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

[Tara Ariano]

The race continues in Bavaria, Germany, where teams strap on lederhosen for Oktoberfest. One duo's race is threatened when they lose a fanny pack.

[hincandenza]

From the precap of episode 3 (when Matt proposed to Ashley):

 

The race continues in Phuket, Thailand, where one team forgets their fanny pack, which puts them behind. Later, one racer celebrates the end of a leg by popping a very special question.

 

Jeez.  Maybe these people ought to invest in a higher quality, secure fanny pack before coming onto The Amazing Race.

[cooksdelight]

Who goes on the Amazing Race without learning how to drive a stick shift? Those guys, that's who. Did they think someone would make a special exception for them? Poor Phil had to go find them in the train station.

At least Mike and Rochelle had a sense of humor about their lack of driving ability. I really hope they win at this point.

It was painful watching the crate challenge. On paper, it looked like the easier challenge to the teams, I would guess. I kind of liked when some of the women got water dumped on them at the singing challenge. "She's certainly no Beyonce." I think they gave Jenny her clue just to get her to stop singing.

Free Blair!!

[ShadowSixx]

Cute pink cabs, makes me want to go to Thailand just to take one lol. 

 

I don't understand how you try out to be on the Race and don't learn how to drive a stick shift. You have to at least learn how to drive one because when given a car to drive around the city 9 times out of 10 it will be a stick shift. Kurt & Bergen taking a cab, not such a good thing. a 2 hour penalty is just too lengthy.

 

Stein detour seemed like the easiest because I've carried a lot of beer mugs before, not 20 but it seems they only held 10 each so it wouldn't be bad. Impressed with Blair carrying 14 beer mugs while Hayley is just a klutz.  I'm not cutting her any slack because she's so annoying. I'm waiting on the day when Blair just puts her on blast. He has more restraint than I do, because I would have already choked her.

 

Roadblock of singing in a different language, I've seen those Roadblocks before throughout the seasons and they can be difficult. Most of them were surprisingly able to pull it off without going back so many times. 

 

Aly & Steve ran a really good leg. Kurt and Bergen just waiting for Phil at the train station was lol, but I guess it's better than being lost and Phil having to search for them. Then they walk separate ways when exiting the train station. Ok.

 

I liked the behind the scenes look of creating the Winter Wonderland and they only have 72 hours to to build it. We're a couple of episodes in and I still don't know all their names. That's bad lol.

[bmoore4026]

I was too focused on all the beer dropping, off-tone singing, and lederhosen wearing to notice Team Blonde Date hating each other.

 

And, even though I'm a teetotaler, I mourn the loss of all that beer.

 

Next episode: Pretty clothes and chasm tightrope walking.  Gonna be a tense one!

[Peanut]

First rule of Amazing Race: Learn to drive a stick.  (#2 is learn to swim)  

 

Could the other of Bergen/Kurt (I can't tell them apart) attempt to drive the car?  I mean, if the first one couldn't get the hang of it, maybe the other one could?  

 

Also, ladies, learn how to make your point, have it acknowledged AND THEN LET IT GO.  If one of you gets pushed off a cliff next week, you have only yourselves to blame.  

[lianau]

This show is on its 26th season . There is no excuse not to know how to drive stick

[truthaboutluv]

Free Blair...please free Blair. Man seriously, to think I defended Hayley at the start of the season but my goodness woman, SHUT THE HELL UP!!! Gee I wonder why she's single. I loved Blair telling Phil he felt as small as the little bit of grass between Phil's legs and his saying he signed up so he won't quit and will stick it out but sometimes he just wanted to run away. Poor man.

 

I cracked up at Tyler saying he would take sitting there with no fanny pack all day over having to put up with Hayley and calling her the Wicked Witch. I honestly could not even figure out what Hayley was screaming about when they started driving. She seemed to just be bitching and screaming at Blair for no reason. I honestly wondered if he was saying something to her we couldn't hear or the editors didn't show because if not, she just looked like a crazy person. 

 

Well the elimination was a given the moment Kurt and Bergern left their car, no matter how late Team Truck Stop finished because at least they completed the tasks. Kurt and Bergern were just taking taxis and trains around doing none of the tasks. I get Bergern's frustration but he should have just ignored Kurt if he really believed he could make it driving the car and finished. He agreed to quit and then he puts it all on Kurt as the only one who gave up. The walking off in different directions at the end was classic, as was Kurt's diva walk off. 

