about TAR at the Brandenburg Gate about a week after I'd been there myself. And in Paris I had to hurry halfway across the city and back again and caught my train by one minute. Bring on the race, I'm ready.


When you neither confirmed nor denied it...well, I just wondered if we'd be seeing you on TV. Maybe next seasonI must have missed that post. And I won't be in next season's either. I have such a small family I'd have trouble getting together a team of four. If they go back to two-person teams, I might know someone who's up for it.

[Fenris]

* Fenris, I must be dumb. The only thing I know about "Zulu" is that it is a a time zone and a word the army uses for the letter Z. I had no knowledge of their tribe. I would have totally missed any spear reference!

(Shield! ;) )

Watch the movie "Zulu" or "Zulu Dawn" (one of the two rocks--the other is...ok.)--They're based on a real story In one point in one of the movies (the better one), the Zulus are thumping their spears against their shields and chanting and the Brits respond by singing "God Save The Queen" or some-such"--which apparently really happend. Great movies and highly recommended. I've read a little about the Zulu beyond the movie: they're, perhaps the coolest, most kick-ass tribe/nation in Africa.

I don't remember if I'm right, but I would have guessed that the mask=Xhosa as well. IIRC, Miriam Makeba is Xhosa and didn't one of her album covers feature a similar mask?

Fenris

In any case, it was an awsome challenge.

[levdrakon]

It's been awhile since something on TV made me cry.

I was fine when the boys crashed their vehicle. I started fumbling uncomfortably when they seemed to express genuine remorse & concern over the camera man. Then when they got a new vehicle and said a prayer for the camera man I knew I was weakening. I was OK during that haul-ass sprint to the finish. Really, I was OK. But when Phil said the camera man would be OK and both boys teared up, I lost it. Might as well cue the Chariots of Fire music and hand me a hanky, 'cause I'm a blubberin'.

I don't even like the show that much. And:

<peeks around> it's almost safe to come back into these TAR threads now that the [censored]&[censored] hate is slowly approaching acceptable levels.

[ElvisL1ves]

That may not have been simple genuine concern for a fellow human being so much as guilt for knowing they'd caused the crash. It's still better than "Hey, it's a competition, ya know?", though.

[rockle]

I've got a better idea. You'll probably want to make plans for this in advance by having an alliance (ugh) with another team. If you're the last team coming to a pit stop, give everything to that other team except your passports. If it's a non-elimination leg, you can stand on the mat and tell Phil you don't have anything for him to confiscate. Then, during the rest break, the other team gives you your stuff back.

It's not a perfect plan, and I hate the idea of alliances intruding into a mostly objective contest, but it could be worth a shot.
This is probably a dumb question, but wouldn't there need to be two teams pulling up the rear at the same time in order for this to work? And if there are, how would they decide who got to come in last and who got to come in second-to-last? Because they don't know ahead of time what legs are going to be non-Philimination. And the last place team would otherwise be out of the race.

[Robot Arm]

In the last episode, during the footrace to the finish, all the other teams were just hanging around nearby. (They had to, there really wasn't anyplace to go. And for some reason I just loved seeing those beds set up in the middle of absolutely nowhere.) Once Ray and Deana saw that the brothers were outrunning them, they just stopped. That would have been the time to put the plan into effect. At other pit stops, maybe you don't have a chance to interact with the teams that have already finished, but there's not much to lose by trying.

If it's a non-elimination leg, you hope the other team will keep up their side of the bargain and give your stuff back. (And they may need you to do the same for them later, so they have reason to stay on your good side.) And if you are eliminated, you don't need the stuff you're giving away (assuming you can spend your own money, buy clothes, etc. during the quarantine period) and you'll be helping out a team you're on good terms with.