# The Amazing Race: 1/4/05 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 4, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067 "2005-01-04T18:45:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/21 "2005-01-05T02:55:40Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Well, I guess there’s no reason to watch it anymore… Yes there is. We might see Lori/Bolo tag team Jonathan before breaking him in half 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jadis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@Jadis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jadis)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/22 "2005-01-05T03:02:45Z")
Dear Og…I posted the OP, and then forgot to watch the blasted show. Anyone care to post a quick recap for me?? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/23 "2005-01-05T03:04:09Z")
I mean. Five posts past the “spoilers start here” and ain’t nobody done any spoiling… Who got the boot? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/24 "2005-01-05T03:05:04Z")
There’s still at least one team I like, and hopefully two for a little while more. Kris & Jon are still in, and Lori & Bolo managed to pull it out of their hats. I’m going to miss Shirtless Gus and the Hera-bot, though. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/25 "2005-01-05T03:07:17Z")
'Tis terrible, my gift of prophecy. Ah, well. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/26 "2005-01-05T03:15:11Z")
Did anyone actually catch who it was that dropped the gate, anyway? I didn’t and we don’t TiVo or tape the show, so I can’t check back. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/27 "2005-01-05T03:15:12Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > A go-to-the-pitstop pass, that let’s you bypass all remaining tasks for that leg. Each team can only use one FF per race. It hasn’t been mentioned this season; either they’ve eliminated it or no one has thought about using it yet. There used to be a FF on every leg, but they have cut it back to only two for this race (last one too). I’m kind of excited, because I think the FF was a good choice for Lori & Bolo at this point in the race\*. They need all the help they can get to stay in it. Mad respect to both of them for just chugging that pig’s blood (which probably everyone else should have done with the soup later). I don’t necessarily think they’ll win the whole thing – although that would be bitchin’ – but I certainly want them to last longer than Team Asshat. And I will so miss Shirtless Gus® and his lovely daughter. I definitely need their action figures now. Line of the night? Victoria to Assathan, in the cab, after eating the Hot Vomit Stew: “It would be nice if you would shut up now.” She is a drama queen, yes, but that line was excellent. - If you are keeping score at home, I _hated_ it when Colin & Christie used their FF at this point in the race, because _they_ didn’t need it. There were already 8 hours ahead of everyone else to start anyway. I just like it when the Luck of the Evil turns a little bit a works for Good, for just a minute anyway. ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/28 "2005-01-05T03:16:54Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Did anyone actually catch who it was that dropped the gate, anyway? I didn’t and we don’t TiVo or tape the show, so I can’t check back. We TiVo’ed it and watched it a couple of times. It doesn’t look like anyone actually did (although others may have seen it differently). Someone might have had their hand on the gate when Freddy and Hera were hit, but it looks like they were trying to push it up faster, not pull it down on anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/29 "2005-01-05T03:17:18Z")
Quick recap? This might not be so quick… Due to the timing of the next task along the way - in a railway yard with limited hours - all of the early teams went to hotels for overnighting. Lori/Bolo made it to the internet cafe during open hours, then went directly to the railway yard and were actually first there. In the morning there was a footrace once the gates opened at the railway yards resulting in a melee, the gate falling on Freddy and Hera. Freddy went ballistic, Jonathan actually seemed the voice of reason for a minute there. Because it was something they could do only one team at a team, Lori/Bolo who went first got the fast forward. Gus/Hera went last. The fast forward task was drinking pigs blood (!) which Lori/Bolo made short work of. Next task was to choose between scoring one goal in water polo or blowing up a dinghy and paddling across the Danube. All the teams except for Gus/Hera chose the water polo and finished the task quickly and easily. Gus/Hera took a long time to make it across the river. Next up was a roadblock. One team member had to eat an enormous bowl of very spicy Hungarian soup, and with a small spoon. It was a nasty scene for many of the teams. John/Kris got there first; John ate the soup, not happily but reasonably quickly. Hayden/Aaron followed; Aaron ate the soup. Jonathan, who of course volunteered Victoria, screamed at her, at the musicians, and generally demonstrated his stellar personality. Victoria started serial vomiting. This set off the others. Rebecca/Adam arrived; Rebecca ate the soup as if she hadn’t eaten in years. It was quite impressive. Freddy/Kendra got there; Freddy ate the soup. He actually vomited into his own bowl at one point. It was very unpleasant. I even spotted one of the musicians having the gagging reaction. By the time Gus/Hera made it there all the other teams were gone. Gus ate the soup, apparently quite quickly. The pitstop was next, still in Budapest. The teams could ride up a funicular if they wanted to get to it, or climb a gazillion or so steps. The finishing order was Lori/Bolo; John/Kris; Jonathan/Victoria (another nastyish scene as he was running ahead of her and she was still nauseaous); Hayden/Aaron; Rebecca/Adam; Freddy/Kendra and sadly Gus/Hera. It was an elimination round. Dammit. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/30 "2005-01-05T03:23:18Z")
Did it seem like the water polo goalies weren’t really very good to anyone else? Did anyone even break a sweat trying to get it in the goal? I mean, for Og’s sake, ADAM did it in one shot! ---
