S34.E10: Don't Look Down

[Whimsy]

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In Ronda, Spain, the teams must build an arch brick by brick or dress for success.

Original airdate 11/23/22

[mojoween]

Well that sucks, Michael and Marcus were my absolute favorite.  That damn painting sunk their entire day.

[Meowwww]

I HATE Derek.  He’s always on the sidelines criticizing while Clare does the challenges.  He’s a wuss and a coward.  Ugh.  

[30 Helens]

What do you do when your favorite team (Derek and Claire) teams up with your least favorite team (Aubrey and David)? Do you root for or against? Maybe you split the difference and just go with Luis and Michelle, because they are awesome. I like them more every leg.

I was laughing when Claire was freaking out (“Don’t talk to me!”), but only because I would be so much worse. I am terrified of heights, and I would probably freeze halfway across, screaming and swearing at everyone and everything in my path.

10 minutes ago, Meowwww said:

I HATE Derek.  He’s always on the sidelines criticizing while Clare does the challenges.  He’s a wuss and a coward.  Ugh.  

You mean like when he was yelling “Go Claire! You can do it!” and feeling bad that she had to be out there? Yeah, that was pretty terrible.

I hated to see the brothers go out, but I didn’t want to lose the sisters, either. Amazing that she managed to scoot across that line with a bad knee. A really strong effort by everyone involved.

[RunningMarket]

I definitely felt for Claire, because just like @30 Helens I would be worse too. (I took a chairlift this summer, and it wasn't pretty.) And then she had the wherewithal to apologize! I didn't think Derek was criticizing her either. I immediately had Austin Power thoughts too, and laughed out loud at the "5 minutes later". Did anyone else also yell PIVOT?! 😆

The dressing the dancer seemed the easier of the two, but could have been more physical if you had to run back and forth multiple times. (It didn't look easy slamming those final bricks in, however.)

I like all the teams left, but at this point a slight lean towards Luis and Michelle. I will be surprised if Emily and Molly make it to the final leg with the knee issues.

[One Imaginary Girl]

In the early days of the pandemic, my home computer had a picture of an ancient bridge or aqueduct on the login screen. I couldn't figure out where it was, and it cycled out and never reappeared.  Now I know.  Thanks, Amazing Race.

Edited November 24, 2022 by One Imaginary Girl

[Fretful]

YAY! To a postcard with a picture of the location of the  clue.

Michelle's energy is infectious, but also "this close" to being annoying.  Luis does bug me, I think he feels less authentic than Michelle.  Still, they're racing well, and if they win they deserve it.

How is it that only one team knew which flag to look identify (because of the Tour Guide) but they all got it on the first try.  Were the other flags obviously wrong?

[Skooma]

4 hours ago, Meowwww said:

I HATE Derek.  He’s always on the sidelines criticizing while Clare does the challenges.  He’s a wuss and a coward.  Ugh.  

I never once saw Derek criticize Clare.  On the contrary I see him being very supportive and caring towards her.

I still would love to see the Twins win but can the editors be more obvious that they don't with THE leg coming up 95% of the time they get screen time.  I feel for the injured twin but I'd like to get to know them more sans THE leg.

I wish the Brothers had not been eliminated.  I liked them.  The couple I do not know the name of and were helped last episode by Derek & Clare I wish were gone instead.  They are like wallpaper to me.  In the background adding nothing.

The other couple that won this "MEGA" leg (did you know it was a MEGA leg, glad they reminded me about 50 times between these two episodes) I'm liking.  The guy said his parents were from Spain and he so reminds me of a close friend of mine from Spain himself in that he is the most positive and confident person I've ever met in my life and has such a great and fun and embracing outlook on the world.  So I've come to like that couple.

Edited November 24, 2022 by Skooma

[aghst]

6 hours ago, mojoween said:

Well that sucks, Michael and Marcus were my absolute favorite.  That damn painting sunk their entire day.

Yeah one task put them so far behind that even though the other teams slipped up on navigation or doing the tasks towards the end they couldn't make it up.

That's rough.

But even though they dominated the earlier legs, I don't think they're better than the other teams overall.

I think they peaked early as did the twins.  Their performances on the more recent legs have not been as strong as in the earlier legs.  One of the twins is hobbled but the twins were making mistakes, not as good on details as they were in the early legs.

I don't know if the brother were ever that strong on observing details but the latest legs had more of those detail-oriented detours and road blocks.

Meanwhile, the dancer teams seem to have improved their games so they're on the upswing.

I booked a trip which will include Ronda, can't wait.  They really didn't show the views from the bridge or the mirador where the pit stop is.

2 hours ago, Fretful said:

YAY! To a postcard with a picture of the location of the  clue.

