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

[joanne3482]

If you are going to take off your fanny pack to get comfortable or make a wardrobe change or for any other reason, then clip your pack onto you partners pack or onto your belt loop - Never, ever let it be not attached to your team in some way. 

 

 

Can they not stuff it into their backpacks? They don't often forget/lose the backpacks until the end. It seems like attaching it to the big giant thing makes sense. (Although now that I think about it IIRC there was a team whose taxi took off with the backpacks).

 

I like the team that lost the fanny pack and was not fond of Kurt and Bergen, but I still wish the lost fanny pack would have been in Kurt and Bergen's abandoned car, just to see what would have happened.  Would fanny pack losers have to wander all over town looking for the car?

 

 

That would have been hysterical. Sad and frustrating for the fannypack losers but hysterical. 

[proserpina65]

Kurt completely gave up when he decided there was no romantic spark with Bergen, and didn't even bother to try in Germany.

 

Also, it's AR #26, and people STILL don't learn to drive stick first?

 

I would never take off the Amazing Fanny Pack; I'd sleep in that sucker.

 

For the most part I enjoyed this episode.  The tasks were cute and fun to watch.  Plus, Jackie could really sing!  Although if someone decided to gag Hayley, I wouldn't mind a bit.  She hadn't really gotten on my nerves before now, but that was kinda brutal.

[proserpina65]

I also have complete sympathy for those who didn't know stick. "Oh they applied, they should have practiced before the race"--whatever.  We all lead busy lives.  We all say we're going to do things that we end up not doing.  You apply for the show, maybe half a dozen times even, and you have no idea if you're gonna get picked, and you forget about it and life goes on, and then maybe they suddenly call and you have two weeks before you fly to LA.  And maybe it's not so easy to find a car owner that's gonna let you mangle their car as you practice.

 

I have no sympathy for them.  It's the 26th go-round of AR.  The people applying to be on it should've seen at least one season by now, and should know the chances of having to drive stick are extremely high.  I'd be working on that from the moment I even thought about applying, not waiting until I got picked.

[Boilergal]

I loved that they gave us the perspective of other teams of Hailey -   I liked how Blair took a minute to check in with Tyler and Laura - he seems to really like the other people on the race, just not the person his is stuck with. 

 

Tyler and Laura cracked me up just hanging out on car like it weren't no thang.

 

Kurt and Bergren pouting in the train station like a couple 2 year olds- wonder if the camera men were sick of their crap and said sit your asses there till Dad shows up.

 

As they were delivering the beer -  I sadly realized what German genetics I didn't inherit - 

[proserpina65]

Wow, it's 2015 and the contestants still don't know hot to drive a stick shift. I wish people who can only drive automatic cars weren't allowed anywhere near manual cars like in most countries that are not the USA. Btw. driving a stick shift is not hard at all.

It's the rolling backwards on hills thing that trips up some of us.  I can drive stick in an emergency, but otherwise that hill thing gives me the heebie-jeebies . . . that'd change, of course, the minute I decided to apply for AR.

[Taylorh2]

The 'Greeter & the reindeer are suppose to be Elsa from the movie FROZEN ?

Edited April 6, 2015 by Taylorh2

[Taylorh2]

I left the room for awhile. so i'm confused about why Bergen & Kurt were just sitting at the train station, and how long had they been there?

[proserpina65]

Again, you just are watching the worst edition of TAR ever.

 

I absolutely disagree that this is the worst season ever.  I mean, it's not great, and very far from the best Races, but it has yet to come close to the Edition Which Must Not Be Named.

[Jersey Guy 87]

A couple potentially unpopular opinions: I'm not on the #FreeBlair train, because while Hayley is annoying, I don't think Blair is any prize either. The contempt he has for Hayley is palpable, deserved or not. I don't find him particularly scintillating television or a even a nice person. I don't feel like without Hayley, Blair would suddenly turn into a witty, gregarious person and be able to live up to his full potential. She's loud and obnoxious, but he's supercilious and dull. I'm team #BreakThemUpBecauseTheyHateEachOther.

 

I also want to like Mike and Rochelle, but every time she brings up her kid and how much she wants to have "his education paid for," I'm like "This is not The Amazing Charity Case." Couples without kids need the money just as much, thank you. Having a kid doesn't mean you deserve it any more than anyone else.

 

I agree with both of these assessments - Blair never tried to be race partners with Hayley, he dismissed her from the start.  She tried way too hard which pushed Blair even further away.  He initially ignored her input, which pissed her off  At this point the two of them hate each other and neither is making any attempt to make the race relationship work.  Blair really hasn't changed - he's ignoring her and acting above it all. Hayley has gone from trying too hard to actively sabotaging any chance of things working.

 

And Rochelle saying she needs to win because she has a kid has bugged me since the beginning.  You should have a plan on how to handle your financial needs that doesn't involve winning a reality TV show.  Because you're probably not winning.

