Wow. Y’know, I was thinking that if any team other than the cowboys had fallen an hour behind, they would have been toast. But Jet & Cord just buckled down and passed enough teams that they stayed alive.
Taxi Assessment:
Stuck in the Desert and Officially Detained - or, Philiminated with extreme prejudice.
Amanda & Kris and Mel & Mike and Jaime & Cara and Margie & Luke - Already eliminated.
Ron & Christina (down from “Stopping”) - I said before that Ron & Christina have little chance of winning, and yes indeed I was right. I’m not quite sure what was in the Roadblock instructions that the other teams figured out but Ron didn’t, but whatever it was caused a big enough breakdown in Ron’s thinker that the cowboys easily passed them by. Did he seriously think these holy men were going to be off taking a dip in the Ganges? Well, lucky for Christina that it was Ron, not her, who caused them to lose; else she would have never heard the end of it.
Flat Tire - or, not likely to get anywhere soon.
No one.
Stopping for Gas - or, not broken-down, exactly, but not a good sign.
Kent & Vyxsin (holding steady) - Oh, Kynt. Everybody knows that this is a game and it’s every team for themselves, but dropping Gary so obviously doesn’t give you any real advantage, and really only serves to ensure Gary & Mallory never work with you again. And you really can’t afford that–judging by the shadows, you were just barely ahead of Ron & Christina this week. What would have happened had you not been able to ride Gary’s coattails on the Roadblock? Kent & Vyxsin have not yet cracked the top four; what chances do they have of making it to the final episode, much less winning the entire Race?
"Rapido! Por Favor?" - or, making meaningless ineffectual comments from the back seat, but in no immediate danger.
Flight Time & Big Easy (holding steady) - The Globetrotter’s first first-place finish (and only their second top-three) come at an opportune time, heading into the more competitive portion of the Race. I halfway expected Big Easy to freeze at the end of the Roadblock (the puzzle-y, unscramling-words-to-make-a-sentence part), but he didn’t. They’re working well with their Season 15 BFFs Zev & Justin, and they certainly have a chance to sneak into the final three. However, they just haven’t been on top of their game all season until now, and I’m not sure if they’ve shifted into a new gear or just got lucky.
In the Passing Lane - or, ahead of the pack, but not quite comfortably.
Kisha & Jen (holding steady) - Kisha & Jen, never in the lead, but never really in danger of elimination, either. I’m really not sure if they can turn up the effort in the final episode (assuming they get there), but they’re doing what they need to do now.
Zev & Justin (holding steady) - Zev & Justin are back in the top three after a solid, mistake-free leg. The only thing I’ll note is that Zev has done only two Roadblock to Justin’s four, and one of Zev’s – the Chinese zodiac wind chime one – was a disaster. I sense that Zev just isn’t comfortable when frustrated and working alone, so the Roadblock parity rule (assuming it’s still in force) might be this team’s downfall.
Cruisin’ with Earl - or, drivin’ on the shoulder, takin’ shortcuts, and generally kickin’ butt.
Gary & Mallory (holding steady) - A fourth place for Gary & Mallory, which is actually their worst showing yet, save a ninth place in the second episode. This team has an advantage in their intra-team dynamic–they get along well without feeling like they need to parcel out blame (Ron? Are you watching?), and Mallory’s bubliness is nicely leavened by Gary’s taciturnity. As long as Mallory doesn’t get overexcited and go haring off somewhere, this team has a decent chance of making it into the final three.
Jet & Cord (holding steady) - Jet & Cord can’t really afford to make many major blunders like taking the wrong flight. Hint to the boys: if you think you might not be on the quickest flight, get your ass moving, look for another one, and change your ticket. That’s legal. The cowboys got lucky that they were an hour or less behind, and showed some admirable hustle in catching up to the rest of the teams, but damn, they’re not always going to be able to hustle or luck out of major blunders. I still give Jet & Cord the edge in winning the Race, but only if they don’t drop the ball again.
[sub]Props to Mullinator and his Raj Rating[/sub]