Around the world in 80,000 headaches: Amazing Race 2

Cafe Society
21

Well, the Wil & Tara and Blake & Paige thing started back in episode 1. The teams had to go to a tour desk to reserve space on a boat but only the first three teams to arrive would get on the first boat.

Tara gets to the tour desk second but Wil has wandered off somewhere and, after yelling for him enough times to attract all the other teams to the desk, she runs off looking for him. In the meantime, Blake and Paige arrive and get the last space on the boat.

Wil and Tara return and Wil gets into it with Blake saying that Tara was there ahead of him so he and Tara should get the last space on the boat. Blake (rightly, in my opinion) tells him to shove it. They almost come to blows there.

In episode 3 Blake & Paige got two strikes against them. First, they didn’t wake up the Grannies when they slept through their departure time. Then, they jumped over to a new line at the airport when it opened, jumping ahead of several teams.

Finally, in episode 4, they cut through the trees instead of following the path which put them ahead of Mary & Peach.

So, by the end of the fourth leg they’ve managed to annoy 3 of the other 10 teams. Since several other teams seem to be following Wil’s lead (for some unknown reason) I think they are annoyed at Blake & Paige just because Wil is.

What I can’t figure out is why so many people seem to like Wil. He seems borderline psychotic to me. He told the woman helping him get a cab in episode 4 that she was ripping him off and that he hoped something bad happened to her, he yelled at Gary & Dave calling them cheaters, he is constantly yelling at Tara has even threatened her once or twice and then there is that whole sulking thing he pulled at the airport in episode 5. And he’s trying to claim that he’s running the Race fairly and cleanly?

I suspect this may have more to do with a possible attraction between Alex and Tara. Which may also explain why Tara was wanting to wait for them at the airport and why Wil was in such a hurry to leave without them.

Speaking of Wil, what does anyone think of his stunt with the “bus” at the Bangkok airport? The instructions said that they were to go to the skytrain station by “bus”. He gets a cab instead but asks them for a “mini-bus”. Later, he is congratulating himself for doing this. Does anyone think he’ll get away with it or will he & Tara and Alex & Chris get a time penalty for that stunt?

I definitely have to agree with you there. Those two have been models of calm politeness through the entire race so far and definitely prove that people are much more willing to help you when you are polite than when you are aggressive.

I can’t quite figure out what they did wrong though; I didn’t see them make any obvious mistakes (like the teams burning the cars who kept going to the wrong place (look for the flags people!)) and they made a smart move in getting someone to help them yet they somehow wound up in last place.

I don’t know, they have definitely been coming up with the best lines of the show. Last night’s best were “I like to stand up. It makes me feel like I’m going faster.” “You’re weird.” and his prayer “I’m sorry. They didn’t have any American cars.” The insults they were exchanging with Alex & Chris while in the mini-cabs were pretty funny too.

22

Whoops! Sorry tans, I wasn’t clear. I don’t think CBS is showing G&D’s good game plays. I think they’re definitely showing their funny lines quite consistently. They’ve been playing a great game, and were in first place most of the episode, but the only thing we see is their comedic highlight reel.

“You see, I’m used to going to temple and looking for a parking space.”

I’m definitely watching the episode again tonight to remember more of their quips.

23

I’m to the point where I am now rooting for Blake and Paige just because everyone in the race is pissed at them. I still fail to see that they have actually done anything wrong. Wil was clearly off his rocker at the check in desk. As a last place team there is no way in the world I would wake up another team. The cut through to the mat may have looked bad, but it wasn’t against the rules.

That said, Mary and Peach have completely grown on me. Basically, as long as Wil falls to a flaming demise at some point I will end up happy.

24

I definitely think Chris & Alex and Wil & Tara will be penalized for not following the rules! And I couldn’t be happier, especially about Wil & Tara. I CAN’T STAND WIL!!! I want to grab that hat off his head and shred it into a billion ugly little strings!
I’m hoping that the time penalties that I expect will be assessed next week will help Oswald and Danny get their act back together. They are such a refreshing change from the win-at-all-costs numbskulls!
I’m still sick of Peach being sick! Cripes! How much longer can she milk that?
And I find Blake and Paige rather amusing. They’re being sniped at for doing exactly what any other team (except maybe Oswald and Danny) would have done under similar circumstances.
Gary and Dave? I do not find them either interesting or funny. I think they are just plain annoying. I find their humor to be forced and really not very funny. But the “stand-up-go-faster” line was OK.
Where are we off to next week? Any guesses?

