S25.E09: You're Taking My Tan Off

[outtosee]

I might be the only one but I find Bethany to be kind of a snake in the grass. To me, she's just a normal person and I don't give her any slack because of the arm (though she is bad ass)... she's competitive and kind of nasty and I thought so all along. And this is superficial, but I find her voice annoying.

 

I smell a production setup with their FF. Of course... surfing for professional surfers! COME ON.

 

I won't even talk about Brooke. She is such a defeatist and the total villain of this season, ugh. Go away.

Edited November 29, 2014 by outtosee

[riley702]

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 cyclists were standing there watching the surfers try. Turnabout is fair play.

 

Sometimes I wonder if I am the only one who understands that the point is to win the race by whatever means necessary.  

With all due respect, that was unnecessary.

I might be the only one but I find Bethany to be kind of a snake in the grass. To me, she's just a normal person and I don't give her any slack because of the arm (though she is bad ass)... she's competitive and kind of nasty and I thought so all along. And this is superficial, but I find her voice annoying.

Wow, different strokes, because I don't see any of this. And I don't see her asking anyone to give her slack, nor should she.

Edited November 29, 2014 by riley702

[LotusFlower]

I might be the only one but I find Bethany to be kind of a snake in the grass. To me, she's just a normal person and I don't give her any slack because of the arm (though she is bad ass)... she's competitive and kind of nasty and I thought so all along. And this is superficial, but I find her voice annoying.

 

Bethany -- nasty?? Where, when, how??!

And, as a few other posters have said, not only are the legs planned in advance, but the producers have no way of knowing if any one team will still be in it by a certain leg. And why would they want to give one team an advantage? Esp. a team that's not one of their annoying CBS-related teams, like those Big Brother or Survivor teams?

[outtosee]

Wow, different strokes, because I don't see any of this. And I don't see her asking anyone to give her slack, nor should she.

 

I didn't imply she's ever asked for slack, because she hasn't. :) I just dislike her, and I feel like they're getting a way too positive edit. I still think there is some producer shenanigans going on. Come on, a surfing task... for pro surfers.

Edited November 29, 2014 by outtosee

[Rick Kitchen]

 

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

 

I hope somebody does say it, it would show they're a fan of the show.

 

Loved the dancing crab.

 

God, I can't stand Brooke.

[Jodithgrace]

My husband was totally outraged by the massage detour. He seemed to think that it was some abuse deliberately dreamed up by TAR producers and wouldn't believe me when I told him it was common practice. I not only have read about this and seen it on Discovery type channels, but I underwent a foot massage in Beijing that was the most painful thing I have ever been through, excepting childbirth. I do have a hard time buying into the benefits however.

 

i never believe all of the conspiracy theories about this or that challenge being tailored for specific teams. First of all, the producers have no way of knowing how long any particular team is going to last. By leg 8, the surfers could have been long gone, eliminated by bad taxi luck, or any other thing that eliminates otherwise strong teams. There are a wide variety of challenges. Some of them are going to seem advantageous for certain teams, like the bicycling task a few legs back, or the armor polishing task that was perfect for the dentists. On the other hand, one could argue that  tasks like repelling would be impossible for a one armed person, and the producers were trying to get her eliminated. Of course, Bethany aced those tasks as well, but how would the producers have known all that in advance?   

 

I was sorry to see the cyclists go. They were such a strong team, but a bad gamble did them in. The wrestlers really put themselves in a very poor light this leg, lying to the candy girls and not u-turning the cyclists after making such a big deal about it. Yes, it's all fair, i suppose, but it's equally fair for me not to root for them and to hope for their elimination. 

Edited November 29, 2014 by Jodithgrace

[Lingo]

I had a deep tissue massage in Malaysia.  I did not enjoy it, it left me sore.  Though they didn't do that skin abrasion thing to me.  Haven't we seen the thing with the cups on the back on this show before, or am I thinking of TAR Australia?

 

Honestly, why did any of the teams go for the massage?  Even if you didn't know it would be painful, you had to figure it'd probably take longer than the crab shelling, because there's no way they'd make one detour option slow and challenging (crabs) and one detour quick and relaxing (massage).

