S25.E01: Go Big Or Go Home

[merylinkid]

I would say ripping the pen out of the hand of someone in the process of writing their name would be impeding their ability to complete the assigned task.   The task was to write your name on the board to get your assigned flight.   Pushing and shoving to get in line is one thing.   But once someone actually has pen in hand and is writing, they have started the task.   

 

Taking the money was not during a task.   And they MIGHT need it for cabs, etc.   It was not required.   But you had to have the pen to write your name.

[mwell345]

LOL - I was so happy that this was moved to Fridays - no more football delays because Heaven forbid we don't get a full hour of 60 Minutes.

 

Then, Friday night, forgot it was on!

[Etta Place]

I liked how when the teams landed in the Virgin Islands and were running to the clue box on the beach, Phil was there explaining the task. I think it was one of the college sweethearts who yelled "Hello, Mr. Phil!" as they ran past.

[MyAimIsTrue]

In honor of the 25th "season": 

 

Drew: "Zambia. That's where we are."  Kevin: "That's Namibia, jackass." 

 

Kevin and Drew from season one, still my favorite team ever.

[needschocolate]

I still don't get why the realtor chick was laying down, wriggling around in the sand, though. You could just lay your shovel down, then crawl/duckwalk over to the end, flip it, and repeat. No need to reenact some hair band music video.

 

I wonder if that is a tactic she uses when trying to sell a house - "How big is the bedroom? I am not sure.  Let me take this yardstick, get down here on the floor, and measure it for you" Now, personally, I don't see how that would convince someone to buy a house, but those two were so full of themselves and gave off this "I'm pretty so I should get my way" vibe that I wouldn't be surprised that they would try to use sex appeal to get sales.  

[backformore]

Forgive me, but the Miami realtors reminded me of the "we're not porn stars any more" skits on SNL.

 

PERFECT!

The vacant looks in their eyes, the matching weird pink lipstick, the lack of knowledge about the way the world works. Yet they have jobs.

[Donny Ketchum]

I enjoyed either Tim or Te Jay saying, "Hi, Mr. Phil!" as they ran past on their way to the clue box. Doesn't he usually film those things when the teams aren't there? Oh, well. Still cute.

Wait, Phil was actually there?  I thought he'd just been edited in from a green screen or something!

[green]

Wait, Phil was actually there?  I thought he'd just been edited in from a green screen or something!

 

He is always there live with the stand-ups.  And sometimes he reaches the pitstop just a few minutes before the first team arrives.  Seconds once in I think it was in a TAR9 leg.

[jjj]

That's what made this so notable -- Phil usually does the stand-up and is out of the scene before the Racers arrive.  But apparently they cut it too close this time!  It was cute to suddenly have Racers run into the scene. 

[MyAimIsTrue]

I still don't get why the realtor chick was laying down, wriggling around in the sand, though. You could just lay your shovel down, then crawl/duckwalk over to the end, flip it, and repeat. No need to reenact some hair band music video.

 

I've always thought that some people go on shows like TAR and Survivor to get "discovered" and what better way to get some producer or director's attention than writhing in the sand while wearing a bikini and the 12 pounds of makeup you brought?

[RedheadZombie]

It should be interesting to see how a person with one arm can compete in the race.  ( I keep envisioning climbing tasks where it would be all but impossible.  I wonder if the race was restructured to accommodate her).

 

My DVR missed the schedule change.  Can anyone tell me if it looked like anything was done to accommodate Bethany?  Typically, that type of thing wouldn't bother me, but Charla (little person), Luke (deaf), Amy (amputee) and Big Easy (tall/heavy) were not accommodated, and at times were forced to take a certain task due to their limitations.

[willpwr]

My DVR missed the schedule change.  Can anyone tell me if it looked like anything was done to accommodate Bethany?  Typically, that type of thing wouldn't bother me, but Charla (little person), Luke (deaf), Amy (amputee) and Big Easy (tall/heavy) were not accommodated, and at times were forced to take a certain task due to their limitations.

I didn't see any special accommodations, she seemed pretty confident and positive throughout the whole thing and excited about the tasks except for the digging which she chose not to do.

