Amazing Race 4/19: "Here Comes the Bedouin!"

[Otto]

Last week, Lake and Michelle get eliminated after Lake manages to burn off any good will that may have accumulated over the last few weeks with a single word. Meanwhile Ray and Yolanda manage to drag themselves out of last place and Team Hippie manage to come close to elimination despite their whacky-ass antics.

This week, off to the Middle East. Will Team Gonad get off on all the hot chicks in their hot veils? Will Team Hippie's whacky-ass antics get them stoned, and not in the good way? Will Ray and Yolanda be able to keep it together long enough to stay out of last place? Will there ever be a non-elimination leg?

[Gangster Octopus]

Will there be another commercial tie-in?

[rockle]

Originally Posted by Otto

This week, off to the Middle East. Will Team Gonad get off on all the hot chicks in their hot veils?

You have no idea how much I am hoping that one of the hot chicks under the hot veils is actually a Filipino tranny with hairy legs and even hairier pits.

[Robot Arm]

Originally Posted by rockle

You have no idea how much I am hoping that one of the hot chicks under the hot veils is actually a Filipino tranny with hairy legs and even hairier pits.

Yes. And so are Eric and Jeremy.

[Neidhart]

Fran & Barry! Hot diggity!

[rockle]

Originally Posted by Robot Arm

Yes. And so are Eric and Jeremy.

Yeah, I realized that as I was posting.

This was a great episode. Glad to see some new blood in the lead, while at the same time not jacking up my Fox Reality Fantasy Team too much. I have to say, whereas all the other teams are clearly starting to develop the dread Killer Fatigue, Fran & Barry really seem to be hitting their stride. Good for them. They kicked Cancer together*, and now they're kicking Young Schmuck Ass together.

(* = Yes, I know that technically only Fran is a cancer survivor, but with eleventy kinds of cancer running amok in my family, I know it's something that nobody survives alone. Good for him for being so supportive ... and kind of cute, even, in an old man sort of way, when he isn't complaining about how stupid he is and/or whining about how "it" is all over. Perspective is a funny thing, innit?)

And call me crazy, call me Ishmael, call me whatever, but I think Ray & Yolanda are going to be just fine. I think they both need a nap, but I think they're going to be just fine. I wonder if this is one of those "extended" Pit Stops ... ?

[Scuba_Ben]

YAFI, YGI. rockle, you're Ishmael.

I too was thrilled to see Fran & Barry take the lead, and see Team Gonad and Team Hippie (literally) eat the dust.

What I'm miffed about is that the big change of place was at the roadblock, which was 3/4 pure luck. (And 1/4 persperation -- didn't any of these people know that the most important thing to do in the desert sun is hydrate like crazy?)

And what's this deal with the NEL taking all of Team Hippie's possessions? I thought all they could take away was the race-provided cash. Is this a new rule for this season?

[whiterabbit]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a better timed non-elim. Phew.

[aktep]

Originally Posted by Scuba_Ben

And what's this deal with the NEL taking all of Team Hippie's possessions? I thought all they could take away was the race-provided cash. Is this a new rule for this season?

They've been taking away the posessions for the last few seasons at least -- that's why you'd see teams show up in 4 layers of clothing with underwear on their heads and whatnot.



But I tell you what -- one of them hippies does a dead-on impression of Lake.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Scuba_Ben

And what's this deal with the NEL taking all of Team Hippie's possessions? I thought all they could take away was the race-provided cash. Is this a new rule for this season?

Where've you been? They've been mugging them like that since at least the Rob & Amber season.

[Otto]

Of course the goddamn hippies get the NEL. Of course they do. "None of the other teams are gonna see us coming." Yeah, they won't, because you'll be last and they won't look back at you, jackasses. But hey, now that they've lost all their stuff that means no more fucking whacky-ass hats and props and shit.

And jeez, Ray, just because Lake's gone that doesn't mean you have to step into the newly-vacated "asshole" role. Ease the hell up, buddy.

I'm getting a little tired of the needle-in-haystack challenges. Two in the same leg is just overkill. These were, what, like N-I-H challenge 41 and 42 in this race so far? A little variety please.

Finally we clearly establish that the brunette Gonad is Eric and the blond Gonad is Jeremy. Now all we have to figure out is which one's the top and which one's the bottom. Thoughts? Opinions?