Edited April 4, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[theabsolution]

Honestly if of were them, I wouldve just stuck it in first gear and just tried at least.

Why didn't they do that?

[nottopbravo]

I'd have been really pissed if the two quitters had not been eliminated from the race.

[TheRabbi]

I actually found this to be a highly entertaining episode, definitely the best one so far.

 

 

Who goes on the Amazing Race without learning how to drive a stick shift? Those guys, that's who.

 

Well it certainly doesn't help that these two were almost certainly recruited by the casting department instead of selected via regular auditions.  I agree though, almost every season someone is done in by that same predicament.  This season has really struggled with providing close finishes.  The premiere episode was the only episode that had any sort of doubt attached to last place.  This is 4 straight legs where one team has been hours behind.

 

I found the "behind the scenes" bit to be a bit odd.  It was certainly much appreciated that they actually acknowledge cameras and the like, but I guess I just assumed that these were actual landmarks the show films in, and not "sets".  That was an awful lot of trouble to go to just for a Ford advertisement.  I've been through some "Winter Wonderlands" locally myself, so I found it odd they turned a warehouse into one instead of using an existing landmark.

 

Poor Blair.  When Tyler and Laura were watching them, and he made some comment that i can't remember, but was clearly aimed at them noting "can you believe this chick?"

 

Overall, this shows that you can get still get good episodes in locations that have been done to death on the show.  The show might be obsessed with Germany, but this was a very good episode.

 

ETA:  The one thing I didn't like was that the teams have a GPS in the car and directions on their phones as well.  Well it certainly didn't help teams like Mike and Rochelle from getting lost regardless, its way too much assistance!

Edited April 4, 2015 by TheRabbi

[Guiaoshi]

Damm, 4th episode in a row where we have a team clearly in dead last?!! The only little suspense about this season is about the winning team since we dont have a clear front-runner, but the sequence of eliminations are the most boring from all seasons. About the eliminated team both gave up so not only a boring but a lame elimination. And I really feel the stress some of this guys have to handle with annoying woman screamming with annoying/high pitch voices over and over again about a point they want to make ( I´m just waiting for another predictable elimination once Blair gives up on the competition letting Haley lost on the highway)

Edited April 4, 2015 by Guiaoshi

[Lantern7]

Well, that was painful. It's hard to look for bright spots this week. To wit:

 

1. Hey, reindeer! And I think the one with the taskmistress tried to eat a clue.

 

2. The top two teams deserved their positions, running the race with little difficulty. Now if I can only be bothered to tell them apart from the rest of the herd.

 

3. The "Behind The Scenes" pseudo-commercial was pretty neat. Why not put a longer version online, like how Survivor shows how challenges are created?

 

4. Rochelle rocked. Sure, she and Mike can't drive stick, but she sucked up her fear of heights and managed to race another day. Bonus: they got the Date Night.

 

Everything else? Not Emmy-worthy. Stick mishaps, another lost fanny pack, and one team just peters out in the end, forcing a Phield Philimination. And Hayley. I bet Blair can put up with it like a champ. Otherwise, this show would be on ID, with a title like My Blind Date From Hell or something like that. Free Blair!

[Ducky]

Reindeer!!!

 

Ugh.  That was painful to watch Kurt and Bergen :(.  But you deserved it considering one of you just gave up and the other wasn't very supportive and gave up too.  I got the impression neither one of them could drive a stick shift which is why they decided on the taxi (somewhat smart but when a clue says to drive yourself to xyz.. you have to wonder... so in the end not such a smart move.

 

 Sorry still not feeling Mike and Rochelle.. I don't know why... just... not that into them and I don't think they're long for the race either.

 

  LOL @ the water dumping- even I as a deaf individual (some hearing though) knew some were way off kilter *screech*.

 

   Hayley omg... stop yammering!  I almost think Blair could have gotten the stack if she hadn't started talking..  Blair as you said at the end.. please run away from her.

 

  Jeff and Jackie... yikes.  They claim they are having a great relationship but from my view sure as hell didn't look like it at all.

 

  Jen and Jelani seem a bit better so still rooting for them.

 

Tyler and Laura .. well the couple with the MIA fanny pack... good grief.. the minute the person said "I took it off to get comfy" (or whatever it was he said)"   I said "never ever ever ever EVER take off the Amazing fanny pack!!!"  Never!  They were lucky. But had to laugh at his comment about Hayley-- even the other racers notice she is a motor mouth with absolutely nothing of value coming out.

