Just wanted to get this thread up real fast before someone else did. (Last thing I want is an Amazing Race simulpost, really.)
Standings:
1: Teri & Ian (Fast Forward)
2: Flo & Zach
3: Ken & Gerard (already used FF)
4: Derek & Drew (alrady used FF)
5: John Vito & Jill
6: Andre & Damon
Out - Aaron & Arianne
Prospects, predictions etc. coming up!
Okay, back as promised. My analysis of the teams in the order of their chances, IMHO:
Flo & Zach
Consider that they were two hours behind three teams, yet finished second, only behind the team that took the Fast Forward. Consider that neither member has taken a disproportionate share of the tasks. Consider that this came right on the heels of the leg where Flo had one of the most embarrassing moments in the history of this show at the Detour. Or don¡¦t consider anything and marvel at the chemistry, drive, and incredible will of a team that right now looks absolutely bulletproof. This is as close to a team of destiny as you¡¦ll ever see in AR.
Ken & Gerard
Keeping a great pace and haven¡¦t looked bad once so far. They only have one question mark: fitness. Do these self-admitted fat ¡¥n bald guys have the stamina to stay on top and pull ahead at the very end, especially if it comes down to a footrace at the final stretch?
Andre & Damon
We shouldn¡¦t read too much into their unfortunate turn with the taxi. They¡¦ve certainly survived worse. But their ¡§foreigner syndrome¡¨ obviously just won¡¦t go away. They¡¦ll be strong until the very end, but in a race this tight, that little bit of lost edge could be their undoing.
Derek & Drew
Still a giant question mark. Could be in the same position as Oswald & Danny of the previous race, who were in fine shape and were simply beaten by better teams at the end.
John Vito & Jill
Well, I said earlier that it¡¦d be a triumph for them to make it this far, and it is. Let¡¦s enjoy it while it lasts, because they could be the next ones out. I don¡¦t know why, but they just aren¡¦t able to go fast in this race, and they¡¦ve capitalized on a LOT of opponents¡¦ blunders. They don¡¦t have any margin for error, not the position you want to be in at this point.
Teri & Ian
Definitely better than they looked in the first three legs, and have demonstrated the ability to borrow an incredible amount of time to live on. Taking the Fast Forward, unfortunately, was probably the nail in the coffin. The bar¡¦s just going to get higher and higher as the race nears its conclusion, and without the free pass, simply making the final three will take a miracle.
Well, it¡¦s a nonelimination run next week from the looks of it, which means that everyone gets a take a breather and trump up their personal squabbles even more than usual. So let¡¦s all just relax and enjoy the ride.
Teri and Ian signed their own release from the show be resorting to the fast forward. I have to think they knew they had at least a 2 hour gap on A&A and could afford to take a chance with this leg. They must now fear any point that will bunch teams together.
Team 911 had quite an adventure, eh? If with another guy it’s worrisome, but not that bad. But, imagine if Flo and Zach had been the 2 that ended up in that situation. I imagine her random, hysterical ravings would have not helped at all.
This has been a good Amazing Race for me, because my 3 favorite teams (Twins, brothers, John Vito/Jill) are all alive and doing well while most of my least favorites are out of it. I was thrilled with A&A getting knocked out. They will look back on their choice or Aarianne for the goalie as the decision that cost them seeding and ultimately the game.
The 2 weakest teams are easily Teri/Ian and 911. Teri/Ian will be the greatest victims of bunching. 911 may be screwed because their tagalong tactic doesn’t really work if they don’t leave at the same time as someone else. It will be interesting to see how they fare on their own.
I have to say that team 911 looked more than a bit shaken at the pit stop. I’m guessing that it was a little more tense than is being played up. And I have to admit, that it would be a bit terrifying to be in that situation. While I’m sure CBS goes through a lot of effort to make things a safe as they can, there’s a large gap between getting permission from the government, and running into a small town official in the middle of the desert.
I’m not sure how I feel about John Vito and Jill not getting any time credit because the car they were supplied with broke down. That seems a bit unfair to me. If you give me a car, and it breaks down, then I should get a credit for the time it takes you to get me another one…or at least a partial credit. Although that wouldn’t have made much difference this time due to bunching.
They must have buried those pots pretty deep for the brothers to have not found them in the time they took. They don’t seem to be the type of team to just up and switch because something’s a little hard. It looked like the dug more than a little ways down.
I also was glad to see A&A go. I really despised that team. Perhaps it was just the editing, but they were just irritating. I’m still trying to figure out how he drove the ATV into a ditch…while I don’t like screeching any more than the next person, to swerve off the road into a ditch more than 10 feet away is a bit over reacting in my opinion.
Although again, there didn’t seem to be much challenge to most of the activities this segment. I mean really nothing that difficult…either mentally, or physicaly. I wish they’d get back to closer to the first season, with real clues, instead of the “go here, do this, go on to next task” method that they seem to have had the last 2 season’s. Oh well…I still love this show.
