S25.E11: Hooping It Up

[Camera One]

If athletes have advantages over others because of stamina and physical ability, than are the introverted brainy types like scientists and doctors supposed to have an advantage in terms of making smart decisions, booking flights, etc.?

 

Not necessarily, since making decisions, booking flights, etc. are practical every-day skills that everyone could have, regardless of their education or braininess.  Most of the tasks on the Race are physical rather than mental, so someone who has physical ability has more of an advantage overall.

 

 

I don't see all the love for Amy.  Yes, she was a girl having to carry what looked to be heavy delivery loads, at least until she also got one of the handtrucks.  She's more out of shape than Robbie, Jim, or Adam.  I have a feeling Brooke would have rocked that task a lot better than Amy.

 

There is no doubt Brooke is much more physically able to handle the task than Amy.  The "love" for Amy is admiration for her rallying and getting through it without over-the-top moaning and groaning despite her being more out of shape, and with a leg injury.  

Edited December 14, 2014 by Camera One

[Pepper Mostly]

Not all scientists are introverted. My boss is a PhD in Physics and a full professor at MIT, and people all over the world are always begging her to come and give talks at their universities, because she's so outgoing, fun, well spoken and enthusiastic. She is absolutely fabulous at what she does, but she needs her admin (me) to organize her calendar and keep the adoring hordes from her door so she can work. Science and big extravagant personalities are far from mutually exclusive. 

[Camera One]

As can be seen in Maya.

[Collie]

I don't necessarily agree with this.  If you are an extrovert than you are excluded from competing?  Extroverts are what casting directors look for, they make for good tv.  I wouldn't really call Robbie and Brooke professional athletes.  They are part of something called TNA wrestling apparently.  I'm no wrestling fan, but the only wrestling I've heard of is the WWE, and I'm not even really sure about that.  If athletes have advantages over others because of stamina and physical ability, than are the introverted brainy types like scientists and doctors supposed to have an advantage in terms of making smart decisions, booking flights, etc.?

 

I don't see all the love for Amy.  Yes, she was a girl having to carry what looked to be heavy delivery loads, at least until she also got one of the handtrucks.  She's more out of shape than Robbie, Jim, or Adam.  I have a feeling Brooke would have rocked that task a lot better than Amy.

Sorry I didn't state it well.  No I don't mean TAR should exclude extroverts.  Performers often  tend to be on the extreme of the introverion/extroversion personality bell curve - which makes sense.   That's why they are performers.   Extreme extroverts can be tiresome though - it's a lot of "Look at me!  Watch me!  LOOK AT ME!".    They're the ones who can't just do something if they are being watched without mugging or putting on a performance.  I like that TAR includes all sorts of people, even introverts.  

 

Yes, I have no doubt Brooke would have done the task faster than Amy.  Brooke is a professional athlete, Amy is a researcher and works in a lab.   Considering how much Brooke whines and kvetches about everything, I'm sure she would have given us an earful while doing the task.  If she had an injured leg, I'm sure her kvetching would have increased 10-fold.  

 

Amy is not dumb and I'm sure she realized that she was competing against 3 guys all of whom were much taller, stronger and more athletic.  It's not fair but them's the breaks in TAR.  Yet, she stuck to it, didn't give us and did so without generating drama.

 

 If the whole point of TAR was to watch people perform athletic feats at different locations, they wouldn't need to have all the camera men & microphones.    What I like about TAR is to see how different people cope with mental and physical feats often outside their comfort zone and under stress.  I've seen some folks melt down and some folks dig deep and everything in between.   That's what I find interesting.          

Edited December 14, 2014 by Collie

[ptuscadero]

  Maya and Amy are so dull it's painful.  Maya was clearly that kid in school who would remind the teacher that she had not given us our homework yet.  You can just tell.  

 

Hahaha! I just sort of did a spit-take on this one.

I'm in the "Seriously, show?" boat, wondering why they set things up so that the last two legs basically.... well, didn't count.

