S25.E05: Morocc' And Roll

[Donny Ketchum]

Jim is very intense competitor.   This is a raaaaaaace.   Not the Amazing Admire Other Cultures Show.    Can you do both?   Sure.   But all Jim sees is RAAAAAACE.  So he is going to comment on someone who takes a minute to smell the roses -- or the tannery as the case may be.  Because in his mind that gets in the way of raaaaaaacing.

Sorry, merylinkid, but that's no excuse.  In fact, it makes it worse.  One of the words in this show's name is "amazing."  There's a reason for that.  You see all these amazing places, cultures, and peoples that you might never have seen otherwise.  Sure, it's race.  But I'd sure as hell try to enjoy it if I were on it, and I give Maya credit for taking the time to do so.  That Jim was that annoyed by someone enjoying the experience was off-putting.

[ghoulina]

I thought whoever was setting up the vendor with the eggs, and repeating several times I would never eat here, was more rude overall.

 

That was Brooke. She was going on and on about how warm they were, and how she would never eat eggs that weren't refrigerated. I just rolled my eyes. I have friends who raise chickens and they don't refrigerate their eggs at all.

[etagloh]

 

The placement of the U-Turn was just off.

 

But it was off because what happened was unusual: no real separation as teams went into the Detour, and the W-turn was used like the old single U-turn, which was almost always a guaranteed elimination. Perhaps there should have been a Route Marker task between the U-Turn and the Pit Stop, but the truly dodgy placement was the cobbler on the tannery task, sufficiently out of the way to create that logjam. (20-20 hindsight: there should have been two or three different addresses handed out as places to drop off the tanned hides.)

 

The Amazing Editors can only edit the leg that was run, not the leg that they expected to be run. In this case, it delivered weirder pacing than most "late W-Turn" legs because nobody had an advantage leaving the Road Block.

[Minerette]

Wouldn't it have been really cool if Phil had Mike Rowe with him at the tannery to explain why it's a dirty job?

[ShaggyDog]

hincadenza wrote about the getting the clue uproar:

 

As others have said, it wasn't even a pit stop or a time-sensitive check-in point, so order isn't vital: just shut up, wait 5 seconds, grab your clue, and go.

 

This seems to be a common (and sometimes very unfortunate) trait with people under pressure.

I remember reading an article about airline passengers trying to exit a cabin on fire.

Most crash survivors die of smoke inhalation, not the flames - many times they can't get out fast enough because the 2-3 passengers who are already at the exit door delay everyone else while they fight each other to be the first out the door.

[Camera One]

According to Maya in the bonus clip, Nicci's bike came in first followed by everyone else, which surprised her since she was last to leave.  I guess Keith then stood at the clue-giver waiting for his partner.  So I suppose technically, Keith should've let Shelley/Nicci get their clue first. I still think Shelley blew the situation completely out of proportion, but I can see why she felt her team had the right to be handed the clue first.

 

Shelley/Nicci defended their U-turn that "it was either us or them".  Not really since the Food Scientists were still there as well.  But they did feel they needed to U-Turn somebody since they had to go back to their taxi.  Which could have allowed those two teams to overtake them to the Mat.  They didn't know what was happening at the Tea Task.  So maybe they would have U-Turned the Food Scientists even without a personal grudge if that had been the only team left.

Edited October 25, 2014 by Camera One

[Netfoot]

I think putting a bandana and some high-octane lip balm with lots of menthal or a similar strong scent in it would probably be a good thing to add to the supply kit--you can rub some of the balm on the bandana and wear it over your lower face.

I went to college in downtown Milwaukee in the 1980s, and when the wind came from the southwest, you had to brace yourself, since that's where the tannery was. Ugh, did it smell, and it was miles from campus!

 

Tanneries are historically notorious for their foul smell.  Anyone who visits one is going to notice the olefactory awfulness, and I doubt anyone working there will disagree or take offense with anyone who mentions it.   Of course, the visitor should avoid turning the comment into some sort of commentary on the local society, or otherwise make it into a national insult.

 

Sharpie66, you want to consider Vicks for your backpack.  I understand it is commonly used in the morgue when they are dealing with something particular putrid.  Could prove valuable to a racer in a variety of stinky circumstances.

 

I think this leg revealed that the Save is, in practical terms, a "go direct to the Final Five" ticket, because it would require a strong and confident team to spend their U-Turn in order to put the dentists under pressure, with no guarantee of burning the Save.

 

Even if it did burn the Save, the Saved team would still be in the race, with as much chance of avoiding both the next U-Turn, and elimination generally as anyone else.  And remember, this is supposedly a good team, good enough to win the Save in the first place.  If the final leg is leg#12 and they can play the Save up to leg#9, then there are only two legs (#10, #11) which they must run without the safety net of the Save.  If they do use the Save at some point, then they will have to complete the race without a safety net, but that's what all the other teams have to do, only the other teams have to run with no safety net from the beginning of the race!

 

I think that it is highly likely that the team that wins the Save will make the final three, with a very good chance of winning the prize.  We'll see.

[auntlada]

Sharpie66, you want to consider Vicks for your backpack.  I understand it is commonly used in the morgue when they are dealing with something particular putrid.  Could prove valuable to a racer in a variety of stinky circumstances.