25

First nonelimination point tonight. For those of you unfamiliar with this feature, it basically allows everyone to dash wildly from place to place and get on each others’ nerves. It’s the Thelma and Louise of this event, i.e. something that generates an absolute firestorm even though almost nothing of consequence results from it. (Man, Thelma and Louise…I could start an entire new thread about that kind of movie.)

Updated standings & prospects:

  1. Mary & Peach
    One of most inspiring sights in any competition is a straggling, dragging, bagging, moping, going-through-the-motions team that suddenly lights a fire under itself and storms to the top…and damned if that wasn’t exactly what Team Girl Power did. (Hey, if anyone deserves a cool nickname, it’s them!) The raft duel with Gary & Dave, IMHO, was the most exciting part of the race so far, and I’d never have expected them to actually take on another team, let alone beat it to the flag. I was actually worried about the silly argument during the “shopping break”, but my fears were unfounded. In any case, they’re on top now, and they’ll go as far as they want to go.

  2. Gary & Dave
    I don’t think we should read much into their trash talking because, well, it’s just trash talking. However, their insistence on attacking the “weaknesses” of the other teams could jump up and bite them. I think they’d be much better served analyzing their own weaknesses (the complete lack of unity is a good place to start) and making sure that they don’t become severe detriments. Confidence is always good to have, but arrogance only makes the inevitable defeat even worse.

  3. Blake & Paige
    One unthinkable blunder in Brazil…and they’ve just gotten stronger and stronger since. Say what you will about their tactics, but a good relationship, plus a staunch determination to win this thing, plus the ability to shrug off mistakes and keep going, is a devastating combination. They’re my first “near-lock” for the final three.

  4. Oswald & Danny
    They started last, with Danny just recently recovering from a freak foot injury, fatigue and loss of morale had set in, and, with the Fast Forward no longer an option…they moved up two spots. This team just always seems to find a way to stay alive. I think they’re just going to miss out on the final three, but they won’t go down easily.

  5. Tara & Wil
    Dropping like a brick. Tied to a downward-fired bazooka shell. Their unity is in absolute shambles (Rule #1: Don’t go with someone you don’t like!! When will they ever learn?), and all the stragglers and scrubs have already been sent packing. Can anything possibly save them from being next?

  6. Chris & Alex
    It’s been a completely unpredictable roller coaster ride for them so far. They’ve been a little unlucky and slow lately, but I think the pendulum’s due to shift again. They still have the Fast Forward option, so don’t count them out just yet.

As for Chris apparently trying to “steal away” Tara…lord, I hope he does. I can’t imagine who wouldn’t benefit from this. :slight_smile:

26

I can understand why they have non-elimination points but you are right, they do take something away from the show.

I also agree that the rafting battle between Mary & Peach and Gary & Dave was the best part of this one, but overall I would have to say that this was about the weakest episode of The Amazing Race that I have seen. When a big chunk of the episode is taken up showing the teams wandering around town shopping something just doesn’t seem right.

The leg seemed sort of pointless too. The train ride was an equalizer and I don’ t think any of the teams can be more than a few minutes apart from each other. Yeah, there is a first to last ranking but it really looks like all of the teams are essentially on an even footing right now.

It was interesting to note how far down Tara & Wil finished. It would have been last if it weren’t for that sidestep that Wil did at the very end. (Isn’t that essentially the same thing that he was getting on Blake for last episode? About Blake & Paige running past Mary & Peach? Yeah, you’re one step up or down in the rankings but you are both there at the same time and are not in elimination danger so it really makes no difference.)

Also, have you noticed Chris & Alex’s placements over the last three legs? From last to first to last. I do have to say that this Race is a lot less predictable than the last one.

I suspect that a lot of this episode was setting up the dynamics between teams that will pay off in the next episode or two. I think we’re about to see some more fireworks in the Tara & Wil/Blake & Paige/Chris & Alex arena.

27

Oh, forgot one comment. I was surprised that Tara & Wil and Chris & Alex did not get a time penalty for the “bus ride” from the last episode.

To recap, in the last leg the teams arrived at the Bangkok airport and were told that they must travel by bus to the Sky Train and from there ride the Sky Train to the Siam station.

Most of the teams get a public bus at the airport and ride it to the train but Wil goes to a taxi stand and calls for a taxi, but specifically asks for a “mini-bus”. The two teams get a van and ride in it to the station.

