S25: Brooke & Robbie

[Donny Ketchum]

Hi.  We're dating professional wrestlers.

 

Lori & Bolo 2.0, anyone?

[blackwing]

Robbie is the only one of this cast that had me instantly screaming "mega douche toolbag".

[Donny Ketchum]

I like Brooke so far, but Robbie is already seeming to be a little bit much.  Not hateful, but just kinda annoying.  And he also owes Shelley for helping him with his compass.  Without it, it wouldn't surprise me if he'd joined in the penalty race, too.  That said, I hope they can stick around for a least a bit to show their real selves, not their wrestling characters.

[TudorQueen]

When they first appeared, TudorPrince groaned and said "Wrestlers!". I reminded him that we'd liked Lori and Bolo. These two seem a little more... roided? But I think they could be entertaining. Reserving full judgment, of course.

[Donny Ketchum]

If Robbie doesn't mug so much -- and it even seems like Brooke hates his mugging -- they could be a favorite of mine.  Until then . . . we'll see.

[aradia22]

I thought I would hate them and that they would be loud and obnoxious. But I ended up being won over by the end of the episode. Here's how I see it. If the producers dislike them or want us to dislike them as part of this season's narrative then we'll see too much of them... enough to be annoying. If the producers like them or want us to like them we'll just see the best soundbites and they'll come across as funny and charming next to teams without as much personality. 

[Donny Ketchum]

Like Keith & Whitney and Michael & Scott, these two also owe the luck of getting the physical punting task to recovering after they bungled About-Face five times.  Brooke badly lost her cool, but thankfully, Robbie was there to calm her down.  I really thought Brooke would be the calming influence, but Robbie was instead, surprisingly.

[aradia22]

I'm worried about this team with the way Brooke struggled so much at changing of the guards. They like to throw in dance and memorization tasks and she's getting frustrated very quickly.

[d291173]

I kinda like these two. They seem to have a very healthy sense of just how ridiculous they are. 

[Donny Ketchum]

Yet another week of defeatist Brooke, this time at the Light My Fire Detour.  I give Robbie a lot of credit for calming her down once more.  Then, they make up time admirably with the sheep.

 

Rushing in front of Kym & Alli wasn't cool, though.  They knew they weren't last, so what was the point other than getting a higher place and pissing off another team?

[aradia22]

Brooke needs to chill. I cannot take many more weeks of this.

[Donny Ketchum]

They finally ran a good leg without needing someone's help (at least not another team's).  But Brooke still whined quite a bit at the Detour.  Robbie did a good enough job at the Roadblock, though.

 

I'm a bit confused at them finishing second, though, when they really got out of that Roadblock in third.

[NYGirl]

I've met Robbie at a couple of wrestling events and he really is a nice guy and a lot of fun.  My daughter is a big fan so I take her and their Wrestling Federation has meet and greets before the show.  Robbie has a strange hairstyle and I started making fun of it and asking who his hairdresser is.  He was going to get him and kept telling me I'd look great in that style.  I liked him a lot.  We kept bantering back and forth as my daughter and i went down the line.

 

I'm rooting for them.

[Kaoteek]

I like the fact that Robbie & Brooke, who are real goofballs IRL, are really playing up their wrestling personas for this show, and the editors are clearly playing into their hands. The malapropisms, the loudness, the stupidity, the posing... kayfabe lives !

[TudorQueen]

I was neutral on this couple for the first few weeks, but Robbie's enthusiastic presentation of the sandwich menus selections charmed me and entertained me, so I've decided I actually like them. Not as much as some of the other couples, but enough to enjoy them while they're on my tv.

[Donny Ketchum]

Another hard leg for the wrestlers.  Brooke didn't seem to do too badly at the Roadblock, but she once again got defeatist at the Detour when they couldn't nail what was wrong with the tea.  And yet again, Robbie has to bring her back down to Earth to show her what's wrong.  Fifth place only due to better speed.  Decent finish.

[Camera One]

Her overdramatic whining in every situation is almost funny to watch at this point.  I hope they don't get far, but they are physically strong and Robbie manages to get them through most situations, so they could somehow make the top 3.

[Lingo]

The bonus clips show them having a rather nasty fight at the airport.  I think Robbie is playing dumb on purpose and Brooke is just over it.  Whenever he starts up with his silly talk, she just rolls her eyes and mutters "Here we go again...."  But they were also fighting about other things.  Robbie was complaining that she acts like a know-it-all.

[ByaNose]

Robbie needs to take his shirt off more. LOL!!!

