S25.E09: You're Taking My Tan Off

[Tara Ariano]

The race continues in Singapore where a dangerous misstep leaves one competitor dangling 600 feet above the ground. Also: A traditional Asian detox leaves some teams writhing in pain.

[Wouldofshouldof]

I'm really happy for Adam and Bethany and they're my pick to win. However, I'm from Madison so Brooke and Robbie are on my shit list for dicking over Amy and Maya.

 

BTW, does anyone know why both team members had to suit up for the tight rope?  

[Mreid]

I love Amy and Maya but I cant believe they U turned Adam and Bethany such a waste, they should have u turned team teeth!!!

[riley702]

I wonder how many of the racers will have bruises from that massage/cupping "task". Although I laughed like a loon at the locals saying "These Americans don't have a very high pain tolerance, do they?"

 

ETA: Just saw marks on (Robbie's?) back in the preview. Also, "My ox is broken" returns! God, I love this show.

Edited November 29, 2014 by riley702

[Brooklynista]

Damnit! Even the cabbie knows, you can't trust everybody! Run your own race people!! I've never been a fan of alliances and the scientists just learned why. If they already flaked on your deal to U-Turn, why would they be truthful about the clue?

If we're both out for the same prize, what's in it for another team to hold your hand to the finish?

And what in the holy hell was that massage about? That looked like straight torture.

[weightyghost]

What pissed me off is that the wrestlers were so mad that the candy girls didn't point them directly to the clue previously (even though they told them where to look) only to completely screw them over later and boast about lying to get ahead.

 

I was so happy to see two solid female teams this year so this episode was all around sad for me to see them both get screwed. At least the cyclists went out on their own mistakes rather than because the other teams hated them so much.

 

OMG OX IS BROKEN

[Guiaoshi]

I´m really upset with the results, now things are once again easier for the Dentists and Surfers. And how convenient the Fast Forward be a surf challenge. Finally the save is gone but not before screw another leg since none of the teams would consider U-Turn the Dentists because of the damm save.

Edited November 29, 2014 by Guiaoshi

[clarkbar]

You can see the bruises from the cupping on their backs in the previews for next week.  That looked horrible.

 

Can't wait for the return of "my ox is broken" challenge next week!

[enlightenedbum]

That was an atrociously designed leg.  Other than in taxis and in a stupid luck based task (where meta-show knowledge might have helped because the show goes to Mount Faber like everytime they're in Singapore) I'm not sure where you were supposed to pass anyone.  And a Fast Forward geared towards one of the teams you cast who could reasonable be assumed to make it this far.  Really, really bad design.

 

I would have enjoyed the pain caused by those detours if I hated these people more.

 

Lastly, when given the opportunity to try to eliminate the cyclists or Amy/Maya, you eliminate the cyclists.  Wrestlers are so dumb and I was hoping it would end up eliminating them, because that might have redeemed a really bad episode.

Edited November 29, 2014 by enlightenedbum

[mtlchick]

This was a pretty intense leg.  First with the introduction of "you booked it, you bought it no returns."  Then FINALLY a challenging FF with at least 2 teams actively trying for it.

 

I have no words about that detour.  Other than suggesting this massage place to my dad to see if he withstands it.

 

But my GOD Wrestlers.  First you failed to do the ONE job you had to do (even though it was a moot point.)  And then you officially broke your alliance by lying. Which leads to rule 31 of racing: NEVER TRUST YOUR OPPONENTS. If this make final 3, I'm going be maaaaaad.

 

But forget all that.  Next week on my birthday: OUR OXEN ARE BROKEN! (Is it wrong I immediately began to fangirl?)

[merylinkid]

Robbie and Brooke are dead to me.   Don't start shit that you won't finish.   U-Turning the Cyclists was YOUR idea.   You convinced everyone to go along with it.   Then you chickened out.   Don't give me any of your bullshit justification either.   You just couldn't deal with the consequences of your actions.   Then lying to the Scientists while laughing like loons about it.   "WHat are they going to do, throw ice cream at us?"   I hope the scientists devise something and slip into their drinks that turns them green.   No long lasting damaging effects.   Just green skin for a loooooong while.   

 

You could not pay me, not even a million dollars to do a deep tissue massage.   Burnt fingers can be worked with.   Plus I am AWESOME at cracking crabs.

