candall

LOL! I was wondering whether to mention that sitting co-pilot on a tandem bike requires a whole new learning curve. It's a shock to learn right off the bat that all the balancing/steering/pedaling micro-twitches you've taught yourself are basically irrelevant when you're the back half of a bicycle built for two. (It's fun, though, once you get the hang of it.)

Really? I feel very invested--at this point. I really like Orion and hope he can continue to bring the mellow. I don't see Clare holding down the bike shop while Cameron is out on the trail with his "buddies." I can't remember anyone else except pink hair has debilitating health issues and her new husband is all he-man outdoorsy. The only version I've seen all the way through was Australian. It goes faster over there. As the couples develop deep and heartfelt loathing for each other, they can opt to call it quits and a few new couples come in late to replace them. I was shocked when I tried to watch the American version and the couples were forced to interact LONG after it was obvious to everyone that they couldn't stand each other. Week after week after bloody week, ai yi yi. How is this set of couples different from couples on other seasons that you [Primetimers] are finding them so boring?

Yowzer, Cameron's bride, whatever her name is, barely clears his armpit as they head down the aisle (with the Bride's gaze still locked on her very extra BFF.) It was a relief when they sat down for their post-nuptial chat and they were closer in height that way. I don't like her very much. I think it's because she keeps saying everything is "cute." I love your accent; it's cute.

That was kind of weird to pause the maneuvering and manipulating for a moment and throw a little popularity contest. Not entirely ineffective, though. Bowie Jane: Heeeey!

He's sure willing to lose 8% of each show's run-time (not counting commercials) to unnecessary and repetitive opening folderol. I can reliably FF through four minutes of Batsignal nonsense and pink frothy cocktails before the competitor chef comes through the door.

So many times you have clarified things in my mind by speaking from the perspective of your own experience, @Andyourlittledog2. I appreciate what you have shared. #### Every week, I tune in wondering if Kody can possibly be a bigger asshole than we've seen so far--and he always delivers. A pathetic last minute 'birthday party' for the cameras where everyone celebrates a little girl with half a piece of chicken. Another child he's willing to let become estranged because "She hasn't reached out to me." Insulting Meri with some lazy obviously half-assed excuse for avoiding her company on their wedding anniversary. Meri has said, by words, actions, and out loud, directly to his face: "I'm still in this marriage for the long haul" and he has apparently always responded with. . . nothing. With silence. Hey, I dislike confrontation myself, but Kody has been cruel to Meri for years, refusing to just open his mouth and telling her, once and for all: "I'm out." I wonder how he explains the difference to himself between Christine choosing to forsake Kody as her husband and his own choice to reject Meri as his wife. .

Oy, the SHOES! Clare had the ugliest shoes I've ever seen on a bride. Tan faux leather, tiny ankle strap over a big square clunky heel. Ladies, please, God made eggshell peau de soie pumps for one reason only. Michael, bless your heart, I was so sad for you (re-created or not.) But honey, you have to work with me a little bit, because I think you know you are a LOT. Really unfortunate skin (which he couldn't do anything about except maybe cut down on the unappealing oily/sweaty sheen with a bit of blotting powder) and a crazy hair style, and then he tops off the whole hippie ren-faire look with that nutty crown perched at a jaunty angle? But, as someone noted above, it would've been very cool if the bride had twirled in looking like some kind of far out matching ren faire Guinivere, complete with crown. The bridal party was rude and snarky (and dumb) about the kiwi, but come on, she got a weird stuffed animal toy from her new husband as her wedding gift. I would be having serious misgivings if that were my introduction to my new, ahem, soulmate. "There better be a secret pocket in this thing with my tennis bracelet." It's a shame Lauren didn't wear her turquoise necklace gift. Her neckline could have handled it and the pendant she was wearing even had a blue stone in it. I thought Orion talking about his spirit ancestors approving of the turquoise meant specifically at the wedding. (But maybe not.)

They ABSOLUTELY need to do some tweaking with the judging system. It's almost embarrassing now, in its lack of transparency. I think it would be a better show to have Bobby and the judge sitting with the finished dishes while all the contestants are in another space watching the remarks on video. Then they could groan and protest to their heart's content and the judge wouldn't be predisposed to gin up one side or the other. Send the judge out, bring the chefs back and give them the scores. How hard is that? It would increase the fairness of the judging exponentially. The other thing I didn't like was when that wacky judge on the Shota episode deducted points because he thought the dish would be better if it were "spicier" and Shota subsequently pointed out that he'd prepared a classic Japanese dish that isn't supposed to be spicy.

I may be wrong, but I think it will be a cold day in hell before they create a reality show for an American audience revolving around the romantic life of a non-celebrity 70-year old woman. .

So long, Pickleball. I could see that you just wanted to get the hell out of there with your dignity intact, i.e. without bursting into tears, and you didn't want or need any of that "Let me walk you out" consolation nonsense. You'll be okay. I also liked Susan. I was surprised she lasted this long since she's more sturdy than fragile and doesn't kill herself maintaining 60-year old hair halfway down her back. But she seems affable and pragmatic and she's close to what his late wife looked like, so I decided she had a shot. Nope. I guess he prefers his ladies with their lips all a'quiver. Pfft.

I'm just going on record to say that I think he should pick the pickleball woman. He's nuts about pickleball, she's extremely involved in pickleball--captain of her league and so forth. They could do worse for common ground, once this wingnut show is finished and they're looking around for something they like about each other.