[aradia22]

 

Another hard leg for the wrestlers.  Brooke didn't seem to do too badly at the Roadblock, but she once again got defeatist at the Detour when they couldn't nail what was wrong with the tea.  And yet again, Robbie has to bring her back down to Earth to show her what's wrong.  Fifth place only due to better speed.  Decent finish.

Yeah, I've pretty decided I like Robbie and could do without Brooke. I don't hate them but I wouldn't be despondent if I didn't have to hear her whining anymore. 

[Camera One]

I'm glad they edited out that really ugly argument they had in the airport which was in the Bonus Clip.  Hopefully, that was just an anomaly, but that was really weird to see since it wasn't even a normal argument.

[Donny Ketchum]

Defeatist Brooke visits us once more at the Detour and again at the Roadblock.  I admire Robbie for being able to get her focus back onto things when she starts to fret, but this was a Roadblock that proved that he won't be around to do that every time.  At least she psyched herself back up and got that Roadblock on her own, after all.  Though I guess Maya also helped with that.

[aradia22]

Ah! Again with the whining. That said, they did a solid job at both challenges. In spite of her complaining, Brooke made it across the bridge and then got through the puzzle without giving up or needing to ask Maya for help. I think I'll be disappointed if they win but I'm also not rooting against them.

[ByaNose]

I see them as reasonably competent but they tend to doubt themselves while doing the task(s). I could see them in the Final 3 but not winning.

[Lingo]

As annoying as Brooke can be when whining about tasks, Robbie can be equally annoying with all his dumb jokes and clowning around.  He seems to do it intentionally just to needle Brooke sometimes.  He actually says in a clip something like, "I love it when you yell at me."  And he's a big diva and afraid of animals.  He was afraid of the goats and refused to hold the goats down while she milked them.  He was talking about how much he loves his manicures and pedicures and spray-on tans, so he doesn't like to touch dirty animals.  He was also afraid of the birds at the pit stop.

 

As much as he calms her down, she keeps him focused, and she's more serious about the Race.

[TudorQueen]

Which I believe makes them a better team because they compliment each other's weaknesses and together manage to get through each leg pretty well.

 

I am over Brooke's whining and complaining - the Roadblock was quite painful to watch - but like her when she isn't in that mode. I hope actually finishing these tasks that scare or upset her - or that she simply thinks she cannot do - will improve her self-confidence. I enjoy Robbie quite a bit, and they do seem to be there for each other for the most part

[Chyna]

My second grader said Brooke is "a big whiner." When an 8-year-old thinks you whine too much...

[Babalu]

There's no way these two are really dating, right? At least not each other.

[Donny Ketchum]

I'll admit that Brooke rocked out that Roadblock.  But once again, her defeatism bugs.  First with being unable to get a cab (though I don't entirely blame her since that did put them in last), and then when she and Robbie struggled with which Detour they'd pick knowing the numbers of teams limited to choose each one, and then, after that, when they faltered at the Detour.  Robbie showed to have an impressive memory, though, and they might've nailed a top-three finish if Robbie had gotten that last one right.

 

So pretty decent job, guys.

[Lingo]

That's funny, I didn't notice any defeatism this week, besides the justified panic about the taxi.  She seemed to be in a pretty good mood this week, enjoying Robbie's silly jokes for once.

[Donny Ketchum]

That's funny, I didn't notice any defeatism this week, besides the justified panic about the taxi.  She seemed to be in a pretty good mood this week, enjoying Robbie's silly jokes for once.

There was.  Right at the Detour.

[aradia22]

It's a shame it took them so long to get a taxi. Unless there's a team I particularly dislike, I'm not a big fan of taxi drama, or to a lesser extent flight drama. I'd rather have the rankings be based on how well teams do at their tasks. Brooke seems to be one of those people who is really happy when she's doing well and can't handle it when she's not. There was a bit too much complaining about the food scientists beating them. You're not out of the game. Relax. Who cares how you're ranked? Yeah, they got to the task first but they would have struggled the same amount before Amy and Maya got there regardless.

[Camera One]

She complains about practically everything, though.  In the bonus clips, Brooke said she thought she was racing for first, so that was probably why she complained extra about the Food Scientists getting the clue first.

[auntlada]

It's a shame it took them so long to get a taxi.

 

If they'd moved around a little more, they might have found one faster. I mean, if taxis aren't going by the corner you're standing on, move somewhere else. Don't just stand there hoping a taxi will show up where taxis apparently don't go very often.

[Lingo]

She complains about practically everything, though.  In the bonus clips, Brooke said she thought she was racing for first, so that was probably why she complained extra about the Food Scientists getting the clue first.

 

Yeah, there were multiple clips about how they were kinda jealous of the top teams and how they REALLLLLY just wanted a win a leg for once!