 

Hahahahaha, it took team Surfer 2 tries to do the fast forward.   Just like the Cowboys took a couple tries as lassoing.  But so glad they got it.

 

Well, that put to rest any concern about the relationship between Misti and Jim for me.   He was genuinely calm about having to do the rope again.   She was genuinely terrified that he would die.   

[stopeslite]

BROKEN OOOOXXXEEEENNNN!!!

 

I couldn't believe that the cupping was a challenge. That's a task that creates injuries on purpose, not chance of injury if you do it wrong. And then they all have to put on their backpacks for the next few days? Ugh.

 

I'm also still amazed at how Jim and Misti are able to deflect away the fact that they're the most challenging team and refocus everyone on someone else. Wow. 

 

Edited: on Jim and the tightrope - it looked like they didn't adjust it properly before he got on the first time - he was holding it below his head, where the others were holding it way over their head. 

Edited November 29, 2014 by stopeslite

[lianau]

So the wrestlers finally managed to give me a new most hated team . They're officially worse than the dentists. Too stupid to breath without assistance but still thinking the race owes them something due to their  imagined brilliance.

[Lingo]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK.  Goddamnit.  I didn't want either lady team to lose, but definitely not the cyclists.  Hope they're invited back on the next All-Stars. At least they weren't eliminated due to a U-Turn, it was their risk that did them in. Probably an unwise risk considering the surfers were only 40 minutes behind them.

 

Speaking of the U-Turn, I CANNOT BELIVE THE G-D- WRESTLERS DIDN'T UTURN THEM AFTER ALL THEIR SMACK TALK!!!!!!  I couldn't hear the dialogue very well, but what the hell was their reasoning for not doing it???  Do they think there might be a 3rd U-Turn later?  God, what idiots.  I really hope the girls beat them somehow.

 

I love Amy and Maya but I cant believe they U turned Adam and Bethany such a waste, they should have u turned team teeth!!!

 

Why?????  The Teeth would have stayed in the race, and that might have even saved the Cyclists, which the Candy Girls definitely would not want to save.  At this point, any other team eliminated is a victory for them.

[etagloh]

#PixellatedSideboob

 

Well, crap. I'm calling microshenanigans on choosing surfing as the Fast Forward. I understand why the cyclists went for it, given that they knew there was a stitch-up planned against them as long as teams stuck together, and the FF is the one way to disrupt those plans. So, yeah, as a cyclist fan, I'm somewhat gutted, but it was their decision to gamble instead of hoping to get to the front of the pack before the U-Turn board. (That said, the tightrope RB was one at a time, and the cupping/massage was more or less a fixed time endurance task, so any advantage gained on those tasks would have been through taxi luck. We didn't really get to see whether the crab meat Detour could gain you time because.)

 

Emmy leg, for sure, thanks to the spectacle and the twists. Even if the edit certainly made the gap at the end seem closer than it was.

Edited November 29, 2014 by etagloh

[ShadowSixx]

I can't wait for the wrestlers demise on this race. I cannot take them anymore, especially Brooke. I would be in heaven just to see Phil say they've been eliminated just to see the look on Brook's stupid face. This team can go find a corner and rot.

 

The Save was just a waste, just never introduce it again, think they should just have the Yield, U-Turn, and FF and that's it. No more saves.

 

Really wasn't a fan of this leg either.

[Guiaoshi]

.   U-Turning the Cyclists was YOUR idea.   You convinced everyone to go along with it.   Then you chickened out.   Don't give me any of your bullshit justification either.   You just couldn't deal with the consequences of your actions.    

It just proves what someone here said last week: Brooke started all the conspiration against the cyclists cause shes afraid of them. So afraid that at the end she didnt have the courage to U-turn them, probably afraid that they could survive and kick her ass.

 

 

I'm also still amazed at how Jim and Misti are able to deflect away the fact that they're the most challenging team and refocus everyone on someone else. Wow. 

 

How they are able? The save card, otherwise things would be different.

Edited November 29, 2014 by Guiaoshi

[Nidratime]

I thought the fact that the fast forward was a surfing challenge was a total gimme. The show definitely wants the surfers to win.

[Wouldofshouldof]

I wonder how many of the racers will have bruises from that massage/cupping "task". Although I laughed like a loon at the locals saying "These Americans don't have a very high pain tolerance, do they?"