 

Steve and Aly- awesome race- they blew through it and Aly aced that Stein detour- totally awesome.

 

If there were other racers... they kind of blended with the scenery.

Edited April 4, 2015 by Ducky

[enlightenedbum]

Stupid lame quitters are stupid and lame.

Very much like Aly and Steve, though "girl" is a weeeeeeeird term on endearment.  Of the women who tried the Stein, she's the only one who did half, right?

 

I think Matt and Ashley might be my second favorite at this point?  I've had to work hard to overcome that they look like they're going to be a bickering couple that drive me nuts.  But they're just not.  They're not really good racers, but they're endearingly goofy when they're incompetent.  Meanwhile I wish Mike and Rochelle were more competent.  They seem like lovely people, but have a tendency to fall behind and won't be saved by spectacular collapse much longer.

 

Of the blind daters, I think Tyler and Laura are the most appealing at this point.  Joined in snark against crazy people is a good way to win me over.  And not being assholes to each other when you make a huge mistake is a good sign.

 

Other three teams are not super fun to watch.

 

As for the course, I think that was pretty solid.  Detour was a thing that was difficult but done well gained you a lot of time vs. a thing you'll almost definitely finish with some experience at it but it will take some time.  Roadblock was fine, though I'm always a little skeptical about arbitrary judging tasks.  And if Ford wants to pay some bills to keep the show on the air, fine, whatever.

 

Weird to skip over like 180 degrees of longitude (Right? I always mix which is which up) though.

[cooksdelight]

ETA: The one thing I didn't like was that the teams have a GPS in the car and directions on their phones as well. Well it certainly didn't help teams like Mike and Rochelle from getting lost regardless, its way too much assistance!

They don't have cell phones.

And they were instructed not to use the GPS until one clue gave them the OK to use it.

[Ducky]

 

Of the women who tried the Stein, she's the only one who did half, right?

 

I think she was- of the three couples that did that detour- Aly and Steve I think split theirs pretty equally (22 total so 11 each?).  I'm not sure how many Ashley carried- looked like less than 10 but she got it in the first go.  Hayley carried 8 the first time through- might have tried for 9 or 10 the next two times.

[TheRabbi]

 

 

They don't have cell phones.

And they were instructed not to use the GPS until one clue gave them the OK to use it.

 

When Kurt and Bergen were struggling in their car, the guy in the back was definitely on the phone.  I assumed he was looking up directions, but on second thought, he had clearly thrown in the towel by that point so maybe he was taking a selfie or two.  I think the Olympians were using the Navigation right from the start if I'm not mistaken.  I wonder if they'll be penalized

[cooksdelight]

The phones are only equipped for taking selfies, I think. They have never in the past ever been able to use cell phones for directions or navigation. It's why you'll see them asking people where things are all over the place.

I'm rewatching now and Aly and Steve definitely used the GPS from the start, saying "This will help us get there faster." But nothing was ever said by Phil or anyone. Odd.

When Matt & Ashley finished the backward driving challenge, the clue said "You may now use the navigation system."

I really wonder why Aly and Steve weren't penalized.

[Bella]

Going on the Race without knowing how to drive stick is like going on the Race without pants.

Goodbye, Indistinguishable Gay Non-Couple.

I still like Jeff and Jackie. Knowing how to end a quarrel and move on without carrying a grudge is an important life skill. Hayley should take notes.

[lianau]

First rule of Amazing Race: Learn to drive a stick.  (#2 is learn to swim)  

 

 

I thought the first rule was : Read the clue .

[anhydrite]

The judges at the roadblock were pretty lenient; all of the racers were somewhat (or completely, in some cases) off-key. My ears were bleeding (although I shouldn't comment one's singing prowess since I'm the worst singer ever). Jackie and Blair were the saving grace of this portion of the episode.

 

Kudos to Rochell for not freaking out at the Detour, she seemed genuinly terrified. Too bad they keep bleeding time, because they look like they could become strong contenders if they stop getting lost all across the globe.

 

Flawless leg and well-deserved first place for the Olympians. We saw a bit more of them this week, but they are still way too under-edited.

