Amazing Race 24 - All Stars [Archive]

The Hitchhiking Ghost

02-18-2014, 10:44 AM

I saw that no thread had been started yet. The new season kicks off this Sunday Feb 23 with 11 teams of returning "all-stars".

I was checking my dvr to make certain I had the show set up for recording the entire season, and I was noticing the description for the first episode and it said something like "...and one team doesn't make it to the starting line.." This makes it sound like what they did back in S15 when they had a challenge before they went to the airport and eliminated a team right away (Eric & Lisa) but I think its a red-herring. Race rumors have been rampant for a long time that scheduled team of Bopper and Mark did not actually race together, but instead Mallory (of Gary and) replaced Bopper, and this was done at the starting line. I guess we'll see.

The 11 teams include:

Three peaters:
-Globe Trotters
-Margie and Luke
-Cowboys
-Mallory (if rumors are true)

Two-timers
-Brenchal
-Afghanimals
-Twinees
-Mark (other half of Bopper)
-Dave and Connor (father son cancer survivors)
-John & Jessica
-Joey & Meghan (u-tubers)
-Caroline & Jennifer (country singers)

I have to say, probably one of the few times that I've gone into a season with extremely low expectations. There are very few teams on this list that I like or even think deserve to be there.

There is absolutely no reason to bring back teams for a 3rd time, especially these three teams, all of which have made final 3 once and didn't get the job done.

Then you have the really annoying group consisting of Brenchel, Afghanimals, Twinnees and the U-tubers.

Then there is the forgettable team, the Country Singers. I couldn't remember them, much less that they finished 4th in their original season.

I guess the rest would kind of be the sob story teams, for how they exited. Boppery (Mallory) and Mark, Dave & Conner with the dad rupturing his tendon or whatever that was, and John-Jessica getting eliminated with the Express Pass in their back pockets.

Its really hard to get behind any of these teams. The Cowboys/Trotters seem to be like the Rupert-Boston Rob of Survivor. Lets just keep bringing them back and hopefully eventually one of them will finally win and we can be done with them.

I would have really liked to have seen Andy-Tommy (snowboarders from S19) back, or Abby-Ryan from S21 or even Art & JJ, and am really surprised the Chippendales aren't back. Honestly, all my teams would have been probably S9 and earlier, but if they were only going to pick from the last 6 seasons, they could have done better.

I guess my default pick to win would be John and Jessica. Despite the bone-headed move on John's part, to first switch detour tasks and to then not use the EP at the roadblock resulting in elimination, they were one of the more interesting teams that season and had potential. Dave and Connor had the great backstory, being dual cancer survivors, but I didn't really find myself caring about them too much.

So....The World is waiting.. Travel safe.. Good luck..Go!!

terri110874

02-18-2014, 11:27 AM

I am hoping the father and son team or mother and son team does well. Also like Bopper too. Not a fan of the twinees or the Afghanimals

The Hitchhiking Ghost

02-18-2014, 12:46 PM

I am hoping the father and son team or mother and son team does well. Also like Bopper too. Not a fan of the twinees or the Afghanimals

You might end up being in the minority with Margie and Luke. They were one of the few teams, Travis & Nicole this last season would be the one other I can recall, that started out with a positive edit and fan feedback, but ended up the season almost as villains, or at least heavily disliked.

I just have no need to see them, or Cowboys/Trotters for a 3rd time.

Melanie

02-18-2014, 01:01 PM

I couldn't feel any more differently with comparing the Globetrotters and Cowboys with Rupert and Boston Rob. No way! I am entertained by the Globetrotters and Cowboys, and for that reason alone, I'm okay with them being back.

Twinnies and Margie and Luck. Ugh. And I can't wait to find out what in the world is the deal with Mallory and Mark. :confused:

I'm ready for the new season (and Survivor as well) because it's special time that myself and my almost 16 year old share, as we're the only ones in the house who watch. We really look forward to TAR and Survivor nights. And Phil! I always miss Phil. :)

TheDuckRocks

02-19-2014, 10:58 AM

The Hitchhiking Ghost

02-19-2014, 01:26 PM

I am completely confused by the recent TV commercials for this seasons AR. It was first announced that Mallory and Mark would be racing together as Booper's child was ill. Now they are showing clips of Mark and Booper as a team.:confused:
I'm with Mel on this one, for entertainment value I'm happy to see the Trotters and Cowboys back.

I think, and this is only speculation, as I saw a clip that showed Mark and Bopper going to the start line, is that it will appear that they are going to race together but at the last minute Bopper pulls out. If this happens, and Mallory magically happens to be there and available for the next month, then they knew well in advance and they are just playing it up for drama. My dvr guide when I was setting the season up, said something like "and one team doesn't make it to the start line" so again, I think Bopper pulls out at the last minute.

Trotters seem like nice guys, but they basically quit one season, and I felt they tried to cheat their next go round and basically they seem to yuck it up with everyone while basically just copying them and following them around and then beating them at the last minute. And like the Cowboys and Margie/Luke, not only have they had two chances at this, but they all have made final 3 and have had shots to win it, so I have no need to see them again.

Cowboys should have been eliminated the first leg in Unfinished Business season but were saved by a leg 1 continuation leg, and I thought they seemed kind of arrogant and went lone wolf, which really cost them and ultimately led to their demise with the roadblock in Lichtenstein.

I guess we'll see how it all plays out in a couple of days.

Ian

02-22-2014, 03:19 PM

I'd like to punch Margie and Luke in the eye.

You know, figuratively speaking :thedolls:

MNNHFLTX

02-22-2014, 04:55 PM

I'd like to punch Margie and Luke in the eye.

You know, figuratively speaking :thedolls:

Well, being it's a TV show, figuratively is the only way you can do it. But I echo the sentiment. :thedolls:

I have no idea how i feel about the teams for this race. I like Trotters and Cowboys okay, but I don't have a strong desire to see any team race three times, no matter how much I liked them in the past. I guess I am more focused on who I don't like, which would be Twinnies and Margie and Luke (tied for first place in that respect!) Not too keen on the Afghanimals either. Now that I think about it, I'm actually looking forward to seeing Brendan and Rachel again. When she wasn't crying she was kind of fun to watch.

PirateLover

02-24-2014, 01:23 AM

Amazing Race just cannot play nicely with the DVR, can it? Another season, another delayed start... I had the last 10 mins cut off but I looked online to see that "Twinnies" are the first ones out and THANK GOSH for that!!! They were more annoying than ever.

I felt bad for Bopper being unfit to race. Not sure how long Mark and Mallory will last... It's hard enough to do something like this with someone you know well.

Overall I found it to be a very boring opening episode.

TheDuckRocks

02-24-2014, 10:40 AM

Oh, happy day! The Twinnies are gone. Margie and Luke sure would be nice for next week. Has anyone heard an update on Booper's health? I'm also wondering why at one point they announced it was one of his kids that was ill. The mysteries of the AR producers continues is amaze me.

tinkwest

02-24-2014, 11:38 AM

Oh, happy day! The Twinnies are gone. ....

:exactly:

Ian

02-24-2014, 11:40 AM

Man, were we glad to see the Twinnies off first. I thought they were annoying last time, but maybe I had forgotten just how annoying. Ugh ... good riddance!

I enjoyed the episode. I'm such a fan of this show and I'm so glad it's back. Sunday nights just became meaningful again now that football is over!

For me, early on I'm pulling for Mark and Mallory, the Dad and son (the guy who popped his Achilles last time), Flight Time and Big Easy, and the Cowboys. That may change as the race evolves, but those are my favorites early on.

I'd love to see the Afghanimals or Margie and Luke go next, but somehow I doubt it.

PirateLover

02-24-2014, 12:28 PM

Thinking back on it, the first half of the episode wasn't too boring. Finding the dress shop was more challenging than I thought it would be and watching teams from the first flight fall behind added some drama. The 2nd half was a letdown though. I dislike when the roadblock isn't a game changer. The order they got off that slow ride was the order in which they finished. Flipping on the high wire was an interesting twist to the the typical bungee/rappel challenge that we get, but in the end didn't appear to be any more difficult.

Joey and Meghan and Mark and Mallory are not going to last too long, in my opinion. Joey and Meghan just don't have the skills/strength and Mark and Mallory do not seem to be meshing as a team.

After the first episode, I think I'm going to choose Conor and Dave for the win. I think they are smart, they get along well, and in their first season they did pretty well even after the dad's injury. Also they are the only team that actually deserves a second chance based on how they went out.

Middle of the Map

02-24-2014, 02:49 PM

Happy Day! My cowboys are back and the twinnies are gone. Also love the B-Ball guys. What a great start to the new season.

MNNHFLTX

02-24-2014, 04:31 PM

I really enjoyed the start to this season; the fact that the Twinnies went home was just icing on the cake!

Has anyone heard an update on Booper's health? I'm also wondering why at one point they announced it was one of his kids that was ill. The mysteries of the AR producers continues is amaze me.I'm not sure why that rumor circulated about Bopper's daughter unless there was some concern about the possible cause of his pancreatitis. I actually like Mallory and Mark together so far. I just hope they don't have a serious setback in the next leg, as was hinted at in the trailer.

The Hitchhiking Ghost

02-24-2014, 11:24 PM

Finally got to see the premiere, too much on Sunday night with Olympics and Downton Abbey finale.

Compared to other opening legs from other seasons, this was pretty much a major let down and basically plain and simple, remedial.

I will admit that for the most part I wasn't excited about almost all of these teams, but once Phil dropped his arm, a lot of that just went away and I was able to enjoy the start of another season.

There are teams that I find likeable, like Cowboys and Trotters but having had two chances already, I really don't want them to win. I guess I can cheer for them to beat other teams, to a point, but I'm hoping 3rd strike and they are out.

I thought John and Jessica were shaping up to be one of the more interesting teams their initial season, until they made a bone-headed decision, so I'm hoping they rebound and have a strong Race.

But as far as the first leg, first I thought the initial editing was odd. When those first teams landed in China, it was almost like they were being followed by amateur camera operators instead of the "A" team. Once the second group of teams landed, editing and camera feel was back to normal.

As far as leg set up, pretty bad. Yeah some teams had problems finding one of the three dress shops, but basically none of the check points were really game changers nor allowed teams to really gain ground. Choosing the right bubble at the top of the tower was really the only wildcard to any of the checkpoints, nothing else seemed to really impact team placement.

The leg was saved by the Twinees getting eliminated.

Hopefully U-tubers next, followed by Margie and Luke and the Race will be off to a good start.

PirateLover

02-25-2014, 10:22 AM

The Hitchhiking Ghost

02-25-2014, 10:27 AM

As far as Bopper, wasn't it his daughter who was sick in the first go-round? Because the Border Patrol Agents said they wanted to share some winnings with them because Bopper needed the money for his daughter? I think I recall she had some kind respiratory illness.

Yes - Art & JJ, after they won the 4th leg of the Race and won $10,000 each, elected to split the money with Bopper and Mark. I do recall backstory footage that Bopper was racing for his daughter that was ill.

Most likely, that's what fueled the rumors that he had to back out of the race, for his daughters health, not his own.

TheDuckRocks

02-26-2014, 11:35 AM

Most likely, that's what fueled the rumors that he had to back out of the race, for his daughters health, not his own.

That makes sense.

PirateLover

03-03-2014, 12:03 PM

Melanie

03-03-2014, 12:21 PM

I have very similar thoughts as you, Maryanne. Both Mallory and Mark are to blame, and it was very clear last night that they don't mesh.

It was kind of epic seeing all those teams on the mat at once. A frazzled Phil was hilarious.