And speaking of which, if I never hear again about Tyler's "chocolate surprises" it'll be too soon.

I love it when they have camels. The editors always have such fun with them.

[Stinkum]

I KNEW this was going to be a non-elim -- I could feel it in my bones. Thank god the weird froggy hat was confiscated in the Team Hippie purge. That item alone pushed them over the line on the annoyance scale. I think they're beginning to suffer from serious fatigue. Did you see the slightly crazed look in Tyler's eyes at the end?

Fran and Barry didn't screw up, get lost or get discouraged. Good work, old people. Now, let's see if you can keep it up.

I was surprised at Joe and Monica. They ran a good race with minimal issues. I think she's smarter than she looks. Him, I'm not so sure about.

How did the Gonads get lost and STILL get to the mat before the Hippies? Were the Hippies that far behind? Geez.

[annieclaus]

Well, that WAS a good episode. And it's about time we had a non-elimination round. I couldn't have stood it if we went another week bouncing a perfectly good, amusing team! BJ and The Bear will be just fine, thank you!

I wonder what task we'll have next week that Monica will claim will be the worst thing she's done. . .ever!!! And will she and Joseph bone up on map-reading/driving skills before then???

Good for Frankenberry. Their travel experience is really showing now. And I liked how they tried to keep a secret of their plane reservations! (Like nobody else could find out about flights to Muscat!)

[Robot Arm]

What was with that road? Once that guy started guiding them through a lake in the middle of a gravel pit, I figured that couldn't possibly be the right way. At least they're all lost together. Then, another river; then, poof, they're there. Is that really SOP for getting around in Oman?

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Robot Arm

What was with that road? Once that guy started guiding them through a lake in the middle of a gravel pit, I figured that couldn't possibly be the right way. At least they're all lost together. Then, another river; then, poof, they're there. Is that really SOP for getting around in Oman?

I know when they were getting directions a wadi was mentioned several times. A wadi is a seasonal riverbed...there's only water in it for part of the year. The rest of the time it's dry as a bone and crossing it isn't a problem. Apparently they filmed right after the rainy season (such as it is).

[fiddlesticks]

The impression of Lake was awesome...highlight of the episode. I was a little disappointed that they didn't assign more nerdy activities to Dave & Lori's spirit other than hugging and kissing.

Great job for Fran and Berry. Nice to see them get a nice prize out of the race, I'm glad this wasn't a "no-prize" leg. It'll be a miracle if they're a real factor in the $1,000,000 leg, so good for them for getting one trophy along the way. Meanwhile youngsters Ray & Yolanda are still 0 for the race, but will certainly be a factor in the last leg if their luck holds out.

Hard to believe that not one of the players apparently stopped for bottled water on the way to the road block. Thankfully they didn't visit Oman in the height of summer. Still I think it could have been dangerous had Fran been the unlucky one instead of bearded hippie.

[scotandrsn]

Thoughts:

Barry looked like he wanted nothing more than the sweet embrace of death after the road block.

Joseph has always been that big a dick, he just gets more screen time now that Lake is gone.

Killer fatigue has already claimed Ray and Yolanda. They just haven't been eliminated yet.

Since when the hell did Eric and Jeremy have such severe navigation problems?

What did TTOW stand for on the hippy shirts?

[KGS]

Yay, NEL!! I was 99% sure it would be one, but as the Hippies dragged themselves to a last-place finish, that 1% really started to chew away at me...

Way to go, Frankenberry! I don't think a 60+ couple has ever taken first place, let alone this late in the race...

No signs of Flo Mk II from Monica this leg. Thank GOD.

Ray & Yolanda really got hit by KF this leg. I don't think they can come back from it, so they will probably be the next team to go. (Not that I'll miss 'em...heck, with so little screen time, I hardly even know 'em!)

[lorene]

I had to laugh a little bit about Yolanda's statement on camera after getting to the Pit Stop about how she came on the race to have fun with Ray and now he's taking all the fun out of it, or something like that. This is something you hear one of the team members express after fatigue starts to set in.

