Donny Ketchum

Well, here's another team not particularly good at driving stick. But at least they stuck to it. (Unlike the now-eliminated Bergen & Kurt.) They also couldn't navigate well, it seems. But once they got going, Rochelle did well to overcome her fear of heights to finsh the Stack Detour, and Mike did a great job with the Roadblock. They're a great deal lucky that Bergen & Kurt were quitting quitters who quit, though, or they likely would've been gone rather than finished in seventh place.

They seem to be the most functional blind date couple. But they're also the blandest one because of it. And apparently the one who can start out in such a good lead, but make a terrible mistake or two and lose that lead. This week, it was the fanny pack. They got lucky that they found it in Jeff & Jackie's car. After that, no huge mistakes followed. They did the Stack Detour in a good enough amount of time, and Laura did the Roadblock well enough. Without the fanny pack snafu, they probably would've won the leg.

Yeah, I'm kinda over Hayley now and can see why Blair wants to run away. She was a real pill the whole leg through. She should've toughed out that Stein Detour. No need to switch at all. Nonetheless, Blair rocked out the Stack Detour, and he seemed to be the only one to knock out the Roadblock on his first try, so well done! Good fifth place.

Glad Jenny's calmed back down this week. They seemed to get lost at one point, and it looked like Jelani had problems driving stick. Still, they rocked out the Stack Detour, and Jenny took failing the Roadblock in good spirits. Decent fourth-place finish. Good job, guys.

Got lost trying to find the cars, but other than that, it wasn't too bad. They did the in-reverse task well, and they did the Stack Detour well, too. Jackie knocked out that Roadblock with no huge problems. My one gripe is that they lied to Laura & Tyler about their fanny pack, but at the same time . . . it's a race, and any mistake made by one team can and should be another team's gain. Decent, well-deserved third place.

Now that Matt's not being annoying, he and Ashley are growing on me. They didn't do their tasks as perfectly as Aly & Steve, but for the most part, I'm impressed with how well they raced. They kept their cool, Ashley surprisingly knocked out her part of the Stein Detour, and she finished that Roadblock very well, as well! Good job! Two preexisting dating couples were at the top this time! (Aly & Steve and these two!) Nice!

A clear-cut, well-deserved, highly decisive win! They just hit all the right marks! They navigated perfectly (helped by the GPS, but still . . .), did all of their tasks perfectly, Aly took failing the Roadblock with dignity, and they won cars as their prize! Great job! I really love these two and think that their win was a long time coming!

It's two hours for a Route Info task, four hours for a Roadblock, and six hours for a Detour. If it were, we'd have seen it by now. I'm guessing nothing in their clues said that they couldn't.

