S33:E05: Stairway to Hell

[Whimsy]

Quote

Teams race through Switzerland, where Racers bungee jump over 700 feet off the Verzasca Dam.

Original air date 1/26/22

[proserpina65]

I knew as soon as they allowed Arun & Natalia to finish the detour that it was a non-elimination leg.  A little disappointed by that but I don't dislike them so whatever.

I could never have done that dam jump.  I would've chosen the sausage task over all those stairs.  As someone who gets charley horses a lot, I really felt for Dusty as he was trying to run to the pit stop; I could not have run with cramps that bad.

[Guest]

Not a lot of stress on Team Flight Attendant, is there?

[Runningwild]

Man, Switzerland is beautiful!!  And Akbar still sucks. 

Edited January 27, 2022 by Runningwild

[proserpina65]

11 minutes ago, Runningwild said:

Man, Switzerland is beautiful!!

I'm more of an ocean/beach person, but it's hard to deny the beauty of those mountains.

[Netfoot]

Mad props to Sherri for leaping off that dam. Akbar can go home immediately, for all I care.

Arun and Natalie have been saved from elimination by too many times. Eliminated & brought back,  saved by Mike & Mo and now a NEL. They might be nice people, but I'm sorry - it's time for them to go. 

Cayla kecking because she had to look at a sausage?!?? Are you serious? I just hope they survive long enough to get a camel head to eat.

The detour was good. Tasks that weren't simple walkovers for the racers. The stairs were a real obstacle and the sausage wasn't exactly easy, I bet.

I knew there was a NEL coming as soon as I saw Arun and Natalie doing an interview with a lake behind them, and Arun wasn't sobbing. They've promised Phil they weren't coming to the next pitstop last, but he looked like he believed them about as much as I did.

 

 

 

 

[Maverick]

 Maybe they should just eliminate Arun and Akbar for mercy's sake (the former for his, the latter for ours) and put Natalie and Sheri together as a team.  

[Cotypubby]

Cutest greeter ever!

[Stardancer Supreme]

9 minutes ago, Maverick said:

 Maybe they should just eliminate Arun and Akbar for mercy's sake (the former for his, the latter for ours) and put Natalie and Sheri together as a team.  

That would be nice, but there is nothing wrong with Arun and Natalia but the fact that they are horrible navigators. 

[North of Eden]

If I had to guess Stairway Ackbar is the REAL Ackbar as opposed to the supportive  post-bungee jumping Ackbar who is likely a construct for the cameras. He really is mean spirited and I was like you've got to be kidding when they chose that task. Neither were in shape for it and it was just going to bring out the worst in him. As soon as that bottle dropped I was like its time to Bald Snark.

My favorite teams unfortunatly did not return after the 19th month pit stop so I am rooting for the father/daughter  as all the other teams I either don't care for or are meh on but they are just making it so damn hard to....they've got to GET IT TOGETHER...I want to believe they were fairly confident that it was non-elim or how else could you explain their lack of fire when they fell so far behind? 

Not a ringing endorsement for the quality of the bungee ropes if a man who is not overly heavy is  forbidden to jump. You would think they would be designed to hold just about anyone.

Every time I see a man like Penn having a ridiculous emotional breakdown such as witnessing your wife bungee jumping it always makes me think of the pioneers who crossed a continent to settle the West. If men were anything like Penn is back then we'd never gotten past the Mississipi...those were damn tough people men and women (gotta plug the new show 1883 which is wonderful and depicts the hardship of pioneer life)

That must have been TAR playing headgames....making sausage looked so EASY...not sure why so few took that challenge.

Side note: Saw the BB Celebrity commercial Only Todd Bridges and maybe two others are card carrying celebrities...the others are nobody I've ever even heard of...we are tallking Z list here.

Edited January 27, 2022 by North of Eden

[Netfoot]

4 minutes ago, North of Eden said:

Not a ringing endorsement for the quality of the bungee ropes if a man who is not overly heavy is  forbidden to jump. You would think they would be designed to hold just about anyone.

