Amazing Race 4/19 - "Our Parents Will Cry Themselves to Death"

[Just Some Guy]

Show's almost over and there's no thread yet, so west coasters there will be spoilers in this OP.

Giving it a bit more room for preview...

ETA: Need a lot more filler for preview blocking. More blocking. More! MORE! Hopefully that's enough.

ETA2: Curse the boards and it's in depth thread preview!

Well that was the most childish pitstop ever. They're both nasty, obnoxious people. Even with killer fatigue that was ugly.

No surprise in the elimination but at least Mark and Mike ran a good leg. They would have placed well if they had gotten in on the same flight.

I have no idea who will be eliminated next week, it's going to come down to who screws up the worst...

That would have been an ugly choice of tasks for me. Two left feet or an inability to make a straight line...

[Draelin]

Thank Og, I was beginning to think that in my time away from the boards, we'd totally lost the Amazing Race crew. I'm still watching on Tivo, I'll be back in a little bit. :)

[notfrommensa]

My admittedly biased at who is at fault:

in "Push-Gate".....Luke

Someone needs to call the Whaaaaaaambulance.

[planetcory]

My admittedly biased at who is at fault:

in "Push-Gate".....Luke

Someone needs to call the Whaaaaaaambulance.

In both situations.

[enalzi]

Wow, I'm definitely rooting for Tammy and Victor now. It sucks they got the crappy birds, otherwise I'm sure they would have been first. Probably with a huge lead since no one could follow them around. Speaking of which, I hate roadblocks all about luck. There was no skill other than "Can you touch a fish."

And yeah, Luck was in the wrong. Not that Jen was necessarily in the right...

[Siege]

What really got me was when Margie said, "All hearing people laugh at deaf people." I wish I could have told her that some of us don't, because, unlike her son, apparently, we were raised to be polite to people, even when competing with them. As I see it, Luke did shove Jen out of the way at the first clue box, and, at the second one, he basically body-checked her.

I'm rooting for Kisha and Jen. They seem like basically nice people, and they seem to have a pretty good relationship.

[Draelin]

Wow. That was definitely childish. But poor Tammy and Victor--standing in the middle of that and probably wishing for nothing else than to bow out gracefully and go take showers.

I was thinking it looked like an accident (albeit a bitchy accident) the first time, and like Luke just had too much momentum the second, but I completely ceased to care when they all started whining.

[kiz]

My husband could've sworn Jen pushed (not shoved) Luke out of the way at the first clue box. OTOH I honestly thought Luke shoved Jen first.

Re Margie: I cut her a lot of slack. I can only imagine what it must have been like for her advocating for Luke when he was in school. Of course she's going to automatically snap into that mode if she so much perceives any sort of threat against him.

[MPB in Salt Lake]

There is NO team who I can root for at this point; but if Jamie ends up getting $500,000 out of this, I guess it would be the worst possible outcome (Cara seems fairly easy going though).

Luke grates on me almost as much as Jamie, but I really do like his mother.........

Tammy seems OK, but Victor annoys me, though I am not exactly sure why.

And Kisha and Jen (who until today were my favorite remaining racers) showed a side that did not flatter them, although Luke was equally as bad.

In the end, its assinine to shove someone to get to the clue two seconds early---Has a Race ever come down to a matter of seconds???

Just makes all involved look like children.

[Just Some Guy]

Wow, I'm definitely rooting for Tammy and Victor now. It sucks they got the crappy birds, otherwise I'm sure they would have been first. Probably with a huge lead since no one could follow them around. Speaking of which, I hate roadblocks all about luck. There was no skill other than "Can you touch a fish."

And yeah, Luck was in the wrong. Not that Jen was necessarily in the right...

Well, and realizing that you should just give the fish enough of a toss to make the bird chase it and not send it six or seven feet away from the boat. A few teams didn't realize that.

Breaking it down far more than it deserves, Jen was being aggressive at the clue box but it just didn't occur to her that Luke wouldn't be able to pick up on the same cues that other people would. So to Luke it felt like she was pushing him aside at the box when it wasn't that serious of an incident. Then at the second box Luke was being a childish dork when he intentionally pushed her. And that's not getting into any of the silly drama that surrounded it in the taxi rides before finally coming out in that ugly bickering at the mat.

[brownie55]

Was anybody else a little put off by Tammy and Victor telling their driver that they were in a race against "foreigners?" The CBS site paints them as nothing but American, but it could be leaving stuff out.

[RachelChristine]

I feel like at the first clue box, it was probably a case of over-active competitiveness. I want to watch it again closer to see who I think is more at fault, but I really felt like neither of them was being mean or bad. I can only imagine, between Killer Fatigue and wanting to win, you might be a little bit ruder. I'm not sure how I feel about the name-calling though, and they were definitely both at fault in the getting mad and talking about (and plotting towards) each other. At least Margie tried to calm Luke down.

I felt so sorry for Tammy & Victor, with no idea what was going on "It wasn't bad spirited!" And poor Phil having to try to mediate between two teams that he seems to like.