 

 

I'm with you on that.  Plus, I think Hayley's shrillness now stemmed from Blair's early treatment of her.  If he'd treated her more like an equal early on, then I have no doubt that she wouldn't be acting the way she currently is.

 

So yes, Hayley has gotten annoying, and I am over her.  Like, greatly so.  But Blair started this whole thing, so I can't give him much sympathy.  It's amazing so many people are.

 

 

Yeah, Blair (from what we were shown) started the bad relationship, Hayley has escalated it to a whole new level.  I think Hayley has gone way to far, at this point, but I don't see Blair as blameless.  Instead of Free Blair how about Free the Viewers?

 

I'm very curious if the Olympians actually used the GPS from the get-go and if so why there was no penalty.

 

[needschocolate]

Watch this and let me know. She just goes on and on!! I was on team Hayley at the start but not any more. How can she blame him for not knowing where they are going when she is supposed to be navigating and him driving? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qn__Eo4h58

 

At first, I just kept focusing on Haley - too hard to ignore.  I decided that maybe I could pay more attention to Blair if I watched with an opinion in mind - so I tried my best to focus on Blair while thinking of him as a good guy stuck with a shrew as a partner, then I tried my best to focus on Blair while thinking of him as a jerk stuck with shrew as a partner.

 

It is easy to see how someone would think of him as nice guy who is trying to deal with being paired with an overbearing, insulting, screeching banshee.  However, if I watch while thinking of him as a jerk, I can see how he could be considered passive aggressive and that he seems to enjoy the attention he is getting being paired with her (working the martyr angle) - at times it looks like he is intentionally trying to set her off, rather than calm her down (it still doesn't make her look good).  

 

However, I cannot stand her and if I go with the theory that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" then, if it is a choice between Team Blair and Team Haley, I am definitely Team Blair.  If the choice is between Team Blair and Not Team Blair (without having to be Team Haley), it is more difficult to pick, because, despite trying my best to focus on him, she is so overwhelmingly difficult to look away from.

 

However, if I consider what I would do if I were paired with Haley and all that comes with her, I realize I would probably behave quite similarly to how Blair is behaving now.  Haley is a bully.  What is the best way to deal with a bully? - act like it doesn't bother you. In real life, this usually takes the fun out of bullying, and the bully stops bothering you and moves to another target.  But Haley can't move on - they are partners, and the acting like it doesn't bother you, makes her more upset - and if she were my partner, I would be fine with that - it is a way to fight back.   If I were tethered to someone who is constantly berating me, telling me how stupid I am, and blaming me for everything - even blaming me in advance for what may go wrong in the future - I would want to get back at her, make her feel bad (it may be petty, but I think of it as protecting my sanity).  

 

Therefore, I am Team Blair

 

And Rochelle saying she needs to win because she has a kid has bugged me since the beginning.  You should have a plan on how to handle your financial needs that doesn't involve winning a reality TV show.  Because you're probably not winning.

 

I like Rochelle, so I assume that she was asked "Why do you need to win the race?" Reality shows seem to love to play up the single mother angle.  It may be impossible to count the number of people on reality competition shows that need to win because they are a single mother or who need to win because they were raised by a single mother.  

Edited April 6, 2015 by needschocolate

[TV Anonymous]

I absolutely disagree that this is the worst season ever.  I mean, it's not great, and very far from the best Races, but it has yet to come close to the Edition Which Must Not Be Named.

 

Which is...?

 

If you mean TAR 8 (Family Edition) I have to wholeheartedly disagree with you, since I think looking at the dynamics of the families is rather endearing. As well, that season showcased parts of the United States not usually on tourist maps.

[green]

The Family Edition had Mama Paolo at whose lasagna none of the people in this season are worthy to gaze at let alone taste.  And why shouldn't we "name" the Family Edition?  Lousy locations in the main and never ever have four people talking over each other but some of the cast like the Paolo family and the Florida crazy woman and kids family were interesting.

 

Meanwhile the TAR26 threads are almost 50% about the doctor-nurse team from hell and who is to blame for what.  That, in a nutshell, is what this season has been reduced to. 

 

This season is totally the worst ever with Kurt just the exclamation point on what a poor cast this is.  Man, even the Pizza Brothers didn't quit until the one limped around in total pain on two continents over several legs.

Edited April 6, 2015 by green

[BigBlueMastiff]

God, what idiots, learn how to drive stick if you are going on the amazing race. Most other countries use predominantly standard shift vehicles.

 

It makes ZERO difference if 'most other countries use standard shift vehicles" because *whatever car company is sponsoring the segment of the show, it's a toss-up as to what kind of vehicle is going to be there

Actually it does matter, I lived in Germany and Switzerland for years, and can count on one hand the number of people who had manual transmission vehicles. It is very rare to see anything but standard shift in mainland Europe. It may be a toss up as what type of vehicle, Ford and other American auto makers offer plenty of models that we will never see in the U.S.