[jjj]

I suspect Bethany is more fit and flexible than many of the Racers.  Partly because surfing requires more than strength, but also requires balance, and by doing that, she has worked through the issues of how to balance her center of gravity and use the many trained muscles she does have.  She scampered up the rock climb more easily than most of the teams.  (Disclaimer:  I have never even been on a surfboard, and would last maybe one second upright on one, so I especially admire the skills needed to be athletic on those!) 

[etagloh]

 

Is it me or did they find a particularly photogenic bunch this year?

It felt like TPTB was very mindful that all teams would be down to their swimwear in the first leg.

 

I did like the 'live' explainer at the clue box and the "Hi Mr Phil!" -- might have been by necessity, given travel time, but it was charming. Speaking of production requirements, my guess from the editing is that when the three teams took the penalty at the end, there was a bit of a chat between the crews and the mat about how to assess it without messing up Phil's scheduling for the next leg. I assume they left the task within minutes of agreeing to take the penalty and the two surviving teams were assessed it after checking in. The specifics of the rule book (or what we deduce as the rule book) come second to the logistics of getting Phil and production on the ground ahead of the racers, and while we usually see that with travel bunches or HoO delays, it sometimes requires on-the-fly decisions.

[nottopbravo]

 

Can anyone tell me if it looked like anything was done to accommodate Bethany?

 

So far, no.  But it will be interesting to see as the race goes on.  (If I recall correctly, there was an ice climbing task in the first season and those that followed.  How a one armed person could do that is beyond me)

[Donny Ketchum]

I've always thought that some people go on shows like TAR and Survivor to get "discovered" and what better way to get some producer or director's attention than writhing in the sand while wearing a bikini and the 12 pounds of makeup you brought?

Lisa & Michelle are the owners and proprietors of one of the top real estate businesses in Miami.  Just last year, they actually sold the most real estate in Miami and possibly all of Florida.  With all the money they must make, I hardly think either one needs to be "discovered."

[ghoulina]

I've always thought that some people go on shows like TAR and Survivor to get "discovered" and what better way to get some producer or director's attention than writhing in the sand while wearing a bikini and the 12 pounds of makeup you brought?

 

That's why they made it last to the pit stop! Who can run with 12 lbs of makeup on???

[jjj]

After seeing the conclusion of the first episode, I love this quote one of the Miami real estate agents gave to the local press last week:

 

"Michelle agrees — sort of: 'It would have to be a while before I would do it again. It’s really exhausting.'"

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/celebrities/article2205352.html#storylink=cpy

 

If they thought it was exhausting to get through a half-leg and quit, they should think very hard about whether to do it again! 

[auntlada]

I didn't notice if the chests were buried that deep. It seems a lot of teams spent a ton of time digging very deep holes in one small spot. I might assume it was shallower and tried digging shallower over a broader area to see if I could hit something.

 

I was surprised that no one noticed that other trunks didn't seem to be buried three or four feet deep and start moving out in a circle from where they thought the compass pointed. You wouldn't even have to dig the whole thing because of the size of the trunk. Just dig a little every foot or so in a circle, and you ought to find it. I thought Keith and Whitney really ought to have figured that out since they've been on a reality show before. But I didn't see them on Survivor so I don't know what their season was like or how smart they were.

 

Several of the really old-timey Globetrotters DID become famous as individuals though--it is true.  If I say the name "Meadowlark Lemon", almost everyone who was walking and talking in the 1970s will know exactly who that is--and might even recognize a picture of him from that age.  Ditto for Sweet Lou Dunbar, and Curly Neal. Probably far less though if you go beyond that very short list.   Why were these guys famous?  Because the Globetrotters of that age were all over the mainstream media (including cartoons!) and those guys were the spokespeople.

 

While I would recognize someone as a Globetrotter if he were wearing the jersey, the only ones I might know would have been the ones in the 70s, and possibly only then if they were riding around in the Mystery Machine.

 

What I disliked most about the dentists was when he said something about how they decided since the save was on the line he would do the roadblock, as though it were obvious that no matter what the roadblock was, he'd be better at it. And maybe he would, but then I dislike her for being less than useful if not completely useless.

Edited September 28, 2014 by auntlada

[Maxyrama]

Assuming the sisters only sell houses based on their sex appeal is kind of gross if you ask me. Say what you want about them but don't crap on their success in the business thus far.