The strength of the bungee isn't the issue. The heavier they weigh the deeper down the bungee pilot will go. And there is a finite distance to the bottom of the dam.

[rebeccalj]

My question about the bungee jumping was more as to whether the two of them really weighed that much different from each other.  He doesn’t look particularly overweight to me, but she is definitely overweight to obese.  

[GenerationX]

Random thoughts on episode 5 - "Do You Know Where You're Going To?":

• It's generally a good idea to agree on exactly where you're going before actually heading out
• Ack!bar needs to give up the coach excuse for his behavior
• Kudos to the Amazing Cameraman on the wine dripping down the stone steps shot

We finally get to see how the sausage is made, and, you know, it's not that gross, after all,

[LennieBriscoe]

About that bungee jump: Not for a million dollars.

And I don't like Arun. I think he's not too bright. 

😱

Edited January 27, 2022 by LennieBriscoe

[Stardancer Supreme]

One question I would like answered: For the Wine and Chestnuts Detour, did the racers have to keep their backpacks on? I would have thought that they could have left them at the bottom of the stairs. Hell, Dusty and Ryan were having a hard time and they are arguably in the best physical shape of all the racers!

[nilyank]

51 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I knew as soon as they allowed Arun & Natalia to finish the detour that it was a non-elimination leg.  A little disappointed by that but I don't dislike them so whatever.

I could never have done that dam jump.  I would've chosen the sausage task over all those stairs.  As someone who gets charley horses a lot, I really felt for Dusty as he was trying to run to the pit stop; I could not have run with cramps that bad.

I knew it was non-elim when Phil told the Flight Attendants and Akbar & Sheri that they were teams 4 and 5, and they will be in the 2nd group of racers leaving in the next left. After telling the earlier racers that they will be three departure times in the next leg.

[Stardancer Supreme]

4 minutes ago, rebeccalj said:

My question about the bungee jumping was more as to whether the two of them really weighed that much different from each other.  He doesn’t look particularly overweight to me, but she is definitely overweight to obese.  

I'm sure Akbar is heavier than Sheri. Muscle is heavier than fat.

[CSunshine76]

Did the guys see the stairs before they started? When they each took only 3 packages of chestnuts, I said (to no one) “ take all 12!”. Then I see the stairs, “oh hell no!”. My god, stairway to hell for sure!! 

[Tiggertoo]

How did the camera get the close up shots when they jumped?

I can’t believe how bad Arun and daughter are at navigation. 

Still can’t stand Akbar. 

[iMonrey]

Arun and Natalia are just terrible at following directions. I don't know how you practice for that or get better at it, or if that's even possible, but they definitely have not improved over the 19 month hiatus they took. But then again, maybe they didn't think they'd be coming back. Whatever the case, they are simply not cut out for this race.

I think what we're seeing is simply the normal dynamic for Akbar and Sheri. It's not a good look for them on TV but clearly she is used to it, and seemed pretty cheerful during their talking heads so it probably doesn't phase her. Still, free Sheri! I'm impressed she made it through that grueling Detour and overcame her fear at the Roadblock.

I imagine there was simply no place to leave their backpacks during the Detour. I know they have to have their passports and other ID on them at all times, and maybe no other place to put it, especially with those damn Gnomes strapped to their bodies. I just can't believe so many teams were that afraid of the sausage making.

I still object to "challenges" like bungee jumping and sky diving. It's just an assembly line of racers showing up and doing the task. It's one of those time fillers I think is pretty useless. The only real hurdle here is the self-navigation getting to the challenge.

[Lovecat]

7 minutes ago, Tiggertoo said:

How did the camera get the close up shots when they jumped?

They were wearing GoPro cameras on their wrists.  They all seemed to jump with their arms stretched out, probably so the camera would be pointing at their face.