PirateLover

03-03-2014, 12:27 PM

It was kind of epic seeing all those teams on the mat at once. A frazzled Phil was hilarious.
Yes! I forgot to comment on that. I thought that was a lot of fun to see them all finish so close together.

MNNHFLTX

03-03-2014, 12:34 PM

Well, I'm sad to find out I was right about Mark and Mallory. For a minute I thought I was going to have egg on my face when he whizzed through the road block and they were in first. As soon as they zoomed in on the bag, though, I knew they were in trouble. I can understand Mallory's point- if she had all of Mark's important documents, whatever is left in the bag is replaceable. On the other hand, I can understand Mark's view. He doesn't have much in life, so it's a lot harder for him to let go of what he DOES have. When he said "It's not even my backpack" and Mallory responded with "I'll buy you a new one!" it was clear that they have totally different views. They are both to blame, it's just a shame they went out that way. I agree. Both could have done something to prevent the situation--Mallory should have helped keep a better eye on Mark's backpack (she was pretty much the person in charge of it when they were getting the toy car put in the taxi) and Mark should have been willing to let it go, for the sake of the race. Mark was amazing in putting that car together; it's too bad that not being in synch with each other cost them the race.

It was smart of the Cowboys to give the blonds the express pass. They knew they'd burn it right away, then they wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Still, the whole "Oh we are the weakest competitors" tactic doesn't sit well with me.Ugh, not liking the country singers this go-round. Jennifer was so smug in the taxi about her ability to sweet-talk the Cowboys into giving them the express pass. And then patting themselves on the back for being at the front of the pack. It wasn't your prowess at completing roadblocks that moved you up, ladies! :shake:

tinkwest

03-03-2014, 01:20 PM

I don't know who had the harder task at the Roadblock - Jet, building the toy car or Cord, listening to Jennifer whine about how much they need and deserve the extra Express Pass.

Ultimately it was probably a good decision to give it to the girls when they did. Now it is used up and the Cowboys have the one and only Express Pass. Also they don't need to put up with other teams begging, pleading, and whining to them in an attempt to get the extra Pass.

TheDuckRocks

03-04-2014, 12:07 PM

The Hitchhiking Ghost

03-04-2014, 02:35 PM

It broke my heart to see the conflict between Mark and Mallory. The difference from being able to feel secure enough to leave your things behind to go for a dream million dollars and the reality of knowing that the few things you have might be gone forever by a bad call was brutal. I think it reflected much about our inability to see the other person's life situation.

I frequent a few other message boards and usually once or twice a year someone will post a new "twist" as in lets have random pairings of teams. Mark and Mallory are the prime example of why (with the exception of Eric/Danielle S11) the Amazing Race only allows teams with pre-existing relationships. Despite forcing the whole new "team Kentucky" it was pretty evident that despite Mallory's excitement to Race, Mark really had no interest in running the Race with her.

I guess I'm going with tough love and blaming this on Mark. Yes, Mallory is 99.99% at fault for leaving the bag on the ground, although you can understand in part why as she assumed that after they got the toy car in the trunk, that he'd pick up his own bag. But since she'd carried it that far, I can understand too why Mark assumed she had it the rest of the way. Good teammates will usually do an inventory every time they go somewhere (have passports, money, route instructions, bags etc.) and they obviously didn't do that.

All that said, yes Mallory was the source of the problem, but the solution and ultimately elimination I think resides on Mark. I watched the scenes a dozen times over and it was very apparent that no argument that Mallory could come up with was going to persuade Mark to abandon the bags and carry on. After unsuccessfully trying to get him to change, Mallory finally says "we will be eliminated" and unbelievably Mark's response was "I don't care, we need to go back for my stuff". Despite Mallory having the teams money, passports, route instructions, his motion sickness medicine, Mark finally used the lame excuse "its not even my back pack". Despite getting to the roadblock ahead of two other teams, you could tell by Mark's body language he had given up. There were other teams I wanted gone first, but when I heard preseason that Mallory was running with Mark, I really didn't need to see them for that long, so nothing lost with this elimination.

Cowboys - the good/bad/ugly. I have no idea how you can leave the pitstart an hour ahead of the last place team and arrive after them. They never seem to do things small, big wins, big mistakes, and they were extremely lucky, even with an EP to survive that opening blunder. That said, giving the country girls, arguably one of the weakest teams in the field, the 2nd EP was brilliant strategy. Not only did they give it to a weak team, they did it in a moment that required them to use it immediately, meaning the cowboys now possess the only remaining EP. The girls can think all they want that they charmed it out of them, but it was strategy, pure and simple.

Meghan -not sure how stupid one can get, but she seems willing to show us. Helping John, the only other team behind you, complete the roadblock was one of the dumbest things I've ever seen. I know they were friends/allies from their prior season, but as she found out the hard way, that meant nothing as John/Jessica outraced them to the pitstop. Meghan/Joey were lucky they weren't the last team.

I guess I'm hoping for Margie and Luke to go next. His near breakdowns over the simplest things already are really getting annoying and he hasn't attempted a roadblock yet, so somekind of tantrum/breakdown is coming I'd wager.

I came into this season cheering for John/Jessica, but so far, less than stellar performances from them, so we'll see.

Bunch of teams carrying Travelocity Gnomes in the previews, so we'll see how those play out.

2Epcot

03-06-2014, 11:14 PM

I watch ever season of The Amazing Race, but have forgotten why so many of the teams were on twice before, and the All Stars makes their third appearance?

It is still my second favorite reality show, but as with my first, I'd rather see new people than having old people come back

Ian

03-08-2014, 10:21 AM

Yeah, it was pretty clear Mark's heart wasn't in it when he couldn't race with Bopper. I actually remarked to my wife more than once, "Mark keep saying over and over again how miserable he is that Bopper isn't there. Does he ever once stop to think about how that makes Mallory feel?"

I don't want to be too tough on him, but honestly I kinda thought he came off like a big baby. Yes it was definitely Mallory's fault they lost the bag, but he basically forced them into last place and elimination because (I think) he knew his heart wasn't in it and he didn't really want to be there. I give Mallory a LOT of credit for being as patient and reserved as she was. I would have flipped on him to the tune of, "I come on this show again to help you achieve your dream of making a better life for your family and you're going to quit over a stupid BACKPACK??!?! No let's be real Mark ... you're having a temper tantrum that your wittle fwend Bopper isn't here. Now man up, shut up, we're leaving the stupid bag, here's the clue, MOVE IT!"

NJDad

03-09-2014, 07:38 AM

CBS is showing the sports again today so set your DVRs for extra time just in case if you're not watching live.

Don't say you haven't been warned.

TheDuckRocks

03-09-2014, 10:33 AM

CBS is showing the sports again today so set your DVRs for extra time just in case if you're not watching live.

Don't say you haven't been warned.

This is something that has happened so often, I now just set up the next show (which I don't watch) all the time.

MNNHFLTX

03-09-2014, 12:19 PM

This is something that has happened so often, I now just set up the next show (which I don't watch) all the time.
I set the DVR to record two hours past the scheduled end time. I used to do just one hour but found out the hard way that it wasn't always enough time.

NJDad

03-10-2014, 06:55 AM

So yesterday's sport went slightly over the time slot but they still started the prime time schedule on time, just to keep us on our toes.

DizneyRox

03-10-2014, 09:45 AM

Please get rid of Margie and Luke, PLEASE!!!!! Putting us through his ineptness for three seasons is just cruel...

MNNHFLTX

03-10-2014, 10:21 AM

I'm totally good with Joey and Meghan going home--really they didn't seem all that invested in the race this time around. I was really surprised (and glad) that Dave and Connor managed to come in first at the pitstop, given that they overshot their takeout point with the canoe and had to carry the supplies back to drop them off.

And yes, I am ready for Margie and Luke to be next.

TheDuckRocks

03-10-2014, 10:55 AM

I was very pleased to see Rachael step up and act like an adult this leg. They really had a hard go of it and she just barely had a hiccup. From past behavior from her I was waiting for one of her complete meltdowns with much wailing and tears.
It is beyond time to have Margie and Luke go!:ack:

Melanie

03-10-2014, 11:01 AM

The Hitchhiking Ghost

03-10-2014, 11:12 AM

Despite being completely happy with the elimination of u-tubers, I was very disappointed with the entire set up of the leg. It had humorous moments, but really little to no suspense or substance.

This was one of those legs where I just shake my head, basically based on prior leg performance, they were awarding 6 teams an automatic pass to the next leg, by giving them a 3 hour advantage. I don't get that. I could see giving 3 teams an advantage and have the other 6 fight it out, but basically saying "ok - one of you three is guaranteed to go home" didn't like that at all, no need for it. I was actually prepared for and was dreading the "non-elim".

This continues to be the dumb and dumber edition of Race. Middle of Malaysia, rafting down a river, and Dave/Connor spot what looks like a route info marker or TAR signage and totally blow it off. Really? Then instead of just switching detour tasks, they hoof it all the way back. Have no idea how they still got first, it must have not been very far down river. Then you have Cord that does the entire repel and realizes "I don't have a clue". Then John decides to just throw some sticks in the water and then see if they will stay together on their own. This is just turning out to be a dumb group of teams.

If next weeks preview is at all accurate, it looks like "Luke is Back". Margie sounded like a mother scolding her 3 year old. I hope they are next to go.

Some sloppy TAR editing. Did anyone else notice, in Meghan/Joey's flashback as they showed them hiking thru the snow, they subtitled them Season 18 (they were season 22).

PirateLover

03-10-2014, 11:24 AM

I have to echo most of what has already been said.
-between leaving first but getting on the 2nd flight, and the raft debacle, I was also expecting a Rachel meltdown, but she pulled herself together.
- Meghan's and Joey's heads weren't in the game- they should've known better than to let their taxi leave in such a remote location. I knew they weren't going to last long.
-Beyond ready for Luke to go! Margie has impressed me but Luke just gets worse and worse. Watch them get saved by a non-elimination leg and keep sneaking by just to annoy us all!
-Dave and Connor-I thought they might incur a penalty since they didn't appear to raft back to the start, but I guess not. I do like them, but can we please move on from dad's injury last time around? They seem like a genuinely nice team though, and they work together well. So far I'm still liking them to win since they seem the least prone to self-destructing.
-Globetrotters are fun to watch. Big Easy was too big for the roadblock!!!

Melanie

03-10-2014, 11:30 AM

-Dave and Connor-I thought they might incur a penalty since they didn't appear to raft back to the start, but I guess not. I do like them, but can we please move on from dad's injury last time around? They seem like a genuinely nice team though, and they work together well. So far I'm still liking them to win since they seem the least prone to self-destructing.

I agree about Dave and Connor and the moving on from the last race, and I thought they were going to be penalized as well. That wasn't clear at all.

To be honest, I don't love them. They have a great story, but they kinda bore me.

PirateLover

03-10-2014, 11:43 AM

To be honest, I don't love them. They have a great story, but they kinda bore me.

I know what you mean! They are a little too ordinary, "aw shucks" kind of people.. Almost too normal to be on the show! But that is why I think they could potentially win it all.

One other thing in regards to the taxi situation- I've mentioned this before, but I go back and watch earlier seasons since I didn't start watching the show until a few years ago. It always strikes me to see how much self-navigating they did in the earlier seasons, and I wonder why they don't really do this anymore. Maybe it became too tough logistically or too expensive to rent all of the cars? I don't know. I prefer the drama of self-navigating and being responsible for your own fate to the drama of leaving everything up to the taxi driver.