[ptuscadero]

I do not have an issue with people talking about being Christian on this show, but those "Christians" should at least be aware that going on a race for a million dollars is not biblical and it is not Christian, so imploring God and Jesus to help with such a task is blasphemous.

I really doubt that's what anybody is doing. I think too much is being made out of this.

 

I'm Atheist, and I have not gotten that impression from the Surfers at all this season. As mentioned, they're very public about their faith, and Bethany was already very involved with the church even before the attack where she lost her arm. I've frankly been impressed with (a) their positive but not schmoopy attitude; (b) Bethany's ability to work around so many physical limitations, or to at least try, without complaint; and © the fact that they walk the walk when it comes to their faith, yet never let it singly define them or use it to suck up fans in a game show. I'm actually rooting for the Surfers to win this thing.

 

Edited because multiple hard returns can be messy.

Edited December 15, 2014 by ptuscadero

[aradia22]

It was a good leg. It ended up being a bit of a mess in the middle and I think everyone was struggling in the heat (not just Amy) but it was a feel good moment to see Amy and Maya still in the race. Normally I don't like shows switching up the format but in this case I'll allow it. ;) 

 

My hope is that Amy and Maya can magically pull out a surprise win. My favorite to win though is Adam and Bethany and that wouldn't bother me at all. The dentists would be a less exciting but acceptable choice. JUST NOT THE WRESTLERS. The final leg usually has some memory element and with any luck it'll really challenge the teams. I'm not a big fan of "carry stuff around" challenges. Yes, I know different challenges play to different people's strengths but there has to be a reasonable expectation of what racers can be expected to accomplish. 

[limecoke]

So much love for the editors of TAR.  Those golden scenes in the Jeepney with the Drs. Teeth bragging about their "combined intelligence" while the other two teams are clearly ahead of them was priceless.  

 

Yeah, I have a problem with banging on about being in "...a race for a million dollars!!!" when you're in an underdeveloped country with obvious poverty.  It's just thoughtless and classless.  

 

I've read the book and seen the movie and Bethany Hamilton is the real deal.  I could never have handled an injury like hers with such determination and lack of self-pity.  She amazed everyone.  It's just who she is.   

Edited December 15, 2014 by limecoke

[NewDigs]

Jeepney.

Slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch...

I'm with ya', Richness.

Good leg. Did not need puppy and dog visual. Wonder if Jim has had his thyroid checked. No, I am not a doctor but I play one on the interwebs.

Amy and Maya for the win!!!

[kingshearte]

I like Robbie the most of all the people left so I want the wrestlers to win.  They are the least boring people left in the race.  Maya and Amy are so dull it's painful.  Maya was clearly that kid in school who would remind the teacher that she had not given us our homework yet.  You can just tell.

Heh. She totally was.

 

I hate the wrestler's attitude that non-athletes are somehow worthless losers because they are not athletic. 

Yeah, I found that bit kinda weird. At this point, we always get some interviews with the teams talking about why they're the best and will totally win or whatever, but Brooke & Robbie's apparent belief that athletic ability is all that counts seemed a bit ridiculous — and kind of annoying — to me.

 

Sorry I didn't state it well.  No I don't mean TAR should exclude extroverts.  Performers often  tend to be on the extreme of the introverion/extroversion personality bell curve - which makes sense.   That's why they are performers.   Extreme extroverts can be tiresome though - it's a lot of "Look at me!  Watch me!  LOOK AT ME!".    They're the ones who can't just do something if they are being watched without mugging or putting on a performance.  I like that TAR includes all sorts of people, even introverts.        

Actually, that's a common misconception. There are tons of performers who are introverts (myself included), both ones who perform for fun on an amateur basis and ones who do it for a living. The extreme extroversion is a separate trait that is sometimes found in performers, and sometimes in, say, food scientists.

[Guest]

 Most of the tasks on the Race are physical rather than mental, so someone who has physical ability has more of an advantage overall.

