S26.E05: Get in That Lederhosen, Baby (Bavaria)

[kili]

In TAR23, on leg six (the Austria leg), Tim & Marie were about to grab a cab and saw that it was Jason & Amy's.  They were about to leave and grab their own, but then, the cabbie started throwing out Jason & Amy's backpacks, so that cleared the way for them to get in.

 

Yes, the racers are forbidden from touching other racer's stuff. Cab drivers can do what they like.

 

Jeff & Jackie touched the fanny pack to hide it, so they deserved a penalty.

 

Don and Mary Jane did not purposefully take the wrong car or attempt to hinder another team, but they got the penalty. Jeff and Jackie were free to lie about seeing the pack, but not touch it. Unless the rules have changed.

[anhydrite]

* I'm sure there are actions that earn immediate disqualification beyond losing passports, mostly tied to breaking local laws or flagrantly ignoring safety rules, but we've never seen that happen.

 

Apparently, TAR8 (regardless if it should be named or not) initially had 11 families casted, but father Bransen confirmed that the 11th one had been expelled after doing something forbidden during the pre-race sequestration. We will never know what exactly though.

[etagloh]

Jeff & Jackie touched the fanny pack to hide it, so they deserved a penalty.

 

That's one of those situations where you'd need a "spirit of the rules" ruling. (TAR rules enforcement is more like golf than other sports.) Given that Camera & Sound need to fit into the car alongside the team, and Focuses aren't big cars, was Jackie allowed to sit on the fanny pack? Could she move it while the team was driving as long as she returned it to the back seat when they got out?

[BarneySays]

Chiming in late- haven't had a chance to read all of the comments.  Re the gay doppelgangers- I got the distinct impression that the one in back stated that he was nervous in the car and he wasn't going to put up with it.  He made them stop, while the other guy was willing to keep on trying.  Once the bitchy one said no mas, the other had no choice but to go along.  He was quietly seething through the rest of the leg.  Also, I assume they would have gotten another penalty for not using proper transportation.  We were spared that because it was already such an ugly mess.  No need to put more focus on it.  I hate when people go on these shows and quit.  I just don't understand the mentality.  Why not just see it to the finish?  I think I'd take Colin and Christie over a quitter, which is really saying something. 

 

As for Blair and Hayley, I find a weird symbiosis in their dynamic.  They don't come across as strangers, but as a truly dysfunctional couple.  I think they both feed off of the dynamic they have created.  Blair probably is accustomed to playing aloof and superior, possibly as an ego defense.  Hayley probably has always had to scream to try to be heard and is playing out that dynamic.  There is some strange, sick tension that binds them together.

 

For some inexplicable reason, I find Tyler really creepy.  Can't explain it; it's inchoate. 

 

Aside from the disaster of this being yet another unsuspenseful episode, it was also poorly designed.  Again, there was little opportunity to change positions outside of the detour.  Here's hoping next week we'll some actual competition to stay in the race.

Edited April 8, 2015 by BarneySays

[Chyna]

That's one of those situations where you'd need a "spirit of the rules" ruling. (TAR rules enforcement is more like golf than other sports.) Given that Camera & Sound need to fit into the car alongside the team, and Focuses aren't big cars, was Jackie allowed to sit on the fanny pack? Could she move it while the team was driving as long as she returned it to the back seat when they got out?

 

 

I'm sure that if they handed it to them as soon as they arrived at the task, or even if they said, "Hey dummies, your fanny pack is in our car," there'd be no penalty for having touched it. But hiding it under the back seat does seem to be similar to the stuntmen who messed with the other teams' bike pumps.

Edited April 8, 2015 by Chyna

[kris4n6]

Kurt is afraid to drive or be a passenger in a car?  He was really cast on the wrong show.

 

Sorry.  I don't think I explained enough from the exit interview - Kurt said he isn't afraid to drive, but he that he only really feels comfortable in a car if he's driving.  And with not being able to drive a stick without stripping the transmission, that option was out.

[egnever]

I'm really confused at how people are trying to put the blame on Blair because he 'appears uninterested' or 'dismissive' of Hayley. What? Is he obligated to show interest in the girl that the producers picked for him as a blind date? He's clearly not that into her, and from the very start she gave him a lot of reason not to be (overly peppy, infantile voice, baby talk about 'look how cute you are' that borders on patronizing).