 

ETA: Just saw marks on (Robbie's?) back in the preview. Also, "My ox is broken" returns! God, I love this show.

 

I've had deep tissue massages that left me sore for a week, so I know that hurt.  Now I also know not to ever try cupping!

[lianau]

I thought the fact that the fast forward was a surfing challenge was a total gimme. The show definitely wants the surfers to win.

So do I , them or the food scientists .

Edited November 29, 2014 by lianau

[cooksdelight]

I've had that type of massage and cupping in conjunction with acupuncture. It hurts, but it's a GOOD hurt. I was sore but not so sore that I couldn't do normal tasks. I couldn't help but laugh at the mouth expressions that camera angle picked up, especially when the scientists were screaming.

Please do away with the Save.

If someone says "My ox is broken" I will hurl something at the TV. Come up with a new and funnier saying.

I hope good ol' Karma bites the wrestlers in their sore backs.

[Lantern7]

Upset! Now it looks like the Dentists and Surfers will battle for the win, the Scientists and Wrestlers fight for a probable third place finish, and the Cyclists wait patiently for a return trip. I have to say that they've earned another tour of duty, especially since the Fast Forward was tailor-made for Adam & Bethany. Only way it could've been  more unfair is if the Fast Forward involved rodeo riding, with Jet & Cord waiting in the wings.

 

As much as I'm happy Adam & Bethany live to race another day, I have to get a whiff of production thinking. I'm sorry, but that seems so unfair. This isn't like TAR6, with the tai chi demonstration and Avi being into that. Adam & Bethany are pro surfers. I am surprised that Adam ate it, mostly because it gave the Cyclists hope. But then they screwed up, and it cost them the game. Once again: I think they've earned status for "All Stars" or "Unfinished Business," and I wouldn't bet against them.

 

Anybody else wondering how Misti & Jim would've handled the massage? Misti would've cried, but not as much as Amy & Maya. I don't thin Jim would have flinched. The Scientists, on the other hand, looked miserable. And Brooke looked like she enjoyed the pain.

 

Speaking of the wrestlers . . . they're probably happy playing the heavies for this season. Minimum, they got fourth place, one better than Lori & Bolo in TAR6. I'd be more annoyed if they weren't inept half of the time. No way they're winning it. I take Maya's constant "I love The Amazing Race!!!!!" as more of a sign of editor-directed foreshadowing than anything Brooke & Robbie have done.

 

The Dentists aren't annoying me. They're still the antagonists, though, because of Jim's intensity and the fact than Bethany is practically a saint. And I didn't think Misti was "godbothering," because she probably was praying for Jim's safety, as opposed to wanting a lead.

 

Bigger shock: Kym & Alli getting eliminated, or the immediate flashback to TAR5? I hope Colin gets a kick out of the Switchback. I wonder who'd win an "intense-off" between him and Jim.

[etagloh]

 

Really wasn't a fan of this leg either.

 

It's weird how a leg can look good and be exciting in spite of its design. As enlightenedbum said, when you step back and look at the tasks, there really was not much in the Road Block and Detour to split the teams and reward good racing. FF and U-Turn together is an interesting combination, because it gets teams out of each others' sight, but throw in the bloody Save -- five teams, one immune, two to choose a U-Turn, potentially two to be U-Turned -- and it's too much in the stew.

[Ducky]

Really sad to see the cyclists go but they did a bold move and took a risk.  Hate that the wrestlers are still there....there was nothing good about them today.

 

I did find it interesting that the FF was the perfect vehicle for Bethany (Adam fell off)- the cyclists did almost have it down.

 

On to "my ox is broken!" territory yay! But boy I hope the wrestlers are out next week-  though I am sure it is a NEL....

 

Don't really have a favorite now that the cyclists are gone.  Don't like the dentists or the wrestlers.  Surfers are good and so are the scientists.

[cooksdelight]

I thought the fact that the fast forward was a surfing challenge was a total gimme. The show definitely wants the surfers to win.

All challenges are planned far, far in advance. There's no way they would know if the surfers would still be in the race at that point.

[sinycalone]

Just a reminder: TPTB design the legs before any teams are chosen....so they could not know who be taking the FF.

