S25.E04: Thinly Sliced Anchovies

[biakbiak]

I'm happy Kym and Alli were smart enough to assemble the cake just before going to the restaurant and that they brought extra icing.

 

They were smart to bring extra icing in case their was a mishap but they originally assembled the cake in it's entirety; it was only after they were on the bike and part of it fell off they realized it would be easier to just have it in two separate pieces and they didn't have to go back like other teams because they did have the icing. 

[Alapaki]

There was no mention of having to do a speed bump in the next leg or did I miss it?

 

 

I didn't hear anything about a Speed Bump either.  And, wouldn't it be unusual for a post-NEL leg to include both a Speed Bump and a Double-U-Turn?  (It may have happened before, I just can't recall it).  

 

As far as the number of NELs left vis a vis the Save:

 

If I understand correctly, there are 8 air-dates left, and there are 8 Teams left at the end of this last air-date.  If my math is right, that means they have room for 2 more NELs (either via Save or regular NEL) in order to end up with 3 Teams at the start of the finale air-date.  

 

I believe that historically we've had 3 NELs per season.  So if they follow form, there should be two more NELs left, which means that they planned this out as a regular season with no extra-NEL-via-Save (at least in terms of the number of legs).

 

If the Dentists use the Save, I suppose they could go to a 4-team final leg.  Or, the could make the post-Save Leg a double-elimination (which there is precedent for from Season 19, Leg 2).

 

Final thought on The Save, I have no problem with it being a true Golden Ticket, Get Out of Jail Free that can't be "misplayed".  But, I really think there should have been a sufficient enough risk associated with winning The Save that the Teams that went for it would've been risking elimination in Leg 1.

[etagloh]

 

how does the airport vs. travel agency thing usually break down?

There's no real pattern. In some countries (based on previous seasons, especially in Africa and Asia) teams are directed specifically to travel agents, perhaps because local laws get in the way of rolling up to the airport without a ticket in hand. In developed nations, it's more common for everyone to head to the airport and go to the ticketing desks there, and it surprised me (and the agent!) that so many teams made a different choice in Aberdeen. There just aren't that many legs these days with multiple flight options -- they're either explicitly spoonfed or there's only one flight that makes sense -- and this one almost felt like it was thrown in by TPTB for long-time fans who like a bit of airport hustle.

[Former Nun]

He did say that this leg of the race was incredibly humbling, so perhaps we won't hear so much arrogance from him moving forward.

 

 

I have no faith in this.  His humility is a temporary aberration.  I think he has used steroids in the past and they'll always be a part of him.

[Donny Ketchum]

And, wouldn't it be unusual for a post-NEL leg to include both a Speed Bump and a Double-U-Turn?  (It may have happened before, I just can't recall it).  

TAR20 had one on its eighth leg.  Brendon & Rachel and Vanessa & Ralph were U-Turned, but neither team was eliminated because Nary & Jamie were too far behind with no bunching point (though they might've beaten Vanessa & Ralph if they hadn't had their own Speed Bump to worry about).  Also, TAR22 had one on its tenth leg.  Mona & Beth got Speed Bumped and had to face a Double U-Turn with their alliancemates, Joey & Meghan, whom they eked out to avoid elimination.  The very next season, TAR23, had one on its eighth leg.  Nicky & Kim got one put on them for only the pettiest of reasons by Tim & Marie in addition to their own Speed Bump, but because they were already far behind, anyway, with no bunching point, they couldn't overcome either one and got eliminated.  And then, in TAR24, Caroline & Jennifer had a Speed Bump to do on the tenth leg while Jet & Cord and Brendon & Rachel (who'd already passed by the U-Turn) got hit with the U-Turn.  So it's happened before.

 

I have no faith in this.  His humility is a temporary aberration.  I think he has used steroids in the past and they'll always be a part of him.

Yeah, I'm not too willing to believe he meant a word of that, either, until I see him show it.  I think that was just for Phil and the cameras that he said that.

Edited October 20, 2014 by Donny Ketchum

[Alapaki]

I picture myself trying to mother Nici for all those years--NOT easy!  Nici was just as rude to Phil...refusing to come to the technical finish line although he requested it a few times (who knows how many times he really did).  If I had to take sides on this team, I'd side with the mother.  If I were in charge, they would never have made the show.

 

One of the things that drew me to TAR was seeing how different Racers in different relationships handled the potential intraTeam conflict when the stress of the Race kicks in.

 

I've always said that one of the most crucial skills, beyond knowing how to drive stick or not being afraid of heights, is being able to hold it together when your partner is loosing it.

 

I much prefer seeing that play out to the artificial interTeam conflict the show has tried to foster more recently.

 

These two flight attendants are a great example.  On paper they should be a strong team.  They are very familiar with air-travel.  They probably have reasonably good people skills, they both appear to be relatively young and healthy.

 

But unless one or both of them figured out how to stay on point when the other one starts freaking out, they have no chance of winning.

[Lingo]

I have to say, I was really surprised that there wasn't more complaining about the Save after Episode 1, because it was obvious to me at least that it was going to be implemented in this completely boring, strategy-free manner.  I guess other posters had more faith in the producers. I get that they wanted to introduce some new game element to the show for this 25th "anniversary" season of the Race, but I hope it ends up just being a one-season gimmick (like that time that the team who won the first leg could win TWO million bucks for winning the whole race).

 

As someone else said, I wish there had been some element of real risk in going for the Save in the first leg -- much like the Fast Forwards of the early seasons.  In fact, I had that same wish when the Express Pass was originally introduced, as it's already a powerful gimmick.  It looks like the producers actually considered that this season, by making Adam and Bethany choose between going for the Pass or heading straight for the pit stop.  But I was dismayed that the Pass was actually so easy to find that A&B didn't even lose first place!  They didn't even make A&B actually search the pub to find the pass!