[MPB in Salt Lake]

Was anybody else a little put off by Tammy and Victor telling their driver that they were in a race against "foreigners?" The CBS site paints them as nothing but American, but it could be leaving stuff out.

Little things like that have been happening since the start, and I would rather see Jen and Keisha OR Margie and Luke win the $$$ over Victor and Tammy (and most certainly Jamie and Cara!!!)

[Batsinma Belfry]

I think Jen accidently ran into Luke the first time, because he was between her and the clue box. The second time was definately his fault and no accident.

I've never liked Luke & Margie. I thought they would be my favorite team because, we have something in common. But from the first episode, Margie has reminded me of why I don't hang out on "Moms of Handicapped Kids" message boards anymore. One miniute she's preaching about how her kid is no different than anyone else. He just talks / walks / looks / sees in a different way. Then as soon as something goes wrong in the kid's world, it's because "My Precious is handicapped!"

[enalzi]

I think Jen accidently ran into Luke the first time, because he was between her and the clue box. The second time was definately his fault and no accident.

I've never liked Luke & Margie. I thought they would be my favorite team because, we have something in common. But from the first episode, Margie has reminded me of why I don't hang out on "Moms of Handicapped Kids" message boards anymore. One miniute she's preaching about how her kid is no different than anyone else. He just talks / walks / looks / sees in a different way. Then as soon as something goes wrong in the kid's world, it's because "My Precious is handicapped!"

I was thinking the same thing. Even without the blowup at the mat, which may have just been all the stress, after Jen called Luke a bitch, she said something like "You don't call a deaf person a bitch."

That put me off right there.

[twickster]

Tammy seems OK, but Victor annoys me, though I am not exactly sure why.



Because he was such a tool about the "climbing the wrong hill" thing earlier in the season?

[enalzi]

It seems like they've worked it all out though.

[ThePylon]

I was actually impressed - Jen signed bitch, not just said it. Luke was complaining that if he had "heard" it, he'd be pissed - but she signed it right at him... looked like a sign-language version of saying it to his face.

[MPB in Salt Lake]

Because he was such a tool about the "climbing the wrong hill" thing earlier in the season?

That certainly was a part of it, but there were several other small things that added together make me dislike the guy---his sister seemed more sympathetic, but she is also a bit "off" and after tonights show, any lingering goodwill I had towards her vanished..........

[Fiver]

his sister seemed more sympathetic, but she is also a bit "off" and after tonights show, any lingering goodwill I had towards her vanished..........What did she do tonight?

[enalzi]

I honestly loved Tammy and Victor tonight, but it could be that after 13 seasons of "Rapido! Rapido! Don't you speak English?" it was nice to hear someone speak fluently in another language.

[Drain Bead]

I loved all their attempts at sabotage, especially telling all the other cabbies to drive slowly.

[lorene]

Was anybody else a little put off by Tammy and Victor telling their driver that they were in a race against "foreigners?" The CBS site paints them as nothing but American, but it could be leaving stuff out.

I think they wre just trying to use their heritage to their advantage. Later on they called themselves "foreign-born", so that the people judging the tasks would be more sympathetic to them. They also understood how to show proper respect, like calling someone "teacher".

[jayjay]

I loved all their attempts at sabotage, especially telling all the other cabbies to drive slowly.

I actually read that as a joke, not an actual attempt to sabotage.

[corkboard]

Man, Luke is one big-ass crybaby. It's a competition, folks. A little competitive shoving is to be expected. His deafness shouldn't cause him to act like an emotional 13-year old.

That said, I did get the sense at the mat that the girls were laughing at his attempts to speak, since it sounded the way kids make moany noises when they tell Helen Keller jokes. Jen/Kisha were sort of snickering, which I think is what pissed Margie off.

"You're black, so you should understand." :dubious:

[interface2x]

After the show, CBS Chicago had a commercial for an open casting call for the next season coming up in Joliet this Friday. I'd be interested in trying out, but man, that looks rough! Plus, the only person who would go with me lives hundreds of miles away and wouldn't be able to go to a casting call with me.

[zut]

This episode actually had some interesting tasks--I liked the cormorant fishing and calligraphy because they were unusual and fun. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to really be any trick to either of them; teams just sort of plodded through the tasks without an opportunity to gain a lead. And therein, I think, is an issue with the Race: a task can be inherently interesting, but if the complexity is low, trams will finish in approximately the same time, and there's no opportunity for a trailing team to surge ahead.

Anyway, time for the...

Taxi Assessment

Stuck in the Desert and Officially Detained - or, Philiminated with extreme prejudice.
Jennifer and Preston,Linda and Steve, Brad and Victoria, Amanda and Kris, Christie and Jodi, Mel and Mike - Who are these people?
Mark and Michael (down from "Flat Tire") - Well, this outcome was completely, totally predictable. The one slim hope the brothers had was that they could catch up during airport bunching and muscle past at least one other team. The minute we saw they were alone on the last flight, I knew they were toast--that four-hour penalty really did wind up killing them. At least whatever goof-ups they made this episode were graciously redacted by the Amazing Editors, and Mark & Mike can

Flat Tire - or, not likely to get anywhere soon.
No one this week.