Michelle's energy is infectious, but also "this close" to being annoying.  Luis does bug me, I think he feels less authentic than Michelle.  Still, they're racing well, and if they win they deserve it.

How is it that only one team knew which flag to look identify (because of the Tour Guide) but they all got it on the first try.  Were the other flags obviously wrong?

I wondered if the couple was always so positive with each other in real life or if they had decided to be positive on the show.

Or do they like other couples get annoyed with little things about each other?

Their enthusiasm seems real and when they learned that she would have to do some thrill-seeking task, they both laughed because they knew she loved doing them.

[Purple Hyatt]

On 11/24/2022 at 4:06 AM, aghst said:

I wondered if the couple was always so positive with each other in real life or if they had decided to be positive on the show.

Or do they like other couples get annoyed with little things about each other?

Their enthusiasm seems real and when they learned that she would have to do some thrill-seeking task, they both laughed because they knew she loved doing them.

They have a youtube channel (where they just started doing recaps) and it's 100% them.  They are great!  Lots of BTS with other racers too.

https://www.youtube.com/@croquetachat

Edited November 26, 2022 by Purple Hyatt

[PurpleTentacle]

Last week I predicted the finishing order according to what you could see in the talking heads. Let's see how I did.

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1. Luis & Michelle

2. Aubrey & David

3. Derek & Claire

4. Emily & Molly

5. Marcus & Michael

Yep, 100% right. Kinda sad when it's that obvious.

[PurpleTentacle]

6 hours ago, Fretful said:

How is it that only one team knew which flag to look identify (because of the Tour Guide) but they all got it on the first try.  Were the other flags obviously wrong?

I'm sure they all had the flag from the tour guide in their subconcious. It didn't look like any of the other flags, so somewhere deep in their brain they remembered green and white.

4 hours ago, Skooma said:

I never once saw Derek criticize Clare.  On the contrary I see him being very supportive and caring towards her.

Yeah, sometimes he is teasing her a bit, but Claire does the same to him. It's just their dynamic, it seems.

They do come off as a bit uncomfortable with PDA and that may be a bit offputting to some, as it might come across cold, but I just think it's adorable and am sure they are very affectionate behind closed doors.

4 hours ago, aghst said:

Yeah one task put them so far behind that even though the other teams slipped up on navigation or doing the tasks towards the end they couldn't make it up.

Even if the editors made it seem like that in the talking heads, I doubt it was that one task. They did see the twins at the fishes, but were never seen with another team after.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was some trouble navigating in between. Also the brick task seemed way more time consuming than I would have originally thought. From the position of the sun during the talking heads it wasn't even close. They were way behind.

I'm curious to listen to their exit interview on RHAP. Usually teams there do talk about how far behind they really were.

[Lady Calypso]

7 hours ago, Fretful said:

How is it that only one team knew which flag to look identify (because of the Tour Guide) but they all got it on the first try.  Were the other flags obviously wrong?

Well, the green probably stood out to all the teams. The subconscious probably kicked in for all of them if they remembered seeing a green flag, and putting that flag in the middle probably helped draw their eyes to that one. 

If production had put all green-like flags at the roadblock, I bet there would be way more back and forth.

Not a lot of Molly/Emily or Michael/Marcus. They really showcased more of the other three teams, leaving the back group to get maybe 10 minutes total. But a shame about Michael/Marcus getting eliminated. I really liked seeing them race; they just had a BAD first roadblock that set them back too far. I wonder, had they chosen the Dress detour, if they could have caught up. It's clear they were very behind Molly/Emily, as the twins finished the second roadblock before Michael/Marcus arrived.

I REALLY like Luis/Michelle. I enjoy their infectious excitement, even Michelle's, and think they're my number one team to win. I LOVED both of them laughing at Michelle getting the heights roadblock because she loved doing it.

I do like Derek/Claire as well and get why they worked with Aubrey/David, though I wish it wasn't the entire time. I fully get Claire's reaction to the heights challenge. I can't say I wouldn't react the same way. I get how anxiety manifests in different ways. I did have a tiny laugh at Aubrey trying to talk to Claire, Claire asking to "please don't talk to [her]" and Aubrey sheepishly saying "but talking is helping ME..."

Honestly, I like ALL the teams left, even Aubrey/David. I'd be content with any of them winning.

[iMonrey]

I normally have little sympathy for freak-outs over height challenges. It's the Amazing Race, they always have them. I'll never forget that one girl screaming because she was too afraid to go down the waterslide.

But I did feel for both Claire and Aubrey. I know they are tethered above by another wire, but how confident would you feel about that holding up your weight if you fell? And that bridge was pretty awesome. A real structural marvel. 

On the flip side, mad props for Emily just moving right along that line with no drama. And Michelle's utter joy in doing it.