 

A tube of Icy Hot or Bengay might work also. I've used it before having to clean out a sewage back-up in a basement bathroom. Nothing really helps a lot, although after a while you notice the smell less.

 

I might have used the u-turn on Jim and Misti and then told them that I didn't want anyone to go out that way, and I knew they wouldn't. Of course, they'd still be mad. The only thing I can think of that Jim might understand is if you just told him, "It's not personal. It's business." He seems like the kind of guy who has watched "The Godfather" a lot and possibly thinks it's the I Ching of business.

[Writing Wrongs]

The cyclist team crack me up. Especially the one who always wants to eat stuff. I wasn't expecting them to be my fave team.

 

As others have said, it wasn't even a pit stop or a time-sensitive check-in point, so order isn't vital: just shut up, wait 5 seconds, grab your clue, and go.

Yeah, I didn't get what all the drama was about.  I don't care for the mother/daughter team. The daughter seems to have permanent bitchface.

[hincandenza]

I have to respectfully disagree, Netfoot.  I do share some of your frustration that, as our society changes in gasping fits and starts from the more rigid gender roles of the past, we get people like Shelley who want to have their cake and eat it too- shove someone, then hide behind the "I'm just a girl!" shield, or men who think they are entitled to wife simply because they are gainfully employed.  But the reason to avoid generalizations is to eventually train ourselves out of the habit of seeing people as their "classes" altogether.  Honestly, over the years I've come to the conclusion that all of these "classes" we belong to aren't even real in any meaningful sense.  Those dividing lines or abstract groupings are all linguistic trickery we play in our heads, based on often superficial and irrelevant traits.

 

These are just my personal feelings of course, and god knows I'm sometimes as guilty of double standards as the next person, but I do try to get better.  In fact, in my original draft of the comment I left earlier in this thread, I actually shared a somewhat similar sentiment about women who do what Shelley did- but edited it out before I posted, because I forced myself to remember Shelley is not a synecdoche for "women".  She's just one person, who chooses to act the way she acts.  I'll judge her for that- and harshly, I might add- but not her wider class membership (her gender, race, profession, wealth, age, nationality, religion etc.).  And even then, Shelley surely has her good side- it wouldn't be fair of me to think of her as a terrible person just based on what I see, but I do think she's a lousy racer with an attitude that I've never liked seeing on this particular show.  I suppose that's all I can really say about Shelley, if I were honest with myself.

 

I may be overly naive or optimistic in my dotage, but I don't have a taste for either the "social justice warrior" culture of victimhood and blame online, or its "anti-PC" backlash.  The older I get, the more I just have to accept I can't change the whole world, but I can try to be a better person, and to gently nudge the people I know in my life to be a little better where I can (and hope they do the same for me when I falter), and hope eventually those of us trying to get past stereotypes- good and bad- about "classes" people belong to will be the silent and overwhelming majority.

 

And on that day, I'll probably still dislike Shelley.  But that's because she's a big meanie. :)

Edited October 26, 2014 by hincandenza

[Heather Lynn]

We'll have to agree to disagree regarding the "or what" comment. I saw two people pushing each other and only one pulled out the intimidation comment. I wouldn't have cared who it was, I appreciated the comeback.

I actually really like Jim (he's intense but it's a race)but several of his comments this week were leaning towards ugly IMO. I would have to watch again but something in the cab made me raise an eyebrow but the comments at the tannery did bother me for the fact that I felt like his comment about Maya's respectful words were said loudly enough for others to hear and rather rudely. I don't watch the extras so I can't speak to that. I do think he appears to have a good relationship with Misti. There were times whe I wanted to yell at her through the TV but he always stays calm with her. It's a nice change from many prior seasons. That alone makes me like him.

[biakbiak]

. I saw two people pushing each other and only one pulled out the intimidation comment. I wouldn't have cared who it was, I appreciated the comeback.

 

I didn't see Keith push Shelly.

[selkie]

 Does anyone know when this episode was filmed?

 

RFF has it filmed on June 9. Wunderground says the high temperature was 87F that day.

[Caio Fernandes]

Damm, can you imagine if the Dentists get saved on another NEL?!!! It really seems like producers didnt think well  when they came with the save idea (this or the dentist have some influence/friends working on TAR team).

[needschocolate]

I suspect that one's reaction to the dentists may vary based upon a) proximity to South Carolina; b) attitudes towards certain aspects of 'southern hospitality'.

  

I found Jim to be so obnoxious and annoying when they won two earlier legs, that I find myself now looking for reasons to support my dislike, even though they haven't been any worse than most of the teams these last two legs,  I guess he is one of those rare few that is a poor winner but a "gracious loser" (in quotes because they haven't really lost yet and gracious really isn't the right word).  I will continue to be happy when they do something that causes them to be closer to the back of the pack - if only because I don't want to listen to Jim gloat when he wins.  