The Hitchhiking Ghost

03-10-2014, 04:03 PM

I agree about Dave and Connor and the moving on from the last race, and I thought they were going to be penalized as well. That wasn't clear at all.

To be honest, I don't love them. They have a great story, but they kinda bore me.

Dave and Connor didn't do anything that warranted a penalty. It was sort of like a teacher that says, "ok read chapters 1-3 and we'll take a test on it" and they read chapters 1-10.

They did everything that was required of the detour, they just did a lot extra. I thought the editing was quite choppy, but they obviously rafted all the way to the final checkpoint, then they went on foot back to deliver the food, retrieved their note, and then went back again. So they did all the necessary elements of the task, plus some.

The dad reminds me of football coach Dick Vermiel, both in looks and reactions, looking like he's about to cry and get emotional the first time someone says hi. Nice enough team, but the Andy & Opie schtick wears thin fast.

The Hitchhiking Ghost

03-10-2014, 04:15 PM

I know what you mean! They are a little too ordinary, "aw shucks" kind of people.. Almost too normal to be on the show! But that is why I think they could potentially win it all.

One other thing in regards to the taxi situation- I've mentioned this before, but I go back and watch earlier seasons since I didn't start watching the show until a few years ago. It always strikes me to see how much self-navigating they did in the earlier seasons, and I wonder why they don't really do this anymore. Maybe it became too tough logistically or too expensive to rent all of the cars? I don't know. I prefer the drama of self-navigating and being responsible for your own fate to the drama of leaving everything up to the taxi driver.

That is one of the complaints that I've had for a long team. Nothing separates the good from the bad like a good dose of long distance navigation. Look at Kynt & Vyksen in Japan in S18.

I'm sure a lot has to do with the difficulty of setting up the production and having the vehicles available.

But mostly I think it has to do with the countries they are visiting. Spending 3 or 4 straight legs in China and India, its probably a safety issue that they can't drive themselves. Normally you see it more when they are in European countries that they get to drive, or whenever Race has to promote the latest Ford vehicle. I don't know if they ever get to drive when they are traveling in and around Asia. Some countries may have laws to as to who is eligible to drive. Simply having a US drivers license may not be enough.

Melanie

03-10-2014, 04:16 PM

They did everything that was required of the detour, they just did a lot extra. I thought the editing was quite choppy, but they obviously rafted all the way to the final checkpoint, then they went on foot back to deliver the food, retrieved their note, and then went back again. So they did all the necessary elements of the task, plus some.

To be honest, for ME, it was never really clear what any of them were to do after they completed their task. Obviously they did what was required. I think I may just not have paid close enough attention when Phil was explaining.

PirateLover

03-10-2014, 06:43 PM

Ok I get it now. I thought the teams that did delivery have to raft BACK, but they were just continuing on to the final checkpoint which was by the other detour option. So where Connor and Dave ended up was the proper endpoint, but since they chose delivery they had to finish the task on foot since they couldn't raft back upstream. Inadvertently this ended up giving them an advantage since the afghanimals got stuck.

TheDuckRocks

03-11-2014, 12:16 PM

I'm so glad this was all explained. I too thought they were rafting back to the beginning.
I also had to laugh when Big Easy started asking Flight Time to get a taxi he could fit into "this time'.
Sorry, Marianne, but I don't care for Margie either. And she is at least a good part of the reason Luke was allowed to grow into the adult he is. I do realize that being a parent to a disabled child a bigger challenge. But as with all children we sometimes loose sight of the fact we are actually raising adults.

Ian

03-12-2014, 10:13 AM

Can I just say again how much I enjoy Flight Time and Big Easy? I know some don't respect how they run the race, but I love how much fun they have interacting. When Flight was saying how their job isn't really a job, my respect for him grew even more. They know how fortunate they are.

Good leg, interesting challenges. Did everyone see the previews? Luke is something else.I totally agree about Big Easy and Flight, Mel. I really remembered why I like them so much this leg. They always seem to really just appreciate the experiences they're having and they never, ever fight or bicker with one another. They may not be the most competitive team out there, but I have a lot of respect for the way they run the race.

Melanie

03-12-2014, 01:02 PM

I totally agree about Big Easy and Flight, Mel. I really remembered why I like them so much this leg. They always seem to really just appreciate the experiences they're having and they never, ever fight or bicker with one another. They may not be the most competitive team out there, but I have a lot of respect for the way they run the race.

Flight linked to a video on his FB page yesterday that is just hilarious. It's from last week when they were waiting in line at the airport and the country singers are behind them and the one that's not John Wayne's granddaughter (yes, that's how I tell them apart) is driving them batty telling them to hurry up. So funny! Watch it.

http://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/video/9IoCGrXzX18vs_eC_6UtYpcATZeScYfr/the-amazing-race-hustle-it-up/

Ian

03-13-2014, 08:00 PM

If I watch any videos with the country singers in them I probably won't notice anything anyone is saying. ;)

Melanie

03-13-2014, 08:33 PM

If I watch any videos with the country singers in them I probably won't notice anything anyone is saying. ;)

Are they your type, Ian? ;) I think they are funny. I don't mind them at all, but don't think they'll go very much further.

The funniest part of that video was when Flight says " I thought Mallory got eliminated!" hehe

2Epcot

03-13-2014, 10:51 PM

But mostly I think it has to do with the countries they are visiting. Spending 3 or 4 straight legs in China and India, its probably a safety issue that they can't drive themselves. Normally you see it more when they are in European countries that they get to drive, or whenever Race has to promote the latest Ford vehicle. I don't know if they ever get to drive when they are traveling in and around Asia. Some countries may have laws to as to who is eligible to drive. Simply having a US drivers license may not be enough.

That is correct. I'm pretty sure they can't not drive in China. I will actually be in China in a few weeks. Never a fan of riding in the taxis there, or being on the freeways for that matter. Makes driving here in the LA area seem tame.

PirateLover

03-14-2014, 11:52 AM

Ugh even in that clip they throw out that "We're girls!" card, as if they speak for all women everywhere. I just have no patience for that. I don't remember them bothering me this much the first time around.

And Kay you won't get an argument from me! No doubt Margie was an enabler, but I think she's finally recognizing the repercussions of that. In the past she was also a whiner and lost patience quickly, but she's been handling the pressure better this time around, that's all.

Ian

03-14-2014, 10:05 PM

Are they your type, Ian? ;) Wait .... hold on ... lemme check ...

Yes, I have a pulse. Ergo they are my type :D

MNNHFLTX

03-16-2014, 11:03 PM

So the most interesting piece of information gleaned from tonight's leg is that Rachel wears panty hose during the race. What---??? I have been contemplating the logistics of this ever since. I was happy to see the Cowboys come in first and wasn't the least bit surprised that it was a non-elimination leg for Brendan and Rachel, which I was actually happy about. Luke and Margie--well, I don't mind her so much this season, but oh my goodness, Luke just is not cut out for this type of competition.

The Hitchhiking Ghost

03-17-2014, 12:09 AM

While the 4th leg is generally early for a non-elimination leg to appear, it didn't surprise me that much. Mostly because they allowed the 3 hour advantage that 6 teams gained the previous leg to carry thru this leg. They had no idea flight #2 would be delayed almost an hour effectively bunching the last 5 teams.

Luke and Margie trying to get Brenchel to quit was pathetic and for them to leave without even a simple thanks or good luck, or hang in there, was just classless imo.

I didn't notice, when Luke went into the bathroom for his weekly crybaby meltdown, did he go into the women's bathroom.

Despite Margie finally acting like a parent and disciplining her ADULT son, there was still too many examples of her enabling and excusing his behavior.

It took Brenchel over 3 hours to finish that detour, it appears that they will try for a desperation flight to catch up. Red-herring or harbinger of doom? If there is a big equalizer they should be safe except for the speedbump.

I'm hoping its Margie and Luke next, I've had about as much of them as I can stomach.

JenniferP

03-17-2014, 09:13 AM

I'm loving Brendon and Rachel this time around. I hope that they can catch up next week!

TheDuckRocks

03-17-2014, 10:06 AM

I'm loving Brendon and Rachel this time around. I hope that they can catch up next week!

Words I thought I'd Never, ever say.....I agree. :blush:

Melanie

03-17-2014, 11:05 AM

I'm loving Brendon and Rachel this time around. I hope that they can catch up next week!

I've never truly disliked them, except maybe their first go round on Big Brother. Of course, she's ridiculous in many ways, very dependent on Brendan, and he's blind to a lot of her craziness, but I do think they love each other very much. And they have both matured tons! They showed oodles of patience with those drinks, and couldn't be more supportive of a bratty Luke. She's had a lot of opportunities to break down already this season, and she's kept it together allowing them to get things done.

Luke and Margie are the two I want gone, and after that I don't really dislike anyone. Again with the injury for Dave. Oy...just move on. And I'm really liking the Afghanimals this time around as well (didn't dislike them last season).

Funny how the two who bragged about being able to knock out that drink challenge were ones who had the hardest time.

PirateLover

03-17-2014, 11:16 AM

The Hitchhiking Ghost

03-17-2014, 12:42 PM

I may have missed this before, did we know Connor and Dave were Mormons before last night? Didn't surprise me one bit, though.

I liked that both detour tasks seemed challenging and that a fairly equal number tried them, but I didn't like that it was right to the pit stop after that and little risk of getting lost.

Do you think the teams had the feeling it would be a non-elimination leg? Otherwise I don't get the logic between Margie and Luke trying to convince Brendan and Rachel to take the time penalty. And I agree, I was impressed by "Brenchel" hanging in there and not quitting, and how they tried to calm the crybaby down.

I don't know if they ever mentioned them being Mormon or not, spent too much time on Dave crying all the time and his injury to bring it up during their first short stint. All the emphasis was on father/son cancer survivors.

Unfortunately roadblock to pitstop or detour to pitstop has become more the norm and usually requires no self navigation. I've always liked it when teams have to find at least one more route marker after doing the last detour or roadblock, and then have to navigate themselves. As it is, there is usually very little change in placement from when a team leaves the final task to hitting the finish mat.

I kind of felt like teams maybe knew or strongly suspected. The fact that they didn't equalize teams at the start of the leg, after giving 6 teams big leads, might have been a tip-off.

I don't quite know how to interpret Margie and Luke's asking Brenchel to take the penalty. S22 you had 3 teams agree to quit the 1st leg roadblock (including Jennifer, one of the country singers) and then race to the mat. The firemen were eliminated and the other two teams received 4 hour penalties. I don't know if Margie and Luke were proposing that the two teams simply race to the mat to see who would get eliminated. I think it was just a stupid comment out of frustration of not being able to do the task. I wish they would have taken the four hour penalty, would have been great to see Luke have another meltdown waiting out 4 hours.

They definitely need to go next.

Ian

03-17-2014, 01:32 PM

I'd had more than enough of Margie and Luke about 10 minutes into their first season. Seeing them another 20+ episodes has done nothing to change that feeling. I was really hoping they'd get eliminated last night, even though I kinda knew they wouldn't. I was pretty certain it was a non-elim.

Okay why does Rachel wear panty hose? I mean, as a guy I kinda wish more women would, but I can totally understand why they don't. On Amazing Race, though??? Bizarre!

I don't remember Connor and Dave talking about being Mormon before, but is it just me or does it seem like this happens a lot on TAR? I remember other times (although I can't remember specifics) where all of a sudden people that hadn't mentioned a word about religion or God were dropping down in prayer and praising Jesus all over the place. I feel like the producers have a thing for that for some reason.