 

The Cyclists made a mistake gambling on the FF...but they figured they would be U-Turned so they wanted to avoid that risk.  Understandable...but still foolish.

[Donny Ketchum]

Good episode, despite the tragic (if you liked or even loved Kym & Alli, as I did) ending.  Been nine seasons since Singapore's been visited (the last time being Carol & Brandy's elimination in TAR16, which actually was U-Turn-caused), and what they had to offer this go-round was pretty sweet!  Another good Detour, even though one was clearly more straightforward than the other (even if it was more painful), a tense Roadblock, and a Fast Forward race.  Also, a Double U-Turn and the long-awaited expiration of the Save to sum it all up!

 

Okay.  So now the teams:

 

Adam & Bethany: Honestly, that was a huge risk they took, going for the Fast Forward when they were in the back group.  But they were lucky that Kym & Alli faltered so much at it.  A risk that paid off, and another decisive win for them!  Good work, guys!

 

Brooke & Robbie: A good leg for them, though Brooke once again had to whine.  She did the Roadblock with little difficulty, and they endured the China Cups Detour with no real problems.  But I'm officially hoping for their demise due to the events that happened afterwards.  Not U-Turning Kym & Alli made sense for the reasons they gave.  But delighting in how upset it left Amy & Maya wasn't cool.  And it's okay to bluff in the race, but man, you look really unappealing if you pat yourselves on the back over it like they did with the lie about Mount Faber Park.  Second place was good and deserved, but here's to a humiliating comeuppance for them.  Especially Brooke.  But Robbie finally showed he's no prize himself on this leg.

 

Misti & Jim: Boy, did Jim sulk over losing out on the chance to stick to the U-Turn plan and on getting on a flight behind Kym & Alli.  That said, they did well to just focus on playing catch-up, and it worked twofold.  Jim kept his cool after failing at the Roadblock once, and they did their Detour with minimal whining about the heat of the crab meat.  And then, they benefited from Amy & Maya completely bombing the statue search by falling for Brooke & Robbie's lie and Kym & Alli trying for the Fast Forward and losing it to Adam & Bethany.  They passed up two of the first-flight teams that way, so good for them.

 

Amy & Maya: Editing-wise, it looks like the first real chink in their normally-positive armor has been shown.  They dominated the leg, no doubt, for most of it.  Maya plowed through that Roadblock, and they endured that China Cups Detour (despite Amy nearly wanting to switch).  U-Turning Adam & Bethany was sound, even if they were unknowingly incorrect.  But they needed to cool it with the whining over Brooke & Robbie not hitting Kym & Alli with it.  Then, their domination of the leg goes down the tubes when they fall for Brooke & Robbie's lie.  What, they didn't figure out that not seeing them at the third statue they tried meant that they lied?  They waited till they'd searched all of them?  Lucky that Kym & Alli failed at the Fast Forward.  Otherwise, they'd have been done.

 

Kym & Alli: Aw, girls.  Should've stayed the course instead of risking it all at that Fast Forward.  I think if Alli had spoken up more to Kym, she'd have listened, and they'd have passed it up and probably even stayed in.  That said, it was good having them.  They didn't give up when the chips were down and made it nine legs through the race to finish fifth.  But I think they deserved a higher finish and hope they can return another season to get it.

 

Fun episode, but Brooke & Robbie and Misti & Jim (mainly Jim) still have to go down!

Edited November 29, 2014 by Donny Ketchum

[PaperTree]

There have been plenty of obnoxious racers in the past, but Brooke And Robbie shot into my top 5 tonight.  I hope it foreshadows their elimination.

 

Brooke is evil and deserves to be treated like the piece of crap that she is.

 

But, every show needs a villain.  I know they are too stupid to win, just hope they don't get lucky.  I've worked in food R&D.  It's not nearly as easy as Brooke thinks it is.

 

I call shenanigans on that Fast Forward!  Why not a timed bicycle trial?  What's next - tooth cleaning?  Ugh.

 

Bummer for the cyclists.  I was hoping for NEL, but , alas.

 

May the scientists get revenge.  

 

Singapore didn't do much for me.  Standard chaotic Asian megacity.  Now I know to never get a massage there.  The building is very cool.  I didn't see any cool shots from the swimming pool on top.