 

Plus, I am always bothered by the teams that think that God cares how they do on a reality competition show.  The godbothering teams are always saying that God was watching out for them, and seem to be implying that they are somehow more worthy of heavenly intervention than the other teams.  Just once, I would like to hear one of them say, after doing poorly on a leg, "God didn't help us out on this one - we must not be as worthy as the teams that finished ahead of us."   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i

[Kromm]

So are we suspicious of the locals conveniently there to help Bethany do something outright IMPOSSIBLE with one hand (strap items to a bike), or think it's totally on the level?

[Netfoot]

So are we suspicious of the locals conveniently there to help Bethany do something outright IMPOSSIBLE with one hand (strap items to a bike), or think it's totally on the level?

 

First, I doubt it's impossible.  Difficult, agreed, but almost certainly doable.

 

Second, I'm certain to the core of my being, that nobody placed people on the route, incognito, to assist Bethany or anyone else, to strap items to a bike, or do anything else, in this leg, or any other leg of this race, or any other race.  It would be impossible to do something like that and keep it secret.  And if (when!) it became known to the public, it would destroy the TAR franchise, and very likely result in civil suits galore, and probably criminal prosecution.  There's absolutely no reason for them to take such a huge risk to favour one particular contestant over another. There will be a winner no matter what, and they will have it all on tape and will make a season out of it.  They may hope Bethany does well, but they've had stunt-cast, pre-ordained favourites go out on leg#1 before. They've had completely colourless teams of hopelessly boring, talentless racers make the F3, and in one unmemorable occasion, actually win.  (Yes, I'm looking at your useless asses, Goat Farmers.)

 

Third, why would the fact that someone assisted Bethany mean that person must have been laid on specifically for that purpose?  Under the circumstances, wouldn't it be very likely that any random person in the vicinity would assist her?  Not because she's famous, or female, or blonde or has only one arm, but just because she was someone who could use a hand.

 

ETA:  O. M. G!  Could use a hand?  Did I actually say that? 

Edited October 26, 2014 by Netfoot

[Lingo]

Gosh, I don't know what it was about Keith and Whitney that annoyed me so much even when they were NOT arguing, but I am just so glad they're gone. Hurray!
 

I thought it was odd that all teams showed up at the big brown door at the market -- at the same time.

 
If you're talking about the first task of the day (setting up the food carts), the bonus videos show that the door was actually closed when they all got there, and they had to wait at least 40 minutes for it to open.  Some of the teams spent the time watching the snake charmers.
 

I just don't understand how the 1st place teams fail to realize that once it says fly to, take a ferry, etc. your lead is GONE, said this last week.

 
Well because it's not always true! Like last week, where they all got different flights and the Dentists had a chance to get an early flight, although Kym and Alli got an even earlier one.
 
The Bonus Clips this week show that Shelley/Nici and Keith/Whitney had it out for each other even before the leg started.  In one odd clip, we see K/W in the cab talking about how S/N have apparently been playing dirty, and lying to the other teams, from the start of the race.  Apparently K/W don't believe that they are Mom/Daughter!  Whitney says, "Mother and daughter...they're not mother and daughter, I don't know what they are"!  And Keith mumbles "flight attendants" like he's not convinced they are actually flight attendants either.  Keith then says, "They're lying to everybody, for what reason nobody knows."  And then Whitney says, "They've been playing dirtier than anyone...If we get a chance to U-Turn them, I can't wait! I can't stand bad attitudes, and they've got one, for sure."  So I don't know what's going on there.
 
Meanwhile, the bonus clips for Shelley and Nici have baffling titles.  One is called "Whitley and Keith", as if the Mom/Daughter were mispronouncing her name -- but W/K are not mentioned in the clip at all!  And in a second clip called "They're From Survivor", Shelly and Nici mention U-Turning K/W but they don't even mention Survivor.  So it's very puzzling.
 
But in the first clip they do mention that they were never considering U-Turning Jim and Misti, not only for the strategic reasons mentioned above, but Nici also says (jokes?) that she's doing it for personal reasons: she's about to move to where Jim and Misti live, and she wants to use them as her dentist!  I do think it makes sense that they didn't U-Turn the dentists, not only because the Dentists were guaranteed to survive and possibly get revenge, but also because they're not even guaranteed to end up in last place: from S/N's point of view, the Dentists could have just U-Turned another team who would have been eliminated instead.
 
The Cyclists also said in a Bonus Clip that they were not considering U-Turning the Dentists for the same reasons.  So it was probably a common attitude among the teams.  But I think they'll all be much more willing to use it when it comes up a second time.  I don't remember a season ever having more than 2 U-Turns, so the teams should feel pretty confident that if they U-Turn the dentists next time, the dentists won't be able to avenge themselves.
 
But it's kind of funny that both the teams and the audience are so focused on the Dentists that they (and we) have almost all forgotten about the Surfers and their Express Pass!

[hincandenza]

Plus, I am always bothered by the teams that think that God cares how they do on a reality competition show.  The godbothering teams are always saying that God was watching out for them, and seem to be implying that they are somehow more worthy of heavenly intervention than the other teams.  Just once, I would like to hear one of them say, after doing poorly on a leg, "God didn't help us out on this one - we must not be as worthy as the teams that finished ahead of us."