My thoughts.
When he said “Terri, COME!” like she was a dog, the correct and proper response should have been to gut-shoot him. The fact that she didn’t doesn’t speak well for her. I think they’re doomed. They’re an incompetent, loser-team and I suspect that their lead will evaporate (and like Mullinator said, bunching 'll get rid of much of their advantange) and they’ll end up at the back of the pack. Then Ian will blame Terri for using up the Fast Forward too early and she’ll kill him.This will make for good TV, but is not a winning strategy. I’ve also heard a FOAF* rumor that Ian (the sissy that he is) pulls his scream-in-the-face-of-someone-female routine that he pulled this episode with Flo, with the wrong woman: per my totally unverified rumor (apparently my friend got it from someone who heard about it from someone who read about it on the USENET. So you see how much credibility it has), he shrieks at Jill. And John-Vito objects. LOUDLY. If this isn’t true, it should be.
Team 9-11 can’t read maps. This will doom them. I like 'em and am amused by the tag-along strategy, but I think they’re not the sharpest knives in the drawer. (How can a fireman and a policeman NOT be able to read a map?)
Flo did 2 things right: she DIDN’T get into a snit when she lost the chance to Fast Foward and she got into selling those snails. I still don’t like her though.
John-Vito and Jill still have the stench of loser hanging around them…or not. They haven’t used a fast-forward yet. Hmm…
Ken & Gerard I’m still rooting for Ken and Gerard. Even after screwing up the detour(? they chose the “dig in sand” route? What where they thinking?) they still came in third. Smarts pay.
The twins? Eh. Other than teaming with Ken and Gerard, they haven’t done anything brilliant.
I’ve also come to one conclusion. Whenever you get to the choice segment of the show (and you have to choose one of two tasks), figure out which would make better TV. THAT’S the choice to make. EVERY time that someone’s tried to take the boring-tv route, it’s slowed 'em down. Donkey carts, the delivery option, strolling down the path rather than rappelling, taking the horses, all were DULL TV.
Hey, one question. When John-Vito/Jill caught up with Flo/Zach at the desert place, it sounded like Flo/Zach just shared the info (from the rubbing) and John-Vito/Jill didn’t actually run the course. Did they? If they did, is that within the rules?
Fenris
*FOAF: Friend of a Friend. Urban Legend term. In other words, don’t believe it. But I hope it’s true! I wanna see Ian try screeching at John-Vito.
By the way, why can’t I buy video tapes of Amazing Race 1 or 2?
Doesn’t CBS sell 'em?
Answer from a former FOX TV affiliate program director: CBS can’t sell what it doesn’t own. THE AMAZING RACE is produced by an independent production company. They own the show. They sell the rights to air the show to CBS. The only way CBS could make and sell tapes/DVDs of the shows would be if they negotiated with the production company and paid them a bunch of money for the rights to copy and sell. However, THE AMAZING RACE has not generated a lot of viewer interest (translation: low ratings) and, therefore, would not be a good candidate for this kind of marketing.
Reminder: next week’s AMAZING RACE will be on one hour earlier. At least it’s not being totally blown out by women in underwear!
I wish we knew how far ahead of the rest of the teams Teri and Ian arrived at the Pit Stop. The show made you think it was hours and hours ahead. I also thought their use of the Fast Forward was ill-timed. They were not that far back in the pack and they were functioning well up to the Fast Forward point. I think they would have done just fine with the normal tasks.
I was surprised that the Doublemint Twin had such a difficult time selling snails. The beautiful boys are not the most out-going; perhaps that’s what slowed him down.
Re: Team 911 having difficulty reading maps. I don’t think it’s a necessity that police and firemen read maps. Don’t they work in rather small, defined areas of their cities? If so, they probably would not have to do a lot of map work. And if this is their first experience at foreign travel (outside military service), they’ve got enough other stuff to contend with just to get along. I’m tired of them hanging out with the two sets of brothers, though. That’s really wearing thin. I hope they’re far enough beind the Brothers Coalition to have to make it on their own next week.
I’ve decided I like John Vito and Jill. . . a lot! Didja take a look at that guys arms? Wow! And Jill is very spunky. Wears cool sunglasses, too.
Flo and Zach! Puh-leeze! Somebody push them over a cliff. They are TOO annoying for words. Correction: SHE is too annoying for words!
I hope Terri is watching the show now and realizes what an ass Ian was to her. I want to smack both of them, him for being an idiot, and her for putting up with it. Seriously, he actually told her, “when I make a decision, it’s made, that’s it.”, and then at the end he was bragging about how they were doing so well because “they were a team.” After telling her he was going to get off the highway, but if it was the wrong decision, that was her fault. I just about rolled my eyes back into my head when I heard that one. He makes me throw things at the TV and scare my dog. He is the biggest loser ever in the history of the show, and that’s saying something with Will from last season. I just want to rip his stupid hat off his head and cram it down his throat. AAaarrrrggghhh.