 

 

[Guiaoshi]

I thought the fact that the fast forward was a surfing challenge was a total gimme. The show definitely wants the surfers to win.

Yep, I can see the moment the producer put their eyes on Bethany and Adam (Bethany especially) and already started to imagine a emotional victory for them.. I dont deslike them, Bethany really impress me, but they winning will be soooo predictable, Wouldnt hurt if we have more unconventional winners other than perfect/pretty couples/someone overcoming a injury/handicap... I want a badass team to win, its being a while...

[Nidratime]

Just a reminder: TPTB design the legs before any teams are chosen....so they could not know who be taking the FF.

 

The Cyclists made a mistake gambling on the FF...but they figured they would be U-Turned so they wanted to avoid that risk.  Understandable...but still foolish.

 

Right. Nothing ever, ever can be changed. A fast forward about surfing with a team who are professional surfers. LOL!

[LilyoftheValley]

Okay, I do not understand the hate for Brooke and Robbie.  It is race for a million dollars!  Lying, creating conspiracies you have no intention of joining, just seems like smart racing to me.  Why stick to a plan if, when the time comes to execute it, it is no longer in your best interest?  What's the point then?  What, just to prove that you are a person of your word?  Who the fuck would possibly care about that with a million dollars on the line?  

 

Sometimes I wonder if I am the only one who understands that the point is to win the race by whatever means necessary.  If I had to choose between a million dollars and having some people who were complete strangers to me four weeks ago thinking that I have low character, the million dollars will win every single time.  

 

You go, Robbie and Brooke!  Lie, cheat, and lead astray all you can if it helps you to win.  

[Lingo]

As I said last week, I was in Singapore in September, so I was psyched to see it this week.  Alas, I didn't recognize any of the locations except I think Canning Park(?) (which is where the U-Turn board was I think) and Marina Bay Sands Casino/Hotel, which I went to the top of.  Then again, I really only had one full day to look around the city.  Now I want to go back through all the seasons and watch every Singapore episode. I vaguely remember Carol and Brandy's elimination, but I don't remember any of the locations from that one.

[QuantumMechanic]

I might have to switch to rooting for Brooke and Robbie after that.  FINALLY a team that realizes the information they have is important and doesn't just hand it over just because the other team asked.

[Lingo]

Okay, I do not understand the hate for Brooke and Robbie.  It is race for a million dollars!  Lying, creating conspiracies you have no intention of joining, just seems like smart racing to me.  Why stick to a plan if, when the time comes to execute it, it is no longer in your best interest?  What's the point then?  What, just to prove that you are a person of your word?  Who the fuck would possibly care about that with a million dollars on the line?  

 

Sometimes I wonder if I am the only one who understands that the point is to win the race by whatever means necessary.  If I had to choose between a million dollars and having some people who were complete strangers to me four weeks ago thinking that I have low character, the million dollars will win every single time.  

 

You go, Robbie and Brooke!  Lie, cheat, and lead astray all you can if it helps you to win.  

 

 

You'll have to explain to me how it was not to their advantage to U-turn the cyclists, since I missed that part (and in my opinion, it clearly was).  Also, do they have to be so snotty about it?

[merylinkid]

Also there's a lot to be said for good sportsmanship.    Can winning a million dollars make up for not being able to look in the mirror because you were nasty for no reason?

[SledDog]

Hated the attitude that The Wrestlers displayed tonight. They were the ones who initiated the "U-Turn the Cyclists" movement but when it came time to pull the trigger they were all talk and no action. And all because they "knew" that the Cyclist had gone for the U-Turn and so must have won it. The Scientists logic was correct; we haven't seen either the Cyclists or the Surfers so either team is in play. Schroedinger's Cat applies.

The Wrestlers sudden switch in attitude is incredible in a lot of ways. There's a big difference between pointing someone in the right direction but not giving details of what they're supposed to be looking for when you're in a hurry and flat out lying to someone. Yes the Scientists shouldn't have trusted them after The Wrestlers failed to U-Turn The Cyclists, but the punishment did not fit the "crime."

As far as the Fast Forward goes, while it is true that this was similar to what Adam and Bethany do, it isn't exactly the same. After all Adam did fall on his first attempt so it was not a sure thing that he and Bethany would do it on their second attempt. Surfers fall all the time, even pros.