Edited November 29, 2014 by Lingo

[Rick Kitchen]

I don't think they knew it was a massage, did they?  Didn't it just say "china cups"?

[possibilities]

Bethany (and Adam) really messed up with the flights, and Jim and Misty also blew it, by not double checking. This late in the game, not reading the clue or checking carefully with details, is kind of astounding to me, and I think it's the one thing that might be the downfall of the Dentists or the Surfers. Otherwise, they seem more or less invincible... though it will be interesting to see if no longer having the Save will cause the Dentists to be less relaxed and more prone to meltdowns. Jim keeping his cool when he fell on the wire impressed me, though. That looked like a legitimately terrifying moment. He knew he had safety gear, but I wouldn't want to dangle by it, either-- and apparently they had not told anyone what would happen if someone slipped, so he didn't know if he'd have to hoist himself, or what. I also gave Misty a pass on asking God to get involved, because "don't let him die" is one of those things I consider a legitimate wish from any source of intervention, unlike "let us take home the money," which I do not.

 

My irritation with Brooke and Robbie was over how they were perfectly comfortable asking for directions and highly irritated when they received help that wasn't as spoon-feedy as they wanted-- and then felt equally comfortable deliberately screwing with others, not just vaguely but in definite terms.It's the double standard of it that makes me dislike them. I am all for running your own race, not expecting your competitors to help you, and being hellbent on the win. But wanting others to help you, insulting them for no reason, and then doing worse to them than they did to you and feeling proud of it? That's the villiany part. Hypocrisy is not the same as competitiveness.

 

I think Kym and Alli were psyched out by the mob mentality wrt U-turning them. They chose between a footrace to be first or 2nd to the cluebox, vs trying the FF. If it hadn't been a surfing task, their gamble probably would have worked. it almost did work, because Adam and Bethany at first didn't even look at what the FF was, figuring it's not something you ever try when in last place.

 

I didn't mind Jim's eyes going dark when he realized they'd biffed the flights. He didn't get ugly with Bethany, he was just frustrated. I get that. The surfers made a genuinely stupid mistake, one he could legitimately have assumed no one would make, AND he knew he should have kept his competitive edge and checked for himself. If we want people to be hungry and on fire for the win, we have to accept them getting a little tweaked when something stupid trips them up. "Should have known better" is a really hard way to flame out. If you just can't do something, at least you know you did your best. But if you lose on a stupid lapse, it will haunt you. Jim seems like the kind of person who may be prone to a little "pre-haunting" (which, like I said, I get; I am driven like that sometimes, too).

 

Maya being shown screaming about how much she loves the race made her agony at the massage all the more impressive. Good job, editors. I wonder why they waited so long to show her having some personality. Was she really only getting enthusiastic in the past couple of legs?

[Rinaldo]

Even if they knew, a task where you just lie there and endure something must have its attractions for weary travelers, compared to one that requires you to do something. And it's not unknown for TPTB to misjudge how hard an active task will be. They do well at that mostly, but they're not infallible. (Last week, for instance, I wonder if they expected anyone to complete the pole running task.)

[LotusFlower]

I didn't imply she's ever asked for slack, because she hasn't. :) I just dislike her, and I feel like they're getting a way too positive edit.

I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist, AND I'm pretty cynical when it comes to reality show editing, but I've been watching TAR for years, and I think it generally shows people for who they are, esp. if they're in the race for a long while. I think Bethany and Adam are getting a positive edit not because the producers like them, but because they truly are positive people. I don't think it's a coincidence that Bethany has responded to her accident/injury in such a positive way; I think it's more just who she is. I don't mean to overdo it on the fawning, but I like them, and I think they're real.

[Jamoche]

Got to wonder how often Brooke and Robbie have been looking for a taxi and had one drive right in front of them, though given how the Amazing Cameracrew managed to get them and the sign guy in the same shot, I suppose we'd have seen it if it happened.

[etagloh]

 

Wow, different strokes, because I don't see any of this.

