S02.E06: She's the Pierogi Poobah

[radishcake]

The next roadblock leaves the teams speechless; the racers hit the ice.

 

[HistoryGirl]

That was a great leg of the Race!  Who would've thought that 2 butchers and dudes from Parry Sound would've beat Olympic gold medalists at their own game?! Even Sukhi & Jinder got all 5 goals in less tries.  

 

Alain & Audrey cracked me up with their "NO ONE WAS AT THE FAST FORWARD!" They are my team to win. 

 

There was no way Pierre/Michel (which??) was going to be able to do that task.  It's very clear that English is a second language to them.  Even Alain & Audrey I think speak English more fluently than them. (I mean, they both speak English extremely well, but Pierre/Michel rely on French a lot to communicate with each other while A/A will often communicate in English) 

 

Audrey & Alain, you make me laugh with your constant attempts at trying to get better flights. As if!  We're hip to the lack of flights Air Canada has to offer you all! 

 

I loved the perogi challenge.  The old ladies were adorable. "We have to sweet talk Helen." "I like the way he thinks!" LOL

 

It was very fitting for Rex & Bob to go out this leg.  I totally cried when he did the dance move with the ballerina.  While he did little more than just hold her, it was quite lovely and perfect. I don't think that Rex could've asked for a better leg to be eliminated on.  Also, it was nice to see that the ballerina recognized him! 

 

Next week looks AWESOME.  I'm really liking that they are mixing it up with the globe trotting and Canada-trotting.  Normandy/Juno Beach will be awesome, I'm sure.  I wonder if the Quebec teams will have the advantage in France. 

Edited August 13, 2014 by HistoryGirl

[Pepper the Cat]

Another great leg!

I think Megan and Natalie just over thought the hockey task. It was too basic for them.

The perogies looked yummy!

Once again, I think AMC has out done the original version. AMOV (amazing race original version) would have just required them to score 5 goals.

Next week Normandy!

[Blackie]

i don't understand how the fast forward works.  Why didn't Suki and Jinder use it, especially when they don't know how to skate.  When they saw the hockey girls doing the hockey I don't know why they didn't go for the fast forward.Do they only offer the ff to the first three teams ?

 

The look on Rex and Bob's faces when they were eliminated was priceless.

 

OK I'll say it, I know they are gold medal winners and all, AND they are in great physical shape, but are the hockey girls all that great at hockey? I know people who have watched a boys m***** triple A team play the women's national team and they weren't impressed with the women.  I know it is probably sacriledge to say it but....

 

I watched bits and pieces of the after show, it seems like they were really sticking it to Rex and Bob.

Edited August 13, 2014 by Blackie

[HistoryGirl]

i don't understand how the fast forward works.  Why didn't Suki and Jinder use it, especially when they don't know how to skate.  When they saw the hockey girls doing the hockey I don't know why they didn't go for the fast forward.Do they only offer the ff to the first three teams ?

 

 

The fast forward is offered to all teams, so all teams get a chance to go for it if they want.  The problem is if another team completes it before you.  Only one FF is given.  So if Rex/Bob showed up at the FF with Audrey/Alain, then it would be down to whomever completed the task first.  The risk in going if another team is there is that you've wasted a whole lot of time for nothing.  Both A/A and S/J thought that the Hockey Girls would've gone to do the FF just because they were in the lead.  They didn't bank on them actually doing the Puck challenge. (Honestly, how could they say no to a hockey challenge?)  S/J I think just didn't realize they were in second place (they are a little dim in general).  They of all people should've immediately gathered their stuff and left, especially in light of them never having skated before.  Audrey was the brains of her team's decision.  She noticed the clothing of the other 3 girls in the room and immediately called Alain out.  That was smart thinking. 

 

The rest of the pack wouldn't dare to go to the FF because they would assume that one of the top 3 teams had taken up the offer.  Considering 2 teams were at Perogi and 4 teams at hockey, it's hard to know who is at the other task and who is doing the FF.  Alain & Audrey never told anyone they were going for it.  In some TAR variations, the teams will ask each other "are you going for it?" so that they don't waste time competing against each other for the pass. But this is contingent upon seeing someone, which A/A did not. 

 

ETA: There can be as many as two Fast Forwards per season of TAR:US. But once you've used it, you can't take the next one when it appears.  I'm not sure if there will be two in this variation, but it's a risk some might not want to take. 