 

Also, add me to Team Blair, Hayley is a nightmare. I would react the exact same way he is, shut down, tune out, and try to temper the constant negativity. I'm amazed at his restraint.

Edited April 6, 2015 by BigBlueMastiff

[enlightenedbum]

Any season where only two people transparently suck (Hailey and whichever identical person they matched together who quit) and most of the people are reasonably cool can't be the worst season.  Race design has not been stellar, but that's been the case for years now.

Edited April 6, 2015 by enlightenedbum

[Taylorh2]

It makes ZERO difference if 'most other countries use standard shift vehicles" because *whatever car company is sponsoring the segment of the show, it's a toss-up as to what kind of vehicle is going to be there.

[joanne3482]

It makes ZERO difference if 'most other countries use standard shift vehicles" because *whatever car company is sponsoring the segment of the show, it's a toss-up as to what kind of vehicle is going to be there.

Yes and no. If the country is one that predominantly uses a stick shift, that's the kind of cars even the sponsoring car company will ship to that country for sale. In the little behind the scenes tidbit Phil says they use the Focus because they are available almost everywhere ie The Amazing Race didn't have to pay to ship 8 Ford Foci (focuses?) specially for the racers to use, they were able get them there. 

[selkie]

They wouldn't have shipped a North American Focus over they anyways- small but important differences in North American and EU requirements for safety and emissions mean it would have been far too expensive to leave it over there permanently* after the contestants were through with it because they'd have to do some work on the car to meet EU requirements and it would have been expensive again to ship a car back to the States where it could no longer be sold as a new car.  Chances are that the Foci used on the show  were built for the EU market and ended up going to kids of Ford Europe executives for their use or sold as used at a Munich dealer.

 

 

* You can buy a North American car from an EU country and have a 60ish day temporary EU registration. Some luxury brands offer a fly and drive vacation to pick up your new Volvo, Mercedes, or BMW at a factory there. But at the end of vacation, you have to drop it off where it can go on to a cargo ship to North America- you can't title it permanently over there.

[iMonrey]

It doesn't bother me if Rochelle uses her children as a reason for wanting to win the race money. I'm not seeing any entitlement from her, she's just explaining why she wants the money. No big deal. However, I am having a hard time warming up to her and Mike because I get a weird vibe from them and their "relationship." I really don't see them as a couple. How long did they say they've been dating, and he still hasn't even met her kids? There's something fishy about them.

 

 

I also have complete sympathy for those who didn't know stick. "Oh they applied, they should have practiced before the race"--whatever.  We all lead busy lives.  We all say we're going to do things that we end up not doing.  You apply for the show, maybe half a dozen times even, and you have no idea if you're gonna get picked, and you forget about it and life goes on, and then maybe they suddenly call and you have two weeks before you fly to LA.

 

First of all, most of them didn't apply. That's the problem. They were recruited. Especially this season. There are "casting agents" that go around to Hollywood hot spots like night clubs and the beach and give out their cards to people they think are good looking and would make "good TV." Then these people come in and make a generic "audition tape." And then a network puts out feelers to casting agencies with specifics about what "types" they need. Agencies send the network the tapes they think might get picked. Networks start calling candidates and those candidates go through an audition process. They might not even know what show they're auditioning for until they make final call back. Half the cast this year probably thought they were auditioning for The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. 

 

Sometimes - a lot of times - you don't know if you're going to get picked until the very last minute so there's no chance to do research or look at old episodes. They call you out of the blue and you have to drop everything and get on a plane. Especially if you're an alternate that's used as a replacement at the last split second because somebody got sick or backed out.

[gunderda]

It doesn't bother me if Rochelle uses her children as a reason for wanting to win the race money. I'm not seeing any entitlement from her, she's just explaining why she wants the money. No big deal. However, I am having a hard time warming up to her and Mike because I get a weird vibe from them and their "relationship." I really don't see them as a couple. How long did they say they've been dating, and he still hasn't even met her kids? There's something fishy about them.

 

 

If I remember correctly it wasn't very long at all... maybe like 6 months?  So to me that wasn't weird - some people just want to be very careful who they introduce to their kids.  I think it's smart.  HOWEVER, it's definitely a bit weird for your kid to meet your boyfriend by watching the two of you on tv. 

Edited April 6, 2015 by gunderda

[biakbiak]

it's definitely a bit weird for your kid to meet your boyfriend by watching the two of you on tv.

There is enough time between when they get back from the race and when it started airing.

It's been seven months that they have been dating which seems like a long period of time even for a cautious parent but maybe they weren't that serious for most of that time.

[joanne3482]

I do get a weird vibe from their relationship as well, but it doesn't bother me that he hasn't met the kids. She may have been burned before or maybe her kids just get too attached.  I know plenty of people are not overly affectionate or into PDA, but I feel like we've gotten nothing from them that indicates they are anything more than friends and honestly even that I'm not positive about. It just doesn't seem like they know each other that well for having dated for 7 months. 