Apparently this was within the rules since they got away with it but it seems to me that teams have been penalized for similar infractions before. As an example, in the first Race several teams were told to travel from Rome to another town in Italy by train. Several teams got off the train early and took a taxi the remainder of the way in and were penalized for not taking the train the whole way. This was despite the fact that on an earlier train ride in France getting off the train early was an advantage and was even mentioned as such by Phil.

Given that we don’t know exactly how the instructions were phrased there may have been a difference in these two cases that we aren’t aware of.

Also, in the first Race at one point the teams have to go from France to Tunisia by boat. They all get on a passenger ferry but Phil points out that the type of boat was unimportant and that teams could have gotten on a freighter or fishing boat as well. Maybe this is the loophole that Tara/Wil/Chris/Alex got through.

Any thoughts?

28

I don’t mind the non-elimination points so much, but I do wish that they didn’t tell the players. I missed the first part, was there a penalty assigned for the whole “Mini-Bus” thing? While I still love this show, I’ve been a bit disappointed by the way they’ve made it a tad easier…taxi’s always waiting, clues spelled out, instead of having to figure them out…and the speading penatly kills me…While I understand it, to me it just kills the idea of a race.

29

OK, I admit it. I’m starting to warm up to Mary and Peach. The rafting episode showed me that they’ve got Moxie. Besides which, Peach was not sick last night! Hooray!
I, too, was disappointed that there was no elimination last night. Just when we could have gotten rid of the odeous Wil & Tara. Those two deserve each other. . . and we deserve to be rid of them.
I had forgotten about the possibility of a time penalty from last episode. What the heck happened there? Is a van a Bus?

30

Well, Peach finally couldn’t go no more, and that’s really too bad. I was just getting geared up for this team making a charge for the final 3, and all the bad stuff hits all at once. It’s sad because the will to win was there right up until the end, and Peach just wasn’t physically capable of keeping the pace. (Important lesson for anyone who’s thinking of entering!) That’s life, war is hell, etc…

The “green and white star” clue was the first really tricky challenge, and it’s telling that two teams couldn’t dope it out at all. Everyone still in has looked good so far, but it looks like the bar’s been raised once again. I still don’t see a strong favorite, so it’ll be fun to see who really has what it takes to come in #1.

Little side note: Does anyone else find it irritating that CBS is running grossly misleading clips…in the RECAPS?? You know, stuff we’ve already seen, hence already know is manipulative BS? Sheesh, deception is one thing, but don’t insult our intelligence, for crying out loud!

Updated standings & prospects:

  1. Gary & Dave
    Still running hard. Still not letting mistakes and infighting keep them down. Still funny as hell. About the only thing I see possibly hurting them is not having the Fast Forward, but it probably won’t make that much of a difference. Whatever the other teams really think of them, they look tough.

  2. Chris & Alex
    They seem to have finally gotten into the flow of things, and not a moment too soon. If they can outlast Tara & Wil, count on them being in the final 3.

  3. Tara & Wil
    Looked a little better this time. I honestly am having a very hard time getting a read on this pair. Is the infighting indicative of a budding disaster, or are they just letting off steam? They’re safe for now, but fortunes can change in an instant.

  4. Oswald & Danny
    If their next leg is as good as CBS made it look (always an iffy prospect, I know), they’re headed for the finals on a rocket-powered sled. This is the only team I’ve seen so far that’s always looked completely comfortable doing what they were doing, and that peace of mind will serve them very well in the homestretch. (Loved the little joke at the end…“Oswald & Danny, I’m sorry to say you’ve been eliminated”. Hey, this is a game show, why take it too seriously?)

  5. Blake & Paige
    Game, tough, smart…unfortunately, they might be out of beatable teams. If they can finish fourth, it’ll be a tremendous accomplishment for them.

Next week is a double episode, which means that there will be an elimination. It could be anybody, folks. Don’t touch that dial.

31

Au revoir, Mary & Peach!
They did a great job last week but looked like dopes last night! How could they confuse CENTER with CENTRAL or whatever it was??? That was a simple READING error.
How embarrassing was it to barf up the herbal tea???
Good riddance. Don’t let the door smack you on the way out!
Now, as for the rest: The only teams that don’t annoy me and Blake and Paige and, my personal favorites, Oswald and Danny. Those last two guys have class oozing out their very pores. They seem to be the only ones that are truly enjoying being in these wonderful different locales. I’m hoping they can pull it off and win the whole thing!