 

As for the Pass's implementation, I'm sure the producers have a provisional NEL planned for after the 9th leg, the last leg the Save can be used.  If the Dentists end up having to use the Save, then that late NEL will be changed to an elimination.  Otherwise, it will be an NEL.  That makes the Save trivial to implement -- no next-to-last-team-eliminations or double-eliminations necessary.

 

As for the Speed Bump, even in recent seasons there have been multiple cases that last-place saved teams have not had to do a Speed Bump (or at least that the Speed Bump was edited out of the episode for time). So maybe the Dentists won't need to do one, but it's no big deal.  I think the Speed Bump has always meant to be exactly like its literal referent: A tiny bump in the road, and nothing more.  I don't think we've ever seen a Speed Bump that was designed to take more than 10 minutes to complete, and that's on purpose.  You don't want Speed Bumps to be so onerous that the last-place team on an NEL is almost always the one that comes last on the next leg. Heck, the first 4 seasons didn't even have a punishment for NEL teams. I'm fine with the Speed Bumps as they are, even if they occasionally go missing.

[xcrayon2215x]

When the Save is handed to Phil, it should be used up instead of given back because of a Non-Elimination Leg. There should be no Speed Bump instead, the scientists seem to not be very good at directions.

[hincandenza]

I didn't hear anything about a Speed Bump either.  And, wouldn't it be unusual for a post-NEL leg to include both a Speed Bump and a Double-U-Turn?  (It may have happened before, I just can't recall it).

 

As far as the number of NELs left vis a vis the Save:

 

If I understand correctly, there are 8 air-dates left, and there are 8 Teams left at the end of this last air-date.  If my math is right, that means they have room for 2 more NELs (either via Save or regular NEL) in order to end up with 3 Teams at the start of the finale air-date.  

 

I believe that historically we've had 3 NELs per season.  So if they follow form, there should be two more NELs left, which means that they planned this out as a regular season with no extra-NEL-via-Save (at least in terms of the number of legs).

 

If the Dentists use the Save, I suppose they could go to a 4-team final leg.  Or, the could make the post-Save Leg a double-elimination (which there is precedent for from Season 19, Leg 2).

 

I was thinking about this while catching up on the thread, and I sussed it out: the Save has a time limit, I think the 7th or 8th leg, so it can't conflict with the three planned NEL.  To explain- and I'm just going to make up numbers here to illustrate the point- let's say it's a 14 episode season, and they have three NEL legs planned for legs 4, 8, and 12.  Then you have a Save that has to be used by leg 10.  Now, let's say it goes unused, because the team that had it has never been last.  No worries, it's not used, you progress on through with the existing planned NELs at 4, 8, and 12.  Ah, but if say the Save is used on leg 10, then that becomes the NEL.  You simply don't eliminate anyone on leg 12- using the Save effectively just moves the original non-elimination leg to that leg, so in this case you'd have NELs at 4, 8, and 10 instead of 12.  Or if used at leg 7, then you'd just skip the the NEL planned for leg 8.  There's no setup required for a NEL, other than Phil changing his dialogue; the teams keep racing as before.  There is a slight danger at legs 5 and 9 that you end up with two consecutive NELs, but other than that it should work fine.

 

On further thought, this might also explain why they didn't mention a Speed Bump for the next leg- because as we suspect, there aren't any this season.  While you could have planned speed bumps in my hypothetical arrangement above at legs 5, 9, and 13 following the original NELs, if the Save got used maybe they thought it would seem unfair if it had no penalty for non-elimination.  Unless they wanted to waste money setting up a Speed Bump for every leg, on the off chance the Save was used in the previous leg, it would be easier to just have no Speed Bumps at all.  Or perhaps they could just have a time penalty and we'll find out with Phil voicing over next week, "Jim and Misti, as the last to arrive at the end of the Non-Elimination Leg, have incurred a ninety minute starting delay".  I'd assume it's no penalty at all because it's not like Phil to omit a key part of the rules.

 

Or maybe Phil didn't happen to mention a Speed Bump and it will be there next week. :)

 

On Edit: I see Lingo made most of these points above; that'll teach me to lazily type out a comment while browsing on other tabs as well. :)

 

 

Final thought on The Save, I have no problem with it being a true Golden Ticket, Get Out of Jail Free that can't be "misplayed".  But, I really think there should have been a sufficient enough risk associated with winning The Save that the Teams that went for it would've been risking elimination in Leg 1.

 

I completely agree; I like the "golden ticket" element (although I would argue good game play design says there should be a similarly strong or counteracting pass, like a "turn a non-elimination leg into an elimination leg", as evil as that sounds), but it should have been something to earn, not just given out to the team that was already in the lead anyway.  Like, go to a place, wait 20 or 30 minutes, and then see if you get the pass.  Unless someone was there when you arrived, you'd have no idea if your waiting 20 or 30 minutes would even get you anything but wasted time- while you'd probably see a few teams show up, see you, and leave. 

 

Ooh- or even MORE interesting, what if you had to wait, say only 12 or 15 minutes, but they gave the pass out to the second team that arrived, provided that team waited the required 15 minutes!  So if you got their first, you'd wait 15 minutes, and be told simply "No"- which could mean that you were the first team to try, or you were the third or later team to try and the pass is already gone.  Now, if you got there and someone else was already there, then you have to ask: were they the first to arrive, so if I stay 15 minutes, I get the pass?  Or did the other person get there when someone else was there, who has since left, and they are waiting to see if they were 2nd- which means that they now know I can't get the pass, but I don't know that?  And if you get told "no" after 15 minutes having seen someone there already, do you now leave, or do you consider waiting around a few minutes to see if someone else arrives and try to 'trick' them into waiting around by telling them no one was there when you got there, so you're worried you are the first team to arrive.  Once they start their wait, you know you have an exactly 15 minutes head start on another team.  And people would talk to each other while there, try to deceive each other or fish for information, and get some clue as to whether they are waiting in vain.