 

I feel like there's a little more mental to this than physical.  I feel like most of the winners of the seasons I've seen have been pretty mentally on the ball.  Usually it seems like what gets people eliminated is either bad luck or a bad choice or not reading the clue.  I recall the poker girls getting eliminated for a task that was too physically hard for them but I feel like that doesn't happen all that much?  

[Archery]

Maya show appropriate concern for Amy's condition. She started asking about how Amy was feeling starting in the cab. Even before that, she was offering water. When they got to the mat, she knew Amy's symptoms, that Amy was hot but was feeling cold. In the talking head, her comment about having been concerned about not being able to finish the race was after the fact, the big picture.

[Chyna]

Was I just over-reacting in the beginning?  Judging a book by it's cover too much? Or was he really worse then?

 

I think Jim was full of bluster and overconfidence at the start, so yes, he was worse. But he got humbled by their nonelim and a few other mistakes they made, so I think he normaled out. I couldn't stand him early on but he's much more tolerable now.

 

I hate the wrestler's attitude that non-athletes are somehow worthless losers because they are not athletic.

 

A-ha! I think you just hit on exactly why they bug me so much. They're grownup versions of the schoolyard bullies who pick on the kids who get good grades.

[Netfoot]

I don't see all the love for Amy.  Yes, she was a girl having to carry what looked to be heavy delivery loads, at least until she also got one of the handtrucks.  She's more out of shape than Robbie, Jim, or Adam.  I have a feeling Brooke would have rocked that task a lot better than Amy.

 

It isn't Amy's ability to carry that impressed me.  It is her ability to carry on!

 

She isn't in the best shape, she's been nursing an injury for the entire race, she struggled with the  task until she came close to vomiting from the effort, and was visibly affected by heat and dehydration.  Yet, she does not snap at Maya or anyone else, she does not bitch and moan, and most notably she does not give up!  That's why I'm impressed by her, and yes, love her a little bit.

[Molly by golly]

I feel like there's a little more mental to this than physical.  I feel like most of the winners of the seasons I've seen have been pretty mentally on the ball.  Usually it seems like what gets people eliminated is either bad luck or a bad choice or not reading the clue.  I recall the poker girls getting eliminated for a task that was too physically hard for them but I feel like that doesn't happen all that much?  

I'd give the edge to mental as well, although I do think it helps to be in good physical condition.  I think when it comes down to it a good balance is essential, but the mental challenges can and often have doomed many a team.  Being a fan of the Globetrotters I remember how upset I was when Big Easy couldn't figure out Franz (Kafka) and then took a 4 hour penalty when he knew that the word started with an "F." He could have gone through every possible combination of letters that made a word in much less time than 4 hours! Ergh.  That's another: use  common sense and don't let stress or embarrassment defeat you.

Edited December 15, 2014 by Molly by golly

[auntlada]

You do realize that they are professional wrestlers, right?  As in - everything is choreographed and the winner is pre-determined.

 

I'm not sure Robbie knows that, the way he keeps talking about how great they are because they won a bunch of wrestling titles.

 

 

Amy's aside when they received the envelope about a "manilla envelope in Manilla" pleased me. She has a very dry sense of humor that I appreciate.

 

I really wanted someone to say that all the envelopes there are Manila envelopes. (Yes, I'm a sucker for dumb word jokes.)

[Turtle]

I think Amy probably was suffering from heat exhaustion, which would explain the feeling both hot and cold, and what seemed like some shakiness and feeling nauseated.  I agree that her BP was in low end of the normal range, but considering all the exertion and adrenaline, it was probably noticeably lower than they expected. If she did have heat exhaustion, good for her for soldiering on through that.  It's really uncomfortable, and scary when you start to feel that way.

 

Amy on the other hand, wanted to die

 

I agree she looked bad when they checked in, but I thought she looked a lot better when Phil told them they'd be continuing than she did when they first got to the mat.  I think the time between them getting to the mat and them getting the manila envelope was much longer than it seemed from was shown in the episode, because of time spent evaluating and helping with Amy's situation.  Related only in that it has to do with Amy: someone said during this episode (Jim, maybe?) that it's her hip that hurts.  If so, it's even more understandable that it's affecting her whole gait, and possibly posture.  Hip issues are so much worse than knee or ankle problems in that way.

