Amazing Race 20

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

First time that I can ever recall that the Race blatantly rigged a leg to keep a team in the Race. I don't mind Bopper and Mark, they've kind of grown on me and I wanted them to make final 3, but not to win, especially this way.

Mark all but quits the roadblock. Bopper has been telling him to quit for the last 4-5 attempts. Mark walks off, starts to get out of costume, then his instructor (in a first as far as I can ever recall) comes back to encourage him to complete the task (did anyone ever encourage Myka to go down the slide - of course not then the Trotters would have been eliminated). Then Bopper does a complete 180 - "cmon blood, just one more time". To me it was just this wink wink, nod nod. Just give it one more try, and then lo and behold he remembers all the moves and nails it.

In Season 17 Nick and Vicki quit a detour task and incurred a 6 hour penalty, but were saved by non-elimination. They started the next leg 6 hours behind, never recovered and the leg was never in doubt. I think they didn't want a repeat of this. I have no doubt the non-elimination leg was scheduled (they had to have one in either leg 9 or 10) but I think they interfered to keep Mark/Bopper in the Race and to avoid them running the next leg with insurmountable penalties.

As far as Art & JJ, they never brought up the uturn to anyone this leg (they only discussed it in confessional, not to other teams, and that would be prompted discussion). Dave and Rachel and Bopper and Mark brought it up, not Art and JJ. I still hope they win, they work well together and really haven't fought once with each other.

On the other hand, I am so sick of Major Dave. He showed his true colors last week at the mat when he was a cry baby and sore loser. Things are great when they finish 1st, but heaven forbid they take 2nd. This week his arrogance was so over the top conceited. "I excel at every sport" "Rachel - that was hard, Dave, no it wasn't" "Listen to your husband" "Good thing I didn't elect to do this (he may have actually given Rachel a choice for a change at the detour instead of picking everything himself).

Hard to choose other teams for the win. I like Bopper and Mark, but I have a hard time cheering for a team to win that gets saved not once, but twice by non-elimination and especially in this suspicious manner. I like Vanessa and Ralph, but they've really done nothing to merit a win. If there is another u-turn, it maybe the one thing that puts them into final 3. Brendon and Rachel are just overall blah with the weekly Rachel melt down. It will be interesting to see if the preview for next week holds up and Rachel has to choose to cut her hair (ala Joyce in season 7).

I'm hoping there is no bunching next week, as Bopper and Mark should be well behind, hopefully far enough behind that if Art and JJ get uturned, they can survive, assuming another u-turn appears.

It seemed pretty obvious that last night's leg was going to be non-elimination. Only 3 more legs to go.

[Quadstriker]

Getting saved twice by non-E legs is pretty weak, so I can't in good conscience root for Kentucky to pull this off.

Problem is that none of the other teams left are likable in any way. I'll probably root for Big Baby so that we have the potential for many more hilarious meltdowns.

[bleukarma]

Both Dave and JJ's arrogance annoyed me on this one. Dave thinks he is great at everything and can't do wrong. JJ gets annoyed at everything. He kept focusing on how bad he was at dancing instead of just getting into it and trying to learn.

Brendan was talking about how emotional woman are but seems like it was the men that had the breakdown this leg. Even Rachel held it together. I do have to agree with her breakdown next week though, if she has to shave off her hair. I know it's just hair and it will grow back but I would find it hard to shave my head. Even for a fast forward to win a million.

[valjane]

I thought Team Kentucky was pretty whiny last night. I admire their spirit and good-natured attitudes but I don't consider them to be really good racers. I don't think they deserve to win (even though I don't like the other teams.)

[JanetMegan]

I'm still a fan of Mark and Bopper even if something was fishy-I don't know. It did seem odd but then again I guess we won't ever know for sure unless something leaks out. I want them to win the money more than anyone else...

I'd be ok with shaving my head (and I have hair to my waist.) It's for a million dollars.

I honestly hope Vanessa's ankle is ok, I've done that--popping sound and all and it's not fun or pretty. I'm not a huge fan but hate to see someone like that go down with an injury. (Unlike Colton on Survivor who I was fine with being in pain ha ha!)

[MNNHFLTX]

Oh yeah, a very contrived ending.

I just realized something with this last episode--it's not Art and JJ I don't like, just JJ. They get along well because Art just shuts up and lets JJ run off at the mouth enough for the two of them. And I really liked Rachel (of Dave and Rachel) on this leg. She not only did great in that Bollywood dance, but she looked like she was enjoying herself.

I actually think Rachel (of Brendan and Rachel) might surprise everyone by shaving her head. She's got a determined streak in her when she wants to. I know I would shave my head for a million dollars too. Hair grows back!

