S26: Mike & Rochelle

[Donny Ketchum]

Hi.  We're from Michigan and are the token "oddball" couple.

[Hanahope]

I wonder if that's her real/original name.  I say that only because every single "Rochelle" I've ever met, that was not their original name.

[Chyna]

He looks like a Hell's Angel but acts like a big ol' teddy bear. I doubt they'll go far in the race, but so far they're quite likeable.

[silverpie]

Looks like her real name is Rochelle Nevedal--she plays for the Small Town Outlaws near Traverse City under derbyname "Rochella de Ville."

[Donny Ketchum]

One of the few distinct couples.  They definitely won't win any physical contests, but I think they can last a good while if they get the right tasks.  After all, despite being the next-to-last team out of that Syncing Steps Detour, they did pass up three teams to finish seventh, so they may have navigation going for them.  Using the U-Turn on Jeff & Lyda was a sound choice, as well, since they had no idea how many teams they'd passed up by then.  For being one of the distinctive couples alone, I can kind of like them.

[Donny Ketchum]

They're still not very physical, and that's gonna cost them at one point.  But I'm glad that Mike did well with the Roadblock.  Share was yet another Detour that would've been better for them, not Chair.  I hope Rochelle's okay.  And good that they made it in eighth place.

[PreBabylonia]

Rochelle seems a bit wimpy. Mike is totally adorable, though. And very supportive.

[Donny Ketchum]

An excellent improvement after two legs of dragging behind.  It's good to see a normal-looking team -- and a preexisting one, to boot -- win a leg.  They didn't seem to make any real errors.  Both killed the Detour, and Rochelle led Mike through the cabaret task with plenty of time to spare before any other teams had to take their turns.  Well-earned victory.  And Rochelle was actually quite pleasant this week!

[Donny Ketchum]

No one comments on their win last week?  No one?!  Sheesh!

 

Sad to see them fall after their win last week, but they really seemed to struggle at some points.  They were fast and smart enough to choose the Water Detour, but they seemed to get lost trying to find the market to get their 1,000-year-old eggs.  Then, after the temple at the end of that Detour, they seemed to get lost in the shuffle for a long time (a la last season's Amy & Maya) before they finally materialized at the Roadblock.

 

But Rochelle killed that task, and she and Mike got a well-deserved sixth-place finish for their troubles.  Great job!

[Donny Ketchum]

Well, here's another team not particularly good at driving stick.  But at least they stuck to it.  (Unlike the now-eliminated Bergen & Kurt.)  They also couldn't navigate well, it seems.  But once they got going, Rochelle did well to overcome her fear of heights to finsh the Stack Detour, and Mike did a great job with the Roadblock.

 

They're a great deal lucky that Bergen & Kurt were quitting quitters who quit, though, or they likely would've been gone rather than finished in seventh place.

Edited April 4, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[kaygeeret]

Full props to Rochelle.  I have a fear of heights as well and am not at all sure that I could have done the task.

 

She has been a monster on a couple of tasks that have caused problems with other teams - I do hope they go far!

 

Navigation people, navigation

[TudorQueen]

I wasn't crazy about these two at the beginning, but now I've become oddly fond of them. His heartfelt serenade, her pushing through the 'stack' detour, their overall affection for and pride in each other... they've turned out to be endearing and I enjoy watching them.

[Donny Ketchum]

The standby trick was clever on Rochelle's part, and I'm stunned the other teams haven't tried that thus far.  Save for one small stumble at the end of the task, Mike did well at the Roadblock.  They navigated a lot better on this leg, too, getting to their Detour first, but their struggles their got them out of it last.

 

Oh, well.  They still managed to navigate their way to third place, which felt oddly satisfying after Tyler's unnecessary comment about them being weak.

[kakiphony]

Best moment not shown: in the "my kind of camping" bonus clip featuring Aly at the overnight accommodations in Nice, in the background you can see that Mike and Rochelle have built a tent/fort using chairs and curtains. It's adorable.