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How is it that only one team knew which flag to look identify (because of the Tour Guide) but they all got it on the first try.  Were the other flags obviously wrong?

I did raise an eyebrow at that. The cynic in me wants to say the guy on the clue side of the rope whispered the answer to them, seeing how freaked out they were. The odds that none of them had to do it more than once seem pretty small. 

Quote

They have a youtube channel and it's 100% them. 

Ugh, and here I thought we were lucky not to have any social media personalities this season. Although I guess everyone has something these days. But now I'm getting a Kim and Penn vibe from them, and it certainly looks like they're the team to beat. I'm not sure they'd be doing an hour and a half YouTube shows for every episode if they came in 2nd or 3rd.

Honestly, I've warmed up to them somewhat, but they're never going to be my favorite. I'll be OK if they win but not that excited about it.

[PurpleTentacle]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

I did raise an eyebrow at that. The cynic in me wants to say the guy on the clue side of the rope whispered the answer to them, seeing how freaked out they were. The odds that none of them had to do it more than once seem pretty small. 

It's not hard to believe that they remembered seeing a green and white flag somewhere along the way. If there had been any other flags that looked remotely similar to chose from, I'd think it was weird as well, but not this way.

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Ugh, and here I thought we were lucky not to have any social media personalities this season. Although I guess everyone has something these days. But now I'm getting a Kim and Penn vibe from them, and it certainly looks like they're the team to beat. I'm not sure they'd be doing an hour and a half YouTube shows for every episode if they came in 2nd or 3rd.

They aren't Youtube stars. They have like 9 videos before their TAR-Podcast and those are 4 to 6 year old wedding and vacation videos.

Edited November 24, 2022 by PurpleTentacle

[sinycalone]

The Andalusian flag was definitely different than the others...and not just the color.  Plus, as others have said, they had seen it earlier.  I suspect it's flown in multiple places around the city...not just carried by that tour guide.

[Tiggertoo]

I would have been Claire walking across that tightrope, plus the breakdown afterwards.

I admire Emily (Molly?) so much.  She was so matter of fact, checking out the flags while walking across.

And I can’t even imagine what it’s like to be like Michelle and be so excited to do the tightrope challenge.  Does not compute for me.

[aradia22]

I have been to Ronda so that made the episode extra fun for me. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in person. TAR didn't do it justice. You feel like you're in a painting; that's how beautifully unreal it is to look out over those mountains. I don't know about the flamenco Detour but all the other locations are pretty close together (walking distance) so there wasn't a big opportunity to shake up placement unless you really screwed up tasks. If they're going to choose locations where everything is so close together, the tasks need to be more difficult.

Am I disappointed that Marcus and Michael are out? Yes. They were my early favorites. But it helped that they were in a mess of their own making and that they really seemed to know they'd be out near the end so they had a good time and weren't stressing too much. It wasn't a miserable crawl to the mat. 

Also, I think I'm convincing myself to like Luis and Michelle now that they could win. The only team that would be a little lackluster for me now is David and Aubrey. David seems quite sweet; Aubrey is just... a lot. 

The editors were being shady with that "5 minutes later" thing when Derek was trying to turn in that tight street.

I know the flamenco dancer was a memory challenge and not a dance challenge but it truly feels like they built in more dance challenges than ever this season. What would they have done if all the dancers had been eliminated early? 

Again, I wonder if there's something requiring at least one team to do a Detour. It was difficult to tell for sure whether the brick task or the dancer task was more difficult. The bricks were only one location but it seemed like Marcus and Michael also muscled them into place a little in a way the other teams wouldn't have been able to do without tools. The dancer task required them to find the store as well and there seemed to be more running around (which really only seemed tough on Emily and Molly with the leg injury). I did appreciate that they went to an actual store which made the task a lot more difficult than the usual display with just a few options to choose from. Was there any rule about only taking one of each item at a time?

We got some more collaboration this leg. I think the tasks were so quick that the help didn't matter too much (and wouldn't really have upset placement). Derek and Claire did have the advantage of pairing with a Spanish speaking team which I'm sure helped with directions. They got help on the castanets but that was also poorly designed because if you were there at the same time as another team, you could just look over at what they got right. It only reset in between... before Molly and Emily showed up. I think Aubrey helped Claire pick the right flag but I'm fine with that because I didn't need to see Claire melt down for any longer than she did. 

The rope walk + flag task was hilarious to me as a concept. I wish it had been more difficult... like put some fake flags so they look almost identical but that probably would have been too traumatizing to those with a fear of heights to have to keep repeating the task. 

[Hera]

14 hours ago, Fretful said:

How is it that only one team knew which flag to look identify (because of the Tour Guide) but they all got it on the first try.  Were the other flags obviously wrong?

