The Amazing Race (TAR) 10/10/14: Get Your Sheep Together

Cafe Society
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Oh dear - no one’s started a thread yet?

I’m still thinking this season has been doing a lot better job on the tasks - nearly every task this season has mixed up team according to their skill, and the Detour choices have not necessarily been obvious. I also noticed that all three episodes so far have had at least one clue where teams have to figure out exactly where to go based on a picture or item (the pin, in this case), which has actually tripped up some of the teams. Much more interesting than the “go here, do this, stay in single file” episodes of old.

Taxi Assessment:

Stuck in the Desert and Officially Detained - or, Philiminated with extreme prejudice.
Lisa & Michelle (#MiamiRealtors) and Dennis & Isabelle (#TheDatingCouple) - Already eliminated.
Michael & Scott (#TheFirefighters) (down from “Flat Tire”) - Yeah, this was pretty inevitable. Last week I was pretty skeptical about their chances. This week, with Scott hobbling around, they slowly faded to the back. Getting the wrong directions sealed the deal, but it’s not like they were going to come close to winning, ever.

Flat Tire - or, not likely to get anywhere soon.

Shelley & Nici (#MomDaughter) (holding steady) - Shelley & Nici had a much better finish this week, coming in fourth. This was, I think, primarily on the strength of picking the “right” Detour option, as the four peat-digging teams placed 1-2-4-5. Their other two finishes were eighth and ninth, so Shelley & Nici still have the worst average record of the remaining teams.
Brooke & Robbie (#TheWrestlers) (down from “Passing”) - OK, Brooke & Robbie finished in sixth place, but look - they’ve spent substantial time in last place in every single episode so far this season. I admire their ability to come from behind, I really do. I even think they’ll continue doing it for a few more weeks. But there will be a time that they’re too far behind, and the competition too tough, and they’ll stay in last place. Plus, I just have to be critical of two grown people who can’t bend a nail. How can you actually know how to use a hammer, but never have bent over a nail?

Stopping for Gas - or, not broken-down, exactly, but not a good sign.
Tim & Te Jay (#CollegeSweethearts) (down from “Rapido!”) - Tim & Te Jay are becoming less and less impressive every week. I actually had pegged them as possible winners at the beginning of the first episode, and their second-place made them look pretty good. However, they’ve faded since, and with their major navigation problems, they’re lucky the firefighters obligingly took themselves out of contention. I still hold out some hope that Tim & Te Jay will get it together, but I’m much less bullish on this team.

“Rapido! Por Favor?” - or, making meaningless ineffectual comments from the back seat, but in no immediate danger.
Maya & Amy (#SweetScientists) (holding steady) - I’m not quite sure what to think of this team, and thus I’m leaving them ranked here in the middle. On the one hand, they picked the right Detour option today, and have never seriously been in danger of Philimination. On the other hand, they placed last of the four teams who chose the peat option, got lost, and were never any threat to actually win. They seem kind of slow, but never really have any problem completing tasks, so…ranked in the middle they are.

In the Passing Lane - or, ahead of the pack, but not quite comfortably.
Kym & Alli (#TheCyclists) (holding steady) - After a couple third-place finishes, Kym & Alli drop to seventh, with the rest of the teams who did the Viking torch. I still think this is the most likely third-place team, but we’ll see what they do next week.
Keith & Whitney (#TeamNashville) (up from “Stopping”) - After choosing the “wrong” Detour option, Keith & Whitney blew through the sheep task, and ended up in third, ahead of two of the four teams who took the peat option. That’s a pretty good performance, and I’ve bumped them up two full notches based on the last two weeks. They seem to have left the episode-one orienteering fiasco behind.

Cruisin’ with Earl - or, drivin’ on the shoulder, takin’ shortcuts, and generally kickin’ butt.
Adam & Bethany (#SoulSurfers) (holding steady) - Adam & Bethany stayed a step behind Misti & Jim the entire episode, for a second place. They still have the Express Pass in their pocket, and so look like a shoo-in to make it through episode eight or nine, and probably into the final three.
Misti & Jim (#TheDentists) (holding steady) - Another first place for Misti & Jim. They do a lot of bragging, butthey also have the record to back it up. Despite the bunch on the ferry at the beginning of the episode, Misti & Jim quickly jumped into first place and stayed there until the end. I have a slight feeling that Jim might be an “act first, think later” kind of guy, but (a) we haven’t seen Misti & Jim have any navigation problems, which is where lack of planning first crops up, and (b) even so, they have their “Get Out of Philimination Free” pass in their pocket.

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The surfers actually dropped way back after the ferry, arriving at the first clue around 8th. Choosing peat instead of torches definitely helped, but it was the sheep task where they finally shot all the way up to second place.

