I don’t see a thread yet, so I guess I’ll start one.
Don’t yank on the horse reins - jesus! You don’t have a crazy horse, you are HURTING HIS MOUTH MORON. I feel somewhat better now.
The board took away my capitilization, didn’t it? Darn, sorry about that…if a mod wanders by and wouldn’t mind changing the title to The Amazing Race 3-22-05, I would appreciate it.
I think the Rob and Amber hate is sucking the other teams in. I thought Rob’s comment getting on the plane to one of the other guys about feeling sick was a bit too malicious - but no one likes him anyway, so why should he care?
Why is Deana getting so whiny about her horse? So many of these people are acting like they’ve never even seen horses before. That is so confusing to me. Is horse riding really that difficult for some people?
I wish I could talk to my mom like Patrick does to his. My mother would become a shrieking harpy if I told her to be quiet.
We were laughing uncontrollably and kicking our feet in glee here in Chez Jayjayfreak when Rob and Ambuh got their tickets for the plane. After all the liver-chewing going on with the other teams about them, I thought it was completely delicious.
Rob really does have a horseshoe up his ass. If that was a plane in Japan, he’d have been the last to arrive at the pit stop…But to come in first, again, is just dumb luck. Especially since his boat broke!
As it is, I’m very surprised that so many teams succeeded on the needle-in-a-haystack challenge so quickly.
Susan and Patrrick: so long, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Patrick, you are far too close to bipolar to enjoy watching on TV. You were happy on the train, depressed when you realized the other teams hit the boats before you, and gave up when your boat broke down-- when Gretchen and Meredith should have been eliminated for being STUPID. If you’d been a smidge faster in grabbing a cab, you’d still be in the race.
I’m not sure I like all these teams having reservations on planes; it takes away an element of uncertainty for the racers, and a desire to push really hard. Is nobody even looking to see if there’s a faster connection?
Right now I think the teams to watch are Romber, Brian and Greg, and Uchenna and Joyce. Lynn and Alex are the most chaotic, but they’re racing, while Ray and Kelly seem to be stumbling towards mediocrity. They’ll be gone soon.
Ray and Deana, Gretchen and Meredith will soon be eliminated- unless the previews for next week indicate Brian and Greg are injured worse than ‘head wound’ Gretchen! :eek:. But since it’s a 2-hour extravaganza, I’m thinking it’s a non-elimination round.
For all that Jonathan was an abusive ass to Victoria last season, he was able to be charming on occasion.
Ray has none of that charm. He just seems like an ill-tempered, pompous bully, and I really hope they get the boot before Meredith and Gretchen.
Much as I hate Rob and Amber, I have to admit they’ve proved themselves quick-witted and highly resourceful. They aren’t just lucky; they’re playing a good game.
Four episodes in and still no non-elimination leg? What’s up with that? I thought for sure Susan and Patrick would get a (non-deserved) pass this week.
So some of the teams skipped looking for the shipwreck? No penalty for that?
And last week my six yearold confirmed it- Brian was on Fear Factor once. He didn’t eat his bugs or whatever in time, and was asked to leave. He refused, and slammed his fist on the table and threw a fit. Still had to leave.
LOVED it when Romber caught the plane. <snicker>
It was one of those either/or tasks. Either look for the shipwreck OR look for the island. Some went for the shipwreck (Rob & Amber, for instance); others went for the island (Ray & Deana). Joyce and Uchenna started out looking for the shipwreck but found the island instead. Apparently that was OK.
Props to Rob and Amber for making Plane #1!
So long to Mom and Son. We didn’t like you anyway!
How nice: the racers are grouped (mostly) correctly.
The whiney, annoying teams are at the back and the good racers are at the front.
Rob and Amber–yeah, I know. I’m supposedta hate 'em, but dammit, they’re having fun, they’re nice to the locals, they’re nice to each other and they’re competent.
The surfer dudes? They have no real personalities, but ditto.
Uchenna and Joyce, my personal favs, but their lack of map skillz will doom them.
The POW and Wife? I know. I should root for him and I feel unpatriotic when I don’t but dammit, he’s not that good…or that interesting. But he’s not annoying.
The gay guys? They’re annoying. Whiney, horrible little walking stereotypes (I bitched at the two stereotyped “We’re New York Jews” team last time–is there a rule that one pair on any TAR must be a living example of a negative stereotype?) . And their obvious hard-ons for Rob and Amber are annoying. I want them out next.
In the back of the pack you have:
Team Fossil–who’s growing on me, especially since grandpaw has refrained from referring to himself in third person. At least they got spunk. But they’re only semi-competent at best. Doomed
Muscle-Guy and Irritating Girl-- Their obsession with beating Team Fossil is bordering on pathetic. What’s even sadder: remember TAR3? Ian and Terri? That’s who this team will be in 20 years–except that Ian, for all that he was a dick was far smarter and more competent than muscle-guy.
