I’m disappointed that the team that got eliminated got eliminated. I was rooting for them.
How hard is it to recognize Jackie O? “Queen Elizabeth”?! Seriously?
Spoilers for preview speculation:
Are they going to have to go to the top of the Burj next week? That would seriously kill me…I’m not normally that afraid of heights as long as I have solid stuff under my feet, but what is it, a kilometer high? I wouldn’t be able to do it.
Ouch. Last, to first, to last. That’s a bad way to leave the Race. I was wondering if something was up when The Amazing Phil didn’t announce a prize for the first place team. (I suspect he did, but it was edited out considering what was to follow.) I’d love to know when and how they lost the passport, but I doubt they’ll follow up. The camera guy must not have noticed, either; I’m sure there’d have been a subtle close-up and a zing on the soundtrack. (If anyone finds out the details, from one of those Elimination Station online vids or something, let us know.) I was wondering if they were spending a little too much money, following their cab on the walking part of the leg even, but it doesn’t matter now. I’m sorry to see that team leave.
Other observations:
Not the usual “go hear, do this” sort of leg. The picture of Jackie Kennedy was an odd clue, and I’m surprised how little trouble it caused them. We’ve seen cabbies go halfway to the horizon even with good directions, but this was no problem. Good for them.
Only one team took the helmet Detour, and they were already near the back. Thought that might spell their doom, but it seemed to be a wash.
I thought Canaan made the best monkey. Of course, I would have pretended to pick fleas off the other monkeys, or eaten the clue or something. Anything for a laugh.
My favorite bit was at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club; the danger, the intrigue, secrets traded in hushed tones and keeping a low profile, in Harlem Globetrotter uniforms.
Discuss.
Oops. Could we get a mod to merge the threads, please?
That visit to Cambodia happened 42 years ago. How on earth did everyone they ran into know about the event?
I kept waiting to see someone who didn’t have the Amazing Fanny Pack, I was surprised when they got to the end and they hadn’t kept their passports in there.
I can’t imagine a more disheartening way to be Philiminated. I’m wondering how long the team were stuck in Cambodia waiting for a new passport and how the production handled that.
And I’m now actively rooting against the teams who were incapable of identifying Jackie Kennedy. Inexcusable.
Done.
I was very surprised that the elimination actually happened, given that they showed Phil saying that line to them early in the episode.
I, too, found it odd that so few people recognized Jackie Kennedy Onassis.
More thoughts when the caffeine kicks in.
Did someone actually say that they thought Jackie O looked “Cambodian” in the picture? I am pretty sure I misunderstood, but my husband thought he heard it too.
I am very sorry for Zev and Justin to be out, but they were extremely good-natured and classy about it. No screaming, no yelling, a little bit of choked-up-ness. These two seem like a fun pair, and I am secretly kind of glad that they got eliminated before the real killer fatigue and the ugliness that comes with it. Now I can always remember them as cool guys who had a good time.
Also: Lance is batshit insane. What was with that karate-chop action at the mat? People on this show do weird things sometimes (“TTOW,” anyone?) but that is one of the stranger things I have seen. I half expected Phil to do the Vulcan neck pinch on him, or whatever the Kiwi equivalent is.
Interesting how this has so far been the “sort-of-animal-related” season, huh? Ducks, ceramic giraffes, pretending to be monkeys. I am intrigued to find out what else they might have in store. And whether I have a copyright claim when chinchillas get involved.
And also: Monkey Maneuvers is totally going to be my next band name.
You heard correctly.
Also? The globetrotters in the market scene? “She was trying to get away from me! Man, that’s cold-blooded!” Then he turns around and whacks her in the head with his pack because she’s pretty much half his height. LOVE them.
Now that Zev and Justin are out, the Globetrotters are the ones I want to win.
Yes, someone (Mika, maybe?) said the woman in the picture must be Cambodian royalty, and she had ‘definite’ Asian features. :smack:
I think Gary was the only one who recognized her.
What is TTOW? I’ve missed the last two season.
“Monkey Maneuvers” totally cracked me up!
I felt bad for Zev and Justin. They ran a very good race! WTF is wrong with Lance?? Jesus Christ, he’s nuts. I wish he would have answered Phil when he asked, “WTH was that?” or whatever he said.
The Harlem Globetrotters are great!
Damn, I love this show. 
Yup, with Zev and Justin gone, I’m definitely on the Globetrotters bandwagon.
Re: How quickly everyone found the right hotel – at least one cabbie recognized the king, so took them to the Royal Hotel, which makes sense.
