While I ultimately became a fan of the Globetrotters (especially Flight Time) I have to say that Big Easy would be about the last person in the world I would want trying to figure out a word puzzle—It just dosent seem to me that that kind of thing would be a strength of his, and then for him to up and quit 2 hours into the task (and take a resulting 4 hour penalty) was one of the stupidest decisions I have EVER seen on Amazing Race…
I am looking forward to seeing the Brothers implode and dissolve in a screaming, weeping, eye-scratching, Mother-of-all-hissyfits when one of them finally whines at the other one once too often on a stressful task.
Any bets on how many times they’ll say “shut up” in the finale?
Blondes better win this race, other 2 teams aren’t worthy of winning the big prize.
And come on. Why did Big easy do that task? wasn’t he the one that fucked up the clock puzzle? why not let the other guy go, was it specified that it was a puzzle challenge? I mean how hard is it to see franz from those 5 specific letters? Have these guys never tried a jumble? So hard to believe that the big gay bro and big easy had a hard time getting it while megan got it in 2 televised tries, and white hubby got it quick too. Why oh why do these people make the challenges harder than what they really are!! I was rooting for the globetrotters all the way but being so bad at puzzles woulda killed their chance at the end if there was a remember your journey type puzzle.
Gay bros. annoying, team zebra (erika annoying), team blonde doing really good at the race, even when they “blow” up to each other it’s not even worth video taping. They seem to be pretty bland but efficient racers.
Vegas is the next stop and we see that erika melts down yet again. I really hope the blondes win, they’re the only team that actually raced well.
Oh, and I absolutely call bullshit on the Kryocentrum’s claim of that chamber being -160 degrees Centigrade. That’s -292 degrees F! Not only is no place on Earth that cold naturally, that temperature should freeze them solid in 2 minutes given how little they were wearing.
In the 'Trotters defense – they didn’t know it was a puzzle challenge when they decided who to send in, did they?
Not to mention that Prague is a city rich in history and culture, absolutely brimming full of character. Certainly there must have been SOMETHING more appropriate to the magnificent setting (that would make for an interesting task) than “stand in a really cold room for two minutes”…
It’s almost cold enough to form liquid oxygen. I’m wondering if it was some crazy temperature scale (although I can find one with lower numbers than Fahrenheit).
I am crushed beyond belief re The Globetrotters. I knew deep down the 4-hour penalty would be their death knell, but I was praying that either the brothers or Brian/Ericka (or both) would screw up so badly that the Globetrotters would have a smidgen of a chance.
Go Megan and Cheyne! You’ve run this race decently and well, and you deserve the win.
Phil clearly says 180 degrees below zero Celsius.
the sign on the building said -160 deg below zero
And I call BS too, instant frostbite
Here is the kryocentrum website.
Okay, so I can’t read any of that, but it sounds like it’s closer to -110 to -130. Which I still think is BS, but it’s slightly more believable BS.
While I was hoping it would be the Miss America team to go, the Globetrotters failed solely on their own because they basically just quit. Why in the world would they think a 4 hour penalty would be a good idea? Why didn’t the teams just start by trying to form easy to pronounce combinations rather than putting down random jumbles of letters? I’m not sorry to see them go if they couldn’t do so simple a task. Does anyone know if the word Kafkaesque was used at all in the clue? Because if it was then these teams are dumber than I even thought.
Okay, now I’m a college grad. I’ve heard of Kafka and have a minor understanding of what Kafkaesque means. But I didn’t have a clue what his first name was.
Of course, that same asshole had just bailed on their agreement to help each other so I don’t know that I would have put any particular faith in it actually starting with an F.
Still, should not have been a failure inducing puzzle.
Admittedly not seeing the exact instructions for the golem, I was very much shocked that turning it in with a dangling arm was acceptable.
Just think, folks! If Ericka wins we get to see a replay of this:
Miss America 2004 crowning
I’m hoping that Brian is out of roadblocks and the last one involves swimming or diving or some way of being near water. I need to be amused.
The brother claiming that he wanted to work together on the challenge and then changing his mind was a dick move. It was stupid for him to make the offer, and working together in the final rounds,is stupid, but that was still a dick move. I was also shocked the Rabbis took that golem. They should have sent the brothers back. The Globetrotters dug their own grave though; taking the penalty made no sense.
Megan & Chaynne & the bucket of hair gel better win.
I was watching for it, and I didn’t see any cracking or movement while it was being inspected. I wouldn’t be surprised if they stopped just before the synagogue, smeared the clay around to hide the break, and carried it very carefully to the end.
Robot Arm has spoken for me, right down to thinking I’d never comment on a broken-armed golem. I do kind of wish we’d seen Ericka attempt that one.