 

Bickering couples. I thought J&J were going to tear each other, that was painful to watch with each of them trying to overtalk the other. At least they managed to shrug it off later. And Hayley continues to be nails-on-a-chalkboard grating. Albeit having a soecific personality isn't entirely her fault, she really could try to at least help it. At this point Blair is a saint not to snap at her. But I guess he's the kind of person to bottle-neck his feelings.

 

Having to watch Team Sweden hate each other was beyond painful. Mercy elimination for the two of them, but I don't think they would have lasted much longer anyways. At this point I doubt they'll ever see each other once they leave the Race for good.

 

I finally managed to pinpoint what bothers me about this concept, is that it is much too stereotypical, especially in the blind dates. Attractive women who look somewhat helpless because they are paired with a buff guy who can do the hard work. Rochelle and Aly (and maybe Jenny) look like the only ones who would show off their strength and not pawn off all the hard work to the guy. At least most of them seem to work as a fully-functional team and not just a guy and his subordinate.

 

What else to say? That white reindeer was so cute, Phil commenting on Steve's bad rowing was equally cute, the costumes were very nice. Too bad we didn't get to see a man have water dumped on him.

 

ETA:

I really wonder why Aly and Steve weren't penalized.

 

Maybe they were but the penalty wasn't shown since they seemed to be pretty far ahead and it didn't change their placement.

 

Speaking of penalties, why did Team Sweden have only two hours of penalty? I thought skipping an additionnal task was four hours. Maybe they got the two hours since they possibly couldn't complete the challenge because they left their car behind. Penalties have always been a bit wonky on this show. I wish they could explain them a bit more like it was done during early seasons.

Edited April 4, 2015 by anhydrite

[ML89]

Honestly, I think you could give some of these teams an iPhone and Sir Jony Ive to help and they still couldn't find places.

Free Blair - I'm sure he's thinking that med school/residency was good training for putting up with Hayley.

Team Showgirl - she can sing but that bit with the fanny pack was needlessly obnoxious. I'd've cussed them out as I drove away, but then again, never leave your fanny pack is rule #2.

Of course, rule #1 is learn to drive stick. I could never tell those two apart, but why didn't the other guy try and drive? or did I miss it?

Go Team Sochi.

[TheRabbi]

 

Roadblock of singing in a different language, I've seen those Roadblocks before throughout the seasons and they can be difficult. Most of them were surprisingly able to pull it off without going back so many times.

 

In this case, they were clearly allowed to have the lyrics in front of them.  Usually the RB is more of a memorization task (the singing in Austria in s23 and the poem-recital in Wales in s24 come to mind), but this was more about a performance apparently.

[dustoffmom]

I will never, ever understand people who enter this race without first learning to drive a stick.....exactly the same as going on Survivor and not knowing how to make fire.  Season after season after season those tasks prove vital.  Ignorant!

Edited April 4, 2015 by dustoffmom

[kaygeeret]

Stein detour seemed like the easiest because I've carried a lot of beer mugs before, not 20 but it seems they only held 10 each so it wouldn't be bad

 

  Each of the steins hold a liter of beer, plus they are HEAVY, HEAVY glass.  My jaw was down on the ground the entire time I was in Munich watching the waitresses, yes they were all women in my day, carry a minimum of 6 steins to tables.  I had never in my life lifted a glass of anything as heavy as my one stein of beer!  Not for a minute could I have carried 6 at one time much less 11.

 

Can it be said enough?  LEARN TO DRIVE STICK_____LEARN TO SWIM!    Sigh!

 

I have been done with Haley for forever, but in this episode she literally failed at every single thing she tried and STILL NEVER SHUT UP and never stopped with the criticizing and "suggestions".

 

I very much loved the other team, who I find enjoyable, sitting outside the warehouse and making jokes about her. 

 

FREE BLAIR!

 

Lord, How bad must it be that he is saying he made a commitment and he will stick to it - -sounds like there are plenty of times he has wanted to walk? gallop? RUN to the nearest exit.....I for one would stand up and applaud.  HE has lasted far longer than I ever would have - without a whole lot of booze or pot to get me thru!

Question: So far we have seen Blair do most of the tasks - three in this epi alone.

 

Has the rule that each member of the team must do half of the tasks been deleted?

[Donny Ketchum]

Another okay episode, though yeah, the tension was lost once the elimination wasn't in doubt.  I loved the Detour, and the Roadblock was fine, but not wonderful.  If it'd been more judged on musicality like that Vienna Boys Choir in TAR23, it might've been better.