The only team I really dislike at this point is Margie and Luke. The Afghanimals and Brenchel have grown on me and I kinda like both of them now.

KarenP

03-17-2014, 04:00 PM

I am really rooting for Brendon and Rachel as well. I have grown to like her so much compared to when she was on the first season of Big Brother.

I can't take Marie and Luke much longer. I don't know which is more annoying, his tantrums or how she treats him like a 6 year old.

I don't know why but the nightclub challenge was annoying to me last night. It seemed like it went on forever.

I was so glad it was a non-elimination leg. Rachel and Brendon did not deserve to go yet!

Middle of the Map

03-17-2014, 06:34 PM

Well, I knew that Rachel and Brendan would not be eliminated, but I sure wish Luke and Mom would just leave. I'm tired of him saying "It's so hard.." over and over.

I'm rooting for my cowboys and for Flight Time & Big Easy. They are having the MOST fun on this race.

Ian

03-17-2014, 09:18 PM

KarenP

03-17-2014, 10:00 PM

Melanie

03-17-2014, 10:05 PM

Yes, I thought of that also and did feel bad about it. It was not like they even had another challenge to choose.

Which is pretty much why it had to be a non-elimination. But at the same time, is it really that much different than Big Easy not being able to do some tasks?

The Hitchhiking Ghost

03-17-2014, 10:58 PM

Did anyone besides me feel a just a little bit bad for Margie and Luke though ... I mean they couldn't even try the DJ challenge since it required being able to hear. I thought that was a bit rough for them.

Not at all. I'm not hard of hearing (my wife might beg to differ) and I couldn't carry a tune in a bag and doubt I could have completed the master mix challenge.

Bottom line, they still had a choice. The previous leg the Trotters got to the roadblock and Big Easy elected to do it as Flight Time had done the previous two. Once they got there they found out that he was to big to do the roadblock, the zip line wouldn't hold him, so Flight Time was forced to do it. To me, that was a lot worse than Margie and Luke being given two choices, one of which would have been very difficult, at least they still had a choice. The Trotters were put into a position where FT had now done all 3 of the roadblocks, that can have impacts far down the line, and they had no choice.

As a TAR team, I've pretty much run out of compassion for Margie and Luke.

2Epcot

03-18-2014, 11:07 AM

Did anyone besides me feel a just a little bit bad for Margie and Luke though ... I mean they couldn't even try the DJ challenge since it required being able to hear. I thought that was a bit rough for them.

I thought that too, but they did keep showing a wave form monitor ... Not sure if he could have done it by watching the wave form, and copying it.

Melanie

03-23-2014, 09:27 PM

Did you guys know Dave ruptured his Achilles?

MNNHFLTX

03-23-2014, 10:03 PM

Did you guys know Dave ruptured his Achilles?

Really?? :doh:

The Hitchhiking Ghost

03-23-2014, 11:41 PM

Did you guys know Dave ruptured his Achilles?

Did you also know that this was the leg that they self-eliminated themselves? And....they are not going to do that again.

I was kind of indifferent to them as a team the first go round, with all the blubbering the dad does, but I'm started to like them this season, but enough is enough already.

tinkwest

03-24-2014, 01:44 AM

Did you guys know Dave ruptured his Achilles?

Haha! Someone had to say it!

DizneyRox

03-24-2014, 06:58 AM

Best finish ever..

Melanie

03-24-2014, 07:25 AM

Yes, so the finish was anti-climatic, but very satisfying. Margie and Luke just really seemed to have the wind knocked out of their sails from the previous leg, and just weren't into it. They got the nice edit on the way out.

I'm sorry....Connor and Dave are just soooo boring. Ahhhh. Their story IS the Achilles. I guess now we'll hear every week about how this is new territory for them, racing past leg 5 being healthy and :sleepin: Oh, sorry! They are dominating though. I'll give them that.

The Hitchhiking Ghost

03-24-2014, 09:46 AM

Yes, so the finish was anti-climatic, but very satisfying. Margie and Luke just really seemed to have the wind knocked out of their sails from the previous leg, and just weren't into it. They got the nice edit on the way out.

That was kind of the impression I came away with, that they were just beat down. Maybe had they known that there was a bunching waiting for them on the other side of the flight they might have taken a different approach, but given the choice between "the plane is full" and "rush to connect" I just can't believe I wouldn't take the chance. The feeling I got was they were just praying for a miracle. I didn't sense that the ticketing agents were giving them any false sense that standby would open up (keeping in mind they needed to book 4 tickets to include camera crew, not just 2).

They just seemed out of it, which fortunately they were.

luvdiznee

03-24-2014, 11:24 AM

Yay...Margie and whiny Luke gone...And with the "twinnies" already gone...this is getting so much better...:party:

TheDuckRocks

03-24-2014, 11:44 AM

Yay...Margie and whiny Luke gone...And with the "twinnies" already gone...this is getting so much better...:party:

This has turned out to be an unusual season for me, I now don't have any more teams that I cannot stand left. Rachael and Brendon and the Afganimals are behaving so much better that I have actually enjoyed them. The 2 teams I'd most like to see go home next are the blondes (the John Wayne thing is almost as annoying as the Achilles) and the guy and gal who couldn't catch a fish.

Middle of the Map

03-24-2014, 01:01 PM

This has turned out to be an unusual season for me, I now don't have any more teams that I cannot stand left. Rachael and Brendon and the Afganimals are behaving so much better that I have actually enjoyed them.

Totally agree with you, and I'm so glad Mom & Luke are gone. Next up on my gone list are the blondes. They just don't register as personalities you want to root for.

Loved the Cowboys at the sewing challenge, but they ended up doing a credible job. Also rooting for FT and Big Easy. Best attitudes of all the racers.

Ian

03-24-2014, 01:14 PM

Chalk me up as another one thrilled to see Margie & Luke gone and also left with no teams I really dislike.

I anticipate a fun run to the finish line now, because I really like most of these teams. The only one I'm sort of indifferent to is Jessica and John. If I had to pick a team I'd want to go next it would be them simply because I find them fairly bland and unlikable. I don't dislike them, but I don't particularly like them either.

PirateLover

03-24-2014, 01:46 PM

Yeah I'm tired of hearing about the Achilles as well, but I like them. They are smart and they work hard, and as I noted before, they seem to be the least likely to implode. Despite the editing making it seem like Margie and Luke were somehow catching up, we know they must've been really far behind. They weren't even shown performing the tasks (we just saw them leaving the fishing task). I was again impressed with Rachel this week. She really kept her patience with the plate spinning. Looks like we might see a meltdown next week, though.

2Epcot

03-24-2014, 06:57 PM

I agree with being good with this last elimination. I do find myself surprise to actually say I don't dislike Brendon and Rachel for the first time in all their appearances on Big Brother and Amazing Race.

luvdiznee

03-24-2014, 09:36 PM

This has turned out to be an unusual season for me, I now don't have any more teams that I cannot stand left. Rachael and Brendon and the Afganimals are behaving so much better that I have actually enjoyed them. The 2 teams I'd most like to see go home next are the blondes (the John Wayne thing is almost as annoying as the Achilles) and the guy and gal who couldn't catch a fish.

Agree about the Afganimals as well as to how they are behaving better, so it does make it easier to watch them. And yes also want to see the blondes go home next. I hope the Cowboys or Globetrotters win...!

NJDad

03-28-2014, 06:18 AM

From a reality TV website:

Did you actually do the Detour and Roadblock tasks? And if so, how did they go?

Margie O'Donnell: We didn't. We traveled to those places, but we were so far behind them, they couldn't keep all those people there. I guess that's why. But we didn't actually do the tasks. We got to those places, you know, we rode the bus and the train and all that stuff. We went the whole route but we did not do the tasks. So that was kind of disappointing.

MNNHFLTX

03-28-2014, 11:03 AM

Ian

03-28-2014, 10:11 PM

Huh ... I find that sort of surprising ...

PirateLover

03-29-2014, 02:21 PM

Well I guess that's why they didn't show them! The thing that's most surprising tome is that there weren't many options with the limited seating on the first flight. I guess they assumed the 2 last place teams would go for the short connection, but what if something happened causing them to miss the connecting flight? Or what if Brenchel had decided not to risk it and ended up on the same flight with Margie and Luke? Kind of a stinky way to be eliminated.

NJDad

03-30-2014, 06:43 AM

Maybe they shut down the tasks once it became clear how far back they were?

Anyway, more march madness on CBS today so set the DVRs for extra time again.

PirateLover

03-31-2014, 12:25 AM

UUUUGGGGGHHHH. I can't put my finger on why exactly, but I got a feeling midway through that it might be a non-elim. Then I thought "No way, they just had one 2 weeks ago!" Sure enough, the country girls get to hang on. I liked the drama of the episode, but some teams are back on my "I want them gone!" list.
The Afghanimals --Even though it didn't really make a difference, I thought that was a pretty cheap trick to get that other cab to stall in front of the Cowboy's taxi.
Brenchel-- Rachel was pretty annoying with the "GREEEEEEENNN" but Brendan bugged me by being a bit harsh on her for not having her head in the game. In contrast, when he's struggled with tasks in the past, Rachel has been pretty calm and supportive.
John and Jessica- John really bugged me this episode.

Also, we almost got through an episode without hearing about Dave's Achilles, until the Globes had to bring it up!!! (Very glad they didn't come in last, I was getting nervous).

Melanie

03-31-2014, 05:52 AM

I thought this was a very good episode, and was surprised it was non-elimination. The drama at the end with the Globetrotters was real! lol I was about to be very upset with Dave and Connor for throwing off their cab.

I'm just going to say it, I don't love Dave and Connor and hope they go next. Whew. I feel better getting that out. :D

Ian

03-31-2014, 09:15 AM

I kinda sensed it was going to be a non-elimination leg, but even so I was getting nervous for Flight Time and Big Easy.

I was kinda surprised that they and the country girls ended up falling so far back. It didn't really seem like anything particularly bad happened to them, but all of a sudden everyone else was gone and bam they were racing for the end.

A personal note about this episode ...

Did anyone besides me feel somewhat uncomfortable during the elephant challenge? Maybe I was being overly sensitive, but something about it really put me off.

The Hitchhiking Ghost

03-31-2014, 10:03 AM

I was kinda surprised that they and the country girls ended up falling so far back. It didn't really seem like anything particularly bad happened to them, but all of a sudden everyone else was gone and bam they were racing for the end.

Both sides of the detour had a learning curve. With the elephant task, it was properly securing the chain to the log (which Dave/Connor had some difficulty). With the making paper, it appeared that the trick was to apply a lot of pressure on the frame to remove all the bubbles and imperfections. While all three teams doing that task several times, it seemed to take Caroline/Jen a bit longer to figure out that they needed to apply pressure, and as a result it put them in last leaving the detour.

Flight Time and Big Easy left first from the detour of the three teams doing the paper, and caught up with Dave and Connor. However, D/C cab driver misdirected the Trotters enough that they got either lost or took a longer route. Long enough that Brenchel actually slide up a spot ahead of them. Will be interesting to see the time difference between Trotters and Country singers.

That was one of the better roadblocks that I've seen in a long time. Every team there, chaos running amok, but when all 7 teams still made the same train to the next destination, rendering the roadblock interesting but mute, that's when I started to get the nagging suspicion that it might be non-elimination.

No Race next week :mad: Country Music awards again. But I think there should be some interesting legs coming up as no Fast Forward has appeared yet, nor the dreaded u-turns and the Cowboys only have two more legs in which to use their Express Pass.