[Chyna]

Mike cleans up pretty nice! He looked really cute in the fancy clothes.

[Sassenach]

As human beings, this couple continues to grow on me.  They're patient with each other, don't just throw their hands up when they struggle with a challenge, and Rochelle dives into non-traditional female tasks without any griping or excuses.  (I'm looking at you, Aly.)  They may not win the race, but it looks like they have the makings of a great marriage.

[barbedwire]

They are my favorites!  She seems like a good mom, wanting to wait to introduce her son to only a solid man that will be in her life for a long time.  He seems patient, which is a great quality in a man next to hard-working.  I hope they win it all.

[Corgi-ears]

I would be very happy if they won the whole thing, in part because it would mean that pigs can fly. And the "#TruckLoveLove" chyron always makes me laugh, because it nudges me and my gutter mind into thinking that they met via a blow job through a gloryhole at a truck stop, or something.

[kakiphony]

I like that they have acknowledged and embraced their underdog status. They won't win, but they're a pleasure to watch and really appreciate the experience. I also love that Rochelle is so willing to jump into any roadblock. Aside from the first couple in Japan, they've both kept their cool and just been dogged about pushing through. They may not be the most exciting or camera-conscious racers, but they seem like a good example for life.

[Thog]

I really like this team. The underdogs have won a couple other seasons, so I still hold out hope. There's a bonus clip on the CBS site called "American Jerks" that really shows off their character - they seem to understand that they are visitors in other countries and the locals couldn't care less whether they win a million dollars, so they try to be gracious (e.g., not cutting in taxi lines). I hope that's not their downfall.

[Vyas]

I really like this team. The underdogs have won a couple other seasons, so I still hold out hope. There's a bonus clip on the CBS site called "American Jerks" that really shows off their character - they seem to understand that they are visitors in other countries and the locals couldn't care less whether they win a million dollars, so they try to be gracious (e.g., not cutting in taxi lines). I hope that's not their downfall.

 

Amy and Maya had a near-identical experience in London last season - too bad CBS removed it (along with every bonus clip since S21) - so it bodes well for R/M.

[kakiphony]

That extra scene really does emphasize what is both their best quality and their biggest reality TV downfall: they're genuinely nice people. I am appalled that everyone else just takes jumping a line for granted. What a terrible way to treat people and represent yourselves, your country, and CBS. Kudos to Mike and Rochelle for at least trying to do the right thing.

[barbedwire]

Thanks for the heads-up about the bonus clips.  CBS - for shame!  Allowing the contestants to jump lines and be ugly Americans.  We are guests when we visit other countries.  Awful.

[dgpolo]

Nice leg for Mike and Rochelle, just strolling up to the shoe shine place while everyone else was jumping in cabs. Nice to see a couple working together without bitching at each other.

[Special K]

I loved the part in the market when Rochelle was saying in voice-over how nice they try to be to the local people, and they show her running out of a store and nearly knocking a little boy over -- and she just keeps on going.

[Lingo]

I still hold out hope that this team can win.  Let's not forget that they've actually won a leg (or two?), unlike Amy and Maya before the finale.

[chaifan]

I would love it if they won.  People keep referring to their "luck", but I think they're decent racers.  I don't think they've made any more or less mistakes than other teams, they just don't provide dramatic screen time, which is fine by me.  I'm ok with a Laura and Tyler win, or Jelani and Jenny, but I really want Mike and Rochelle to beat Blair and Hayley, whatever the end placements are. 

[tarfanofthejungle]

I actually posted this on another message board.

 

 

 

The thing is, one of the four teams have already won. So the whole point for show now, is to show the process of how these guy won or lose through a narrative for the viewers.The narrative is the most important aspect when determining the winners, because breaking down the narrative is just like reverse-engineering a finished product to determine to see its components and how they work. The narrative is the finished product, made after a team won. So we need to analyze it rather than individual teams to deduce which team won.