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

"Rapido! Por Favor?" - or, making meaningless ineffectual comments from the back seat, but in no immediate danger.
LaKisha and Jennifer (holding steady) - A solid leg, but one that highlights this team's tendency to follow the other teams. Mulling it over, I think LaKisha & Jennifer are a touch more likely than Cara & Jaime to make it to the final three, but Cara & Jaime would have more chance of actually winning than LaKisha & Jennifer would.
Cara and Jaime (down from "Passing Lane") - Hee hee. I would have laughed if the professional cheerleaders weren't able to complete the choreographed dance moves. And that really highlights something that's become more and more evident the last few weeks--this team (Jaime, actually, but Cara to the extent that her partner weighs her down) gets quickly frustrated when they don't understand something and wind up enraged and/or quitting rather than thinking the task through. That's something that can easily become a spiraling, frustrating time sink, and the reason I'm dropping them in the rankings this week. It's a sign of fatigue, and one that's not going to get better unless the Race sticks to English-speaking countries from now on.

In the Passing Lane - or, ahead of the pack, but not quite comfortably.
Margie and Luke (down from "Cruisin'") - I still think Margie & Luke will be in the final three, but Luke now seems to be focused on bringing down terrible vengeance on LaKisha & Jennifer, rather than winning the Race--and he's sucking Margie along for the ride. Look, regardless of the name-calling and shit, the bumping and hip-checking was at least as much Luke's fault as anyone else's, and the whole "you're making fun of Luke because he's deaf" was over the top. You're in a competition, it's long, tempers flare, and other people are allowed to think you're being a dick; the fact that you're deaf or black or gay or short doesn't mean you're automatically not a dick, and doesn't mean other people are being particularly hateful for pointing it out. In any case, if Margie & Luke let their anger rule their decision-making instead of concentrating on the Race, they're not doing themselves any favors.

Cruisin' with Earl - or, drivin' on the shoulder, takin' shortcuts, and generally kickin' butt.
Tammy and Victor (holding steady) - Still working well together, and still looking like the team to beat. Not a prohibitive favorite, of course, but probably the team that's making the fewest mistakes, which counts for a lot.

Props to Mullinator and his Raj Ratings.

[jayjay]

My take on the big kerfluffle this episode was that both teams are at fault and it was a misunderstanding that got blown WAY out of proportion by both teams.

What I saw was Jen coming up behind the deaf person who can't hear her behind him, putting her hand on his back, and he elbowing out of reflex and startlement. Then Jen called him a bitch, which was uncalled for. At the second box, I saw Luke (who isn't really what you'd call "coordinated" on uneven ground...remember the cheese-carrying? And the coffin rolling?) stumble into Jen at the clue box. Both times were either reflex or accidents, IMO, but both teams went and stuck all kinds of self-righteous crap onto it from their respective ends.

Margie's explosion at the mat was embarrassing, but I can't say I blame her. I can't even imagine what 20+ years of having to watch my child try to navigate a world full of people who can't even communicate with him (and vice versa) feels like, and I'm sure that the stuff that went down tonight was picking at old wounds.

Verdict: Both sides guilty of escalating what should have been a simple "Sorry!" into a minor war.

[Algernon]

And therein, I think, is an issue with the Race: a task can be inherently interesting, but if the complexity is low, [teams] will finish in approximately the same time, and there's no opportunity for a trailing team to surge ahead.
Is my memory poor regarding previous seasons or is this lack of complexity particularly blatant this year? The only real puzzle solving was the spelling of Chekhov.

It seems that every week it is simply a series of relatively simple tasks that everyone seems able to complete in about the same amount of time. The only time teams get spread out are when someone gets lost (either by themselves or as a victim of a bad taxi driver) or just unlucky (cherry pies, pick-a-drawer, etc.) Mostly all the teams have to do is tenaciously muscle through the series of tasks.

On the upside, some of the tasks have been particularly creative. I'm thinking especially of the coffin-dragging and impaling things on stakes.

[Brown Eyed Girl]

Regarding pushgate, jayjay hit the nail on the head. Either party could have stepped back and allowed the other to get the clue OR both parties could have allowed the other access to the cluebox as has been done in the past, OR even handed the clue to the other party (I believe I have seen that done, but I can't remember who or what season).

But no. Both Luke and Jen chose to allow their competitiveness overtake any politeness either of them were taught. They both looked ugly and their respective partners joined them in the ugliness in the cab and at the mat.

Highlights:

Victor (to Tammy): You have to communicate with the birds.
Tammy talks to the birds in English.
Victor: No, they only understand Chinese. (or something to that effect)
:D

The waltz playing while the brothers danced. Somehow I knew they would choose choreography.

The fierceness with which Mark shampooed that poor old woman's hair. Reminded me of my own grandmother, with her bony fingers, scrubbing my own hair with such intensity when I was a child. My god, man! Leave some skin!