[Lady Calypso]

Akbar's attitude toward his wife? Big giant yikes all around. I thought, when he actually praised her in the talking head after she bungee jumped, that maybe he just had a really off last leg. Maybe first leg back jitters. But he went above and beyond what he did last leg with his abhorrent behaviour toward her with the stair climb. Poor Sheri looked absolutely defeated and resigned to her husband's vile behaviour when they got to the mat. Like, buddy, your wife just bungee jumped and conquered a fear, and she actually was trying to help with the roadblock as best as she could. You have no leg to stand on because you didn't have to do both tasks, so sit your ass down. 

I get being stressed out and not wanting to fall behind because of a mistake. But I would never talk to my partner like he talks to Sheri.

No surprise Ryan/Dusty took first yet again. But with their comment about how the Race could earn them last at any point, I wonder if that IS foreshadowing a future leg where they get last.

Lulu and Lala grew on me in this leg. I was touched by them talking about how they made sausages with their grandmother, which is how they were able to do well this leg. 

Kim/Penn did well. Kim conquered her clear fear of heights (I felt for her) and I was touched by Penn's reaction to his wife bungee jumping. It was clearly a huge deal for her, which was a huge deal for him as well. 

Arun and Natalia got lost...again. To the point where it looks like they got to the Detour a good couple of hours after the other teams. I just don't think the Race is meant for them. They could very well do better next leg, but I almost don't want them to, since their navigation skills are that terrible and I actually am rooting for the other teams more. And they're actually a very nice team; I do enjoy both of them a lot. 

[mertensia]

Why was Natalia using a compass?

They would have had to push me off that bungee platform. How do they not smack into the dam?

 

[knitorpurl]

We came very close to losing a racer on this leg when one of the twins ran out in front of a bus. Looked like a pretty close call. Of course, if Akbar was my husband might have lost him this episode, too. 

When Sheri was done with the jump and he said that he couldn't say anything to her now that she had done that, my first thought was "Can be even make it to the car before he's griping at her." Certainly couldn't make it through the next challenge!

I believe the gnome may have rolled his eyes at Cayla's sausage reaction.

[Starchild]

Not sure why they couldn't leave their packs in the car, but Kim and Penn might explain in their recap video. It us ally drops a couple days later, so they have time to see what questions people are asking.

[Lantern7]

*sigh* Seven teams came back, and three of them had no business racing. We're already out one, the vultures are pecking at Arun & Natalia, and Akbar & Sheri? Oy . . .

I'm going to figure that kind of relationship works for them at home, and it isn’t as toxic as we’d think. Seeing it on camera and in a foreign country? Yikes. And now we find out that Akbar has been too heavy to do Roadblocks twice, forcing Sheri into really uncomfortable situations. It's cringe. We've seen worst teams/couples, but I don't see much hope for them . . . at least not on this Race.

Seriously, when they told other teams they were doing the wine & chestnuts, I wanted a response of "Please don't. Do the other Detour. You'll be so much happier."

I don't think we've seen teams suffer cramps and Charlie Horses before. Asking teams to climb those stairs was a bit sadistic. When you see two alpha dudes struggling to make it to the Pit Stop without being forced to roll themselves in that direction, you know the show has gone a bit too far.

Gnomes! And what I'm presuming is Switzerland's oldest Pug! No wonder he wasn't there when Arun & Natalia finished the leg. He had to make the local version of the early bird special..

Really, I want Phil to pull those two over. "Guys? It's over. Phield Philimination. I wasn't expecting improvements over nineteen months or between the call back and now, but this is SAD."

Edited January 27, 2022 by Lantern7

[PaperTree]

34 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

We finally get to see how the sausage is made, and, you know, it's not that gross, after all,

The gross part is what goes into the grinder to make the meat mixture. 

That part was already done😎

[Bumblebee84047]

Akbar, you are an ass.

[Sarahsmile416]

If I were Sheri after the stairway to Hell, I would have pushed him down the stairs.   Seriously. Akbar is horrible.  

[ByaNose]

Akbar is an ass but somehow afterwards they seem fine. That said, this show makes him look awful. I’m sure his exit interview will be all nonsense. It was a bad edit. LOL!!!!