My question, though, is: how can you have watched previous seasons, tried out for the Race, gotten on the Race, and gotten this far into it and still be under the impression that the main point is to have fun? Yes, there are some elements of the Race that look fun, bt it's a race! You're not sightseeing with your seetie. You're not strolling around, going to museums and taking in another culture. When you do go to a museum, you run in, find what you are looking for, and run out. When you have free time, your priorities are to hydrate, feed, and rest yourself as much as possible. The disappointment that "so-and-so is turning too competetive" always baffles me.

[rockle]

Originally Posted by lorene

My question, though, is: how can you have watched previous seasons, tried out for the Race, gotten on the Race, and gotten this far into it and still be under the impression that the main point is to have fun? ... The disappointment that "so-and-so is turning too competetive" always baffles me.

Killjoy.

[BiblioCat]

I LOVED BJ's impression of Lake - it was dead on. Also he said the Pink's would be asking if Oman was in China. Maybe they weren't as smart as they tried to make us believe.

lorene, I thought the same thing. This is not a sight-seeing trip, even when you're on a bus. You sleep and eat during that part. When you're in a museum or walking across a gorge or bridge, you can glance around, but, damn, you still need to run and concentrate on THE RACE!

My husband skipped this episode; he was in the den on the computer. When Frankenberrys hit the mat, I said, "Holy crap!" and my son screamed, "Nooooooo!"
He came running in. "What? Did they have to eat gross stuff? Did someone get hurt?"
I said, "No, the old couple came in first and everyone else is lost. And the Hippies are dead last."
He stayed to see the rest.

[zut]

Finally a NEL. I woulda said I totally expected a NEL; except I totally expected one [i]last[i] week and the week before. The busses were a bit of enforced bunching, as was the operation hours of the incense burner thing, but at least boh were at the beginning of the episode. And the Detour choice was interesting: rule of thumb is never do the needle-in-a-haystack Detours, and never do the animal Detours. So which to do when they're head-to-head? After seeeing the episode, it turns out the camel doesn't really factor into the camel Detour, so that was probably the best, but I don't think the teams knew that a priori. The standings are kind of bunched up this week as teams do the opposite of their historical trends.

Taxi Assessment

Stuck in the Desert and Officially Detained - or, Philiminated with extreme prejudice.
John & Scott and Lisa & Joni and Wanda & Desiree and Danielle & Dani and David & Lori and Lake & Michelle - Outta here.

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 this week.

"Rapido! Por Favor?" - or, making meaningless ineffectual comments from the back seat, but in no immediate danger.
Fran & Barry (up from "Stopping") - Alright already. The old folks get a bump up this week after their stunning first place finish. This episode played to their navigational strengths--every other team had problems, while Fran & Barry did not. Not all episodes will be like this, so I'll still be suprised if Fran & Barry make the final three, but they've been steadily improving through the race: now they're performing like the savvy team they seemed to be on paper, and not the blind stumbling oldsters they were in the first two eps.
Ray & Yolanda (holding steady) - Hum interesting. Ray & Yolanda actually had a pretty shitty leg, what with getting lost and bickering and so forth, but they're comfortably in third, so I can't really downrate them. We'll see what happens next leg...but I suspect it will involve more bickering and getting lost. Hint to Ray: Sometimes, you just have to abjectly apologize, even if you didn't really do anything. Just five minutes of groveling saves hours and hours of oblique argumentation later. Not that I would do that personally, but I'm just sayin'.

In the Passing Lane - or, ahead of the pack, but not quite comfortably.
Joseph & Monica (holding steady) - Aw, bummer, a first place was within their grasp and they let it slip away. Still, they had a pretty solid leg, and if they had navigation problems, well, so did everyone else. And it they're starting to look fatigued, well... so is everyone else.
BJ & Tyler (holding steady) - Killer fatigue sets in! I'm thinkin' BJ didn't keep himself adequately hydrated during the Roadblock--a mental mistake here. And he was clearly not digging deep enough in the pits, so he did way more work than he needed to. This team got out to an early lead early in the season, and due to the structure of the early legs, essentially cruised for weeks. Now that they're at the back of the pack, they're looking much more vulnerable-- they've gotten plumb lucky two weeks in a row. As an added bonus, they'll have to concentrate more an racing and less on wacky highjinks from here on out. Still, I have to believe they're essentially a pretty strong team, so until BJ completely flops, I'll keep them up here in the Passing Lane.
Eric & Jeremy (down from "Cruisin'") - Oh! Major mental mistake! Since when has taking a shortcut down a little dirt road been a good idea? Rule number six of TAR: unless you're dead last or in the final episode, never gamble on taking a route different from other teams. The point of the early episodes is not to come in last, so remaining safely in the middle of the pack is better than a gamble that might put you either in first or last. Added to that is the mistake at the Detour, driving out into the desert. I kinda knew they were dumb, but not quite to such an extent. Anyway, Eric & Jeremy are now coming from behind. I suspect, given that this is a NEL, the next episode will have an early bunch, but if not, it will be interesting to see how this team reacts to being near last instead of near first.