 

She was very eager to get on board the 'U-Turn the cyclists' conspiracy. I think it's possible to read too much into on the little-girlishness of Bethany's voice and enunciation when she's an adult woman, but they're not simply a 'goody-goody' team -- they're a strong, competitive team who've shown a few moments of weakness, and they have been getting a butter-wouldn't-melt edit.

 

 

I think Kym and Alli were psyched out by the mob mentality wrt U-turning them. They chose between a footrace to be first or 2nd to the cluebox, vs trying the FF.

 

Let's game this out. Suppose all three teams in the first group decide that the FF is not worth the gamble. They complete the Road Block in the order they arrive at the hotel, because only one team can do it at a time, and then depending on the time gaps, they probably all decide on the massage/cupping Detour option because it's a fixed-time task vs the uncertainty of the crab side. That's a taxi-luck toss-up, and the cyclists have to come first out of that bunch in order to avoid being U-Turned. Perhaps in that situation the cyclists decide to take the crab side of the Detour in order to try and gain an advantage and if they are U-Turned they get the variable-time task out of the way first. But they're going into the leg where their only advantage is not being stupid at the travel agent.

 

Like I said: five teams in this leg, one with a Save, and a double U-Turn. That's everybody potentially accounted for.

 

I suppose my annoyance over the FF is that it's a vestigial part of the classic race, and if TPTB are going to keep using it, it needs to have the potential to take all teams out of their comfort zones in exchange for the reward -- the nude drawing FF in the last season TAR Canada [thanks, Donny Ketchum, it all gets blurry] was a pretty good example of that in an otherwise weak season. Even when you come out of the separate rooms for design and casting, you have to be able to say 'um, hang on, isn't that going to give one team a huge advantage?' It was also a weird FF: Singapore isn't a surfing destination -- the Wave House exists for people who surf elsewhere in SE Asia -- and it felt out of place in the leg.

Edited November 29, 2014 by etagloh

[Chrissytd]

I don't think they knew it was a massage, did they?  Didn't it just say "china cups"?

 

If I'm recalling right, the clue information mentioned a deep-tissue massage.

[Donny Ketchum]

I suppose my annoyance over the FF is that it's a vestigial part of the classic race, and if TPTB are going to keep using it, it needs to have the potential to take all teams out of their comfort zones in exchange for the reward -- the nude drawing FF in the last season was a pretty good example of that, in an otherwise weak season.

I don't remember a nude drawing Fast Forward being on TAR24.  I remember it from season two of Canada's version, though. 

Edited November 29, 2014 by Donny Ketchum

[Lantern7]

Bit of trivia . . . I just saw the extended scene with Phil and the Surfers. Turns out the greeter is Melody, who raced with her best friend Sharon on TAR Asia 1. Thanks, Wikipedia and YouTube!

 

I wonder . . . do cameramen get bonuses for framing Racers to look like chumps, the way the Wrestlers were in the same shot as the clue guy? If not, I think they totally should get a bonus . . . or at least Phil should bust Brooke & Robbie's humps about it afterward.

[jjj]

Yes, the clue mentioned the massage part.

 

I also thought that Jim had one of the more terrifying experiences in TAR history, especially as his safety line was apparently not set right for his weight.  Even a safety line can snap if there Is sudden torque and weight straining it, and that had to give the production team a scare.

 

Here's the thing that galled me about the wrestlers -- they were complaining about the "attitude" of the Scientists, but the Scientists in fact could have U-Turned the wrestlers, but did not.  It is a minor player guideline to U-Turn someone you KNOW is behind you, and Maya/Amy had no idea who else was behind them (either the Cyclists or Surfers could have completed the FF, and they did not know where the Dentists were).  If it had been me, I probably would have U-Turned the wrestlers. 

 

About "cupping" -- despite what it looked like, that would have been the least painful aspect of the treatment.  The flame is just used to create a vacuum in the cup, so the skin is pulled into the cup slightly, but it is not painful.  Just so you know, in case a holistic healer ever recommends it!  It can be quite effective for back pain.  But yikes, the skin abrasion looked horrible!  Amy's back was turning purple. 

 

ETA:  I do not remember any nude drawing FF, and I have seen all episodes.  It must have been in another country's TAR. 