MNNHFLTX

03-31-2014, 10:42 AM

UUUUGGGGGHHHH. I can't put my finger on why exactly, but I got a feeling midway through that it might be a non-elim. Then I thought "No way, they just had one 2 weeks ago!" Sure enough, the country girls get to hang on. I liked the drama of the episode, but some teams are back on my "I want them gone!" list. Those were my thoughts exactly. I like the country singers a lot more on their first go-round. Aside from that, I don't really have a team that I am pulling for over another at this point. So whoever runs the best race from here on out I am fine with them winning.

Did anyone besides me feel somewhat uncomfortable during the elephant challenge? Maybe I was being overly sensitive, but something about it really put me off.You mean the chains one? I think it would have if they didn't point out several times that this was an elephant sanctuary. From what I've heard Sri Lanka has made great strides in the humane treatment of the elephants there and the sanctary is probably a part of that. Was there one thing in particular that made you uncomfortable, Ian?

PirateLover

03-31-2014, 10:51 AM

I thought this was a very good episode, and was surprised it was non-elimination. The drama at the end with the Globetrotters was real! lol I was about to be very upset with Dave and Connor for throwing off their cab.
I just went back and watched, and yeah they did say send them in the wrong direction to their cab driver, which I missed the first time. Not cool.

A personal note about this episode ...

Did anyone besides me feel somewhat uncomfortable during the elephant challenge? Maybe I was being overly sensitive, but something about it really put me off.
Yeah, anytime I see animals performing labor like that makes me a little sad.

Did not realize we weren't getting a new episode next week. Bummer.

TheDuckRocks

03-31-2014, 10:52 AM

I kinda sensed it was going to be a non-elimination leg, but even so I was getting nervous for Flight Time and Big Easy.

A personal note about this episode ...

Did anyone besides me feel somewhat uncomfortable during the elephant challenge? Maybe I was being overly sensitive, but something about it really put me off.

I was guessing it would be a non-elimination leg about the same time FT and BE started falling behind. I think they would have made it more dramatic in editing.

I seem to always get a bit tense in the challenges that feature animals in countries outside of the USA, as I don't really know how they might treat them out of camera range.

PirateLover

03-31-2014, 10:54 AM

Beth, I didn't see your comment before I posted. Now that you mention it, sometimes when animals are rescued they give them things to do to keep them busy/engaged, so this might be such a case.

MNNHFLTX

03-31-2014, 12:30 PM

Beth, I didn't see your comment before I posted. Now that you mention it, sometimes when animals are rescued they give them things to do to keep them busy/engaged, so this might be such a case.
Right. I'm sure the elephants that were featured in that task had probably once been used in the logging industry and so are probably used to that activity, so it actually might be therapeutic (as long as they were being treated humanely). I've had mad much bigger issues in past races--donkeys, camels and tigers come to mind.

Melanie

03-31-2014, 01:48 PM

I just went back and watched, and yeah they did say send them in the wrong direction to their cab driver, which I missed the first time. Not cool.

:yes: We got to see a little pushier side of Dave during the tuk-tuk task as well, not that you didn't have to be quite aggressive in that roadblock.

PirateLover

03-31-2014, 01:56 PM

:yes: We got to see a little pushier side of Dave during the tuk-tuk task as well, not that you didn't have to be quite aggressive in that roadblock.

Yup I noticed that as well, although he did let crybaby John go ahead of him after he whined, haha. All in all that was not a cool move with the cab, but they still don't annoy me as much as some others. They are probably third for me now behind Globes (who, let's face it, probably won't win. But I hope they hang around for a while) and the Cowboys. I really didn't have a feeling towards the cowboys before this season but I like them. They really played up the one sided rivalry with the Afghanimals (how many times did we need to hear "cowboys vs Indians") so I wonder of that was some foreshadowing on the producers' part.

Ian

03-31-2014, 03:22 PM

I did take into account it was a sanctuary of sorts, but it still made me a bit uncomfortable. I think it was the chains, to be honest. It just conjured up images of Mrs Jumbo or something.

I know they weren't literally chained with them, but it still was a bit creepy for me. I'm sure it was fine, though.

MNNHFLTX

03-31-2014, 03:27 PM

I did take into account it was a sanctuary of sorts, but it still made me a bit uncomfortable. I think it was the chains, to be honest. It just conjured up images of Mrs Jumbo or something.
You know, I had forgotten about that scene in the movie. I can see your point now.

PirateLover

04-14-2014, 02:00 PM

The Hitchhiking Ghost

04-14-2014, 04:04 PM

Thoughts on last night? Two things bugged me:
1.Majority of the teams not having a clue as to what the "Eternal City" referred to-- come on!
2. Flight Time's boneheaded mistake on the road block. I mean he wasn't even close, and after getting it wrong multiple times, not once did he RE-READ THE CLUE!!! If it wasn't for Leo and Jamal giving away the answer, they would've been out. I'm not sorry to see John and Jessica go, and you guys know I enjoy the Globetrotters as much as anyone, but that was downright embarrassing and he would've deserved to go home after that.

I do have to give credit the the country girls. To complete the speed bump and manage to come in second was impressive.

Well, to be fair, the only reason that the Country Girls overcame the speed bump was that they were fortunate that 1) they got the first shuttle bus off the airplane and 2) more importantly, so many teams got lost finding the Spanish steps. I didn't really see that they did a whole lot on their own to get that 2nd place.

I enjoyed the leg a lot, until the Spanish steps. Reminded me too much of the Unfinished Business season where teams (including Trotters) simply were given the answers (first leg - deciphering the flags and later getting the correct mileage in Lichtenstein).

Personally, I don't think the Trotters could find Mickey Mouse in the Magic Kingdom without help. And if somehow it were final 2 between the Trotters and Country Girls, it would be the first "Unfinished Season" as both teams would keep taking penalties because they can't do things on their own.

Pre-race I really wanted John and Jessica to do well, but they really under-performed. I'm just disappointed because especially after watching last night, I think Jessica with any other partner would have been great. John just didn't seem to really have the fire to win.

I have a hard time sticking with Dave and Connor. Last night the dad's attempt at the road block was nothing short of pathetic, only Flight Time's approach to it was worse.

I guess right now, Cowboys, Afghanimals and maybe Brenchel would be my choice for best final 3 teams. I definitely don't want to see the Trotters or Country girls in final 3. Dave and Connor, maybe.

Cowboys I would think would be safe for one more week. This next leg is the 8th leg and they have to use the EP. Even if they are u-turned they can use it to avoid the second task and hopefully get back even.

MNNHFLTX

04-14-2014, 06:52 PM

Flight Time's boneheaded mistake on the road block. I mean he wasn't even close, and after getting it wrong multiple times, not once did he RE-READ THE CLUE!!! If it wasn't for Leo and Jamal giving away the answer, they would've been out. I'm not sorry to see John and Jessica go, and you guys know I enjoy the Globetrotters as much as anyone, but that was downright embarrassing and he would've deserved to go home after that. Yes, that bugged me too. Hate when I see teams keep making the same mistakes without having the common sense to go back and re-read the clue. It's like Freud's definition of insanity--to repeat the same action over and over, thinking you'll get different results.

Wow, that was some tumble that Rachel took, huh? I expected to see tears when she got up but she played tough.

Kind of hoping that the Cowboys will win this thing--initially I wasn't too thrilled to have them in as a third-timer, but they are fun to watch.

2Epcot

04-14-2014, 08:32 PM

It bugs me as well when people keep making the same mistake. I would think that if you feel you're right and it is still wrong, the first thing should be to check the clue again.

I do have to give credit the the country girls. To complete the speed bump and manage to come in second was impressive.

They did well, though as soon as they started talking about being out, I knew they would make it to the end. The producers and story editors are very predictable with the sound they choose from the racers. That was way too early in an episode for people to be talking about going out, and enjoying the game.

PirateLover

04-15-2014, 12:01 PM

Well, to be fair, the only reason that the Country Girls overcame the speed bump was that they were fortunate that 1) they got the first shuttle bus off the airplane and 2) more importantly, so many teams got lost finding the Spanish steps. I didn't really see that they did a whole lot on their own to get that 2nd place.

True, but we've seen teams kind of mosey along after the speed bump. They kept at it, though. I only said I felt I should give them some credit... they are still one of my least favorite teams since like you mentioned they tend to get by on favors and dumb luck.

I think Globetrotters will be next to go.

Ian

04-16-2014, 08:34 AM

The Hitchhiking Ghost

04-16-2014, 09:47 AM

I kept shouting at the TV, "Flight, read the clue for Pete's sake! Read the darn clue!!!"

Okay well that's a slightly edited version of what I said, but you get the idea :blush:

I thought it was a fun leg, but I was sort of annoyed at the Afghanimals giving away the answer at the end. I wasn't particularly a fan of John and Jessica (actually they were probably my least favorite team left since I find John incredibly annoying), but I still hated to see them go out like that.

If I got the scene right, I think Leo/Jamal were thinking forward, that in an upcoming leg there will be a u-turn and that if they helped teams this leg, it might save them from a u-turn down the road. They had already completed the task and received the next clue, Flight Time and John still had to turn in their answers, so the Afghanimals did have some lead time. All of this though was based on one assumption, that the Country Girls still had not made it to the roadblock and would be the team eliminated. You could tell at the mat that all three teams were stunned to find out they were final 3.

If John hadn't needed to go back for the postcard, they probably would still be in it. Not sad to see him go, but I think Jessica was really good.

JanetMegan

04-16-2014, 11:48 AM

Flight time and Big easy got very lucky at being given the answer. Flight was a long ways from figuring out what exactly he needed to do.

Melanie

04-20-2014, 08:56 PM

I was never on the Dave train anyway, but now I'm officially OFF. It's a game! He needs to get over his 60 year old self! And I am sick of them helping everyone. Too bad they couldn't take a lesson from the Afghanimals and not take everything so serious. And the previews? Seriously, grow up and act 60.

As much as I love Flight and Big Easy, after last week and this week of not reading the clues carefully, they really deserved to go. The show will be a little less entertaining now.

Ian

04-20-2014, 10:13 PM

I was never on the Dave train anyway, but now I'm officially OFF. It's a game! He needs to get over his 60 year old self! It's a toss-up for me as to who was more annoying, Dave with his "60 year old man!" rants or Brandon with his suddenly found religion at the Abbey.

They're both off my list! :thedolls:

As much as I love Flight and Big Easy, after last week and this week of not reading the clues carefully, they really deserved to go. The show will be a little less entertaining now.Yeah, I'm sorry ... I love the two of them and how well they always work together ... but they simply didn't deserve to win. Not reading the clue like that two weeks in a row is a one way ticket home.

JenniferP

04-20-2014, 10:30 PM

I cannot stand Dave!! He took the U-Turn wayyyy too personally - it's a game! I can't stomach his bitterness and his poor attitude.

PirateLover

04-21-2014, 10:45 AM

Melanie

04-21-2014, 11:28 AM

Yep. Her looks and then is mocking her next week, and creating the gang up situation as well. I thought they were supposedly good Mormon folk. This kind of thing really bugs me.

And Brandon's praying didn't really bother me. Do we know it's a 'sudden' thing for him? He was more than rational and apologetic towards Dave. Brandon is right - it's a game. Everyone signed up for it, and there is nothing wrong with using what is given (in this case, U Turn) to get ahead. Brenchel now has $15K, and the whiner hypocrites have nothing.

JenniferP

04-21-2014, 11:30 AM

Gotta agree on Dave's poor attitude. I mean, really- he whines and moan about being U-turned by Brenchel but then U-turns the Afghanimals because they "had to." Well so did Brendan and Rachel. It's a game! Dave sounds like a teenage girl with all the complaining. And he actually threw something out there about Rachel's looks. Really? Grow up!