Cruisin' with Earl - or, drivin' on the shoulder, takin' shortcuts, and generally kickin' butt.
No one this week.

Next week: We get to see the hippies begging. Oh, that will be so interesting. So, so compelling.

_{Props to Mullinator and his Raj Ratings.}

[zut]

Originally Posted by Otto

I'm getting a little tired of the needle-in-haystack challenges. Two in the same leg is just overkill. These were, what, like N-I-H challenge 41 and 42 in this race so far? A little variety please.

No shit. I like skill-based challenges, not luck-based. If we must see N-I-H challenges, how about more "identifying" challenges, where teams have to ID masks or amulets or shoes or something.

Originally Posted by Otto

I love it when they have camels. The editors always have such fun with them.

I loved the camels just standing around the Roadblock, where their "commentary" provided counterpoint to Tyler.

Originally Posted by BiblioCat

Also he said the Pink's would be asking if Oman was in China. Maybe they weren't as smart as they tried to make us believe.

Mmmm... there's a cultural tendency to assume that young, reasonably attractive females like the Pinks (and Monica) are bubble-heads. I wouldn't be suprised to find that BJ was just repeating the easy stereotype--I know I've been guilty of the same.

[Southpaw]

Did I miss it, or did they not show BJ fainting like in the previews? I wonder how long it took him to finally find the lamb? I was thinking Phil was going to have to eliminate him alaLena (or was it Kristy) in Norway.

Interesting leg. I'm not a fan of Frankenberry, but it was nice to see someone other than the Gonads or Hippies in first place.

Go MoJo! Go Ray & Yolanda (who need a nickname; RayYo? YoRay?)!

[Draelin]

Originally Posted by Southpaw

Did I miss it, or did they not show BJ fainting like in the previews?

It wasn't actually fainting in the preview, I think, it was him falling down to the next mound to continue searching again. Towards the end, he was just kind of flopping down on the ground. I was wondering why nobody appeared to have water bottles. There would have to be some pretty extreme circumstances going on to get me anywhere near a desert, but at least I know to hydrate.

The Lake impression killed me. We rewound the Tivo at least twice. Brilliant.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by scotandrsn

Joseph has always been that big a dick, he just gets more screen time now that Lake is gone.

I don't think Joseph's being a dick. I think he's a little tired of Monica's random drama outbursts and is trying to deal with them accordingly.

Originally Posted by scotandrsn

What did TTOW stand for on the hippy shirts?

They interviewed in an early leg about how it's their slogan or motto or philosophy of life or some damn thing. IOW, it's more whacky-ass hippie schtick.

Originally Posted by zut

Next week: We get to see the hippies begging. Oh, that will be so interesting. So, so compelling.

I hope no one gives them any money. If any of the other teams do that will just prove the other teams are irredeemably stupid.

Originally Posted by Southpaw

Did I miss it, or did they not show BJ fainting like in the previews?

He didn't faint. He sort of collapsed on a mound for a minute and then started digging.

Originally Posted by Southpaw

Go Ray & Yolanda (who need a nickname; RayYo? YoRay?)!

I flirted with calling them "Team Rayovac" a couple times but it seemed forced.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Draelin

I was wondering why nobody appeared to have water bottles. There would have to be some pretty extreme circumstances going on to get me anywhere near a desert, but at least I know to hydrate.

There was a shot of I think BJ and there were two plastic water bottles visible in the background. The editors correctly didn't use up screen time showing people drinking, choosing instead to go for camel humor (always the best choice).

Speaking of which, I about lost it when one of the teams (Gonad I think) was winching their camel, because it looked like they slammed the camel's legs against the edge of the truck bed. I was also a little disappointed that teams didn't have to unload the camels upon delivery.