 

Oh man, if I may say so myself, I really love this idea, you guys!  I think it would add a neat wrinkle to earning a powerful pass like the Save- you are risking wasting time and possibly finishing last on the first leg.  And if it only goes to the second place team, and that team happens to not even wait, then it's not given out- they can pick a random scenic location on the next leg and re-do the Save competition.

Edited October 19, 2014 by hincandenza

[Netfoot]

 Heck, the first 4 seasons didn't even have a punishment for NEL teams.

 

And that's the way I like it.

 

Either an elimination is scheduled -- in which case you get eliminated -- or NO elimination is scheduled, in which case you DON'T. 

 

Mugging, Marked for elimination, Speed Bumps, etc, are all attempts to jazz up a formula that was just right from the beginning.  I call for the elimination of the U-Turn, and the return of the Yield, and a Fast Forward on each leg.

[cooksdelight]

It's like any competitive reality show. If the ratings dip a point or two during a season, executives panic and challenge production to come up with something to ramp up the ratings. I am all for a show sticking to the original formula. It's why everyone watches it in the first place.

[Haleth]

Longtime watchers of the show, how does the airport vs. travel agency thing usually break down?

 

In a lot of countries travelers are required to go to a travel agency office to purchase tickets so racers are instructed to do so.  Most places don't have that restriction so racers can choose whatever means they want.  If they are in the middle of a sizeable city it is usually smarter to go to an agency to get the best flights rather than making that long drive to the airport while hoping the best available flights aren't already filled.

So I guess Phil giving the descriptions while the teams are there is just a new thing

 

Yup.  And it's a fun addition, seeing the racers' reactions.

 

I think Jim has the misfortune of having a face (coupled with the muscles) that makes people wary of him, but in the course of the race he has been polite to locals, generous to other racers, and supportive of Misty.  Extremely competitive, yes, but raaaaace!  I can't fault him for wanting to be first every leg.  But I do agree with the posters who are disappointed that Phil gave them back the save.  I can see how scheduling was a consideration, but the dentists should have lost their golden ticket.

Edited October 19, 2014 by Haleth

[Electruck]

At first I thought the wrestler's "handyman" parking space was just a case of grabbing the wrong word. But then when she repeated it, then pointed to the spot and repeated it again, I thought maybe it's what she likes to call them, and found it sweet. "Handyman" implies someone who can do things many can't, while "handicap" implies someone who can't do something many can. Or maybe some young 'un called it that once, and her family's called them that ever since.

This team is growing in me. I still laugh at their "how do you make a bent nail?" issue last week. Can someone teach me how NOT to make a bent nail? (Yes, I'm very appreciative of handyfolk!)

Edited October 19, 2014 by Electruck

[AZChristian]

I seem to be in the minority here.  Maybe it's because I'm closer in age to the mother than the daughter, but that young lady seems to live on the edge of drama and meltdowns and seems to try to manipulate mama with it.  Mama, however, has learned not to reward that behavior by caving in.  Being on TAR has exponentially emphasized both of their coping mechanisms. 

 

Daughter has been argumentative, demanding, and disrespectful to both mama and Phil on camera.  No telling what she has been like when it was just her and mama.  I've NEVER heard Phil take a racer to task before like he did Nici - "Time to grow up and act like an adult if you want to succeed in this race."  Has to be a reason he did that.  Makes  me wonder how she has treated the camera crew that has been assigned to them.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Nici couldn't get anyone else to go with her on the race, because she's just too high maintenance.  Mama said she'd go, but would not put up with any of Nici's shenanigans.  Nici promised to behave.  Nici started her usual drama and freakouts to manipulate mama.  Mama's not having it.

 

IIRC, Mama DID say she had seen the mat, after they had passed it.  To me, it was a message to Nici . . . "We are supposed to be a team.  You NEED to work with me in a manner that's acceptable; otherwise, you are on your own."  If mama had said nothing, Nici would still be driving around Scandinavia looking for Phil.

 

Pretty sure Nici doesn't get away with those behaviors when she's at work . . . because there are consequences when we behave badly.  Mama was just giving her a lesson in potential consequences.

 

I love reading all the differences of opinion expressed here.  This one is just mine.  YMMV.

[QuinnM]

Dentists - Ok, I actually have to give that guy credit.  No way would I expect him to be self-aware enough to see how his hubris had contributed to the failure.  I actually think this set back will make them a better team in the future.  It might be the wake up call they needed to take them all the way.

 

Scientists -LOVED the two ladies messing with the scientist at the detour and equally loved her reaction when she realized they were kidding.  I could not do that detour.  Was it the daughter that got it in one?  Man, you need to have some serious waitressing skills to carry that off.

 

I haven't watched the extra video yet but I hope they have more of the great dane attacking Phil.  Last week it was the puffin and this week the dog.  

[Alapaki]

Either an elimination is scheduled -- in which case you get eliminated -- or NO elimination is scheduled, in which case you DON'T.

 

 

I agree.  There seems to be this perceived need to punish a Team that is saved by NEL, which then raises the whole question of how you do that without making it so that it's impossible (as a practical matter) for the NEL Team to survive the next leg.

 

In fact, that's why I first started advocating the get-out-of-jail-free-Pass.  While it raises its own logistical issues, it at least makes it so that the Team that's "NEL'd" has "earned it" rather than simply being rewarded by random chance.

 

At first I thought the wrestler's "handyman" parking space was just a case of grabbing the wrong word. But then when she repeated it, then pointed to the spot and repeated it again, I thought maybe it's what she likes to call them, and found it sweet.

 

 

I don't know.  That doesn't explain why she thought they were supposed to take the wedding cake to the "Madam de something" instead of the maitre d.  I was willing to give them a pass on not knowing how to bend a nail last week because they might have been frustrated and frazzled.  Now I think they really just may not be that smart.  

 

But I did enjoy the Wrestler Guy's goofy way of giving the sandwich order.