[danm]

Just dropping in to say...  (probably no value added, sorry):

 

1. Glad the show is back, and with new/fresh-to-me-anyway faces. 

2. For the Realtor Girls, it was funny how one of them commented on hauling around the 12 lbs of makeup, and then appeared to have put all of it onto her lips for the talking head farewell interview.

3. I would have liked to see them go on for a while, because I am easily entertained by dark roots.  Like I said, no value is being added here.

4. Friday night, Sunday night, I really don't care.

 

Looking forward to next week... !

[millennium]

Like others, I'm sort of surprised at the amount of Boston firefighters on the reality shows. Especially since I didn't think firefighters played a major role in the bombing aftermath (other than being general first responders and there was a fire station close by). You want the heroes of the Marathon Bombing, find me a couple of Boston EMTs or volunteers whose first aid tents were turned into mobile ERs at the finish line.

 

 

You reminded me of a pet peeve of mine.  I don't get why people are "heroes" for doing their job.  I mean, they're firemen.  They're EMTs.  They're whatever.   They get paid to do that.   So why are they "heroes?"   When I was growing up, the word "hero" was reserved for ordinary people who performed extraordinary feats of bravery or self-sacrifice above and beyond the limits of their  everyday existence.  Google "Lenny Skutnik."   That's what being a hero used to mean.   Now, if you're a firefighter or a policeman or a soldier and your inherently dangerous job puts you in a dangerous situation heavily covered by the media, you're suddenly a hero.   But isn't that the job they signed on to do in the first place?   (The only exception I can think of would be the New York firefighters of 9/11, who went into the towers knowing they probably wouldn't be coming back out.)  But otherwise, I think the word has been diluted through overuse.

 

Like a few others, I think "Boston Strong" feels played by now.   If I'm watching Survivor or Amazing Race, the only Boston allusion I care to see is Boston Rob.

 

Glad to see the insufferable Miami realtors gone.   I've always been a fan of pink teams, loved the country singers last time (even though most didn't).   But these two ... vapid and ugly inside.

 

Hope the gay guys go next.   I'm tired of shrieking gays on this show (and I'm looking at you, Joey).   Has nothing to do with their sexual orientation, just that I find them annoying.   I feel exactly the same about people on Amazing Race who repeatedly and publicly implore God or Jesus to help them win.    And people who cry for the cameras.

 

Wrestlers gotta go too.   The mugging alone is reason enough to wish them a speedy departure.

 

Now that I think about it, I don't like any teams this season.   Somebody a few pages back observed that everyone seems like they're auditioning for their own reality show (or already has one).   I realize casting probably wants "animated" individuals for the show, but what made Amazing Race and Survivor so good in the past is that they used real people with everyday personas (more or less), not has-been celebrities, you-tube sensation wannabes, or crossovers from other reality shows.

 

I guess overall I'm just very disappointed with this show after all this time.

[etagloh]

 

With all the money they must make, I hardly think either one needs to be "discovered."

 

If they want a Real Realtors of Miami reality show, perhaps they do. Of course, they might just want to go back to selling real estate, but as others have said, TAR feels increasingly like a set of auditions for something on TLC or Bravo. That's the big difference between now and 2001: the emergence of an entire genre of programming that can offer an after-show career.

[Guest]

Again, short of being some kind of maritime historian, or antiques expert, the only way to figure this out was to either eventually figure out the thing didn't match the position of the sun OR to be carrying another compass and compare the two.

 

Go to Amazon and type in 'car compass'.  These are what comes up.  I have one in my glove box.  They're really not that odd a thing.  

[QuantumMechanic]

Again, short of being some kind of maritime historian, or antiques expert, the only way to figure this out was to either eventually figure out the thing didn't match the position of the sun OR to be carrying another compass and compare the two.

A compass that reads like that is a standard nautical compass.  Or at least was one no more than 20 years ago.  I've been on vanilla 25' cabin cruisers in the past 20 years that have compasses like that.  Hell, compasses like that were in cars less than 20 years ago, for crying out loud.

 

Sure, not familiar to the racers, but they are definitely not some incredibly archaic thing that only a "maritime historian, or antiques expert" would know.