And YAY! Team “Whiney little bitch and mommy” are gone! Way to go out with neither class nor dignity guys. This is the way to look pathetic in a closing interview too.
Overall this is a good mix of people. Last race, more than half the teams were insane/obnoxious. This one? There’s a few annoying ones. Big improvement TAR folks.
As an aside, I hope Unchenna and Joyce don’t get a 4 hour penalty for switching tasks during the detour–that’s usually a big NO-NO.
Fenris
You know, you’re right. All Detours allow a team to quit the choice they made and try the other one. The difference with this one was that both Detour choices were in the same general area. Like the IKEA Detour last season, when all they had to do to go from Counting to Building was walk across the room.
From the leaderboard:
Rob / Amber: Other than the fact that they are not particularly gracious winners, I don’t exactly hate this team. They’re just annoying as hell. He can’t possibly have a horseshoe up his ass, because he’s too full of himself for anything else to fit. And she’s pretty much just along for the ride.
Brian / Greg: When Greg was cheering Brian’s equestrian efforts, I flashed for some reason, to Napoleon Dynamite asking, “You take it off any sweet jumps?” I have little or no explanation for this. Speaking of sweet jumps, what the hell happens to their truck next week?!?
Uchenna / Joyce: I already have too many images of this team not being sure where they are. Nice a solid in the challenges, but learn to read a damn map!
Ron / Kelly: I’m sorry, I held off for as long as I could. Why do I get the feeling Ron got “captured” by simply wandering into an enemy camp by mistake?
Lynn / Alex: This team is growing on me. Ross the Intern’s STD line was the best of the night.
Ray / Deana: Oh, God, they’re both so damn useless. What else is there to say?
Gretchen / Meredith: They’re gone next week. Hopefully with a stop in the hospital, to judge by Gretchen’s head wound in the preview. EEK!
Susan / Patrick: He’s so obsessed with his own comfort, no wonder they’re going home. Good riddance.
I never found Jonathan charming last season. Not once.
Ray’s not charming either, but he had one redeeming moment tonight. He was fairly supportive of Deanna during the roadblock, in a gruff kind of way. I mean, he was yelling–but he was trying to tell her how to control the horse because she was being such a wuss about it. And when she finally finished, he gave her a big hug and said he was so proud of her. Jonathan would have just been screaming and putting Victoria down and telling her she was losing the race for them. I don’t really like Ray, but he’s nowhere near as bad as Jonathan.
There’s never been a penalty for switching during a detour. Some detours it isn’t practical to do it (think raft vs. bike) but several legs a season have someone switching. Debbie & Bianca switched from the llamas to the alfalfa in leg 1. The time you waste is assumed to be your penalty.
Not at all sad to see Susan and Patrick gone. His attitude sucked, and he was a whiner right up until the end of the final interview. I’d be interested to see if he’s that much of a whiner on the Early Show interview, but not interested enough to watch it.
Re: the preview I can’t be the only one totally creeped out by bloody, grinning skull Gretchen, can I? That was scary!!
I found Patrick’s attitude to be way too irritating. He’s not only a whiny pessimist who’d rather quit when things get a little tough than possibly face defeat with dignity, but he’s superior about it! “I’m more the realist about things than my mom is…” 
I am also very pleased to see Patrick gone. To paraphrase him, “Mom, if you don’t be quiet, we’re going to have an embarrassing moment.” Guess what, little buddy, you already did. Which is worse, to actually yell at someone, or to threaten that you are going to yell at them? Buck up, at least you won’t have to worry about Rob and Amber anymore.
And this team’s navigation skills sucked! Sheesh. I also don’t recall seeing anyone so smug while they are in the middle of losing (when Patrick and mother were in last place on the train, believing that they were ahead of the other two teams) since the second place team from a race that finished in New York City several years ago, who thought they were sitting pretty because it was their hometown.
Sweet mother, thank you! I was cringing the entire time they were doing the horse thing. I feel so politically incorrect for hating these guys, but I just can’t help it. They are so whiny and so irritating that I can’t stand it.
lorene, no - you aren’t. I found that scary and ghoulish beyond belief myself. It was like something out of a horror movie.
Reading everyone else’s responses, I’m beginning to feel that Rob and Amber actually do have a decent shot at taking the money home. I can’t really see them not placing in the top three given the incompetence of so much of their competition. I also find myself disliking the POW/Beauty Queen couple. They are very boring and I expected him to be …smarter…or something. I see no chance for them to make it to the end.
I liked the juxtaposition between mom&kid and the older couple. The older couple marvel at the kid who was jugggling , guessing he’s trying to earn money for college(or maybe food). Cut to mom&kid as she beeps to get the juggler out of their way. Real nice.
Romber has so much dumb luck i wanna puke. But the rest of them aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer.
Uchena & ___ have an awful sense of direction. I wanna root for them, but jeez.
The Cali boys say "No mistakes’ or something like that that one morning, 2 minutes later they miss the turn.