 

There's some strange attitudes going on if we criticize people for not being immediately all over someone they just met. It's clear from the first episode that Hayley seemed extremely enthusiastic about meeting him and quickly moved into his personal space and he shrunk because he's much more introverted. Why is that a problem?

 

On the other hand, he hasn't appeared to yell or snap at Hayley, demean her or put her down, cuss or lash out, even when Hayley has given him abundant reason to. He's shown a lot more restraint that I would have if I were in his position. He's tried to take charge, that didn't work. Then he tried to let Hayley take charge, that also didn't work. Now he's simply swallowing his criticism and letting Hayley call the shots whenever she feels like. When she wanted to switch detours, he simply let her.

 

I don't think anyone is saying he's some gold star human or anything, but I'm honestly not sure why people expect him to be some guru at handling difficult people and are trying to blame him for the predicament he's in. If the situations were reversed and Hayley was the one that seemed distant and aloof and Blair was the one that was screaming and hurling abuse at her constantly, the reactions here would be very different IMO. And I would guess there would not be many people defending him by claiming that Hayley brought this upon herself by not appearing that interested in him or what he had to say...

[Haleth]

I dunno if fannypackgate was worth a penalty.  There are far more egregious things J&J could have done with it than sticking it under a seat (which could mean putting it on the floor so the sound guy could sit down).  Leaving it behind on the sidewalk, taking the money (**coughtwinniescough**), throwing it out a window... yeah, lots of things that would have messed Laura and Tyler up.  (Perhaps it was the sound guy who actually removed it, not Jackie or Jeff.)  Instead it took Tyler less than 30 seconds to find it in the car.  Not a big deal AFAIC.

Edited April 8, 2015 by Haleth

[ProfCrash]

Hayley and Blair are not a pair made in heaven. They have different communication styles and personalities. I suspect that they were paired for drama and not for love. There is no way that anyone would look at the two of them and say that they would hook up. Especially people who have interviewed both of them and conducted all the psychological tests that they do for these shows. They were paired to piss each other off.

 

No one should deal with the BS Hayley is dishing out. She has a very specific idea of what should be done, how it should be done, and she lets you know what that is at all times. She has pulled her own passive aggressive bullshit at different times. She is not pleasant. That said, Blair was openly dismissive of her and her suggestions in the first few episodes. We have not seen as much of that in the last few episodes but it was clearly evident in the first few episodes.

 

It is very possible that if Hayley had been matched with someone who could work with her communication style, she would great. I think both Hayley and Blair are competitive but I think they handle competition differently. Hayley is treating the race as a competition and not worried about the socializing part of it. Blair is willing to mix the two.

 

Hayley clearly wants to lead while giving the appearance of working together. Blair's attempts to simply follow does not work for Hayley, she wants to think that they are making joint decisions while her decisions are always excepted. Blair wants to lead, he has made direction choices without talking to Hayley or taking into consideration what she was saying. He choose to ignore the board at the zip line and her comments about the board. I am guessing we have not seen all of the examples of this.

 

Their styles clash and their responses to the conflict clash. Blair shuts down and Hayley cannot shut up. I find myself more sympathetic to Blair because Hayley won't shut up but the truth is they were both screwed by Production when they were paired together. This was never going to work and yet they have to make it work. It sucks for both of them.

[justawatcher]

Who knows? maybe the sound guy moved it to sit down and then told them where it was once they asked.

[NutMeg]

[i'm going to rant here] After the long hiatus, I found it difficult to get back into this. Granted, it doesn't help that in the meantime I started watching (reruns of, I think? cannot check because afraid of spoilers) Amazing Race Australia, which is much more old school/fresh and where every team member has a personality that I am able to see, because the editing allows me too. Also, the challenges these peope face would make this bunch cry bitter tears non stop (as an example, when they had cars to drive in Prague, the cars were old Ladas or Skodas, and one team had to push the car every single time they switched on the engine - this bunch would have sat on the curb for hours until they got a replacement! the Australian team just took it in stride and even laughed about it)

 

To illustrate how little I was into TAR: the day after I watched, my son, who was at a party and couldn't watch with us, asked in which country they were. And I drew a complete blank. Ok, that's me, and I realize this post is mostly off topic, but it would help me if we were shown more of the personalitiy of the people still in this, bacause I find it hard to be excited by random people running - makes sense to me that half the episode threat is about Hayley and Blair and their dynamics, they're pretty much been shoved down our throat from the start.