 

First, what the hecks the narrative for this season? As barf-worthy as it may sound, I believe its about teams loving each other, and be each others rock during hard times of the race. This would be the "secret of winning" bs.This is what the blind dates should aspire to in order to win, hence the pathetic questions poor Phil is forced to ask after each and every leg of the race. Guess who keep giving the right answers to these lame, cringeworthy questions?

 

There is also a secondary narrative, which is who deserves to prize money? Obviously the nice people do. Forget about being the most fit, most beautiful or competent racers, its about who deserves to win. Each team's bad side is shown for the viewer to judge. Tylers arrogance, Blairs apathy, Aly's drama queen moments, Jenny's type-A personality fits, and off course the main attraction of the season which is Hayley's nagging, yelling, and just overall bitching. Guess which of the final four team is missing this particular edit? In fact, for this team, the edit has shown the total opposite, which is pure unadulterated niceness. It's the perfect opportunity for the show to create the protagonists which would go and win the million dollars. Loving and kind heroic underdogs among a bunch of unstable, crazy, narcissistic strangers.

 

So within the context of these narratives, it seems pretty clear that any team apart from M/R has zero chance of winning, not because they're not good racers. It's because the show have decidedly shown that M/R are the worthiest winners. It can't be anyone else but them.

 

I'm about 100% sure these two are going to win the race this season. What do you guys think?

[chaifan]

I like the narrative analysis, but I disagree with the second half of it - the "who deserves the money" part.  I think throughout the seasons TAR likes to showcase anyone who has a specifically defined "need" for the money, and they usually beat us over the head with it.  Mark and Bopper are a good example of that, but that didn't mean they were going to win.  I do like the first part of the analysis, though, especially as it applies to this season, and I think (hope!) you may be on to something there. 

[kili]

There is also a secondary narrative, which is who deserves to prize money? Obviously the nice people do. Forget about being the most fit, most beautiful or competent racers, its about who deserves to win. Each team's bad side is shown for the viewer to judge.

 

TAR hasn't shied away from letting non-nice people win the race. They did not hide Flo's epics meltdowns or edit out KKKendra's comments. BJ & Tyler were total obnoxious. In the early seasons, it actually became a joke that the fan-favourites tended to go out fourth.

 

If only nice people can win the show, then they telegraph the wins too early. They try to edit for compelling television. It's not a morality play or after-school special. People accept that nice doesn't always result in a win. I actually see more ire when hapless wins where somebody lucks themselves into the finale and wins.

[tarfanofthejungle]

I like the narrative analysis, but I disagree with the second half of it - the "who deserves the money" part.  I think throughout the seasons TAR likes to showcase anyone who has a specifically defined "need" for the money, and they usually beat us over the head with it.  Mark and Bopper are a good example of that, but that didn't mean they were going to win.  I do like the first part of the analysis, though, especially as it applies to this season, and I think (hope!) you may be on to something there. 

Well I may have wrongly worded the second narrative. What I meant was the narrative kinda pushes "niceness" as key factor for deserving the prize money. In practice, niceness would be the least probable factor when it comes to winning the race, especially compared to physical fitness, mental aptitude and charisma which are exhibited by the other teams. Not saying M/R don't possess those, but it not the defining characteristic of them, and only reason the production is pushing the narrative is because M/R won. 

[hendersonrocks]

I would be thrilled if they won. They've shown themselves to be pretty solid, levelheaded, and kind human beings. Sure, I could do without the frequent reminding about her kid and why that makes her such a worthy recipient of the $ but I respect the two of them as a team a lot. And frankly, I am annoyed by how other teams and some commenters seem to be writing them off as "weak" on the basis of--what seems to me--their appearance and perceived fitness levels. Barf. 

 

DO IT, Mike & Rochelle!