[LilyoftheValley]

People like the dentists baffle me.  How could someone make it to their 40's with all that confidence that they are just certain to win?  It makes no sense to me.  Surely we all had moments of humility going back to our childhood, and we most certainly figured out in college that we were not always the smartest person in the room.  I bet these two would watch TAR at home and scoff at how stupid the racers are.  I just assumed that often it is the editing or the stress and exhaustion of the race that makes people screw up.  And though Jim is obviously the smartest man who ever lived, even he must realize that Albert Einstein had a brain fart or two in his life.  

 

The thing about TAR is that just being of average intelligence is enough to win.  I mean, I have no idea what the IQ of the bike messengers is, but carrying the cake in two parts and taking something to repair it with is a good idea, but certainly not something only a genius could come up with.  

 

And even though the dentists are in good shape, they must realize that there are teams that are in just as good of shape as them but that are a good twenty years younger!  I would never feel super confident knowing that.  

[jhlipton]

poor doggy . I still don't care for the dentists

Were Tim and TJ the only team to know the capitals of Norway , Denmark and Sweden without asking locals ?

I could not believe how many teams had to ask. And they didn't even need to name all five, just the three in the poster!

 

I was expecting them to have to name the capitals of all the “cross-shaped flag” countries, including Iceland and Finland. I knew all but Iceland.

 

Adam & Bethany might have been sent packing.

 

I think once Phil says “You’re still in the Race” he can’t go back and say “Whooopse!”

[Former Nun]

And even though the dentists are in good shape, they must realize that there are teams that are in just as good of shape as them but that are a good twenty years younger!  I would never feel super confident knowing that.

 

 

Sometimes smart "on paper" stops right there.

[GaT]

People like the dentists baffle me.  How could someone make it to their 40's with all that confidence that they are just certain to win?  It makes no sense to me.  Surely we all had moments of humility going back to our childhood, and we most certainly figured out in college that we were not always the smartest person in the room.  I bet these two would watch TAR at home and scoff at how stupid the racers are.  I just assumed that often it is the editing or the stress and exhaustion of the race that makes people screw up.  And though Jim is obviously the smartest man who ever lived, even he must realize that Albert Einstein had a brain fart or two in his life.  

 

 

 

Some people have lives that give them that kind of confidence. They've always done well in school, they've always had good friends, maybe they've always been good at sports, they got the job they wanted & it pays well, & they marry the exact type of person they like. In other words, they don't have any major disappointments or adversities in their lives. If that's how your life has gone, why wouldn't you expect to win? In your experience, that's what happens when you try something.

[LilyoftheValley]

Some people have lives that give them that kind of confidence. They've always done well in school, they've always had good friends, maybe they've always been good at sports, they got the job they wanted & it pays well, & they marry the exact type of person they like. In other words, they don't have any major disappointments or adversities in their lives. If that's how your life has gone, why wouldn't you expect to win? In your experience, that's what happens when you try something.

Well, if someone has live 45 years on this planet like that, then color me shocked.  

 

Look, these two cannot be particularly brilliant.  I know all the capitals of Europe off the top of my head and I did not even make straight A's in school, my teeth are just tooth-colored, and my skin is sort of pale.  I know their claim to genius is that Jim had a high MCAT score.  Okay, so I have never taken that test, but I have taken the LSAT.  Most of those tests are something that a hyper-competitive, type A person could do well on if they are intelligent.  The thing is that they would not need to be a genius, and the person with a lower score who did not study that much is probably actually smarter.  

 

Oh yeah, to me any adult with a high school education should be able to list the capitals of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark without any difficulty whatsoever.  Not only should any formally educated person know them, but they come up in conversation and the media with regularity.  Not one person should have had to look that up.  Not one.  Every single solitary last one of those racers should have known that without a second of hesitation.  I am always shocked that people who brag about how smart they are do not have what to me, is something someone with a Jr. High school level of education would naturally know.  My own theory is that when a person is really self-centered and egotistical, natural things like paying attention to the world just are not present in that person's life.  

[Camera One]

Well, if someone has live 45 years on this planet like that, then color me shocked.

 

Some people are just naturally extremely self-assured to the point of arrogance.  It is compounded when people naturally have an external locus of control where any failure is blamed on outside factor.  I'm assuming Jim has had a successful dental practice for years so that would be reinforced.

 

Self-confidence is one thing, but saying idiotic pronouncements that second is the first loser and making a huge deal out of not being first is annoying.  I hope he was actually humbled by this leg, since they actually ended up dead last.  Which is a new thing for him and probably something he hasn't experienced for years.

Edited October 19, 2014 by Camera One

[LilyoftheValley]

Some people are just naturally extremely self-assured to the point of arrogance.  It is compounded when people naturally have an external locus of control where any failure is blamed on outside factor.  I'm assuming Jim has had a successful dental practice so that would be reinforced.

 

Self-confidence is one thing, but saying idiotic pronouncements that second is the first loser and making a huge deal out of not being first is annoying.  I hope he was actually humbled by this leg, since they actually ended up dead last.  Which is a new thing for him and probably something he hasn't experienced for years.

 

It just seemed like something I would expect out of the contestants in their early 20's, and not someone who is clearly in his mid-40's.  Surely he has seen this show enough to have noticed that it has never happened that a team has just absolutely dominated everyone else from the word go.  There are ups and downs.  It only takes one wrong turn or missing one little detail to completely derail any sort of lead.  Also, being first to the mat only rarely translates to any sort of lead on the next leg.  I guess the other thing that bothers me about Jim is that he seems convinced that things are in his control.  See most of us figure out at a young age that only a few things are in our control.  You might get a stubborn Shetland pony, and one of the "loser" teams gets a cooperative one.  Or you may have been brilliant and gotten the best flight, only to have your flight delayed by two hours.  It just makes no sense for someone his age to not know about these things.  