[Draelin]

Originally Posted by Otto

There was a shot of I think BJ and there were two plastic water bottles visible in the background. The editors correctly didn't use up screen time showing people drinking, choosing instead to go for camel humor (always the best choice).

You've got a point. I can't get enough camel humor. I didn't notice the water bottles, though, which worried me.

[Robot Arm]

Originally Posted by lorene

My question, though, is: how can you have watched previous seasons, tried out for the Race, gotten on the Race, and gotten this far into it and still be under the impression that the main point is to have fun?

There are a lot of ways to win a million dollars on television these days, but this is the one I'd like to do. I'd still try to be reasonably fast about everything, but it would be time well spent even if I didn't get the big payoff at the end. I like to travel, to see places and do things that are different than what I know. How many tourists get to hoist camels into the backs of pickup trucks?

It looks like fun to me.

[rockle]

Originally Posted by Otto

... Speaking of which, I about lost it when one of the teams (Gonad I think) was winching their camel, because it looked like they slammed the camel's legs against the edge of the truck bed. I was also a little disappointed that teams didn't have to unload the camels upon delivery.

"Cruelty to camels" is one of the steps on the Colin-and-Christie Continuum©, just after "I'm packin' it!" and just before "They yielded us! They cheated!" It's approximately five steps from "My ox is broken! This is bullshit!" which, incidentally, was the single most awesomest moment in the history of ever.

I am liking this season a really lot, but that's what wrong with it: No real villains. No real heroes either, actually. Mostly I'm cheering for Phil, and car crashes, and random assorted wildlife (hello, frozen fishies!). Am I a bad person?

[annieclaus]

And the move to 8/7pm Wednesday doesn't seem to have helped viewership. In its first week in the time period, the audience was actually smaller than it had been in the 10/9pm Tuesday time period. I think the show belongs on Tuesday. And I think it belongs at 9/8pm. I wish CBS hadn't moved it out of that hour.

In the weekly ratings for last week, (second week in new time period), TAR was NOT in the top 20. (FYI: DEAL OR NO DEAL which is opposite TAR on Wednesday was #16! And that, I think, is the problem. People aren't bored with Howie Mandel yet.)

[Otto]

Originally Posted by rockle

I am liking this season a really lot, but that's what wrong with it: No real villains. No real heroes either, actually. Mostly I'm cheering for Phil, and car crashes, and random assorted wildlife (hello, frozen fishies!). Am I a bad person?

Yes, but not because of any of this.

I'm OK with their not being any major villains. I like it when the viollainy is distributed amongst the teams. Rather than it being always the same team setting out to screw everyone, it's more fun when several teams screw one another maybe once or twice each.

What's missing for me from the season is a team or two that I really strongly want to win. None of the teams this season really leaped out at me that way, and of the remaining teams it's a 3-2 split between teams I will hate to see win (Gonad, Hippie, Frankenberry) and teams who I won't mind if they win but don't really care about (YoRay, MoJo). Maybe if Team Nerd were still in I'd be pulling strong for them.

[Saltire]

I'm not a dedicated watcher, but I have a couple of thoughts about this one.

It was almost as if the first half of the leg was planned to disadvantage Fran and Barry. They made it on the first bus, were first and smartest at the airport and, IIRC, were first to make it to the park gate. But being on the first bus and getting a good plane didn't matter at all, as everyone was at the gate before it opened.

At that point, the advantage shifted to whomever could climb up that hill to the incense burner fastest, which put the oldsters in last place. They then regained the lead by luck in the digging thing, and didn't make any mistakes from then on.

So, I just think they did really well, considering the leg was planned out to eliminate any lead they'd built up before the park.

Also, what do folks think of the guys who did one tower and then changed tasks? I thought that was a lousy choice and really expected it to put them way behind, but it didn't, really.

I really got bugged by those that hesitated at the river, then yelled about the team that decided to go ahead and chance it. It's a race, so if you just stand there, anyone who keeps running deserves to be ahead of you.

Apparently this isn't a popular choice, but I think I'm rooting for the Hippies. But they don't have the odds in their favor, and probably will be gone next week or the week after.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Saltire

It was almost as if the first half of the leg was planned to disadvantage Fran and Barry. They made it on the first bus, were first and smartest at the airport and, IIRC, were first to make it to the park gate. But being on the first bus and getting a good plane didn't matter at all, as everyone was at the gate before it opened.