[Special K]

It's possible that it has been a "casual" 7 months -- dating other people, etc.  Which would explain not including the kids.   They may not have been a committed/monogamous couple that whole time.

 

Honestly I've been the girlfriend of several guys with kids over the years -- sometimes you meet the kids on the first date, sometimes you go the entire relationship (such as it is) and never once meet the kids.  It all depends on what terrible past experiences the guys have had with this kind of thing.  I respect (and prefer) waiting -- it takes the pressure off everyone, and is better for the kids, I believe.  Of course a lot depends on the age.

 

Having said all that, they do appear more to be in the FriendZone.  They seem to care for and respect each other a lot (which is kind of a relief on this season), but they haven't exhibited much chemistry.

[proserpina65]

Which is...?

 

If you mean TAR 8 (Family Edition) I have to wholeheartedly disagree with you, since I think looking at the dynamics of the families is rather endearing. As well, that season showcased parts of the United States not usually on tourist maps.

I do indeed mean the Family Edition, which I hated with the fire of a thousand burning nuns.  The fact that it spent sooooo much time in the US is only one of the many reasons I find it unbearable; I watch TAR to see a race around the world.  Add in teams of 4 mostly insufferable people and having to watch small children cry, and you have the trifecta of horribleness for me.  (Long-time posters on Television Without Pity will recognize it as "The Edition Which Must Not Be Named".)

 

I hated the Paolo family almost as much as I hated the Linzes.  TAR 8 is pretty much the only one I'd refused to ever watch again.

Edited April 6, 2015 by proserpina65

[proserpina65]

They might not even know what show they're auditioning for until they make final call back.

 

I did not know that; thanks for the info.  If it were me, I think I'd start learning stick from the moment I got the casting agent's card, just in case.  'Cause you never know when you might need to drive away from the Bachelor in a hurry.  lol

[needschocolate]

 Sometimes - a lot of times - you don't know if you're going to get picked until the very last minute so there's no chance to do research or look at old episodes. They call you out of the blue and you have to drop everything and get on a plane. Especially if you're an alternate that's used as a replacement at the last split second because somebody got sick or backed out.

 

But, in the case of TAR, they need to have passports and visas and would, therefore, probably have enough time before filming starts to learn to drive a stick shift and maybe even take a few swimming lessons.   

[joshmaeks]

@Black Knight Re: "I don't recall her saying that she deserves to win more than anyone else."

In the first or second episode, they specifically did say that no one else wanted/needed (can't remember which) the million dollars more than they did. It's why they're my least favorite team, because I can't stand entitlement on reality TV shows. But now seeing their good attitudes, I've grown to like them more.

[TV Anonymous]

First of all, most of them didn't apply. That's the problem. They were recruited. Especially this season. There are "casting agents" that go around to Hollywood hot spots like night clubs and the beach and give out their cards to people they think are good looking and would make "good TV." Then these people come in and make a generic "audition tape." And then a network puts out feelers to casting agencies with specifics about what "types" they need. Agencies send the network the tapes they think might get picked. Networks start calling candidates and those candidates go through an audition process. They might not even know what show they're auditioning for until they make final call back. Half the cast this year probably thought they were auditioning for The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. 

 

Sometimes - a lot of times - you don't know if you're going to get picked until the very last minute so there's no chance to do research or look at old episodes. They call you out of the blue and you have to drop everything and get on a plane. Especially if you're an alternate that's used as a replacement at the last split second because somebody got sick or backed out.

 

A bit out of topic.

 

Thank you for the explanation. However, looking at different show like Survivor, I am not completely convinced. There, we see different castaways reciting facts and trivias (sometimes obscure) from past seasons. Just this season, one castaway found the idol based on her knowledge of the show's habits.

 

Also, just like in Survivor, many racers in TAR stated on camera that they had been preparing themselves for some time physically for the challenges. That means that there were preparation involved. It is not very smart not to learn manual transmission during the preparation time.

[ozlsn]

Well that was the most pathetic quit I've seen on this show.  I take it they're not allowed to follow taxis any more, otherwise that would have been an option surely - wonder what the penalty is, given they were already willing to take a 2 hour one (plus every additional one along the way due to not driving apparently.)

 

I'll admit I did get a laugh out of them being on the tram tracks and possibly going in the wrong direction at one point.

 

I think you're wrong here.  Bergen has been blaming Kurt for quitting since last leg or before.  But it takes two to quit.  Phil didn't find Bergen trying to move forward and Kurt refusing.  If Kurt couldn't drive the car, Bergen should have taken over.  Bergen has neatly shed all the blame and put it on Kurt's shoulders, but he is equally to blame.