 

OK I'll say it, I know they are gold medal winners and all, AND they are in great physical shape, but are the hockey girls all that great at hockey? I know people who have watched a boys m***** triple A team play the women's national team and they weren't impressed with the women.  I know it is probably sacriledge to say it but....

 

 

While watching the gold medal mens game, a friend said to me that hockey at that level is really trying to see which team has the better goalie because essentially you're just trying to defend the net or get a goal on the opposing side's goalie.  I was surprised they couldn't get the #5, but maybe they had performance anxiety.  I mean it was rather embarrassing to watch. 

Edited August 13, 2014 by HistoryGirl

[bagatelle]

It was very fitting for Rex & Bob to go out this leg.  I totally cried when he did the dance move with the ballerina.  While he did little more than just hold her, it was quite lovely and perfect. I don't think that Rex could've asked for a better leg to be eliminated on.  Also, it was nice to see that the ballerina recognized him! 

 

It was scripted, no? It looked that way to me.  Nevertheless, I'm sad to see them go, I loved the snark.

[HistoryGirl]

It was scripted, no? It looked that way to me. Nevertheless, I'm sad to see them go, I loved the snark.

Scripted in what way? The dance move was probably edited to look spontaneous but the ballerina being there was likely fluke. They couldn't have known Rex & bob would crash and burn that leg and it's not surprising to have someone from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet there, it is probably the second most acclaimed company in Canada (behind national ballet in Toronto)

Edited August 13, 2014 by HistoryGirl

[mledawn]

OK I'll say it, I know they are gold medal winners and all, AND they are in great physical shape, but are the hockey girls all that great at hockey? I know people who have watched a boys m***** triple A team play the women's national team and they weren't impressed with the women.  I know it is probably sacriledge to say it but....

 

They are - they're just not men. They are very good at women's hockey, and doing poorly on a basic skill event will be embarrassing for them, but standing and shooting at a net isn't reflective of one's skill at the game of hockey, it's reflective of being able to stand and shoot at a net.

 

Women's hockey is not men's hockey - the differences in the physical strengths of the athletes alone play a role, in addition to the rule differences. If you're referring to the lead-up games vs m***** boys for the most recent Olympics then, yes - the women's team was unimpressive. They had major internal drama happening with the coach (who left something like 6 weeks before the Games) and a new coach was hired who had a new direction for the team. They didn't just lose to the m***** boys teams, they lost to the USA women's team over and over again.

 

Many of the women on the national team played with the boys as kids and many played AAA. The goalies in particular played with men - Shannon Szabados played junior men's and was on a team with Carey Price (NHL goalie) as a teen, and is currently signed to a pro men's tier 3 hockey team.

 

Megan played NCAA Div 1 hockey for the University of Wisconsin and was a part of a team that won back to back national championships. She was shortlisted (Top 10) as one of the best players in women's college hockey during her time there and a partial list of her awards is on her wiki page (not all her UW awards are listed)

 

Natalie played NCAA Div 1 hockey for Ohio State University and while her wiki page list of awards is longer, she doesn't have the same high-level individual accomplishments that Meagan has - but she has a lot.

 

If you haven't had a chance to watch the women's gold medal game from Sochi, or Vancouver, or the 2002 Salt Lake City game (which I couldn't find on YouTube) I encourage you to give it a whirl. It's not NHL hockey, it's women's hockey.

 

Sorry, I love hockey - LOVE IT - and the women's vs men's game stuff comes up all the time. These women are skilled at what they do, it's just not the NHL.

Edited August 13, 2014 by mledawn

[Rusun]

After the weighty tragedy of last week's elimination - to say nothing of the only other leg in the Prairies - the follow-up is a delightfully lighthearted escapade. Bravo for going out with grace, Bob and Rex.

 

Trivia: fifth female greeter in a row! (Would that be a record?)

[ottoDbusdriver]

Trivia: fifth female greeter in a row! (Would that be a record?)

 

What did the greeter say this week ?  Because I'm pretty confident that will be part of the big final roadblock (much like the flowers were last year).

[xcrayon2215x]

The hockey was so much easier than the other task, smart of Pierre/Michel to use the Express Pass. Shocked to see Natalie/Meaghan have so much trouble with the task and finish fifth. I will miss Rex/Bob they were pretty funny, I didn't mind Sukhi and Jinder this episode unlike the other two episodes before.