Edited November 29, 2014 by jjj

[kaygeeret]

OMG, I know people who have had a 'deep tissue massage' and it brought them to tears.  In fact, it is designed to bring them to tears.

 

I refused many times to have one....I hate pain no matter how "beneficial" it is in the long run - the reason given that I should have this done.

 

I love gentle massage, I will never get the deep tissue massage.

[Electruck]

I'm glad the cyclists are gone, and by only their own decisions and performance, not by what others did to them.

The slimmer one really grated, and after she handled the tightrope challenge as well as she did, it made me dislike her behavior last week all the more with her ranting at her teammate for grabbing the yellow flag "and making the one who's scared of heights try to get the harder one."

I don't appreciate Brooke's imitations of other people, but I don't mind her moans and groans. She just voices what's in her head more than most.

Holy cow, Amy's back! Ow ow ow ow ow! I've barely made it through salt exfoliation, and that looked far worse. The shots from below the tables were hysterical, though, until things got really painful.

[Netfoot]

I'm very sorry the Cyclists went home.  At least it wasn't any W-Turn crapola that ended their run -- they made a strategic choice and it didn't work out for them.  I thought they were doing rather well at the surfing in their first tries, and who would have expected Adam & Bethany to come from the back of the pack to take it?  Sorry, girls.  Hope you come back some day.

 

Jim must have balls of steel.  It's one thing to step out on that wire.  It's another to step back onto the wire after you've a;lready fallen off!  But it begs the question: If you were on your way back with the clue when you fell off, after they winched you to safety, would you have to go again, seeing as you already had the clue?

 

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.

 

Don't forget next week is most likely a Save-compensating NEL.  Yet another leg the Dentists will be safe on.  So essentially, the Save allows them to race risk-free, right up to and including leg#10!

 

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. 

 

As I've said before, I would be the lyingest racer ever.  So I'm totally on board with telling the Candy Girls the clue wasn't there.  But why create a W-Turn alliance and then renege on the arrangement?  It isn't like they formulated a different plan that gave them some advantage!  So why make the plan and then just cave?  And why did Amy & Maya swallow the lie about the clue, right after the Wrestlers showed that they were untrustworthy?

 

Interesting new ticket-buying rule.  Bethany & Adam screwed that up, but Jim & Misti have to accept some responsibility for just following them. 

 

I wanted to eat the crab!  And drink the coconut water.  (Brooke is an ass.)

 

Next week, Jim's twinkling teeth makes his ox try to run away, but none of it matters since it's another NEL...

[LilyoftheValley]

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?

Yes.

[Lamb18]

Brooke and Robby are so nasty, especially Brooke. It's not so much not U-turning the cyclists and lying to the scientists, but their nasty gloating and mocking and disrespect of others. And when they see the scientists again, they will either be faux friends or else all indignant and self-righteous that an inferior team (in the wrestlers' opinion) could possibly be offended with them. I so so hope the scientists beat wrestlers to the mat next week and the wrestlers are eliminated. But next week is probably non-elimination.

 

A snake in the grass is someone who deliberately deceives someone else and I haven't seen Bethany do anything like that, or even be sneaky. Maybe it's deceptive to succeed better at tasks with one arm than most people who have two.

 

That massage was brutal. Those bruises were hideous. I wouldn't want to be leaning back on an airplane seat for hours with those bruises.

 

I hope next week's ox challenge is a roadblock and that BROOKE DOES IT. Ha ha ha ha ha!

[LilyoftheValley]

See, to me, anyone can renege on an agreement or an alliance for any reason they choose.  Maybe it was not the best move for Robbie and Brooke to not U-turn the cyclists, but I think they were concerned that they would be wasting the U-turn and they wanted to save their U-turn powers until later.  Why not make that agreement with the team you think is just ahead of you?  Doesn't that just make sense?  Is it not simply super smart to convince the team right ahead of you to agree to U-turn two other teams?  If the scientists got their first, then they would have U-turned the surfers, and the wrestlers were safe from being u-turned by them.  Once the wrestlers saw they were safe, then why not just do whatever they wanted at that point?  Maybe it was not a great decision to not u-turn the cyclists, but in the end it was a very smart move.  

