Episode description from Yahoo! TV (no spoiler boxes because this info in available on the 'Net and on commercials):
I have a funny feeling that tonight’s title line will be uttered by none other than Megan Linz, because that family? Strikes me as the type that calls each other “girls” even though they’re biologically not.
I’m looking forward to the baseball, but I don’t entirely know why. Wee Carissa Gaghan could probably cause a lot of damage with a baseball bat in a good stiff wind. Go Gaghans!
Also, we did see the FF envelope in previews (in the hot little hands of the Paolos) – am I bad person for hoping that DJ chickens out and The Family is finally outta there?
Gaaaaaah. You’re probably right. There are 6 teams left, right? Gaghans, Weavers, Paolos, Linzes, Bransens, Godlewskis. (Counts on fingers) Yeah, that’s 6, and that’s where the NEL’s usually start. Dammit! Stuck in the middle with Paolos and no booze for another week …
they’re about due for a NEL. What will be interesting is to see what they make the last team do, or lose. I’d hate for Mrs…(the one that lost her husband to NASCAR) to lose her hair brush.
Maybe they’ll have one of those pop-up tees for Carissa, and a whiffle bat.
I’m hoping it’s Mama Paola who chickens out on the FF. I can see both boys and Dad doing something potentially scary, but not Mom.
As for what the FF is, and with the mention of heights, I’m guessing bungee jumping or a really high zip line. We haven’t had that yet, and we always have both by now.
I figured the title line would be uttered by either the Godlewskis or the Dad of the daughters - that’s the Bransens, right? I still don’t have them all straight.
But Megan Linz saying it would be pretty funny.
Just had a thought: What if this is a NEL, as most of us are predicting? Can you imagine the ugliness that would ensue if there is a penalty mugging?
… Ma Paolo would start wailing and rending her garments … Mama Weaver would pray for the angels of the Lord to come down among us and smite Phil … wee Carissa Gaghan would kick Phil in the shins, all whilst Billy pantsed him … such high-pitched shrieking and caterwauling would spill forth from the mouths of the Godlewskis that all dogs and small children in a 500 mile radius will flee in terror …
Only the Linzes and the Bransens would “take it like men,” as it were. Oh, this episode looks like such fun! (No, really!) You have me totally psyched, now.
That’s the best idea EVER. “Linz family, you’re the last team to arrive. The good news is that this is the first of three non-elimination legs of the race. However, as penalty for coming in last in this leg, one of you will be left behind to be adopted by this family of Panamanian tobacco farmers.”
Do I get partial credit for getting the family right? Even though one of the brothers apparently thinks people routinely go to malaria-infested banana republics for Spring Break?
They had to fly to Panama. Bunching at the airport, split into two groups on two flights a couple of hours apart.
In Panama, they had to go to the Smithsonian Reseach Center on an island. The boats didn’t leave until the morning, so they all bunched at the boat dock.
On the island, they had to search for some scientist in a hammock, who when found was obviously peeved that the families tended not to stick around for his entire line: “I am Ricardo Diaz, and here is your next clue.”
The Paolos and the Gaghans both went for the FF, whcih involved tandem bunjee jumping. The Paolos got it, despite DJ’s fear of heights. Dad and the sane son went together, Mom and DJ went together. The Gaghans then went for the Detour.
Detour was a choice between tracking down four instruments in various spots around town and spotting five wooden representations tacked to trees in some forest. The Weavers and the Pinks (I think) went bird-watching, the Linzes and the Wallys (I think) went instrument hunting, and when they caught up the Gaghans went instrument hunting too. The first two instrument hunting teams worked together, which I thought might have been a penalty but no one said anything.
After the Detour, teams headed to a baseball field. Roadblock. One team member had to get a base hit or home run off a champion Little League pitcher. I think that catches you up to the last fifteen minutes.
Quick recap? All the families leave the country, where we discover that: the Paolos have the luck of the Eeeeeeevil; the Weavers are home-schooled so they don’t know their colors or what infield chatter is; Wally Bransen is still slow but at least one of his daughters looks cute in a batting helmet; the Linzes attract sucky boat drivers and don’t know the difference between Florida and Panama; the Gaghans are part Weeble and part Energizer Bunny and they’re playing a game of Frogger with the Universe; and the Shrieking Sisters were able to pull off what Brian-and-Greg were not by wearing approximately 175 bras and 12 bathing suits at one time between them. Plus, Phil said “underpants.” And it was a NEL.
This was actually a really good episode. Loving that the Gaghans recognize what their biggest strength is at this point: they can count to one. As in, the number of teams they need to beat in order to stay in the Race. Plus, the parents swore in front of their kids, and the kids were smart enough to keep their mouths shut about it. Which … when did “son of a bitch” become acceptable on TV? Did I miss a memo or something?
I’m wrong, it was the Weavers and the Wallys who went bird watching. The Linzes and the Pinks went instrument hunting together.
Oddly, I didn’t hate the Paolos with a blinding passion. I still want them eliminated but this week at least I didn’t hate them. DJ was still a little punk but he kissed his mom when they were dangling off the bungee cord so that bought them the smallest measure of slack. I didn’t care for the Weavers as usual, but at least they kept their demands on the Almighty to a minimum this week, limiting themselves to just one prayer to find Ricardo Diaz.
I feared for the Gaghans this week when they didn’t get the FF but as soon as they were shown stuck behind the Pepsi cooler I knew they were safe. But damn, how about the guns on Papa Gaghan, hitting it out of the park on the first pitch? Hope Mama Gaghan didn’t concuss herself on that van she banged into. But I figured as everyone did that it was a NEL. I didn’t think they’d finally get everyone out of the country only to eliminate someone.
I still have a feeling there may be a penalty involved for the Linzes and the Pinks since they didn’t each grab all of their own instruments.
Just to clarify, the Weavers and the Bransens went birding, and the Linzes and the Godlewskis (then the Gaghans) went instrument hunting. The Godlewskis were doing OK until the Roadblock, when they discovered quite unfortuantely that in addition to running marathons, taming lions, leaping buildings in a single bound, and raising wonderfully sarcastic little munchkins, Bill Gaghan is also apparently some sort of Little League batting coach or something. Because he got a nice base hit on (what appeared to be) his first pitch, whereas poor Trish Godlewski needed a couple of at-bats.
Oh, and I just wanted to say that, of all the Godlewskis, I like Michelle the best. She’s the oldest, and you can especially tell while she’s standing behind home plate at the backstop watching her sister whiff at balls thrown at her by 12 year olds, desperately wishing that a miracle would occur and her bottle of Aquafina would suddently turn into a bottle of Absolut. I’ve totally been there, 'Chelle. I feel you.
I’ve got a question about the new NEL. OK, you give Phil all of your money and all your worldly possession (except your passport) (I think you should give him all the clothes you wear instead, it would make for an interesting episode, would be great for ratings). Now my question is, if you need to take some medication, do you have to give it to him too ?