[bunnyblue]

Switzerland is absolutely gorgeous. Those mountains! The beautiful blue lakes! I felt for Penn when he said he was sad he couldn't take 30 minutes to admire the scenery.  

"Whenever Akbar starts getting flustered, he starts placing blame." You don't say?! I don't know how Sheri puts up with that. But then, when she gets flustered she starts acting all defeated. It is uncomfortable watching these 2 and I fear that as long as hapless Arun & Natalia continue to bumble their way to NELs, they (Akbar & Sheri) will also continue to be saved. I thought Sheri handled her fear of bungee jumping much better than she did the mountain climbing last week, so good for her.

Kim & Penn are growing on me. I love that even though Kim was clearly afraid of bungee jumping, she got through it without much histrionics. And I thought it was sweet that Penn cried tears of relief that she didn't die and then she asked him if he was okay, lol.

Arun: "we can do so much better". Really, Arun? I have my doubts. At least they don't blame each other for their countless screwups, and unlike past parent/child teams Arun doesn't harangue Natalia when they mess up. They seem like nice people and obviously have a good relationship.

Edited January 27, 2022 by bunnyblue

[30 Helens]

Well, at least we know the season’s first two pit stops weren’t a fluke.

[Mittengirl]

1 hour ago, mertensia said:

. How do they not smack into the dam?

I wonder if that was more why Akbar couldn’t do that jump - that he could generate too much swing and go splat against the dam.

 

Why were so many freaked out about making sausage?  It didn’t look that difficult or that time consuming.  It wasn’t even like they had to follow a recipe and produce something that tasted good. 
 

It would appear that maps are not available until the teams get to/in their car, but it seems that most teams would be well served to take a few minutes and plot at least a rough route of how to get from A to B - or at least know where the hell B is.  

[Fukui San]

Who else was screaming at the TV for Akbar and Sheri not to do the Bartender Race like they were horny teens in a slasher movie? They actually fared better than I was expecting.

The remaining race cast right now is filled with nice people who are absolutely terrible racers.  

[Leeds]

3 hours ago, Runningwild said:

Man, Switzerland is beautiful!!

I grew up in Europe, and while where I live now is beautiful, it's a very different beauty.  I miss it.

 

2 hours ago, North of Eden said:

Not a ringing endorsement for the quality of the bungee ropes if a man who is not overly heavy is  forbidden to jump. You would think they would be designed to hold just about anyone.

He looks tall/dense/heavy to me, plus I assume the fear of lawsuits from litigious Americans might have contributed to this.

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Arun and Natalia are just terrible at following directions. I don't know how you practice for that or get better at it, or if that's even possible, but they definitely have not improved over the 19 month hiatus they took. But then again, maybe they didn't think they'd be coming back. Whatever the case, they are simply not cut out for this race.

I

I used to be a terrible map reader, but over the years I have learnt some tricks.  I too like Natalie and Arun, but it seems like the constraints of the current restrictions mean they have clung on far too long.

54 minutes ago, bunnyblue said:

 

Kim & Penn are growing on me. I love that even though Kim was clearly afraid of bungee jumping, she got through it without much histrionics. And I thought it was sweet that Penn cried tears of relief that she didn't die and then she asked him if he was okay, lol.

 

Me too - I disliked them at first, but now I'm quite enjoying them.

[GaT]

Akbar really sucks, Sheri is kicking your ass, STFU

Oh good, Arun & Natalia are still in the race, how many times do you think they'll get lost next week?

Edited January 27, 2022 by GaT

[aghst]

3 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I'm more of an ocean/beach person, but it's hard to deny the beauty of those mountains.

Alpine lakes are stunning too.  Incredible aquamarine color below those mountain peaks, some of them snow capped year round, down into the green zone in the summer and then the beautiful water.

Cable cars to get those birds-eye view of these natural splendors can add up though.