As others have said, seeing the flag with the tour guide (or just around Andalusia) earlier primed everyone to pick the right one. It looked familiar even if they couldn't quite place it. It's like a multiple choice test—sometimes you recognize the right answer because you remember seeing it before, not necessarily because you know it's the right answer.

7 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

If production had put all green-like flags at the roadblock, I bet there would be way more back and forth.

Agreed. And teachers who want to set difficult multiple choice questions can do this as well—make the potential answers differ from each other in very subtly different ways so that you can't rely on a vague sense of familiarity to help you choose the right one. On the other hand, for purposes of the race, you need balance. If you make teams go back and forth too many times, that's boring. But if two flags are very similar and the others are not, then it's too easy to meta-game since you know the right answer will be one of the two.

7 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I did have a tiny laugh at Aubrey trying to talk to Claire, Claire asking to "please don't talk to [her]" and Aubrey sheepishly saying "but talking is helping ME..."

It was clear from Claire's reaction once the task was over just how bad her fear was, so it's hard to be mad at her for snapping at people during it, but man, poor Aubrey just wanted someone to distract herself with and commiserate with. I felt a bit bad for Aubrey and the person near the clues who had to help Claire over the railing.

In terms of teams and leg placement, this has been a fairly high variance season. David and Aubrey mentioned that they were the only team left who hadn't won a leg yet. I'd be fine with any of the teams winning, especially now that Marcus and Michael are out—not because I disliked Marcus and Michael—they were fine, though they were probably my least favorite team remaining; though that's not saying much because I found all the teams this season pretty likeable except for the motivational speakers. But teams of athletic men have historically done well on the race, and it's nice to see a season that isn't so tilted towards that skill set.

[aradia22]

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I HATE Derek.  He’s always on the sidelines criticizing while Clare does the challenges.  He’s a wuss and a coward.  Ugh.  

Quote

Yeah, sometimes he is teasing her a bit, but Claire does the same to him. It's just their dynamic, it seems.

I have complained about Derek's behavior (and I stand by those complaints) but he seemed fine this episode. It was a weird choice to send Claire out there when she is SO afraid of heights just because it was a memory challenge. What's their split like on Roadblocks? Did she have to do this one? The worst thing you could say is that he wasn't as supportive as David (such a sweet hug) but Claire really didn't seem to want to be touched or comforted much when she got back. Though again, I've never seen her teasing him back when he says something critical. 

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Amazing that she managed to scoot across that line with a bad knee. A really strong effort by everyone involved.

I think they took an alternate path (I remember ridiculous stairs that I refused to go down) but either way, it's very steep and she had to do a lot of walking to get down there. She's really powering through her injury. I hope she's healing well now. 

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How is it that only one team knew which flag to look identify (because of the Tour Guide) but they all got it on the first try.  Were the other flags obviously wrong?

I think one was green and purple. And another was yellow and red. So... kinda. 

I think letting go of Michael and Marcus is also tough because it was nice to have two sibling teams. Long lost siblings and age gap (8 years) siblings who don't get to see each other often. They brought in an interesting dynamic. If Emily and Molly go next and the only variation is that Derek and Claire are a newer couple? Meh. How have friend teams been doing lately? I don't think they cast friend teams well enough this season (though Quinton/Mattie were pretty strong except for navigation). 

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I still would love to see the Twins win but can the editors be more obvious that they don't with THE leg coming up 95% of the time they get screen time.  I feel for the injured twin but I'd like to get to know them more sans THE leg.

I wonder if they're not giving the editors soundbites they like. Obviously they're going to talk about her leg organically every episode but I've noticed them repeating the same clip about wanting to spend more time together. 

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But even though they dominated the earlier legs, I don't think they're better than the other teams overall.

I think they peaked early as did the twins.  Their performances on the more recent legs have not been as strong as in the earlier legs.  One of the twins is hobbled but the twins were making mistakes, not as good on details as they were in the early legs.

I don't know if the brother were ever that strong on observing details but the latest legs had more of those detail-oriented detours and road blocks.

I disagree. I do think they're stronger than the other teams generally. But it's stressful to fight from the back of the pack and with the burnout at this point of the race (and Emily's injury), I don't think either team has been coping well. It doesn't help that the task design doesn't have a lot of room for shaking up placement. When you're stressed, you're going to make more mistakes. Emily and Molly had to repeat the flamenco dancer task way too many times. Also, I think Michael is the more detail-oriented brother (so Marcus should not have done the painting)... but Michael also forgot his keys so he's not above mistakes. 

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Ugh, and here I thought we were lucky not to have any social media personalities this season. 