OK, let’s take a moment to examin and contrast the tasks on this leg. The puzzle Roadblock? I like puzzle tasks, because it really puts pressure on the teams and forces a wide time seperation. Plus, the whole roomful-of-ringing-phones thing was a nice touch. Liked it. The Detour? Two very different tasks that apparently both took quite some time. I’m not sure it was very clear how, exactly, the pros and cons stacked up, so I think it would have been difficult to make an intelligent decision here. Nonetheless, neither task was an obvious loser, so I’m on board with this one. The kryocentrum? I hate these tasks–there’s no decision-making involved, and every team takes basicallt exactly the same time to complete the task. Interesting, perhaps, in a cultural way, but deadly boring from a Race perspective.
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 and Zev and Justin and Lance and Keri and Mika and Canaan and Maria and Tiffany and Gary and Matt - Gone until season’s end.
Herbert and Nathaniel (down fron “Cruisin’”) - Wow. I have to say, this is the first time this season that I’ve been genuinely surprised by an elimination. The Globetrotters have been a pretty smart team all along, and for them to be out-thought by Dan of all people is probably the most Amazing thing I’ve seen so far this season. Taking that four-hour penalty was just an atrocious decision, particularly when Dan gave them the first letter of the answer. Sure, he could have been lying, but taking a chance on Dan’s information and cycling through the 24 possible permitations of ANRZ strikes me as far more likely to produce a positive result than hoping some other team wanders off on a four-hour goose chase. Not likely this late in the game. Look:
FANRZ FANZR FARNZ FARZN FAZNR FAZRN FNARZ FNAZR FNRNZ FNRZN FNZAR FNZRA FRANZ FRAZN FRNAZ FRNZA FRZAN FRZNA FZANR FZARN FZNAR FZNRA FZRAN FZRNA
How many of those could possibly be words? Sheesh. I think this team was pretty strong overall, but it just takes one tumble to be eliminated; as tumbles go, this one was one of the worst.
Flat Tire - or, not likely to get anywhere soon.
No one this week.
Stopping for Gas - or, not broken-down, exactly, but not a good sign.
No one this week.
"Rapido! Por Favor?" - or, making meaningless ineffectual comments from the back seat, but in no immediate danger.
Brian and Ericka (up from “Stopping”) - I hope Brian & Ericka are planning on sending out Christmas cards this year, because they got a huge, huge gift this episode from the Globetrotters, and a few canned good wishes from Hallmark seem like the least they could do. Brian & Ericka started an hour and a half behind the Globetrotters, and did and extra task, and still wound up passing Big Easy on the Roadblock. I suspect, given Brian’s admission that they’d taken “all night” to do the Detour, that they’re far behind the other two teams now. However, there will be plenty of opportunity for airport bunching next episode, so all three teams should wind up on an even footing. Nonetheless, Brian & Ericka are still the weakest team left. Assuming the six-Roadblock-per rule is still in place, it’s Ericka’s turn to do the Roadblock next week, which doesn’t bode well.
In the Passing Lane - or, ahead of the pack, but not quite comfortably.
Sam and Dan (holding steady) - On the one hand, this team wound up taking second place (again), in no danger of elimination. On the other, they wound up taking second place (again) after a bunch of pointless bickering. Despite Canny Dan’s out-thinking Big Easy, this team is still the dumbest team left. They’re likely to wind up taking second place (again) in the finale.
Cruisin’ with Earl - or, drivin’ on the shoulder, takin’ shortcuts, and generally kickin’ butt.
Meghan and Cheyne (holding steady) - First-place finish number six for Meghan & Cheyne, and three in a row. They started this episode less than a half-hour ahead of Sam & Dan, yet they hardly saw any other team for the whole leg. Although the inevitable bunching will erase their current lead, this is still obviously the team to beat. Now, there’s always room for surprises, particularly in the last episode, but one of the biggest letowns about the Globetrotter’s elimination this ep is that Meghan & Cheyne just don’t have any credible competition left. They’re not a shoo-in to win, but I’m afraid this might be the most predictable final since…last season’s win by Tammy & Victor.
[sub]Props to Mullinator and his Raj Ratings.[/sub]
Yeah, it would have been interesting watching Brian try to carry them both.
FNRNZ? FNRZN? Ooh, let me get out my big, red, stampy ‘X’. You’re sitting at a computer with all the time in the world and it’s still possible to make mistakes. Of course, if there’d been a million bucks on the line I’m pretty sure you’d have gotten out of there before dawn.
I looked up the Ekotechnické Museum to see if it was the one I visited in Prague. Turns out it’s an old sewage works. I don’t know if that’s Kafkaesque or not, but I do find it interesting.
When I was quoting zut’s word list, the spell checker underlined all of them but one. Ironic, under the circumstances.