 

Now for the teams:

 

Aly & Steve: A clear-cut, well-deserved, highly decisive win!  They just hit all the right marks!  They navigated perfectly (helped by the GPS, but still . . .), did all of their tasks perfectly, Aly took failing the Roadblock with dignity, and they won cars as their prize!  Great job!  I really love these two and think that their win was a long time coming!

 

Matt & Ashley: Now that Matt's not being annoying, he and Ashley are growing on me.  They didn't do their tasks as perfectly as Aly & Steve, but for the most part, I'm impressed with how well they raced.  They kept their cool, Ashley surprisingly knocked out her part of the Stein Detour, and she finished that Roadblock very well, as well!  Good job!  Two preexisting dating couples were at the top this time!  Nice!

 

Jeff & Jackie: Got lost trying to find the cars, but other than that, it wasn't too bad.  They did the in-reverse task well, and they did the Stack Detour well, too.  Jackie knocked out that Roadblock with no huge problems.  My one gripe is that they lied to Laura & Tyler about their fanny pack, but at the same time . . . it's a race, and any mistake made by one team can and should be another team's gain.  Decent, well-deserved third place.

 

Jelani & Jenny: Glad Jenny's calmed back down this week.  They seemed to get lost at one point, and it looked like Jelani had problems driving stick.  Still, they rocked out the Stack Detour, and Jenny took failing the Roadblock in good spirits.  Decent fourth-place finish.  Good job, guys.

 

Hayley & Blair: Yeah, I'm kinda over Hayley now and can see why Blair wants to run away.  She was a real pill the whole leg through.  She should've toughed out that Stein Detour.  No need to switch at all.  Nonetheless, Blair rocked out the Stack Detour, and he seemed to be the only one to knock out the Roadblock on his first try, so well done!  Good fifth place.

 

Laura & Tyler: They seem to be the most functional blind date couple.  But they're also the blandest one because of it.  And apparently the one who can start out in such a good lead, but make a terrible mistake or two and lose that lead.  This week, it was the fanny pack.  They got lucky that they found it in Jeff & Jackie's car.  After that, no huge mistakes followed.  They did the Stack Detour in a good enough amount of time, and Laura did the Roadblock well enough.  Without the fanny pack snafu, they probably would've won the leg.

 

Mike & Rochelle: Well, here's another team not particularly good at driving stick.  But at least they stuck to it.  (Unlike the team below them, coming up next.)  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.

 

Bergen & Kurt: Ugh.  Welcome to the First-to-Worst Club, gentlemen.  Other than that, not much to say about quitters.  Yes, Bergen, Kurt quit.  But you did nothing to stop him from quitting and instead relented and quit with him.  The fact that Phil had to come out and eliminate you two speaks volumes about how badly you raced this leg.  You should've kept with it just like Mike & Rochelle did, not quit the whole race, quitters.  In the end, you guys were so incompetent, you didn't even reach the Detour or the Roadblock!  Like someone else said above, I'd have been pissed if this were an NEL and you two weren't eliminated.

 

Once again, okay episode.  Could've been better, though.  Looking forward to the first-ever Monaco visit next week, though!

Edited April 4, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[cooksdelight]

Aly & Steve: A clear-cut, well-deserved, highly decisive win! They just hit all the right marks! They navigated perfectly (helped by the GPS, but still .

Donny, I think using the GPS before they were allowed to may come back to bite them.

[Donny Ketchum]

Speaking of penalties, why did Team Sweden have only two hours of penalty? I thought skipping an additionnal task was four hours.

It's two hours for a Route Info task, four hours for a Roadblock, and six hours for a Detour.

Donny, I think using the GPS before they were allowed to may come back to bite them.

If it were, we'd have seen it by now.  I'm guessing nothing in their clues said that they couldn't.

[cooksdelight]

Well, sometimes they get hit with it during the start of the next leg. At any rate, the clue they received after the backward driving task definitely said "You may now use your navigation system."

[anhydrite]

@Donny Ketchum: I'm pretty sure I saw a team get a 4-hour penalty for not completing a Route Marker task, but it's too late to search for it so I'm going to take your word for it.

[joanne3482]

@Lantern7 did you recognize that crate detour? That's the same thing they did recently on The Challenge!

[leighdear]

I'm a knitter, so I was pretty much entranced by the cable-knit sweaters and vests the guys were wearing, and the boiled-wool (felted) jackets the ladies were wearing.  *sigh*  For about 75% of the show.