32

Am I the only one who’s annoyed to death by Oswald & Danny? Always complaining about how they’re used to flying first class, dining on wine and caviar, being driven around in rolls royces, etc…

And that trick of “hiring a local” to help them with some of the tasks – ain’t nothing like phony friendship to get ahead in the world, I suppose.

33

JET - Oh, come on. Can’t you tell the difference between some good-natured ribbing and actual griping? (“5-star hotels are worth every penny” doesn’t exactly rise to the level of griping.) And even if it really is griping, at least they’re quiet about it, unlike screaming-eagle Wil. (Honestly, what was the deal with ragging on that poor boatman?)

Anyway, all of CBS’s indications point to Blake & Paige being next, but we all know how reliable these teasers are. Not bothering with predictions this time.

34

I’m surprised that nobody has posted yet! Still overwhelmed by the 2-hour special edition?

I must say I’m glad to see Gary and David go! I was getting really annoyed at the stupid hats they wore. (Almost as annoyed as Wil & Tara’s stupid hats.) They were certainly the lousiest players last night. Couldn’t paddle a dragon boat. Couldn’t find an opal. Couldn’t play golf worth a darn! Fine. Adios! So long! Don’t let the door hit ya on the way out!

We’re really getting down to the nitty gritty now. I think Wil & Tara and Blake and Paige are the teams to watch now, only because neither one has taken their Fast Forward yet. One’s bound to do it next week and the other team the following week. And then we’re at the end of the line.

I just loved Oswald and Danny last night. They were so la-di-da about everything. They get more and more appealing every show. And Oswald’s crack about his limp wrist after the boomerang task was too funny!

I just love this show!

35

Things I learned from yesterday’s double episode (which I had to watch a third of on tape):

  • Lesson #1: Expect bunch-up points. Be ready for them. Don’t complain about them.

  • Lesson #2: Use your time constructively. Notice how Oswald and Danny were able to tear through stage 8 simply because they took some initiative and got the good flight before everyone else? That’s what it takes to stay ahead.

  • Lesson #3: Don’t forget to have some fun while you’re there. Let’s face it, this is really just an exotic travelogue with a competition aspect thrown in. You only live once, so live it up while you’re there. As an added bonus, you’ll be in a much better state of mind for the really tough challenges ahead.

  • Lesson #4: Haste makes waste. In other words, it’s important to read everything on the damn card, <<<ESPECIALLY>>> if it’s a Roadblock! Likewise, whenever you come to a Detour, think about it carefully and choose the one that would probably be easier for you. (I admit that Blake & Paige kinda caught a break here.)

  • Lesson #5: DON’T TRUST THE ENEMY!! Geez, I always thought Wil was nuts, but taking Blake’s word for it on the Roadblock clinched it. And what’s with the ridiculous reads and counter-reads on C&A’s going/not going for the Fast Foward? “Well, he said he wasn’t going for it, but I say he’s lying!” Gag me with a billabong.

  • Phil Keoghan should avoid obvious setups like “the good news is” in the future. In fact, the whole suspenseful-pause business is starting to look contrived. Just give it to 'em straight.

  • Occasional surprise awards, like the vacation cruise won by O&D (and the second one won, very easily, by Chris & Alex) are a good idea. One of the beefs I’ve heard about this show was that, with all the bunch-ups and inevitable delays, it didn’t matter whether you finished first or second-to-last. This provides some incentive to push for the top before it “counts”.

  • On that note…gee, no matter where they finish, it’s certainly been an incredibly rewarding experience for both O&D and C&A, hasn’t it?

  • Getting back to the detour…I’ve seen something like this before, the one where you had to find Foucault’s Pendulum…but it had to be the correct one!..or hike all the way up Notre Dame Cathedral, easy to find but probably not easy to hike up. This is the classic Amazing Race tough decision. Do you take the branch that’s physically undemanding, but will cost you a ton of time if you mess up? Or the branch that you’re certain to complete in due time, but will take a serious physical toll? If I’m there, I probably go for the latter (I like the sure thing, and preserving my mental health would probably be a greater priority), but it’s definitely a tough choice no matter what.

  • And guess what…it killed Gary & Dave. This is the second time they took the path of the Detour they had no chance of completing…just one blunder too many.

