S25: Amy & Maya

[innominate]

I have only managed to catch up from the first episode. Maybe the fact of knowing what she does for a living but that Amy is my definition of white girl nerd down pat, not that it's a bad thing. I thought what Maya did with the butter churning movement was a pretty simple, any decent lay man logic (mugging pro wrestling couple not included) after being there for awhile. Sorry for being a bit off topic but also the same logic applied by team T&T when they chose to set the tent up detour. I figured to lay the sheets over the stick then raise the stick up when they first showed Kym and Alli opting to do it the hard way.

Same thing with the fringe twisting hat - once you get the rhythm going, you just stick with the direction and pace instead of doing clock and anti-clock wise spins although Maya did have a problem just to get the hat to stick on. I hope I didn't come off as an insufferable git but most of my logical thinking just come from mostly my laziness and also being physically limited - too short to care. Having said all that, I'd probably make the biggest buffoon out of myself if I ever was on the race coz my most trusted go to method in solving problems in a chaotic environment is to **** it and cave in to panic attacks

[Sharpie66]

I've been rooting for this time from the beginning, and I'm loving that they're finally getting some decent airtime.

 

My cousin is a food scientist (she worked for various food manufacturers, creating the flavors that they put into their products--my favorite of her jobs was when she worked for an ice cream company!), so I was really happy to see the team description in the first episode.

[Donny Ketchum]

A much better leg this week from these girls!  Maya had me worried when she was the only one who had to do the Roadblock twice, but she didn't panic, just buckling down and doing it.  I felt bad for her and Amy when they got booted from the Painters Detour, but Posers really did turn out to be better for them.  Though I guess working with Brooke & Robbie helped them enormously.  And honestly, with the wrestlers whining about getting beaten by them, I'm glad they came in ahead of them. 

 

Nice recovery, ladies!

[aradia22]

I pretty much agree with you, Donny. I was happy to see them do well. They're resilient. I wish they were a little more competent but in a way they're even stronger for doing as well as they did given those setbacks. 

[Donny Ketchum]

Sorry about your leg, Amy.  Hurt it before the race?  That's rough!

 

And even rougher was seeing them keep dropping their trays the way they did.  Amy did a good job to pass Robbie at the Roadblock, though.  And good on them being one of the only teams to actually find the Detour clue without following someone else to it.  Though of course, they blow that away with once again getting lost and ending up at the Detour they didn't pick, and then having to switch from it because Amy's leg is too hurt to run.  Nonetheless, nice recovery by switching to Shine, even if they didn't finish it on their first try.

 

Deserving fourth place.  But get better at that navigation, ladies!

[Lingo]

So are they the obvious next team to go?  On the one hand, I would at first think that the upcoming U-turn would improve their chances of staying, since they'd be unlikely targets, considering everyone's talking about U-turning the Cyclists.  On the other hand, if I were the Cyclists and found out that I just got U-turned and had a chance to U-turn another team, I'd probably choose the Food Scientists, since the Cyclists are highly likely to beat them, especially with Amy's bad leg.

[RedheadZombie]

I don't like the way Maya treated Amy this episode, but maybe it's just KF.  When your teammate is hobbling along, they need encouragement, not criticism.  Even if Amy was able to get up the pole, she would have easily torqued her knee and caused a greater injury. I will be extremely disappointed if this team or the surfers go along with Brooke's plan.  It just reeks of the Team Cancer pile on from last season.  On second thought, it's probably unlikely that Amy/Maya would be ahead of the cyclists.

[Donny Ketchum]

So are they the obvious next team to go?

I think Brooke & Robbie could absolutely fight it out with them for that distinction just based on how they've been racing so far.

[Chyna]

I think Brooke & Robbie could absolutely fight it out with them for that distinction just based on how they've been racing so far.

 

 

I agree, Donny. B&R are really weak at the "between tasks" tasks, like navigation and cab-wrangling. And Brooke's negativity and whining doesn't help. Plus, they seem gym-strong but not real-life strong, as in, they can do a lot of chinups and pushups but can't apply those skills to anything else. I was surprised at what a terrible swimmer Robbie was.

 

Amy & Maya, on the other hand, may not have the physical muscle that those two (and other teams) do, but the calm and collected approach to the tasks is cleraly working well for them. (Also, my 11yo daughter wants to be a scientist, so it's been great for her to see cute and fun young women scientists on tv every week. So I've got a soft spot for them.)

