Amazing Race: Unfinished Business

[snoochface]

Are Kent and Vixen having the worst leg ever or what?

One mistake after another.... after another.... and I bet when it's all said and done, they still get a penalty for missing the required flight.

 

[Maren]

I don't know what to think about Kent and Vyxsin. First, I doubt they get a penalty unless this is a non-elimination leg. Even then, I'm not sure there will be an "additional" penalty if it is non-elimination, I think taking the later flight may be considered enough of a penalty.

I can't decide if this is a non-elimination leg, though. It feels like it, because of how the leg played out in Australia where they kept racing and the fact they weren't eliminated at the end of the last show. OTOH, seems really odd that they'd have two non-elimination legs already so early in the show.

Last thing about last weeks show, I'm really disappointed they didn't give any information about Flight Time and Big Easy's penalty from the week before. Would like to know what happened there.

And the double U-turn coming up in the next episode could be interesting. I would expect, if Margie and Luke are still at/near the front of the pack, that they would definitely U-turn LaKisha and Jennifer. This next episode should be really interesting.

 

[snoochface]

How is the double detour going to work? What's the double part?

 

[Maren]

How is the double detour going to work? What's the double part?

Sorry, I meant a double U-turn. I assume it will be like last year, two teams will each be able to force another team to do both tasks on a detour.

 

[snoochface]

Sorry, I meant a double U-turn. I assume it will be like last year, two teams will each be able to force another team to do both tasks on a detour.

I knew what you meant - I didn't even catch the detour/U-turn So, two teams will have to do both tasks. That could be major, especially when combined with the Express Pass!

 

[AirPo]

I'm not so sure using the express pass without even trying the task was such a good idea.

 

[snoochface]

Especially when they didn't even check in first.

 

[Maren]

I'm not so sure using the express pass without even trying the task was such a good idea.

Especially when they didn't even check in first.

I'm going to disagree a bit. I can see why they used it, particularly because they weren't the first team to the pitstop after using it. You could tell fairly quickly that this was a roadblock that lots of teams were having trouble with. I also think it was one where Mallory would have trouble doing it alone because she appears to be somewhat short and Gary, from what I've seen, isn't particularly good with puzzles. So, the fact that it was a difficult roadblock for their team, combined with the fact they arrived very late when several teams appeared to be almost finished (despite the fact that some of those teams had to fix their dinosaur) I think made the decision a decent one.

It surprised me that Kent and Vyxsin recovered so well. I would have preferred, however, if they would have had to take the penalty at the first pit stop. Unfortunately, with the way the race is edited, it is hard to say if the penalty would have kept them from catching the same train as the others. From what I saw, I think they likely would have missed the train if they had the half hour penalty first and that likely would have changed the outcome of the race. Regardless, I feel it is more fair if they wait out the penalty at the first pit stop rather than the second, even if it didn't make a difference catching the train. I question their logic as to not telling people about the penalty -- seems to me that other teams would have felt them less of a threat, and so less likely to U-turn, if they knew Kent and Vyxsin still had a half hour penalty to wait out. I also thought it odd (and kind of sad) that they still can't admit they got lost in Japan, but instead keep claiming their car broke down. I really don't think most teams believe that excuse, anyway.

It was interesting that the U-turn didn't seem to really effect either of the two teams. While the redheads were eliminated (and I'm rather happy they are gone), it wasn't the U-turn that killed them but rather the inability to do the roadblock.

 

[Maren]

I thought it was an interesting episode this week. Was kind of funny to see all the reactions when they were sent to the tea house from the pitstop, when they thought they were staying in China for another segment.

I was impressed by the individuals who realized they could sniff the teas to figure them out by smell -- not sure I would have thought of that. Was also nice seeing the applause/hugs for Luke by the workers who had watched him drink all that tea, as well as the respect given by the Globetrotter. At first, I kind of felt Luke was being something of a crybaby, at least until they started showing shots of just how much of that long table was empty. It is hard to imagine that small group drinking that much tea.

While I will miss Luke and Margie and have always liked them, it does seem like they deserved to go. Just doesn't seem like they have had a good race this time.

I'll also miss having an Amazing Race episode next Sunday, not sure how I'll survive an extra week without my TAR fix.

 

[AirPo]

And it's not even for basketball!

 

[faith177]

I disagree I was very disappointed that they lost that way, I think it is unfair because it is mostly a luck challenge. I know they could smell it but most teams just lucked out and picked the right cup.