[terracool]

I never in a million years thought I'd say this about AR, but ... that was unwatchable.

How can you have something as critical as a fast forward - not a regular challenge, but an all-or-nothing event like a fast forward - be the exact learned skill that one team has spent a lifetime learning. There is simply no way that they could not have changed that ff once a surfer team was cast. And why were the surfers able to stand within the eyesight of the cyclists while they were trying to surf? That had to be distracting in a task that requires focus.

The massage-cup was so brutal. Why would the show think that we'd want to watch someone crying from pain? That's enjoyable tv? It reminded me of a few seasons ago when the really hairy guys had to get body waxed. Awful, awful tv.

Plus there was having to watch Brooke and Robbie be both stupid and a-holes in the same sentence. Yes, it's a race and yes, ok to win any way possible. But then stop bitching about other teams doing the same thing. Robbie has a certain charm to him, but Brooke is flat out a-h. And moron. Get her off my screen asap.

And the Save is turning out to be too powerful with too many unintended consequences to game play. Hopefully tonight was the last we'll see of it.

Surfers will probably win at this point. I'm sort of ok with that and have had them on my rooting list this season, but being handed a ff like that - and standing within the cyclists eyesight, left a bad taste in my mouth. I'll be okay if they win but will also be okay if they go out next leg. In fact, I'd rather see the dentists win before the surfers after tonight.

Edited November 29, 2014 by terracool

[Lingo]

For the record I don't have a problem with the Wrestlers lying to the Food Scientists.  Though it seems unwise, considering it could have saved the Cyclists (or hypothetically the Surfers) from elimination.

[sinycalone]

 

Right. Nothing ever, ever can be changed. A fast forward about surfing with a team who are professional surfers. LOL!

 

Several posters have pointed out that the race is designed and finalized before the teams are selected.  They don't make changes on the fly -- unless some unexpected/unavoidable circumstances arise.  I know if someone was rooting for the Cyclists it might have seemed unfair...but they don't mold the legs to fit specific teams.

[PaperTree]

Also there's a lot to be said for good sportsmanship.    Can winning a million dollars make up for not being able to look in the mirror because you were nasty for no reason?

I agree.  Lying and leading astray are fine.  It's their nasty denigration of another's profession while engaging in one most people think of as lame and cheesey while celebrating their own imagined superiority.

Edited November 29, 2014 by PaperTree

[enlightenedbum]

I don't have moral problems with Brooke and Robbie lying to Amy and Maya, I have strategic problems with it.  Realistically, going into this leg I think we all would have ranked the teams something like:

 

Heavy Favorites

1. Jim and Misti

2. Kym and Alli

 

Strong Team, But Could Win With a Good Final Leg Task Mix

3. Adam and Bethany

 

Probably Doomed

4. Amy and Maya

5. Brooke and Robbie

 

If you have a chance, however slim, to eliminate one of those top two teams you absolutly have to take it.  So you have to U-Turn Kym and Alli.  Additionally, you don't lie to the other probably doomed team to increase their chances of getting knocked out.  It ended up working out OK for them because the leg was designed so that you couldn't gain any ground, but it was SO DUMB.

Edited November 29, 2014 by enlightenedbum

[mtlchick]

 

You go, Robbie and Brooke!  Lie, cheat, and lead astray all you can if it helps you to win

 

Which is true.  However, I think they would be the FIRST to admit that they're not the best racers in any way, shape or form and their taxi luck is horrendous.  It was established that the cyclists were good racers until today.  They're given a golden opportunity to slow down their biggest threat, their last chance to use a U turn and they're even the one to suggest the idea.  And...they don't do it because they think they would have passed the fast forward.  And then because they feel insulted that the Candy Girls are basically telling them "Uh, why?  This was your idea!" they decide to lie about the last clue to attempt to save face and claim they're "racing."

 

Geniuses I tell you.  

Edited November 29, 2014 by mtlchick

[netlyon2]

Wow, that leg was pretty intense!  (in a good way, not a Colin way)

 

Boo, hiss to the wrestlers.  Just like with the cab situation last week, it's not cool to lie or go back on an agreement.  I figured that the scientists thought they were just stupid, not necessarily deceitful.  That being said, I totally would have checked the statue myself instead of taking their word for it.