Also known as "bunching." The producers set it up so that periodically the teams will begin a task all at the same time to erase any massive leads and maintain the drama. Back in season 1 one of the final three teams fell over a day behind the other two. Since then these bunch points have increased fairly dramatically. Besides hours of operation bunches like the one at the incense burner, airports are often bunching points (because really, how many flights to Oman are there going to be in a day) and they do the charter transportation business to artifically divide teams into two or three mini-bunches. This leg was kind of odd in that there were three bunching points in a row (airport, buses, gate).

Originally Posted by Saltire

Also, what do folks think of the guys who did one tower and then changed tasks? I thought that was a lousy choice and really expected it to put them way behind, but it didn't, really.

Didn't seem to matter much one way or the other.

Originally Posted by Saltire

I really got bugged by those that hesitated at the river, then yelled about the team that decided to go ahead and chance it. It's a race, so if you just stand there, anyone who keeps running deserves to be ahead of you.

Excellent point. That bugged me too.

Originally Posted by Saltire

Apparently this isn't a popular choice, but I think I'm rooting for the Hippies. But they don't have the odds in their favor, and probably will be gone next week or the week after.

From your lips to God's ears. I have a feeling that only one more team is going to be eliminated before the finale and since I'm pulling for either Monica and Joseph or Ray and Yolanda I'd like to see either Hippie or Gonad as the strongest two remaining teams get bounced. And of the two Hippie is way more insufferable so the sooner the better.

[Robot Arm]

Originally Posted by Saltire

Also, what do folks think of the guys who did one tower and then changed tasks? I thought that was a lousy choice and really expected it to put them way behind, but it didn't, really.

It cost them some time, but didn't kill them. How many towers were there? I saw three. Team Horndog checked one, and it was empty. Frankenbarry and the Hippies (band name) got both boxes from another tower. (Would they have shared that fact? Hippies, yes; Oldsters, maybe not.) That only leaves one tower. Once you eliminate the need to search, the task should be easy. And they decided to haul camel.

I really got bugged by those that hesitated at the river, then yelled about the team that decided to go ahead and chance it. It's a race, so if you just stand there, anyone who keeps running deserves to be ahead of you.

It depends on how certain you are that you're on the right road. If there's anything worse than being lost, it's being lost and stuck. No telling how deep the water was. If I knew there was another team close by, I might try to get someone else to venture through first. I wouldn't want to be last, either. If you get stuck, but you're blocking the way for everyone else, then you're still okay.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Robot Arm

It depends on how certain you are that you're on the right road. If there's anything worse than being lost, it's being lost and stuck. No telling how deep the water was. If I knew there was another team close by, I might try to get someone else to venture through first. I wouldn't want to be last, either. If you get stuck, but you're blocking the way for everyone else, then you're still okay.

Nothing wrong with letting the other sucker ford the deep water first, if you're scared of getting stuck. But then, to turn around after the other team went through (incidentally leading the way for you) and bitch because they "don't respect lines" is ludicrous, Monica.

[BiblioCat]

Did everyone else catch the Hippies saying 'Philiminated'?
I think they called him The Philiminater or that they didn't want to 'be Philiminated.'

Do they use that phrase other places than here and TWoP?
I'm thinking it would be really funny if, once this thing is over, it's revealed that the Hippies are Dopers.

[zut]

I suspect "Philiminated" may have started on TWOP, however...

courtesy of the official CBS online store.

[lorene]

Originally Posted by Robot Arm

There are a lot of ways to win a million dollars on television these days, but this is the one I'd like to do. I'd still try to be reasonably fast about everything, but it would be time well spent even if I didn't get the big payoff at the end. I like to travel, to see places and do things that are different than what I know. How many tourists get to hoist camels into the backs of pickup trucks?

It looks like fun to me.

Well, yeah, I do get that, and therefore I think your reasons for wanting to go on TAR are sound.