All in all, it would have been a much better epi if Luke and Jen would not have acted like six-year-olds and Margie did not rant at the mat.

I'm rooting for Tammy and Victor, by the way. I like that they are still smiling and appear to have gotten out all the stressful behavior at the beginning. They appear to be the only team actually having fun! Tammy & Victor are like zen masters now.

[whiterabbit]

jayjay, yep. Totally. A combination of being exhausted beyond belief and misunderstanding on both sides and bitchy behavior, plus the effect of 20 years of your kid taking shit from the world, it was deeply uncomfortable and I can see both sides, but I think the whole thing was a massive overreaction all around. I think Margie's rant went waaaay over-the-top but I also entirely understand where it came from, and where it came from ain't pretty.

[Batsinma Belfry]

Man, Luke is one big-ass crybaby. It's a competition, folks. A little competitive shoving is to be expected. His deafness shouldn't cause him to act like an emotional 13-year old.

That said, I did get the sense at the mat that the girls were laughing at his attempts to speak, since it sounded the way kids make moany noises when they tell Helen Keller jokes. Jen/Kisha were sort of snickering, which I think is what pissed Margie off.

"You're black, so you should understand." :dubious:

I've seen Kisha do that nervous laugh thing before. I think that's all it was.


What I saw was Jen coming up behind the deaf person who can't hear her behind him, putting her hand on his back, and he elbowing out of reflex and startlement. Then Jen called him a bitch, which was uncalled for. At the second box, I saw Luke (who isn't really what you'd call "coordinated" on uneven ground...remember the cheese-carrying? And the coffin rolling?) stumble into Jen at the clue box. Both times were either reflex or accidents, IMO, but both teams went and stuck all kinds of self-righteous crap onto it from their respective ends.

I agree about the first incident. But after rewatching the second incident, it looks like he purposely mowed her down. He didn't put his hands up to avoid a collision with either Jen or the box.

[randwill]

I learned from a BBC series named "Wild China" about the fishing birds. One of the contestants last night made a comment that it was cool that the birds knew not to swallow the fish that they retrieved. They can't. If you look closely you'll notice there is fishing line tied around each bird's neck, tightly enough to prevent it from swallowing the fish. I noticed that at least one bird last night got a fish all the way up to just its tail in there though.

[StGermain]

The whole deal with Margie & Luke and LaKisha and Jen started last week when LaKisha and Jen got the mistaken idea that Margie and Luke had their cab driver tell L&J's driver wrong directions. It didn't happen that way at all. So L&J were gunning for M&L when this leg started. All because of a misunderstanding. M&L's cab driver got better instructions from a passerby, IIRC. So today's ep had the gloves out on L&J's side. And what would normally be a small scuffle at a clue box has turned into all-out war.

StG

[psychobunny]

I believe that Cara is the only one I actually like anymore. After that, I can stand Tammy and Margie. I give Margie a bit of a break today because she looks like she's dropped about 10 pounds on this race and is totally exhausted. Also, she did try to defuse Luke's temper earlier in the episode. Her rant was ugly but I can't really blame her for going all Mama Bear at the end, especially since I'm sure that Luke has gotten teased his whole life not only for being deaf but also for being gay. I do think that Luke was at fault at the first cluebox but each of the combatants threw at least one elbow so everybody loses.

[mske]

That said, I did get the sense at the mat that the girls were laughing at his attempts to speak, since it sounded the way kids make moany noises when they tell Helen Keller jokes. Jen/Kisha were sort of snickering, which I think is what pissed Margie off.

"You're black, so you should understand." :dubious:

I believe that they were laughing at him also. Hell, I admit that I was laughing at him sounding like Chewbacca there. It didn't have anything to do with the fact that he is deaf per se (and must we be reminded of that fact during *every* interview session? A "country of deaf people" so others can't communicate and "we have the advantage"? :rolleyes:). People are generally funny when they get all apoplectic. Credit to the girls for mainly keeping their composure, and not backing down from the "Bitch" comment.

And yea - my wife had the same reaction. "Did she really just pull the Black Card?"

[corkboard]

I also thought it was funny that Jamie and Cara looked only marginally more graceful and coordinated than the Tweedles during the chorography challenge, especially after all their talk about how they're cheerleaders, so they're trained to be able to quickly pick up the moves.

[enalzi]

This episode actually had some interesting tasks--I liked the cormorant fishing and calligraphy because they were unusual and fun. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to really be any trick to either of them; teams just sort of plodded through the tasks without an opportunity to gain a lead. And therein, I think, is an issue with the Race: a task can be inherently interesting, but if the complexity is low, trams will finish in approximately the same time, and there's no opportunity for a trailing team to surge ahead.


I think the calligraphy challenge would have been harder with Tammy and Victor, since you had to use the character to find each place. That's a lot of relying on other people.