I agree that the manila envelopes don't contain an elimination notice, but what in the world do they have in them???  I cannot come up with any theories that would require "Don't open until you're told to do so".  If it's just a clue, then why not have them get it from someone or a box on the route?  I'm so confused!  And curious!​

[Camera One]

I agree that the manila envelopes don't contain an elimination notice, but what in the world do they have in them???

 

Probably something lame like, you can only open the envelope once the plane is in the air and solve the puzzle to find out the first location in LA.

Edited December 15, 2014 by Camera One

[Kel Varnsen]

I'm in the "Seriously, show?" boat, wondering why they set things up so that the last two legs basically.... well, didn't count.

Yea the two non-elims in a row and there being a final four with some random elimination at some random time kind of bugs. Especially since you know all 4 teams are going to be on the same flight to LA. 

 

I'm not sure Robbie knows that, the way he keeps talking about how great they are because they won a bunch of wrestling titles.

 

That made me laugh. I mean Bertram Van Munster probably didn't come to them before the race and said something like "for the first 10 legs you guys are going to struggle but stay in it and keep the crowd going, then in leg 11 you will win, and in leg 12 you can do your finishing move on Jim and Misti and win the whole thing and the fans will go crazy. Oh and if Phil is not looking feel free to hit Adam or Bethany with a steel chair". Because unless he did it is totally not the same thing.

[mtlchick]

 

I also noticed how tight Phil's pants were and the outline was very unfortunate. Odd.

 

I still remember his khakis and wearing a harness to explain some roadblock in season 6.  Talk about...kiwi bunching.  (I'll show myself out.)

[proserpina65]

I was confused regarding the whole Jeepney situation at the start of the leg.  I thought the scientists and the dentists were reading their clues and saying they had to take a jeepney from a specific station and then change, and so was expecting the wrestlers and A&B to get a penalty for not following their clues correctly.  But I guess maybe the two teams who went the wrong way had gotten their incorrect info from locals?

 

Anyway, pissed that the wrestlers were first, glad that the scientists are still in it (and that Amy is okay - that was pretty scary there for a moment) and am fine with this particular change given that it saved a team I liked.  Had it been B&R who were saved, I'd probably have been mad about it.

[kingshearte]

I think it was judging a book by its cover too much.  I'm one who didn't judge Jim by his appearance and while he was a bit overconfident, I've always found him polite, sweet to Misti, nice to his fellow racers and just all-around a nice guy.  I've liked the Dentists from the beginning and I don't see them any different now than I did in the first couple of episodes.

I agree. You know how there are some people you want to like for whatever reason, but you just can't (They like something you like, but also like to kick puppies, or they're from your hometown, but they support the wrong political party, etc.)? Jim & Misti were kind of the opposite for me. Based on their appearance (rather plastic and, in his case, downright scary), I didn't want to like them, but they really never did anything I found particularly unlikable. As mentioned above, a little overconfident, sure, but they're hardly the first - or the worst - for that, and it was rarely or never in a way that was dismissive of the other teams. It was always "we'll win because we are awesome," as opposed to "we'll win because everyone else is lame." And for most of the race, they've been competent enough that even their overconfidence didn't come across as completely absurd (not that that makes the juxtaposition of his statements about his mental acuity with an egregious error any less funny). So yeah. I started out not wanting to like them, but have found myself liking them anyway, because they've given me no reason not to.

[Jersey Guy 87]

Were Amy and Maya the only team told that four teams were in the final leg and one of them would be eliminated mid-leg?  Because that would suck, wouldn't it?  You fall behind early in the leg but keep working hard because you figure you can catch up only to have Phil appear out of nowhere and tell you you've been eliminated. (I'm assuming they told the other teams about the nature of the last leg as soon as they left the pit stop - obviously they couldn't tell them when they checked in because that would ruin the suspense of thinking Amy/Maya had been eliminated).