This was a bummer of an episode for me because it feels like the producers are giving away the promising advances of the previous two weeks and falling back into some bad old habits:

  • Instead of staggered flights, the leg started with a complete bunching.
  • The two choices (peat and torches) were clearly imbalanced, and by a decent margin.

However, much of my pessimism was washed away by the awesomeness of that sheep task.

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Yeah - although I had thought, based on the description, that the torches would be the best choice. “Never willingly choose an animal task” is like TAR rule #6. Clearly wrong, I was.

But the sheep task was pretty great - any task that you can get done quicker if only you do it slowly is a pretty sweet wrinkle.

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(accidental double post)

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Ahh, the peat. [/Seinfeld]

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Was anyone else amazed at the sheep? Not the herding task, I mean, the sheep themselves. I swear every previous time I’ve seen sheep they’ve been placidly grazing in a meadow. In my mental image they ooze along like a sloth.

And they can run and jump like gazelles! Whoo!

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There was a long shot of a quarry and I got excited that maybe they were gonna throw stuff down there, like some Dopers are wont to do. Turns out it was only relevant insomuch as the gay team didn’t know what a quarry was.

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Weird that there were two episodes in a row w/o a roadblock.

It looked like the Dentists were the only team to make two trips with the pony. I guess it was a combination of the editing and me not paying close attention.

The sheep task was fantastic.

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It was hilarious watching the #collegesweethearts at the sheep task. Talk about overthinking things. I was busting a gut when they started taking their socks off to add to their clothing rope.

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The Torch vs sheep challenge was imbalanced, but that was balanced back by people thinking the torch would be simple. I’m an animal person and I so would’ve chosen the torch task. How hard could that be, and certainly not dealing with the uncertainty of sheep (I’ve watched sheepdog trials).I wonder if a team had caught one sheep and tried to lead it through the gates and into the pen, if the others would follow?

Tim and Te Jay - Whats a quarry?? And these are college educated men?

Still not liking, but respecting, the dentists.

Liking the surfers.

Looks like another mother/daughter breakdown next week.

I’m wondering if the scientists are going to sneak up and take everything, just because they’re getting so little air time.

StG

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When I was watching that I thought that would be a great task if they used fainting goats. Not sure if that would make the task easy or impossible.

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The detour was Torch vs Shoveling Peat (w/ Shetland Ponies). Everyone had to do the Sheep task, there was no avoiding it.

I was wondering (hoping?) if the Tim/TeJay were not understanding the Scottish Accent on the Quarry

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Maybe it was the editing, or maybe me not paying close attention (imagine that!) but when the bike girls decided to hit the pub while waiting for the train, I didn’t see them for a long time after that, and was starting to wonder if they had missed the train/boat.

If the dentists weren’t so full of themselves I think I could get behind them. But listening to them talk about how they’re not just the best team in this race but the best TAR team ever, gets a little old after a while. Plus the tan faces and bright white teeth still kinda freak me out.

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Yeah, the Tooth Faeries aren’t very likeable, but they haven’t become unlikeable yet.

I was surprised the College Sweets were so far back at the end. That one guy’s shrill voice seemed to keep spooking their sheeps.

Knowing what Shetlands are like, I would’ve chosen the torch task. But that viking judge seemed REALLY intense about things being “just so.” And with the demo being done so fast, I can see why several had a hard time with the first step.

Seeing the tiny College Sweets with all the Nephilim sized Viking re-enactors at the dock was a funny visual.

Being from Boston, the Fire Dudes should have known not to trust people in a bar for facts. Cheers? Cliffy? Come on!

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The guy is loathsome. He makes me think of this demotivator: Goals - Despair, Inc. . Seems like a classic Napoleon complex.

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They were giant puff balls of cuteness! I wanted to name them all and take them home.

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I found it amusing that the Wrestlers didn’t know how to bend over a nail!

Either he has never used a hammer and nail before or he is perfect at it!

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My inlaws used to keep pet sheep. One time, I was driving a golf cart (which my inlaws had for getting around their property) past the sheep, when one got over the fence, chased me down while I was at the cart’s top speed, and rammed the back bumper. Stupid, yes, but they’re fast when they want to be.

I think what got everyone on the first stage was that the burlap had to be rolled extremely tight, and the nail had to go straight into the wood. It looked like a lot of people just assumed that if the nail was all the way in that would good enough, even if was just in burlap. They showed the judge a few times just pulling out the nail and unwrapping the burlap.

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Me too. And kudos, once again, to the Amazing Editors, for adding the “boing! boing!” sound effect.

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Yeah, that was pretty unbelievable. I mean, I didn’t expect the Wrestlers to be smart, but not knowing how to bend a nail?? Between this and “sun rises in the West” they really outdid themselves on the casting this time around.