 

Thing about a manual transmission is:  You don't constantly have to be working the clutch and shift lever.  The only really tricky part is moving off from a standstill.  Lack of familiarity will cause bucking and stalling, but if you don't mind being hard on the clutch of someone else's new Ford Focus, you can get rolling without much trouble.  Once you're going, you can change up easily, with maybe a bit of a jerk, and within a few seconds you're in high gear and can go for miles and miles without touching the clutch/stick again.  (Texting to your heart's content, if you are so foolish.)  So unless you have to drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic (pulling off again and again), it shouldn't be too bad.

 

Yes, it's stupid going on TAR without some practice of driving a manual shift, but it shouldn't be a race-killer. 

 

 

I couldn't tell Bergen and Kurt apart, so I had no idea who was driving or if they swapped.  They were moving at various points though - it wasn't so much that they couldn't get the car moving as they couldn't keep it moving and navigate.  Which brings me to question 2 - are they not allowed to buy maps any more either?  I know they flew in that morning, but surely they could get a map in the airport?  Even a basic tourist map of Munich would be enough to get you out of the city, and would be helpful to get you around even without driving.

 

Speaking as someone who drives a manual - once you're on the freeway yeah it's fine, but the problem they seemed to be having was city driving which does require a lot of gear changing, particularly in peak hour.  Keeping it in second would probably be optimal if you weren't familiar with a manual, at least until you got out onto more major roads and could have a go at getting into higher gears. 

 

I actually don't think it would have been a race killer for them if whoever wasn't driving had been able to navigate.  They probably would have irritated the morning commuters by bouncing along in first or second and stalling at every light for a while, but once they'd gotten past that they should have been OK.  It was nearly a race killer for team Truckstop (does anyone else find the #truckstoplove tag really icky?  I cringe every time I see it) but again what appeared to be really killing them was navigation more than inability to work out the car.

 

To be fair, most Brits don't speak a second language either.

 

Or Australians. 

[enlightenedbum]

Depends on the person.  We know for example that Laura was a big fan of the show and actively prepared, but was also essentially recruited for this edition.  She had applied five years ago for real and the casting person only vaguely remembered her when she was spotted at some bar/restaurant.

 

Survivor is also a show that's always had much better ratings and media exposure so a recruit is more likely to know what they're getting into.  And the experience is generally similar, so watching a single season will prepare you better than a single season of TAR would.  There's usually only one or two TAR episodes per season where knowing how to drive stick is important, so it's not as obvious as "learn to build a fire" for example.  Not that everyone that's cast on Survivor bothers to even do THAT.

[blackwing]

I agree that it takes two to quit. But we had one of them being all dramatic in the backseat of the Focus and kvetching and saying "alright, that's it, if it doesn't get better, I'm done". How come he couldn't drive? I'm assuming that one was Kurt, the one that was despondent when the hairdresser proposed to his girlfriend, because he came on the race for love and didn't find it.

Still unclear if he's the one with the rich family or if that was the other one. Or if he's the one that's never been in a relationship. Or is a "pageant consultant". In the end I guess it doesn't matter. I thought it was awesome how in their parting words, they left the train station and went opposite ways.

Even a bad TAR is better than most things on TV. I thought the family edition was interesting, we saw parts of the country I'm not as familiar with. Every edition has its villains. For me I loathed Mama Paolo even more than Ma Weaver. I hated the way Paolo treated her kids. Weaver was just so crazy and delusional.

I liked the Linzes a lot, especially the oldest brother (Nick? The one who appeared to be the leader) and the uber hot sister. I couldn't particularly stand little precocious Carissa Gaugran and if it makes me a terrible person that I laughed when she was crying, then so be it.

[Haleth]

Finally catching up on my tv shows after the holiday. It was shocking and disgraceful to watch the guys passive aggressive themselves out of the Race. Driving a stick is not difficult once you get going. It's obvious they used it as an excuse to quit. Not something that makes the show fun to watch. They should be ashamed.

Guess I'm rooting for Team Olympics who were nearly flawless. The engaged couple are ok and Tyler is adorable so go them. Even the team that argued in the car (the Kardashian look alike) are ok since once they blew off steam they got back into race mode. I still don't know half the names which tells me the blind date theme was not a good idea.

[biakbiak]

Still unclear if he's the one with the rich family or if that was the other one. Or if he's the one that's never been in a relationship. Or is a "pageant consultant".

I believe all the things you listed including being the one whining in the back of the car and refusing to.drive or navigate were Kurt.

[Camera One]

Even a basic tourist map of Munich would be enough to get you out of the city, and would be helpful to get you around even without driving.

 

Speaking as someone who drives a manual - once you're on the freeway yeah it's fine, but the problem they seemed to be having was city driving which does require a lot of gear changing, particularly in peak hour.  Keeping it in second would probably be optimal if you weren't familiar with a manual, at least until you got out onto more major roads and could have a go at getting into higher gears. 