 

[end of rant]  

[Jersey Guy 87]

I'm sure that if they handed it to them as soon as they arrived at the task, or even if they said, "Hey dummies, your fanny pack is in our car," there'd be no penalty for having touched it. But hiding it under the back seat does seem to be similar to the stuntmen who messed with the other teams' bike pumps.

 

I think the "hiding it" added all of about 10 seconds to the amount of time for the fanny pack to be found.  As some others have pointed out they probably had to move the fanny pack in order for everyone to sit in the car (camera guy and sound guy).  It wasn't a big enough deal to warrant a penalty and had zero impact on the progress of Laura and Tyler (leaving the fanny pack behind to begin with, that obviously had an impact).

 

I'm really confused at how people are trying to put the blame on Blair because he 'appears uninterested' or 'dismissive' of Hayley. What? Is he obligated to show interest in the girl that the producers picked for him as a blind date? He's clearly not that into her, and from the very start she gave him a lot of reason not to be (overly peppy, infantile voice, baby talk about 'look how cute you are' that borders on patronizing).

 

There's some strange attitudes going on if we criticize people for not being immediately all over someone they just met. It's clear from the first episode that Hayley seemed extremely enthusiastic about meeting him and quickly moved into his personal space and he shrunk because he's much more introverted. Why is that a problem?

 

 

Nobody is saying Blair had to have a romantic interest in Hayley from the get go, but he gave the impression (at least to me and some others) of not having an interest in her as a person and a race partner from the start.  And, if you go onto a show like TAR where the specific premise is you're being partnered with someone you've never met before you should start things off trying to make it work.  And I saw no evidence that Blair did this.  He's an introvert?  Okay, that's fine.  But if that's going to stop you from working with a person than it's not a good trait for this particular version of TAR.

[peachmangosteen]

As for Blair and Hayley, I find a weird symbiosis in their dynamic.  They don't come across as strangers, but as a truly dysfunctional couple.  I think they both feed off of the dynamic they have created.  Blair probably is accustomed to playing aloof and superior, possibly as an ego defense.  Hayley probably has always had to scream to try to be heard and is playing out that dynamic.  There is some strange, sick tension that binds them together.

 

I see this, too. Sometimes it seems to me like Blair even is kind of amused by Hayley's insanity actually. Or like he gets some pleasure out of knowing she looks crazy or something. They're hard to watch, yet oddly interesting to watch.

 

For some inexplicable reason, I find Tyler really creepy. Can't explain it; it's inchoate.

I've gotten some weird vibes from Tyler, too. It started in the ep with the Ladyboy stuff. He was super gross to me there and he's just been off for me ever since. I personally didn't like his response to Hayley either.

[Hanahope]

Considering that Bergen has stated that TPTB admitted to setting him and Kurt up intending them to fight, makes me really hope that this "blind date" gimmick is a one and done thing.  It certainly seems that if TPTB decided to set up teams for "drama" and not really for a "blind date" (where usually there's some indication of common interests), then the whole theme of this race is a sham and just wastes our time.  If they wanted 'strangers to meet and race', why not have them spend an hour or so doing a "speed date" thing, then pair off.  At least some of the teams might actually get along that way.

[blackwing]

Considering that Bergen has stated that TPTB admitted to setting him and Kurt up intending them to fight, makes me really hope that this "blind date" gimmick is a one and done thing.  It certainly seems that if TPTB decided to set up teams for "drama" and not really for a "blind date" (where usually there's some indication of common interests), then the whole theme of this race is a sham and just wastes our time.  If they wanted 'strangers to meet and race', why not have them spend an hour or so doing a "speed date" thing, then pair off.  At least some of the teams might actually get along that way.

Because there's a sizeable portion of the TV viewing population that seems to be a sucker for "reality dating" shows.  Otherwise we wouldn't have umpteen endless seasons of "The Bachelor".  And "The Bachelorette".  And "Bachelor Pad".  And "Bachelor in Paradise".

 

I can't blame the TAR producers for doing this "blind date" thing.  The only thing I'm disappointed with is that they appear to have attracted people who agreed to have the pretense of the blind date just to get on the show.  I'm looking at Jenny (supposedly had a boyfriend before the race), Laura (perhaps the same), Tyler (would rather be racing with his best friend), and Blaire (perhaps gay?).  The only blind date pairs that really seem to have come on the show for an actual blind date are Jeff/Jackie and Bergen/Kurt.  I do think that if they had actually gotten people who wanted to be fixed up on blind dates for all of the blind date teams that it would have made the premise a little better.

