S25.E10: Smells Like Dirty Tube Socks

[MyAimIsTrue]

She may be annoying to be with 24/7, but I have to say that I can't think of anyone who has enjoyed the race more. Certainly more than anyone the last few seasons, and more than any other super-fans who have competed. And that enjoyment is a pleasure to watch. It's clear that she's won by just being on the race.

 

I agree as I adore Maya's enthusiasm.  First of all it comes across as completely genuine and not camera mugging and, second, I'm kind of the same way as while in Ireland last June our tour guide pointed out how excited I got (in a "this is the best place EVER!!" way) at every stop we made.

 

Oh, and while I was never a big fan of Jim to begin with he's officially on my shit list now by saying parts of their assembled cab were as tight as a fat girl's socks.  Not cool and certainly not funny.

[Netfoot]

What is the rule about dropping your backpacks while running to the mat? Did the wrestlers only get away with that because they were last? 

 

Not sure, but Jim shouts "We can see Phil!" and promptly drops his pack.  So it seems they have to be in sight of the mat.

 

NeffingEL. Math said that this week had to be NEL after last week's wasn't but why, why, why couldn't they have been the other way around?

 

Because of the Save.  The Save has the power to create an NEL on any leg (or not), and the number of NEL must be known in advance so the number of episodes can remain constant.  Therefore, there must be a NEL scheduled for the week after the Save expires.  That way, if the Save gets used, the final NEL can be cancelled to compensate.  Since the save could be used as late as leg#9, it forces leg#10 to be the final NEL of the race. 

 

In theory, they could have the NEL in leg#11 but that would mean the F3 teams would be selected at the end of leg#10, and would race through leg#11 to a NEL, with the leg#12 finale run the following week.  I'm not sure deciding the final three teams a week early would lend sufficient drama/excitement to the finale.  Hence a NEL in leg#10 inevitably, unless the Immunity Idol gets used at Tribal Council earlier in the race.

 

For what it's worth, I'd have much preferred the Cyclists to be in this race than the Wrestlers.  I know they rubbed some people the wrong way, but I for one would have preferred them, to Brooke's never-ending litany of "It stinks / It's nasty" interspersed with loud kekking.

 

Candy Girls:  "Don't bite me, Oxie!"  Hehehe!

[Jobiska]

Was it a rule that they couldn't just dump their bucket into the other one? Did they have to move them by hand?

 

Yes, the judge indicated to them they had to do it by hand, and I think they asked some kind of confirming question about it too.

[etagloh]

Yes, the judge indicated to them they had to do it by hand, and I think they asked some kind of confirming question about it too.

 

Presumably to ensure the buckets at the end were filled mostly with fish, not fish plus seawater. But also to make sure the task was physical through to the end.

[needschocolate]

Regarding dropping the backpacks - I thought there had been instances in past seasons where racers dumped their backpacks for the last leg of the race.  They had the important stuff - passports, money, clues, etc... - in their fanny packs.  So I thought it was okay for them to lose the backpacks, but I was not sure if they could get them back after dumping them - that maybe you could only continue racing with what you had with you on the mat the leg before.  

[peachmangosteen]

Oh, and while I was never a big fan of Jim to begin with he's officially on my shit list now by saying parts of their assembled cab were as tight as a fat girl's socks.  Not cool and certainly not funny.

 

I didn't hear that. Dammit! And I was actually really liking him.

[babs1226]

I can't recall all seasons, but it seems to me that, at least for the past few, the final four leg has been a NEL.  I was expecting it to be this time as well.  Is it written in stone how many NELs there are in any given race?  

[fishcakes]

It wouldn't be TAR if Phil weren't wearing strangely fitting pants.

 

Brooke continues to annoy, but this is the first time I noticed how pretty she is. (I think her mouth was shut at the time.) Her face has great bone structure. And I agree with whoever said that Misti looks like Lisa Kudrow, but with her hair, I think she's more Valerie Cherish than Phoebe.

 

I am in love with the wrestler's ox because of the way he would turn and look at Brooke with that sort of insane strained face right before taking one of his many dumps.

[possibilities]

I'm not sure the plowing was a pure needle in haystack task. For one thing, it tests people wrt equanimity in the face of mud and animals. But more than that, it seemed to me that Maya and Amy found their clue quickly because they were actually plowing (mud was coming up in a continuous mound), while Brooke and Robbie were just skimming their plow along in the water (the water was churning but no mud was coming up after them). And of course there's also the issue of choosing the smallest vs the largest pool to search in, but they probably didn't think that was going to be a challenge for anyone.

 

 

 

Is it written in stone how many NELs there are in any given race?

I would think it is, because that's how they get down to three teams for the finale. Also, I think if they could just add or subtract elimination points along the way, it would be favoring or punishing specific teams.

 

I've been thinking about how Amy and Maya were confused about whether Brooke and Robbie lied to them about the statues. It makes them seem a little dim, but at the same time, they said they were confused because "why would you lie to us when it was the cyclists you wanted to get rid of?" and in that regard they are absolutely correct and Brooke and Robbie are the dim ones.

 

I thought the flashbacks to Brooke saying she wanted to punish Amy and Maya because of "their attitude and the way they acted" underscored that the Wrestlers had been acting out of personal hostility rather than strategic self-interest. And this is the wildcard in game theory-- sometimes people don't act smart, don't do what is in their best interest, and act irrationally based on nonsensical factors that can't be predicted. The Scientists had not done anything to the Wrestlers. They'd even helped them a little, in a way the Wrestlers would not have done for anyone, but somehow Brooke was resentful that they hadn't helped MORE-- which is crazy and a double standard and not something the Scientists could have known they felt, nor could they have predicted that the Wrestlers would be so worked up about it that they'd actually sabotage themselves by putting it before the goal of getting the Cyclists out.

 

Of course, since Kim and Alli got beaten for the FF and were out anyway, the whole thing was moot. But it illustrates how much the Race is influenced by things other than smarts or skill. And I still think the Scientists should have double checked, and not taken the Wrestlers' word for it, but on a pure thinking level, they weren't completely wrong.