[kaygeeret]

I really disliked the realtor team - I envisioned the ever popular "I will flirt my way to victory" speech at some point and I really dislike that strategy.  I want the best racer to win, not the racer that got help from everyone else, blah,blah.

 

I wonder - are they really the most successful realtors in Miami?  Maybe.  Sexpots could succeed in selling for sure, lots of very high priced properties in Miami and lots of old men buying it.

 

Someone mentioned that they have a reality show already.  Is that the case?

 

If it is true, their being on this show tells me they want out of real estate - it is hard work and your hours are not exactly set in stone - and into the easy gig of being "celebrities".  Yuck

 

So glad the team I disliked at first sight is gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  First time that has happened.

[jhlipton]

As far as telling other teams you're taking the penalty and then sneaking out, it looks liked they all agreed in a group shot -- production may insist that they agree on camera, so that they can't back down later.

 

I think Bethany is as well-known as anyone not a movie star could be. And, yeah, she was impressive.  I didn't think Adam was "robotic" -- he definitely is in awe of his wife.

[Netfoot]

As others have pointed out, the penalty starts when you reach the mat, not when you declare it.

 

Others have said so, but is it actually true?  Rules change, but in previous races, teams have had to wait it out at the point of the challenge before moving forward (example:  MeatBlock).  The pitstop is not always going to be the next port of call after a penalty.  But supposing the new rule is that the penalty is sat out at the mat, all the more reason to take it before the other teams rather than persuading them to take it with you.  You whisper "Penalty!" to the production boss, and quietly slip away to the mat to start your penalty. You'd be halfway to Phil before the others notice you're gone!  Point being that either way, you want to jump first.  You don't persuade the others that everyone should jump together, and hope you'll finish yours first.

 

 

Next week, punting on the Cam!

 

ITYM the Cherwell.

 

Of course, they could be punting on ANY river, but I thought the surroundings looked like Cambridge, and the Cam is famous for punting, so I just took it for granted. (Yes, I know what they say about people who ass-u-me.)  We'll see where it is next week, when we actually go there (on the show).

 

 

I wondered if there was more than one float plane taking them to the ship...

 

There were two planes tied up alongsied the wharf when the first team arrived.  More planes may have been out of shot for all I know.  It doesn't automatically follow that more than one plane was used for the show, but I think it's likely they were.

 

It was nice to glimpse Season-One-Phil but Season-Now-Phil still looking good!  Uh, Phil, that's not how you pronounce Caribbean...

[cooksdelight]

wait it out at the point of the challenge before moving forward (example: MeatBlock)

That's how I remember it as well. Boston Rob talked everyone into not eating the brains and sitting out the penalty together. The only time I remember anyone sitting out a penalty at the mat is when they goofed up somewhere along the way and Phil gives them the eyebrow and tells them they have to sit and wait out their penalty while the other teams check in.

But this situation could have been entirely different since it was already so late in the day. Guess we'll know when they start the next leg.

[millennium]

Lisa & Michelle are the owners and proprietors of one of the top real estate businesses in Miami.  Just last year, they actually sold the most real estate in Miami and possibly all of Florida. 

 

How is that scientifically possible?

[ProfCrash]

I think the realtors would have been assessed a penalty if they had not come in last. They took the pen from someone using it on the board. That is a no no. They came in last, so we didn't see it. The Twinnies picked up money that had been left on a counter by another team. They did not return the money or try and find who they money belonged to but they did not go through another teams backpack to get the money nor did the take the money out of the other teams hand. While you can argue the ethics of not turning the money in or trying to find the team who had left the money, they did not physically take the money from the team. The realtors took the pen from the firefighters hand. There is a difference.

 

OK, so I do not like team Dentist. Their demeanor scares me, I think that he might use more steroids then the professional wrestlers. We made many an MCAT joke at our house. They didn't give the name of the school so we were pretty certain it wasn't Harvard or a top tier school of dentistry that they were bragging about. Their smiles and that tan are just scary. Just a big no for them.