 

The other teams at the Mat were saying in the bonus clip that the toughest thing was to get out of the city.  So it was that difficult.  I suppose they (or just Bergen the driver, if he really was the only one who cared) could have asked locals and done one straight stretch of the route at a time.  It would have taken a long time, but surely no longer than the 2 hours they waited plus the train ride to nowhere.  

 

Despite what Bergen implied, even he must not have been much of a fan of the Race since he didn't know one should have learned to drive stick.  As posted in their thread, he initially applied for Big Brother but the casting agent called him for this instead.  His main motivation seemed to be to get the money, and there was no way they would have been top 3 anyway.  So I don't feel too badly for him that his partner (Kurt) was useless.  I can't see the other racers acting like he did in this episode, even with dead weight.

 

This leg wasn't too exciting.  There was no contest for number one, nor for last place.  I don't get why the truck stop team didn't go for carrying beer.  They would have been done much sooner.

Edited April 7, 2015 by Camera One

[kris4n6]

I believe all the things you listed including being the one whining in the back of the car and refusing to.drive or navigate were Kurt.

No. Kurt: Beauty pageant consultant, wealthy family (according to Bergen, as Kurt never said on camera anything about his family's wealth), sitting in back seat.

Bergen: Complained about needing the money, and was the one who moaned and cried when Matt proposed to Ashley, stating he came on the race to find love and didn't find it and was never going to find anyone and be alone his entire life, even though he is only 23 freaking years old. And looks 30.

Also, I read the exit interview from them - supposedly Bergen did know how to drive a stick, kind of. He couldn't get the speed up and they were being passed and other cars were honking, making him more nervous. And Kurt had destroyedsomeone's transmission trying to learn on a stick before the race and apparently had some terrible fear of driving/being a passenger because he saw a friend nearly killed in a car accident (that part made little sense).

Whatever their reasoning, I'm just glad they're gone.

[ProfCrash]

Most of the cast seems to  be pretty cool. Matt and Ashley are actually kind of fun and not nearly as annoying as I thought they would be. I feared we were in for the Wrestlers Part 2 but they have been fine. Aly and Steve are competent racers and seem to be good together but are pretty boring to watch. Mainly because they are competent and good together.

 

Mike and Rochelle: Rochelle's son is 8 years old. It makes sense to be very cautious with introducing him to people that she is dating because it would be very hard for him if he bonded with a boyfriend and then they broke up. We have no idea what her relationship is with her Ex or what her sons relationship is with his Dad and that could play into things as well. I know that my Brothers Ex is dating someone and my niece, 11, is struggling with the relationship and does not like him all that much. It has been pretty hard on her. I think that Rochelle is smart to hold off on introductions until she feels confident that this is going to be a long term relationship. I am not certain that the Amazing race is the best place to figure that out but it will help them see how they deal with stressful situations together.

 

Honestly, I think erring on the side of caution when it comes to protecting your kid from adult issues, ie relationships with lovers, is not a bad thing. Good on her for putting her childs needs first and good on him for excepting that decision.

 

I don't think they are going to win but I like their vibe together. He fully trusts her and treats her as an equal. They seem to communicate well and get along pretty well. I would say that I get more of a friendship vibe from them then a we are in love vibe but they could be the type of folks who are very goal oriented and/or not into any PDA. Whatever it is, they are respectful of each other and seem to be having a good time without causing a ton of drama.

 

Blair and Hayley: They are both pretty awful. I defended Hayley early on because Blair seemed to discount what she was saying and was pretty dismissive of her suggestions and well, her person as a whole. But she has done nothing to keep my sympathy. He was curious as to why Tyler and Laura were sitting there. He wanted to have a quick conversation and try and figure out what was going on and Hayley was all over him. Taking 30 seconds to ask if everything is all right and why are you sitting there is not going to cost you much in the race. Her dismissing his singing and completing that task on the first try was gross. She flat out decided that she wasn't going to complete the stein challenge and she kept failing. I don't think that was as much that she couldn't do it but that she decided she couldn't do it and so there was no chance that she could figure it out.

 

Kurt is the taller of the two, with the even more fake smile. He wore the brighter green shirt most of the time. He was also a whiney jack ass. I have a feeling that there is a good reason that he has not had a date in his life and it is not because he is gay. He is a high maintenance, drama queen who is well suited to working in the pageant industry. My god, he is a walking stereotype. Bergen was not necessarily the worlds greatest racer but he wanted to be there and he wanted to try to do things but Kurt was a freaking anchor. I am reasonably certain that Kurt would have gotten out of the car and simply sat on the sidewalk if Bergen had said he wanted to try driving. Since they are not allowed to move more then a certain distance from each other, there would be no way for Bergen to move on without Kurt in the car. I have not seen any interviews with the two so who knows what happened.

 

Jackie and Jeff are in an interesting place. Jeff struck me as being a total asshole this episode. I give him a pass only because it is the first time we have seen that behavior from him, he is with someone he doesn't know, he is in a really stressful situation, and he has been a pretty decent dude from what we have seen up until that point. Jackie seems to have accepted his apology and moved on, we shall see what happens.