[green]

I haven't watched pro wrestling in many, many years (it was sometime in the last millennium).  I realize that they have to look buff and therefore, probably lift a lot of weights.  I think of pro-wrestlers as buff actors.  Does it take athletic ability to be a pro-wrestler?  I am not saying Brooke and Robby are or are not athletic, just talking about pre-wrestlers in general. 

 

 

 

I don't watch wrestling at all but saw wrestler training in a short-lived show Phil produced and hosted some years back.  It was called NOW (No Opportunity Wasted).  About how it is not realistic to think we can all win a million dollars on TAR but what if you got a small windfall like $5000 (I think that was the amount) and had to use it to follow you dream.  So that is what they did.  People sent in their "dreams" and some were selected. 

 

One smallish guy always dreamed of being a pro wrestler.  He got selected and he and Phil went to a wrestling school outside of Boston.  It was both made clear and clearly shown you have to be a physically fit top notch athlete first and foremost before you can worry about developing an over-the-top wrestling persona.  Those mats aren't trampolines or mattresses.  They are pretty damn hard and they leave deep bruises behind.  And learning to fall without breaking bones or you neck takes skill.  And muscles aren't everything.  You have to work on endurance, agility, coordination and balance too.  They are kind of a more muscled version of a dancer.  Dancers are also great athletes.

 

Now what Jim does with the body building?  That is not athletic.  That is just for show and muscle bound body builders would fail miserably (and have in the past) in both pro wrestling what to speak in real sports.  They are way too tight to be agile and would pull hamstrings right and left.  Even the most muscle bound sport, football, requires coaches NOT to allow their players to go too over board and to use flexing and agility exercises to counter.

 

 

 

Just let me take the opportunity to say that the mid-leg elimination of Bilal & Sa'eed back in Season 10 was one of the worst moments in TAR history for me,  It was such a cruel departure from Amazing Race normalcy.  I hated it, and I'm all set to hate the mid-leg elimination next week, too.  For all talk of wanting the Wrestlers eliminated, I would be much happier with four teams racing to the finish!

 

Eliminate mid-leg eliminations!

 

 

 

I agree.  I hata hate hate that leg 1 mid-leg elimination and have never forgiven the show for what they did to those two.  And I never will until they bring those guys back on some "Unfinished Business: The Bottom Feeders" edition. 

 

I got a list of people out the first or second or third leg of the Race I'd love to see back.  The sisters from TAR6 with the hay bale clue would not be eligible because I heard one of them (the one who didn't do the RB I think) ended up landing a job as a casting agent for the agency involved in casting TAR so legally she would not be allowed back.  But bring back the sweet Hillbilly guys from TAR7, Trammel and Talicia ((T'n'T - We're number ten!) from Season 3 and especially Bilal and Sa'eed.  Also throw in that nice Indian couple that also went out at the end of that leg too.  So much for TAR's most culturally and religiously diverse season ever right in leg 1 that season.

 

 

Were Amy and Maya the only team told that four teams were in the final leg and one of them would be eliminated mid-leg?

 

No.  They tend not to repeat the same thing over and over again to each team because they are editing for an audience who would get bored at such repetition.  Just like you usually only get the local greeter showcased with the first and last teams only unless some team does something weird with their greeter like Season 2's Chris hugging the Bushman in Nambia which was pretty funny.  Especially since he hugged Phil the same way at the Finish Line.  In fact he picked up and was holding Phil in his arms like a baby at one point.  And Chris was the quiet, introverted one, hah.

 

Since they can't open the clue until they arrive in LA and since Phil said he would be eliminating one team along the way (boo, hiss again on mid-leg eliminations), my wild guess is it is a clue/instructions/puzzle/whatever to a "find Phil" task.  Last one to arrive gets eliminated. 