I think, though, that if your main concern halfway through the race is that you're not having as much fun as you thought you would, or as you think you are entitled to, then you really need to examine your expectations. Not many tourists get to hoist camels onto the backs of pickup trucks, to be sure, but again, if your concern is, "I didn't get to look around at all the cool things I wanted to because I had to hoist a damn camel onto the back of a pickup truck, and I had to do it quickly", you're in the wrong game.

No one should go on Survivor for the fun camping atmosphere, and no one should go on TAR for the leisurely strolls through the Louvre is all I'm saying.

[Robot Arm]

Originally Posted by lorene

No one should go on Survivor for the fun camping atmosphere, and no one should go on TAR for the leisurely strolls through the Louvre is all I'm saying.

I'm not a leisurely-stroll kinda tourist. I've been to Paris, once, for 33 hours. Saw the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysses, Eiffel Tower, Opera House, Pompidou Centre, Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Air and Space Museum at Le Bourget. Caught my train at Gare du Nord by one minute.

Now that I think about it, I'd kick ass on this show. Except for the bungee jumping.

[Scuba_Ben]

Originally Posted by aktep

They've been taking away the posessions for the last few seasons at least -- that's why you'd see teams show up in 4 layers of clothing with underwear on their heads and whatnot.

Originally Posted by jayjay

Where've you been? They've been mugging them like that since at least the Rob & Amber season.

I haven't been following TAR much until last fall. I knew that the NEL ate all your money, but I wasn't aware that your clothes got Philiminated as well. Like a bunching point, I'm catching up.

Anyway... is there a definitive list of TAR points to remember? This isn't entirely an idle question -- in a week, I'll be playing in a "spy chase" game which might be "TAR in an afternoon."

zut pointed out a good one: Avoid N-I-H Detours, and avoid animal handling Detours.

The general sense suggests: This is a RACE. Whatever you do, do it fast.

[Mrs O'Malley's Cow]

Originally Posted by zut

Finally a NEL. I woulda said I totally expected a NEL; except I totally expected one [i]last[i] week and the week before. The busses were a bit of enforced bunching, as was the operation hours of the incense burner thing, but at least boh were at the beginning of the episode. And the Detour choice was interesting: rule of thumb is never do the needle-in-a-haystack Detours, and never do the animal Detours. So which to do when they're head-to-head? After seeeing the episode, it turns out the camel doesn't really factor into the camel Detour, so that was probably the best, but I don't think the teams knew that a priori. The standings are kind of bunched up this week as teams do the opposite of their historical trends.

Taxi Assessment

Stuck in the Desert and Officially Detained - or, Philiminated with extreme prejudice.
John & Scott and Lisa & Joni and Wanda & Desiree and Danielle & Dani and David & Lori and Lake & Michelle - Outta here.

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 this week.

"Rapido! Por Favor?" - or, making meaningless ineffectual comments from the back seat, but in no immediate danger.
Fran & Barry (up from "Stopping") - Alright already. The old folks get a bump up this week after their stunning first place finish. This episode played to their navigational strengths--every other team had problems, while Fran & Barry did not. Not all episodes will be like this, so I'll still be suprised if Fran & Barry make the final three, but they've been steadily improving through the race: now they're performing like the savvy team they seemed to be on paper, and not the blind stumbling oldsters they were in the first two eps.
Ray & Yolanda (holding steady) - Hum interesting. Ray & Yolanda actually had a pretty shitty leg, what with getting lost and bickering and so forth, but they're comfortably in third, so I can't really downrate them. We'll see what happens next leg...but I suspect it will involve more bickering and getting lost. Hint to Ray: Sometimes, you just have to abjectly apologize, even if you didn't really do anything. Just five minutes of groveling saves hours and hours of oblique argumentation later. Not that I would do that personally, but I'm just sayin'.