 

 

[Door County Cherry]

Quote

Not a ringing endorsement for the quality of the bungee ropes if a man who is not overly heavy is  forbidden to jump. You would think they would be designed to hold just about anyone.

I imagine the equipment is set up and tested for a specific weight range.  There are weight limits with things like bungee jumping and zip line. 

3 hours ago, North of Eden said:

Every time I see a man like Penn having a ridiculous emotional breakdown such as witnessing your wife bungee jumping it always makes me think of the pioneers who crossed a continent to settle the West. If men were anything like Penn is back then we'd never gotten past the Mississipi...those were damn tough people men and women 

Penn is a performer so I almost wonder if this was him being performative.  Or maybe he's just an emotional guy.  I endorse emotion. 

But let's face it, Kim would be the one to get shit done.  The way she stepped onto that platform, with no dawdling, jumped off and didn't even scream. Man, I didn't know whether or not to be impressed by her or scared of her.  That's some steel. 

3 hours ago, rebeccalj said:

My question about the bungee jumping was more as to whether the two of them really weighed that much different from each other.  He doesn’t look particularly overweight to me, but she is definitely overweight to obese.  

He's quite a bit taller than she is.  Tall people carry weight differently and it can be deceptive. Plus, he wears looser clothes than she does. 

[aghst]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Arun and Natalia are just terrible at following directions. I don't know how you practice for that or get better at it, or if that's even possible, but they definitely have not improved over the 19 month hiatus they took. But then again, maybe they didn't think they'd be coming back. Whatever the case, they are simply not cut out for this race.

 

Are they terrible at following directions or does the Route Info simply say go to this town and they have to figure it out with their maps?

I wonder if the directions specifically list the highway numbers.

The tricky thing is, some stretches of roads have two different highway numbers.

But one of the teams asked some bystanders to look at mapping apps on their phones and others asked for directions.

I think what they could do is let them use GPS but have the directions say go to this town A by way of town C, which may not be a direct route but it would test whether they followed the directions.

The stewardesses set out and the navigator couldn't even locate where they set out from.  Seems they should have looked at the map before they left.  If they spent the night in the town where the pit stop of the previous leg was, maybe they could have marked it on the maps?  Or did they have maps before they started this leg?

That said, Arun and Natalia, despite being super fans, struggle to navigate period.  It's not just following directions but they couldn't even find where they had parked their car!  Maybe they haven't driven overseas or maybe they haven't done long road trips in awhile.  

 

[aghst]

2 hours ago, Sarahsmile416 said:

If I were Sheri after the stairway to Hell, I would have pushed him down the stairs.   Seriously. Akbar is horrible.  

The TAR can't be the first time he's being verbally unkind.

So either she sees some other redeeming qualities in him or she's willing to endure it.

 

[Andyourlittledog2]

Sheri and Akbar: As they say, there's a lid for every pot. It's uncomfortable to watch but their relationship seems to work for them.

I'm a great map reader, but until I moved to the mountains from Los Angeles I had no idea how much my map reading and sense of direction was based on being close to the ocean all the time.  I always knew which way was which. Now it's much harder. That said, I think some teams complete lack of coherence with maps is due to everyone suddenly relying entirely on GPS apps in their cars. The little voice tells you when to turn etc and you don't ever look at a map. Then suddenly you're in a foreign country, the languages and roads are different, you've lost which direction (NESW) you are going in, and maps are a foreign skill to you. I am not sympathetic to this problem at all, but I think that's the primary problem.

If I had done that bungee jump my heart would have stopped at some point on the way down and they'd be pulling up a dead person. Just watching them jump made my heart leap up into my throat and I was just sitting in front of the TV.

[Mediocre Gatsby]

Anyone can take one wrong turn or the scenic route by mistake, but I don't know how Arun and Natalia could drive for hours and not see one place that they were supposed to be passing. It didn't seem like even after Natalia figured out that Arun should have said Lugano instead of Luzano or whatever she heard, they still didn't just turn around and go back. 

