Placeholder!
It’s Double U-Turn Time!
And, OMG, those dance costumes are utterly lovely…especially on Oklahoma 
I was soooo disappointed, the team that was eliminated was the one I was rooting for and only one I really liked (being vague for those in western time zones). 
Just the rotten luck of the U-turn.
The Oklahoma guy was waaay too insecure about having to wear the dress. Just roll with it and laugh it off, dude.
I still dislike the double u-turn where a team who’s been u-turned can u-turn someone. I still think that you’re not able to get to the u-turn until you’re done everything.
I too am bummed about them. They were the most interesting.
That building was HUGE! That might be the biggest damn apartment building in the world!
Oklahoma was way too uptight about that dress.
And the donut task was like having a Polish grandma you didn’t have to eventually put in the home. Although for me the whole thing was reversed…I prefer bavaroise to jelly.
I’m pretty sure that rule was different before. I would’ve rather seen the afganimals get eliminated.
Oh well…
On the plus side: The Bunnies looked HOT in their “Pose” outfits. Wow!
I agree. It makes no sense at all to allow them to u-turn another team at that point because until they’ve gone and done the other task, they haven’t completed everything they need to complete to move on. You should only be able to u-turn another team once you’re at the point of getting your clue and going to the next task. Otherwise, theoretically, a team could happen upon the u-turn before completing either task, set someone up for the u-turn and then go back to choosing a task. I know it would never happen that way, but it’s setting a precedent that you can u-turn someone without your tasks completed.
Damn. That was my favorite team. They seemed like really nice guys.
So I guess Marie made a deal with Nicole to find out where the pitstop was. Too bad. But at least tonight we got to see Marie and Tim (well, Marie anyway) freak out over being lost. So there was that.
I didn’t catch which team she was, but one of the girls didn’t bite her donut. I thought that was a criteria, since everyone else did that, even the doctor when he finally got to the right apartment, tore the donut in half and still took a symbolic bite. I think it was the girl he tipped the correct apartment to, she just tore it in half and went on her way. Her team should have been penalized for that.
Or tell me she did and I missed it, but I kinda ended up fixated on it because it bothered me, but no one got penalized. I’ll check it again when CBS posts the show online.
OK, I’m an idiot. All this time I’ve been thinking that the Express Pass lets you skip straight to the Pit Stop. What am I thinking of?
Also, was last week’s “keep racing” leg technically not a NEL? I was surprised the Bunnies didn’t have to do a Speed Bump this week.
You’re thinking of the Fast Forward.
Taxi Assessment:
Stuck in the Desert and Officially Detained - or, Philiminated with extreme prejudice.
Hoskote & Naina and Rowan & Shane and Chester & Ephraim - Already eliminated.
Brandon & Adam (down from “Passing”) - I’m sorry, but switching Detour options was just a huge tactical mistake by Brandon & Adam. Switching is risky at the best of times, but given that all teams were even at the airport, and no one else was at the fountain, Brandon & Adam should have known that switching was highly likely to put them behind all the other teams. And, given the upcoming Double U-Turn and the inter-team sniping, it looked like a good shot that someone would get U-Turned; that someone, if they were smart, would then turn around and U-Turn the team they knew was farthest behind, which Brandon & Adam just volunteered to be. And that was, predictably, exactly the way it played out. Sorry, dudes; one mistake and you’re out on your ear. Would have been nice to have a steenking Express Pass.
Flat Tire - or, not likely to get anywhere soon.
Nicky & Kim (holding steady) - Surprisingly, Nicky & Kim had a much better time this leg. After squeaking through last week’s non-elimination, this week they choose the right Detour option and cruise to an easy finish - not really near first place, tellingly, but comfortably far from last. As you can see, I’m still bearish on this team’s overall chances, but they did pull it out this week.
Stopping for Gas - or, not broken-down, exactly, but not a good sign.
Ally & Ashley (holding steady) - Check this out: in the first episode, Ally & Ashley came in sixth place. That was their best finish to date, because subsequently, they finished seventh, seventh, seventh, and seventh. That makes them not only consistent, but also the proud possessor of Worst Average Finish of all teams save first-eliminated Hoskote & Naina. Need I mention what happens if Ally & Ashley finish seventh one more time?