[Lingo]

hincandenza, your idea is deliciously evil.  I kind of like it, but I think the producers would think it's too complicated to convey to a casual audience, unfortunately.

 

 

Mugging, Marked for elimination, Speed Bumps, etc, are all attempts to jazz up a formula that was just right from the beginning.  I call for the elimination of the U-Turn, and the return of the Yield, and a Fast Forward on each leg.

 

Oh gosh, no Yields thank you.  Those are boring to watch; the yielded team just sits there and bitches.  If they have to have any inter-team conflict element like that, I prefer the U-Turn (though I'd be just fine with neither).

 

The FFs on every leg were great, but that was 21 seasons ago, guys.  That ship has sailed.

 

  I know all the capitals of Europe off the top of my head and I did not even make straight A's in school, my teeth are just tooth-colored, and my skin is sort of pale.  I know their claim to genius is that Jim had a high MCAT score. 

 

Oh yeah, to me any adult with a high school education should be able to list the capitals of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark without any difficulty whatsoever. 

 

"My teeth are just tooth-colored" -- LOL! That actually made me laugh out loud.

 

I think you're over-estimating the importance of knowing capitals, and the ability to remember things from junior high, and under-estimating what Race stress does to your mind.  But I have to admit I was surprised too.  What's even sadder is, as someone else mentioned above, all the capitals of Europe were listed on that poster in a big list at the bottom.  So all they had to do was just pick the three out of the list! Personally I was having trouble remembering Stockholm, but I would have been able to pick it out of the list for sure.

 

It just seemed like something I would expect out of the contestants in their early 20's, and not someone who is clearly in his mid-40's.  Surely he has seen this show enough to have noticed that it has never happened that a team has just absolutely dominated everyone else from the word go.  There are ups and downs.  It only takes one wrong turn or missing one little detail to completely derail any sort of lead. 

 

Well they've watched enough to know the previous record, and Jim must feel he can do better because he's stronger than that guy was.  Some seasons have been almost completely dominated by 2 or 3 teams (like S9).

[Tunia]

I haven't watched the extra video yet but I hope they have more of the great dane attacking Phil. Last week it was the puffin and this week the dog.

 

 

There are many of us who'd like a little taste of Phil...!

[jb0495]

I just had a thought-what if the memory game is where Phil popped up in each city? Wait, never mind because not all the teams would have seen him.

It's always interesting to speculate what the end task will be!

[aradia22]

I'm enjoying not hating people this season. It allows me to be happy for the wrestlers when they didn't give up on the cake challenge (even if Brooke does complain...loudly...a lot). And I can also be happy for the food scientists for acing the what's the difference challenge. Kudos to Adam and Tim for figuring out the flower pot thing. I still don't have a team I'm really rooting for but because I don't hate anyone I can celebrate all the little successes.

 

The way Robbie described the Bombay sandwich was so dorky. I loved it.

 

I have been waiting for Amy and Maya to get more of a personality and this was the episode. Amy's reactions were that of an adorable little pixie. It'll get annoying if she does it all the time but for now it was pretty cute. And Maya's eyebrow was all I needed to make me like her. ;)

 

Also, I appreciated that nothing this episode was really a physical challenge. I didn't get the best sense of who did really well at the memory challenge but I hope there are more mental challenges as it seems like it will really play to multiple teams' strengths this season.

 

Shelley and Nici seem to have such a toxic relationship. I would never go on the Amazing Race with my own mom even if I thought we'd be any good at the challenges. Don't you know these things about your own relationships before you sign up? For me, it's not Marcie and Luke. It's not like the daughter is being childish. The mom is taking a small thing and passive aggressively provoking her so she'll behave even worse and then she can reprimand her/show her bad behavior to other people. That's not good parenting.

 

I give Jim points for getting frustrated during their struggles in all the challenges but never seeming to take it out on Misti. Though I agree that if they handed over the pass, they shouldn't have gotten it back.

[LilyoftheValley]

 

 

I think you're over-estimating the importance of knowing capitals, and the ability to remember things from junior high, and under-estimating what Race stress does to your mind.  But I have to admit I was surprised too.  What's even sadder is, as someone else mentioned above, all the capitals of Europe were listed on that poster in a big list at the bottom.  So all they had to do was just pick the three out of the list! Personally I was having trouble remembering Stockholm, but I would have been able to pick it out of the list for sure.

I think it is extremely important to know world geography.  I do not think it can be over-estimated enough.  And you get a basis for things in jr. high that should assist you throughout life, so that when you see the byline "Stockholm" in the newspaper, that dings at least enough in you that you would look it up to refresh your memory. 

The reason that US-Americans are so hated all over the world is little things like totally not knowing the capital of the country they are currently in.  It does not seem like a big deal to us, but I assure you that it is offensive to the people living in that country.  It just comes across as having the attitude that people other than Americans just don't matter all that much.

[Donny Ketchum]

I have been waiting for Amy & Maya to get more of a personality and this was the episode. Amy's reactions were that of an adorable little pixie. It'll get annoying if she does it all the time but for now it was pretty cute. And Maya's eyebrow was all I needed to make me like her. ;)

I think you got them mixed up.  Amy was the one who did the eyebrow thing.  Maya was the one with the pixielike reactions.

[aradia22]

 

I think you got them mixed up.  Amy was the one who did the eyebrow thing.  Maya was the one with the pixielike reactions.

God damn it. I'm usually better at names. I think it's the teams that throw me off. I've basically got the team names down but not the individuals.

[backformore]

I just had a thought-what if the memory game is where Phil popped up in each city? Wait, never mind because not all the teams would have seen him.

It's always interesting to speculate what the end task will be!

My bet is that it will have to do with the order they encountered animals. It probably won't be, but I would like it.

[Netfoot]

I hope he was actually humbled by this leg, since they actually ended up dead last.  Which is a new thing for him and probably something he hasn't experienced for years.