 

The really stupid move here was on the part of the scientists.  These two desperately need a pair a race balls.  They should have u-turned the wrestlers, since they actually knew they were right behind them.  

 

If I were on the race, I would spend the first 8 legs making alliances and setting up deals and following through on them.  Then, I would do that in the last few legs and use it to my advantage, like tricking a team into not u-turning me.  Duh.  The wrestlers played this one smart and the scientists played it stupid.  They should have gotten rid of a team with a strong man on it.  What were they thinking?  

[riley702]

I thought this was the last U-turn, so there wasn't anything to save it for.

[GaT]

I was hoping Kym & Alli would be in the final 3, but that was a stupid move trying to beat the surfers at a surf challenge, so bye-bye cyclists. That "massage" looked more like torture to me. Everyone's back looked horrible after they were done, it looked like they scraped a bunch of their skin off, & then the hot cups on top of that, that did not look like fun at all.

 

That was a great u-turn plot, what was the point if nobody was going to follow it? 

Edited November 29, 2014 by GaT

[LilyoftheValley]

Well, either way, once the wrestlers got their way and knew that the scientists had not u-turned them, I guess they saw no reason to u-turn the cyclists.  What was funny was the that scientists were totally baffled by the whole thing.  Are they really that dense?  They knew for sure that the wrestlers were behind them, and they also knew that either the surfers or the cyclists were behind them.  Their u-turning powers thus hinged on the wrestlers keeping the agreement.  Why not eliminate the risk entirely and just u-turn the wrestlers?  I do not get it at all.  

I'm very sorry the Cyclists went home.  At least it wasn't any W-Turn crapola that ended their run -- they made a strategic choice and it didn't work out for them.  I thought they were doing rather well at the surfing in their first tries, and who would have expected Adam & Bethany to come from the back of the pack to take it?  Sorry, girls.  Hope you come back some day.

 

 

As I've said before, I would be the lyingest racer ever.  So I'm totally on board with telling the Candy Girls the clue wasn't there.  But why create a W-Turn alliance and then renege on the arrangement?  It isn't like they formulated a different plan that gave them some advantage!  So why make the plan and then just cave?  And why did Amy & Maya swallow the lie about the clue, right after the Wrestlers showed that they were untrustworthy?

 

Because they no longer gave a shit.  The scientists thought the agreement was to be certain to u-turn at least one team behind them, and the wrestlers knew that the scientists have zero game and so they went along with it just to ensure that the scientists would not u-turn them.  And then of course the scientists still trusted them later.  Look, I get that this race irks people because there is lying involved and people just should not lie, but it is a race for a million dollars.  Get out of the cab and check for yourself, idiots.  

[Artsda]

That massage task looked awful. Their backs!  How painful, they should have known though that it was too good to be true, here's a massage and you get your clue? They should have known it was going to be challenging. 

 

Surfers rocked the surfing challenge on the 2nd try, that was awesome. Smart move for them.

Edited November 29, 2014 by Artsda

[Lnmop]

My biggest laugh went to Kym and Alli after they dropped out of the FF. During their TH, all I could focus on was their raccoon eyes. Two words, ladies - waterproof mascara!

[enlightenedbum]

ETA:  I do not remember any nude drawing FF, and I have seen all episodes.  It must have been in another country's TAR. 

It was in TAR Canada this past season.  Brother sister team had to do it, which was kiiiiiiinda weird.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

About "cupping" -- despite what it looked like, that would have been the least painful aspect of the treatment. The flame is just used to create a vacuum in the cup, so the skin is pulled into the cup slightly, but it is not painful. Just so you know, in case a holistic healer ever recommends it! It can be quite effective for back pain. But yikes, the skin abrasion looked horrible! Amy's back was turning purple.

I was just coming here to say that I've had cupping done and it doesn't hurt. Not the part where they put it on, not when you're lying there, and not when they break the seal to remove the cups. Yes, it leaves a mark but it's from the suction, similar to if you sucked on your arm and gave yourself a hickey. The marks don't hurt afterward though.