 

I have no time with team surfer. I know the story but I am not going to blame someone for trying to cash in on having her arm eaten by a shark. Of all the things someone is trying to cash in on, having your arm eaten by a shark is OK by me. She has a great attitude and has worked her butt off to remain an excellent surfer and in great shape. She has a great attitude and chose not to take the woo is me route after having her arm eaten by a shark. Hell, she still surfs after having her arm eaten by a shark. And is not afraid of the ocean. So yeah, major props to her and go for it. Watching her haul ass up the cargo net and across a rope course and willingly jump into and swim in an ocean, a place where sharks live and one of those ate her arm, was cool to watch.

 

I mean, seriously, what the heck would you do if a shark ate your arm? Of all the people who are minor celebrities for things that have appeared on the show, she is the least objectionable. Pagent contestants who cannot speak, Harlem Globetrotters, BB contestants, Survivor contestants? I'll take Bethany and her shark eaten arm over them any day of the week.

 

Speaking of Survivor contestants, I watch the show and watched the season they were on and wondered who the heck they were. I am cool with them leaving sooner rather then later especially now that I have been reminded that they are part of the crew that ostracized Cochran and then were pissed when he flipped. Treat people better then you normally do and you might have been in better shape on that show.

 

Gay Asians are going to be interesting. I get the feeling that the one dude has tried to tell his family he is Gay and they are doing their damndest to pretend he is not. Hence the way he said that his partner is not his roommate. I don't think he has lied to his familt, his entire demeanor screams I love this man and I am sick of your pretending he is not my partner maybe this will convince you that I really am gay.

 

I have no problem with Team Boston. I hope that they up their game and do better then they did this leg. The one firefighter said in the opening that he saw both bombs go off and that he was treating people. I am sure that was why they were cast and so we will hear about it all season long but that is on Production and not them. That said, they were too nice to the realtors and I was fine with him shoving her when she tried to take his cab.

 

Not too sure that any of the other teams made an impression one way or the other.

[ghoulina]

Assuming the sisters only sell houses based on their sex appeal is kind of gross if you ask me.

 

Did I hear them wrong, or didn't they basically say that's how they did it?

[Kel Varnsen]

I am curious to see how the save works. I mean we have a fixed number of episodes. But the save may or may not be used, so essentially there is a non elimination leg that may or may not happen. I mean what happens if they don't use it?

 

I also wonder if the save is transferable. 

[proserpina65]

Initial reaction:

 

Mediocre cast - There are one or two likeable teams, three totally hateable ones (the orthodontists and their freaky teeth, the obnoxious pro wrestlers and the blonde bimbos - thank goodness they're gone) and mostly 'eh' ones who might improve with time.

 

Location - NYC added nothing to the premiere, but the USVI locations were beautiful, the diving task looked fun to me, and man, that roadblock was a killer.

 

So, to sum up, not the greatest premiere, and I may end up hating all these people (the orthos must die! figuratively speaking of course) but it's AR, and they're going to the UK next week, so I'm in.

[Lamb18]

They do the production so well must people forget there are even two man camera/audio crews following every race team let alone four tickets bought each time.

 

I was reminded of the camera crews when the teams were digging after sunset (in the east).  The lights from the cameras lit up the spots where the racers were digging.

[Kel Varnsen]

I was reminded of the camera crews when the teams were digging after sunset (in the east).  The lights from the cameras lit up the spots where the racers were digging.

Also at the very beginning when Phil said "Go" they ran up the bleachers in Times Square, I am pretty sure each teams camera operator was at the top of the bleachers.

[Haleth]

If they want a Real Realtors of Miami reality show, perhaps they do

 

I've come up dry trying to find the name of the reality show they did.  I know I saw them on a show with their mother a year or two ago.  It was something like Million Dollar Listing, but I can't find their names associated with that one.  Anybody know?

[Alapaki]

I am curious to see how the save works. I mean we have a fixed number of episodes. But the save may or may not be used, so essentially there is a non elimination leg that may or may not happen. I mean what happens if they don't use it?

 

 

True.  I assume they've scheduled out the season under the assumption that the Save will get used.  Because they'd have an easier time paring down an hour if it doesn't, than to plan the schedule under the assumption the Save doesn't get used, and then trying to add an hour if it does (which is probably impossible).

 

I think there are a couple of possibilities.  

 

First, as you say, they may have a post-Leg-9 NEL that they simply drop.  

 

Or, they could presently have a "to-be-continued" leg scheduled for sometime after Leg 9, which they could edit down to a single hour.