I believe that they were laughing at him also. Hell, I admit that I was laughing at him sounding like Chewbacca there. It didn't have anything to do with the fact that he is deaf per se

I honestly think that Keisha was just laughing at the freakout. She was the only one who was going crazy the whole episode. I know from working retail that when I have a customer get super angry at me, I just end up laughing them off.

Also, I wish I knew which part of the Cara and Jamie is the one that only likes animals and wishes that the whole world spoke English. I can never tell them apart, so I hate them both equally.

[Draelin]

Also, I wish I knew which part of the Cara and Jamie is the one that only likes animals and wishes that the whole world spoke English. I can never tell them apart, so I hate them both equally.
I've been having that problem all damn season. I like one and can't stand the other, I just really wish I knew which.

[notfrommensa]

I've been having that problem all damn season. I like one and can't stand the other, I just really wish I knew which.

I do know that Jaime is the bitchy one, but I have a hard time telling one from the other. Cara is taller and her hair is "redder" and wavier. FWIW.

Reading some other boards, there was an extra task not shown in this episode. The four leading teams got to Guilin at night, but didn't get to the beauty parlor until daylight. I think they had to got to some mountain and beat some drums. And I think it was a bunching point because the Hours of Operation. But it didn't help the stunt bros as the four hour delay put them too far behind.

Why did the teams throw the fish so far away from the boat?

[enalzi]

It also looked like there was a fast forward after the salon. I thought I saw a green clue.

[Lok]

It is somewhat scary. They apparently think the rather tedious stuff they are showing in the episodes it the interesting stuff. What does that make the stuff they are cutting? :p

[MovieMogul]

I've been having that problem all damn season. I like one and can't stand the other, I just really wish I knew which.Jamie's the one with the huge rack. Cara (as we've seen from the underwear-run) is only modestly endowed.

I'd say Luke was wrong for retaliating the way he did at the second clue box, but Jen was 100% in the wrong the first time, and even more out of line for calling him a "bitch". I'd have been pissed, too (though Luke should've listened to his mom and not acted out on it). I still like M&L but J&K are dead to me.

[FlightlessBird]

I'd say Luke was wrong for retaliating the way he did at the second clue box, but Jen was 100% in the wrong the first time, and even more out of line for calling him a "bitch". I'd have been pissed, too (though Luke should've listened to his mom and not acted out on it).

See I'd disagree (respectfully). What I saw was: he got there first and used his body to stay between the box and her. She then decided to go around (but how far 'around' do you have to go? She probably could've put more space between her and him) Again he stepped to his left to prevent this. Then there was his arm, but just the above is enough for me to say Luke raised tensions first.

When I play sports (Hockey, soccer, or basketball), a lot of the one-on-one battles involve this little bit of body-mechanics. Keep yourself between your opponent and the ball. That's what I saw Luke doing. But that's just me. I agree with zut, if they continue to harp on this instead of running the Race they're not gonna be focused.

[Hentor the Barbarian]

See I'd disagree (respectfully). What I saw was: he got there first and used his body to stay between the box and her. She then decided to go around (but how far 'around' do you have to go? She probably could've put more space between her and him) Again he stepped to his left to prevent this. Then there was his arm, but just the above is enough for me to say Luke raised tensions first.I agree with you. If you watch it, Luke looks like he's boxing her out (although it may not have been intentional since they were coming from different directions). She puts her hands on him as she is jumping around him, but she does not move him at all. He then throws an elbow that almost catches Jen in the face. I agree with Jen's assessment of him, and I thought she maintained her composure very well at the second clue box, after he checked her into it.

I also had to laugh when he was in the car, talking about the incident with his mother, and appearing to suggest that it might come to blows between them. Yeah, buddy, I think you'd get your ass handed to you.

All that aside, however, I've always found the jockeying around the clue box to be humorously unnecessary, since the few extra seconds it would take to wait while the person in front of you gets their clue out would never make a difference.

[Robot Arm]

See I'd disagree (respectfully). What I saw was: he got there first and used his body to stay between the box and her. She then decided to go around (but how far 'around' do you have to go? She probably could've put more space between her and him) Again he stepped to his left to prevent this. Then there was his arm, but just the above is enough for me to say Luke raised tensions first.I think blocking someone out is a legit tactic. Get to the box first, you should get the clue first. If someone is reaching over the top, you can't take the clue out until their arm is out of your way.

Although the whole thing is way, way too trivial to even worry about. At the end of the Race, or even the Leg, it's not going to make the difference.

(The Amazing Hissyfit over a few seconds at the Clue Box is made even funnier because they all walked right past it at least once. We've seen the "where's the Clue Box" thing before, but has there ever been a case where someone was that close without seeing it?)

There might be a lesson to learn from the finish. As soon as it turned into a footrace, I was thinking Tammy & Victor would have it. Kisha & Jen legged it out, though. If it comes down to a sprint at the finish, they've got that going for them. Might even be wise for them to shadow another team, knowing they can outrun them at the end.