 

Tyler and Laura seem to be getting along fine. Tyler strikes me as a manly man who has to be the man and don't question his manhood type. Not the dude I would want to hang out with but he is not as offensive as lots of other manly men who have to bro it up (Rodney and Joaquin on Survivor) so I am fine with him. He is not too obnoxious.

 

Jelani and Jenny had a rough episode a while back but seem to have smoothed out their communication and other issues. Again, stress and new relationship makes for a potentially bad mixture.

 

Look, I love my husband and want to spend time with him but I ask him to slide over on the couch so I can have a little bit of space. I cannot imagine being in a situation where there is no room for private time or cooling off. There is no opportunity to walk off and take a few deep breaths. There is no time for cooling down. This is tough on people who know one another and even worse for people who are just getting to know each other. The show is focused on the dysfunctional relationship between Hayley and Blair because it is all that they have. That is actually a good thing. We get bits and pieces of other melt downs but for the most part, the other teams have to be getting along and functioning pretty well for us no to see much footage of them.

[Haleth]

Look, I love my husband and want to spend time with him but I ask him to slide over on the couch so I can have a little bit of space. I cannot imagine being in a situation where there is no room for private time or cooling off. There is no opportunity to walk off and take a few deep breaths. There is no time for cooling down. This is tough on people who know one another and even worse for people who are just getting to know each other. The show is focused on the dysfunctional relationship between Hayley and Blair because it is all that they have. That is actually a good thing. We get bits and pieces of other melt downs but for the most part, the other teams have to be getting along and functioning pretty well for us no to see much footage of them.

 

This.  I'm willing to give them (and Kurt and Bergen) the benefit of the doubt and guess they are all lovely people when not in a stressful situation with a stranger.  The fact that production teamed them up with someone so incompatible isn't their fault or a reflection of how they would behave given another teammate.  It goes to show what a bad idea this was.

[Jersey Guy 87]

There is enough time between when they get back from the race and when it started airing.

It's been seven months that they have been dating which seems like a long period of time even for a cautious parent but maybe they weren't that serious for most of that time.

 

According to this site http://www.thewrap.com/sizing-up-the-new-amazing-race-cast-nkotb-olympians-and-10-blind-daters/%C2'> they've been a couple for two years.  That's a long time to not introduce your kids.  There's no indication of how long they've been "serious" but still, two years...

[Zahdii]

According to this site  they've been a couple for two years.  That's a long time to not introduce your kids.  There's no indication of how long they've been "serious" but still, two years...

 

Wait.  They've been 'a couple' for two years?  And she still won't let him meet her kid?  That's bizarre.

[ProfCrash]

Their Amazing Race interview says they have been dating for 8 months. It is possible that they hung out as friends before they started dating. How much time is it between the show filming and airing? So maybe they have been dating a year now. If they are still dating, I am sure that her son has met him before the show aired. If they are not dating because of how they interacted on the show, I think it is a good thing that her son had not met him yet.

 

It is also possible that he has been introduced as a friend but not as a boy friend and that they have been careful to not hold hands, kiss, snuggle and the like in front of him. If her ex has weekend visitations, it is possible that the two hang out when her child is with the ex.

 

I have no problem with her son not meeting him or not knowing that he is her boyfriend. It shows me that she is not trying to find her son a new Dad and that she is protecting him from developing attachments to a person that she has not decided that she wants to spend the rest of her life with. She is being a good Mom and looking out for her sons emotional well being.

[blackwing]

No. Kurt: Beauty pageant consultant, wealthy family (according to Bergen, as Kurt never said on camera anything about his family's wealth), sitting in back seat.

Bergen: Complained about needing the money, and was the one who moaned and cried when Matt proposed to Ashley, stating he came on the race to find love and didn't find it and was never going to find anyone and be alone his entire life, even though he is only 23 freaking years old. And looks 30.

Also, I read the exit interview from them - supposedly Bergen did know how to drive a stick, kind of. He couldn't get the speed up and they were being passed and other cars were honking, making him more nervous. And Kurt had destroyedsomeone's transmission trying to learn on a stick before the race and apparently had some terrible fear of driving/being a passenger because he saw a friend nearly killed in a car accident (that part made little sense).

Whatever their reasoning, I'm just glad they're gone.

Thanks.  I am surprised that Bergen was the "looking for love" one.  Because I thought it was whiny Kurt.  He came on the show looking for love, and was disappointed it wasn't going to happen for him.  That's why I thought Bergen was saying that Kurt is from a rich family and that his only motivation for doing the race was to find love.  And since love wasn't going to happen, Bergen hoped that Kurt wasn't going to give up.  If it was Bergen that was looking for love, then I presume it was Kurt saying that just because there's no love he hopes Bergen doesn't give up.  Which doesn't jibe with the fact that it seemed like Kurt was always the one giving up.