 

I say this cause Phil would have to ax that team early enough in the LA part of the leg to allow production to get him to the Finish Line ahead of the winning team.  And since one team could really screw this up and there could be a wide time gap, I kind of am guessing the elimination point will be the first order of business in LA.  Probably somewhere either on top of a big building or a park or a large, open space on private property where a chopper can fly Phil off to the Finish Line over LA traffic jams ahead of the remaining three teams.  Again just a wild guess but best I can come up with at the moment.  Probably way off too.

Edited December 15, 2014 by green

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ha, it would be both hilarious and cruel if Phil snuck down the aisle of the airplane midflight, woke up one of the teams, and whispered, "I'm sorry to tell you that you've been eliminated. You can go back to sleep now."

[needschocolate]

Ha, it would be both hilarious and cruel if Phil snuck down the aisle of the airplane midflight, woke up one of the teams, and whispered, "I'm sorry to tell you that you've been eliminated. You can go back to sleep now."

 

That would depend on who was eliminated

[Lingo]

Were Amy and Maya the only team told that four teams were in the final leg and one of them would be eliminated mid-leg?  Because that would suck, wouldn't it?  You fall behind early in the leg but keep working hard because you figure you can catch up only to have Phil appear out of nowhere and tell you you've been eliminated. (I'm assuming they told the other teams about the nature of the last leg as soon as they left the pit stop - obviously they couldn't tell them when they checked in because that would ruin the suspense of thinking Amy/Maya had been eliminated).

 

No.  They tend not to repeat the same thing over and over again to each team because they are editing for an audience who would get bored at such repetition.  

 

 

Normally I would agree with you, but I watched the bonus clips on CBS.com and I'm not entirely certain.  For one thing, I think they usually don't reveal it to the other teams when the last leg was a NEL, so that the non-eliminated team can surprise them later (like at the airport).  For another thing, in the bonus clips the other teams don't seem to know for sure that Amy and Maya are still in it.  In this clip, Jim says, "We made the Final 3! That was our goal for today," and that's the whole point of the clip, he just says "Final 3" and "Top 3" over and over.  (Oh, and somehow he's gained 15 pounds since the start of the Race!!)  In this other clip, Adam says, "I don't know if the scientists are still with us", so he at least has an inkling that they might somehow still be in it, but he's not sure.

 

Of course, it's possible that Jim and Misti were told to talk as if the scientists were gone, and it's possible that the Top 3 were told that there'd be a mid-leg elimination next leg but weren't told about the NEL.  I dunno.  It's all weird.  Frankly I'm confused about when and where they're doing these talking head interviews, since there's not supposed to be a Pit Stop.  Did the teams all go to the airport, book flights, and then the producers dragged them outside to do interviews?  Wouldn't they have probably run into the scientists in the airport?  Are these interviews actually in LA?  (Looks like Manila, but I'm not sure.)

 

Anyway, I don't think it'd be fair if only one team knew about the mid-leg elimination, but I'm pretty sure the show wouldn't do that, so it'll be interesting to see what happens and if these questions are resolved in the episode.

 

I hated the mid-leg elimination of Bilal and Sa'eed too.  But if I remember correctly, what I hated most about it was that the teams were not told there'd be a mid-leg elimination.  That seemed like the most unjust thing about it.  In this case, if all the teams are told about it, then I'll be okay with it.  (Didn't like that starting-line elimination in Season 15 either!).

 

Speaking of race things I'm not thrilled about: I'm fine with 2-episode Super-Legs in principle, *if* it's actually non-stop racing through the whole leg.  But if there's basically an unavoidable bunching point in the middle (like a train ride or a flight or an HoO point), then what's the point?  In these cases, it just seems like a cheap and transparent way to hide yet another NEL. Just call a spade a spade! And I'm fine with NEL last-place teams being punished, or not being punished -- either way, but not both in the same race!  So precedent be damned, it doesn't seem fair to me that the dentists and wrestlers had to do Speed Bumps but the Scientists apparently won't.  (Also, the wrestlers should have gotten a prize!)