 

Some people can quickly convince themselves that any mishap is the result of factors outside their control.  After that it's easy to point the finger of blame at someone else, and continue to believe in their own incredible wonderfulness. 

 

Jim has run the race without, so far, any sort of outbursts, blow-offs, or unfortunate behaviour.  But sometimes he reminds me of a pressure vessel with a stuck safety valve.  He looks like he's going to explode any minute.  (Those eyes!)  But maybe he really is as calm on the inside, as his external behaviour indicates.

[SnideAsides]

Great leg, but the Save is far too overpowered. Agreed with those who think it should have been taken anyway - it's like taking a Fast Forward in what could be a non-elimination, or going on Survivor and playing a hidden Immunity Idol when there's a chance you might get no votes. Still, I suppose at least it's a better fit for the show than the glorified excuse for quitting that is the Express Pass.

 

I didn't hear anything about a Speed Bump either.  And, wouldn't it be unusual for a post-NEL leg to include both a Speed Bump and a Double-U-Turn?  (It may have happened before, I just can't recall it).

From memory (and Wikipedia): TAR19's second leg in Malawi (dugout canoe/unload a ferry Detour, slide puzzle Speed Bump), TAR20's second leg in Tanzania (fix a bike/wait for water Detour, hanging art Speed Bump), TAR22 in Scotland (whisky/haggis Detour, skittles Speed Bump), TAR23's second leg in the UAE (wedding meal/camel pageant Detour, wave pool Speed Bump), and TAR24 in Spain (flamenco/bull ball Detour, ham Speed Bump). So it happens fairly frequently if not with the regularity of the original U-Turn and its odd penchant to ONLY appear on elimination legs, BUT the Speed Bumps are usually quick and forgettable to make up for it.

[wineaux]

It just seemed like something I would expect out of the contestants in their early 20's, and not someone who is clearly in his mid-40's.  

 

Jim and Misti are not my favorite team, but I just wanted to slip in a correction before we go too far assuming how old they are.  They are actually 37 and 36, respectively.  I found this information on The Amazing Race CBS website.

[elychari]

Wow. Talk about judging someone by their appearance. This episode has actually made me like the dentists more.

They knew they were in last place but there was no shouting or crying. I also watched the extra clip in Youtube and it looked like this was a stressful leg for them coming into the detour challenge. The guy was stressing about their money situation but he didn't yell at his wife and the wife actually keeping him focused on the race, reminding him that they will find a way to get the money to pay the toll back. Maybe the situation would be different if they don't have the save in their pockets but it looks like they are actually have a healthy relationship and can handle stressful situations better than the mom and daughter.

[rozen]

I could have named the capitals if I stood there and thought about it for a minute, but I would almost certainly just go ask someone rather than take the risk of saying something idiotic on TV. I didn't even have geography in high school, and it's been eons since I've been in any sort of world history class. I'd worry that I favored those cities just because they were really the only ones I knew in those countries, not that they were correct (e.g. new york city vs albany).

 

Shelley is from team Mother is Always Right, Nici should know this. Girl had attitude for days, and possibly a more liberal parent would have just rolled with it, but she should know that her mother would not. My mother would have gotten out of the car and literally philiminated herself, rather than continue with me if I had been so disrespectful. I cringed just about every time Nici opened her mouth this leg, I was just waiting for the boom to come down. You just do not talk to your parents that way, no matter how right you are. You just don't.

 

The scientists are so adorable/awesome, I demand TAR give them more screentime! Maya just turning around and walking away, and then rolling around on the ground in pure ecstasy when she completed the challenge, was hilarious! By the time everyone was done I was dying to eat about all of those sandwiches. 

 

Cyclists ran a solid leg. I like that they actually took the time to go look at the ground where they came from, instead of going into straight 'omg rush rush rush, headless chickens! Ahhh!' I would have shamelessly tried to obtain free food from all those places as well, so the one cyclist was def my spirit animal this episode. 

 

Like the dentists even more because there was no meltdown, no blaming, just hustle hustle hustle. Jim might secretly be plotting his revenge behind closed doors, but he could also be a guy with no poker face. I'll take them at face value, esp as Misti didn't seem to be cringing or apprehensive in her talking heads, as many partners have when their teammate is very tough on their mistakes.

[SnideAsides]

I was expecting them to have to name the capitals of all the “cross-shaped flag” countries, including Iceland and Finland. I knew all but Iceland.

"Iceland is a country in the North Atlantic. It's capital city is Reykjavik." - Craig Ferguson.

The FFs on every leg were great, but that was 21 seasons ago, guys.  That ship has sailed.

I'd wonder if the lack of penalties, combined with the odd way the Express Pass was handled, signalled an intent to return to the original format in the near future. Switch it so the regular clue went to the next place and the cryptic clue went to the prize and it was basically the old Fast Forward format - if memory serves, there weren't really any expensive ones in the first three seasons, and it wasn't until TAR4 that the budget got blown.

[ProfCrash]

Doctorate in Political Science and I would not have been able to name all of the capitols from memory. I know how to research things so wny bother memorizing them? And the last time I had geography was in 8th Grade, I believe I received a C, mainly because my spelling sucks and I thought memorizing stuff is just plain stupid even then. Sorry, I see that type of stuff as trivia and not as overly important.

 

Ask me about electoral systems and why they matter and I can give you an entire course loads worth of info off the top of my head, that stuff is really important because it actually influences governments and their ability to govern. Want to talk democratization? I am your woman. What type of diagnostic's to run for a given statistical model? Cool, I am there. Conflict theory and why the democratic peace is a joke? All over that.  Capitols? eh, who cares. Give me a library or the internet and I'll give you an answer in a few minutes.