Totally agree with you! He's 60 and he acts like a catty 16 year old! You'd think by the age of 60 you would have learned not to criticize someone else's looks.

I don't blame Brendon and and Rachel for giving the U-Turn to Dave and Connor - they were right behind them! It's a competition and there are perks if you finish the leg in first place. It seemed perfectly sensible to me. I really don't understand the Brendon and Rachel hate from Dave/Connor and the other teams. Just because Dave is 60 he should be excluded from U-Turns? It's not like he's a frail elderly man! Brendon and Rachel U-Turned someone because they had to, much like Dave & Connor did.

At this point I'm rooting for Brendon and Rachel and I'm not too sure about anyone else. The teamwork is kind of annoying at this point. It's a competition - team versus team. I'm tired of everyone helping each other and making it a group effort. It's more enjoyable to watch when every team is competing on their own.

Melanie

04-21-2014, 11:43 AM

Just because Dave is 60 he should be excluded from U-Turns? It's not like he's a frail elderly man! Brendon and Rachel U-Turned someone because they had to, much like Dave & Connor did.

At this point I'm rooting for Brendon and Rachel and I'm not too sure about anyone else. The teamwork is kind of annoying at this point. It's a competition - team versus team. I'm tired of everyone helping each other and making it a group effort. It's more enjoyable to watch when every team is competing on their own.

I agree! Dave/Connor are a threat. Brendon and Rachel were totally justified in UTurning them. For goodness sakes, they won two legs (I believe) last season after he tore his Achilles. Hey guys - did you know that Dave tore his Achilles last season? ;) And they are consistently near the top this season.

I'm up for either the Cowboys, Afghanimals or Brenchel winning. The blondes have been carried along long enough, despite all their talk of what a great team they are.

PirateLover

04-21-2014, 12:00 PM

I still like Connor... Dave is the one who has really gone over the top. And what is his obsession with the country girls? His behavior reminds me of kids in middle and high school who were never popular, but suddenly find themselves in with the "cool kids" and start acting out. I think what makes it even worse is the behind-the-scenes knowledge we have of Rachel not even WANTING to U-turn them, and she ends up being the one relentlessly mocked. Bad form, Mormon Dave!!!

Melanie

04-21-2014, 12:32 PM

The Hitchhiking Ghost

04-21-2014, 01:09 PM

I guess I'm in the minority. I thought Brenchel's use of the u-turn stupid, moronic and short sighted. Historically there are two u-turns legs on the Race. This is the first time that I can recall that since the u-turn has been around (S12) that the first place team on the first time it appeared wasted it simply to win a prize. Who cares, isn't the goal to win a million? Now, if it appears again, Brenchel will not have the ability to use it to either slow down a bigger threat or to save themselves in the event they get u-turned. Besides, if their true goal was to win the leg, then they should have used it on the Cowboys, who, depending on how they used their EP could easily have won the leg, they were the bigger threat.

I guess I just learn to tune Dave out, so it doesn't bother me. I think his whining wasn't so much about that they got u-turned, it was WHY they were u-turned, and the fact that it made no sense, which the Country Girls, Cowboys and Afghanimals all said the same thing.

That said, so glad to see the Trotters eliminated. Yeah, they were fun loving up to the end, trying to get the Italian host to high 5 Big Easy, but its hard to think of a more incompetent team of late than the Trotters. Running the Race for the 3rd time, you'd think you'd learn a thing or two, if even by accident. How they got that lost and then unable to figure anything out was beyond me.

I guess I'm looking for a Brenchel, Afghanimal, Cowboy final 3.

MNNHFLTX

04-21-2014, 01:39 PM

I guess I just learn to tune Dave out, so it doesn't bother me. I think his whining wasn't so much about that they got u-turned, it was WHY they were u-turned, and the fact that it made no sense, which the Country Girls, Cowboys and Afghanimals all said the same thing.
I tend to disagree with you--it seemed pretty clear to me why Dave was bent about the u-turn; he felt that Brendan and Rachel were gunning for him (and Connor) and took it personally. He took everything they did personally, even the fact that they wouldn't tell him where the helmets were for the donkey race. I got a laugh out of how he turned to one of the other teams and said "They u-turned us. Can you believe that?" And then in the next instant is all apologetic to the Afghanimals, saying they had no choice but to u-turn them. I agree that it may not have been the most strategic u-turn, but coming in first has its own advantages at this point in the race (aside from the extra money). Any one of the teams could implode from here on out, as they have in the past, so I would take any advantage I could get, if I were in their shoes.

I am also getting kind of tired of all the teaming up taking place this late in the race. It will be interesting to see what happens when they finally start playing each man for himself.

I think it was fitting the the Trotters were the ones to go last night; they were likeable but just didn't deserve to be there anymore. And I felt sorry for the donkey having to carry Big Time around that track. He really is just too big of a guy to be riding on a horse or donkey of that size.

The Hitchhiking Ghost

04-21-2014, 04:36 PM

I tend to disagree with you--it seemed pretty clear to me why Dave was bent about the u-turn; he felt that Brendan and Rachel were gunning for him (and Connor) and took it personally. He took everything they did personally, even the fact that they wouldn't tell him where the helmets were for the donkey race. I got a laugh out of how he turned to one of the other teams and said "They u-turned us. Can you believe that?" And then in the next instant is all apologetic to the Afghanimals, saying they had no choice but to u-turn them. I agree that it may not have been the most strategic u-turn, but coming in first has its own advantages at this point in the race (aside from the extra money). Any one of the teams could implode from here on out, as they have in the past, so I would take any advantage I could get, if I were in their shoes.

I am also getting kind of tired of all the teaming up taking place this late in the race. It will be interesting to see what happens when they finally start playing each man for himself.

I think it was fitting the the Trotters were the ones to go last night; they were likeable but just didn't deserve to be there anymore. And I felt sorry for the donkey having to carry Big Time around that track. He really is just too big of a guy to be riding on a horse or donkey of that size.

That's what I was trying to convey. I think Dave/Connor are smart enough to know that the u-turn is part of the game, they used it themselves. I think had Brenchel been team #5 and Dave team #6, Dave would still have been upset, but would have understood the reasoning behind it. But at least from what they showed, none of the teams could really figure out why Brenchel u-turned Dave/Connor. Even Rachel questioned the logic and Brendon who was already so fixated on the leg and winning it, tells Rachel to not get emotional. Really?? He's decision on whether or not to use the u-turn and who to use it on was all based on emotion and not logic.

I usually tend to be on the other side of the argument with regards to the u-turn. I believe in the long game, not the short game. In general (not always) leads are negated by the start of the next leg so using it just to maintain a lead thru the next leg doesn't make much sense to me. And from a strategic stand point, I'd rather go forward knowing that even if I don't need it or use it, that I at least have the option of using the u-turn, to save myself from elimination, rather than using it to simply stroke my ego and win a prize.

PirateLover

04-21-2014, 06:57 PM

I can see how it can be considered a strategic error, but the fact is, they U-turned Dave and Connor, and instead of Dave just accepting that and getting things done, he chose to whine incessantly about it to everyone! Questioning the reasoning and being bummed out by it is one thing, but he took it over the top. He said multiple times I "hate" Brenchel, he said Rachel looks scary, and we see in the previews that he continues to mock her next week. To me, that is over the top and immature.

Melanie

04-21-2014, 07:12 PM

And from a strategic stand point, I'd rather go forward knowing that even if I don't need it or use it, that I at least have the option of using the u-turn, to save myself from elimination, rather than using it to simply stroke my ego and win a prize.

I totally respect that you are quite the student of this game, but we'll have to agree to disagree here. Just don't see it this way.

JanetMegan

04-22-2014, 09:13 AM

luvdiznee

04-22-2014, 09:44 AM

Was definitely sad to see the Globetrotters go...

The Hitchhiking Ghost

04-22-2014, 10:34 AM

I totally respect that you are quite the student of this game, but we'll have to agree to disagree here. Just don't see it this way.

I totally understand, that's why I said I'm usually in the minority on this one.

It just always amazes me though how many teams use the u-turn emotionally rather than strategically. So many times its "they hurt my feelings, so now I'm going to fix them good" and they make their decisions without any long-term thoughts for how the Race might play out.

I understand in this case there was a prize at the end of the tunnel, so yeah if its that important go for it, but then why u-turn Dave/Connor and not the Cowboys? Yeah, D/C were behind them, but the EP would have given the Cowboys the potential to pass them. I think Rachel saw this, but Brendon I think got wrapped up in a *** for tat argument with the boys and couldn't get past it.

The Hitchhiking Ghost

04-22-2014, 10:38 AM

I liked the use of the U-turn to win the prize, and I agree with others, this whole let's all work together reminds me a bit of a Survivor type alliance-I mean you agree to final 4 and then someone has to go? I'll be glad when it isn't all buddy buddy. I'm also so pleased that the attitude of the Afghanimals has changed so much since their last run.

Reminds me of S10 six pack alliance of Cho brothers, Kentucky (Dave/Mary) and Bama (Lynn/Karlyn).

Dave and Connor are like the Cho's - lets just stop, wait and help everyone and be this big happy group.

Country girls are like Kentucky - you just wonder how they could even make it to the Race's start line much less do anything else

Afghanimals are like Bama - stunned that teams are stopping to help them, but what the heck, if they offer will take it, play along, but first opportunity that its not in our favor, good-bye.

I don't necessarily mind teams working together, but there is a fine line between working together and one team simply passing on the answer to other teams, and there has been too much of that this season.

Ian

04-23-2014, 03:16 PM

I actually agree about Brenchel being sort of dumb using the U-Turn there. They were way out in front and I don't think they needed to do it. There's a lot of baggage that comes with a U-Turn (as evidenced from next week's previews :secret: ) and using it when it isn't absolutely necessary is a bad strategic decision IMO.

It doesn't excuse Dave's whining by any means, though. I also found all the love the Afghanimals were heaping on Dave and Connor for being classy a tad overdone. ;)

Melanie

04-27-2014, 09:03 PM

This was my least favorite episode of TAR ever. Just race!

Oh, and dumb blondes, you aren't anyone's 'girls.' You're just a weak team everyone wants to go against in the final. I bet they won't even be able to figure out that's the case (if the time comes) when no one helps them anymore.

luvdiznee

04-27-2014, 09:36 PM

The Hitchhiking Ghost

04-27-2014, 11:08 PM

Can't stand Dave and Connor whining over the fact they got overturned. so they need people on their side to team up against Brendon & Rachel.

Can't stand the fact that it was another non-elimination and the blondes were saved again because of that. Producers seem to have a thing for them.

Can't stand the fact just that the afghanimals are still there.

:thedolls:

There are 12 legs on the Race, 5 teams remaining and this was the 9th leg. The math pretty much guaranteed that either the 9th or 10th leg would be non-elimination or continuation. Right from the beginning this leg had the feeling of non-elimination, so despite the loser music at the end, I wasn't fooled.

I don't get all that worked up over Dave. Brenchel were morons for using it them anyway. Even at the start of the Race in confessional Rachel says they have only one goal and that is to win the Race, while at the same time Brendon is saying they only u-turned them for one reason only, to win that leg. The two strategizes don't synch, u-turning Dave/Connor did nothing to help Brenchel's long-term strategy to win.

