These were some interesting tasks this episode. I know the producers think viewers want a steady stream of bungee jumps and parachute drops, but I really like tasks that give teams a chance to jump ahead of other teams, rather than just sequentially perform the tasks. And in this episode, two teams from the later flight actually made up the two-hour difference and hit the mat before three of the four earlier teams.
Taxi Assessment:
Stuck in the Desert and Officially Detained - or, Philiminated with extreme prejudice.
Misa & Maiya and Dave & Cherie - Already eliminated.
Elliot & Andrew (down from “Stopping”) - I’m not sure what it was about the harp stringing task that was so, so hard, but clearly it was. Elliot & Andrew went straight for this option, unlike other teams that switched, and still managed to finish far behind almost everyone else. Wouldn’t guitarists and soccer goalies have the finger dexterity to string a harp? Clearly not. Elliot & Andrew finished in the pack of the pack on each of the three episodes, so even if they hadn’t been eliminated here, they didn’t seem like strong contenders.
Flat Tire - or, not likely to get anywhere soon.
Joey & Danny (holding steady) Crazily, Joey & Danny had a really good leg, finishing in the top three despite the fact that they got to Paraguay two hours behind the lead teams. I have to think this episode is an aberration, but I’m entertaining the notion that I’m wrong. If they have a decent leg next week, I’ll move them up a notch.
Stopping for Gas - or, not broken-down, exactly, but not a good sign.
Brendon & Rachel (holding steady) - Second place again for Brendon & Rachel, this time ending in a literal blubbering mess. Any other team, I’d have them ranked near the top, but I’ve always been suspicious of “dating” teams with sketchy relationships, because sooner or later they literally sit down and “work on their relationship” rather than actually Racing.
Vanessa & Ralph (down from “Rapido!”) - It’s not too much of a stretch to guess that there will be airport bunching at the begining of the next leg, which will probably erase the deficit Vanessa & Ralph have from hitting the mat far behind the rest of the non-eliminated teams. (Although my wife noted that the shadows were pretty long when other team hit the mat.) Heck, they might even get a better night’s sleep for not having to get up in the wee hours of the morning. However, the effort that they put into this leg, and the stress they got out of it, are going to be a little tough to recover from.
"Rapido! Por Favor?" - or, making meaningless ineffectual comments from the back seat, but in no immediate danger.
Kerri & Stacy (holding steady) - Kerri & Stacy still haven’t made much of an impression on me. They haven’t been terrible, but they’ve neverbeen all that good, either.
Mark & Bopper (up from “Stopping”) - Two good legs in a row for Mark & Bopper; I think they might actually be much better than my initial impression (fueled by their ninth-place finish on leg one) led me to believe. Maybe I should move them up even one more notch in the rankings, but one leg at a time.
Nary & Jamie (holding steady) - Art & J.J. criticized Nary & Jamie for alerting the other teams about the standby flight. I think that does more to highlight Art & J.J.'s myopia when it comes to helping other teams than anyhing else, though. Consider: No way do all teams make it onto the sandby flight; in fact, it’s quite possible Nary & Jamie don’t even make it. Moreover, the chance other teams will find out about the flight themselves is pretty good. So Nary & Jamie get the goodwill of all the other teams without actually helping most (or all) of them. Worst case scenario is probably exactly what happened: one of the teams they “helped” comes in ahead of them, and Nary & Jamie score a fifth-place finish rather than a fourth-place finish. Big deal. Other team’s goodwill isn’t something you can bank on, but when it’s so cheaply bought, why not? The teacher thing is still weird, though.
In the Passing Lane - or, ahead of the pack, but not quite comfortably.
Dave & Rachel (down from “Cruisin’”) - And to think I had Dave & Rachel pegged as the favorite to win it all. Well, I still do, actually, but this episode was clearly not a good one for them. It was much worse for some other teams, though. Still, Dave & Rachel don’t have the Express Pass to fall back on any more, and they do have a bit of a crack in their relationship. Only a crack, though. How they bounce back next episode will be crucial. Also… what happened with Dave at the Roadblock? None of the teams this year are beauty pageant winners, and it seems to me that the next-best occupational training for holding something steady on one’s head would be military drilling. Am I wrong?
Cruisin’ with Earl - or, drivin’ on the shoulder, takin’ shortcuts, and generally kickin’ butt.
Art & J.J. (up from “Passing”) - The only team now that’s finished in the top three on all three legs. That probably won’t last, just due to random chance, but Art & J.J. look pretty strong.