Doesn't Derek want to be an influencer? I remember someone posting a youtube video. I get that contestants are going to see what happens if they've been popular on the race. It's less annoying than people who come on the show who already have their youtube branded personalities. And at least it's not like Bachelor Nation where they all try to start podcasts. The world does not need any more podcasts.

[threebluestars]

I so identified with Clare breaking down afterwards. That happens to me ALL the time if I have to do something out of my comfort zone. I don't panic in the moment, but I'll have a full on attack after it's over, like I've been saving up all the bad feelings to release when I know I'm not in danger lol.

I was glad not to lose the twins, they're my favourites along with Clare and Derek.

[Tango64]

If I ever have to do a height-related task on The Amazing Race, I’m going to reassure myself about the over engineered safety measures by chanting “CBS lawyers will not let me die, CBS lawyers will not let me die….”

[Browncoat]

1 hour ago, aradia22 said:

It was a weird choice to send Claire out there when she is SO afraid of heights just because it was a memory challenge.

They didn't know it was a heights challenge until they already chose Claire on the basis of it being a memory challenge.

[DEL901]

1 hour ago, aradia22 said:

I have complained about Derek's behavior (and I stand by those complaints) but he seemed fine this episode. It was a weird choice to send Claire out there when she is SO afraid of heights just because it was a memory challenge. What's their split like on Roadblocks? Did she have to do this one? 

From the clue, there was no hint about heights that I recall, just memory and once it was he, she couldn’t change.  I give he4 great props for not breaking down until she was done.   That said, all the teams should have been expecting a heights challenge at some point…this is Ronda…after all, even if they didn’t know any before, they could see where it was situated. 

The brothers blew any chance of a comeback (which would have also depended on someone messing up) at the arch task when the judge said no the first time. Instead of checking over their work and finding the one place the forgot the lirttle stones, they took it apart and redid it. 

[tinkerbell]

1 hour ago, aradia22 said:

have complained about Derek's behavior (and I stand by those complaints) but he seemed fine this episode. It was a weird choice to send Claire out there when she is SO afraid of heights just because it was a memory challenge. What's their split like on Roadblocks? Did she have to do this one? 

They decided Claire would do it only knowing what the clue said - .memory, or attention to detail - by the time they knew it was a height challenge, it was too late to change. That's the way the show has always been. The clue to the task reveals very little. The teams have to decide who will do it without knowing the task.

[xcrayon2215x]

I thought Marcus and Michael would go further. That being said, I do like Emily and Molly. Luis and Michelle dominated this leg a lot, Claire broke down a lot today.

[aradia22]

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That said, all the teams should have been expecting a heights challenge at some point…this is Ronda…after all, even if they didn’t know any before, they could see where it was situated. 

Agreed. I went back to check. The hint was "who's been paying attention?" Arguably they should have been paying attention to the picture that brought them to Ronda in the first place.

I can't remember what the clue was when they were in France at the castle doing the matches with the family tree.

[Fake Jan Brady]

17 hours ago, Skooma said:

I still would love to see the Twins win but can the editors be more obvious that they don't with THE leg coming up 95% of the time they get screen time.  I feel for the injured twin but I'd like to get to know them more sans THE leg.

This is why I'm hoping they might win; they actually have a storyline and, even better, it's about overcoming the odds.

The other three teams are just interchangeable dating couples [once of which has been on TV before, so I guess there's that].

[UncleChuck]

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YAY! To a postcard with a picture of the location of the  clue.

I was hoping that one of the teams would have seen "MEGALEG" printed on the postcard and then spent twenty minutes looking at a map for a location named MeGALeg somewhere in Spain. 

I was also not sad to see the brothers Philiminated.  They were good racers, but often acted like they just assumed they would be FIRST every leg, and were butt-hurt whenever they were not first.  Their cockiness brought them down.  Along with a big plexiglass puzzle.

[North of Eden]

The constant helping is just getting gross. Teams waiting around for the other team to finish? It's a race!

Liking Derek and Claire less and less each passing week. Claire was downright nasty to Aubrey and the challenge handler. These things are probably checked six ways to sunday. They aren't going to let you die Claire. I don't know if it makes me a bad person but I was hoping she'd get the wrong flag and have to do it all again.

I like the twins but constantly hearing about Emily's leg...not so much. I wonder if one of them dyes their hair or the other is just prematurely gray.

Brother's went out with class.

Maybe it's just me but I wouldn;t trust walking under those centuries old arches at the bathhouse.

Michelle and hubby for the win! That would be best case scenario. Worst case scenario is Derek and Claire winning but I would accept that as a happy coda for their reality show experience to make up for the complete shafting they got as pawns for The Cookout.