I too wonder how the 911 team expects to get to the end by following people. They never even try to do things on their own. It was especially a stupid move for them when they finished the challenge first and were celebrating, then had to wait for another team because they “didn’t know how to translate the clue.” I thought it was kind of funny that the first time they can’t follow someone, they end up lost in another town. (I realize this could have happened to anyone with an idiot cab driver).
I also am rooting for John Vito and Jill, and Ken and Gerard. Both smart, and solid teams. I would love to see Jill and John Vito take out Ian, so I hope you’re right, Fenris!
By the way, how nice has it been (and will it continue to be) to not have to watch a bunch of teams suffer through twin envy. That would be 3 weeks in a row one of the four former twin hunters got booted and looked bad doing it.
Hopeless prediction time:
911 goes home next, taking 6th. I get the feeling they are a few hours behind and will have some serious issues catching up. Their only hope may be a time bonus. It’s not necessarily their fault that the local too big for his britches lawman tried to throw them in the brink. It will be interesting to see how the show handles this.
Teri and Ian take 5th, which is amazing considering their ineptitudes. I think being in first this week (combined with 911’s difficulty) gives them enough of a buffer for one week but then they drop way off.
Ken and Gerard take 4th- I really, really like this team, but the lack of a fast forward and lack of athleticism will get them somehow.
Zack and Flo take 3rd - The fast forward propels them after next week, but she is a horrible racer and her demeanor costs them.
John Vito and Jill take 2nd - They become the last group to fast forward and it keeps them alive. I see this team as always doing enough to keep advancing, but they have yet to show that they can win it.
The twins win - I think they have a certain degree of luck and when their physical abilites help ouster Ken and Gerard they will be the stongest team left.
Of course all of the above will be proven wrong next week.
I’m not getting the ‘lack of athleticism’ comments regarding Ken and Gerard. Yes, they’re slightly less sculpted than the Twins. There’s been physical challenges before in this race though(the mini-Highland games comes to mind, along with the wine deliveries) and they’ve flown through those. They may not look as good but they’re fit. If they were stumble bumbling along, I’d agree, but they’re not. They’ve certainly done better in this regard than, say, Flo and Zach.
I’m glad Aaron & Arianne got the boot. (Did anyone else notice their too-precious Au/Ag shirts?) There were just too many of these young, pretty male/female couples, all of whom were on a twin hunt. I had real trouble telling them apart. We’re thankfully down to two couples now: the one with funky hair (Zack?) and the one with muscles (John Vito?). Their respective women partners I still can’t tell apart. Just goes to show how little character the women seem to have.
It’s too bad that my two favorite teams, the brothers and the twins, have both used their fast forwards. This can only hinder them as the race gets tighter.
I can’t believe that the BRUTHAHS (Team 911) have made it this far, given how hapless they appear to be. The smartest move they made was to ride the coattails of Ken & Gerard and Derek & Drew. They should take a fast forward next time if they want to stay in race, but that would mean separating from their would-be allies. Also, one of the pretty teams will probably try to take it as well.
As for Teri and Ian, I predict that he will continue to yell at her to hurry up, then start whining when she takes the lead.
Jill is the spunky blondish one. Flo is the black haired harpie.
See, I didn’t even notice that their hair was of different color.
Spunky harpie, black-haired blonde. Gotcha.
**
The team with the wimpy guy with the really, REALLY bad hair (if you’re over 30- his hair is shaped like a container of Jiffy-Pop, if you’re under 30- his hair looks like Sideshow Bob’s from the Simpsons) is teamed with the evil, donkey-voiced shrew with dark hair who has only once in what? six or seven episodes stopped screeching about what her partner is doing to actually do something herself is Flo and Zach. (She’s also the one who had the nervous breakdown while rapelling)
The team with the big, lanky, muscley looking guy and the cute perky blonde who get along swell and have shown remarkable teamwork in the face of some fairly trying incidences are John-Vito and Jill. They’re fun to watch 'cause it’s obvious they like each other and it’s also obvious that they’re having fun (or are smart enough to simulate it, realizing they’re on TV. Frankly, their problem is that neither seems particularly bright. Not stupid or anything, just…I dunno…uninspired.
Fenris
I remembered what really got me about Flo & Zach (whom I HATE!) last night: It was Zach smarmily telling us how he can’t understand these foreign languages. . . and nobody can understand him so he just SHOUTS REAL LOUD and then he gets understood! Talk about your truly ugly Americans!
And I am convinced that Ian is ex-military. Probably an ex-Marine. He’s got that jar-head mentality. And Teri is probably an abused Marine wife. God help them!
Ian is an ex-Marine, IIRC. He also claims to be a private investigator.
Heh. Public Dick is more like it. (Can you imagine him on a case?)
Fenris