[backformore]

Considering that Bergen has stated that TPTB admitted to setting him and Kurt up intending them to fight, makes me really hope that this "blind date" gimmick is a one and done thing.  It certainly seems that if TPTB decided to set up teams for "drama" and not really for a "blind date" (where usually there's some indication of common interests), then the whole theme of this race is a sham and just wastes our time.  If they wanted 'strangers to meet and race', why not have them spend an hour or so doing a "speed date" thing, then pair off.  At least some of the teams might actually get along that way.

Ok - but I think getting rid of the "date"  aspect would be better (if they needed a gimmick at all)  -  having individuals as contestants on the race, and matching them up RANDOMLY - not with a "love connection"  , just with a race  partner, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or marital status.  THAT  would have been better than the "blind date "  thing.   

 

But I absolutely prefer the original concept, where teams of 2 are a mix of  spouses, dating, parent/child, best friends, co-workers, cousins, even on the same bowling team!   etc etc.   Forget the romance and just RAAAAAACEEEEEEEE!  I love seeing how the relationships falter or flourish on the race.  It's easy for the audience to relate to, because it can remind us of our families and friends, and how travel can bring out the best and worst of a relationship.  

[kakiphony]

having individuals as contestants on the race, and matching them up RANDOMLY - not with a "love connection"  , just with a race  partner, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or marital status.  THAT  would have been better than the "blind date "  thing.

I think that could be an absolutely fascinating season! (But please, no partner swaps a la Survivor tribal shake-ups. Let's see the dynamics develop from the beginning to the end.)

[muffkins]

I went back and rewatched the first 4 shows, specifically to see how Blair was being such an ass.  I didn't see it the first time I watched them, thought maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but I still don't see it.  I see a reserved, aloof person running a race with someone he doesn't know.  I saw them discussing things at the plaza, him saying he was sure it was that way, her agreeing to follow his direction, then when it wasn't correct, he apologized and they went the other way.  This appeared to me to be the starting point of the constant "You need to listen to me!!!!  I am always Right!!!!" which is when things started to go downhill for the "relationship".   I have a really difficult time finding him a horrible person, as he is very much like me.   The more you yell at me, the quieter I become.  My husband tries to have some epic fights, which I will not participate in.  The difference being, he has never resorted to name calling and belittling.  He also doesn't repeat things over and over until I want to smack him.   The main thing in this episode, and especially in the behind the scenes car bit that bother me was, if you are going in the wrong direction, you have to continue in that direction for a little bit until you can find a place to turn around and correct it.   Shrieking will not change this.  Reading a map, telling the driver which streets to turn down to correct it will.  Calling someone an ass repeatedly also will not correct it.  I'm sorry, but I actually do like Blair, he's my kind of people, Hayley just makes me want to leave her somewhere and drive off.

[Nutjob]

I was literally telling Hayley to shut up through my t.v. about 3 minutes into this episode, desperately hoping she'd hear me. Whether or not Blair is actually a nice guy is irrelevant to me at this point--she shrieks, she freaks, she is always right, and she will NOT SHUT UP. I would probably tune her out, too...right before I dumped her out at the nearest gas station.

 

I did think it was nifty editing to show the Blair TH about how he is in it to win the Race, regardless of his partner, transposed with Kurt and Bergen giving up. Blair and Hayley couldn't be more mismatched, yet they're both still trying to win this thing even though they clearly want to throttle one another. Kurt gave up, Bergen whined and cried, and I'm glad they're marching their separate ways into the sunset.

[backformore]

I went back and rewatched the first 4 shows, specifically to see how Blair was being such an ass.  I didn't see it the first time I watched them, thought maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but I still don't see it.  I see a reserved, aloof person running a race with someone he doesn't know.  I saw them discussing things at the plaza, him saying he was sure it was that way, her agreeing to follow his direction, then when it wasn't correct, he apologized and they went the other way.  This appeared to me to be the starting point of the constant "You need to listen to me!!!!  I am always Right!!!!" which is when things started to go downhill for the "relationship".   I have a really difficult time finding him a horrible person, as he is very much like me.   The more you yell at me, the quieter I become.  My husband tries to have some epic fights, which I will not participate in.  The difference being, he has never resorted to name calling and belittling.  He also doesn't repeat things over and over until I want to smack him.   The main thing in this episode, and especially in the behind the scenes car bit that bother me was, if you are going in the wrong direction, you have to continue in that direction for a little bit until you can find a place to turn around and correct it.   Shrieking will not change this.  Reading a map, telling the driver which streets to turn down to correct it will.  Calling someone an ass repeatedly also will not correct it.  I'm sorry, but I actually do like Blair, he's my kind of people, Hayley just makes me want to leave her somewhere and drive off.