[auntlada]

(Also, my 11yo daughter wants to be a scientist, so it's been great for her to see cute and fun young women scientists on tv every week. So I've got a soft spot for them.)

 

I've enjoyed seeing women who are scientists who don't push the we're-such-geeks-and-nerds thing all the time. Not that being geeks and nerds would be bad -- it's just the "Oh, look at us! See what big nerds we are! We're scientists! We're geeky!" gets to be too much. It starts to get like the hippies from whatever season that was (9?) with the we're-so-wacky hijinks. I'm glad that these two don't do that. They seem as though they might be somewhat geeky, but they don't feel the need to announce it all the time. They seem like regular people, not people who want to star in their own show.

[Donny Ketchum]

Editing-wise, it looks like the first real chink in their normally-positive armor has been shown.

 

They dominated the leg, no doubt, for most of it.  Maya plowed through that Roadblock, and they endured that China Cups Detour (despite Amy nearly wanting to switch).  U-Turning Adam & Bethany was sound, even if they were unknowingly incorrect.  But they needed to cool it with the whining over Brooke & Robbie not hitting Kym & Alli with it.

 

Then, their domination of the leg goes down the tubes when they fall for Brooke & Robbie's lie.  What, they didn't figure out that not seeing them at the third statue they tried meant that they lied?  They waited till they'd searched all of them?

 

Lucky that Kym & Alli failed at the Fast Forward.  Otherwise, they'd have been done.

[Lingo]

Lucky that Kym & Alli failed at the Fast Forward.  Otherwise, they'd have been done.

 

Well no, surely Bethany and Adam would have been eliminated.  They were U-turned after all.

[Donny Ketchum]

Well no, surely Bethany and Adam would have been eliminated.  They were U-turned after all.

Ah, yes, there was that.

[Lingo]

Say, were they counting on the Surfers going for and getting the FF?  I'm not sure what their reasoning was for U-turning them because I couldn't hear the dialogue well, so paradoxically I don' t know if they would have u-turned the surfers if they'd seen them at the Detour or RB.  If the surfers had shown up and nobody was u-turned, then the scientists probably would have been eliminated after all.

[Donny Ketchum]

Say, were they counting on the Surfers going for and getting the FF?  I'm not sure what their reasoning was for U-turning them because I couldn't hear the dialogue well, so paradoxically I don' t know if they would have u-turned the surfers if they'd seen them at the Detour or RB.  If the surfers had shown up and nobody was u-turned, then the scientists probably would have been eliminated after all.

Amy & Maya U-Turned Adam & Bethany in case Kym & Alli had gotten the Fast Forward, after all.  Brooke & Robbie were supposed to U-Turn Kym & Alli in case Adam & Bethany got the Fast Forward, but Brooke & Robbie wimped out since they were too certain that Kym & Alli had gotten the Fast Forward, anyway (even though they hadn't).

[kaygeeret]

No strategy here, just - I love this team....

 

They are girls...

They are scientists....

They are so mid western nice....no one on god's green earth would believe the wrestlers...yet they do ...

They are from the University of Wisconsin...my home state big "U"... for the uninitiated,,, Madison...for the sports inclined...The Badgers

 

Can they come back - because, much as I love them, they just don't have the killer instinct or something in this season.  BUT, give them a season or two to analyze their problems and I bet they would kick ass!!!!!  

 

I really want them to win, but I don't see how they can at this point.

 

By the way, did I mention how much I hate the wrestler gal and her stupid "jokes" not funny lady.....just ugly

[Lingo]

Doing some rewatching now, and I'm reminded that the cyclists purposely told the scientists about the better flight, because (ironic foreshadowing!) "we beat them every time." If the cyclists didn't do that, the scientists might not have realized they could get that earlier flight, and then they'd probably have been eliminated for sure (because the wrestlers may not have u-turned the cyclists even in that situation)! And the cyclists didn't know the scientists were conspiring against them.

[Chyna]

I felt so bad for Amy this leg. Everyone's back got beat up, but she seemed to get it the worst (or maybe her pale skin just shows off the redness more?). And that knee really looks like it's hurting when she runs.

 

Also, I hope they get a chance to screw over Brooke and Robbie at some point. They probably won't, but it would make me happy if they did.

[ByaNose]

What's the deal with Amy and her running? Does she have a life long physical issue or did she hurt herself on the race? It looks like she can barely walk let alone run.

