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.
I loved all their attempts at sabotage, especially telling all the other cabbies to drive slowly.
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 actually read that as a joke, not an actual attempt to sabotage.
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:
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.
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.
[sub]Props to Mullinator and his Raj Ratings.[/sub]
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
I’ve seen Kisha do that nervous laugh thing before. I think that’s all it was.
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.
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.
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
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.
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?”
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.
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 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.
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?