I would have inhaled that sammie without a moment's hesitation. If they'd been sitting out there for any length of time, there would have been a swarm of flies or gnats. I also thought there was at least a marginal argument to be made that fueling up would be a huge and immediate advantage for those three. Lots of players are suffering from the weakies. (Is it the Seals motto to "Eat when you can, sleep when you can"? Or just Jack Reacher?) P.S>whoever decided to offer FRUIT as the food reward--brutal!)

Lol, I'm not talking about salvaging Cirie's integrity. Pfft. I'm saying the show went too far when they were doling out the goodies-- which will be written off as gimmicks, unless Cirie continues to bob effortlessly down the stream into the money. In that case, I think there would be a lot of talk about producers putting their thumbs on the scale and "pre-designated winners." Is Julie (But First, God) fine with that kind of footnote?

But surely Cirie can't be allowed to win. Someone who was set up with the advantage of swanning in late as "reality contestant royalty" and who then played for quite a while as part of a mother-son team while everyone else was sinking or swimming solo?? There would be one hell of a giant asterisk on a Cirie win.

Wow, Christine is really just the scum of the earth, according to Kody. He reveals that she forced her way into their marriage, then she was a lousy sister wife to the others, then she prevented him from being able to fully love Robyn--prevented them "from finding solace in each other"--and now she's poisoning his children against him. POOR FUCKING KODY. 😭 The cherry on the top of all this victimization is when he claims he doesn't care about Christine one way or the other. Oh, hohohohoho. She bruised his ridiculously inflated ego and now he's obsessed with making everyone believe Christine is the most conniving, horrible pos woman who ever lived. I don't know, Permboy. I've been following you folks for a number of years and mainly the only thing I know about Christine for sure is that she raised a passel of kids, hers and not hers, into thoughtful, intelligent, self-actualized, responsible adults. That's a pretty good yardstick.

A year into keto, I'm able to confirm that catfish can be very tasty--satisfyingly crispy, meaty and rich--when broiled with spices and butter. Still not as good as fried, though! <sigh> I wondered what Kelsey was thinking, piling all that green papaya salad on top of her fried catfish fillet. No way in the world that wasn't going to get a little soggy. Maybe she was counting on her dish being presented first?

"Gristle"--LMAO If my father, at Gerry's age, had been tapped for The Golden Bachelor, he would have expected them all to be 24-year olds. In my experience, that's more the rule than the exception.

Good riddance to Josh. Here's my question: HOW do they do that balance beam walk between two big inflated balloons bobbling around four stories up in the air?? I can barely stay on a balance beam 18 inches off the ground. Weren't there gusts of wind buffeting them? Maybe there's some tension on the harness, kind of lifting them up, helping them cross the beam? Michaela is one of the bravest women I've ever seen. Never mind the harness--falling off that thing and dangling 40 feet in the air would make my heart quit.

Alaska Daily was CANCELLED?? I'm still saving the last two episodes to get me back into the swing of things for the new season. I'm disgusted. Jesse L. Martin is just so charming and affable. I'm not necessarily glued to the plotlines, but I like the quirky "behavioral science" he's putting out there. Wasn't that the secret sauce for Bull every week? I agree that the show drags to a halt every time they interrupt the action so someone can point out how much he still has the hots for his ex. Who cares?

Well, if anyone from here does ever make it to the show, please PLEASE let us know. I would love to root for someone as part of Team Primetimer. Nashville, pal, perish the thought. You wouldn't even have knees after a month of slamming through the sand, straining to pull a trunk of bricks up to a puzzle location, G.I. Joe-ing it through the mud, twisting your way out of that fishing net... .

I thought it was very classy when the Derbies were talking about all going home together. Especially compared to the Pageants, who continued to gloat about having kicked out their "friend" Devi through the entire next episode, right up until karma kicked their collective ass. But I was glad that Josh persuaded the Derby Girls team to stay. Still my favorites. 😍 Sidenote: That one Derby, Rachel, reminds me of Megan Rapinoe.

A four-minute BB. Love those. [/s] I enjoyed Cam, too. He was a shrewd judge of circumstances, a good player, and knew how to keep his mouth shut. I can't even think which of those remaining stumblebums will be a more qualified winner than Cam. Jag, I guess. At least Jag didn't bro-bro all the way to his own demise, as so many have.

WELL DONE, editor monkeys! I can't remember the last time I gasped at the reveal of "Xth person voted out of Survivor #Whatever . . . "

I have interrupted my viewing of Episode 1 to say that my eyes aren't all that great these days, but I do have a 65" high def tv and I don't see anything wrong with Jesse L. Martin's lovely face. Maybe every now and then I get a little flash of the light reflecting oddly off his right cheek. But I'm still completely available if he'd like me to sit in a subway car and watch him twirl around the pole, deep sexy-crooning about us opening up a rest-o-rant in Santa Fe.

I had to pause the recording so I could come here and release the hysterical laugh bubble that formed in my chest when Kody said "[Robyn and I] have never been allowed, essentially, to be in love with each other. or . . . to find solace in each other." THE VICTIMIZATION OF POOR KODY CONTINUES. [I have to add that he looks very ugly as he describes, again, all the unfair things that have been perpetrated against him by these terrible conniving women. His lip curls up in a sneer on one side and his little squinty piggy eyes dart back and forth. Careful, Kody, your insides are becoming outsides.]