Edited August 13, 2014 by xcrayon2215x

[Shermie]

Sukhi and Jinder are really growing on me, but I bet Alain and Audrey win this (they seem to be getting a winners edit). Which is fine with me, as they deserve it and Alain is hawt.

S&J really plowed through that currency-flag challenge. They said they have travelled all over the world. At their age? They must be rich kids, not that there's anything wrong with that.

No surprise the ballerina greeter would recognize Rex, I assume you know the national stars in your chosen activity. Rex and Bob said on Canada AM that they took the race too seriously at first, and then decided to just chill out and enjoy the ride.

The visit Normandy next week is an excellent non-Canadian choice. Having been there, it is extremely moving to see all those endless headstones for those boys who died.

[HistoryGirl]

S&J really plowed through that currency-flag challenge. They said they have travelled all over the world. At their age? They must be rich kids, not that there's anything wrong with that.

I loved the currency challenge.  There was a crap ton of flags you had to search through (and run a distance) and you had to remember what the flag looked like.  I would've rocked that challenge- some were flags I've seen constantly throughout my life, Brazil, Portugal, Philippines, New Zealand... I was surprised that more teams didn't do better. Especially Natalie & Megan.  I mean they compete internationally!  Some of those flags should be familiar. 

[Rachel RSL]

What did the greeter say this week ? Because I'm pretty confident that will be part of the big final roadblock (much like the flowers were last year).

I mentioned that a few weeks ago too. But I noticed that one of the previous greeters didn't do it so I thought: "Well, there goes that theory." Unless they just didn't show it.

The Olympians are DEFINITELY good at hockey. Standing still and shooting at a target is definitely not the same as playing hockey.  (That's the reason I hate when international tournament games are decided by a shoot out.)

 

 

I wonder if Rex knew the greeter or if she was just a random dancer. I was thinking: "I bet that girl loses her shit when Rex walks in."  That must have been a huge thrill for her!

Edited August 13, 2014 by Rachel RSL

[UsernameFatigue]

They said they have travelled all over the world. At their age? They must be rich kids, not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

According to TARC website, the sibs (32 and 26 years of age) are entrepreneurs both at home and abroad, so I suppose some of their travels may have been business related. Their dad came to Canada with no money and did not know English, so unless he made it big in Terrace (which is a possibility) they likely did not travel as rich kids. I actually didn't mind the sibs this epi since they actually managed (unless it wasn't shown) to get through the tasks without pestering everyone else.

 

I am sad to see Rex and Bob leave, as once they stopped taking the race so seriously they were actually enjoyable to watch. Mind you I guess they may have relaxed a bit too much as there was no sense of urgency during the pierogy making task. I was amazed at how well they took the news that they were not in third place, but were actually last. I will miss their senses of humor, particuarily Bob's.

 

As for the women's vs. men's hockey, I stopped watching regular season NHL several years ago as I find the increase in fighting adds nothing to the game (at least for me). The women's 2014 Olympic Gold Medal game is one of the best I have ever seen (certainly come-back wise) and certainly gave the men's team a run for its money as far as guts and determination goes.

 

I would think the hockey players did overthink the task, but I actually am glad they didn't breeze through it. Love that the hippies got the 5 goals in 9 tries -awesome!

Edited August 13, 2014 by UsernameFatigue

[In Pog Form]

This episode was pure comedy gold.

Olympians failing at hockey. Bizarre fake rock audience. Bob and Rex nattering with the pierogi ladies, and the Francophones saying "we have aces up in our sleeves."

One of the greatest Race episodes ever.

[Camera One]

Despite the challenge of the hockey task, the perogies task seemed to take slightly longer.  They might want to balance things a bit more.  It happened one other time this season where everyone who did one task just ended up taking longer.

 

I was rooting for Rex and Bob to be out, but it sucks to think you're third and then be eliminated, and they had a much better attitude this leg.  Though I think they were alright to be done with it, whereas Nicole and Cormac would have been devastated they were eliminated.

 

The brothers are lucky... they could have been the ones out this leg.  And smart they didn't blow the express pass last week just to get first place.

[shok]

The visit Normandy next week is an excellent non-Canadian choice. Having been there, it is extremely moving to see all those endless headstones for those boys who died.