Brooke can suck it. She thinks she is this badass evil mastermind she is actually a dumbass who keeps missing things like clueboxes and signs pointing to where you can get taxis while she screeches about how they can never find any taxis. I find her delusional belief in her racing skills more offensive than her lying.

Edited November 29, 2014 by ElectricBoogaloo

[GaT]

I was just coming here to say that I've had cupping done and it doesn't hurt. Not the part where they put it on, not when you're lying there, and not when they break the seal to remove the cups. Yes, it leaves a mark but it's from the suction, similar to if you sucked on your arm and gave yourself a hickey. The marks don't hurt afterward though.

 

It may not hurt normally, but I would think that putting those hot cups on abraded skin would hurt plenty.

[Tony]

Now I'm actually rooting for the wrestlers, only as a total fuck you to the dentists and the surfers. I may be alone in this, but something about the surfers just annoys me. As for Jim, I'm looking forward to his total failure at a task and an epic freak out Hulk-style.

 

 

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.

 

Failing the first try at something you do professionally for a living doesn't negate the fact that you're the most adept at that task over other teams. The FF is an important element, especially this late in the game, so when they knew that professional surfers were cast, they should have swapped it for something else. Nothing is set in stone.

Edited November 29, 2014 by Tony

[jjj]

I must be missing something, because I just have not seen the likelihood of a major freakout by Jim.  If anyone ever had a legitimate claim to a freakout, it was Jim falling off a tightrope at 600 feet.  And he just dangled there, got winched in, then started over.  And did not remind us about it for the rest of the episode.  I watched it again online, and it was shocking to see the line he was *holding* suddenly drop.  I also thought Mitzi kept it together much better than I would have done. 

[backformore]

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.

Yes, the point is to win. We ALL understand that.

And if a team wants to or doesn't want to help another team that's fine. But the wrestlers want it both ways. When another team wants help, the wrestlers have the attitude,"screw you it's a race." But the same wrestlers get upset when a team doesn't do enough to help them. I can't speak for everyone, obviously. But it's not that I don't understand competition. It's that I like good sportsmanship.

Good sportsmanship means that a competitive team should be able to accept that the OTHER teams are also trying to win. The wrestlers have that juxtaposition of "why should we help you" And "why won't you help us?" That makes me hate them.

[jjj]

Even though I know Bethany surfs professionally, it was still impressive to see her in action.  Especially at the end, when she fist-bumped the air and looked like she was standing on a coffee table.  She looked like she could have done the challenge for a long time without breaking a sweat. 

 

It was still a risk for them to try the FF -- I am glad two teams tried. 

Edited November 29, 2014 by jjj

[lorikauai]

FWIW Adam is not a professional surfer. He was a youth pastor and substitute teacher before he married Bethany.

I thought the wrestlers were confused by Amy and Maya u-turning the surfers and that's why they didn't follow the plan. Either way I never really understand alliances in TAR. They are rarely useful in the game.

[tds444]

The problem is not the morality of what Brooke and Robbie did,but the fact that it was stupid. According to Maya on facebook it was only a few minutes between them and the cyclists. If their lie had gotten the scientists eliminated over a strong team in the cyclists that would have been an all time idiotic play. They should be working with the scientists to get the strong teams out because they are both basically in the same boat.

 

The scientists had the sound strategy of u-turning both the surfers and the cyclists so that whichever lost FF would be eliminated,which they relayed to the wrestlers during the massage.

Edited November 29, 2014 by tds444

[RedheadZombie]

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.

 

Really.  I would be a lot more impressed with them if their "sport" wasn't rigged and fake.  They are performers, and not very likeable ones.  I'm hoping that word gets back to the surfers that the wrestlers targeted them.  Problem is, Amy and Maya can't tell them without acknowledging that they themselves voted for the surfers.  Jim seems like he might be the type to tattle, so maybe he'll tell.  I want the wrestlers to experience the fallout.  Yes you're allowed to be an asshole, but it's on your own head when you experience the consequences.  By the way, Brooke only seems to have problem with women.  I realize she's praised Bethany, but what fool would criticize or mock her on camera?

 

IThe 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.