 

Finally, I keep hearing about tasks that were completed but unaired, presumably because they either weren't that exciting (relative to whatever else happened that leg) or they didn't really have any impact on the ultimate outcome of that leg.  So it may be that if the save doesn't get used, and they end up having to fill an extra hour on the schedule, we'll get to see more of that filler (possibly resulting in the TBC leg I suggested above.).

[sallyann]

Assuming the sisters only sell houses based on their sex appeal is kind of gross if you ask me. Say what you want about them but don't crap on their success in the business thus far.

Sadly,  there is research behind the importance of realtor sex appeal.

It turns out having a male agent is bad for the selling price of a house. Both male listing agents (those acting on behalf of the seller) and male selling agents (those acting on behalf of the buyer) are associated with lower house prices than their female counterparts.............Being attractive, for both listing and selling agents, is associated with higher final sale price for a house, with the effect on house prices of having an attractive listing agent is about twice as large as that of an attractive selling agent.

 

http://jezebel.com/5901452/youll-get-more-money-for-your-house-if-your-real-estate-agent-is-pretty

[Jersey Guy 87]

 

Sure, not familiar to the racers, but they are definitely not some incredibly archaic thing that only a "maritime historian, or antiques expert" would know.

 

Not to mention the fact that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west is a fairly well known fact (something Jim used to back up his belief he was reading the compass wrong).  If you tried the thing once and didn't find a chest spend 30 seconds to figure out how the compass works and you'll be okay.

 

 

As far as telling other teams you're taking the penalty and then sneaking out, it looks liked they all agreed in a group shot -- production may insist that they agree on camera, so that they can't back down later.

 

I'm pretty sure all decisions, including who's doing the road block, whether or not they're going to u-turn somebody, etc. have to be made on camera - they always show the racers saying "we choose not to u-turn anybody" for a reason.  So, if you want to take the penalty you have to say it on camera.

I figured they let all three teams basically move on once they agreed to take the penalty.  The four hour penalty will be assessed at the start of the next leg.  Because it was getting late and I'm sure the production people were eager to be done for the day.

[Tryangle]

Not sure. They've certainly let them drive or take transportation (trains, buses) to wrong places. I think it would be funny as hell. You get where you think you are supposed to be.... no other teams on the plane....no flag/clue box when you get there. LOL!!

 

I'm trying to remember how it goes in the ol' Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego game... you get there, and there's nothing to see.

 

Maybe they'd have a cluebox at the arrivals hall or something that says you're in the wrong place. Would be hilarious.

[proserpina65]

Yeah, for some reason whenever they try to cast the heroic fire fighters or cops on this show, it's always a couple of older, out of shape guys

 

You've obviously never seen the members of the all-volunteer fire companies in my county - they're almost all older, out-of-shape guys, mainly because it's retired guys (and some gals) who can drop everything and answer fire calls at a moment's notice.  (I realize that major cities like Boston have professional firefighters, but it's generally a surprise to me when the firefighters on tv are hot.)

[greyhorse]

Assuming the sisters only sell houses based on their sex appeal is kind of gross if you ask me. Say what you want about them but don't crap on their success in the business thus far.

Agreed.  The sisters may not be that popular here on these boards and I'm sure they'd be surprised to find that out.  But they are successful and have a thriving real estate business.  They admitted in their interview that their looks helps them out in their job, but it's not as if you're going to walk into a million dollar home and decide to buy just because the selling agent is hot.  I'm sure it helps them more in attracting clients who choose them to sell their house however, so that's perhaps why their volume is so high.

 

They may have been a bit pretentious, a bit stereotypical pretty blonde, but dang it - they were hot, one of them had real boobs (perhaps?), and they were my eye candy!  How sad for TPTB when they saw that the most photogenic team was going home early.

[shura]

When I was growing up, the word "hero" was reserved for ordinary people who performed extraordinary feats of bravery or self-sacrifice above and beyond the limits of their  everyday existence.  Google "Lenny Skutnik."   That's what being a hero used to mean.   Now, if you're a firefighter or a policeman or a soldier and your inherently dangerous job puts you in a dangerous situation heavily covered by the media, you're suddenly a hero.   But isn't that the job they signed on to do in the first place

 

Yes, but the very act of choosing to become (and remain) a firefighter is a bit more heroic than picking most other professions, wouldn't you say?