[MovieMogul]

I think blocking someone out is a legit tactic. Get to the box first, you should get the clue first. If someone is reaching over the top, you can't take the clue out until their arm is out of your way.But while I agree with this, I think it's more fundamental than that. He's deaf--he can't hear what's going on behind him; all he feels is suddenly two hands behind him clutch at his clothing and then an arm reach around to push him aside. I'm perfectly comfortable giving him the benefit of the doubt that his one-arm was primarily a reflexive maneuver, not a purely competitive one.

My intention is not to play the victim card here, but how you or I would react is often going to be different than how someone who's visually-impaired or (in Luke's case) hearing-impaired would. YMMV (even my wife didn't agree with me completely), but I think it's too easy to project our behavior in a situation where sensory deprivation plays a real part (the same goes, to a lesser degree, to the whole laughing business, too). That in no way justifies his shoving her at the next clue station, but Luke's overreaction to me paled next to Jen's bitchiness and insensitivity.

[Hentor the Barbarian]

But while I agree with this, I think it's more fundamental than that. He's deaf--he can't hear what's going on behind him; all he feels is suddenly two hands behind him clutch at his clothing and then an arm reach around to push him aside. I'm perfectly comfortable giving him the benefit of the doubt that his one-arm was primarily a reflexive maneuver, not a purely competitive one.

My intention is not to play the victim card here, but how you or I would react is often going to be different than how someone who's visually-impaired or (in Luke's case) hearing-impaired would. YMMV (even my wife didn't agree with me completely), but I think it's too easy to project our behavior in a situation where sensory deprivation plays a real part (the same goes, to a lesser degree, to the whole laughing business, too). That in no way justifies his shoving her at the next clue station, but Luke's overreaction to me paled next to Jen's bitchiness and insensitivity.I'd perhaps buy that if it were in fact "sudden" or out of the blue. Here, however, I think it was perfectly clear to him that he was racing against another team to get to the clue box first, and that he knew perfectly well he was going to just edge another team out. There shouldn't have been any surprise to him that they made contact - he's deaf, not blind. And the arm reaching around him was reaching for the clue box, not reaching to push him out of the way.

Hence, throwing an elbow was a bitch move.

[Gangster Octopus]

I agree that Luke was to blame for the nastiness both times. I actually thought Jen did as good a job as possible NOT to plow into Luke after he threw himself in front of her at the first incident adn clearly he elbowed her out of the way almost catching her in the face.

But let us all not forget the monumental stupidity leading up to that. The fact that hey couldn't find the cloue box they were standing RIGHT NEXT TO, and I think one of them ws even leaning on it for a second.

Of all the teams I think I want Tammy and Victor to win. They are not my favorite team ever, but I don't find them terrible or loathsome. They play the game well and it would not be a poor result if they won.

[Hentor the Barbarian]

Of all the teams I think I want Tammy and Victor to win. They are not my favorite team ever, but I don't find them terrible or loathsome. They play the game well and it would not be a poor result if they won.I agree with this, and I thought that it would have been most appropriate for the other two teams to let them take first place in the last leg since they all acknowledged that they were simply following them around to the calligraphy stations.

[zut]

There might be a lesson to learn from the finish. As soon as it turned into a footrace, I was thinking Tammy & Victor would have it. Kisha & Jen legged it out, though. If it comes down to a sprint at the finish, they've got that going for them. Might even be wise for them to shadow another team, knowing they can outrun them at the end.This is exactly what Kisha & Jen's strategy is--attaching themselves to other teams, keeping pace with them through the leg, then outrunning them at the very end. They articulated exactly that idea a few episodes ago. And, really, it's not such a bad strategy through most of the Race: as long as you can be sure of beating at least one team, you can be sure that you're not eliminated. Problem is, this is probably not such a good strategy on the final leg, where the two best teams are going to be trying their damnedest to ditch you.

I agree that Luke was to blame for the nastiness both times. I actually thought Jen did as good a job as possible NOT to plow into Luke after he threw himself in front of her at the first incident adn clearly he elbowed her out of the way almost catching her in the face.I guess I mostly agree with you, but there's a time to race fast and a time to race smart. There's no particular need to be the Very First One at the cluebox, particularly if the subsequent hip-checking and chest-thumping winds up interfering with your decision-making and overall performance. It's not really whether Luke or Jen was to blame, it's that both of them were being knuckleheads and unwilling to back down. That distraction will hurt them both (although Luke more, I suspect).

And that also makes me wonder: I thought there was a rule preventing teams from interfering with each other. This little dustup was relatively evenly balanced and quickly concluded, but where's the dividing line? What if Luke had shoved just a little harder, or Jen had clouted him on the ear? Where does no harm-no foul become a penalty?

[doublehelix]

I used to be indifferent to Luke and Margie, now I really can’t stand them. What the hell is wrong with her? Her little mat tirade was way stupid an over-the-top. What a silly tortured soul. Who gives two hoots about deaf people? Do people really mock them passed fifth grade? Give me a freakin’ break. As for Luke, he elbowed her out for no reason at all, and then pushed her. He shouldn’t be touching other contestants, yet less pushing them around, especially when it’s over a clue. Wait 10 nanoseconds, and the next person is going to get it anyway.