In the Passing Lane - or, ahead of the pack, but not quite comfortably.
Joseph & Monica (holding steady) - Aw, bummer, a first place was within their grasp and they let it slip away. Still, they had a pretty solid leg, and if they had navigation problems, well, so did everyone else. And it they're starting to look fatigued, well... so is everyone else.
BJ & Tyler (holding steady) - Killer fatigue sets in! I'm thinkin' BJ didn't keep himself adequately hydrated during the Roadblock--a mental mistake here. And he was clearly not digging deep enough in the pits, so he did way more work than he needed to. This team got out to an early lead early in the season, and due to the structure of the early legs, essentially cruised for weeks. Now that they're at the back of the pack, they're looking much more vulnerable-- they've gotten plumb lucky two weeks in a row. As an added bonus, they'll have to concentrate more an racing and less on wacky highjinks from here on out. Still, I have to believe they're essentially a pretty strong team, so until BJ completely flops, I'll keep them up here in the Passing Lane.
Eric & Jeremy (down from "Cruisin'") - Oh! Major mental mistake! Since when has taking a shortcut down a little dirt road been a good idea? Rule number six of TAR: unless you're dead last or in the final episode, never gamble on taking a route different from other teams. The point of the early episodes is not to come in last, so remaining safely in the middle of the pack is better than a gamble that might put you either in first or last. Added to that is the mistake at the Detour, driving out into the desert. I kinda knew they were dumb, but not quite to such an extent. Anyway, Eric & Jeremy are now coming from behind. I suspect, given that this is a NEL, the next episode will have an early bunch, but if not, it will be interesting to see how this team reacts to being near last instead of near first.

Cruisin' with Earl - or, drivin' on the shoulder, takin' shortcuts, and generally kickin' butt.
No one this week.

Next week: We get to see the hippies begging. Oh, that will be so interesting. So, so compelling.

_{Props to Mullinator and his Raj Ratings.}

Go Tyler and BJ!!!!

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Robot Arm

I've been to Paris, once, for 33 hours.

In 1960.

[BiblioCat]

Originally Posted by Scuba_Ben

zut pointed out a good one: Avoid N-I-H Detours, and avoid animal handling Detours.

There was an animal handling Fast Foward a couple of season ago, in which the team got to hand-feed baby orangetans. It was really, really neat. Baby orangetans are the height of cuteness, BTW.
When they got to the end, IIRC, they mentioned wanting to go back and play with the orangetans some more - obviously they had to feed them and just get going.

The general sense suggests: This is a RACE. Whatever you do, do it fast.

Yes, of course. Even my nine-year-old son knows this. Whenever he sees someone just strolling along or doing a Roadblock or Detour slowly, he yells at the TV, "Hurry up! It's a race! You have to do it faster! RUN!" He's becoming quite the snarker.

[rockle]

Originally Posted by BiblioCat

There was an animal handling Fast Foward a couple of season ago, in which the team got to hand-feed baby orangetans. It was really, really neat. Baby orangetans are the height of cuteness, BTW.

Ooooooh ... Chip and Reichen did that one. That was maybe the one episode of their entire season when act like robots at the Hall of Gay Presidents.

[rockle]

Originally Posted by rockle

Ooooooh ... Chip and Reichen did that one. That was maybe the one episode of their entire season when act like robots at the Hall of Gay Presidents.

What ... what the hell did I just write? Never mind. Suffice it to say, I mean that Chip & Reichen seemed almost human that day, and not ... Chip-and-Reichen-like.

[Mama Tiger]

Originally Posted by BiblioCat

There was an animal handling Fast Foward a couple of season ago, in which the team got to hand-feed baby orangetans. It was really, really neat. Baby orangetans are the height of cuteness, BTW.
When they got to the end, IIRC, they mentioned wanting to go back and play with the orangetans some more - obviously they had to feed them and just get going.

And what was best? Apparently during that pit stop, they let all the other teams go feed the baby orangutans, too. Which, along with the Zorbing, are the two things from any race ever that I would most sell my firstborn to do. (Now see how long it takes her to yell at me for that. )

[StarvingButStrong]

Another "rule" for detours: avoid choices where the outcome depends mostly on chance or is otherwise out of your control.

As in, it is better to haul bricks than try to catch fish.

Better to paddle a canoe than sail a sailboat.

Better to do any physically hard task than to try to sell something to others.


Speaking generally, of course.

[The Big Cheese]

So hippies are going to have to wear the same clothes for another week?? Oh, that's really going to hurt them-not. I for one am looking forward to them begging for money. It should be hilarious, and I bet they're even looking forward to it.

I liked the camera work when they showed Monica pouting, then cut to a camel with the same pose.

[MentalGuy]

Anyway... is there a definitive list of TAR points to remember? This isn't entirely an idle question -- in a week, I'll be playing in a "spy chase" game which might be "TAR in an afternoon."

Check out the Amazing Race article on Wikipedia.