 

It really is an excellent choice. I'll bet most other TARs would have gone to Paris and climbed the Eiffel Tower or something but this is so distinctly Canadian. Plus they'll hopefully give a fair bit of history about the place and it will be educational to a lot of younger Canadians too. I think I'm going to need to keep my kleenex handy.

 

I wonder if Rex knew the greeter or if she was just a random dancer. I was thinking: "I bet that girl loses her shit when Rex walks in."  That must have been a huge thrill for her!

 

I definitely thought Rex knew the dancer. He called her by name when he said hello didn't he? I got the feeling they had danced together the way he said 'shall we' and they immediately went into a lovely dance pose that I'm guessing they had done often before. But yes, a fitting end to Rex's adventure.

[SledDog]

I definitely thought Rex knew the dancer. He called her by name when he said hello didn't he? I got the feeling they had danced together the way he said 'shall we' and they immediately went into a lovely dance pose that I'm guessing they had done often before. But yes, a fitting end to Rex's adventure.

I'm pretty sure that Rex knew her. I think he called her Vanessa. I'm not sure it was actually stated that the greeter was a current member of the Ballet. I have a suspicion that she might have been Vanessa Lawson, who was formerly a principal dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Even if it wasn't, with just two major companies, ballet in Canada is a very insular community and Rex is still a big part of that community.

Edited August 14, 2014 by SledDog

[shok]

I'm pretty sure that Rex knew her. I think he called her Vanessa. I'm not sure it was actually stated that the greeter was a current member of the Ballet. I have a suspicion that she might have been Vanessa Lawson, who was formerly a principal dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Even if it wasn't, with just two major companies, ballet in Canada is a very insular community and Rex is still a big part of that community.

I thought he called her Clarissa or Claressa - definitely someing 'essa' but you're probably right about it being Vanessa and it seems very likely that that was Vanessa Lawson. There's no doubt they would know each other well.

[SnideAsides]

It really is an excellent choice. I'll bet most other TARs would have gone to Paris and climbed the Eiffel Tower or something but this is so distinctly Canadian. Plus they'll hopefully give a fair bit of history about the place and it will be educational to a lot of younger Canadians too. I think I'm going to need to keep my kleenex handy.

Worse. TAR Australia went to Paris and visited an industrial kitchen and a dank cheese market basement. (Okay, the kitchen was at Le Cordon Bleu, but still.)

 

I loved the currency challenge.  There was a crap ton of flags you had to search through (and run a distance) and you had to remember what the flag looked like.  I would've rocked that challenge- some were flags I've seen constantly throughout my life, Brazil, Portugal, Philippines, New Zealand... I was surprised that more teams didn't do better. Especially Natalie & Megan.  I mean they compete internationally!  Some of those flags should be familiar. 

True, but there were also some very similar decoys there. I noticed both Australia and New Zealand's flags on the display, for one, and the only difference is Australia's has two extra stars while New Zealand's stars have red on them.

[Kromm]

Another great leg!

I think Megan and Natalie just over thought the hockey task. It was too basic for them.

I think they just don't do that kind of basic accuracy drill. They probably skate really fast and get the approximate wide area while doing so (which is probably the harder of the two skills) pretty well, but because normal hockey doesn't have to hit a space that small completely ignore that kind of drill.  Whereas a couple of stoners who go out on some frozen pond every winter, probably spend a lot of time standing still and shooting pucks at little rocks (or that game where you deliberately hit the goal posts--which is even smaller an area than that 5 hole).

 

Alain & Audrey cracked me up with their "NO ONE WAS AT THE FAST FORWARD!" They are my team to win.

Yes, I think of them as "The Good Frenchies" (vs. the Brothers, "The Evil Frenchies").  They're a good solid team, despite their first leg of racing. Edited August 14, 2014 by Kromm

[SledDog]

I think they just don't do that kind of basic accuracy drill. They probably skate really fast and get the approximate wide area while doing so (which is probably the harder of the two skills) pretty well, but because normal hockey doesn't have to hit a space that small completely ignore that kind of drill.  Whereas a couple of stoners who go out on some frozen pond every winter, probably spend a lot of time standing still and shooting pucks at little rocks (or that game where you deliberately hit the goal posts--which is even smaller an area than that 5 hole).