Another okay episode, though yeah, the tension was lost once the elimination wasn't in doubt. I loved the Detour, and the Roadblock was fine, but not wonderful. If it'd been more judged on musicality like that Vienna Boys Choir in TAR23, it might've been better. Now for the teams: Aly & Steve: A clear-cut, well-deserved, highly decisive win! They just hit all the right marks! They navigated perfectly (helped by the GPS, but still . . .), did all of their tasks perfectly, Aly took failing the Roadblock with dignity, and they won cars as their prize! Great job! I really love these two and think that their win was a long time coming! Matt & Ashley: Now that Matt's not being annoying, he and Ashley are growing on me. They didn't do their tasks as perfectly as Aly & Steve, but for the most part, I'm impressed with how well they raced. They kept their cool, Ashley surprisingly knocked out her part of the Stein Detour, and she finished that Roadblock very well, as well! Good job! Two preexisting dating couples were at the top this time! Nice! Jeff & Jackie: Got lost trying to find the cars, but other than that, it wasn't too bad. They did the in-reverse task well, and they did the Stack Detour well, too. Jackie knocked out that Roadblock with no huge problems. My one gripe is that they lied to Laura & Tyler about their fanny pack, but at the same time . . . it's a race, and any mistake made by one team can and should be another team's gain. Decent, well-deserved third place. Jelani & Jenny: Glad Jenny's calmed back down this week. They seemed to get lost at one point, and it looked like Jelani had problems driving stick. Still, they rocked out the Stack Detour, and Jenny took failing the Roadblock in good spirits. Decent fourth-place finish. Good job, guys. Hayley & Blair: Yeah, I'm kinda over Hayley now and can see why Blair wants to run away. She was a real pill the whole leg through. She should've toughed out that Stein Detour. No need to switch at all. Nonetheless, Blair rocked out the Stack Detour, and he seemed to be the only one to knock out the Roadblock on his first try, so well done! Good fifth place. Laura & Tyler: They seem to be the most functional blind date couple. But they're also the blandest one because of it. And apparently the one who can start out in such a good lead, but make a terrible mistake or two and lose that lead. This week, it was the fanny pack. They got lucky that they found it in Jeff & Jackie's car. After that, no huge mistakes followed. They did the Stack Detour in a good enough amount of time, and Laura did the Roadblock well enough. Without the fanny pack snafu, they probably would've won the leg. Mike & Rochelle: Well, here's another team not particularly good at driving stick. But at least they stuck to it. (Unlike the team below them, coming up next.) They also couldn't navigate well, it seems. But once they got going, Rochelle did well to overcome her fear of heights to finsh the Stack Detour, and Mike did a great job with the Roadblock. They're a great deal lucky that Bergen & Kurt were quitting quitters who quit, though, or they likely would've been gone. Bergen & Kurt: Ugh. Welcome to the First-to-Worst Club, gentlemen. Other than that, not much to say about quitters. Yes, Bergen, Kurt quit. But you did nothing to stop him from quitting and instead relented and quit with him. The fact that Phil had to come out and eliminate you two speaks volumes about how badly you raced this leg. You should've kept with it just like Mike & Rochelle did, not quit the whole race, quitters. In the end, you guys were so incompetent, you didn't even reach the Detour or the Roadblock! Like someone else said above, I'd have been pissed if this were an NEL and you two weren't eliminated. Once again, okay episode. Could've been better, though. Looking forward to the first-ever Monaco visit next week, though!

. . . Who was never montaged at any time.

Well, not shedding any tears for Melissa (I like Serena, but thought she had a crap story from the get-go) or Freddie (sorry, all, but I ceased liking Sonny back in late 2012), but I'm very surprised about Molly since she just got back.

I would think that Tyler's at least sensible enough not to let his own personal feelings get in the way of the game. Carolyn, I'm not sure about. But Tyler, possibly.

Davis: (To Will about his interview.) By the way, congratulations. I hear you're up for the Hillman Prize for that interview. Will: Thank you. It's . . . definitely an honor. Davis: (To Sonny about Will's article) You must be so proud of your husband. Sonny: . . . It's a good article. Unlike most, I'm not a huge Sonny fan. But that made me titter a bit that he gave such a non-answer.

ION has taken CI off its lineup, unfortunately. I checked my TV Guide and saw that it's been replaced with Cold Case reruns.

I'm glad she doesn't like him, but I wonder why she doesn't? For the same reason most others don't?

What's Tinder, exactly?

Same. None of the other guys winning would excite me at all. Not even Will after this last episode.

Well, here's the final one, since I'm pretty sure the eighth person voted out will become the first juror. So with it now established that Kelly won't be on the jury, let's hope that So's found another normal person to hang out with when she arrives at Ponderosa.

Apparently, according to Kelly's post-show interviews, Sierra had decided to go back to the Blue Collars despite how much she hated Dan and Rodney. That's why there was no confessional from her. She'd already decided to stick with her old tribe and wasn't a swing vote.

Theo has always adored Abigail. At least for the last year. It's not contrived at all.

Early J.J. and Paige also did that plenty. It's why I like them so much -- they knew how to talk things through, something Lucas and Adrienne are doing, too. Still don't know if like them together, but at least I don't hate them.

I wouldn't say from the word go. Sarah did mess up the first appetizer, but pulled it together with Meghan's help. After that, save for Monique screwing up something as simple as the garnish (out of which Alison had to bail her), they pretty much plowed through the appetizers and were well ahead of the men in starting the entrees. That was where Christine messed them all up with her incompetence with the salmon. Hence why it beguiles me that she didn't at least go up.

He could've easily tried to form a tight duo with Joe, then pulled in Shirin as a third. So I'll have no sympathy for him if the others don't end up trusting him now.

Didn't think she was actually a hater of him. This definitely makes me want her to succeed even more! :)

And neither do I.