Edited December 6, 2014 by possibilities

[jhlipton]

. Amy said she thought the Lord had bigger things to think about than them choosing a motor car.

 

Makes me wonder if, in addition to being Race fans, they were also TWoP fans.  It would have been golden if Amy had said "God is in the tub."

 

All right I did have one worry for Brooke this episode -- she apparently cut her hand at the fish thing, then had to go do the Oxen.   They made a big deal about the oxen pooping in the fields.   I was really worried about an infection with that open cut.   

 

 

You're right -- the parasites in the water might have come down with Brookitis!

 

There's also the issue of choosing the smallest vs the largest pool to search in, but they probably didn't think that was going to be a challenge for anyone.

 

Choosing the smallest ox (that could be led and turned the easiest) also would be the best strategy.

 

================================

 

ETA: If they got 300 pounds of fish in 4 trips, they had to carry 75 pounds of fish plus sea-water each trip.  That's kind of impressive!

Edited December 6, 2014 by jhlipton

[Rusun]

Have they gone anywhere that English-speaking locals were not easy to come by this season?

 

Morocco and Sicily/Italy, I suppose?

 

Good leg overall, just like the other two NELs this season, though Missing RB #3 bugged.

[lianau]

Brooke before the ox task: " I love animals , I'm good with animals ... . To Robbie: "Let's kill this." I know figure of speech but I thought that was funny .

[stanleyk]

I knew Brooke would get dinged (rightfully) for her OTT retching and complaining about the smell, but I was actually really turned off by Misti's tearful "we're just so thankful we live in beautiful, clean America" and "these poor kids in the street" thing. There are plenty of cultural differences in how children are raised, all over the world. I couldn't help but feel a big strain of racial and socio-economic condescension in her comments. For example, in some Scandanavian countries (and maybe other places, I don't know), it's perfectly normal to park your kid in a stroller out on the sidewalk and then leave the kid unattended. I doubt observing this practice, which would probably get you arrested in the US, would move Misti to tears and thankfulness about living in America, as observing how some kids live in the Philippines did. I don't really mind the Dentists and I appreciate that they're not awful people, but her comments really rubbed me the wrong way.

 

In any event, I'm fine with all the teams left except the Wrestlers. They're aggressively dumb and Brooke in particular is painful to watch. Obvious this one was NEL so only half-watched but am looking forward to the rest!

[tds444]

is it just me or the did the sweet scientists get a very winner-esque edit tonight. The underdog confessional,the third female team to win statement,and the appreciation of the culture juxtaposed with the other teams?

[Lantern7]

I don't think Brooke is racist. I also don't think she's playing a character. She's not as bad as Kendra (and thank goodness for that), but she's too unafraid of what others might think of the stuff coming out of her mouth. She's just another complainy-pants in a series. At least Robbie is fun to watch some of the time. It's kinda like watching a live-action Team Rocket, minus a CGI Meowth.

 

ETA for tds444 . . . man, I hope you're wrong. It's not that the Scientists have been bad, but I feel that the Dentists and Surfers should be fighting it out for the win, with the remaining team lagging behind in third place. Maya's constant love of the show could be taken as a clue, but she and Amy winning  would be as big an upset as the Beekman Boys, for good and otherwise.

[LittleIggy]

I hope Brooke ends up on "Monsters Inside Me."

[etagloh]

I was actually really turned off by Misti's tearful "we're just so thankful we live in beautiful, clean America" and "these poor kids in the street" thing. There are plenty of cultural differences in how children are raised, all over the world. I couldn't help but feel a big strain of racial and socio-economic condescension in her comments.

 

It's a generational thing as well. Misti and Jim are from the demographic of exurban subdivisions, helicopter parenting and ferrying kids between hyper-scheduled activities in big SUVs. (Yes, perhaps a bit of projection, but I have a sense of how affluent professionals choose to live in places like South Carolina, and we know about the mothers in the South arrested for leaving their children at the park after somebody calls the cops.) The children in the streets didn't look in distress, and I doubt they'd have been shown if so. The oddest note in Misti's comments was "it's not like seeing it on the television", which had me thinking of the South Park Sally Struthers / Starvin' Marvin episode. More a matter of sheltered lives than prejudice, but still a bit off.

Edited December 6, 2014 by etagloh

[Jac]

Because of the Save.  The Save has the power to create an NEL on any leg (or not), and the number of NEL must be known in advance so the number of episodes can remain constant.  Therefore, there must be a NEL scheduled for the week after the Save expires.  That way, if the Save gets used, the final NEL can be cancelled to compensate.  Since the save could be used as late as leg#9, it forces leg#10 to be the final NEL of the race. 

 

I think this is the single biggest problem with the design of the save. It is too powerful and protects its holders for far too long. It should be limited to the first five legs of the race, max.

[Jodithgrace]

It wouldn't be TAR if Phil weren't wearing strangely fitting pants.

 

Not to mention the shirts that accentuate his man boobs. For a man who is undoubtedly in really good shape, his clothing is usually oddly unflattering.

 

As much as Brooke annoys me, Robbie makes me laugh. His reaction to the ox pooping was hilarious! I'm glad that four such disparate teams are still in the running, but I am ready for the wrestlers to be eliminated next.

 

Amy and Maya have really come into their own these last few legs, now that the crowd has thinned out. They are the most appreciative of other cultures of almost any team in TAR history. Contrasted with Brooke and her gagging. Admittedly, even the surfers, who seem very respectful, were holding their noses in the jeepney at one point. But they had the good grace not to do it in view of the locals. (that I saw)

 

For those Dish TV patrons, last week, my DVR completely failed to record the episode, and since I tend to forget that it is on Friday night now, i missed it entirely. The very next day I watched it on CBS.com. So all hope is not lost.

[Mreid]

Maya is annoying me. She is too hyper and talks too much. I could sense that Amy was sick of her. Maya made some comment that the Lord helped them out because they chose the motorcar thing that had a rosary. Amy said she thought the Lord had bigger things to think about than them choosing a motor car.