[peachmangosteen]

They talked about it in one of the past couple episodes. I think something about how she went too hard preparing for the race and ended up injuring herself and it's just getting worse as the race goes on or something. I don't remember the specifics.

[backformore]

I felt so bad for Amy this leg. Everyone's back got beat up, but she seemed to get it the worst (or maybe her pale skin just shows off the redness more?). And that knee really looks like it's hurting when she runs.

 

Also, I hope they get a chance to screw over Brooke and Robbie at some point. They probably won't, but it would make me happy if they did.

As someone with pale skin, I'd say her back probably hurts more than anyone else. Pale skin is often very sensitive, we can get painful blistering burns just from being in the sun too long. I was having sympathetic pain, and the urge to put ice on my back, just watching her.

I really disliked the people at the massage place watching and laughing. I assume the show sets this kind of thing up, it's such a common thing to see the locals laugh at racers. And it always bugs me, the notion that racers are mocked in other countries when they try a task. But this was pretty awful, racers being laughed at for pain. The racers are expected to show respect for other cultures, I don't understand why TAR wants to show the racers, who are visitors, being mocked and ridiculed by locals. It makes the other countries look like they don't welcome U.S. visitors.

[Donny Ketchum]

I really disliked the people at the massage place watching and laughing. I assume the show sets this kind of thing up, it's such a common thing to see the locals laugh at racers. And it always bugs me, the notion that racers are mocked in other countries when they try a task. But this was pretty awful, racers being laughed at for pain. The racers are expected to show respect for other cultures, I don't understand why TAR wants to show the racers, who are visitors, being mocked and ridiculed by locals. It makes the other countries look like they don't welcome U.S. visitors.

The locals laughing at the racers has never bothered me, frankly.  This seemed to start back at the cheese task in TAR14's premiere.  The locals who laughed at them then weren't told to do that, per se, but they did, anyway (and it was kind of funny, anyway), and I guess it snowballed into the show getting locals to laugh at them in later tasks from later seasons.

 

But getting back to Amy & Maya, I'm glad that they're still in, but this late in the game, they've gotta stop being so trusting.  Being as trusting as they did (though I put that way more on Maya than I do on Amy) nearly got them tossed last night, and could actually get them in trouble on later legs if they allow it to happen again.

Edited November 30, 2014 by Donny Ketchum

[riley702]

As someone with pale skin, I'd say her back probably hurts more than anyone else. Pale skin is often very sensitive, we can get painful blistering burns just from being in the sun too long. I was having sympathetic pain, and the urge to put ice on my back, just watching her.

I think I have a fairly high pain tolerance for a pale-skinned person, but still remember a sunburn blistering my back through a thin shirt in one hour! Ay-yi-yi. I couldn't wear a bra for over a week, and it cracked, peeled, cracked, peeled... It was horrible, so yes, I have sympathy for her. 

[aradia22]

This is my favorite team still in the race. Maya is just so joyful and even when they struggle, they're more positive than other teams. They want to quit when they're at their breaking point (e.g. Amy knowing she couldn't run with her leg and struggling to get through the massage/cupping task). I don't see how they'll get to the end, particularly with Amy's injury but I'm pulling for them to at least beat Brooke and Robbie.

 

 

U-Turning Adam & Bethany was sound, even if they were unknowingly incorrect.  But they needed to cool it with the whining over Brooke & Robbie not hitting Kym & Alli with it.

Then, their domination of the leg goes down the tubes when they fall for Brooke & Robbie's lie.  What, they didn't figure out that not seeing them at the third statue they tried meant that they lied?  They waited till they'd searched all of them?

While I didn't like everyone piling on to the cyclists, I appreciate that for Amy and Maya it seemed to be strategy unlike for the wrestlers and the dentists who seemed to be striking out for some perceived slight. I'm just going to assume that they were trusting because of fatigue and the disorienting pain of the massage/cupping task. Hopefully a good night's sleep will set them to rights.

[Camera One]

It looked like Amy were more wary of the Wrestlers and came to the conclusion much sooner that they were lied to.  I don't remember but I think Maya apologized for trusting them?  Amy was in such pain at the massage.  I like Maya but it stung a bit to hear her telling Amy that she can't stop, and then later, telling Amy to run "as fast as she has ever run before" despite her hurt leg.