 

Lol! I think it was comedian Jeff Stilson who had a similar bit about how sports teams always praise God when they win, but blame themselves when they lose- and he'd like to see a losing team say "We totally had that game... until Jesus made me fumble".  I agree, Shelley was doing it this week with the karma speechifying, the country singers were especially bad at it last year, and there are always a couple of teams in each season that frequently voice their certainty that some divine force is helping them win, or assume every setback of an opposing team is because they were not somehow as noble and righteous as themselves. 

 

What was the old TWoP saying, "God is in the tub"? 

 

 

Third, why would the fact that someone assisted Bethany mean that person must have been laid on specifically for that purpose?  Under the circumstances, wouldn't it be very likely that any random person in the vicinity would assist her?  Not because she's famous, or female, or blonde or has only one arm, but just because she was someone who could use a hand.

 

ETA:  O. M. G!  Could use a hand?  Did I actually say that? 

 

Hehe... you gotta be careful with how you choose your words, Netfoot.  Poorly phrased comments like that can be like blood in the water to some people!

 

Ah, crap...

[Lingo]

What was the old TWoP saying, "God is in the tub"? 

 

Yep!  I still wear the T-shirt.

[Rusun]

Wow, it's as if the only good leg from last season, Episode 6: Sri Lanka 2, somehow got upgraded even further and managed to match, if not surpass the glories of past Morocco visits.

 

Pretty much the only change that might have improved things would be to switch the Detour Cluebox location and the Pitstop, i.e. al-Matjar Carpet Shop follows the TanneryBlock and Phil awaits at the ben-Youssef Medersa. Otherwise, it's the best Africa leg since the Ghana ones during TAR17.

[Richness]

Unfortunately, I couldn't fully enjoy this episode due to the nastiness from several of the racers.

 

I want the mother/daughter flight attendants gone ASAP, please. Last leg's ugliness continued to stream over into this leg, though the drama was aimed at another team instead of within their team. I don't know if both team members had to be there to get the clue or not, but even if they were, that argument delayed them more than calmly waiting their turn ever would. Regardless, they needed to use that U-Turn since they're usually struggling at the back of the pack. Too bad it was so close to the end of the leg. I wish TAR would place them closer to the beginning of a leg so that way if there's only one U-Turn, there's a chance that team could still catch up. As it is, the U-Turn is practically an automatic death sentence, even when it's a double.

 

The dentists continue to seesaw for likeability. Any gains Mr. Teeth made in the early legs was undone by his comments on this leg. Yes, he's been thankful to the locals and helpful to the other racers in the past. However, his mouth got away from him on this leg.

 

This was especially evident in the blood in the water taunts at the Roadblock. While I realize that getting inside your opponents head and throwing them off their game is a common tactic in sports and other hyper-competitive situations, but I don't like seeing it there, and I hate seeing it on TAR even more. It would have been magnitudes worse had Bethany heard that.

 

And Mr. Teeth is perfectly within his rights to express how badly the tannery stunk. The same also holds true for him mocking the one racer for trying to make the most out of a positive situation. Roll your scary eyes if you must, but keep quiet about it. I'm a firm believer in "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all," especially when on network TV. I'm not sure him saying both those things in a talking head instead of to their face is any better; in fact may be worse or more cowardly. There is also the possibility that production asked them leading questions to craft a story.

 

However, I don't know how I feel about their Speed Bump being somewhat more difficult compared to previous seasons. Glad it was more difficult, but that seems horribly unfair to racers on previous seasons. It was also a great example of Mr. Teeth showing some good qualities, namely that of supporting his wife when she got frustrated hanging the carpets. Though I admit I laughed a little bit with the one shot of him lugging the heavy shop stall carts all by himself. He was begging his wife to help push, and she completely blew him off, though I suspect she just didn't hear him.

 

The wrestlers were also particularly ugly in this episode when they made fun of the name while riding in the cab. Granted, they also poked fun of themselves last episode about the head injuries, so this may have just been an attempt to say something silly so they'll get more air time. Too bad it came across as ugly instead of charming. Actually, most of the teams said something about the food at the cart task that was somewhat ugly. Again, "if you can't say anything nice..."

 

But the reverse of that is starting to get on my nerves. Yes, Bethany is awesome, but you don't have to waste precious air time by having the other racers literally point that out. Just let us draw our own conclusions based on what we see her accomplish. This is going to reach sprained ankle and other repeated annoyance levels quickly. Still, despite the praise bandwagon and her "celebrity" stunt casting, I really like the surfers.

 

I also like the cyclists. Though two big wins in a row is starting to get repetitive. I like it better when the wins are staggered out among the racers. I especially hate it when one team wins a vast majority of them. I'm also thankful that the dentists' domination hasn't come to pass despite Mr. Teeth's delusions of grandeur.

 

Overall, the excellent tasks were somewhat spoiled by bad U-Turn placement. However, I did get a little concerned at the shop cart task. I was afraid someone was going to get impaled on an out of control cart handle or get ran over. The mega-bunch in the middle of the task was also rather weird.

[ghoulina]

But it's kind of funny that both the teams and the audience are so focused on the Dentists that they (and we) have almost all forgotten about the Surfers and their Express Pass!

 

Whoa, you're right. I did totally forget about the EP.