I agree 100%. I am like that too.  When someone yells at me, i get quiet, and think about what to do to solve the problem. 

 When Hayley was yelling at him, he listened and asked what she wanted him to do.   She would try my patience, though, because if someone is screaming at me "You need to LISTEN TO ME",  I might have to tell them to say something worth listening to.  

 

 I have great respect when teams say "WE made a mistake" ,instead of blaming each other.   

If Haley were able to simply say "WE should have done this, let's go back and fix it", Blair can listen.  Which he did, when she couldn't carry the beer steins.  He agreed to switch tasks.  yes, at the beginning, he was being the leader.  When she complained, he asked her to lead, which she also didn't want.  I think Blair is being decent on the race.  I think he is reacting better than most people would in that situation.  But I also think that his quiet, reserved nature makes Hayley yell more, because his quietness feels to her like he's not listening.  He is, he's just not yelling back. 

[egnever]

Nobody is saying Blair had to have a romantic interest in Hayley from the get go, but he gave the impression (at least to me and some others) of not having an interest in her as a person and a race partner from the start.  And, if you go onto a show like TAR where the specific premise is you're being partnered with someone you've never met before you should start things off trying to make it work.  And I saw no evidence that Blair did this.  He's an introvert?  Okay, that's fine.  But if that's going to stop you from working with a person than it's not a good trait for this particular version of TAR.

You're going to have to point this out to me because I'm not seeing how Blair did not have an interest in her as a race partner. Right off the bat (and I mean literally right as they were running out), Hayley started screaming and being the aggressor in their relationship. Blair seems the kind of person that would shirk and give people their space when someone else is being very extroverted. I can completely understand that reaction. It doesn't mean he doesn't want to work together. On the contrary, he's been the one that's been patiently carrying the team right now, because Hayley hasn't proven to be that strong a racer in her own right.

 

I suppose he could have listened to Hayley more in the first episode when she was saying that she didn't think they were going in the right direction. But the problem is that she also never suggested which direction to go in. She just kept harping about how they weren't going in the right one. Well you can't realy change course based on "not going the right way", you have to propose another course of action. Not to mention that Hayley protests so much about everything it's going to be hard to stop everything you're doing and listen to her, or you'll never get anywhere.

 

I think Blair is just introverted and aloof. Which is simply his personality type. It doesn't make him a bad person because he doesn't consciously choose to be that way. His conscious decisions have all been fairly commendable. I would have dropped off Hayley or gone off on her a long time ago. Like I said, if the roles were reversed, I don't think anyone would hesitate to call Blair an ass and I doubt anyone would criticize Hayley for her part by claiming she was dismissive and uninterested.

 

I don't even like Blair that much, but compared to Hayley, he's a saint. I would put my personal over/under on 4 days before I felt the compulsion to strangle her.

[Camera One]

I can't blame the TAR producers for doing this "blind date" thing.  The only thing I'm disappointed with is that they appear to have attracted people who agreed to have the pretense of the blind date just to get on the show.  I'm looking at Jenny (supposedly had a boyfriend before the race), Laura (perhaps the same), Tyler (would rather be racing with his best friend), and Blaire (perhaps gay?).  The only blind date pairs that really seem to have come on the show for an actual blind date are Jeff/Jackie and Bergen/Kurt.  I do think that if they had actually gotten people who wanted to be fixed up on blind dates for all of the blind date teams that it would have made the premise a little better.

 

Bergen and Kurt was the only team where neither person applied for the Race, with both of them entering the show to look for love, and look how that turned out.  Neither of them cared that much about the race, Kurt even less than Bergen, who himself had wanted to be on Big Brother.  