[Donny Ketchum]

It looked like Amy were more wary of the Wrestlers and came to the conclusion much sooner that they were lied to.  I don't remember but I think Maya apologized for trusting them?  Amy was in such pain at the massage.  I like Maya but it stung a bit to hear her telling Amy that she can't stop, and then later, telling Amy to run "as fast as she has ever run before" despite her hurt leg.

Maya didn't apologize.  She just screamed when she realized they'd been lied to.  But I'll reiterate that it's largely her fault since Amy at least had an inkling that Brooke & Robbie were lying to them.  Amy's only fault in that was not insisting on following up on her hunch.  But yeah, if they'd gone out because of that, the bulk of it would've been on Maya, for sure.

Edited December 1, 2014 by Donny Ketchum

[Lingo]

I think I heard an apology too, at Mount Faber.

[Donny Ketchum]

READ THE CLUE, LADIES!

 

I'm glad they realized their error in transportation (or lack thereof) in time to get back in the race, since that really seems like the only mistake they made.  They didn't get down when they failed to tighten the seat in their sidecar, and they admirably kept their cool at the ox task.  I suspect that if they hadn't made the mistake in reading their clue, they probably might've won the leg.  Instead, they settle for second, still a commendable finish, as it's their highest one thus far.

Edited December 7, 2014 by Donny Ketchum

[aradia22]

Why didn't they read the clue??? Anyway, I'm glad they were able to secure a second place finish. The tasks didn't seem to take very long this week but still I think their ability to move up in the ranks the way they did points to strong racing. I'm worried about Amy next week. I hope the editors are just being dramatic and that she isn't seriously hurt. Also, I'm a bit surprised that the pain from the massages last episode didn't come up at all, especially with this team.

[Camera One]

They really have the understanding and forgiveness of saints.  In the extra clips, they were totally philosophical about what happened with the Wrestlers, giving them the benefit of the doubt about the U-Turn on the U-Turn and the "misunderstanding" at the Statue.  In the previous episode's extra clips, the Scientists were SO happy to see the Wrestlers at the airport when they found out the Wrestlers were on the earlier flight with the Cyclists and them, instead of with the Dentists and the Surfers.  Or maybe the Scientists are just really naive.  Since they were so friendly, it's unfathomable why the Wrestlers were so gleeful in screwing them over.

[Donny Ketchum]

Since they were so friendly, it's unfathomable why the Wrestlers were so gleeful in screwing them over.

Because Brooke & Robbie, especially Brooke, are just petty, bitter, spiteful, miserable people who must not truly like anybody.  Or worse -- who hate people just for the sake of hating them!

Edited December 9, 2014 by Donny Ketchum

[kassygreene]

Brooke is the type of person who must have an enemy at hand.  Otherwise I doubt she would know what to do with herself.  The Wrestlers should have done their part of the U-turn because only one of those teams was going to get the fast forward, and the other team would therefore get delayed even more.   That's strategy. Being a scheming Mean Girl and a chickenshit is just dumb.

[Donny Ketchum]

These girls had me worried when they also made the jeepney mistake and didn't ask about it in time.  Still, Amy recovered nicely from the accident at the Detour.  And while she didn't make the same mistake as Robbie, Adam, and Jim when it came to the document, she did make the mistake in terms of the quantities she needed.  And I felt terrible for her when she got hit by that dehydration and heat exhaustion.  Hope she's okay!

 

But they should be feeling damn lucky that they changed up the structure of the final leg this season, or they'd be gone after Amy's costly error at the Roadblock.

 

Good luck next week, ladies!  I'm rooting for you both!

Edited December 15, 2014 by Donny Ketchum

[auntlada]

And while she didn't make the same mistake as Robbie, Adam, and Jim when it came to the document, she did make the mistake in terms of the quantities she needed.

 

She also seemed to notice that Jim was using a cart and grabbed one herself. (I kept expecting a penalty for using the cart, but I guess it was allowed. I wondered if they were supposed to have used them from the beginning.)

[Camera One]

She also seemed to notice that Jim was using a cart and grabbed one herself. (I kept expecting a penalty for using the cart, but I guess it was allowed. I wondered if they were supposed to have used them from the beginning.)

 

I don't think so.  It looked like Jim seized upon the idea himself when he asked to borrow one from a passerby.  Amy saw that and also decided to do it.  