[needschocolate]

I want the mother/daughter flight attendants gone ASAP, please. Last leg's ugliness continued to stream over into this leg, though the drama was aimed at another team instead of within their team. I don't know if both team members had to be there to get the clue or not, but even if they were, that argument delayed them more than calmly waiting their turn ever would. 

 

 

Shelley seems to have a compulsive need to teach someone a lesson, no matter how much it hurts her race.  She didn't tell her daughter about Phil on the matter because her daughter needed to learn a lesson, and, even though they were near the back of the pack, I think her use of the u-turn saw more about teaching the Survivor guy not to take cuts, than to increase her chances of not being last.  

 

But the reverse of that is starting to get on my nerves. Yes, Bethany is awesome, but you don't have to waste precious air time by having the other racers literally point that out. Just let us draw our own conclusions based on what we see her accomplish. This is going to reach sprained ankle and other repeated annoyance levels quickly. Still, despite the praise bandwagon and her "celebrity" stunt casting, I really like the surfers.

 

 

I think it is easier to root for the surfers because (1) they haven't done anything unlikable (no "right sort of people" comments, no foolish gameplay like asking judges for help or helping other teams), and (2) the surfers aren't the ones commenting on how awesome Bethany is.  

[blackwing]

No, his comments were said IN THE TALKING HEAD, not TO Maya or in the hearing of any of the locals or other contestants.   And even what he said in the Talking Head, well, I took it like he did think she had a sweet perspective, but come on, it smelled like crap, let's get real.  I didn't think he was insulting her, but was just kinda smiling and being all 'hey, let's be real, it smelled bad, no sugar-coating it, but she sure tried, what a sweetheart, but that ain't me.'   That's just my take, though, I'm not judging Jim on his appearance, merely on his words and actions which have been nothing but polite, friendly, and yes, uber-competitive, but, he seems like a pretty good guy to me.

 

I guess we have to agree to disagree, because I don't think he was being nice or complimentary about her "sweet" perspective at all.  I think he just thought he was being witty and funny.  But coupled with his "We are TEAM DOMINANT" behaviour, he just comes across as a complete ass.  I always like when teams take the time to appreciate their surroundings and experience new things.  I don't think I would have liked to have been in the tannery, but it certainly would have been a new experience that I don't think I would ever do again.  Jim seems like he couldn't care less about the fact that he signed up to be on the Amazing Race, which is a competition that will take him to many new cultures around the world.  He just cares about WINNING and getting the money and nothing else.

[Guest]

Maybe what Keith was threatening Shelley with was accusing her of breaking the rules.  It's got to be against the rules to physically interfere with other teams' races, don't you think?  I know there is incidental contact that is iffy and no one goes ballistic over (like between the realtors and firemen) but I think there has to be a point where a racer can ask the producers to review some video or ask the camera/soundmen about an incident, to check for sabotage or more intentional interference.  I just don't think Keith was threatening anything physical, as much as I dislike that team.  

 

I could go a lifetime without ever reading 'god is in the tub' again.  RIP TWOP but that was never that clever or cute.  

[etagloh]

 

the bonus videos show that the door was actually closed when they all got there, and they had to wait at least 40 minutes for it to open

 

That was a very clunky edit. You don't normally get HoO bunches completely cut out and made to look like everybody just happens to arrive at the same time.

[RedheadZombie]

This episode was mass chaos for me - and not in a good way.  It made me anxious, especially because everyone was riding their bike like their training wheels had just been removed.  I cringed when they all came barreling into a cluster of confusion, nearly hitting the dog with the lame leg.

 

Misti reminds me of a flight attendant I once observed.  She was walking down the aisle and for some untold reason, was holding a tray up above the passengers' heads.  She whacked some guy in the head, and without pausing, chirped out an unconcerned "sorry", spilled coffee on my mom (which went unacknowledged) and continued on her merry way with a smile.

[RedheadZombie]

Regarding the potentially "ugly American comments" - I can see both sides of the arguments.  I do believe it's possible to state the obvious without being insulting.  For instance, when seeing children in abject poverty, Luke wept.  In comparison, beauty queen made a nasty comment about the stupid parents, and their lack of birth control.

 

Sometimes, it's just better to keep your mouth closed.  Sure nursing homes smell, but it's not very nice to point it out after you visit grandma.

[Muffyn]

In watching much more intensely than this dispute warrants, Keith was in front of the “guy in the red hat”.  Shelly and Nici run up from behind (Nici) and to the side of him (Shelly).  Whitney is shown about 20 feet away, running toward them.  The other teams were calling their partners (proof that they both had to be there).   It is hard to tell if Shelly intentionally pushed him or just knocked into him because Keith started to raise his arm, which he then lifts up and over her head.  Nici is actually behind him, with her head ducked down.  Whitney is now there.  Where this gets silly is at this point all four people are there.  Continuing to argue, whether Shelly’s “We were already here” or Keith’s “Back up”, is silly.  Shut up and get the clue before all of the other teams are there too.  Was Keith wrong to imply a threat?  Yes.  Was Shelly wrong to make this such a big thing?  Yes.  Two people charged up in the heat of the race with all of the teams right on top of each other.  Shelly would have been ahead if she had gone for a shorter Nici is back celebration, but again, in the heat of the moment, I’m sure it felt good.  Such a shame that feel good moment was so quickly turned into an ugly moment.