Well we all have our opinions but I do not find Maya annoying at all, I think she is carrying her team especially with Amy having her leg injury.  I actually wish that Maya and Bethany were on the same team as these two are my two favorites in the competition. Maya is very positive and is able to adapt to the cultures of other countries. You know who I find annoying? Two people Jim because he is just too darn cocky but the most annoying person left in this race for me is BROOKE! Her constant complaining about everything drives me nuts and I really dont like how ugly she has been acting towards the scientists the past couple of episodes saying she cant be beat by a scientists because she is a wrestler really Brooke just grow up ok she is nothing but a big bully. Seriously Brooke your on the amazing race traveling to all of these amazing places enjoy the moment take a chill pill... good lord. 

Edited December 6, 2014 by Mreid

[Netfoot]

For example, in some Scandanavian countries (and maybe other places, I don't know), it's perfectly normal to park your kid in a stroller out on the sidewalk and then leave the kid unattended.

 

It's standard practice in the UK to leave the kids outside the supermarket in their strollers, so they can get some fresh air and sun.  Good weather permitting, of course.  I recall a few years ago an English woman did this in the USA and was nearly lynched by the mob. 

 

Maya's constant love of the show could be taken as a clue, but she and Amy winning  would be as big an upset as the Beekman Boys, for good and otherwise.

 

Amy & Maya are orders of magnitude better racers than the Boring Beekmans.  They may not be the most consistent best team left in the race, but they aren't bad racers, and if the front-runners drop even a small clanger, the Candy Scientists will happily take the race.  But I hope they have EMT standing by with Vallium, because Maya will go off-scale!

[tds444]

yeah i was about to say Amy & Maya > the Beekman boys,and their problems are mostly navigation related

[dgpolo]

In regards the oxen, in season 5, if I'm remembering correctly one team member plowed while the other guided the ox around by a harness? by it's head, the trouble Colin had was directly an effect of Christie standing at the side doing absolutely nothing except berating Colin. This came about because Chip had delayed them at the Jeepny task where they had to sit out for a set amount of time (I forget what they called that) and when they arrived at the task the other teams had already finished and the didn't get to see how everyone else did it. But anyway, my point is that these oxen had a ring through their noses with a guideline so the plower was able to both plow and guide the ox by themselves (theoretically anyway) so it was a bit different this time.

[Jac]

The oxen were way too docile in this episode.  Guess none were descents of Colin's awesome ox.

 

Colin's ox had clearly been selectively bred for generations for the sole purpose of fucking Colin over.  

 

Edited: because autocorrect.

Edited December 7, 2014 by JacquelineLHope

[Jac]

yeah i was about to say Amy & Maya > the Beekman boys,and their problems are mostly navigation related

 

Beekman boys? I haven't seen most of the middle seasons due to no TV and crappy internet and I don't dare read wiki because every time I do I get spoiled. (I've seen 1-8, 14-19 (have been bingewatching over the last 10 days or so and 21-25).

[lianau]

The Beekman Boys won season 21 (the season with the best use of a double u-turn ever) .

 

I  don't think there is any real difference between today's oxen and Collins ox , just that Collin showed up after everyone had already left and he had nobody to look at for  plowing and ox handling advice . This time Brooke and Robbie started the non guiding plowing and everyone followed that lead .

Edited December 7, 2014 by lianau

[blackwing]

For all the hype, I was disappointed by the "infamous switchback".  Colon and Crasstie are one of my all my most disliked teams.  I wanted to see more of his spoiled behaviour, and useless Crasstie doing nothing.

 

Brooke and Robbie were very impressive during the fish task.  None of the other three teams would have been able to do this as quickly as they did.  The scientists don't have the muscle, Misty doesn't have the muscle, and Bethany, well...   That said, I do think they made a fatal mistake in choosing the biggest field to plow.  Very interesting setup, I suppose the point was to punish the 4th place team by leaving them the biggest field to search.  Instead, the team that arrived first stupidly chose it.  By finishing last, they may have doomed themselves on the next leg depending on how long their speed bump takes.

 

For some reason, it never occurred to me that Misty and Jim had kids.  Granted, they are only 37 (I had thought they look about 45) so it seems natural they would have young children.  But the show hit us over the head with it.  Misty and her odd "I feel so bad for these poor brown people, it makes me feel SO LUCKY to be white and rich and American" and then Jim with his "I put together lots of things for my kids".  These two seem so extremely vain (Jim with the steroid induced muscles, Misty with her perfect makeup and hair, both with the ridiculously straight and white teeth), I just can't imagine them taking the time to take care of people other than themselves, let alone helpless children.

 

Was there a Roadblock that got edited out, or did this Switchback task replace it?  Seems odd to me, this season seems to have had less Roadblocks, earlier in the season we were speculating it was Bethany-related. 

[etagloh]

 

Seems odd to me, this season seems to have had less Roadblocks, earlier in the season we were speculating it was Bethany-related.

 

But that can't be so, because all the tasks are decided in advance before casting happens, by separate teams in separate rooms sworn to blood oaths of secrecy and etc.

 

It's weird, though. This is the third time we've had something that possibly could have been a Road Block and wasn't, or where there's an obvious lack of Road Block in a leg. The TAR 5 ox task was a Detour option, so it's not an exact parallel, though as dgpolo notes, the oxen were set up in a way that made it more feasible for a single person to both steer and plough. Either RBs are being edited away all over the place, which I doubt, or something's going on here. Two of those tasks (ox-plough and punting) might have have caused Bethany difficulties had she done them alone; the other (sheep herding) was perhaps considered as a RB but was borderline impossible for one person in practice.

 

And though I don't want to dig up stuff from last week: if Bethany were to face a RB task that depends upon two arms to complete, and either got eliminated or needed to take a four-hour penalty, it would be painful television and make TPTB look terrible. I can accept there's a wall between leg design and casting, while also believing that "not wanting to look terrible" might be a reason for TPTB to breach it. 