 

That whole thing pissed me off.  First, it was presented as a comedy, and the massage ladies were allowed to mock them on camera - those sadists enjoyed what they were doing.  Second, there was no privacy, and if you're overly modest (like me), it could really stress you out.  Poor Amy was trying so hard to stay covered as she writhed in pain.  And speaking of Amy, why haven't they wrapped her knee?

[SledDog]

ETA:  I do not remember any nude drawing FF, and I have seen all episodes.  It must have been in another country's TAR. 

 

You're  right. That was season 2 of Amazing Race Canada (which I think had some tasks that were more challenging than any we've seen on the original Amazing Race in a while). Two teams went for it, a brother and sister team (Sukhi & Jinder) and a pair of friends Ryan & Rob. What happened there was actually more mystifying in some ways than what happened in the wave riding challenge this week since Ryan & Rob arrived after Sukhi & Jinder and still elected to try the Fast Forward, even though the only way they could beat the siblings was if they decided not to go through with the final nude portion of the sketch, and since they knew from the time they arrived what the task was there wasn`t much chance of that.

 

Interesting new ticket-buying rule.  Bethany & Adam screwed that up, but Jim & Misti have to accept some responsibility for just following them.

 

I`m going to give them the benefit of the doubt there and say that they quite simply misread, or rather misinterpretted, the clue. Their interpretation was that they had to go through Paris and that any arrangements that they made after Paris was up to them. I can`t help but wonder if Jim & Misti would have made the same error in interpretation as Adam & Bethany if they`d been the first people to the travel agency.

 

Failing the first try at something you do professionally for a living doesn't negate the fact that you're the most adept at that task over other teams. The FF is an important element, especially this late in the game, so when they knew that professional surfers were cast, they should have swapped it for something else. Nothing is set in stone.

 

But this specific task isn`t what they do for a living. They surf on real waves on 6 to 8 foot long boards and even then they have trouble staying on. The "boards" they were using on this task were smaller and therefore much touchier in terms of movement, and they are "surfing" on a stream of water that is being shot up a slope under pressure. To take a different example, this would be like taking an experienced downhill skier and expecting them to perform just as well in the slalom as they would in the downhill. The disciplines are extremely different.

 

As for your other statement, the facts are that this sort of thing is set in stone because the show has to make arrangements to rent the venue for the date and time that they expect people to use it. This rental isn't just the price that the competitors would pay if they were ordinary customers but it also includes compensation for lost business during the time that the racers were using the park, or the time that the show had been renting the place for. To change things would have meant breaking the agreement with Wavehouse (the venue in this case) an agreement which probably had a cancellation penalty clause, working out a different fast forward task and securing the venue for that task (signing a different contract), all on a very tight time scale since as I understand it final casting for the show takes place very close to the date when the race starts. And what happens if you make that change, before the race starts, and Adam trips and breaks his arm running for the first clue in New York (or more likely, Adam & Bethany are eliminated at some stage before they reach Singapore)?

 

And let's not forget of course that Detour challenge in Copenhagen with the wedding cakes and the freight bikes. Surely that was a task that the Cyclists had an unfair advantage in because of their profession and indeed was one where Bethany in particular was at a severe disadvantage, and we saw it when they attempted it. Surely if you scrap the waverider Fast Forward because there are surfers who could compete in it, you should scrap that part of the Detour because there are professional cyclists who could compete there (and indeed are more likely to be in the competition because it took place earlier in the Race).

[Kelda Feegle]

I really dislike Brooke and her attitude and both of the wrestlers deserve to go home based on their mocking of the profession of Amy and Maya - don't denigrate people because of their jobs!

I think the massage was a popular choice because it was a finite experience - you knew it would take the same time for everyone to complete whereas the crab-picking relied on method, skill, persistence, and an unknown length of time which would include the weighing etc

Poor Amy runs like a drunken sailor - got to be hurting

Food Scientists FTW!

[Jodithgrace]

That whole thing pissed me off.  First, it was presented as a comedy, and the massage ladies were allowed to mock them on camera - those sadists enjoyed what they were doing.  Second, there was no privacy, and if you're overly modest (like me), it could really stress you out.  Poor Amy was trying so hard to stay covered as she writhed in pain.