 

I was not fan of the cyclists, but I'm glad that (1) their elimination was due to their own actions instead of a U-turn situation, and (2) no one U-turned them.  That would have been brutal!  It's one thing to twirl a tassel on your head and then have to pour some tea, but both of these options were pretty rough.

 

Kudos to the Dentists for managing the crab-picking with focus and grace.  While it wasn't as bad as the cupping task, I can think of several teams (and people) who would have melted down trying to pick the hot crab with all that noise behind them.  I think it was especially bad since the Dentists were the only team there and the musicians didn't have any one else to torment.

 

During the massage from Hell, I said aloud, "Man, they haven't even gotten to the cups yet!"  Then I laughed because Maya was screaming the exact same thing at the same time.

Edited November 29, 2014 by netlyon2

[SledDog]

I call shenanigans on that Fast Forward! Why not a timed bicycle trial? What's next - tooth cleaning?

Bicycle trial? You mean like taking those cargo bikes through the streets of Copenhagen with those cakes? Remember, one of the few things that Bethany found nearly impossible to do? Sauce for the goose as it were as far as I'm concerned.

[etagloh]

 

they don't mold the legs to fit specific teams.

 

Do they meet in separate rooms? "Hey, we've cast our teams, there's this really cool surfing couple lots of audience appeal. Now, what was the Fast Forward you decided on for the Singapore leg?"

[Heather Lynn]

For the record I don't have a problem with the Wrestlers lying to the Food Scientists.  Though it seems unwise, considering it could have saved the Cyclists (or hypothetically the Surfers) from elimination.

I agree with this. My problem with the wrestlers was the continuous whining they did when the scientists didn't tell them exactly what to look for in the square and THEN lying later in the same leg. They are only fine with lying if it benefits them and it wasn't even a lie - just the scientists declining to spoon–feed them the solution. If they hadn't been such babies, I wouldn't be so annoyed with them (at least not with Robbie). The scientists taking the wrestlers at their word AFTER THEY HAD JUST LIED ABOUT THE U-TURN is all on them. I'm glad they're still in the race. Sorry to see the cyclists leave.

[Rinaldo]

And then because they feel insulted that the Candy Girls are basically telling them "Uh, why?  This was your idea!" they decide to lie about the last clue to attempt to save face and claim they're "racing."

I don't see those two events as related (if I've forgotten an explicit connection, I'm sure someone will correct me). No matter what's gone before, it's just good sense to lie about the location of the clue if you're given a chance. It's a race. Nobody's entitled to have information handed to them by other racers. (The fact that the Wrestlers got huffy because the earlier clue wasn't handed to them doesn't affect the principle.) As Amy and Maya admitted themselves (didn't they?), it's on them to check everything for themselves and not trust in the truthfulness of competitors.

Do they [racecourse-planners and racer casters] meet in separate rooms?

The answer is essentially yes. The course is planned out in advance. The casting is done later, by others.

Edited November 29, 2014 by Rinaldo

[riley702]

Arrgh. I'm just going to try that again. Sorry, all.

Edited November 29, 2014 by riley702

[mauras]

As much as I understand that u-turning the cyclists made perfect sense, I dislike alliances in general and really didn't like the childish glee that the other teams showed about u-turning Kym and Allie. So I was really hoping the alliance would bite one of the teams in the arse. Instead, it turned out to be a non-issue, but one of my favorite teams in TAR history went out on their own mistakes. I guess I'm rooting for Adam and Bethany now, because she really is amazing, but the fun has gone out of the season for me. I Just hope the cyclists will come back for an all-stars or second chances series.

[sigmaforce86]

From the first few episodes never thought I'd hate a team more than the Dentists but the wrestlers just bumped to first on that list. The constant "We can't get beat by a ....." (fill in blank). Especially tonight saying that because they're scientists - like your occupation equals your fitness level and you can't be smart and fit at the same time. Well, maybe the wrestlers can't be both.

If the save is here to stay they need to change the rules......it should be like the Immunity Idol, you use it before you know if you even have votes so the save should be handed in if the team thinks they're last enforce Phil says a word. Ypu take the chance of wasting it if you're not last or if it's a non-elim. If that had been the case this season the Dentists would have used it several legs ago which would have completely changed the dynamic this leg.

Edited November 29, 2014 by sigmaforce86