Edited December 7, 2014 by etagloh

[paramitch]

I agree with those who felt that the Food Scientists gave themselves a great advantage simply by truly plowing the field -- by doing that correctly, they appeared to hook right onto the clue and rope. I loved seeing them come in second here -- they raced a great leg.

 

With one exception (more on that farther down), I found myself really impressed with the Dentists this leg -- after Jim's calm during the last leg when he fell off the ropewalk, I was even more impressed in this episode when neither he nor Mysti ever lost patience, kept on smiling, and I noticed that they are always very careful to speak to, compliment, and thank the locals they meet. They're so interesting -- when they first presented themselves on the Race, I was like many just waiting to hate them, but they seem to present themselves one way, yet they simply don't act the way I expect them to. Jim is relatively soft-spoken, both appear to be pretty nice, kind and patient people, and it's been nice to realize they aren't the supercompetitive douchebags I was expecting. They do seem pretty looks-obsessed -- further backed up by Jim's unfunny little quip about fat girls -- but they've still surprised me overall.

 

MyAimisTrue: Oh, and while I was never a big fan of Jim to begin with he's officially on my shit list now by saying parts of their assembled cab were as tight as a fat girl's socks.  Not cool and certainly not funny.

 

I didn't hear that. Dammit! And I was actually really liking him.

 

Yeah, I wasn't happy with that either. I still found the Dentists very likable in this episode overall, but as a chubby girl myself,  that comment was exactly the kind of thoughtless joke that people still seem to think is okay (when they'd never mock people for their race, sexual orientation, etc.). The only thing that tempered it for me was that it just seemed like something said more in a lame attempt at wit than with real actual malice or meanness.

 

But it was a shame, because I otherwise have felt nothing but increasing respect for the Dentists over the past several weeks for their patience, good humor and surprising calm. I'd hope that maybe Jim saw that comment when it aired and that perhaps he thinks before he makes such hurtful analogies again in the future.

 

I knew Brooke would get dinged (rightfully) for her OTT retching and complaining about the smell, but I was actually really turned off by Misti's tearful "we're just so thankful we live in beautiful, clean America" and "these poor kids in the street" thing. There are plenty of cultural differences in how children are raised, all over the world. I couldn't help but feel a big strain of racial and socio-economic condescension in her comments. For example, in some Scandanavian countries (and maybe other places, I don't know), it's perfectly normal to park your kid in a stroller out on the sidewalk and then leave the kid unattended. I doubt observing this practice, which would probably get you arrested in the US, would move Misti to tears and thankfulness about living in America, as observing how some kids live in the Philippines did. I don't really mind the Dentists and I appreciate that they're not awful people, but her comments really rubbed me the wrong way.

 

 

I was touched by Mysti's emotions and they seemed genuine to me. These weren't happy children playing in the street. There were in fact filthy toddlers and ragged children sitting on pavement, near refuse, and by American standards especially (as others have noted) utterly unattended. It wasn't India, but it was certainly not what many suburban Westerners are used to, and I thought Mysti's tears seemed both to indicate her empathy for the levels of poverty she was seeing around them, as well as for her awareness and gratitude for the standard of living she may have taken for granted.

 

One of my favorite things about TAR through the years is always the way we see how the Racers respond to the different poverty levels they encounter, and in circumstances that tend to be more out in the open than the poverty we have in the U.S.

 

What I thought was interesting here was the spectrum we saw -- the Food Scientists were exuberant about the new culture they were encountering, and dove right in, passing the fares along, peoplewatching, and accepting the smells and sights as part of the experience; Mysti was touched but upset by what she saw(yet I loved the moment when her husband simply took her hand while she wiped her eyes); while (worst of all) Brooke made faces, yelled, whined, complained, literally held her nose, and then retched repeatedly and theatrically at what she encountered, only showing a modicum appreciation for the locals when they cheered for her. It grossed me out.

 

I enjoyed the episode, and thought it was a strong segment overall. I'd like the wrestlers gone, but it will almost be more fun if they have to whine and complain their way through a Speed Bump next episode, and then hopefully get smacked by karma and end up out of the race. Fingers crossed.

[RedheadZombie]

In any event, I'm fine with all the teams left except the Wrestlers. They're aggressively dumb and Brooke in particular is painful to watch. Obvious this one was NEL so only half-watched but am looking forward to the rest!

 

I truly dislike them.  After finishing the fish task, she snatched the clue out of the woman's hand without a single word of thanks, yet took the time to bow and preen before the applauding locals.

 

What I thought was interesting here was the spectrum we saw -- the Food Scientists were exuberant about the new culture they were encountering, and dove right in, passing the fares along, peoplewatching, and accepting the smells and sights as part of the experience; Mysti was touched but upset by what she saw(yet I loved the moment when her husband simply took her hand while she wiped her eyes); while (worst of all) Brooke made faces, yelled, whined, complained, literally held her nose, and then retched repeatedly and theatrically at what she encountered, only showing a modicum appreciation for the locals when they cheered for her. It grossed me out.

 

You left Bethany out.  I would place her above Brooke, but below Misti.  Bethany was nowhere near as offensive as Brooke, but she joined Brooke in the repulsed nose holding, followed by calling Filipino water "gross", and stating they would not go in it.  This made me respond with, "We can't all live in paradise, Princess".  Bethany rarely missteps, but she followed that with bragging that Adam did the "man's job" of putting the vehicle together.  Luckily, Amy and Maya didn't view the task that way.

[Netfoot]

Misty and her odd "I feel so bad for these poor brown people, it makes me feel SO LUCKY to be white and rich and American"...

 

I don't recall her saying that!

 

if Bethany were to face a RB task that depends upon two arms to complete, and either got eliminated or needed to take a four-hour penalty, it would be painful television and make TPTB look terrible. I can accept there's a wall between leg design and casting, while also believing that "not wanting to look terrible" might be a reason for TPTB to breach it.

 

Why on earth would they need to do that?  If they thought Bethany's failure to complete any task would make them (TPTB) look bad, wouldn't it be so much simpler to simply not have Bethany on the race?  That would be so much easier and professionally safer than trying to secretly fix the race in her favour and spend the rest of their lives hoping the secret never got out.