 

So I think I prefer them doing what they did, which was to pick people who had applied with other partners, and asked if they were open to this blind date concept. Now, if they weren't actually single, that would be kind of a scam, but at least everyone, with the exception of Bergen, Kurt and Jackie had applied separately for the Race because they wanted to have that experience.  Jeff first applied with his model ex-girlfriend, Tyler, Laura and Jenny with friends, Jelani with an ex-girlfriend, Hayley with a guy friend and Blair with his dad.  These people might never have been selected to Race if they hadn't agreed to this, so I am glad they get to, even if the setup is contrived.  I kind of like that most of these "daters" have already shut down the idea of romance, and now it's just basically an experiment of what happens when two strangers must work as a team.  In a way, I find them more interesting than the actual dating couples this season.  On most seasons, I tend to cheer for the non-romantic teams anyway.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Camera One

[vousviou]

Apologies if I missed this somewhere, but when Kurbergen were sitting in the train station at the end when they were eliminated, were they actually trying to finish or were they told they were done and to wait for Phil to give them the news? 

 

Has there ever been a team that messed up so badly they were given the axe before finishing a leg?  For instance, a team at the beginning of a leg going to the completely wrong place, such as Guyana instead of Guinea, or Portland Maine instead of Portland Oregon?  Or even a team gets so incredibly lost by the time that they get to the historic hall where they're supposed to perform a traditional dance, local law forces the hall to close for the night. How is that handled?

[kili]

Or even a team gets so incredibly lost by the time that they get to the historic hall where they're supposed to perform a traditional dance, local law forces the hall to close for the night. How is that handled?

 

Typically, when that happens, the leg is over and they just get given a clue to go to the pit stop (or that the race is over). The Guido's in TAR1 infamously got told the race was over in New York while they were standing in the snow in Alaska.

 

I remember in TAR6, there was a Roadblock where you had to open a lock on a hill/mountain (one of those places that lovers leave locks to ensure their love). The last gondola down for the night was about to leave, so the two Roadblockers decided to quit. One of them tried just one more lock and succeeded. The other team, Hayden & Aaron weren't so lucky and were assessed a four hour penalty.  I guess not unlocking their lock was lucky because Aaron proposed to Hayden in front of Phil.

 

In TAR 21, Josh & Brent (Goat Farmers/Beekman Boys) were unable to do either detour option because they were both closed. They were assessed a four hour penalty for the start of the next leg (it was a non-elimination leg). You would think that would have eliminated them, but another team had lost their documentation, so they survived to go on and win the race.

 

So, you get a four hour penalty if you are still in the race.

[Donny Ketchum]

Has there ever been a team that messed up so badly they were given the axe before finishing a leg?  For instance, a team at the beginning of a leg going to the completely wrong place, such as Guyana instead of Guinea, or Portland Maine instead of Portland Oregon?  Or even a team gets so incredibly lost by the time that they get to the historic hall where they're supposed to perform a traditional dance, local law forces the hall to close for the night. How is that handled?

Toni & Dallas in TAR13, after spending the whole day trying to get around Moscow on the penultimate leg after Dallas stupidly lost their money and passports, got eliminated at a train station they were supposed to take as part of a Detour.  Phil walked out of it just as they were about to walk in and eliminated them on the spot.

[etagloh]

were they actually trying to finish or were they told they were done and to wait for Phil to give them the news? 

 

In their TV Guide exit interview they said that they'd got their Detour clue and were heading to the Stacks (in pitch darkness) when they were told to stop racing. Phil showed up after about 45 minutes. I'll take them at their word, though I'm sure they were just going through the motions. I imagine that once Mike & Rochelle checked in, TPTB got in touch with Kurt/Bergen's crew to see where they were and set up the field elimination.

[vousviou]

In their TV Guide exit interview they said that they'd got their Detour clue and were heading to the Stacks (in pitch darkness) when they were told to stop racing. Phil showed up after about 45 minutes. I'll take them at their word, though I'm sure they were just going through the motions. I imagine that once Mike & Rochelle checked in, TPTB got in touch with Kurt/Bergen's crew to see where they were and set up the field elimination.

Thanks to all who replied.  I'm somewhat surprised that there aren't more colossal collapses on the show since I've been watching it the past few years.  I've gotten lost overseas a couple of times and I can see how it can turn into a cascading nightmare.  But I suppose the show gives you a huge incentive to be very aggressive about asking people for help.

[Hanahope]

There was also a very early season (maybe even season1), where a mother/daughter team was supposed to either find/drive a car or take a bus to the next point on the route.  It wasn't labeled a "detour", just a choice of which method to take.  They couldn't find the car, after hours of looking and the daughter refused to take the long/crowded/uncomfortable bus ride, so they hired a taxi instead.  I recall they got a significant penalty, like 24 hours or something, which pretty much eliminated them.