Edited November 25, 2022 by North of Eden

[OlderThanDirt]

Ronda is a beautiful place and how fun to drive up there from the coast in those convertibles! That window on the "new" bridge,  (as compared to the "old"bridge built by the Romans) was the prison and people were executed by pushing them out the window. Probably not something the racers needed to know before their Roadblock. 

How many Roadblocks has Derrick done? It seems like it's always Claire.

[30 Helens]

7 hours ago, DEL901 said:

The brothers blew any chance of a comeback (which would have also depended on someone messing up) at the arch task when the judge said no the first time. Instead of checking over their work and finding the one place the forgot the lirttle stones, they took it apart and redid it. 

I can’t be sure, but it may have been impossible to just correct the bad spot. The way those bricks were depending on each other for support, I feel like removing one or two would have made the whole thing collapse anyway. I think their fatal mistake was simply choosing that task.  It looked so much harder than the other one— at least the way they did it. It looked like some bricks were still missing their intermediate stones at the end, and that’s why they had to force that last brick in to create the pressure. 

[Browncoat]

6 hours ago, North of Eden said:

Claire was downright nasty to Aubrey and the challenge handler. These things are probably checked six ways to sunday. They aren't going to let you die Claire.

And Claire apologized for her behavior.  Certainly better than I could have done under the circumstances!  I'd be so terrified, it would have taken me a LOT longer to do that challenge.  I admire her for just getting over the barrier and getting on with it!  TAR might have all the safety measures in place, but that doesn't mean all fears are alleviated.  I empathize with Claire a lot on this challenge -- not talking to me and not helping me works better for me as well -- I have to just focus and concentrate.  And usually take many deep breaths for many minutes before being able to cross even a normal swinging bridge, much less a tiny wire.

[chaifan]

10 hours ago, North of Eden said:

Liking Derek and Claire less and less each passing week. Claire was downright nasty to Aubrey and the challenge handler. These things are probably checked six ways to sunday. They aren't going to let you die Claire. I don't know if it makes me a bad person but I was hoping she'd get the wrong flag and have to do it all again.

The whole thing about fears is that they are irrational.  No amount of reasoning "oh, they aren't going to let me die" is going to overcome a legit fear of heights.  We can tell from Claire's post-challenge breakdown that this was a legit fear.  Not just a "oooh, heights are scary" thing.  If she were a generally nasty person the whole race then I'd attribute her snaps as base personality.  But as far as we've seen, she's not like that normally.  This was high stress, and she was trying to get through it without going full on panic attack.  In my book, she gets a break for that.  And, she apologized once she had her feet on the ground. 

I also give a pass to Molly and Emily for all of the knee talk, as well as the "we are just happy to be spending time together" theme.  We know production prompts racers with specific questions that often lead to talking about a specific subject over and over.  But, it's also I think it's normal for Molly to be checking in with Emily about her knee.  And, they may not be talking a lot about other things just to maintain concentration.  So I can see how there's not a lot of other good sound bites to choose from with this team.

I loved Luis & Michelle's "dance break" after she finished the wire challenge.  They were really fun to watch during that challenge.  I love seeing a racer get so geeked out about being able to to do a challenge they really love. 

I did not mind Claire/Derek and Aubrey/David helping each other.  It actually made sense at the Flamenco challenge.  They knew Luis and Michelle were ahead, so they weren't racing each other for first at that point.  And they knew two other teams were behind.  Making sure you stay in 2nd or 3rd place, even if that means bringing another team along with you, makes sense.  And this was a challenge that more eyes helped.   If you're looking at it from a "Aubrey/David owed them one" standpoint, this was the perfect place to return the fish favor, as it made little difference and also helped out Aubrey & David in the end. 

So here's my question for people who have been to Ronda...  are those wire walks normally there?  Are they a tourist thing, or maintenance access wires, or what?  I can't imagine they'd let TAR drill serious holes into a centuries old bridge just for a challenge. 

I really want Emily & Molly to get into the final 3.  I'd love for them to win, but that so much depends on Emily's knee.  At this point, I like all the teams, so I'm not actively rooting against anyone. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

The Andalusian flag was definitely different than the others...and not just the color.  Plus, as others have said, they had seen it earlier.  I suspect it's flown in multiple places around the city...not just carried by that tour guide.

Well sure, but without fail every single one of them got up to the flags and stated they had no idea which one it was. Maybe they thought it over and remembered the tour guide/clue-giver holding the right flag, but we never saw any of them say this. On top of that, both Aubrey and Claire were on the verge of hysteria by the time they got to the flags, and not only did they not seem to know which one it was but I'm sure they could barely think straight at that point. 

So, either all five of them had a sudden lightbulb moment the editors chose not to show us (for suspense), or {tinfoil hat on} someone whispered the answer in their ear to avoid a complete meltdown. {/tinfoil hat off}

[aradia22]

Quote

TAR might have all the safety measures in place, but that doesn't mean all fears are alleviated. 