This was an incredibly heavily edited episode. Teams actually had a lot of down time, the train to Switzerland, hanging around the William Tell statue, the gondola rides, car rides, all of which were conducive for production to ask and solicit certain types of questions and answers. I thought it was pretty obvious that a lot of comments directed at Brenchel, or by comparison Brenchel back at them, were prompted by questions from production. It gave them a lot of material to splice in.

Definitely a strange episode. No detour task, something very rare and in almost any other leg the Cowboys would have and should have been eliminated, falling what looked like 4 hours or more behind the other teams.

Nobody seemed all that worried this leg, makes me wonder if teams suspected a non-elim leg.

From here on out, should be elimination the next two legs.

MNNHFLTX

04-27-2014, 11:16 PM

Oh, and dumb blondes, you aren't anyone's 'girls.' You're just a weak team everyone wants to go against in the final. I bet they won't even be able to figure out that's the case (if the time comes) when no one helps them anymore.
Yes, yes, yes! They have only gotten by on favors and dumb luck (pun intended). I said to Dave that it was going to a non-elim and he said no-way; wish I had been wrong!

Anyone else wonder if Dave was going to come up injured after jumping and tripping over that rope? And who do you think Leo and Jamal will U-turn in the next leg?

The Hitchhiking Ghost

04-28-2014, 12:09 AM

And who do you think Leo and Jamal will U-turn in the next leg?

Cowboys.

They may not like Brenchel, but I think (again as shown tonight) they view the Cowboys as their biggest threat and Afghanimals aren't stupid, when push comes to shove I think they'll abandon the alliance and due what's best for themselves.

Then again, we don't know if the Afghanimals are the first team to the u-turn. Dave/Connor and Brenchel can't use it, so its possible they were both already there. Cowboys are the one team I could see getting their first and choosing not to use it.

Logic would say that it has to be either the Cowboys or Brenchel, the other two teams wouldn't make much sense.

MNNHFLTX

04-28-2014, 12:17 AM

Cowboys.

They may not like Brenchel, but I think (again as shown tonight) they view the Cowboys as their biggest threat and Afghanimals aren't stupid, when push comes to shove I think they'll abandon the alliance and due what's best for themselves.
Have to say that I agree with you.

luvdiznee

04-28-2014, 09:56 AM

Hoping with all hopes that if leo and jamal get to that U-turn they won't ( I know crazy) turn the Cowboys. But I have a feeling they certainly will. :(

I'm sure if they Cowboys get to the U-turn first, they would not use it. But leo and jamal know they Cowboys are their biggest threat so it seems likely that will be their choice.

The blondes should have already been gone, not sure why the producers of the show want to keep them there.

Father and son whiners need to just man up and accept that they got u-turned in the previous and not go looking for everyone to be on their side and go against the team that u-turned them. And if I have to hear one more time that he is 60 years old...OK...we get it...Just do the race then.

Sorry for the rant. :blush:

MNNHFLTX

04-28-2014, 10:47 AM

Father and son whiners need to just man up and accept that they got u-turned in the previous and not go looking for everyone to be on their side and go against the team that u-turned them. And if I have to hear one more time that he is 60 years old...OK...we get it...Just do the race then
He must know that he is not the oldest person to run the race, right? :rolleyes:

The Hitchhiking Ghost

04-28-2014, 02:56 PM

The blondes should have already been gone, not sure why the producers of the show want to keep them there.

Father and son whiners need to just man up and accept that they got u-turned in the previous and not go looking for everyone to be on their side and go against the team that u-turned them. And if I have to hear one more time that he is 60 years old...OK...we get it...Just do the race then.

Sorry for the rant. :blush:

I agree Country Girls need to go, but there are 12 legs on the Race and 3 of them are pre-determined non-elimination or continuation points. I don't think there is anything production is doing to interfere with their sticking around. Honestly, falling 4-5 hours behind getting the train, the Cowboys should have been eliminated or finished last, not the girls, they just got lucky that there was a designed bunching at a route marker opening.

Honestly, Dave just doesn't bother me that much. Maybe I just go so used to the tendon/cancer stuff leading up to the Brenchel flair up that I don't think its any big deal. You could tell, especially this last episode, that teams were definitely asked loaded questions designed to get the responses that were edited in. I would prefer to see the girls go next then Dave/Connor but I won't lose any sleep if D/C make F3.

JanetMegan

04-29-2014, 10:01 AM

The Hitchhiking Ghost

04-29-2014, 10:12 AM

Well lots of the team stuff has already been discussed but how amazing were all those gondola rides? I would have been freaked in that small one. I actually think my parents may have done a couple of those while visiting Lucerne a couple years ago. Amazing breathtaking episode just for that.

We couldn't decide if the gondolas were equal in ride times or if one gondola maybe was a quicker ride but further from the milk station. It seemed like Cord might have been in his longer than Connor, but then had a shorter hike. Hard to tell with the editing.

But yeah, incredible views.

Middle of the Map

04-29-2014, 10:56 PM

We couldn't decide if the gondolas were equal in ride times or if one gondola maybe was a quicker ride but further from the milk station. It seemed like Cord might have been in his longer than Connor, but then had a shorter hike. Hard to tell with the editing.

But yeah, incredible views.

This was one of my favorite shows because Switzerland is SO GORGEOUS. I hope they stay there for one more leg. Awesome scenery.

The Hitchhiking Ghost

04-30-2014, 12:49 PM

This was one of my favorite shows because Switzerland is SO GORGEOUS. I hope they stay there for one more leg. Awesome scenery.

Sadly, it appears the next leg moves on to Spain

Middle of the Map

04-30-2014, 01:18 PM

Sadly, it appears the next leg moves on to Spain

Well,that country is gorgeous too. Especially the people :D

PirateLover

05-01-2014, 02:37 PM

All I have to say about this week was I can't believe the country girls got saved YET AGAIN. I'm sorry but they are pathetic. With Leo and Jamal looking like the first to make it to the u-turn, I bet they U-turn the cowboys.

Melanie

05-01-2014, 02:52 PM

With Leo and Jamal looking like the first to make it to the u-turn, I bet they U-turn the cowboys.

I bet so too. They're smart.

PirateLover

05-01-2014, 04:34 PM

Sigh. I know. And they are the only team left that hasn't bugged me this season in any way, shape or form. It may be a rough final few episodes!!

Melanie

05-01-2014, 04:47 PM

I totally agree! Not liking how this nor Survivor are shaping up.

TheDuckRocks

05-02-2014, 10:05 AM

I totally agree! Not liking how this nor Survivor are shaping up.

Me too! Both AR and Survivor have really taken a downward slide this season.

luvdiznee

05-04-2014, 09:11 PM

After tonight's with the Cowboys being eliminated, I just have no desire to see the rest of this race...:thedolls:

The Hitchhiking Ghost

05-04-2014, 10:50 PM

After tonight's with the Cowboys being eliminated, I just have no desire to see the rest of this race...:thedolls:

I called it last week with the Cowboys being u-turned, and frankly, I think Leo/Jamal made the correct choice, so can't fault them.

I certainly was hoping that the Country Girls would have gone home tonight, but the Cowboys ran one of the worst legs ever for them, and just in general. The Cowboys had so many opportunities to get to the u-turn prior to the Country girls, it was ridiculous. If the Race was strictly and only detours and roadblocks, the Cowboys would win hands down. But getting lost just finding the airport, again!!! They fully deserved their elimination.

Hoping for the Afghanimals for the win then I guess Dave/Connor then Brenchel.

I did hate the way this leg was set up. Having the roadblock first, followed by the detour/u-turn and the pitstop immediately after was just stupid, imo.

MNNHFLTX

05-04-2014, 10:59 PM

Hate that the Cowboys were eliminated (but what a classy way to go out!) My husband and I thought the running with the bulls was hilarious, except for Dave and Rachel whining about about it. Really, really think the Country Singers have totally lucked out in this race--that was the easiest speed bump ever. Ugh. Please don't let them make the final three. :bang:

The Hitchhiking Ghost

05-04-2014, 11:18 PM

. Really, really think the Country Singers have totally lucked out in this race--that was the easiest speed bump ever. Ugh. Please don't let them make the final three. :bang:

Season 16 (in which Cowboys actually had to do a speedbump) probably had the easiest speedbump that I can ever recall, Michael and Louie throwing coins into an incense burner. Took like a total of 10 seconds and no skill what so ever.

I have no spoilers, but the way this season is shaping up, I'm thinking the Country girls make final 3. Hope I'm wrong.

Ian

05-05-2014, 08:58 AM

Season 16 (in which Cowboys actually had to do a speedbump) probably had the easiest speedbump that I can ever recall, Michael and Louie throwing coins into an incense burner. Took like a total of 10 seconds and no skill what so ever.Oh no ... there was a season not that long ago where the speed bump involved nothing more than sitting in a sauna truck! That was the easiest one ever.

Bummed to see the Cowboys go home, but again they're prone to these kinds of mistakes and it's always they're undoing. They're great at challenges but awful at just normal navigation and getting from place to place.

luvdiznee

05-05-2014, 11:59 AM

I called it last week with the Cowboys being u-turned, and frankly, I think Leo/Jamal made the correct choice, so can't fault them.

I certainly was hoping that the Country Girls would have gone home tonight, but the Cowboys ran one of the worst legs ever for them, and just in general. The Cowboys had so many opportunities to get to the u-turn prior to the Country girls, it was ridiculous. If the Race was strictly and only detours and roadblocks, the Cowboys would win hands down. But getting lost just finding the airport, again!!! They fully deserved their elimination.

Hoping for the Afghanimals for the win then I guess Dave/Connor then Brenchel.

I did hate the way this leg was set up. Having the roadblock first, followed by the detour/u-turn and the pitstop immediately after was just stupid, imo.

I just watched the full episode, because I did miss about 30 mins of it yesterday. But I certainly do see where Jet and Cord, did mess up in getting lost.

Just still not happy that the country singers made it that far with the help of everyone else.

And I cant stand seeing dad and son's heads swelling like they are so top notch. At least the afghanimals did act arrogant from the beginning, but not the meek-like dave and connor.

And Rachel being so whiney in how she was bullied...:thedolls:

I just don't have anyone to root for...

The Hitchhiking Ghost

05-05-2014, 12:31 PM

My impressions of the Afghanimals started to change about mid-season last season. They started out like they wanted to be these Amazing Race "characters" and then proceeded to act on it. By the end of the season they were actually acting normal and running a strong Race. I think that continued into this season, so I've been cheering for them to do well from the beginning.

I get the feeling that Brenchel is getting a winners edit. No proof of it, just a gut feel.

I think Dave and Connor made a major blunder this last leg, with Connor doing the roadblock. Yes they finished it first and eventually won the leg, but now Connor has done 6 roadblocks to Dave's 4, instead of it being 5-5. They knew they had a lead last leg because the other three teams weren't at the opening to receive the clue, so there was no immediacy to knocking out that roadblock fast, so Dave certainly should have done it. Now he has to do the roadblock in leg #11, and probably one in leg #12 as well. I could see that being their ultimate undoing.

PirateLover

05-05-2014, 09:33 PM

A lot of us saw this coming. ugh. I'm sticking with my prediction that Dave and Connor will win. I can definitely see the danger of Dave not taking some of the easier challenges but you have to admit they are a good team that listens to each other. And they do not make as many silly mistakes as the others. Brenchel has had a good run but they have a tendency to implode. Lei and Jamal... With Leo's knee(or was it Jamal) in question that could hinder them. That will hurt if they go out #4 again. Country girls run on luck and I don't see luck getting a win.

As for weak roadblocks, didn't a team have to sit on ice once? Thinking it was Keisha and Jenn but not sure.

