S35.E10: Everyone Loves a Comeback Story

[PaperTree]

51 minutes ago, dgpolo said:

Then you assume wrongly.

More for comfort, I assume, never having worn glasses to see, but sunglasses can be a PITA.

Needed reading glasses a decade or so ago, after a few years, I didn't.  Strange.

50 years ago, college roomate had the old hard contacts and made me promise to not let him sleep with them in.😎

[aradia22]

Turns out Rob and Corey had back luck with their taxi driver this leg and that's why they got to the skydiving so late. Also, the memory of the lotus task did dissuade them from making the wreaths in addition to their confidence in handling detours. According to them, the lotus bouquets had taken around 2 hours and the Sort task this leg was about 25 minutes.

[endure]

On 12/1/2023 at 12:47 PM, Lady Calypso said:

Oh, for sure. I think the hardest part was coming up with a system to ensure you're not making mistakes along the way. The fact that John had a system to help him not just remember the menu, but remember who had what dish and the ability to communicate that with Greg AND ensuring he went back to the menu to double check before serving was a great system for him. I know I would have been confused trying to multi-task like that, but John really shone in that detour. Greg found the dishes quickly and he was able to understand what John was describing, which was also a huge help with what looked like 100+ dishes on the table. Though there had to be five of each dish for all five teams, so it probably narrowed it down a little bit. 

I think most teams would struggle. John/Greg just were smart in establishing a system before starting, and when doubting themselves, going back to each other to double check before continuing. That likely saved them a lot of time.

John and Greg are just super smart about everything they approach it seems, they're pretty incredible! But I do want Rob & Corey to win. Rob & Corey talk about (on their YouTube ch) how they saw criticism online about using the pass too soon but they said it turned out they felt they def did the right thing, they said the recycling task was super fast and easy.

[aradia22]

Greg and John also disagree about whether the food was real or not. Greg thought it was real. John thought it might have been real but it had a weird glaze over it and didn't smell so it definitely wasn't edible.

[Jobiska]

On 11/29/2023 at 11:17 PM, Netfoot said:

Was the Greeter to be seen at several places along the route today?

Both the clue-giver at the maypole task and the greeter were wearing the Swedish National Costume (in the colors of the flag plus white, embroidered with white flowers).  Some of the provincial costumes are really elaborate.  Most of my Swedish-born colleagues at the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philly had their own national costumes, and some had their provincial ones too I think.  

On 11/30/2023 at 12:04 AM, mertensia said:

Who would have thought that one last subway stop would be such a stumper?

I'm pretty sure the stop's name was something like "Western Forest" (Skog means forest) and when I saw Joel and Garrett being directed to a wooded path I thought, "aha!"  Seems like an odd approach to a subway stop, but there you go.  Yes, the artistic stops were already there when I was last in Sweden in 1994.  Gorgeous!

On 11/30/2023 at 12:40 AM, Jodithgrace said:

The brothers impress me the way they approach every task.

I had to laugh when they said they needed to "debug" the wreath task like it was a computer program.

If the judge didn't so obviously count the flowers while checking, or if Ashlie had looked over and seen her counting, things might have been different.  I agree that if I had sweated over the lotus task which was so exacting, I would not want to have to totally undo the wreath.

Again, my colleagues were obviously a small sample size of Swedes, but they all always made sure to call the pole a "Midsommarstång" or Midsummer Pole, not a maypole, because, well, it's used at Missommar.

On 11/30/2023 at 10:15 AM, chaifan said:

Oh, and kudos to the unseen, but obviously there, skydiving camera people!

With the way some of the experts paired with the jumpers were looking over to the side, and with the one shot of the final parachutes descending (with no other camera-shoot-'chuters), I'm pretty sure the experts were holding out a camera, perhaps on a selfie stick of some sort.

On 11/30/2023 at 10:15 AM, chaifan said:

I was disappointed in the maypole task.  Just too easy.  They should have had to learn the dance or the song, or make the wreath more precise.  Did AL count the flowers, or did she just luck out? 

There were at least two dances, and it seemed they had to just finish out the one that was happening when they got to it.  The one with the funny hand gestures was Small Frogs.  The Wikipedia link has a translation, but basically the words are "small frogs are funny to see; they don't have ears or tails; [croaking onomatopoeia]."  The gestures are for the things frogs don't have.  Well, they don't have external ears, anyway!  

Yes, I remember these lyrics and their translation from a job I had almost 30 years ago, but I can't remember to call for a doc appointment or put the laundry in the dryer.  Brains!

My son was trying to remember what team in the distant past always intentionally missed their high fives like Joel and Garrett do.  I think it was the Hippies?

mertensia beat me to it with the Snork link.  I'm a huge Moomin fan!  Tove Jansson was a Swedish-speaking Finn.  Three of my thirteen cats through my adulthood had names from the Moomin books!  But none were named Snork.   

 

[Ancaster]

On 12/5/2023 at 1:15 PM, aradia22 said:

My assumption is that people who wear contacts generally do so for vanity and switch to glasses only when their eyes are tired or they're in private. It's more noticeable if someone only wears contacts for sports or special occasions. People who wear contacts seem to use them most of the time. 

"Assumptions are made and most assumptions are wrong."  Albert Einstein.

[snarktini]

On 11/30/2023 at 2:52 PM, J-Man said:

Maybe I misheard, but I thought John specifically said that he'd never worked as a server but that he was really enjoying the "hospitality aspect" of the task.

He definitely said that he has never been a server. Watching him I was sure he had been, by how easily he slid into that hospitality patter when greeting the table and and setting down each course, and how quickly he knew to create a circular serving order around the table. But nope! He's just an observant person. (And likely one who's eaten in a bunch of nice restaurants.)

This is the most likeable cast we've seen in a long time. Ever? I tried to watch the earliest seasons last year and the screaming and bickering chased me away pretty fast.

It's rare to have multiple teams that are so likable AND so competent. Pulling for the brothers or Corey and Rob, and would also be happy for the friends. I love how steady they all are -- just plain good people having a great time. AL & Steve are my last pick and the least likeable but damn if they aren't good racers. They get the job done even with major setbacks. In other seasons, they wouldn't be anywhere close to the most irritating ones.