[Camera One]

It was painful to watch the Wrestlers in the lead, and thinking one of the other teams might be eliminated.  The Dentists really have difficulties doing tasks where they have to replicate something.  Good on Amy and Maya for having no problems with the task.  I like Bethany, but she repeated too many times that building stuff was a guy thing.  

[Lingo]

Well, that was a fun leg. I loved the flashback to Season 5.  These Switchbacks are never as memorable as the original tasks, but how can you really expect them to? It's like expecting lightning to strike the same unlikely place twice. I do appreciate the nods to the fandom though.  I still own a TWOP t-shirt with the phrase "My Ox is Broken!" on it.

 

Something that was said in this episode made me realize: 4 out of the 5 final teams are professional or sorta semi-professional athletes: the surfers obviously, the wrestlers (yeah yeah), the cyclists do bike races, and the dentists used to be body-builders (at least Jim anyways).  The scientists have done a pretty good job keeping up with them. I expected them to be eliminated at least one or two eliminations ago.

 

Thank goodness for this board! CBS and Dish Network are in a payment dispute, and they STOPPED the channel right when The Amazing Race was about to record. I wanted to see the OX challenge :(

 

I know! How annoying!
Anyone know how long before the episode is available online?

 

I have always found that CBS puts it online between midnight and 12:30 AM EST the same evening.

 

At least I get to laugh at Jim asking for the 'international terminal' at Singapore airport.

 

Ha!  That's a good point.

 

Finally, earlier I remember someone somewhere asking whether or not production tries to avoid filming when it rains. While others provided examples back then, here's your answer again. I was a little nervous for the Wrestlers collecting the fish in those rough waves and dark clouds. The locals at least have some experience from doing that most of their life.

 

I was the one (or one of them) wondering about the lack of bad weather in previous seasons, so yeah, I did notice it in this episode.  That storm didn't seem to last long though. I know that bad weather is certanly not entirely avoidable, but I still wonder if they pause production on days with bad forecasts.

 

What is the rule about dropping your backpacks while running to the mat? Did the wrestlers only get away with that because they were last? 

 

Naw, teams do that all the time. And they get to keep their bags for the next leg, I guess if they do it within sight of the pit stop.

 

I can't recall all seasons, but it seems to me that, at least for the past few, the final four leg has been a NEL.  I was expecting it to be this time as well.  Is it written in stone how many NELs there are in any given race?  

 

Well yes, because it is written in stone how many teams you start with (11), how many teams are in the last leg (3) and how many total legs there are (12).  So there have to be 3 NELs (used to be 4 when there were 13 legs).  It's even supposed to be written in stone before the race begins which legs are the NELs, though the Save messes with that a little.

 

Was there a Roadblock that got edited out, or did this Switchback task replace it?  Seems odd to me, this season seems to have had less Roadblocks, earlier in the season we were speculating it was Bethany-related. 

 

I think there's a clear non-Bethany rationale behind this leg: They were going to Philippines, the production was determined to use the Ox Switchback, but they didn't want to make it a Detour because they wanted to make all the teams do it, and I suppose they thought it would be too difficult for a single person to do it (though all the teams appeared to guide the Ox single-handedly).  They've deviated from the one-detour/one-RB formula in past seasons a few times, so I don't think it's a big deal, even though it's happened more often in this season.  The two earlier no-RB legs are a little more suspicious to me, but I think it's plausible that they decided at the last minute that the punting and sheep-herding may be too difficult for one person.

[jhlipton]

 

Misty and her odd "I feel so bad for these poor brown people, it makes me feel SO LUCKY to be white and rich and American"...

I don't recall her saying that!

 

 

 

I think that was a paraphrase, but I don't recall the exact quote.

 

Why on earth would they need to do that?  If they thought Bethany's failure to complete any task would make them (TPTB) look bad, wouldn't it be so much simpler to simply not have Bethany on the race?  That would be so much easier and professionally safer than trying to secretly fix the race in her favour and spend the rest of their lives hoping the secret never got out.

If the designers put the punt in as a RB and casting wants Bethany, some kind of compromise will have to be made. I think dropping the requirement that the RBs be divided (which I think they've done before)evenly might be preferred by management to dropping Bethany.

[green]

^  I think Misti was reacting to the fact that kids were sitting in the road a foot or two away from traffic whizzing by them.  That and the grinding poverty of that area of Manila they were born into and will probably doom most of them to the same poverty their whole lives.  Safety and poverty, yes.  Racism and culture.  No.  It was more an appreciation for what they were given and the advantages their kids will have.  Not a put down of other people.  And the reality of what poverty really looks like up close and personal.  Because yes it does look a lot different when not viewed through the filter of a TV screen.

 

Yes, some of the happiest people in the world can be poor because true happiness doesn't come through the endless acquiring and  consumption of "stuff."   But it doesn't make poverty right or even pleasant to live in either and most people would rather not have to live in a situation like that if they were given a choice.  Especially most parents the world over who wish more for their kids then they have.

 

Also they made no exceptions for other Racers like the one-legged lady athlete or Charla or the deaf guy.  No, there wasn't anything different for Bethany.  After all, she doesn't have to do all the RBs, just half of them.

 

Or for the older teams for that matter who seem to have been banished from the Race period in recent seasons.  I wish TAR would go back to older teams.  Maybe even a full special season of "the senior tour" or something.  I hate a whole group of people not getting a chance to race cause of prejudice in favor of the endless, boring 20-something dating couples.  And Gretchen and her husband (name escapes me) on TAR7 made final four and they were in their mid to late 60's.  They could never have done detours like the fish haul and some of the RBs on some seasons would be very very difficult but that shouldn't stop people of any age for trying to have the adventure of a lifetime and it certainly didn't stop them.

 

Sorry for the aside above but I hate it when people say "well they should never go on the Race because they ... " (fill in with "fear of heights" or "not physically fit enough" etc etc).  Why shouldn't any person seek to live their dream.  Why should they be banned or take themselves out of applying just because they aren't "perfect" in some viewers' eyes?  That's the AMAZING part of the race.  It's not about 20-something fit athletes cause it isn't just another "sporting event."  It's the experience of a lifetime.  Which should be open and welcoming to everyone. 