[Lingo]

Also, I wonder how Save detractors would have felt if it were the Dentists who were saved by either of the NELs in the past two episodes (but particularly this one).  And I wonder how Dentist fans (not to mention Jim himself) will feel if it's the dentists who are eliminated mid-leg in the finale.  Arguably it's unfair to the teams who placed top 3 this leg. I imagine that he'll feel particularly bitter about it, having made it past every pit stop.

[jjj]

I am surprisingly fine with the Wrestlers not getting a dream vacation or car. 

[Netfoot]

I hated the mid-leg elimination of Bilal and Sa'eed too.  [...].  (Didn't like that starting-line elimination in Season 15 either!).

 

Ditto the S15 Start-line elim.  Just hateful.  The Amazing Race should be above all that horrible, shock-tactics bullshit.

[Mreid]

Omg yes I so agree with you about the S15 starting line elimination that was total bull crap why put a team through all of the casting videos and completely waste their time by eliminating them in the united states ... they were so robbed...

[jjj]

TPTB could seriously ratchet up the anxiety level if they had a TAR season which started with Phil saying:  "In two legs of this Race, a team in last place after one of the tasks will be eliminated mid-leg."  Detours and RBs would be so competitive.  I'm not recommending this, but imagining... 

[DB in CMH]

I think Jim was full of bluster and overconfidence at the start, so yes, he was worse. But he got humbled by their nonelim and a few other mistakes they made, so I think he normaled out. I couldn't stand him early on but he's much more tolerable now.

 

 

I really didn't like them at the start, but then they got knocked down a peg or two, Jim didn't freak out like I thought he would, and I grew an immense respect for them. It really cracks me up hard that Misti is ALWAYS smiling. Even when biking, obviously in pain, in the intense heat, she's still got a Stepford smile on. It just really tickles me. 

 

I really like Amy and Maya and am surprised that they're still in it - I would not have guess that on the first leg. Not that it's a Beekman situation - they've fought hard and deserve to be there, although I highly doubt they'll win.

 

The wrestlers are goofy. They're performers, so I don't put too much stock into what they say.

 

Adam and Bethany are a little too "clean" for my tastes, but are really hard racers and I respect them alot.

 

Just to reiterate what I said a few pages ago, I really don't remember the last time I liked a final four this much, and went into the finale not really having any clue who will win. Jim/Misty are obvious favorites, but they make mistakes that let Adam and Bethany slip by. The wrestlers are very strong too, and the scientists could pull it off in the end.

 

This season really ranks very, very highly for me overall, and I was so close to giving up the show after last season. I love what they've done here, and hope they keep tweaking it. They can get rid of the save, but I do like Phil showing up with the racers on occasion (makes it feel more "live"), and the idea of the final four. I hope they space out eliminations a bit better next season, but I understand that this season they really wanted the idea of a final 4 to be a shocker. 

[Runningwild]

Very true, however my issue with praying isn't anything to do with the act in and of itself, my problem is that God has far bigger things to worry about than whether a bunch of relatively well-off Americans win a million dollars or not.

I didn't hear Adam and Bethany ask to win. And they don't seem like 'God-botherers' (a term I dislike). They were praying to do well. And they weren't saying God called them to do the race. They were saying that God calls believers to do their best.

ETA - I think Amy is the one who commented about the envelopes. "Manila in Manila?" Or something close to that.

Edited December 16, 2014 by Runningwild

[Bryce Lynch]

I didn't hear Adam and Bethany ask to win. And they don't seem like 'God-botherers' (a term I dislike). They were praying to do well. And they weren't saying God called them to do the race. They were saying that God calls believers to do their best.

ETA - I think Amy is the one who commented about the envelopes. "Manila in Manila?" Or something close to that.