Tim & Danny (holding steady) - There are two remaining teams who have never had a top three finish: Ally & Ashley (see above) and Tim & Danny. I know, in general, that the first eleven legs are all about not finishing last, and Tim & Danny have never really been in danger of that. But I’m beginning to wonder if they can finish in the top three.
“Rapido! Por Favor?” - or, making meaningless ineffectual comments from the back seat, but in no immediate danger.
Leo & Jamal (holding steady) - Leo & Jamal did the obvious thing at the Double U-Turn, which was to pass the U-Turn back to the team farthest behind. That put them easily out of last place. I still think this team has a higher assessment of their own abilities than is warranted, but they’re still in the race.
Tim & Marie (holding steady) - No more Express Pass for Tim & Marie, but they used it at a pretty opportune time, vaulting themselves from competing for last place into competing for first, and avoiding the chance that they’d get U-Turned. We’ll see how they hold out now.
In the Passing Lane - or, ahead of the pack, but not quite comfortably.
Jason & Amy (holding steady) - Jason & Amy finish second for the third time in a row, and in fact they’ve been near or at the front since having to take the later plane way back in episode one. I think that’s enough of a streak that it’s unlikely to be simple luck.
Cruisin’ with Earl - or, drivin’ on the shoulder, takin’ shortcuts, and generally kickin’ butt.
Travis & Nicole (holding steady) - Travis & Nicole now have an Express Pass, in addition to the best overall record. I don’t think they’re quite a shoo-in for the final three, but they’re looking pretty good and pretty mart, and they’re unlikely to be phased by the fatigue and stress of the last part of the Race.
As far as I remember, “To Be Continued” legs, where teams don’t rest at the Pit Stop, have always been treated differently than non-elimination legs. I think the rationale is that the TBC point marks the middle of one giant leg, and despite having Phil show up at the TBC point, it’s not an actual elimination site because it’s the middle of a leg.
I did love that his teammate kept giving him crap about it - “You want to go out to dinner later?”
When the clue said “You will be penalized for bad manners”, I thought it meant they had to finish each donut they bit into, like the sushi & tea tasks in previous seasons. That would have been a lot more interesting - watching them run up and down stairs with a bellyful of pastry. Or is it only Italian etiquette that you have to finish every bit of food that’s put in front of you by your host?
I’m sure it’s not just Italian (“Mangia! Mangia!”) but that would have turned it from a fun and cute needle in a haystack to a nasty, puking, extreme food needle in a haystack. I don’t really need to watch racers vomiting off of balconies left and right…
I’m sure she met the requirements of the task, but that doesn’t mean they showed it in the edited version.
I guess Tim and Marie did not have to go back and pick up the rest of their clue that they forgot in last weeks episode.
I loved Travis’ play at the massive apartment building.
- He defended his use of the stairs by pushing the elevator button on each floor.
- He realized the people racing in front of him still had not found the pastry and he could skip a bunch of places by just following them.
- He convinced them to work together to put even more distance between his temporary alliance and all following teams.
Just excellent play during a stressful time.
Stray thoughts:
The Polish dancers were beautiful
Did anybody else get the feeling that one of the producers may have been Polish? We have the LARGEST apartment buildings. We have the LONGEST piers. Alright Poland, we get it, you’re very special.
Travis also tore open the “winning” donut first before taking a bite. They accompanied that with an “Oops!” cymbal crash, so I thought for sure a time penalty would going to be announced at the mat.
Two disappointing eliminations in a row! At least there are a few more teams worth rooting for left.
I love it, too, when you finally see somebody who has studied the game and will put all tactics into action. For one team that does it, there are probably at least five or six who are so caught up in the tasks that they temporarily forget that it’s a race. And, of course, those are the teams who are eventually eliminated.
Had it been me running through the building with Travis on my heels, I probably would have been irked, but not irked enough to know that he’s indeed playing the game.
(this goes for Survivor, too, btw).
Also – who was it who put a hole in the middle of the donut as opposed to eating it? IIRC the camera panned to the table and there was a donut sitting there with an almost-perfect circle cut out of the middle.