 

The other 25% I was thinking "Kurt & Bergin were a BAD match", "WOW! Jenny has a great voice for German folk songs" and "Did I buy enough beer for this weekend?" 

[Donny Ketchum]

Oh!  Something else to add!

 

I find it absolutely delicious that after the casting director saw fit to cast two gay teams (men's teams), but no lesbian teams (women's teams) this season, both gay teams went out back-to-back and before the race was even halfway over!  Harley & Jonathan left in ninth place, and now, Bergen & Kurt in eighth!  Ha!

 

Serves the show right!

Edited April 4, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[kaygeeret]

Did I buy enough beer for this weekend

 

 

OMG - no I did not leighdear!

 

Off to the store!  Thanks for the reminder

[viajero]

I actually really enjoyed this leg, even despite the lack of suspense about who was going home.  It was entertaining and the teams finished in the order that reflected how well they ran the leg.

 

I finally managed to pinpoint what bothers me about this concept, is that it is much too stereotypical, especially in the blind dates. Attractive women who look somewhat helpless because they are paired with a buff guy who can do the hard work. Rochelle and Aly (and maybe Jenny) look like the only ones who would show off their strength and not pawn off all the hard work to the guy. At least most of them seem to work as a fully-functional team and not just a guy and his subordinate.

 

 

I would add Jacky to this list.  She may be petite and not very physically strong, but she has held up her own so far.  I also think it´s a good sign that she and Jeff were able to put their little spat behind them so quickly.  He was being a bit of a petulant brat, but once she called him on it, he calmed down and they seemed to be getting along just fine by the time they got to their next task.

[Starchild]

Someone remind me why Kurt "doesn't need the money". Who doesn't even try for a half-mil?

[Rick Kitchen]

Jackie had a good voice.

 

Phil sounds like he has a cold.

 

Ugh, Hayley is beyond my last nerve.

[Alapaki]

I think even if I applied to be on the Amazing Race just to find a love connection, and even if I got paired up with Abby Lee Miller, I'd still at least try to win the Million Dollar Prize rather than quitting half-way through.

 

I don't know whether it would be better if there was something more behind the scenes to that interaction, or not.  Because as it is, the quitter guy just seemed like a chicken-shit to me.

[sportsgirl]

Love the way that Aly & Steve raced, that Tyler & Laura didn't lose it/turn on each other after the fanny pack mishap, and that Rochelle & Mike powered through bad driving/directions. Balanced the discomfort of Jeff & Jackie's freakout and Bergen & Kurt's ridiculous decision to walk away from their car and basically quit the Race.

 

Was there a reason that Tyler & Laura abandoned car #1 (other than driving it onto the curb, which would have taken less time to remedy then completely switching cars)? I thought maybe some were stick and some were not (or maybe they thought that?), and some had navigation from the start (like Aly & Steve) and some did not, but there was no mention of any variation among the cars, I don't think. Jeff & Jackie did exactly the wrong thing with the found fanny pack -- if they wanted an advantage, they should have used it to garner a future favor from Tyler & Laura rather than play dumb which didn't gain them anything.

 

OK, so Blair can sing, too? He's book smart, good looking, strong, athletically inclined, and the dude can carry a tune?! I'm starting to think that the guy who is perfect at everything probably needed to be paired up with someone who would make him feel like a blade of grass. Maybe I've watched too many Sandra Bullock movies, but Blair & Hayley are characters in search of a romantic comedy.

[Rinaldo]

Maybe they were [penalized for using GPS] but the penalty wasn't shown since they seemed to be pretty far ahead and it didn't change their placement.

My own theory, which I admit is entirely speculation, is that right after saying "Oh, we've got GPS! that'll make it easier!", they noticed that the clue forbade it and immediately turned it off. Otherwise we surely would have seen them given a time penalty at the end of the leg. If that's true, though, I wonder why the scene was edited so we saw only that part. I can see wanting to let us know the cars were equipped, but this was very confusing.

[theschnauzers]

ETA:

 

Maybe they were but the penalty wasn't shown since they seemed to be pretty far ahead and it didn't change their placement.

 

Speaking of penalties, why did Team Sweden have only two hours of penalty? I thought skipping an additionnal task was four hours. Maybe they got the two hours since they possibly couldn't complete the challenge because they left their car behind. Penalties have always been a bit wonky on this show. I wish they could explain them a bit more like it was done during early seasons.