But I am getting over my Victor hate. I’d be good with either sibling pair going all the way. It just confirms my feeling that siblings have a real leg-up in this game. Mostly because they don’t have to be nice to each-other, they aren’t working on their relationship, and they aren't overly protective.

[Dolores Reborn]

I learned from a BBC series named "Wild China" about the fishing birds. One of the contestants last night made a comment that it was cool that the birds knew not to swallow the fish that they retrieved. They can't. If you look closely you'll notice there is fishing line tied around each bird's neck, tightly enough to prevent it from swallowing the fish. I noticed that at least one bird last night got a fish all the way up to just its tail in there though.

I remember learning about the cormorants in a children's book - The Story About Ping. (http://www.amazon.com/Story-About-Ping-Marjorie-Flack/dp/0140502416) I think I remember the fishing line around their throats, too.

I wish Kisha & Jen had just said they were laughing at Luke acting like a whiny baby, not because he was deaf.

I guess I'm pulling for Victor and Tammy at this point. I'm not that emotionally invested in any of them.

[Draelin]

I guess I'm pulling for Victor and Tammy at this point. I'm not that emotionally invested in any of them.
Yeah, that's pretty much my problem. It's why I took a couple seasons off from the Race and stopped watching Survivor what seems like eons ago--I just couldn't bring myself to give a damn about the contestants anymore. I think everybody worth watching has already been on some show or another.

[jsc1953]

I think they wre just trying to use their heritage to their advantage. Later on they called themselves "foreign-born", so that the people judging the tasks would be more sympathetic to them. They also understood how to show proper respect, like calling someone "teacher".

I agree -- I think the subtitles gave non-Chinese, like me, a lot of insight into the culture. Like Victor's claim (used for the title) that "their parents will cry themselves to death". I thought that was hilarious.

Also notice that their language facility didn't get them to 1st place.

My take on the kerfuffle: the 1st time, Jen's momentum ran her into Luke, who used his arm to ward off what he thought was an attack. A misunderstanding. The second time was just a stupid escalation. (This is how wars start.) And what the hell diff does one second at a clue box make?

And...western music and dance? In China? WTF?

[PastAllReason]

I remember learning about the cormorants in a children's book - The Story About Ping. (http://www.amazon.com/Story-About-Ping-Marjorie-Flack/dp/0140502416) I think I remember the fishing line around their throats, too.
Ah, The Story About Ping. The story that I got in kindergarten that cause my parents to call me Ping every time I was late for something. Memories. :) It's a great book, though.

I've come around to hoping that Tammy and Victor win. I didn't think that the clue box tussle, and ensuing hissyfits made either Kisha/Jen or Margie/Luke look particularly good. And more importantly, they now both seem more focused on "getting" the other team than winning. I watched a post pit stop video clip on CBS today with Phil talking to Kisha/Jen and Tammy/Victor. Margie and Luke were gone at that point. Tammy and Victor seemed quite bewildered by the whole thing, having seen none of what went on. I think poor Phil was trying to calm everyone down.

[jacquilynne]

I thought the whole whiny baby kerfuffle was embarrassing for both sides. But one of Lakisha or Jen said flat out in the cab that she was going to laugh at Luke just to piss him off, so for her to later declare that she wasn't laughing at him was laughable in and of itself.

[commasense]

Luke is gay? Did we learn that for sure?

I get the impression that Victor is gay.

[Hentor the Barbarian]

I thought the whole whiny baby kerfuffle was embarrassing for both sides. But one of Lakisha or Jen said flat out in the cab that she was going to laugh at Luke just to piss him off, so for her to later declare that she wasn't laughing at him was laughable in and of itself.Although it tends to refute the allegation that she was laughing because he was deaf.

[corkboard]

Luke is gay? Did we learn that for sure?

I get the impression that Victor is gay.

Victor's not gay because he's not allowed to be gay. His parents would cry themselves to death.

[lorene]

Victor's not gay because he's not allowed to be gay. His parents would cry themselves to death.

Shit. I am not supposed to be laughing at work. That was funny, though.

[jayjay]

Shit. I am not supposed to be laughing at work. That was funny, though.

True, though. I've known a few gay Number One Sons of immigrant Asian parents. The pressure to pass on the family name is insane.

[jacquilynne]

Although it tends to refute the allegation that she was laughing because he was deaf.

Well, the impression I got was "I'm going to laugh at the deaf boy because I know he doesn't like it" so I think there's certainly elements of laughing at him because he's deaf in there.

[Hentor the Barbarian]

Well, the impression I got was "I'm going to laugh at the deaf boy because I know he doesn't like it" so I think there's certainly elements of laughing at him because he's deaf in there.I think you're introducing "at the deaf boy" into the equation without any justification. A more parsimonious explanation is that it is quite common to respond to someone who is antagonizing you by laughing at them.

Otherwise, if you want to just introduce extraneous stuff, you could say that they proposed laughing at him because he's white, because he's shorter than them, because he gets all pink when he exerts himself...