  • Don’t be too proud to beg. Look, there’s a camera crew not five yards from where you are. These people know you’re contestants on an around-the-world race and not bums, and a lot of them will be happy to help you out just for the national TV exposure. Never hurts to try. (The same for cutting in line…you’d be amazed at how generous some people are. I know I was.)

  • The purpose of the nonelimination point is to see if you can avoid falling hopelessly behind. If you can do that, the rest is academic. These always pop up at specific points, too, so there’s no excuse for being unprepared.

  • Also, if you’ve just been through a nonelimination point, rest assured that the next stage is going to be a grinder. Now’s a good time, if you’re not sure if you can handle it, to go for the Fast Forward.

Helluva contest, people…helluva contest.

Updated standings and prospects:

  1. Chris & Alex
    Looking good. I don’t see any one great strength in this team; they’re just smart and tough when it counts. Use of Fast Forward perfectly timed. They’re gonna be tough to beat.

  2. Blake & Paige
    Will to win? Health? Resourcefulness? Luck? Probably all of the above. I don’t think they quite have what it takes to win, but the finals is almost a lock.

  3. Tara & Wil
    Living on borrowed time for a looong time now. Due for a total collapse. It’ll be a miracle if they finish better than 4th.

  4. Oswald & Danny
    They’ve pretty much gone their own way from start to finish, and that self-reliance will help them a lot in crunch time (where there aren’t even any pretenses of alliances). A darkhorse to win it all, but certainly not an impossibility.
    And…that’s it. One more nonelimination to go before all hell breaks loose.

36

I think I liked this show much better last season. For some reason, this race seems a bit easier. The White Star thing last week, and the Opal thing this week, have really been the only two challenging tasks they’ve had. Most of the rest have been simple. And the Fast Forward doesn’t seem to be paying off as much as in the previouse race. I mean Chris and Alex ended up on the same exact plane to the town as the other teams. Despite having known where the Pit stop was something like 12 hours before everyone else. And what happened to only one team allowed on the bridge at one time? The times they showed on the screens had them like 5 minutes apart…so they got all the way up, read the clue, and all the way back down in that short a time? I don’t know…I don’t mind bunching to a point, but sometimes it’s a bit ridiculouse. At least last time, you had a chance to get ahead, if you thought of a different way around something…like the cargo ship/passenger ferry thing to Tunisia. Had anyone taken that option, they could have picked up some seriouse time that would have given you a good lead. Here, almost no matter what, the teams are only separated by a few hours.

And I wonder about the legality of what Oswald and Danny did. I mean the Race pays for their plane tickets, but do they pay for a travel agent that makes all the arrangments? including a rental car to the airport? I applaud their thinking, just wondering if it’s fair to do that. Although it could be that they’re saying things to the people off camera that we don’t know about too. “Help us out, and we’ll mention how helpful and nice the insert name of hotel really is on national TV.”.

As for Gary and Dave? What can you say, had they just stuck with one or the other of the tasks from the get go, they may have not been eliminated. It didn’t look like it took Gary*?* that long to do the boomerang thing, and he would have easily beat Team Cha-cha-cha at it.

Still, great show.

37

I must admit, Team Cha-cha-cha is growing on me with every episode. Especially since they chose to go their own way and “not get involved with everyone else’s petty squabbles.” Damn straight. I particularly loved their “shopping break” in HK.

Watching Gary beg for “another chance” made me ill. What a total waste of human flesh that guy is. Even Dave seemed embarassed.

I wonder what would happen if a team didn’t take the Fast Foward until the very last episode? That almost seems like where this is going, with two teams not having used it yet.

38

I’ve never had to pay a travel agent. Their income comes from fees the airlines, cruiselines, hotels, car services, etc., pay them for their work. I think if what Oswald and Danny did by using the swanky travel agent had been illegal, they would have been penalized on the spot. Looked smart to me!

39

I doubt very much that there is a Fast Forward available for the last leg. That would take all of the drama out of that race for the finish.

40

There is no fast forward on the final leg of the race.

One thing to note is that although O&D’s plane arrived first, it is not necessarily the casse that it is becasue they had bnooked a better flight ex ante. It may mean simply that they weren’t delayed as much.

Also, I don’t think the Fast Forwards are really meant to get you way ahead of the other teams. I think they are really more of a guarantee that you will not be eliminated for that round.

Gary was a real jackass and I am glad to see him go. Not so much Dave, but hey, you lie with pigs…