 

I just think that they aren't used to practicing with a plywood practice target of the sort they were using here. Most of the time they'd be practicing with a human being in goal, or maybe with those styrofoam target disks that you sometimes see in shooting contests.

[Kromm]

I just think that they aren't used to practicing with a plywood practice target of the sort they were using here. Most of the time they'd be practicing with a human being in goal, or maybe with those styrofoam target disks that you sometimes see in shooting contests.

The backing of the target shouldn't matter--the size of the space to hit wouldn't change between a target disk and a hole of the same size.

The human being in the goal would matter though, because your perception and actions likely change a lot based on a human presence, even if the the target area is somehow the same (although I'm not sure how it would be, since the space in the gaps around a goalie are much larger, as long as you fool him about which area to guard).

In fact it's that very last bit which is probably a lot of why they stank so much at this. Not only are they used to shooting while moving, but they're used to a target area that moves around as well.

[Miss Scarlet]

I think Natalie and Meaghan probably didn't do well because they were completing the drill with technique and speed. If they had slowed down and stopped to line themselves up with the target before they shot, like a lot of the other teams did, I think they would have gotten it faster. 

 

Sukhi and Jinder are the most unintentionally hilarious Amazing Race team ever. Lol at Jinder asking Sukhi if she knew if she was left or right handed and she responded with "Who cares??". Their hilarity outweighs the annoyance of them asking for so much help.

 

I'm still not fond of Mickey and Pete. The whole "I just had to kiss some babes" thing was so lame. One thing I always liked about Jet and Dave is that they went against the "bro" stereotype. 

 

I was underwhelmed with the road block. The preview made it seem much more exciting then it actually was. Or maybe I just wasn't that into it because I didn't like the song. I think it would have been better as a detour because it would have been fun to see both team members doing it and harder to have both of them get the song right.

 

Why 74 perogies? That seems like an odd number.

[Camera One]

ol at Jinder asking Sukhi if she knew if she was left or right handed and she responded with "Who cares??". Their hilarity outweighs the annoyance of them asking for so much help.

 

Plus Sukhi's "I don't know how to skate.  How hard can it be?"  These two are just so spacey.

[shok]

I'm pretty sure that Rex knew her. I think he called her Vanessa. I'm not sure it was actually stated that the greeter was a current member of the Ballet. I have a suspicion that she might have been Vanessa Lawson, who was formerly a principal dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Even if it wasn't, with just two major companies, ballet in Canada is a very insular community and Rex is still a big part of that community.

 

I thought he called her Clarissa or Claressa - definitely someing 'essa' but you're probably right about it being Vanessa and it seems very likely that that was Vanessa Lawson. There's no doubt they would know each other well.

 

Heh, turns out we're both wrong. According to Jon's blog, it was the RWB's current principal dancer Amanda Green. Still, I'm very sure that Rex knew her personally. :)

[etagloh]

 

Despite the challenge of the hockey task, the perogies task seemed to take slightly longer.  They might want to balance things a bit more.

 

And easy enough to do: 74 seemed like a pretty calibrated number. We don't really have a sense of how far Rex/Bob and Ryan/Rob were lagging on the Mint challenge, but perhaps the aim was to reward the teams that took the hockey side. The Detour doesn't need to be an exact balance in terms of time to complete each side: the pros / cons can mean accepting a task that's less daunting but takes more time, or one that's potentially faster but carries more risk beyond teams' control, and I'm fine with that, as long as it's not too skewed.

 

The FF worked better than it has in many recent years of TAR-USA: part of that was luck, with the lead team having a compelling alternative and the second team out-thinking themselves, but it was also a good placement in the middle of the race where teams are not as driven by self-preservation. (I'm curious about the editing around Nat/Meg's decision: it felt like they were nudged a little towards the hockey challenge.) Alain and Audrey might be kicking themselves, but they made the right tactical choice and that should serve them well in future.

 

Next leg looks very well chosen for all kinds of reasons, but from a racing perspective, it gives a slight advantage to the francophone teams, which isn't a bad thing.

[Rusun]

What did the greeter say this week ?  Because I'm pretty confident that will be part of the big final roadblock (much like the flowers were last year).

 

"Welcome to Friendly Manitoba, home of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet."