 

Regarding the Save, I wonder what having it may do to its holders' motivation. At the very least, they now have no need to Lena-and-Kristy the last task of the day, they can quit it any time. If they can figure that the task is the last one before the pit stop, they can even skip it altogether, go sit out their penalty and if they happen to be last team after that (which is not a given), then so what, they use the Save. And if they are still ahead of someone after sitting out the penalty, they don't even need the Save on that leg.

[Netfoot]

Do you suppose TPTB select the occasional team for comedic effect?  I'm thinking of TwinkleTeeth with the orange face and inflated bod, here.  Surely, someone on the selection committee said "The background check turned up canibalism, but they are just too weird to reject..."

[Nutjob]

Do you suppose TPTB select the occasional team for comedic effect?  I'm thinking of TwinkleTeeth with the orange face and inflated bod, here.  Surely, someone on the selection committee said "The background check turned up canibalism, but they are just too weird to reject..."

I absolutely think they do! I mean, the dentists and realtors alone provided the editors with a gold mine of material, and we're only through one episode!

[kingshearte]

Based on the treatment of the blond country singers last season, yes they probably did think that.   Guess they weren't the "right" kind of people.

The country singers, in addition to being attractive, were also reasonably charming. The realtors? Less so. Although given how successful they apparently are in their day jobs, they are presumably not entirely devoid of charm.

 

I did not like that one lady asking Adam to take off his life jacket, and I don't think Bethany did either. You seriously do not do that when someone's wife is standing right there. And even if she weren't, it's crass and tacky. It would be like one of the Boston firefighters asking the dentist's wife to take off her top.

Also agree. Initially, I kind of chuckled, and then I thought about how it would come across if the roles were reversed, and then I though it was kind of ick. Think it, sure. Even say it quietly to your partner ("Damn, I wish he'd take his life jacket off!"). But to actually ask him to do it? Ick.

 

For the most part, I have no particularly strong opinions about any of the teams yet. The dentists don't seem entirely awful, but I seriously can't even look at him. And while Adam and Bethany may be a bit too Jesus-y for my tastes, there's really no denying that that woman is a badass. Although I'm reasonably confident that I will be going straight to hell for thinking, as soon as I saw that teams were being assigned hastags, that theirs should be #sharkbait. Oh, and on that note: #thedatingcouple? Really? That's the best identifier TPTB could come up with for them?

[Lamb18]

Haleth: there was a reality show set in Miami about a year or so ago featuring young affluent good-looking people. I think it was on Bravo. It wasn't a Real Housewife or Million Dollar listing. I can't remember the title, but maybe that's the show.

[millennium]

Yes, but the very act of choosing to become (and remain) a firefighter is a bit more heroic than picking most other professions, wouldn't you say?

 

 

 

To be honest, I really don't know.   Ask ten firefighters and you may get ten different answers.   I don't think everyone who signs up to become a policeman/firefighter/soldier does it for purely noble reasons.   Some, certainly.   But others may pursue those professions because it's the best viable career choice available to them.   Or because they grew up in that kind of family and it's been part of their lives since childhood.    Others may do it because they like the feeling of power.  Others for the adrenaline rush.   Who knows.   But I don't think "hero" ought to be part of the official job description.  "Hero" is a title bestowed in acknowledgment of an extraordinary act, not just for performing a job you've agreed to do, even if that job is potentially dangerous.

[Netfoot]

I will be going straight to hell for thinking, as soon as I saw that teams were being assigned hastags, that theirs should be #sharkbait.

 

Apparently I'll be joining you down below.  I've been thinking of them as Team SharkBait since the team identities were announced.  I haven't said anything for fear of being run out of town on a rail!

 

Understand, I've nothing against the team.  He looks like a guy on a reality show who doesn't really want to be there, but is doing his bit to support his quasi-famous girlfriend who was invited and couldn't go on her own.  She genuinely seems to be enjoying the race, and I do find her story somewhat inspirational.  I admire her for the way she bounced back from what was obviously a horrific experience.

 

But SharkBait is just too apt to ignore.