Anyone know how big the Market actually was? Sometimes these places cover an acre or more, which would make finding someone incredibly hard – if this was the size of a tennis court or something, it would be a completely different task.
Also looking forward to the next animal task. It can’t be coincidence that there has been one every week so far…
Looking forward to the Taxi assessment.
Twicks, Technically, the first episode was in Japan and there were no animals in Japan. Unless you count the audience who had to be herded to a destination.
There’s a full US embassy in Phnom Penh - they can get a replacement passport in about an hour if there’s no line. We replaced my mom’s in Dublin Ireland in 30 minutes. It took longer to find an open shop to get a photo taken.
It’s pretty clear that there must have been something in the final clue requiring the monkey-Roadblock Racers to keep their mask and tail all the way to the Pit Stop. I wonder what it was? Although, I admit, I don’t think requiring Racers to wear monkey masks needs much justification beyond pure viewer entertainment, which is why I hope they have to wear them next leg, too.
Also: why the Hell did like 80% of the monkey-Roadblock Racers wear socks when trying to scramble across a smoothly polished log? Have they never walked across a hardwood floor? Have they never thought about walking across a hardwood floor? I suppose it wasn’t a major issue, but it still… Jeez, I’d take off my socks just so they wouldn’t get dirty.
Taxi Assessment:
Stuck in the Desert and Officially Detained - or, Philiminated with extreme prejudice.
Eric and Lisa and Garrett and Jessica and Marcy and Ron - Gone until season’s end.
Zev and Justin (down from “Rapido!”) - I mentioned last week how this team has placing worse and worse each leg at the Pit Stop. I didn’t really expect that to continue in such a spectacular fashion, and when they came in first place, I thought I’d need to reassess the team as at least a darkhorse final three candidate. They ran an awfully good leg, save Zev’s three-minute panic attack at the Roadblock, and wisely held onto a knowledgable and friendy cabbie. All for naught, though, as they took their eyes off the all-important Passport. A lesson for us all, as we learn that the Scary Trouble some team has right before a commercial break won’t always be solved ten seconds after we’ve learned all there is to know about Burger King and Procor; sometimes the Scary Trouble hangs around pretty much forever. A Very Special episode of the Amazing Race, in fact, and one I hope viewers will learn from. Anyway: farewell, Zev & Justin; it’s a tough way to go, and I admit I liked you much more than I thought I would at the beginning of the season.
Flat Tire - or, not likely to get anywhere soon.
Lance and Keri (holding steady) - It’s interesting that this team, and no other, chose the selling task. My wife asked me which task I’d choose, and I said the scarf one. That relies a lot on luck, but what would the chances be of finding a) a Vietnamese family b) of four c) on a motorbike c) who don’t have helmets d) but want them e) and have an extra ten bucks f) that they are willing to spend on the spur of the moment? Apparently the chances were pretty good, as Lance & Keri at least didn’t hurt themselves choosing this task. I suspect $10 was probably an excellent price for the helmets, but that would be hard to factor into Detour decision-making if you didn’t have a feel for the country. But the choice seemed like it would up pretty much a wash, at least for Lance & Keri. However, despite the airport break they caught, they’re not doing a *lot *better than they were last week. I expect this team might hang on for a while, posibly even edging near the front of the pack. But they’re always skirting the edge of The Deep Pit of Stupid, and their next intra-team blowup will tip them back into it, so I’m leaving them on the bottom rung of the rankings.
Mika and Canaan (holding steady) - Astonishingly, Mika & Canaan have never placed higher than seventh. And by “astonishing,” I mean that it’s astonishing they’re still in the Race, not that it’s astonishing that two Rhodes Scholars could fare so poorly. Jackie O is Queen Elizabeth? How do you get that? I mean, sure, I suppose people in their twenties have no particular reason to remember someone who’s been dead for 15 years and out of the public spotlight for longer, but randomly picking some-famous-woman as a substitute isn’t enormously helpful. I suppose it’s a good thing Canaan (apparently) knows approximately when automobiles and photography were invented, else he’d have guessed Dolly Madison or Cleopatra. At least Mika & Canaan seem like nice people.
Stopping for Gas - or, not broken-down, exactly, but not a good sign.
Maria and Tiffany (holding steady) - And here I thought poker was a game of skill. Apparently you’ve got to have luck, also, and Maria & Tiffany brought theirs in spades. After checking in as the last team twice in four legs, they’re still in the Race. They’re also tied with Mika & Canaan, of all people, for the worst average finish. However, I’m going to leave them here in “Stopping,” rather than dropping them down a notch, because I think Maria & Tiffany might be able to improve their erratic game to a consistantly higher level. Mika & Canaan, not so much.