 

I don't know how I feel about Team Dentist. I normally dislike the Type A personality, We have to win everything teams. They bug me. Their sense of superiority and over all desire to be perfect drives me crazy and I look forward to their going crazy and falling apart. So Team Dentist has been on my list of teams I kind of don't like. Yet they have helped other teams, been polite to the locals, not blown up at each other, and seem to be pretty supportive of each other. The bug eyes scare me. Not a big fan of the perfect tan and the muscles. It is clear that Jim (that is his name right? I suck with names) is one of those guys who is uber competitive in every element of his life and I think he would exhaust me. His wife seems to be fine with that. They have been married for ages and are raising kids together. She does not come off as someone who is afraid of her husband or afraid of disappointing him. She seems happy and content. I am not seeing any of the normal warning signs that make me think he is an over bearing oaf. So I am confused. I think falling behind killed him but because of his fear of failure and not because he was angry with her. I think she was disappointed not because she failed him buy because she wanted to do better. It is awful but I think I would like them better if he simply wasn't type A in some area, like the body building or the teeth, but the entire picture is just some how or another off putting even though they seem to be nice enough people. And yet, I can't get past the fact that I don't think I would want to spend time with them because I feel like he would talk about how perfect their life is all the time and I would want to hurt him.

 

I really love the bikers and the scientists. I love that the bikers were the only team to think of bringing icing with them. That was a great call. They have a fun spirit to them, seem to enjoy life, and really don't feel like they are mugging but that this is who they are. The scientists simply rock and I wish they would get more air time.

 

I continue to enjoy Bethany and Adam, not their best leg but they remained positive and cool.

 

The wrestlers were a bit more chill this week. I don't have a problem with asking for food. The bikers did it as well, just at the end of tasks and were given food. Robbie asked for food at the wrong time, that is all.

 

The Dating couple were fine but really didn't stand out. I did like that they didn't flip out when they were delayed on their plane flight and that they had a good attitude.

 

The Mother/Daughter team can go anytime now. The daughter is a pain in the ass. There was a bonus clip from the second leg where she is yelling at her Mom to run when her Mom couldn't due to cramping toes, which really hurts and really sucks. It only added to her melt down about finishing last as super fans that we saw. And now this episode the daughter continues to throw tantrums and melt down. I have no problem with her Mothers approach, her Daughter is acting like she is three. Stop throwing tantrums, chill and deal. Not pointing out Phil was a bit much but I have to agree that this is Mom's coping mechanism for a daughter who is not the best behaved when stressed. I do think the fact that Mom had her Daughter when she was so young has a lot to do with it. I would guess that young Mom did not do well with establishing boundaries for baby girl due to not being old enough to have an understanding of why boundaries are important and baby girl grew to pre-teen, teenager, and adult women who has tantrums with Mom.

[MyAimIsTrue]

I think it is extremely important to know world geography.  I do not think it can be over-estimated enough.  And you get a basis for things in jr. high that should assist you throughout life, so that when you see the byline "Stockholm" in the newspaper, that dings at least enough in you that you would look it up to refresh your memory. 

The reason that US-Americans are so hated all over the world is little things like totally not knowing the capital of the country they are currently in.  It does not seem like a big deal to us, but I assure you that it is offensive to the people living in that country.  It just comes across as having the attitude that people other than Americans just don't matter all that much.

 

A-freakin'-men.  That perceived attitude is ugly Americanism at its worst, in my opinion.

[Haleth]

all the “cross-shaped flag” countries,

 

Ugh, matching all the cross shaped flags to the correct country would have been a more difficult challenge IMO.  A brutal one!

[TheOriginalDonald]

I didn't like this episode either, but for different reasons than Jessica's....

1. No Hans Christian Andersen reference at the pit stop. I understand WHY they couldn't use the Little Mermaid or The Snow Queen but C'MON! He's pretty much one of the most well-known Danes ever.

2. The dogs didn't bae on Phil's shoes. That would've been a Top 10 all-time TAR moment.

[Bryce Lynch]

Jim seemed to be seething underneath, but was outwardly very supportive of Misti.  I'm not sure if what one feels or what one expresses is more important.

 

Misti's idea of making the sandwich recipes into a jingle was brilliant.  39 years later I still know that a Big Mac is made up of "Two all beef (allegedly) patties, special sauce, lettuce cheese, pickles onions on a sesame bun."  Too bad she forgot to include the numbers. 

 

I was a rabid anti-dentite earlier, but I don't really mind them much anymore.  I like Jim's confidence, but dislike when it becomes arrogance.  That said, his arrogance is 100%, "We're awesome and dominant!", not "Our opponents suck and are idiots!", which would be 100 times worse.  They have also been complimentary of and helpful to other teams on more than one occasion.   

 

They do have great teeth.  I think Dawn from Survivor should make an appointment. :)

 

I don't like Kim and Alli much.  Dodging all the reckless, rude, selfish cyclists in Manhattan has made me an "anti cylcite".  I also didn't like their "We are the fun team, the rest are a all a bunch of sticks in the mud," attitude.  However, they are very competent.  The idea of bringing extra icing was very smart.

 

I like the food scientists a lot, but in this episode I thought Maya was a bit over the top with her celebratory mugging. 

 

I thought the wrestlers were funny with their joking about all the head injuries they have had damaging their memory, but Robbie did quite well in the sandwich task.

 

The cake delivery task seemed like the first one where Bethany's missing arm really hurt.  They recovered nicely on the other road block task though. 

 

Shelley can get off my TV screen anytime now.  She is probably the type of flight attendant who demands they make an emergency landing and call the air marshals if a passenger is a little rude to her. 

[Pepper Mostly]

Unexpectedly loving Kym & Alli.  They're kind of hilarious.

I lost my heart to them first episode, when one of them did bunny ears on Misti. They are funny and smart and they make me laugh out loud every episode. Some people are just ebullient and extravagantly expressive (I know, I'm one). I don't equate that with mugging or attention seeking--its just how they (we) are.

 

The scientists are so adorable/awesome, I demand TAR give them more screentime! Maya just turning around and walking away, and then rolling around on the ground in pure ecstasy when she completed the challenge, was hilarious! By the time everyone was done I was dying to eat about all of those sandwiches. 