[Chyna]

Everyone in this household is excited to have them stick around for the final! Just love this team. And I hope that a few hours in an air-conditioned airport helps Amy bounce back.

[Janimo]

I'm watching now....and I'm really, really hoping they're the winners. :)

[Guiaoshi]

Yaaay, they won and it was well deserved!

[kaygeeret]

KUDOS ladies,  KUDOS!

 

Scientists from Wisconsin for the win  be still my beating heart!

 

Way to show smarts, perseverance, good spirits,  supportive friendship, collaboration- and well FUN.

 

Great victory ladies!

 

Well earned.

[green]

Yes! David did really beat Goliath for once.

 

So congrats to Amy & Maya!  You guys totally surprised me in the best possible way.  You guys totally deserved it.  Loved Ironwoman Amy and enthusiastic, Phil-Hopping Maya!

 

There are few finishes where I get up on my feet and cheer.  And it has been years since I have.  TAR2, TAR5 and TAR7 were the ones that had me jumping for joy.  Now, after all this time, I can add TAR25 to that list.  Thanks for a great season, you guys.

Edited December 20, 2014 by green

[Chyna]

WOOOOO HOOOOOO! I don't know when I've ever been so satisfied with a Race finish. Amy KILLED that memory task, which looked ridiculously hard.

[aradia22]

I never thought they'd win. Even a few legs back I wasn't sure they could manage it. But they did, and I couldn't be happier. This team really won me over and they raced beautifully in this last leg (with one minor setback with Maya not removing her gear). Who knows? Without that mistake, they might have dominated even more in this last leg. Great job, girls! Go pay off those student loans.

[Tryangle]

Amazing Amy.

 

Persevered through all the grueling tasks and then positively nailed the sort of task at which she's likely well equipped for. You just have to be proud of her.

 

And as for the dynamo Maya, well she kept on trucking and trucking all-smiles, and I don't think I've ever seen a contestant leap onto Phil before.

[mtlchick]

While doing the press rounds, Amy revealed that she had TWO stress fractures in her lower pelvis the entire time. 

 

Damn woman.  You're my hero.  Also, ouch. 

[auntlada]

Wow. I hope she didn't do any permanent damage.

 

I also hope Brooke feels bad for making fun of the way Amy was running. If Brooke had had stress fractures anywhere in her body, we'd have never heard the end of it, I bet.

[Donny Ketchum]

Yay!  I'm so happy the nice team won!  I knew that nugget of Maya's mentioning her and Amy being the third women's team to win two weeks ago meant something!

 

Save for one little mistake, these girls just dropped the hammer and killed the final leg!  For once, it seemed like their navigation was spot-on, they didn't seem to get lost (or if they did, it certainly wasn't for long), they got to City Hall faster than the other teams, Maya aced her Roadblock (despite her initial, irrational fear with jumping three times), they saved their dummy fast, and they stayed in a dead heat with the other teams the entire time!  Their only real mistake was not reading the clue about Maya removing her stunt outfit.  Still, Amy rocked out that final Roadblock and got them the win they so deserved!

 

Great job, ladies!  And they won the whole race in front of Brooke & Robbie, the team who'd been most critical of them!  Robbie was PISSED to see them win!

Edited December 27, 2014 by Donny Ketchum

[Camera One]

While doing the press rounds, Amy revealed that she had TWO stress fractures in her lower pelvis the entire time. 

 

 

Yeah, she's pretty amazing.  Their post-race interviews are fun to read.  It's interesting that Maya wants to open an ice cream shop and maybe have a TV show, so she might not stay in academia after graduating.  It was funny when Maya admitted she was gullible at the Statue task.  She seems to be more affected than Amy by comments from the other teams like "low hanging fruit" and Brooke's comments since she refers to a few of them in the interviews.

[Donny Ketchum]

She seems to be more affected than Amy by comments from the other teams like "low hanging fruit" and Brooke's comments since she refers to a few of them in the interviews.

She really liked Jim and Brooke -- God knows why -- and probably never expected that from them.  I can see how she'd feel a bit put off by them.

[RedheadZombie]

While doing the press rounds, Amy revealed that she had TWO stress fractures in her lower pelvis the entire time. 

 

Damn woman.  You're my hero.  Also, ouch. 

 

This might have made the barbaric massage that more painful.

[biakbiak]

Well luckily at least they kept to the shoulders and upper back so she might have aggravated when she was wriggling around but the wasn't direct contact.