 

There's also been a few times where teams couldn't get anything close to the flights the other teams got, that they ended up almost a day behind the other teams.

[blackwing]

Yes, I think the mercy elimination by Phil has happened quite a number of times.

 

In Season 2, teams had to fly from Argentina (or some other South American country) to South Africa.  Teams found various ways to get there.  But somehow the Not So Gutsy Grannies ended up with a flight path that took them from South America to New York to London and then to South Africa.  By the time they got there, I believe they were told just to go to the Pit Stop and Phil eliminated them.

 

Lena and Kristy and the hay bales.  Phil came out to them in the dark and eliminated them.

 

Marshall and ?.  The Pizza brothers.  They had to dig for a scarab in the sand and either they quit or Phil just came and eliminated them.

 

Basically, any time you see Phil at a task location, it's not a good thing.  In this season and the last season, Phil has started randomly showing up at places to film bits as the leading team runs past him, but those teams should know they are near the front and don't have anything to worry about.

[kassygreene]

There was also a very early season (maybe even season1), where a mother/daughter team was supposed to either find/drive a car or take a bus to the next point on the route.  It wasn't labeled a "detour", just a choice of which method to take.  They couldn't find the car, after hours of looking and the daughter refused to take the long/crowded/uncomfortable bus ride, so they hired a taxi instead.  I recall they got a significant penalty, like 24 hours or something, which pretty much eliminated them.

 

That was Nancy and Emily, also known as Momily.  The cars were parked inside an area, and the streets marking the boundaries were named in the clue.  But they apparently mis-read it as the cars would be parked on one of those streets...  They had a crappy day - the last leg in India ended with them and the Guidos at least six hours behind the lead teams, and they wound up exiting India six or more hours behind.  Then they and Guido were competing for the FF at the same time, and the Guidos got it.  The heartbreak of that was the Guidos had been spending all their money, so when they got the FF they had to take that slow bus, and wound up being more than twelve hours behind the lead team.  Season 1 at the end had badly set up legs (as I've prosed on about elsewhere), and on the next leg the Guidos didn't even start before the two lead teams checked in to the next pit stop...

 

Yes, I think the mercy elimination by Phil has happened quite a number of times.

 

In Season 2, teams had to fly from Argentina (or some other South American country) to South Africa.  Teams found various ways to get there.  But somehow the Not So Gutsy Grannies ended up with a flight path that took them from South America to New York to London and then to South Africa.  By the time they got there, I believe they were told just to go to the Pit Stop and Phil eliminated them.

...

Marshall and ?.  The Pizza brothers.  They had to dig for a scarab in the sand and either they quit or Phil just came and eliminated them.

I believe to get from South America to South Africa you usually wind up going to Europe - Show tends to not show that.  The Grannies missed a connection in NY, IIRC, and lost a day - in an immigration transit lounge.  The race was still doing 12 hour pit stops, and they added 24 hours to that one, letting the other teams rest, recreate, and mingle.

 

The hay bale task - that girl would not quit.  And they figure she unrolled most of the hay bales.  I think she might have missed a clue, although not hitting a clue-bale is still a possibility (just not a probability), but at any rate they brought Phil out there to stop her.  Girl had Game.

 

The pizza brothers quit on the scarab dig, mostly because one of them had been having ever-increasing problems with his knee (serious problems, but Phil was still irritated), because he had new shoes for the race, and he had not broken them in (oh, yeah, that's one of the Amazing Race rules - break in your shoes before the race starts!).  I believe they were the first team to quit in the field.

[luna70]

I have NOT watched ALL the seasons of the AMAZING RACE.. I skipped a few seasons after 'Team Cowboys', appearing not the 1st time, but one of the other times, were, what I deemed, unfairly eliminated because TAR was always changing the rules on penalties, sharing info, and when and where they put those (and I am sorry, I can NEVER remember the names TAR assigns to the various things on the show, but ..) 'turn arounds' where a team has to do both detours.. and this one was right before the check in with PHIL.. and it WAS an elimination round!

 

THIS EPISODE? Of course, the team (and I am sorry, forgot their names) who left their fannybags in the BLUE CAR.. when they switched to an automatic.. MADE a MAJOR BOO BOO , breaking one of the top rules on TAR.. (#1-NEVER EVER let your fannypack leave your butt or your eyes-'cause w/o your passport and $$-U AINT going NOWHERE!)... but.. they waited .. calmly.. for the car.. and the other team STUFFED the FP under the seat.. and DENIED they saw it! IF.. the team did not go over and look.. and grab their FP.. Are we to think the other team would have driven off with it still in the car?