 

 

 

 

Maya is really, really pretty too--there was one shot of them exposition-ing, she was wearing a hat--she looked like Naomi Campbell. Her faint at the sandwich shop was so cute and funny. I love them without reservation. Unlike the mother/daughter team.  I rarely change allegiances once I decide I like a competitor, but these two-blech. Neither one comes out looking good or sympathetic to me. Mother smug and overbearing, daughter short tempered and utterly lacking in coping skills. Feh. Done.

 

The wrestlers cracked me up! I like them. It *is* refreshing to not actively hate anyone.

Edited October 20, 2014 by Pepper Mostly

[cooksdelight]

They do have great teeth. I think Dawn from Survivor should make an appointment. :)

Bwahahahaha!!! I will laugh about that all day long, and probably go to hell because of it. :)

[proserpina65]

Lastly, and not to be arrogant, but... why are these people always so dumb?  Or do these memory/detail/clue-reading tasks never seem as hard to me as the teams make them?

 

I personally think that sandwich task was killer.  I'd have been there for hours trying to remember the ingredients of all four sandwiches and their names and numbers.  The Parklet task seemed easier to me, since there was a photo and I'm good with details in general.  But neither I nor the friend who'd be my Race partner (if we ever were on AR) would've had an easy time with the sandwich task.

[ChicagoCita]

I was a rabid anti-dentite earlier,

 

Hah!  Made me laugh out loud.  Thanks, Bryce Lynch.

 

I actually knew the capitols, the flags and where to find those countries on the map.  Which is weird, because I'm geographically inept, but I do love trivia.  I spent the summer in a small rural town where the internet and cable were out for 17 straight days (because someone literally cut the cable in the ground 75 miles away), so I'm leery of always having the means to look stuff up.  Those 17 days were a flashback to the 1970s, where "Go to the library!" was the main way to Find Stuff Out.

Edited October 20, 2014 by ChicagoCita

[etagloh]

I'd wonder if the lack of penalties, combined with the odd way the Express Pass was handled, signalled an intent to return to the original format in the near future. 

 

I don't think we're getting the every-leg FF back, but there's definitely a throwback vibe so far, even with mega-buffs like the Save. More eat/sleep/mingle, but still no alliances, which is the biggest clue that something's different: everybody's running their own race. We're finally getting a sense of the teams, and there's no bwahahaha enemy or target. Even the Survivor stuntcasts aren't annoying. I think casting may have chosen wisely.

 

 

No Hans Christian Andersen reference at the pit stop.

 

Been there, done that: first task in S19E9 (the leg after the bunny racing). I'm glad that for this one they focused on a different side of Copenhagen.

[QuinnM]

I forgot to say way to use what you've got to the wrestlers.  The cake didn't tip because she held it chest high the entire trip.  

 

The cyclists made it since they knew how difficult it was to handle that type of bike and thought ahead to how they would make a good delivery.  The wrestlers made it because he was strong enough to muscle the steering on the bike and she was strong enough and had the muscle endurance to act as a human shock absorber for the cake.  

 

That looks like some awful thing my trainer will make me do next week and then I'll cry after 2 minutes.

[Jersey Guy 87]

 

IIRC, Mama DID say she had seen the mat, after they had passed it.  To me, it was a message to Nici . . . "We are supposed to be a team.  You NEED to work with me in a manner that's acceptable; otherwise, you are on your own."  If mama had said nothing, Nici would still be driving around Scandinavia looking for Phil.

 

The problem with this is they switched positions because Nici had done a poor job navigating, Shelley got upset at her because she told her to turn too late.  Nici admitted it was her mistake but didn't apologize sufficiently for Shelley so they switched roles.  Then, Shelley decides that the job of the navigator is to tell people to turn, stop, etc. after the fact.  But not apologize or admit you were wrong.

 

Sorry, but both acted immaturely but Shelley was worse to me.  She has decided that instead of being on the Amazing Race she wants to be on the Amazing Teach My Daugher a Lesson show.  And I'm not very interested in that show.

 

 

I think it is extremely important to know world geography.  I do not think it can be over-estimated enough.  And you get a basis for things in jr. high that should assist you throughout life, so that when you see the byline "Stockholm" in the newspaper, that dings at least enough in you that you would look it up to refresh your memory.

 

Even if you don't think knowing world geography is generally a good thing I'd think you'd brush up on it before going on a race around the world.  Seems like a good idea, right?  And they flew into Copenhagen.  Every airplane I've ever been on has an inflight magazine in the seat pocket in front of you. In the back of that magazine is a map of the airline's routes.  It lists the names of cities they fly to.  I'd be shocked if Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm weren't listed in those maps.  You've got some time to kill on the flight, wouldn't you at least glance through the magazine at some point?  if for no other reason than to see where you can get a direct flight?

[ProfCrash]

Knowing where countries are located and having an idea about the climate and local geography is a good thing. It is polite to learn the basics about the country you are visiting (leadership, languages spoken, hello/good bye and please/thank you in the native tongue, capitol, type of government, important local customs) so I would have known that capitol but not necessarily the ones around it.

 

I am sorry, there are many ways to define someone as world and memorizing capitols, mountain ranges and the like is not worldly. In my class on Eastern European politics class we had a massive map exam (I aced it) where we had to identify all the countries in the region, capitols, mountain ranges, lakes, rivers and the like. It was a not so fun week of memorizing stuff that is 1) easily researched 2) was never put in context in terms of why those rivers, mountains, and the like are important. It really didn't enhance my understanding of the region but I could find everything on a map.

 

Geography in context is interesting but geography as pure memorization is painful. I tend to view people who know a ton of geography as great with trivia but fail to find it that impressive. I find people who can apply what they know to help explain the development of ports, industry, and the like far more interesting. Political Geography is fascinating, memorizing capitols not so much.