[thrillme]

I'm still a fan of the "Bubba Brothers" (as we call them in my family)...Bopper and Mark. Mark was really really sick. I'm not sure I understood why Bopper didn't do this one but Mark really struggled. I have no doubt he truly felt like he was going to die. He was sweating like crazy...throwing up...it's hard when your sick. Between the heat and the throwing up he was probably starting to feel the effects of dehydration. The nice thing...they never got nasty with one another. I'm glad they talked him into finishing. I think he would have hated himself for quitting.

Myka wasn't sick and throwing up...She wasn't "trying" to a point of becoming massively dehydrated. She had a "fear" that she couldn't face and well...come on...she SHOULD have known that she was going to have to face a "heights" challenge somewhere along the game... I'm sorry I still just can't relate to close my eyes, take a deep breath and push.

I kinda suspected it was going to be a non-elimination leg. They've only had two and it seems like it's usually 3 and they usually seem to be when the whole group of challenges go really fast. I'd be happy with the border patrol agents or the bubba brothers for the win...but we'll see.

I recall they had the hair cutting challenge a couple of years ago. I can't remember her name but...she went bald for the win...(I want to say they were racing against Rob and Amber)...It was a good move because she go the mil.

[Ian]

Huh, that's funny. I never had any notion that it was "rigged" or contrived. I assumed they went inside, cooled off, and Bopper came to his senses and realized he still wanted to win the million dollars.

Doesn't bother me that they were saved twice. I think they're running a good race and just got tripped up this leg due to Bopper's injury (he could have done the dance challenge if he wasn't hurt) and Mark's motion sickness (he was so wiped after that bus ride that he couldn't focus). Other than this particular challenge, they've been great. Heck, they won the prior leg!

I say go team Kentucky!

[Melanie]

I just don't feel the Team Kentucky love. I've never really liked them though. Actually, I don't really care for any of them! I'll watch it out for the locales and Phil.

[PirateLover]

I agree with Ian in that I really don't think Bopper and Mark were "convinced" to finished it. I think a lot is left on the editing room floor. Bopper was really concerned about Mark. However once he could cool off, rest, get some water, they both wanted to give it another go and finish it out with honor. If Mark was still feeling sick I don't think Bopper would've told him to do it. You could tell from his shirt and face how much the heat was affecting him.

I really don't have the hatred towards the border patrol agents. I do think JJ's attitude in the challenge was really weak. If he had just remained positive he would've gotten done faster. I like blond Rachel of Rachel and Dave, but I don't like Dave. I respect all who have served for our country, but that doesn't mean that they are all "good" guys. He is too overbearing and I also picked up on those digs he was sending her way. Not cool.

[thrillme]

Interesting Ian...I didn't catch that Bopper had a leg injury.

I too am glad they finished. Too...When Mark started...he might have just finished getting sick. You always feel better after you and thought he was on the mend.

It's going to be interesting to see if the Big Brother team goes thru.

[PirateLover]

Interesting Ian...I didn't catch that Bopper had a leg injury.

I too am glad they finished. Too...When Mark started...he might have just finished getting sick. You always feel better after you and thought he was on the mend.

It's going to be interesting to see if the Big Brother team goes thru.

He has a knee injury. They showed him stumbling at the end of the last leg, and a doctor checked him out at the start of this episode. He gave him a knee brace and said he would be OK to continue, but I think he was trying to rest it and not do anything physical if he had a choice (which he did). One question I have (Remember I have not watched this show from the beginning) If Bopper had attempted to do the dance and his knee gave out and he couldn't possibly physically do it, does that mean they are out? I am under the impression that there is no circumstance in which the other person can finish the roadblock.

[Ian]

I was bummed to see Bopper and Mark go home, but it was hardly shocking. Starting out nearly four hours behind the first team and with a reasonably time consuming Speed Bump to boot pretty much doomed them before the leg even began.

I have a feeling we'll be seeing those two again on the next All Stars edition.

[TheDuckRocks]

I hope you're right Ian. I really was keeping my fingers crossed that they would be able to pull it off and get back in the race.

[valjane]

I had a feeling that all the other teams had finished their tasks and checked in at the mat before Bopper and Mark even got started.

As much as I kind of hate it when the teams all end up together on transportation so that everything's even again, I hate it even more when there's a team so far behind there's no way they can ever catch up. It made last night's episode kind of boring.

[Ian]

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like this season hasn't had as many of the artificial bunching ups they've had in recent seasons.

I seem to recall quite a few teams just falling so far behind they couldn't catch up, although no specifics are really coming to mind so I could just be imagining it.