[ChuChu]

Mike and Rochelle are a team that I wouldn't mind winning the whole thing.  But, they are a weaker team, based on statistics, and have been all season.  I don't think that it's fair to blame the other teams for realizing that.  The average of placement of the remaining teams (borrowed from another board) is:

 

Laura / Tyler  3.3

Jelani / Jenny  3.4

Hayley / Blair  3.6

Mike / Rochelle  4.9

 

And, there have been three legs where they were significantly behind the pack, only surviving because of a meltdown in another team.  TAR is a game where avoiding a big mistake is the key to winning, but when it gets down to the top four all of them running solid legs are likely and I think that Mike and Rochelle will be at the bottom when that happens.

[hendersonrocks]

But, they are a weaker team, based on statistics, and have been all season.  I don't think that it's fair to blame the other teams for realizing that.

 

Sure--but they are actually still IN the race, where a lot of theoretically "stronger" teams are not. That should count for something, right? I feel like people's impressions of Mike & Rochelle have been pretty fixed from jump because they're kinda lumpy, hairy, non-traditional looking racers. I'm just annoyed that it seems like that perception of them outweighs the fact that they ARE still in it when many other teams have--as you noted--fallen apart. 

 

It's entirely possible that they end up in 4th or 3rd place, but I gotta admit--I'd love to see them coming across the final mat in 1st as all of the perfect physical specimens looked on.

[ladyrott]

These two were not my favorite at all in the beginning, but now I really like them.  They aren't my absolute favorites, but they are second in the teams that are left. 

[Sassenach]

 

And, there have been three legs where they were significantly behind the pack, only surviving because of a meltdown in another team.

If you can keep your head when all others about you are losing their's.....

[Jersey Guy 87]

Mike and Rochelle seem to be the classic "how'd they get into the final three" team.  They've raced more or less competently but have generally been in the back half of the pack. They keep their cool but seldom seem to really excel at any particular task.  If they make the final three then they obviously have a chance of winning.  They wouldn't be as surprising a winner as the Beekman boys, but they'd hardly be a convincing winner.

 

I was actually worried early on that they would have Rochelle and her "I need the money for my kid" narrative define the team.  I'm glad that they haven't, they backed off from that angle.  I wouldn't be completely surprised if they win but I don't expect it.

[barbedwire]

They do seem to read the clues more carefully than 2 other teams.  Rochelle went right up to the shoe shine place, while others just jumped in a cab.  She also rocked the engine challenge when the boys didn't want to help her out.   These 2 are determined and a lot of fun to watch.

[ladders]

Mike and Rochelle seem to be the classic "how'd they get into the final three" team.  They've raced more or less competently but have generally been in the back half of the pack. They keep their cool but seldom seem to really excel at any particular task.  If they make the final three then they obviously have a chance of winning.

Yes and no.  Even in the lead-in to the final, we saw their comedically slow crash into the boards at the ice skating challenge and this sort of presaged their exit - basically dropping the footballs and failing to kick the field goal.  Then they seemed to recover from the cab driver leaving only for the next one to run out of gas.  Bad luck is a bummer, but I think you need to be able to knock out a physical challenge (and thereby make your own luck) to win.

[Jersey Guy 87]

Agree totally about making your own luck, and they (okay, Mike) failed pretty badly at the football challenge.  I was happy to see them be the team eliminated mid-leg because I thought the other three teams were better racers.

[Chyna]

The TV Guide exit interview

[Kanaloa]

They just tied the knot and even got 1990s Nickelodeon sensation Lori Beth Denberg from the original cast of "All That" to officiate the ceremony:

[Star Aristille]

Well!  Many fans of All That have been wondering where Lori Beth has been, since she all but fell off the radar years ago, but this answers it!

In any case, congratulations to Mike & Rochelle!  By far, they were my favorite team of that otherwise lackluster season, even in the midst of all of the bile Laura & Tyler threw at them and their racing (I cannot for the life of me fathom why they're so loved as racers here because of that and other things) and I would've preferred them winning (or even at least making the F3) over any of the eventual F3.

I hope they go forward very happy in their lives.

[biakbiak]

I seriously have no memory of them.