The unambiguously gay duo…ugh. Get over them! They’re here, and they’re gonna smoke your asses!
Ray and that woman, oh my, flashbacks from last year though not as bad.
Great episode! I was so afraid it was non-elim. Especially after their train “confidence”
- Ray is not that bad. A bit intense, but Deanna would frustrate me too. And I loved their screw job on Team Geritol. I even liked Meredith’s reaction.
- Lynn is way too consumed with Ramber.
- Re: the clue giver in the park–it is good to see Britney Spears husband getting work.
An odd episode, with a race for first completely seperate from a race not to be last. At least we see the results of an earlier leg bleed over into a later leg without being bunched out of existance.
Taxi Assessment
Stuck in the Desert and Officially Detained - or, Philiminated with extreme prejudice.
Ryan/Chuck and Megan/Heidi and Debbie/Bianca - Remember them?
Susan/Patrick (downgraded from Stopping for Gas) - It’s a bit disappointing for the Philiminees to be decided by a crappy Detour boat, but seriously, Susan and Patrick put themselves in this position by getting lost and blowing the Roadblock last week, and thus ending up on the later plane this week. At least Patrick cleverly outmaneuvered Rob and became the agent of Rob and Amber’s downfall. Oh, wait. No he didn’t. Doofus. Interesting that the top two teams on the first leg are already Philiminated.
Flat Tire - or, not likely to get anywhere soon.
Meredith/Gretchen (holding steady) - Still a seventh place finish. That’s three weeks in a row (with a sixth the first week). Well, one more seventh place and they’re out. Perhaps with a head injury, if the previews for next week are any indication.
Stopping for Gas - or, not broken-down, exactly, but not a good sign.
Ray/Deana (holding steady) - Nice “support” of Deanna on the Roadblock, Ray. Ass. Why is it that there’s always teams who can’t figure out that the energy spent on intra-team bickering would be better spent on Racing? I know you hate hanging with the bottom feeders, Ray, but I think you’re going to be staying there for a good long while. Or just a short while, if you catch my drift.
"Hey, Homes!" - or, making meaningless ineffectual comments from the back seat, but in no immediate danger.
Ron/Kelly (holding steady) - I still don’t quite know what to make of this team. They coasted along on their front-of-the-pack finish from last week, staying in the bunch from the first planeload. Nothing wrong with that, since early episodes are all about not coming in last, as opposed to coming in first. And thid team hasn’t been making stupid mistakes, which is certainly a plus. But I’m just not seeing the je ne sais quois that marks a winner.
Lynn/Alex (downgraded from Passing Lane) - Argg! Quit obsessing about Rob and Amber! Race, dammit! Great horny toads, people, if I was Rob, I’d be delighted that so many other teams are worried about how well I’m doing instead of how well they’re doing. “I hate them so much.” Please. Your crappy boat was just bad luck, but don’t tempt the Gods of Karma again.
In the Passing Lane - or, ahead of the pack, but not quite comfortably.
Brian/Greg (upgraded from “Hey, Homes!”) - All right, a second place this week and a third last. Perhaps their near-Philimination was just a fluke. This team doesn’t strike me as the Mensa type – imagine them teetering on the knife edge of doing something stupid. Still, they’ve been Racing well the last couple of weeks and tearing up the Roadblocks, so it looks good for them.
Cruisin’ with Earl - or, drivin’ on the shoulder, takin’ shortcuts, and generally kickin’ butt.
Uchenna/Joyce (holding steady) - Good race and no mistakes, although I wonder about their sense of direction. Still, I’m starting to think of these two as a lock for the final three. But did you hear Uchenna belittling Joyce when she was having trouble with the Roadblock? Oh, wait. No you didn’t! Because he didn’t! Maybe there’s a lesson to be learned here. Paging Ray. Paging Ray. Pick up the white asshole phone.
Rob/Amber (holding steady) - They got lucky this episode. Finding the Roadblock site after getting completely lost. Squeaking onto the first plane by the skin of their teeth. Finding the Detour wreck (the wreck seemed to me to be obviously the more difficult option – searching for a needle in a haystack. How did everyone find it so fast?) And luck ain’t skill. But they’re also making their own luck, and you can hardly argue with the results.
Next week: a special two-hour ep! Stay tuned!
[sub]Props to Mullinator and his Raj Ratings.[/sub]
I like this series so far. The teams getting the boot are the ones who needed to get the boot, including this time.
I certainly understand anyone’s being annoyed at Romber’s luck, but deal with it - they’re playing hard but clean, and they’re not unlikable.
Speaking of unlikability, has it occurred to anyone else that if we had never been treated to the spectacles of Colin and *, we’d all be screaming about what an offensive, abusive jerk Ray is? Instead, we’re just shrugging him off. We’ve been inoculated. The show can never be the same again.
I’ve seen enough of Argentina by now, after 2 series and 4 (?) episodes there. Can we infer from the intro that London is next?