 

Jim couldn’t tie a knot because his hands were “too pumped”.  I just want to make sure we all get to enjoy that concept.  He probably has trouble masturbating because his hands get too pumped to keep a hold of his meat.  I am looking forward to more over-pumped Jim comments.  Maybe his eyes are just too pumped; that’s why they keep popping out of his head.

 

Ok, in reality I think Jim has Resting Angry Face.  With his intense gaze and lower brow, he really can look ready to snap at any second.  But we haven’t seen him snap.  So, to some extent, he is a victim of his own visage.  His choice to tan, however, has intensified this look.

 

In the scene when every team was trying to drop of the leather at the shop, it was interesting that many people commented on how crazy or crowded it was, but we saw team after team say thank you to the person handing them the clue.  We heard one “Don’t shove me” but it wasn’t said in a particularly nasty tone – more matter of fact.  Overall, these are pretty nice people.

[Camera One]

That was a very clunky edit. You don't normally get HoO bunches completely cut out and made to look like everybody just happens to arrive at the same time.

 

Oh, thanks for explaining that.  I was confused in the Bonus Clips when the teams were walking around the square.  I thought it was after the Mat, but I just remembered it would have been night-time then.

 

Shelly and Nici run up from behind (Nici) and to the side of him (Shelly).

 

Nici got back on her bike first out of all the teams, so I think in the back of Shelley/Nici's minds, they felt they got back first, so should get the clue first.

Edited October 26, 2014 by Camera One

[Donny Ketchum]

Whoa, you're right. I did totally forget about the EP.

I remembered it.  I just didn't think much about it because I could see that Adam & Bethany were doing well enough this week that they wouldn't have needed it.  It was last week when I thought of it and was pretty surprised that they never even considered it.

 

I guess we have to agree to disagree, because I don't think he was being nice or complimentary about her "sweet" perspective at all.  I think he just thought he was being witty and funny.  But coupled with his "We are TEAM DOMINANT" behaviour, he just comes across as a complete ass.  I always like when teams take the time to appreciate their surroundings and experience new things.  I don't think I would have liked to have been in the tannery, but it certainly would have been a new experience that I don't think I would ever do again.  Jim seems like he couldn't care less about the fact that he signed up to be on the Amazing Race, which is a competition that will take him to many new cultures around the world.  He just cares about WINNING and getting the money and nothing else.

THIS.  Jim was flat-out being an ass and, I think, should be rightfully called out for it.  He may not have said it to Maya's face, but I think it was even more cowardly to make fun of her behind her back.

[Chyna]

Laughed when that flight attendant daughter talked to the cab driver in Spanish and explained proudly how she'd picked up fluent Spanish in six months. Just one tiny little detail: Morrocco was a French possession not Spanish. The official languages of the country are Arabic and French.

 

I was wondering about this too, so I looked it up and learned that a lot of Moroccans speak Spanish because parts of Morocco were previously occupied by Spain, and the two countries are also just really close to each other. I noticed that some signs had translations in multiple languages, including Spanish, and the cabbie was also responding to Nici in Spanish.

[Guest]

I thought the show aired the "fluent in Spanish" comment because she said about 5 words in obviously halting Spanish that sounded like a kid in Intro to Spanish class.  

 

And I didn't understand what 'six months at the Air Force Academy' had to do with it.  It's not like they speak Spanish in Colorado Springs.  Is she saying she thinks six months of classes made her fluent?  Hm.

 

Heh, I went to read her bio to see if I heard "Air Force Academy" wrong.  She said the celebrity that reminds her most of her mother is Cruella Deville.  Ha!  

[Turtle]

I was fine with Jim's comments about Maya, mostly because I know that if I was in a seriously foul-smelling place and someone else was like "Oh, this is such a wonderful experience, just enjoying the culture!", there is a strong chance that I would at least roll my eyes, if not make some snarky comment.  Sometimes, when you're in the middle of something unpleasant, the super-positive silver-lining people can be a little annoying.  I didn't think he was hateful about it, but just more like "COME on, it stinks out there!"  

 

The Ketih/ Shelly thing seemed to me like a couple of people who are probably tired and have adrenaline pumping and maybe already don't like each other very much, and they both kind of popped off in a situation that ordinarily would have been no big deal.  I think Shelly is a hothead, as evidenced by the way she goes off on her daughter, but Keith wasn't exactly playing it cool either.  Tensions were high, and people get snappy with each other when that happens.  I got all fired up when Jonathan shoved his wife, because he was such a colossal jerk all of the time and clearly enjoyed making her feel like crap, but I didn't get the sense that this little dust up was indicative of any major character flaws on either side.  Other than the aforementioned hotheadedness, possibly.  

 

And really, 12 shows in 21 days or whatever it is, crossing time zones, big stakes -- it's a wonder there aren't more blow ups on this show!  Everyone has got to be exhausted and strung out, and they're under near-constant stress for hours at a time.  

[LilyoftheValley]

I thought the show aired the "fluent in Spanish" comment because she said about 5 words in obviously halting Spanish that sounded like a kid in Intro to Spanish class.  