 

My husband actually wrote a letter of complaint to CBS.

 

My issue with choosing a detour, is that passive options like the massage are dangerous because the racers are not in control of how long the task will take. The crab task would have been the smarter option because the racers are in control..if they are competent, they can get done quickly and get out. I kept yelling at the cyclists to choose the crab, but they didn't listen to me.

[Primetimer]

In Singapore, Amazing Racers endure a painful spa treatment and a death-defying tightrope walk. However, it's the pact surrounding the Double U-Turn that ends up causing the most discomfort.

Read the story

[Netfoot]

Answer: any time you have to pick up a clue on the observation deck of a fifty-something-story hotel...

 

...expect to end up hanging by a thread!

[SoCal4Us]

IMHO it would show bias if tasks were changed after the casting has been finalized.  We could probably come up with an argument that virtually every task favors one team or another, whether knowing foreign languages, being more athletic, being more intelligent, having more street smarts, and so on and on.

 

Changing a task because one team may be better at it would then show favoritism toward the team(s) that aren't as good at that particular task.  I assume this is considered a game show and there are rules involved?

[needschocolate]

I can understand why the plan was to U-turn the two teams that went for the FF - one of them is very likely to be in last place, and since they are such strong teams, you want to make sure they stay in last place. Plus, there is always a chance that both teams gave up on the FF and both are now at the back of the pack.  I was surprised that the scientists u-turned surfers first - the original plan was to target the cyclists and you don't want to piss off the people in your "alliance" if you don't have to.  

 

I do not understand why the wrestlers didn't u-turn the cyclists.  I think it was because they figured if the scientists u-turned the surfers, then that somehow meant that the cyclists won the fast forward. But the wrestlers don't seem very bright, so I guess I am not surprised.  

 

I am surprised that the dentists didn't u-turn the cyclists.  

 

I wish that the cyclists would have beat the scientists to the mat, just so the dentists and, especially, the wrestlers would realize that their not using the u-turn kept a strong team in the race, and got a team they could probably beat out.  

 

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.

 

I think Brooke was only so stoic and smiling at the massage because the scientists were in so much pain - to prove she was tougher than them and because she enjoyed their misery.  Seems to me that she started complaining once the scientists left,  Based on her past performances on the race, I think she would have been much more vocal about how much she hated it and how unfair it was , if she wasn't trying to prove that she was better than the scientists.

[peachmangosteen]

Haven't we seen the thing with the cups on the back on this show before, or am I thinking of TAR Australia?

 

I am so sure I've seen that cupping thing before and I have only watched this version of TAR. Does anyone know if it's been used before?

[cooksdelight]

IMHO it would show bias if tasks were changed after the casting has been finalized.  We could probably come up with an argument that virtually every task favors one team or another, whether knowing foreign languages, being more athletic, being more intelligent, having more street smarts, and so on and on.

 

Changing a task because one team may be better at it would then show favoritism toward the team(s) that aren't as good at that particular task.  I assume this is considered a game show and there are rules involved?

I chimed in on this in the Previews & Speculation thread just now.

[LilyoftheValley]

IMHO it would show bias if tasks were changed after the casting has been finalized.  We could probably come up with an argument that virtually every task favors one team or another, whether knowing foreign languages, being more athletic, being more intelligent, having more street smarts, and so on and on.

 

Changing a task because one team may be better at it would then show favoritism toward the team(s) that aren't as good at that particular task.  I assume this is considered a game show and there are rules involved?

On the Amazing Race?  LOL.  Oh wait, the task could be something like getting the teams to name the countries in the world where Spanish actually is the most widely-spoken language.  Could you imagine the complete chaos that would ensue?  

[MyAimIsTrue]

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.

 

I fear the pounds and pounds of makeup Brooke is wearing would preserve her from rotting.

[Chyna]

The wrestlers have that juxtaposition of "why should we help you" And "why won't you help us?" That makes me hate them.

 

 

Bingo. Feel free to lie, connive, and otherwise not help other teams. It's a race. But if that's your choice, don't whine that the other teams aren't helping you. Brooke and Robbie are playground bullies.