[Donny Ketchum]

A leg full of errors from them.  They were one of only two teams to do the trays on their first try (the other being Kym & Alli).  They also were one of the only three teams to find the Detour clue without getting lost or confused.  But their good points ended there.  Robbie faltered at the swimming portion of the Roadblock and allowed Amy to pass him, and they switched Detours twice out of Brooke's frustration and impatience (and defeatism once more).  They're lucky Tim & Te Jay didn't even consider switching Detours (as well as them having their Speed Bump), or they would've been toast.

 

Oh, yeah.  And Brooke making fun of Amy's limp?  The very definition of "uncool."

[TudorQueen]

IMHO, Brooke's defeatism, whining and jealousy are going to be the factor that knocks this team out. Funny how I started the Race liking her and not entirely liking him and now she annoys me but he's won me over.

[auntlada]

I was so hoping the taxi whining edit and the long bit about them wanting to u-turn the cyclists meant they were out this leg. I'm just tired of listening to Brooke.

[lianau]

I hope her ox will be broken .

[Donny Ketchum]

A good leg for them, though Brooke once again had to whine.  She did the Roadblock with little difficulty, and they endured the China Cups Detour with no real problems.

 

But I'm officially hoping for their demise due to the events that happened afterwards.  Not U-Turning Kym & Alli made sense for the reasons they gave.  But delighting in how upset it left Amy & Maya wasn't cool.  And it's okay to bluff in the race, but man, you look really unappealing if you pat yourselves on the back over it like they did with the lie about Mount Faber Park.

 

Second place was good and deserved, but here's to hoping for a humiliating comeuppance for them.  Especially Brooke.  But Robbie finally showed he's no prize himself on this leg.

[ichbin]

Brooke....shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!!  One more thing....stop looking at the camera!!!  

 

 

[Kindred Spirit]

I've wanted these two gone from the first leg, just because they were annoying. Then, Brooke started with the whining and the defeatism and I began to actively root for their elimination. Now, they can't go soon enough for me. If there's some way they can disappear in the middle of the next leg, I'm all for it.

[KnitsWithRaceCars]

I think there's a high probability of seeing Brooke's picture next to the definition of "mean girl" in a phrase dictionary.  The longer she's been in the Race, the more I've wanted her gone.  Here's hoping she gets a swift and very hard karmic kick in the pants and doesn't make it to the final leg!

[Chyna]

it's okay to bluff in the race, but man, you look really unappealing if you pat yourselves on the back over it like they did with the lie about Mount Faber Park.

 

 

Exactly. And their "scientists can't beat wrestlers at anything!" routine only shows how dumb they really are, since the scientists have done much better than they have overall--especially in recent tasks, when Amy outswam Robbie and Maya rocked that tightrope task while Brooke whined the whole time.

 

I really can't stand these two. They're not nearly as entertaining as they think they are.

[ByaNose]

Although, I find them so attractive. LOL!! Yes, I know it's shallow but I can't help myself. That said, they aren't terribly bright & Brooke whines & gives up so easily. Of course, that means they'll probably win. Ugh!

[Donny Ketchum]

I also don't understand their weird fixation on, and obsession with, Amy & Maya.  Looking back, it seemed to start back in Denmark, when they beat them to the restaurant where that menu memorization Roadblock was taking place, and Robbie, out of nowhere, said, "How'd they beat us?!"  And it's only snowballed from there, with them both getting angry at them for beating them at the opera Detour in Sicily, and Brooke getting pissy over Amy outswimming Robbie in Malta.  And now, last night, when it was in full swing throughout the leg.

 

I don't get what they have against Amy & Maya, but I'm actively hoping they lose to them now.

Edited November 29, 2014 by Donny Ketchum

[Chyna]

I don't get what they have against Amy & Maya, but I'm actively hoping they lose to them now.

 

 

Since they keep harping on their supposed physical superiority (which hasn't proven true), I suspect they're insecure about the fact that Amy & Maya are (a lot) smarter than they are.

[Camera One]

Well, here's hoping next week's tasks are all mental, and all the taxi drivers avoid them as per usual.

[ratherbereading]

I have no problem with them backing out of the U-turn agreement. I also have no problem with them lying to Amy and Maya about the clue not being at Mt. Faber. What I take issue with is the hypocrisy in getting upset because Amy and Maya didn't spoon feed them the location of the clue!guy in the square. Big-assed double standard there and I hope it bites them in the ass.

 

Plus Brooke's defeatism is freaking annoying. It's one thing if killer fatigue is getting to you and you understandably break down in frustration. With her? Everything is a big drama and cause for "Woe is me, we are going to lose."

 

 

[aradia22]

This is the only team I'm actively rooting against.