"Rapido! Por Favor?" - or, making meaningless ineffectual comments from the back seat, but in no immediate danger.
Brian and Ericka (up from “Stopping”) - This team notches their first top-three finish. It’s courtesy of Zev & Justin, to be sure, but Brian & Ericka are still somewhat comfortably in the upper echelon, and for two weeks running. I’m suspicious of their ability to actually stay there, though, so let’s see how they perform next week.
Sam and Dan (holding steady) - A first place for Sam & Dan (well, first discounting Zev & Justin), which is actually their second appearance in the top two in four legs. However, that only puts them fourth, statistically, in Pit Stop finishes, and I still feel they’re underperforming their potential. They could, quite possibly, garner a final three berth, particularly if one of the teams rated more highly has a stumble, but they need to keep Racing at a little higher level.
In the Passing Lane - or, ahead of the pack, but not quite comfortably.
Gary and Matt (holding steady) - Points for being one of the few teams to recognize Jackie O without having to ask someone in Cambodia to identify one of the most iconic figures in American history. Gary & Matt have shown they can Race pretty consistantly in the city as well as acing the farming and herding tasks back in the first week. Not a lock for the final three, but this team is loking pretty good, in particular because we *still *haven’t seen any evidence of the father-son yin-yang conflict that CBS seems to be pushing.
Cruisin’ with Earl - or, drivin’ on the shoulder, takin’ shortcuts, and generally kickin’ butt.
Meghan and Cheyne (holding steady) - Meghan & Cheyne drop to fifth this week, but I’m leaving them ranked here as one of the two teams most likely to make the final three. They still have the second-best average finish, and the scarf-chasing task certainly had a luck component to it that mixed things up a bit, so I don’t see this team as slipping, much. Still, I’d like to see a better performance next week.
Herbert and Nathaniel (holding steady) - Still the team to beat. They’ve been pretty successful in enlisting other people to help them out, and their easy, joking-teammate attitude keeps them more relaxed than most of the other teams.
[sub]Props to Mullinator and his Raj Ratings.[/sub]
The poker players have gotten two lucky breaks allowing them to stay in the game. In the first episode, they were last, but were saved by that round being a non-elimination round. Then again last night, they were saved by the first place team losing their passports.
I was also upset that Zev and Justin were eliminated this way. I understand why, but they were a good team, and I really liked them.
ETA: Mika and Canaan are Rhodes Scholars? Really?
Didn’t Mika say that the market was “small, hot, and tight”? At least, I thought she was talking about the market…
Sorry the team that got eliminated got eliminated but it was their own damned fault. I liked 'em, but hey–you lose your passport you deserve to get kicked out by virtue of terminal dumbness. And didn’t they have a problem with losing stuff in an earlier ep? A clue or something? In any case, that should have been a hint NOT to keep shit in your pockets. What’s with the teams these days? We went through 11 seasons and no-one ever lost their passports, and on the last 3(?) races we’ve had one per.
Meathead and the Harpy weren’t as bad as normal, although Phil’s look of pure contempt at meathead when he was doing the inept karate kick was priceless.
The gay brothers (I think) were idiots–as two teams were entering into the hotel (the globetrotters and someone else) the gay brothers(?) came out and just lied. It’s dumb to waste goodwill like that.
One of the bland couples is getting on my nerves–the ones who tried to “dance” with the water-puppets last time. They’re playing the hippie card–being twee and cutsie and…well, they’re not.
At this stage, I like Dad/Son and The Globetrotters and don’t mind most of the others.
I like that this season the clues are marginally harder than “Go here-do this”. At least there’s some figuring out going on. Tasks could be harder though.
Lance, being a good Massachusetts resident, recognized her as well. Even though he is batshit insane.
I feel really bad for Zev & Justin, but last season’s(?) Russian elimination should have shown one of the vital rules - every time you change location, make sure you have the clue, your passports, and all other vital papers. Everything else is dross.
You heard correctly. Three guesses as to who said it. (Hint: think “most intellectually challenged Racer.”)
Whyever would you doubt me? Can you not hear the Oxford accent they picked up studying there?
Yes, I noticed that, if only because it was also used by Millie, of the original TAR Dating Virgins (season 4). Which makes me wonder if Mika didn’t say it on purpose, which makes me wonder if Mika isn’t more clever than she lets on, which makes my brain explode.