I thought there should have been a penalty for dropping something on those stairs. Otherwise why not just load yourself up with everything and see how much survives at the top? 

[Netfoot]

On 1/27/2022 at 2:15 AM, Mittengirl said:

I wonder if that was more why Akbar couldn’t do that jump - that he could generate too much swing and go splat against the dam.

They wouldn't let him do it because they were afraid he would get lost on the way down.

Someone up-thread said the only thing wrong with the team is their horrible navigation. True, perhaps. They seem like good people. But their navigation is so horrible, they should be put out of their misery. Or we should be put out of ours. 

I think I read somewhere that he uses the GPS on his phone to find his way back from the bathroom at night when the lights are off. And sometimes, he still gets lost until morning!

ETA: When I originally posted this I had a brain-fa*t and for some reason I thought we were talking about Arun. Even with the quote clearly naming Akbar. Sorry about the confusion.

Edited January 29, 2022 by Netfoot

[Haleth]

Man, Arun and Natalia are painful to watch.  How do they get so far behind on every leg?  I had to laugh that they were so late to the pitstop that the greeter and her cute little dog already left.  

7 hours ago, North of Eden said:

Not a ringing endorsement for the quality of the bungee ropes if a man who is not overly heavy is  forbidden to jump. You would think they would be designed to hold just about anyone.

I figured he was too big for the harness?  (It fit Sheri though, so I don't know.)

7 hours ago, Stardancer Supreme said:

did the racers have to keep their backpacks on?

I wondered why they couldn't put some of the wine bottles in their backpacks.  There must be a rule that says they cannot.

4 hours ago, aghst said:

Are they terrible at following directions or does the Route Info simply say go to this town and they have to figure it out with their maps?

The clue just says drive from A to B.  The flight attendants noted that there was a "leisurely route" to the dam and a quick one on the highway.  They chose wrong which is why they fell behind Akbar and Sheri.

My husband and I decided we would have quit at the dam.  Neither of us would have done the bungee jump.  Not even for $1 million.  Kudos to Sheri, Kim, and whoever else was terrified.

[ProfCrash]

6 hours ago, Sarahsmile416 said:

If I were Sheri after the stairway to Hell, I would have pushed him down the stairs.   Seriously. Akbar is horrible.  

She would have had to get ahead of him on the way up or stay close enough on the way down and that wasn't happening.

6 hours ago, ByaNose said:

Akbar is an ass but somehow afterwards they seem fine. That said, this show makes him look awful. I’m sure his exit interview will be all nonsense. It was a bad edit. LOL!!!!

No, he'll remind us that they are athletes. They played basketball in College. They are used to being motivated by being berated. It is totally fine.

4 hours ago, GaT said:

Akbar really sucks, Sheri is kicking your ass, STFU

Oh good, Arun & Natalia are still in the race, how many times do you think they'll get lost next week?

Can you get lost walking tot he starting mat? I am horrific with directions but these two are making me look like a well trained SEAL able to navigate behind enemy lines in the middle of the night. What the hell are they doing? 

I suspect that the folks who got lost or took forever at getting to the task are the reason why there is less individual driving. It spreads teams out by too much and it probably makes life harder for Production. 

On the bungee jumping. That is high on my list of things I would only do for a million dollars. I am not sure that I would handle it as well as Kim did. She was petrified but just did it. I hope they recorded their kids response to that particular scene because that had to be an epic moment in their house.

Penn gets emotional, who cares? He knows that this is something that Kim is afraid of. You could see her body language in the car, she was trying to press herself as far as she humanly possibly could into that seat. She was tense, nervous, afraid, and has anxiety. I can't imagine what was going through her mind. Penn knows all of this about her and gets misty eyed because of how well she did and has the temerity to express his awe in a manner that involves tears and people think that is wussy? 

Go Penn. Be you. Real men show emotion and know that it is ok to be emotional. 