Edited December 7, 2014 by green

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Brooke is such a sour person. Every week she complains about multiple things. Why can't WE find a cab? This is HORRIBLE! I don't like this! It stinks! This is gross! The only thing she takes joy in is other people doing worse than her own team.

 

I must admit that when he was telling that goldfish story and then she looked straight at the camera, I liked her for about five seconds. But then she went back to being Brooke. She has been painful to have on my screen all season.

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum are Maya and Bethany. Maya has been pretty consistent about her upbeat and vocal appreciation for experiences on the race, which I can appreciate. I don't think anyone was thrilled about working with huge animals in knee deep mud, but while Brooke bitched about it from the second she got there, Bethany's reaction as she was slogging through the mud was, "This is hilarious!" I would rather see Maya and Bethany's reactions than Brooke's constant whining and bitching about everything.

 

Heh and I loved Amy's comment about God not caring which tuktuk they chose. Whenever Misty (or other reality show contestants) keep thanking Jesus, I have a hard time picturing any higher being sitting up on a cloud and thinking, "Yeah, I'm totally rooting for this chick to win America's Next Top Model so let me just use the trusty magical finger zapper to help things along."

 

Robbie seemed truly delusional at the end of the episode when he was talking about how great they did in this leg and how they had a lead earlier which proved they were awesome racers. Dude, you went from first place to last place. I know it was a needle in a haystack task but still. You were almost eliminated tonight so maybe quit patting yourself on the back for losing your lead.

 

It kind of cracks me up that Brooke is always talking about how tough she is yet every time they get near something that doesn't smell like peach cobbler and freshly mown grass, she literally starts dry heaving. You know if the situations were reversed and someone else reacted that way to scents, she would be talking about what wusses they are for not having a nose of steel.

 

Not that I am defending Bethany's comment about the water being dirty, but at the time I assumed it was because she is used to the very blue and very clear water of Hawaii so seeing murky water like that was probably one of those moments where something looks so different from what you're used to that you say something you might regret later. Brooke, on the other hand, seems like someone who never regrets what she says, no matter how wrong it seems to anyone else. I mean, imagine Brooke apologizing for anything she has said.

Edited December 7, 2014 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Bryce Lynch]

I can't believe that anyone would be offended by Misti and Jim being moved with compassion by the sight of children living in poverty and toddlers sitting in the middle of busy streets.

The same goes for Bethany not wanting to immerse herself in filthy, polluted water, teeming with pathogens.

Edited December 7, 2014 by Bryce Lynch

[Pepper Mostly]

 

 

I actually like Maya's enthusiasm, though I didn't like her needlessly pressuring Amy to run when they had no real chance at first. Amy needs to save that leg for when it actually matters. I think the conversation about whether God plays a role in day to day events is one they've had many times before, and reflects a difference in their upbringing and beliefs that they are both aware of  and accustomed to. I don't think it's a sign of tension between them.

Hee hee, I think Maya was just making a joke because there was a rosary looped around the handlebars of the bike. I would have made that joke myself, and I'm an atheist. 

 

I ADORE Maya. The highlight of every episode to me is seeing her glee at being on the Amazing Race and how much she's enjoying everything. "Good morning Singapore!" had me smiling all day. And her simple enjoyment of riding in the jitney with locals who were, as she rightly observed, just going about their ordinary activities really made me happy. So few people notice this. Most racers, indeed, seem to fall into the "thank goodness we are from beautiful clean America with indoor plumbing and no threat of malaria!" like Misti, or exaggerated gagging and nose holding, like Brooke. I find Maya utterly refreshing and I would like to hang out with her. I hasten to add that I think Misti's heart is in the right place. 

 

I think the Amazing editors were having a little fun at Maya's expense with her "academic strength" remark, followed by her and Amy's failure to read the clue. Her assessment was borne out in the end by how quickly and neatly they were able to assemble the bike! 

[kris4n6]

I want to ask about the airport at the beginning. How exactly did Maya and Amy end up on the earlier flight? I know they called from their cab, but they were nearly an hour behind the dentists. Singapore isn't that big, and their hotel appeared to be in the downtown area which at most is half an hour from the airport in bad traffic. It seemed odd to me. Glad it ultimately didn't matter, though.

[kingshearte]

Dentists have sorta won me over although he looks, to me, like a roided out Mel Gibson.

Yes! That's it exactly!

 

And that awful, huge shell choker that I guess says, "Look, I'm exotic!"

It's a fairly significant, I think, Maori symbol that we wears because he's a New Zealander.

 

I knew Brooke would get dinged (rightfully) for her OTT retching and complaining about the smell, but I was actually really turned off by Misti's tearful "we're just so thankful we live in beautiful, clean America" and "these poor kids in the street" thing. There are plenty of cultural differences in how children are raised, all over the world. I couldn't help but feel a big strain of racial and socio-economic condescension in her comments. For example, in some Scandanavian countries (and maybe other places, I don't know), it's perfectly normal to park your kid in a stroller out on the sidewalk and then leave the kid unattended. I doubt observing this practice, which would probably get you arrested in the US, would move Misti to tears and thankfulness about living in America, as observing how some kids live in the Philippines did. I don't really mind the Dentists and I appreciate that they're not awful people, but her comments really rubbed me the wrong way.

To be fair, I think there's a pretty significant difference between a kid left in a stroller, presumably tucked up close to the building, and a two-year-old siting by himself in what appeared to be pretty much the middle of the road. It seems fairly reasonable to me to find that a little shocking. That said, none of the teams really came off perfectly, but I'm willing to cut a certain amount of slack in these situations. Ignore the poverty and cultural differences entirely, and you seem unobservant and/or callous. Express that initial shock and horror, and you look like, well, Brooke. Express compassion, or sometimes even Maya-like enthusiasm for the new experiences, and you can come across as condescending. As long as teams don't go on and on about it, or spew their disgust all over the locals, I try not to judge them too harshly for whatever their reactions are. I don't know how I'd react if I found myself in a similar situation.