I assumed there was also a small chance of falling. Like, if you step incorrectly, you can be left dangling from the harness. If you're feeling how shaky it is, I assume that's the fear more than TPTB letting you die. 

Quote

So here's my question for people who have been to Ronda...  are those wire walks normally there?  Are they a tourist thing, or maintenance access wires, or what?  I can't imagine they'd let TAR drill serious holes into a centuries old bridge just for a challenge. 

I do not remember any wire walks. This was maybe 2016 or 2018. 

[Yogisbooboo64]

12 hours ago, UncleChuck said:

I was also not sad to see the brothers Philiminated.  They were good racers, but often acted like they just assumed they would be FIRST every leg, and were butt-hurt whenever they were not first.  Their cockiness brought them down. 

THIS!  Precisely why I couldn't stand them.

12 hours ago, North of Eden said:

Claire was downright nasty to Aubrey and the challenge handler. These things are probably checked six ways to sunday. They aren't going to let you die Claire. I don't know if it makes me a bad person but I was hoping she'd get the wrong flag and have to do it all again.

I like the twins but constantly hearing about Emily's leg...not so much.

I would have been like Claire too, I hate heights and if I have to do the challenge, the last thing I need to be doing is talking or having someone talk to me.

I thought I was the only one re:  Emily's leg.  I love the twins, but unless she gets that leg looked at, then I'm fine with them being the next eliminated.

Cain't believe I'm gonna say this, but...I actually liked Luis and Michelle this eppy!  Go figure.  Anywho, if Claire and Derek don't win first place then I wouldn't have a problem with Luis and Michelle winning.

[OlderThanDirt]

I was in Ronda in the mid 90s and didn't see any wire walking. Based on Phil's description of the entry into Ronda I thought he said they had to find the tour guide holding the Andalusian flag.  With all their emphasis on remembering details  of greeters, etc, I'm sure they remembered the green flag once they took a breath.

[Angeltoes]

Quote

I'll never forget that one girl screaming because she was too afraid to go down the waterslide.

This was one of my favorite TAR scenes!  She's boohooing and carrying on.  The Harlem Globetrotters were the team behind her.  In a flash one of them runs up, pushes her out of the way and throws himself down the slide.  

[Libby]

I liked all 5 of these teams. I will be happy whoever wins. This is the first time that I've ever felt this way in the history of the show. It's fun to watch the end knowing that I'll be happy no matter who wins. This season had a very likable cast. Very enjoyable.

[dgpolo]

1 hour ago, Angeltoes said:

In a flash one of them runs up, pushes her out of the way and throws himself down the slide. 

Not quite, if anyone had laid a hand on her they would have been disqualified. Even her partner could not push her down the slide. Once another team showed up they had to go down the slide in a certain amount of time, if they didn't then the next team got to go, as soon as the time was up the Globetrotters went down the slide.

[PurpleTentacle]

10 hours ago, chaifan said:

The whole thing about fears is that they are irrational. 

Well that's not true. There are a bunch of rational fears to have. I'd say most of my fears are rational.

The only irrational fear that comes to mind is actually my fear of heights. But that isn't a fear that puts me in a panic or makes me freak out. I just get dizzy and my legs get weak. So I'd probably be fine with bungee jumping or repelling, but this task wouldn't have been great for me. You need some leg strength to traverse a steel cable...

But to the point of Claire: I don't begrudge anybody being a bit short with somebody if they are scared out of their mind. It wasn't like she was calling Aubrey names or anything. She was just a bit curt.

[Skooma]

On 11/24/2022 at 4:47 PM, aradia22 said:

Again, I wonder if there's something requiring at least one team to do a Detour.

And again, no there is NO requirement that at least one team do the other detour.  Never has been and many MANY times over all the countless seasons the "other" detour was an orphan.  And near the end of the Race with say the final three teams left it is even higher odds that all three do the same detour and the other is never chosen.

On 11/24/2022 at 11:47 PM, North of Eden said:

Maybe it's just me but I wouldn't trust walking under those centuries old arches at the bathhouse.

Given that it IS a "centuries old" bridge it will probably stand for centuries more as in it was made to last unlike modern bridges that are lucky to survive a couple of decades before they start falling apart.  There was a time when people took pride in the quality of what they built and it wasn't all about money and greed leading to shoddy workmanship.  What they said about the tremendous strength of using the arch is right too.