I loved Penn's comment to Kim before she jumped. The Race doesn't want anyone to die, she would be fine. Not some bold proclamation of anything but cold hard fact that probably was more useful then any platitude he could have offered. I love how the attendants at the bungee jump were so supportive of everyone. You could hear them telling people that they would be fine, lots of people are nervous, dive on out and go for it. 

The delivery task looked brutal, those stairs were legit. I kind of wish they had a time running so we know how fast teams did it. I am a bit surprised there was only one bottle broken the entire time and hardly any chestnuts dropped. 

Sausage looked pretty straight forward. We saw a few broken casings, I wonder how many we didn't see? 

Overall, good stuff. Too bad the other teams couldn't return because I am guessing we are stuck with Arun and Natalia or Sheri and Akbar for a bunch more weeks. They have at least two elimination legs that had to be turned into non-elimination legs. I just hope that Arun and Natalia learn how to navigate fast so we lose Akbar and Sheri next week.

[Blergh]

I seriously  thought Sheri was going to collapse and/or have a heart attack on those stairs.  However, this Race winds up, I think she needs to do some major evaluations about whether it's to her or her children's benefit to spend the rest of her life with Akbar (who I noticed was the only racing partner NOT scared for the bungee-jumper's life at the dam). 

Edited January 28, 2022 by Blergh

[Taeolas]

The Bungee jump probably had height and/or weight limits that Akbar was over. I wonder if Penn was too tall as well and they just skipped him saying he couldn't do it. 

As for Arun and Natalia, it almost sounds like they misread the locations and they were going to a similarly sounding village before realizing they misread the destination. (going to "Lukka" instead of "Lugga" or whatever the names of the towns were). Still shows they're horrible at navigating, but in this case it was due to clue reading instead of actual navigating. 

Extreme tasks like Bungee jumping or skydiving are just there for the excitement factor and to make the ep interesting, even if they rarely change the order of teh race up. Since the tasks have to be more or less equally split too, they can also lead to some plotting by the teams to decide who is best to do them. And usually the visuals are incredible, which is good TV. So I don't mind them myself. :) 

The stairs vs the sausage, I'd probably take the sausage first. Maybe if you had to grind the meat first it would make me go back to the stairs, but all in all it seemed like a more straightforward task.

 

It looks like the race is going to have Departure windows at the start of each leg now, so there is a small bunching at the start from now on. Not sure I like that fully, but it's better then letting everyone restart at the same time each leg. And it probably makes the race prep and organization a lot easier. And as Arun and Natalie showed, even if you start everyone about the same time, a team can STILL manage to show up hours after everyone else and potentially throw schedules off. 

[bearcatfan]

Yeah, Penn got emotional thinking about how much he loves his wife, how proud of her he was and how horrible it would be if she wasn’t around. I’d rather men be like Penn than like the frontier men who would beat their wives without penalty because their wives were property.  

I think his comment about the Race not wanting Kim to die was for both of them.  

Unless Akbar played point in college, he’s likely well over 6 ft. So is Penn, but Penn is pretty thin. The weight limit is 115 kg which is about 253 lbs (I looked it up). I could see how Akbar would be over and Penn under. 

[Lamima]

I have identical twin girls (23) so I am rooting for the twins. Helps that they are positive and fun. My twins would kill each other if they did TAR. Lol.

Sherri and Akbar....while he is unlikable they don't bother me. They seem to work. And they are interesting to watch. Very amazing to see her conquer her fears. And she never gives up. Impressive.

Edited January 27, 2022 by Lamima

[shura]

8 hours ago, mertensia said:

Why was Natalia using a compass?

I couldn't understand that either.  If you are on a freeway with exits, or on any street with intersections with other named streets, all you need to know is that you have to get to exit X and you should see exits M, N and O on your way there.  That's how you know that you are going in the right direction.  It makes absolutely no difference whether you are heading south or southwest, you follow the road whichever way it happens to be going.  Of course, you need to have taken a look at a map and know where you are and what your destination is, but a compass can't help you with those things anyway.

As for Arun's "we are better than this," no, I don't think there is any evidence of that.  If you keep being this, then this is what you are.