 

I hope like hell it wouldn't be the way Brooke did, though. Holy cow. Perfect example of going on and on about it, and spewing disgust all over the locals. And not even quietly. Evidently, sh felt it necessary to ensure that everyone in a several block radius knew how offensive she found the smell of the place. She's a weird one for me. On one hand, I don't mind her complaining all that much at this point, because I actually do that myself sometimes. If I'm doing something super unpleasant, I will sometimes complain vociferously about it — while still doing it. So I don't mind that that's how she apparently motivates herself through unpleasantness. On the other hand, she seems to find everything so unpleasant that it requires this treatment, and to me, that's what makes her unpleasant. This week just really cemented that. I've been hoping for a while that when she watches this, she's a little embarrassed to realize just how much she complains, but I hope that she's absolutely mortified to watch herself this week.

 

Agree, though, that Robbie's squeamishness was hilarious.

 

And I've finally found a chink in my admiration of Bethany. It's fine if you want to leave any particular traditionally "male" task to your male partner. I have no problems admitting that I do not barbecue, and leave that task solely to my husband. But don't make it because he's a man, and you're just a little girly-girl who couldn't possibly do something that required the mechanical aptitudes only bestowed by a y chromosome. I think I found it extra annoying because she's kind of an amazing role model for girls, and I just hate that she said something like that. They're still my favourites, but I did not love that.

[Netfoot]

Sorry for the aside above but I hate it when people say "well they should never go on the Race because they ... " (fill in with "fear of heights" or "not physically fit enough" etc etc).  Why shouldn't any person seek to live their dream.  Why should they be banned or take themselves out of applying just because they aren't "perfect" in some viewers' eyes?  That's the AMAZING part of the race.  It's not about 20-something fit athletes cause it isn't just another "sporting event."  It's the experience of a lifetime.  Which should be open and welcoming to everyone. 

 

I want to comment in the wake of my "Don't invite Bethany" comment earlier.

 

I have no objection to one-armed Bethany, one-legged Sarah, deaf Luke, old people, fat people, stupid people, female people, gay people, professional people, poor people, rich people or famous people being "allowed" on the race.  I do most strenuously object to the idea that the race be dumbed down to accommodate them.

 

That certain challenges are difficult for certain persons is part of the deal.  If a team feels that bungee-jumping, rappelling and parachuting are not to their taste, they should, of their own volition, refrain from going on a contest wherein teams are frequently asked to do these things.   Similarly, if TPTB wants to set a hand-clapping challenge, then rather than try to rig the challenge in Bethany's favour, they should simply not invite her on the race.

 

TPTB have no business fixing the race, to specially accommodate one particular team.  And I believe they have no desire to do this either, because if it became public, the blowback would ruin their business, and open the door to civil and possibly criminal charges.  And you know it would become public eventually.  No, it is simply easier to cast teams for which no special accommodations are necessary. 

 

Again, I have no objection to Bethany being on the race, so long as she takes her chances alongside the other teams.  And she has shown that she can handle The Amazing Race just fine, without any special accommodations being made. 

 

...the mechanical aptitudes only bestowed by a y chromosome.

 

So, you think it's just coincidence that in shape, the y chromosome resemble the common, open-ended spanner?

[Vodka]

You left Bethany out. Bethany was nowhere near as offensive as Brooke, but she joined Brooke in the repulsed nose holding, followed by calling Filipino water "gross", and stating they would not go in it. This made me respond with, "We can't all live in paradise, Princess". Bethany rarely missteps, but she followed that with bragging that Adam did the "man's job" of putting the vehicle together. Luckily, Amy and Maya didn't view the task that way.

The show has done a great job into making Bethany the golden girl; any other racer would've gotten serious flak for a comment that implies tasks being for men and not for girls (last season with the country girls for instance and putting together the toy car, they said a similar thing and everyone pounced on it and it was deserved - that team was USELESS at everything).

I am Filipino and would not have waded into Manila Bay waters. Brooke and Robbie seemed to enjoy it at times, ("This is awesome! I hate it but it's awesome."), I loved that. I hope Bethany also hears about the awesome surf spots here.

Edited December 7, 2014 by Vodka

[fishcakes]

I didn't see anything wrong with what Bethany said about Manila Bay either. It's well-known for being highly polluted with frequent oil spills, sewage, chemical waste, and pesticide run-off from the rice paddies. I wouldn't go in that water either.

[needschocolate]

The show has done a great job into making Bethany the golden girl; any other racer would've gotten serious flak for a comment that implies tasks being for men and not for girls (last season with the country girls for instance and putting together the toy car, they said a similar thing and everyone pounced on it and it was deserved - that team was USELESS at everything).

 

In comparing Bethany to the Country Singers, I think you hit upon the reason Bethany is not getting a lot of negative posts about her comment about putting the car together being a man thing.  Unlike the singers who asked for help many, many times, Bethany has proven herself to be very capable a variety of things, including physical things that some would consider to be "man things" like surfing.  She is more capable at some things than most people with 2 arms. This was the first time we heard something like this from her, we know she hasn't played the "I'm a helpless female" card before.  Based on what we have seen so far, her comment was the exception, not the rule. So, we natural cut her some slack. 

[Guest]

 

It's a fairly significant, I think, Maori symbol that we wears because he's a New Zealander.

 

I guess it's a decorative fishhook that is meant to be worn for traveler safety, like a St. Christopher medal.  I still think it's unflattering and a cliche but I guess it's more pertinent than Jeff Probst's blue cargo shirts.  

[cooksdelight]

While I can't stand Brooke's constant whining, at least she's not as bad as Pinky & No Brain.