23 hours ago, iMonrey said:

So, either all five of them had a sudden lightbulb moment the editors chose not to show us (for suspense), or {tinfoil hat on} someone whispered the answer in their ear to avoid a complete meltdown. {/tinfoil hat off}

No one was whispering the answer.  That would be tampering with the outcome of the Race possibly and TAR doesn't do that crap.  The flag was the flag of Andalusia and not only did the clue holder wave it around earlier that leg but I am sure it was flying all over the town as well.  Also easy to rule out both the Spanish flag and the one that looked a little like or was the Cuban flag which left 2 red herrings and those flags didn't look like anything the Racers had ever seen.

Edited November 26, 2022 by Skooma

[Teriacky]

That wire task would have killed me. I’m not afraid of heights. I’m afraid of FALLING from heights. 
 

if the long lost sisters were to win and Phil asked them what they would do with their winnings I  imagine Emily would answer “I’m using the money for knee replacement surgery.”

[RunningMarket]

28 minutes ago, Teriacky said:

That wire task would have killed me. I’m not afraid of heights. I’m afraid of FALLING from heights. 
 

if the long lost sisters were to win and Phil asked them what they would do with their winnings I  imagine Emily would answer “I’m using the money for knee replacement surgery.”

YES! This is an important distinction. Inside the Space Needle? Enjoying the view. Outside on the observation deck where I can feel the air? Gripping onto the side like it's the end of the Titanic.

These last two episodes have reignited a desire to go back to Spain. 

[chaifan]

10 hours ago, Skooma said:

And again, no there is NO requirement that at least one team do the other detour.  Never has been and many MANY times over all the countless seasons the "other" detour was an orphan. 

If I remember correctly, there have been a handful of times where there were only X number of set ups on a specific detour, so only the first X number of teams who arrived could do that one.  The other teams were forced to the other detour task.  I'm not recalling anything specific, but I seem to remember a few instances like this over the years.  However, it was announced in advance, was on the clue, etc.

But I do agree, there has never (at least in my memory) been a situation where a team was forced to do a detour task simply because production wanted at least one team to do each task.   The brothers chose the arch task.  I hate to stereotype, but they're manly man type guys and it's about building shit.  Yeah, it makes sense to me they'd choose that one.

And, I'm glad someone chose it, because I was really interested in the engineering aspect of it.  I've known in theory how arches are made, but never seen it broken down like that and demonstrated at a really basic level.  I thought it was pretty cool.

[30 Helens]

On 11/25/2022 at 5:21 AM, Browncoat said:

I empathize with Claire a lot on this challenge -- not talking to me and not helping me works better for me as well -- I have to just focus and concentrate.  And usually take many deep breaths for many minutes before being able to cross even a normal swinging bridge, much less a tiny wire.

Swaying bridges are terrible! And no matter how many support lines may be attached to you, you’re not going to feel supported. I could be rolling across that wire in a big easy chair with railings on both sides and I’d still be freaking out a bit, so walking across something unstable and ridiculously narrow is a lot. (And yet, bucket list items for me include rappelling and zip lining. Go figure.)

On 11/25/2022 at 9:46 AM, chaifan said:

I also give a pass to Molly and Emily for all of the knee talk, as well as the "we are just happy to be spending time together" theme.  We know production prompts racers with specific questions that often lead to talking about a specific subject over and over.  

They also choose what makes it into the episode. For all we know, Emily and Molly could be having full conversations about their families, hopes and dreams, but all we see is talk of knees and separation because those are the storylines that matter to the producers. I also know that if Emily and Molly are not giving the sound bites the producers want, they will continue prodding and asking until it happens. That’s just the nature of reality shows.

[ChiCricket]

On 11/26/2022 at 9:37 AM, Skooma said:

Also easy to rule out both the Spanish flag and the one that looked a little like or was the Cuban flag

Pretty sure that was the flag of Puerto Rico  🇵🇷

(my dh is Puerto Rican) 😊

[Guest]

Aubrey and David have been my default least favorite team for awhile now (nothing against them, but nothing for them either), but I've gotta give Aubrey credit for how she dealt with that Roadblock. She was obviously terrified, shaking the whole way, but we didn't see much, if any hesitation. She got out there and did the damn thing, and David taking the time to give her a quiet hug afterwards was sweet.

I like Luis and Michelle more each episode, with their delight in everything (even if he in particular is hamming it up at times), the way they work together, compliment and encourage each other, his quiet pride in her at the Roadblock and her effervescent joy, and so on. I'm starting to think Michelle might be an actual fairy tale character who fell in love with someone from our world and has been living here ever since.

Edited November 28, 2022 by tracyscott76

[GenerationX]

There are no terrible teams or individuals left.  I'll root for the team I find the most entertaining, which, by a wide margin, is Luis and Michelle.  They are not in any alliance, do not fear tasks, and seem to be having an excellent time on the race.  The other three teams are as dull as paste.  They're all reasonably competent racers and seem like nice people, but not a single one of them is interesting or fun to watch.