 

And I didn't understand what 'six months at the Air Force Academy' had to do with it.  It's not like they speak Spanish in Colorado Springs.  Is she saying she thinks six months of classes made her fluent?  Hm.

 

Heh, I went to read her bio to see if I heard "Air Force Academy" wrong.  She said the celebrity that reminds her most of her mother is Cruella Deville.  Ha!  

That cracked me up too.  She very obviously spoke at best intermediate Spanish.  I am actually fluent in another language (German), and it took me years to get fluent.  I took one Spanish class for a few months years ago and I understood that entire conversation, which was obviously spoken in halting Spanish and with a poor accent.  No one learns to speak a language fluently in six months.  People who claim that are full of shit.  Now, I respect that a person can get a pretty good basis in six months if they are dedicated, and I also respect that after six months a person could be decent enough having a low information conversation (such as the one Nici had with the cab driver), but fluent?  Bullshit.  

[Netfoot]

For instance, when seeing children in abject poverty, Luke wept.  In comparison, beauty queen made a nasty comment about the stupid parents, and their lack of birth control.

 

The BQs never raced with Luke.

[hincandenza]

I think/hope RedheadZombie is referring to Kendra Bentley of Freddy & Kendra, the team that won TAR6, who infamously decried the wretched, overbreeding people of Senegal. She and Freddy were both models, not sure if she was ever a beauty queen.

To the best of my knowledge, the BQs were never anything but gracious and polite in their two times on TAR.

[RedheadZombie]

It was a male/female couple.  She was a former pageant queen, and had some good moments (shouting for the locals to assist an older competitor), but this was just ugly.

[paramitch]

RedheadZombie, it was Kendra (affectionately known on TWOP as KKKendra), who commented that the poor people "just kept breeding and breeding."

 

I liked this episode, and continue to be surprised at the Dentists -- I don't really dislike him for his intensity -- for me, he's one of those who seems like he'll be a douche, but who thus far has actually been fairly quiet and respectful. If INTENSE (tm Colin). I was impressed with his patience both in the Speed Bump and at the tea roadblock. (His wife honestly annoyed me more with the self-righteous "God saved us" silliness, but it was worth it since all the other racers just stared at her pretty stonily like, "Okay. If that's what you think...")

 

I wasn't thrilled with shovegate on either side -- I find the Mom funny on occasion, but I also think she's extremely high maintenance, and I agree with those who felt she completely overreacted, as did Keith. I was also very disappointed in the Wrestlers, who continue to make me cringe on an ongoing basis either in their over the top muggy moments, or in their thoughtless comments as here about the language, food, etc. Half the time, they seem to be playing stupid, the other half (regrettably) I think they actually are.

Meanwhile, I was happy that the Biker girls were a little less muggy this episode, and continue to love the Food Scientists as well as the Surfers. I thought this was a pretty brutal leg overall, but easily a return to Classic TAR in many ways. I also love the inclusion of Phil at key locations and moments now -- thus far, this is a great season, and it feels like a return to good old-fashioned Amazing Racing.

[rozen]

I was kind of with Jim in his TC. Maya was being extremely polite, but bishplsbesrs, it's a tannery. There are some things that are just going to be nasty due to the nature of the job, no matter what kind of state-of-the-art facilities you have. It's a dirty job, I have no doubt Mike Rowe has an episode dedicated to it, it's not really reflective of anyone's culture.

 

Misti is kind of amazingly useless. Jim hauled the food station while she just kind of wandered around in circles, she couldn't figure out how to hook the carpets on the line, then broke a hook which he had to repair. And then didn't pay attention to the demonstration, resulting in their bleeding time all over the place. Jim seemed to have gotten on her nerves about the carpet thing, I wouldn't be surprised if he backed off and let her handle her part in the subsequent challenges. The tea task would be frustrating since you get absolutely no feedback on what you did wrong, which kind of exponentially increases the number of things for you to focus on for your half. Since they got nailed last week for the 7 vs 8 flowerpot thing, they were probably lasering in on tiny details that actually didn't matter at all.

 

Team Survivor vs Team Flight Attendant seemed pretty square. If you want to block other teams from retrieving a clue so you can leave first, the least you should be prepared for is getting yelled at. All he had to do was step to the side, but he refused because he was stalling for time for Whitney to catch up so he could snatch the clue ahead of the first team. And then threatened Shelley when she tried to push around him to get the clue. The firefighters pretty much dragged one of the real estate agents out of a cab, I don't remember them getting so much grief about it. Whitney and Keith also have a tendency to use a really unpleasant tone of voice, which seems to work for them, but would rile up a bunch of people on principle. I won't miss them because I was tired of Keith heaping abuse on Whitney every time a task wasn't going their way. He was way worse than people think Jim is. 

 

I think the wrestlers are used to playing themselves as dumb, without thinking of the context of their situation. They'd probably do the exact same thing if they had to race to a funny sounding town in Germany. Or if someone used a really big word. They're clearly city kids, they don't even know how to use a hammer, I don't really blame them for not knowing eggs can be at room temperature. It's kind of a reasonable assumption that things you find refrigerated in your grocery store (and even say to do so on their packaging) are supposed to be there or you'll get sick. They really need to work on not completely melting down the minute things don't work out. If they're that defeatist, they must not be very good pro wrestlers, learning those routines takes a lot of effort and repetition to perfect.