Unless there's any evidence that they are bigoted in regards to deaf people, it's erroneous to assume it's there. It would be just as bad to assume that some criticism of Jen was made simply because she is black.

[jacquilynne]

I think you're introducing "at the deaf boy" into the equation without any justification. A more parsimonious explanation is that it is quite common to respond to someone who is antagonizing you by laughing at them.

That could certainly be true. It was the impression I was left with, but that could be me reading more into the situation than is actually there.

[Siege]

I remember learning about the cormorants in a children's book - The Story About Ping. (http://www.amazon.com/Story-About-Ping-Marjorie-Flack/dp/0140502416) I think I remember the fishing line around their throats, too.
I remember that book! That's why I thought it was really cool when they had the roadblock with the cormorants. I was looking forward to seeing something I'd read about when I was a kid. I found myself being amused that, while Tammy could speak Mandarin, she couldn't communicate with the birds.

I thought the ballroom dancing in the park was rather neat, too. I wonder, though, if the cheerleaders realized they were dancing, rather than performing a set routine. You see, it looked to me like they just saw it as a set of routine moves to perform and then stop, rather than the beginning of a pattern. They apparently didn't understand that they had to continue until the music stopped. Now, I realize there are a lot of reasons for them to assume this, including their own backgrounds, and to them, dancing is probably something very different, but still, it seems to me like they may have been so focused on the task they forgot to have fun.

I will hand this to the stuntmen. Maybe it was just the way the show was edited, but they really seemed to be enjoying themselves on this last leg. They may have been doomed, but they went out having fun.

It's kind of sad -- if it weren't for the kerfuffles at the clue boxes, I would have enjoyed watching this episode a lot more. People got to do some neat things in a part of the world I'll probably never get to see. OK, so the challenges this time around don't seem to have required as much thinking as in the last two seasons. It's still a pleasant way to spend a Sunday evening.

[levdrakon]

I don't care who was right or wrong, the whole thing looked fake exaggerated. It's like when they get all fake excited when they read their next destination or act all fake happy when they've just won the lame prize. "As the winners of this leg of the race, you've won a... unicycle!"

What I don't get is how both teams managed to walk right in front of the clue box at the salon, and both miss it. They both walked around like they were retarded; it's no wonder they acted like tards when they spotted it.

[The Controvert]

The clue box behind a tree trunk so it makes sense that the racers would see the other prominent item in the area with the TAR colors, which happened to be a speed bump. Given the general confusion of a foreign environment, I think "walked around like they were retarded" is neither an accurate nor appropriate way to describe what happened.

[Scuba_Ben]

Elimination Station implied that Team Stunt Doubles had caught up a lot. So either the HOH at the unaired bunching point severely helped the Stuntmen (and by implication severely crippled the other teams), or Team Cheerleaders messed up the Chinese Tango but good.

As best as I could tell, the Choreography task's dance music was a tango. Someone with a sense of rhythm please double check this, because I'm wondering why the local extras were dancing a sort of one-step to a tango selection.

[Fenris]

Tammy seems OK, but Victor annoys me, though I am not exactly sure why.
Because that high-pitched squeaky voice he shrieks in can sterilize frogs at 200 paces?


And I really, really loathe "Mommy Dearest". Babe, cut the oedipal apron strings and stop with the hypocrisy. He can EITHER be a tough, macho, strong, independent man who, despite his disability can do anything a hearing person can do OR he's your helpless little handi-capable muffin who needs to be hugged and coddled BY EVERYONE 'CAUSE HE'S SO VERY SENSITIVE at all times. You really can't do both: John Wayne OR Jerry Lewis.

And frankly, as whiny as Luke is, "Bitch" is quite the compliment for that sniveling little puke.

[levdrakon]

The clue box behind a tree trunk so it makes sense that the racers would see the other prominent item in the area with the TAR colors, which happened to be a speed bump. Given the general confusion of a foreign environment, I think "walked around like they were retarded" is neither an accurate nor appropriate way to describe what happened.No, the clue box had TAR colors, the speed bump didn't, it was in front of the speed bump, they walked right in front of it, Lakisha walked around it and almost put her hand on it, Luke AFAICT, actually touched it and almost put his foot on the pedestal. They couldn't have missed this (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/Levdrakon/box1.jpg) or this (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/Levdrakon/box2.jpg). YMMV, I guess.

All I can figure is the clue box was *so* obvious they assumed it was an evil trick.

[The Controvert]

In the above examples, the tree trunk is wrapped in some sort of shiny yellow film. It is also directly between the clue box and the racers, blocking the box from view from the direction that the racers approached. There is also a lot of red objects in the shot and on the street in general. The TAR colors are on the section of the stand with the most narrow profile to the racers as they approached. It is also below eye level. On a busy street, with lots of colorful moving objects, people in a hurry do not normally sweep their eyes backward for overlooked objects. Unless you constantly (for hours on end) snap your head around, looking in every direction more than once, which I contend isn't normal human behavior.