Funny, last week I was going to crack a joke about being disappointed that they didn't visit the factory where they make all those envelopes and file folders, but I thought is was too corny. :)

[chaifan]

Does TAR still use some of the later eliminated teams as decoys so the final 3 isn't as easily spoiled?  I remember reading that they did that in earlier seasons.  If so, then I wonder if Amy & Maya could fly under the radar a bit - pretend like they are a decoy team and let the other teams believe they've been eliminated.  That would be a sweet technique, but it would require a bit of 4th wall exposure, which TAR producers may not like to show.  I would be so happy if they won.  Even if they don't, I think they should be given their own science show, a la Bill Nye the Science Guy, but with a worldly/travel twist.  (Go to Australia to see if the toilets really do flush the in opposite direction, explain the physics behind erecting the pyramids/obelisks, etc.)

[Jac]

Does TAR still use some of the later eliminated teams as decoys so the final 3 isn't as easily spoiled?  I remember reading that they did that in earlier seasons.  If so, then I wonder if Amy & Maya could fly under the radar a bit - pretend like they are a decoy team and let the other teams believe they've been eliminated.  That would be a sweet technique, but it would require a bit of 4th wall exposure, which TAR producers may not like to show.  I would be so happy if they won.  Even if they don't, I think they should be given their own science show, a la Bill Nye the Science Guy, but with a worldly/travel twist.  (Go to Australia to see if the toilets really do flush the in opposite direction, explain the physics behind erecting the pyramids/obelisks, etc.)

 

I would watch the shit out of that show if it existed.

[Skittl1321]

I wouldn't really call Robbie and Brooke professional athletes. They are part of something called TNA wrestling apparently.

Just because it is obscure doesn't mean it isn't professional. What's the name of the surfing league (?) Bethany is part of? I have no idea but she's a pro athlete.

Wrestling may be predetermined, but I'd say they are still athletes. Would anyone claim the Globetrotters aren't athletes?

Lots of ballet dancers like to be classified as athletes and artists, even when there is no competition. It's no different, an athlete entertainer who does it as a job is a professional athlete.

TAR is not just an athletic competition though do seeing the pro wrestlers or a pro surfer doesn't bother me. Yes, they are dominating this year, but athletes haven't always dominated.

[Jersey Guy 87]

I would classify the Globetrotters and professional wrestlers as entertainers, not athletes. To me, being a professional athlete means being paid to compete, neither meets that mark when the result is predetermined (pro wrestling) or doing tricks, etc. are the primary focus (Globetrotters).  Ballet dancers are artists.  All three are highly athletic people but their income isn't derived from actually competing.

 

Being highly athletic is one possible advantage to TAR.  But you also need to be smart, you need to be resourceful and you need to handle extreme stress well.  The wrestlers struggle in the smart department while the food scientists struggle in the athletic department (both teams struggle in the navigation department).  The surfers and the dentists seem to have the best combination of athleticism, intelligence and handling stress, no surprise they've done better overall on the race than the other two teams.

[kassygreene]

Ditto the S15 Start-line elim.  Just hateful.  The Amazing Race should be above all that horrible, shock-tactics bullshit.

 

If I'm remembering correctly, that team, that got eliminated at the start point task, wound up deciding to not go to the elimination station and instead gave themselves a three week vacation in India.  Which I thought was pretty cool, and an effective response to being eliminated before getting in a car to drive to the airport.  The show hasn't done that one again.

[Rusun]

I don't understand how that gorgeous, gorgeous greeter was not drenched in sweat at the mat.

 

Nary so much as a parasol in the background at the time of filming (bravo to Amy D. for invoking a literal umbrella term as a metaphor for penultimate leg twists ~):

 

 

P.S. Might she - and for that matter the Carnival lady atop the season's very first PitStop - be a secret pageant queen whose non-perspiration techniques elude all outsiders? (The Cyclists' "glistening" comment to Misti R. would take on a whole new meaning!)

[BK1978]

I am glad the way this season turned out.  I was not expecting them to win but I was happy that they did.  Honestly this is the first season in a very long time where there was not one team that I truly disliked in the final four.  I really would not have been bothered by any of them winning. 

 

Granted Brooke annoyed me a little with her constant complaining and I found Jim to be very cocky but I did not have an intense dislike of them.