[MNNHFLTX]

I just have to say that I was tremendously disappointed in Rachel (as in Brendan) not shaving her head in the fast-forward. I thought she was more of a competitor than she really is, I guess. With Mark and Bopper going home, I officially do not like any of the teams that are left. Guess I have to root for who I dislike the least and even that will be hard to figure out at this point.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like this season hasn't had as many of the artificial bunching ups they've had in recent seasons.

I seem to recall quite a few teams just falling so far behind they couldn't catch up, although no specifics are really coming to mind so I could just be imagining it.

I think pretty much whenever they've traveled to a new country, they've been bunched. But when they start out and remain in country, there hasn't been too many, if any "get to a location, then wait three hours for it to open". The closest has probably been to sign up for one of 3 buses or planes,

As far as teams too far behind to catch up, the twin sisters from last season come to mind. They struggled at the beach detour and the following leg couldn't make the earlier buses and were never in it. Nick and Vicki from a few seasons back were the same, the got a 6 hour penalty for failure to complete a detour and were never in it the next leg.

I have no problem with how the legs have been set up this season. Both the eliminations for Nary/Jamie and Bopper/Mark were a result of their extremely poor performances from the prior leg and not the leg they were eliminated in. Based on pitstart times Mark took 3 or more hours to complete 8 more attempts at the dance. The current leg was set up to help the last place team, a little to convenient for me. A 3rd fast forward I believe is unprecedented and had Mark/Bopper not done so bad in the previous leg the FF undoubtedly would have saved them.

I am more surprised by the preview for next weeks finale. That a team will actually arrive first to the mat only to be told that they have not completed the roadblock. My guess, is that maybe the final roadblock challenge is close to the final mat (similar to season 9 final challenge) and a team inadvertently finds the mat before performing the final required roadblock.

Seeing that almost all roadblocks, especially final ones, require a judge to approve the challenges completion to get the clue, it seems unlikely that a team could actually do the roadblock incorrectly yet still receive a clue telling them to find Phil at the mat.

At this point I'm fine with any team winning other than Dave and Rachel but against popular opinion I'm still hoping for an Art and JJ win.

In case anyone missed it, next week is a 2 hour finale.

[valjane]

I am more surprised by the preview for next weeks finale. That a team will actually arrive first to the mat only to be told that they have not completed the roadblock. My guess, is that maybe the final roadblock challenge is close to the final mat (similar to season 9 final challenge) and a team inadvertently finds the mat before performing the final required roadblock.

Seeing that almost all roadblocks, especially final ones, require a judge to approve the challenges completion to get the clue, it seems unlikely that a team could actually do the roadblock incorrectly yet still receive a clue telling them to find Phil at the mat.

There was a roadblock (last season I think?) that had a sign requiring the teams to donate all their money to the school where they were were working on their task. The teams who didn't see the sign and went to the mat were sent back by Phil and they couldn't officially check in til they donated.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

There was a roadblock (last season I think?) that had a sign requiring the teams to donate all their money to the school where they were were working on their task. The teams who didn't see the sign and went to the mat were sent back by Phil and they couldn't officially check in til they donated.

Yes and No. It wasn't a roadblock, is was simply a route instruction task that teams perform from time to time (like this week - receive a blessing). Teams had to find the orphanage and they then received a crest, which indicated what the pitstop was, but in addition there was the sign that said all of your money must be left behind.

But it wasn't a roadblock, where typically there is some kind of judge or an observer that gives them a thumbs up that the task has been completed successfully and then hands them their next clue.

Joyce and Uchenna were a rare example in season 7. They completed the roadblock but failed to recover the clue to tell them to go to the pitstop. They inadvertently found Phil and were told to go back and retrieve the clue. In their original season the Cowboys at the roadblock had to dive for a bottle with a map, but they left the bottle on the boat, swam to shore where they were supposed to assemble the map to find Phil but found him without it, then had to go back and swim to the boat to retrieve the bottle.

That said, pretty much every final 3 roadblock has had some kind of judge or observer to make certain that the teams did it correctly, or like in season 3 the roadblock required the player to assemble the totem pole in the correct order they came across the animals. The only way the clue would be released was if they did it correctly (same concept with season 12).

So I'm having a hard time envisioning a scenario in which a team arrives at the detour, finishes it incorrectly, yet still receives the clue and then is later told by Phil, "you did not complete the roadblock". I'm leaning towards a team inadvertently finding Phil prior to even attempting the Roadblock. Another alternative might be a clue that says "make your way on foot to..." which would be the roadblock, and if teams didn't follow that instruction, then maybe that would be how a judge would give them the clue for doing it correctly, yet Phil could still say "you didn't do it completely" referring to getting their in the wrong manner. Should be interesting to see, and if it actually makes a difference in who finishes first.