 

[snoochface]

Luck doesn't make it unfair. They had just as much chance of finding the right cup as everyone else did. Just like it's not unfair that my lottery tickets didn't win this week

 

[Maren]

I disagree I was very disappointed that they lost that way, I think it is unfair because it is mostly a luck challenge. I know they could smell it but most teams just lucked out and picked the right cup.

I have a hard time seeing it as unfair. This was a challenge that was depending on memory; they needed to remember the tea they drank in China before they left. I will agree that is a tough challenge but if you are on TAR I would think you'd realize there was something more to the stop than just drinking tea -- that somehow there was something they needed to remember. And those that did remember what the tea was did well. For the teams that did not quite remember the tea, TAR even gave them a hint by having them bring a mango and papaya to deliver with the tea. Smelling the tea was a big advantage as you didn't have to drink every glass and it was quicker.

Though, thinking about it, that may be a lot of why Flight Time had such respect for Luke for continuing to fight, since Big Easy had quit on a task in their last race. If you recall, they were eliminated last time they raced due to "luck" when Big Easy gave up (couldn't figure out the letters spelled "Franz"), and when Dan reneged on a promise, rather than complete the task.

Not to mention, as pointed out, luck always plays a factor. I tend to feel worse for those that have a bad taxi driver who gets lost or stops for gas, which is completely luck, more than those who aren't "lucky" in performing an assigned task. I think the most unfair for a team was a couple of years back, when Maria and Tiffany (though I didn't like them and was glad they were off) were physically unable to complete either side of a detour in the Netherlands.

 

[Maren]

I've rather enjoyed the last couple of shows. Christina and Ron were due to go. Ron seemed much less capable than he did a couple of years ago, I'm hoping that some of his problems weren't symptoms of a larger disease. I was also glad the last leg was not an elimination leg, I would have hated if Gary and Mallory had gone out on the same leg two races in a row.

Then again, as someone tweeted tonight, "So Phil: at the Villa Trapp, shouldn't you have told the last team 'so long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye?'"

 

[snoochface]

Then again, as someone tweeted tonight, "So Phil: at the Villa Trapp, shouldn't you have told the last team 'so long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye?'"

Oh my Lord, that is hilarious!!

I've enjoyed the last few shows too -- except for Kent and Vyxsen. I'm sooooo ready for them to leave.

 

[USincognito]

Ron seemed much less capable than he did a couple of years ago, I'm hoping that some of his problems weren't symptoms of a larger disease.

His appetite doesn't seem to be affected.

Then again, as someone tweeted tonight, "So Phil: at the Villa Trapp, shouldn't you have told the last team 'so long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye?'"

 

[Maren]

His appetite doesn't seem to be affected.

I wasn't thinking of anything that would affect appetite, more that some of the things he did reminded me of some early symptoms of Alzheimer's. Chances are it is just age, but my mother is suffering from Alzheimer's. It is probably something I'm just reading in to his actions (and so I will hope).

As for Christina, I'm probably just slow, but I didn't realize that she had married Azaria whom she met on Season 12.

 

[Maren]

I was disappointed to see the Cowboys leave this week. I have to say, the seemed to have everyone working against them, as the others seemed to consider the Cowboys as the greatest threat. The Globetrotters deserved to go home this week as they actually had more problems, just that they were given help and still finished just barely ahead of the Cowboys (at least without the detour).

And while Kynt and Vyxsin are annoying, I have to admit to them being something of a guilty pleasure. To me, at least, they are about the only pair that provide "drama".

 

[snoochface]

I thought it was odd that the double U-turn came right before the check in at the pitstop. Whoever was U-turned would have no chance to catch up, which I didn't think made it very exciting.

But, I was okay with the cowboys going home. I sort of felt bad they had to eat all that cheese first though

 

[Maren]

I thought it was odd that the double U-turn came right before the check in at the pitstop. Whoever was U-turned would have no chance to catch up, which I didn't think made it very exciting.

But, I was okay with the cowboys going home. I sort of felt bad they had to eat all that cheese first though

I will say that the Cowboys really impressed me, something I forgot to add. They knew they had lost and had no chance (short of it being a non-elimination leg) and yet seemed to treat the other side of the U-turn as a sort of "race celebration". They handled their elimination with grace and dignity, something future TAR racers could learn from.

And I agree about the U-turn being right before the pit stop. I remember it being the same way last season in India. If they are going to have the U-turn on an elimination leg, it needs to be placed prior to the roadblock, not after.