It's been established as far back as TAR 15 that an active route marker task (such as the "Winter Wonderland" task) has a two hour penalty for quitting or not completing the task. Bergen and Kurt would have received additional penalties for not self-driving to the other locations, even if they had completed the detour and roadblock. And it also appeared that using mass transit such as trains and taxis did not help them time wise, either.

Edited April 6, 2015 by theschnauzers

[Rinaldo]

Was there a reason that Tyler & Laura abandoned car #1

It seemed like the reason was that it was parked at the curb behind another car, so they would have had to back up first. They found it easier to choose a car with just empty space in front of it, so they could drive forward to leave.

[mtlchick]

"I can't drive stick!" "I give up!" "Let's take a cab!  BTW I still don't feel anything for you!"  JESUS.  So glad they're gone though Phil had to go 'track them down' at the station to give the mercy elimination where he clearly wanted a nap.

 

I'll forget the fanny pack debacle because at least they remained mostly calm about it and rationalize that someone would show up with it.  But FREE BLAIR ASAP.  

[silverpie]

"I'll forget the fanny pack debacle because at least they remained mostly calm about it and rationalize that someone would show up with it."

 

Normally that would be true, but with Bergen & Kurt not getting a car there, it wasn't guaranteed (although that was not to be expected at the time). In fact, for a while I thought that had actually happened...

[90PercentGravity]

I was kind of hoping Phil would tell them it was a non-elimination leg but since they gave up they were out anyway.

 

The judges at the roadblock were pretty lenient; all of the racers were somewhat (or completely, in some cases) off-key.

 

I don't think they were too concerned with key. I think they just had to get the words and the melody right.

 

I'm pretty new to this show (first full season), is one of the requirements that you have no foreign language skills at all?

[Lantern7]

@Lantern7 did you recognize that crate detour? That's the same thing they did recently on The Challenge!

For some reason, I thought it was Survivor. Was that a Dome challenge? The episodes kind of blur together for me, and I don't really want TAR and The Challenge to mix under any circumstances.

[selkie]

Finally I get to say 'hey, I've been there for an episode of TAR'- got a brief glimpse of the front of the glockenspiel, and the place where they had the Focuses looked an awful lot like a parking lot we ended up in when trying to find the rental car drop-off by the train station.

 

And I'm also trying to figure out why one of the teams seemed to have a plastic bag from a FC Bayern Munich gift shop in the car trunk. Was there a missing intermediate task not shown in the name of showing more of the fellas' most bogus non-car journey through Bavaria?

 

It will probably take an hour and a half to clear immigration & customs and take the train from the airport out in the boonies to the center of Munich. (And I suspect that Blair wishes he would have spent an extra five minutes in one of the 'adult shops' near the main train station picking up a ball gag for Hailey) so not surprising the teams seemed to be dragging on top of the long flight.  And while Munich is not the worst big city in the world to drive in and German drivers are generally quite good, the center of the city is a maze of streets closed to car traffic, one way rads, and all that fun stuff, so it was probably not easy navigating out to the warehouse.

[millennium]

 The walking off in different directions at the end was classic, as was Kurt's diva walk off. 

 

I saw nothing classic about it.   It was a disgrace.   An insult to the show that gave them this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and an insult to all the people who would have loved the chance to be there, including teams that have already been eliminated. 

 

I couldn't help but be reminded of Colton Cumby.

I'll forget the fanny pack debacle because at least they remained mostly calm about it and rationalize that someone would show up with it.  But FREE BLAIR ASAP.  

 

I laughed when another team came up to them and said "What's up?" and the guy responds, "just hangin' out."    Like it was the most natural thing in the world to be doing on the Amazing Race.

[woodscommaelle]

Going on the Race without knowing how to drive stick is like going on the Race without pants.

Odd as it may seem, I think it would be possible to run the race without pants.  ;)  But driving a stick is a necessity!

 

How have I not 'noticed' Tyler up until this episode?  He is really freaking cute!

 

And yes, I would also like to know why the one kid of the eliminated team didn't need a million dollars.  What's his story?

For some reason, I thought it was Survivor. Was that a Dome challenge? The episodes kind of blur together for me, and I don't really want TAR and The Challenge to mix under any circumstances.

Yes, a Dome Challenge.  It was a to-be-continued episode as well, if I'm not mistaken.