**Author:** ![Jadis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@Jadis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jadis)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/31 "2005-01-05T03:27:18Z")
Thanks, **PastAllReason**. I can’t believe I missed it. ::sigh:: I’m disappointed that Gus/Hera are gone, but way cool that Lori/Bolo got the free trip this round…I like them a lot, they have a weird healthy dysfunction about them. 😃 Oh, and any leg where \* doesn’t hit the mat first is a good one for me…although one where he hit the mat last would be bliss. ---
**Author:** ![ummm.yeahh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ummm.yeahh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ummm.yeahh)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/32 "2005-01-05T03:27:33Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Did it seem like the water polo goalies weren’t really very good to anyone else? Did anyone even break a sweat trying to get it in the goal? I mean, for Og’s sake, ADAM did it in one shot! I thought the same thing. I have a very short water polo background. It’s pretty easy to score a goal when you’re fresh. It’s much harder when you’ve been swimming/treading water with another guy draped on you. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/33 "2005-01-05T03:30:48Z")
Speaking of Adam: “I think a funicular is one of those little two-person bicycles.” _snerk_ I have to admit, as much as I like her, Kris had a pretty stupid line tonight: “It’s so…vibraty!” ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/34 "2005-01-05T03:30:56Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Did it seem like the water polo goalies weren’t really very good to anyone else? Did anyone even break a sweat trying to get it in the goal? I mean, for Og’s sake, ADAM did it in one shot! Yes, he did, and he threw like a girl. Freddy & Kendra were the only ones whose goalie put up any kind of “fight.” Poor Shirtless Gus®. He’d have rocked at the water polo, and now we’ll never be able to get the Water Polo Accessory Set with Speedo®. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/35 "2005-01-05T03:35:34Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > Yes, he did, and he threw like a girl. Did you notice how he “distracted” the goalie? Kind of a twinkly wave…I expected him to yell “Yoo-hoo!” If that boy’s straight, I’m the father of twenty children. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/36 "2005-01-05T03:51:03Z")
Dave would have been doing that pitstop, that’s for damned sure. I’ve eaten Hungarian soup and I don’t much care for my eyeballs sweating. I sure do like Kris and Jon, they seem so very sweet. I’m sad to see Gus and Hera go, and I’m so happy that Lori and Bolo were not only not eliminated, but first. Hooray! ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/37 "2005-01-05T04:03:06Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > There used to be a FF on every leg, but they have cut it back to only two for this race (last one too). I’m kind of excited, because I think the FF was a good choice for Lori & Bolo at this point in the race The problem is that with only two fast forwards, one in the middle of the race and one towards the end, if you’re the first person to find a fast forward, it’s always a good idea to use it, if only to make sure that a team behind you _doesn’t_…and with only one other, there’s no assurance you’ll be the first team to get to the remaining one. I’d prefer a compromise–maybe 6 or 5 FFs throughout the race–it would allow some strategy on their use. Gus and Hera were doomed from the minute they chose the boat (again, bullshit editing–the editor showed them finishing the boat-ride before they showed Freddy and Kendra _starting_ their water-polo match and the rest of the episode doesn’t line up if that’s the case) I’m not all that enamored with Lori/Bolo any more–his “Dur, I’m just a big dumb teddy-bear” thing seems fake given his creepily bigoted “gay lisp” thing that he’s done a couple of times and his really, really creepy “I’ll pretend to be handicapped and mentally challenged” thing from the clip show last week. And I’m getting sick of the “Fear Factor” elements that Amazing Race has picked up–the barfing was just gross and it wasn’t necessary to show the close-ups of Victoria’s barf-bucket or Freddy’s (?) barfed-in food. The show used to be so much better before the “binge-and-purge” contests and the deliberate selection of assholes-as-entertainment value. I miss the class that the first four or five (the one with the circus clowns was the last great one) seasons had. I’m _really_ not enjoying this season. ☹ Frustrated Fenris ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/38 "2005-01-05T04:26:30Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Speaking of Adam: > I have to admit, as much as I like her, Kris had a pretty stupid line tonight: > > “It’s so…vibraty!” By my reading, she was being a little bit dirty! 😛 **Rockle** , as for chugging the soup, the rules said you had to use a spoon. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/39 "2005-01-05T04:30:10Z")
> [@rockle](#): > > Mad respect to both of them for just chugging that pig’s blood (which probably everyone else should have done with the soup later). I’d have to go back to check, but when somebody was reading the instructions for the soup, they specifically mentioned that you had to use the spoon. To up the pain factor, I assume. I’m THIS close to quitting watching until the asshat is gone. He’s ruining an otherwise fun show. Jerk. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067/40 "2005-01-05T04:36:52Z")
I still don’t understand the Fast Forwards. 1. Phil said it allowed the team to “skip all tasks and proceed directly to the Pit Stop,” but Lori and Bolo didn’t skip all tasks; they had an alternate task (pig’s blood versus the polo/paddle option). 2. It seemed like only Lori and Bolo got a Fast Forward, but every team got the green card in their envelope. What was the point of that? How would the second and deeper teams know someone had already done the Fast Forward? 3. There were enough glasses of pig’s blood for every racer to drink. Why, if only one team got to do the Fast Forward? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-1-4-05/283067.md?page=3)