 

I THOUGHT the lies were on the boarder .. for a penalty.. OR.. would TAR have waited until the other team continued to lie and drove off with them? THEN.. given a penalty?

 

I really wish the penalties were .. well, more defined.. because one season. 'THIS' gets a penalty, but the season after.. 'THAT' which is almost, but not exactly like 'THIS' did not get a penalty.. Of course, if you do not do a detour (or whatever) that still gets a penalty.. but, yes, the time seems to be different.. BUT.. the 2 hours Bergen and Kurt took.. so what.. w/o a car.. I think  most of us knew that they were going down this episode-UNLESS-Rochelle and Mike got sooo lost.. Even not being able to drive that car.. that next thing we saw.. They were entering Italy or something!

 

But, I agree with some posters..At least 'Kurt' seemed more out of casting, or, that TAR found him off a 'dating site', i.e. 'Looking for love? What to go on a world wide adventure?'.. Because it seemed like he never ever watched a full season of TAR, certainly NEITHER knew the unwritten laws of TAR! (shift driving, swimming, etc.)..But, neither do a few other of these 'blind date' contestants!

 

We are how far into this season.. and I have CBS.com .. Amazing meeting the contestants .. up -so I can reference them at least a bit. Because, I cannot name even one of them. Granted, I told you, I am bad with the names of tasks, etc. But, other seasons, I could give you nicknames of teams.. These teams? Blind date annoying, blind date even more annoying, etc. etc. and Not a blind date but how the hell are they still together dating!  I can guarantee that NONE of these blind date teams will be together afterwards, and that who ever put these people together did so on 2 characteristics-#1)careers/jobs #2) physical attributes . i.e. Oh, we have a Resident, lets put the R.N. with him! And, the 2 lawyers? PERFECT! Never ever thinking that -a-2 people who work in hospitals might not want to be together (or in court) because they do not want to come home and have only THAT to talk about! (and as a disabled R.N.-I did not see to many 'matchups' with Drs., nurses, or any other hospital workers!).  And, at least for the 'white people' -It was blondes with blondes, dark haired persons with dark haired persons! Almost like 'Casting' had 8 year olds in and had them play a game of 'matching'.!!

 

I doubt we will EVER see this blind date TAR race again.. UNLESS. TAR let's the contestants meet a few days prior to the race and let the PICK their own teammates! TAR-why don't you try that?

[J-Man]

 

THIS EPISODE? Of course, the team (and I am sorry, forgot their names) who left their fannybags in the BLUE CAR.. when they switched to an automatic..

No one switched to an automatic. All of the cars had manual transmissions. They switched because the car they had originally chosen was more difficult to extricate from its parking space.

[Ducky]

 

Btw. driving a stick shift is not hard at all.

 

   For you maybe.  Not for everyone. My first attempt failed miserably.

 

  And I will gladly eat my words if a friend of mine who has promised to teach me how to drive succeeds in doing so.  (I have had at least 2 people say they'd teach me #1 dropped out of my life for 10 years #2 is on the other side of the country... well for now who knows where my next job is...)

[backformore]

   For you maybe.  Not for everyone. My first attempt failed miserably.

 

  And I will gladly eat my words if a friend of mine who has promised to teach me how to drive succeeds in doing so.  (I have had at least 2 people say they'd teach me #1 dropped out of my life for 10 years #2 is on the other side of the country... well for now who knows where my next job is...)

Driving school!   take lessons, it's the best way to learn it. 

[Jersey Guy 87]

I learned to drive a stick by renting a car in San Fransisco - if you can drive a stick there you can drive one anywhere. My father figured better Hertz buy a new clutch rather than him.

[Ducky]

 

Driving school!   take lessons, it's the best way to learn it.

unfortunately I can't afford it at this time...between the fees and hassling to get an interpreter.. lol.

 

Maybe sometime down the line.

[Camera One]

I don't find it easy either.  Twice someone has tried to teach me.  Though, granted, the lessons were only 5 minutes each, and I was only trying to back a car out of a driveway and parking it somewhere else.  I still can't remember the order of what to do.  That's why I'm curious if those guys could have figured it out if they didn't give up.

Edited April 11, 2015 by Camera One

[Special K]

The thing is, if you don't drive a standard often, it can be hard at first to adjust to the specific car's clutch.  They all feel different.