 

The FF worked better than it has in many recent years of TAR-USA: part of that was luck, with the lead team having a compelling alternative and the second team out-thinking themselves, but it was also a good placement in the middle of the race where teams are not as driven by self-preservation. (I'm curious about the editing around Nat/Meg's decision: it felt like they were nudged a little towards the hockey challenge.) Alain and Audrey might be kicking themselves, but they made the right tactical choice and that should serve them well in future.

 

For reference, here are all instances of Anglophone FFs in chronological order since the standardization of legs to twelve:

 

S14: orphanage donation in Phuket, Episode 7 (mid-game), attempted by zero of six teams (If anyone has the DVD, did footage of it make the Extras?)

S15: Autodrome lap in Dubai, Episode 4 / Leg 5 (mid-game), attempted/completed by only Meghan and Cheyne

S16: Ferris climb in Singapore, Episode 9 (late-game), attempted/completed by only Dan and Jordan

S17: sheep-head meal in Narvik, Episode 5 (mid-game), completed by Nat and Kat and attempted by Nick and Vicki

UB: none known

AUS1: head-shave in Hong Kong, Episode 3 (early-game), attempted/completed by only Richard and Joey

S19: none known

S20: toy landing in Turin, Episode 4 (early-game), attempted/completed by only Art and JJ; hay stacking in Baku, Episode 6 (mid-game), completed by Dave and Rachel and attempted/failed by Joey and Danny; and head-shave in Kochi(n), Episode 10 (late-game), attempted/completed by only Mark and Bopper

AUS2: nude modeling in Vancouver, Episode 9 (late-game), attempted/completed by only Paul and Steve

S21: rodent collection in Dhaka, Episode 4 (early-game), attempted/completed by only James and Abba and herring cruise in Amsterdam, Episode 9 (late-game), attempted/completed by only Natalie and Nadiya

S22: gator skiing in Maun, Episode 7 (mid-game), attempted/completed by only Bates and Anthony

CAN1: police-car simulation in Regina, Episode 5 out of 10 (mid-game), attempted and failed by all teams

S23: bungee jumping in Vienna, Episode 6 (mid-game), attempted/failed by only Jason and Amy

AS3: none known

CAN2: vintage advertising in Winnipeg, Episode 6 (mid-game), attempted/completed by only Alain and Audrey

AUvsNZ: ?

[TVbitch]

This race is so much better the American version has been in years. The tasks are interesting and seem truly difficult, and the "character drama" is so much less. It seems they cram more tasks into each episode too. Whereas the American version has become a lot of riding in taxis between tasks that involve finding a statue or standing there while a monkey eats something out of your hand. Well done Canada!

 

I was sad to Rex/Bob go. They were a hoot, even if a little bitchy here and there.   

This race is so much better the American version has been in years. The tasks are interesting and seem truly difficult, and the "character drama" is so much less. It seems they cram more tasks into each episode too. Whereas the American version has become a lot of riding in taxis between tasks that involve finding a statue or standing there while a monkey eats something out of your hand. Well done Canada!

 

I was sad to Rex/Bob go. They were a hoot, even if a little bitchy here and there.   

[Shermie]

Nude modelling and gator skiing? I want more information!

[Rusun]

Nude modelling and gator skiing? I want more information!

 

 

[TV Anonymous]

I think Spooner and Mikk completely overthought the hockey challenge. Any other racers made full stop at the red line after handling the puck through the cones. Then they shot. Not them, they shot when they were still moving forward. And IMO it just shows them as hockey players since there is no situation in a hockey game that a player makes a stop in front of a goalie before making a shot.

 

I love this Fast-Forward. This is the kind of FF that multiple teams can take, and the fastest one wins. In most of TAR FFs, the challenge is done in an environment that only one team can try the challenge at a time.

 

Well, all in all, I love this season of TAR-C so far, and so far it is superior in challenges than maybe the last 5 seasons of TAR. 

Edited August 25, 2014 by TV Anonymous

[Donny Ketchum]

I'm a little surprised by the sudden sadness in Rex & Bob being out, especially after the expressions of the sentiments that they should've been gone four legs ago but for Jen & Shawn's forced withdrawal.  For sure, I'm glad they're gone.  Even though I wouldn't have been sad losing Ryan & Rob because they seem to be the only wholly uninteresting team left.

 

Natalie & Meaghan dropped again.  I hope they can improve.

 

Also liked seeing Sukhi & Jinder seemingly continue their turnaround.