[jjj]

I've been saying for weeks that I did not see it likely that Jim would implode (as many have posted), especially after the calm way he handled the high-wire tumble last week.  Believe me, they are not my favorite team, but he always seemed to roll with whatever came his way.  So, I was ready to be proven wrong when they made that potentially fatal mistake of not stopping at a travel agent and knew the other teams were on an earlier flight.  And again, I was ready to be proven wrong when the shock absorber mistake kept occurring (I would have been so frustrated not to know what was wrong, and so many things could have been wrong.  Something hit me during the sidecar assembling, when he was leaning over inside the car, saying, "we've got this, etc." -- he really sounded like a motivational speaker, except he was really talking to himself.  Apparently his system works, but I would find it grating.  Aside from his (thyroid?) condition that makes his eyes bulge, which is not under his control, perhaps it is the self-motivational and then external promotional confessionals that make him so unliked.  I think he is a remarkable competitor.

 

And I also found Misty's remarks about the children in the street quite heartfelt.  When you see children who need attention, you want to give them attention, and it would be hard not to stop, not that they were in a position to do much. 

 

As far as Bethany and RBs are concerned, TPTB do not need to change the RBs set in advance, but just need to make clear in the clue that certain dexterity is needed:  "Who wants to lift 75 pounds?" 

 

And I really don't know if I could have gotten into that muck of dung and heaven knows what else.  I would have demanded antibiotics afterward, plus an antiseptic shower.  Just ugh. But, no, it does not help to stand there and say "This could take hours," Brooke. 

[Donny Ketchum]

Whew.  My boyfriend and I just got back from a weekend in Key West, so I didn't see the episode till last night.  But here I am, at last!

 

Another fine leg!  Two pretty good Detours, a nice task callback, and two great footraces to the Pit Stop!  Missed having a Roadblock, but other than that, it was a solid episode.

 

There were also some pretty interesting parallels to TAR5's visit here:

 

1.) F4 leg.

2.) NEL.

3.) Three couples and one women's team.

4.) Another women's team was eliminated prior to the visit here.

5.) Married couple won the leg.

6.) Women's team came in second.

7.) Broken oxen.

 

So now for the teams:

 

Misti & Jim: Really don't the praise they seem to be getting.  Sure, they were calm in spite of the flight error.  But that's because they had a feeling they'd be equalized, which they were.  In case everyone rather conveniently forgot that detail.  I actually imagine that Jim wouldn't have been as calm as he was if they'd found out otherwise.  That said, there was again some solid racing from them, and I do give Jim credit for not freaking out over the shocks.  But that's only because I saw his cockiness get shot down enough times for their work being no good.  So the fifth first-place finish, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have come to be without the bunching.  So whatever.

 

Amy & Maya: READ THE CLUE, LADIES!  I'm glad they realized their error in transportation (or lack thereof) in time to get back in the race, since that really seems like the only mistake they made.  They didn't get down when they failed to tighten the seat in their sidecar, and they admirably kept their cool at the ox task.  I suspect that if they hadn't made the mistake in reading their clue, they probably might've won the leg.  Instead, they settle for second, still a commendable finish, as it's their highest one thus far.

 

Adam & Bethany: I think they made the right Detour choice since I don't see Bethany keeping a good hold on the fish bucket with only one arm.  She was at least marginally more helpful attaching the sidecar than she would've been with the fish.  Also, good job with the ox, though they had me worried when they got out of that task in last place.  And I'm still confused as to how they did pass Brooke & Robbie up when they were clearly out of the task first.  Third place, and a close shave, indeed.  Glad they're not stuck with the Speed Bump.

 

Brooke & Robbie: I will say this.  For all of Brooke's whining and Ugly American attitude, she and Robbie do race like they want this.  From what we saw, they dominated most of this leg right until the oxen came along.  Then, they screwed themselves by getting the largest pond.  Had they chosen one of the shorter ones, they probably might've won the leg.  Or at least not be stuck with the Speed Bump on the next leg.  Their attitudes toward Amy & Maya have me hoping they don't overcome it, though.

 

Another great episode from one of the best seasons in a long time!

[Camera One]

And I'm still confused as to how they did pass Brooke & Robbie up when they were clearly out of the task first.

 

Bethany and Adam did find the Clue in the mud first, so was it just misleading editing?  Were the Surfers up in front all along?  Since we never saw them actually passing the Wrestlers.

[Donny Ketchum]

is it just me or the did the sweet scientists get a very winner-esque edit tonight. The underdog confessional,the third female team to win statement,and the appreciation of the culture juxtaposed with the other teams?

I was actually thinking the same thing.  I didn't think their statements or moments were indicative of a winners' edit yet until I basically said, "Hmm. . . ." at the editors leaving in the moment of them saying they wanted to be the third women's team to win.  Granted, it could be any team who wins, but that critical moment of hearing Maya say that struck me as quite telling.

 

ETA for tds444 . . . man, I hope you're wrong. It's not that the Scientists have been bad, but I feel that the Dentists and Surfers should be fighting it out for the win, with the remaining team lagging behind in third place. Maya's constant love of the show could be taken as a clue, but she and Amy winning  would be as big an upset as the Beekman Boys, for good and otherwise.

 

Amy & Maya are orders of magnitude better racers than the Boring Beekmans.  They may not be the most consistent best team left in the race, but they aren't bad racers, and if the front-runners drop even a small clanger, the Candy Scientists will happily take the race.  But I hope they have EMT standing by with Vallium, because Maya will go off-scale!

 

yeah i was about to say Amy & Maya > the Beekman boys,and their problems are mostly navigation related

@Lantern7, I have no idea where you got the Josh & Brent comparison in regards to Amy & Maya.  They are nowhere near the level of racing they demonstrated.  Josh & Brent were weak, terrible racers all around, at least once the cannon fodder teams were all gone.  Amy & Maya have had their missteps and misfires, for sure, but they've been a lot more consistent here in TAR25 that Josh & Brent ever were in TAR21.  So I agree with the other posters.

Bethany and Adam did find the Clue in the mud first, so was it just misleading editing?  Were the Surfers up in front all along?  Since we never saw them actually passing the Wrestlers.

Brooke & Robbie had "Currently in 3rd Place" beneath their names after the ox task, and Adam & Bethany had "Currently in Last Place" under theirs, so they definitely got out of the task first.

Edited December 10, 2014 by Donny Ketchum