 

Poor Maya, being defeated by the tastle cap. The musicians seemed to be using their neck to keep the rotation going, not their heads. Too bad more racers didn't notice, probably would have saved a lot of nauseous feelings! 

[Pallida]

Regarding Spanish, there's also a meaningful history of Moroccan migration to Spain for temporary employment. I know a professor who has studied it for a few decades if anybody is interested.

[Kel Varnsen]

So are we suspicious of the locals conveniently there to help Bethany do something outright IMPOSSIBLE with one hand (strap items to a bike), or think it's totally on the level?

I don't think there is any kind of fix. I mean you really shouldn't underestimate the power of a hot girl looking for help with something.

[ProfCrash]

On shove gate, Both Shelly and Nici were in the military. I am guessing that they both have enough of a spine to be used to dealing with men who can be very aggressive. I have no doubt that Shelly has dealt with many a man who was willing to get in her face and she knows very well how to call their bluff. She did just that with Keith. I don't think the initial contact was intentional. I do think that tensions are high when you have that type of a crush to get a clue in a race for one million dollars. I do think that both Shelly and Keith over reacted but I don't think that it was all that bad. Keith knew he would never hurt Shelly because 1) there were cameras 2) he would be tossed from the race 3) she is a woman and men don't hit women. OK, so 3 really should be that grown adults don't hit each other but lets be real, people do and for the most part a grown man is not going to hit a grown woman no matter how pissed they get.

 

It was a stupid fight, it shouldn't have happened, I don't think that Keith or Shelly was really that out of line. I do think that Shelly was well aware of how to deal with an aggressive male after her years of service and dealing with lots of young, aggressive men. The military is still predominantly male and young and people are trained to be aggressive so a few generalizations but not really all that off and I am sure Shelly and Nici both had to deal with some of that attitude during their time in service.

 

Jim and Misti are interesting. Jim and his bug eyes drives me crazy but I don't think he is all that bad. He does appear to be supportive and really, really competitive. He wants to take on as much as he can to speed things up. He is not enjoying the race because all he wants to do is win so he is never going to chill enough to enjoy himself. I don't think he is all that boorish. I can't imagine the smell at the tannery and I don't really have a problem with his comments.

 

Good work Kim and Ally and Adam and Bethany. The scientists were not great this week.

[Special K]

 

And flight attendant daughter is not even close to being fluent in Spanish.  

 

This.  She can stumble through an interchange with a cabbie (with a very marginal accent, I might add) and she's proudly "fluent."  

 

Gotta love those American standards.

[Chyna]

I don't think there is any kind of fix. I mean you really shouldn't underestimate the power of a hot girl looking for help with something.

Plus, there's the bonus of being a hot blonde girl in skimpy clothing, in a place where blondes and women in skimpy clothing are both pretty rare. Whitney got a lot of help from locals too.

[Nutjob]

 

Poor Maya, being defeated by the tastle cap. The musicians seemed to be using their neck to keep the rotation going, not their heads. Too bad more racers didn't notice, probably would have saved a lot of nauseous feelings!

I thought all the racers had the hats on wrong, anyway. It looked like they needed to be farther down on their heads, so they were flat on top, rather than pushed back like people often wear their hats. I was also thinking that I, as a metalhead, would have a distinct advantage in that task because of my years of headbanging and windmilling practice. ;)

 

Jim might be the most INTENSE!!!1111!!!11!1! racer we've had on this show since Colin. Is it too much to hope for My Ox Is Broken! part II?

[proserpina65]

 

but the U-Turn just before the pit stop was very poorly planned, their first misstep this year.

I'm not a fan of it either, but AR has done that for the last few seasons at least.  The Cowboys were U-turned right before the pit stop last time.  But, as you said, other than that the race/task design has been very good so far this season, and I'm loving the destinations.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I'm not a fan of it either, but AR has done that for the last few seasons at least.  The Cowboys were U-turned right before the pit stop last time.  But, as you said, other than that the race/task design has been very good so far this season, and I'm loving the destinations.

The U turn location doesn't bother me that much. I mean as long as you are not last you can always U-turn someone else. Speaking of leg design, I am amazed at how close the first place finish was since the two teams each did a different detour.

[proserpina65]

if I'm not mistaken, there were still two teams behind them at that Detour that they could see directly from the U-Turn mat, with the Pit Stop coming up next.  Well, at least if you're going to U-Turn anyone, might as well do it to a team you can literally see behind you and who will probably be eliminated because of it.

 

I'm pretty sure Keith and Whitney were one of the two teams still trying the twirling detour at that point.  All the other teams were at the tea task, including Misti and Jim, so Shelly and Nici had no way of knowing where M&J were but could see that K&W were behind them.  I would've U-turned M&J to flush out that Save, but I don't blame S&N for U-turning a team they could still see, whatever the motivation.  (Unless you mean they shouldn't have used it all and saved it for later in the Race because they knew there were at least two teams behind them, which is a valid point and probably why no one ahead of them used it.)

Edited October 27, 2014 by proserpina65