Middle of the Map

05-05-2014, 11:29 PM

Sorry to see my Cowboys get tossed out, but they made some errors that cost them at every turn.

So, I'm guessing Connor and Dad for the win?

PirateLover

05-12-2014, 12:46 PM

Seeing Rachel melt down after the mistake at the detour reminded me of why I didn't like her in the first place! Geeze Louise, READ YOUR CLUE!!!! How are you just now realizing that reading the clue is so important?!? After that debacle they deserved to be out. The Afghanimals did themselves in with bad self-navigating.

PirateLover

05-12-2014, 02:33 PM

Also worth noting- Connor did ANOTHER road block. Guess they aren't enforcing the equality rule this time around.

The Hitchhiking Ghost

05-12-2014, 07:16 PM

Also worth noting- Connor did ANOTHER road block. Guess they aren't enforcing the equality rule this time around.

I was coming on to mention this. Going into this, the penultimate leg, the other three teams all had equal roadblock distributions at 5-5 and Dave/Connor were at 6-4. I was stunned when first of all, Connor even asked Dave if he wanted to do it. I expected the clue to state (as we've seen in previous seasons) "Dave must do this roadblock".

While Phil has never openly stated on the show that the roadblock equality rule exists, there has been ample supporting evidence starting with season 6 that this rule has existed and been enforced.

So either they no longer enforce it, or there will be two roadblocks in the final leg and Dave will have to do them both. That would mean that teams received instructions prior to the Race indicating that no one individual may perform more than 7 roadblocks.

I guess we'll see next week.

Unfortunately you just knew somehow it would be Leo/Jamal going home. Brenchel actually chose the right detour task I think, the only way you could fail was to screw up the boot size, and they managed that. Otherwise it was impossible to fail, whereas with skeet shoot you could be there all day and not hit 16 pigeons.

I've had this feeling for quite some time, going back to their non-elimination save, that Brenchel might get the win. After watching her do face plant after face plant, misread clues and somehow associating needing $1M to have a baby, and telling us every week, hard to cheer for them.

Of the F4 teams, Afghanimals were my pick, I guess now its Dave and Connor.

Because one of these F3 teams has to win, because of all the helping out and epic blunders of this season, I don't think that down the road that history will view this as one of the better seasons.

The Hitchhiking Ghost

05-14-2014, 12:44 PM

Even if I knew how, not sure if its allowed to post a link to it, but CBS has released its slate of fall 2014 shows, and Race, as we knew, is back, but with a twist, it will now be airing on Friday nights along with Hawaii 5-0 and Blue Bloods.

No more delays because of sports:thumbsup:

I don't think Fridays are the deathblows that it used to be for shows moved to that night. CBS doesn't have a lot of room for new hour long shows, and it appears they are using the Sunday Race slot to launch Madame Secretary.

Hawaii 5-0 survived the move from Mondays to Fridays, and with Race CBS actually has three well established shows for its Friday night line-up, so I don't necessarily see this as a bad omen, just CBS making the best strategic move for its fall schedule.

Melanie

05-14-2014, 01:43 PM

Fridays? Sorry, don't like it. And there goes watching live with my teenage son, as is tradition. :(

The Hitchhiking Ghost

05-14-2014, 03:07 PM

And there goes watching live with my teenage son, as is tradition. :(

What is this "watching live" of which you speak?

Especially now, having 3 kids in elementary school, I don't watch any tv until after their bedtimes. Unless its Sunday football/golf or the news, I don't know when the last time I intentionally sat down and watched a show live.

PirateLover

05-14-2014, 03:17 PM

Mel, sorry you'll be losing your tradition with your son. I'm a DVR everything person these days myself, so I'll be happy not to have to worry about the delays and taping for 2 hours after the scheduled air time!! The only things I watch love anymore are usually season finales because of high spoiler potential. Even if we are home, we let shows build up on the DVR for 15-20 mins to be able to skip commercials. Spoiled I guess!

Melanie

05-14-2014, 04:11 PM

What is this "watching live" of which you speak?

Especially now, having 3 kids in elementary school, I don't watch any tv until after their bedtimes. Unless its Sunday football/golf or the news, I don't know when the last time I intentionally sat down and watched a show live.

LOL! It's literally 'our thing' for TAR and Survivor. My husband and my other son don't watch, so we've always plopped down on Sundays and Wednesdays to watch live together. I doubt I'll have him around much on Fridays anymore once he gets his license. :D

I do believe those are the only shows I watch live though.

MNNHFLTX

05-14-2014, 07:06 PM

While I appreciate not having to worry about the show being delayed because of sports, I much prefer it to be on Sundays. It's also become a tradition for my husband and I to watch it together; our Sunday won't be the same without it. I doubt we'll watch it on Friday when it airs, we'll probably just watch the recording over the weekend.

BTW, I'm pulling for Brendan and Rachel to win at this point. I can't get behind Dave and Connor and I certainly don't think the country singers deserve to win. Besides, I was impressed with how quickly Brendan picked up on the Welsh pronunciation of the poem they were reciting. That is one hard language to learn.

Melanie

05-14-2014, 07:24 PM

TheDuckRocks

05-15-2014, 10:58 AM

BTW, I'm pulling for Brendan and Rachel to win at this point. I can't get behind Dave and Connor and I certainly don't think the country singers deserve to win. Besides, I was impressed with how quickly Brendan picked up on the Welsh pronunciation of the poem they were reciting. That is one hard language to learn.

I have been trying to put my feelings into words for days now. Thank you for expressing exactly how I feel.

My DH, who doesn't usually watch AR with me, has recently started stopping by the couch when the show is on for a few minutes here and there. His comment the other night was, "Who is that older man who is always whining?" Guesses anyone? :D

JanetMegan

05-18-2014, 12:03 PM

Been out of town 10 days but finally watched last week's yesterday. I hate to say this but of the remaining teams now I have to root for Brenchel. I did crack up a bit when we lost it in the boot thing. ;)

Not sure about the Friday move, we have a couple other shows that we often watch (record) on Fridays-thanks for the head's up though!

MNNHFLTX

05-18-2014, 10:15 PM

<sigh> Oh well.

PirateLover

05-19-2014, 12:05 AM

Kinda proud that I called it! While Dave in particular did start to annoy me with his whining, of the 3 left in the end I'm glad they won. I still don't think it's right that Dave didn't do an equal amount of roadblocks, but if that rule wasn't being enforced I guess I can't blame them. Country girls did not deserve to stumble into a win, and even though Brenchel (well, Rachel at least) seemed to have matured this go round, I found myself rolling my eyes and groaning at their comments and actions. All the talk of babies... As of they don't have any money to start a family. Please. I didn't like the set up of the final leg, though. The tasks were interesting and the grand finale was suspenseful but nothing was difficult! I hate it when they don't include some sort of memory challenge. Ah well. Another season comes and goes!

tinkwest

05-19-2014, 12:06 AM

I thought that was a fairly boring finale.

The Hitchhiking Ghost

05-19-2014, 01:54 AM

NJDad

05-19-2014, 06:10 AM

Wish they could plan finales that didn't pivot on the randomness of which cabbie drove you around.

Melanie

05-19-2014, 06:30 AM

Time to move on, thank goodness. Overall, a disappointing season for me. I found none of the tasks in the finale interesting, with too much emphasis on taxi drivers, a slow ascent and descent in that (very simple) light bulb challenge, and what seemed to be a very obvious clue for the finish line. Snore! I totally missed the memory challenge, and the need for the teams to show some physicality. None of that was required.

TheDuckRocks

05-19-2014, 10:18 AM

Very boring end to a very disappointing season.
Connor and David did play well, but I still do not like them at all. Way too full of themselves.

MNNHFLTX

05-19-2014, 10:21 AM

Dave and Connor won 6 of 12 total legs and never finished lower than 4th place. Only a handful of teams in Race history have ever won more legs, so hard to deny that they weren't deserving.

Only pliable explanation I heard regarding the Roadblocks came from an apparent tweet from Phil that stated that thru 10 legs the most any one individual could perform was 6 and that in legs 11 & 12 there would be three roadblocks and they could be performed in any manner as long as it was 2-1 or 1-2. Thru leg 10 Connor had done 6 to Dave's 4 and then Connor did 2 of the last 3, making the final total 8-4 (the other two teams were 7-6). I don't know if this was the explanation for just this season or if its been in place for a while. Total # of legs and roadblocks can vary from season to season, sometimes totalling 13 or 14.I saw that tweet too. Color me skeptical. I don't think it's beyond reality that when the producers are looking at the teams for an upcoming race that they might "tweak" the rules in ways that level the playing field for a team that might be at a disadvantage, for the sake of ratings. Dave and Connor were clearly one of the favored teams coming into the All-stars, partly because of their background story and partly the way the last race ended for them. While I agree that they were not undeserving of the win, if Dave had had to do an equal number of roadblocks as Connor it is quite possible that they wouldn't have won so many times or may even have been eliminated. I think the same about the country singers. The fact that they made it through two non-elimination legs to get to the finale seems fishy to me. While we'd like to think that non-elimination legs are all set in place before the race begins, we saw one leg in a recent race where it clearly would have been a non-elimination leg but the last team was so far behind that it would have made no sense to enforce it. So these things certainly can be modified as the race goes along, for whatever reason. Until they announce rule changes ahead of time to the public (even prior to team selection), I will be skeptical.

I do agree that Brendan and Rachel went out with a whimper (literally). Wow, yeah--the "we need to win the race to have a baby" got very old and made little sense, except to try and gain sympathy from those around them. So in the end I was okay that Dave and Connor won, as long it wasn't the country singers!

For all the lights and glitz, I also found the finale to be boring. I might be the only one that feels this way, but the David Copperfield roadblock was the stupidest ever, IMO. I get that it was an illusion and a magician "never gives away the secret to his tricks", but to not even know what happened or how the team members got from the burning box into the the fireman's costumes just seemed anticlimactic and lame.

Hopefully no more All-star races for a while. :fingers:

The Hitchhiking Ghost

05-19-2014, 01:07 PM

Wish they could plan finales that didn't pivot on the randomness of which cabbie drove you around.

I really didn't see that the cab drivers made that much of a difference. They played up the difficulties big time with Brenchel's cab driver, but the cab driver didn't tell Brenchel to not read the clue but to instead run inside the Mirage and waste valuable time. These hotels are huge and I'm sure the cabs are used to going to the main entrance, the confusion seem to come in finding the right entrance.

Dave and Connor and the Country Girls arrived at the final roadblock at the same time, so they were on equal footing, so I don't really think the cabs came into play that much.

JanetMegan

05-20-2014, 09:29 AM

I prefer it when they have to do some kind of super complicated puzzle or challenge to finish it off.

The Hitchhiking Ghost

05-20-2014, 12:59 PM

I prefer it when they have to do some kind of super complicated puzzle or challenge to finish it off.

Interestingly enough, each of the three all-star seasons (S11-18-24) none of them had a final memory challenge component.

S11 - Teams went to SF Mint, one person went into the vault, answered questions about other teams which created a combination, then the other teammate had to go in and try figure out how their partner answered the questions.

S18 - teams were at the mobile trailer park and had to assemble their trailer area to match the one in the photo.

S24 - change lightbulbs at the Mirage.

The memory challenges really didn't start until S9 where teams had to race back and forth into a field of flags and bring back the countries they visited and position them in order. I think most seasons since then have had a memory component of some type.

Problem is, every team expects it so they spend the entire race taking extensive notes. There isn't quite the surprise factor for them that it used to be. Probably harder and harder to get creative with new tasks.