 

The Detour was certainly challenging, and decently balanced.  The Roadblock wasn't so bad, either.  And the flag and coin challenge rocked.

 

Still liking Natalie & Meaghan and Sukhi & Jinder the most, at this point.

[gryphon]

Wow, I loved that Rex danced with the greeter. Damn. Just choked me up for some reason. He totally knew her.  Very cool. 

I liked Rex and Bob--yes, they were a little bitchy but their humor endeared them to me.  

 

I am really into ARC now--binge watching 'til I'm caught up.  

[Harry24]

I'm binge watching this season on YouTube (I'm in the US), but this episode isn't available.  There's a video that's called Season 2 Episode 6, but it's actually a reunion episode that's VERY spoilery.  Can anyone suggest where a Yank might watch this episode?

[shok]

Sorry I can't help you Harry24 but I wish you luck in finding it because it was a good one, especially the hockey challenge. If the YouTube is of the midway reunion, it's not that spoilery except for the Ep 6 losers so you'd be pretty safe in watching it. They had a wrap-up reunion after the final episode and that one, of course, you wouldn't want to see yet.

 

Are you enjoying the first half of the season? We Canucks thought the whole race was great and it would be interesting to get an American perspective.

[Rusun]

I'm binge watching this season on YouTube (I'm in the US), but this episode isn't available.  There's a video that's called Season 2 Episode 6, but it's actually a reunion episode that's VERY spoilery.  Can anyone suggest where a Yank might watch this episode?

 

Do check your P-TV inbox for the answer. :)

 

Are you enjoying the first half of the season? We Canucks thought the whole race was great and it would be interesting to get an American perspective.

 

As one of his compatriots, I'd like to know your Canadian take on Season 25 via PM, shok. ;)

 

Updated to the present!

 

For reference, here are all instances of Anglophone FFs in chronological order since the standardization of legs to twelve:

 

S14: orphanage donation in Phuket, Episode 7 (mid-game), attempted by zero of six teams (If anyone has the DVD, did footage of it make the Extras?)

S15: Autodrome lap in Dubai, Episode 4 / Leg 5 (mid-game), attempted/completed by only Meghan and Cheyne

S16: Ferris climb in Singapore, Episode 9 (late-game), attempted/completed by only Dan and Jordan

S17: sheep-head meal in Narvik, Episode 5 (mid-game), completed by Nat and Kat and attempted by Nick and Vicki

UB: none known

AUS1: head-shave in Hong Kong, Episode 3 (early-game), attempted/completed by only Richard and Joey

S19: none known

S20: toy landing in Turin, Episode 4 (early-game), attempted/completed by only Art and JJ; hay stacking in Baku, Episode 6 (mid-game), completed by Dave and Rachel and attempted/failed by Joey and Danny; and head-shave in Kochi(n), Episode 10 (late-game), attempted/completed by only Mark and Bopper

AUS2: nude modeling in Vancouver, Episode 9 (late-game), attempted/completed by only Paul and Steve

S21: rodent collection in Dhaka, Episode 4 (early-game), attempted/completed by only James and Abba and herring cruise in Amsterdam, Episode 9 (late-game), attempted/completed by only Natalie and Nadiya

S22: gator skiing in Maun, Episode 7 (mid-game), attempted/completed by only Bates and Anthony

CAN1: police-car simulation in Regina, Episode 5 out of 10 (mid-game), attempted and failed by all teams

S23: bungee jumping in Vienna, Episode 6 (mid-game), attempted/failed by only Jason and Amy

AS3: none known

CAN2: vintage advertising in Winnipeg, Episode 6 (mid-game), attempted/completed by only Alain and Audrey and nude modeling in Montreal, Episode 9 (late-game), completed by Sukhi and Jinder and attempted/failed by Ryan and Rob

AUvsNZ: head-shave in Dubrovnik, Episode 8 out of 10 (late-game), attempted/completed by only Daniel and Ryan

S25: wave-surfing in Singapore, Episode 9 (late-game), completed by Adam and Bethany and attempted/failed by Kym and Alli

 

[shok]

 

As one of his compatriots, I'd like to know your Canadian take on Season 25 via PM, shok. ;)

 

I tried, I really did, but twice I got fairly lengthy messages typed up and lost both of them to cyberspace gremlins. My computer is acting up and I'm just too frustrated to try again. Maybe later. :(