 

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

 

So happy these two are gone.  Part of me is curious about IF this had been a nonelimination, whether there would have been additional penalties for not driving.  They had the two hour delay for skipping the Winter Wonderland task.  But then other clues said "drive yourself" here and there.  Would there have been stacking penalties?

 

I'm sure we won't see anything mentioned, but I would say Jeff and Jackie should get a penalty for trying to hide Tyler and Laura's fanny pack under the backseat.  They were deliberately trying to conceal it by moving it.  If they had put a coat over it, it's one thing, that could just be seen as accidental.  But to stuff it under the backseat?  Now I am trying to remember.  During the Jason/Amy and Marie/Tim season, wasn't there an incident where one of them took bags out of a cab and left them by the side of the road?  Or did they get the taxi driver to do it?  No penalty, right?

 

When was the last time we saw a tampering penalty on this show?  I kind of remember the Globetrotters one.  But the only other one I remember was those really short stunt men messing up all the tools at a bike task.

[Jobiska]

Thanks.  I am surprised that Bergen was the "looking for love" one.  Because I thought it was whiny Kurt.  He came on the show looking for love, and was disappointed it wasn't going to happen for him.  That's why I thought Bergen was saying that Kurt is from a rich family and that his only motivation for doing the race was to find love.  And since love wasn't going to happen, Bergen hoped that Kurt wasn't going to give up.  If it was Bergen that was looking for love, then I presume it was Kurt saying that just because there's no love he hopes Bergen doesn't give up.  Which doesn't jibe with the fact that it seemed like Kurt was always the one giving up.

 

Well, it's a little more complicated than that--people here were actually surprised when it was Bergen who blubbered at the proposal-mat, because before that (most notably in pre-show materials and early introductions) Kurt was indeed the one who talked about never having had a serious boyfriend, wanting love, blah blah.  But as far as I recall we never, ever saw him say that that was the only reason he came on the show, and we certainly never saw him say anything about not needing the money due to his background.  I think Bergen did a ton of extrapolating.  And I was much more fed up with all his whining about Kurt being rich than I was about any manifestation of giving up by Kurt.  It would be as hard to go on knowing you were resented by your partner for something not under your control (your family background) as it would be to go on knowing your partner wasn't quite as committed to winning as you were.  I don't like either of them, but of the two, I like Bergen less and blame him more (and he was driving!  He did not have to stop even if Kurt screamed and fussed).

Edited April 7, 2015 by Jobiska

[ProfCrash]

Kurt was the one looking for love. He has said it in his interviews and on the show. I think he was the one who was whiny about the engagement but I don't remember that clearly enough to say.

 

Kurt has said in interviews that he never needed or wanted for anything so the money was not his primary reason for racing but he would have loved to win the money because who couldn't use a million dollars. He didn't exactly deny that his family was very well off and he was fine but the interview I heard sure made it seem like he was ok and the money wasn't that important to him.

Edited April 7, 2015 by ProfCrash

[peachmangosteen]

I think he [Kurt] was the one who was whiny about the engagement but I don't remember that clearly enough to say.

 

I clearly remember it being Bergen who cried and whined about the proposal, while Kurt stood there stone-faced.

 

I saw things between them the way you did, Jobiska. I found Bergen deeply annoying and I think he ended up creating a self-fulfilling prophecy with his whining about Kurt giving up.

Edited April 7, 2015 by peachmangosteen

[kakiphony]

Their Amazing Race interview says they have been dating for 8 months. It is possible that they hung out as friends before they started dating. How much time is it between the show filming and airing? So maybe they have been dating a year now. If they are still dating, I am sure that her son has met him before the show aired. If they are not dating because of how they interacted on the show, I think it is a good thing that her son had not met him yet.

It's pretty clear from social media that they are still together. Her kid looks totally adorable too, and there's one picture that shows Mike and the kid in the same frame. I would assume he's been introduced by now. Their initial interviews all stated that they'd been dating "under a year" -- and I think 6 months to a year is a fairly healthy and respectful amount of time to wait to introduce a kid.

Interestingly, social media reveals that Mike and Rochelle were particularly friendly with Bergen and Kurt. Mike had a nice post about talking "old school WWF" with them and hanging out in the airport, and both Bergen and Kurt were super gracious in their replies.

Having watched some of the behind-the-scenes interviews, it looks to me like Rochelle and Mike just don't give the best TV. Their interviews feel more like answering questions than just being natural and chatting. But there are both always praising the other and generally give off a real people and low drama vibe. I'm hoping that we start to see more of them if they make it further into the race so we can get a better feel for them as a team. To date, the editing has wasted so much time on the Blair/Hayley and Kurt/Bergen pairings that I don't really think we've learned much about anyone else. (Jeff/Jackie is probably the third most featured, and I feel like I've learned more of them from the extra videos than from the actual show.)

Edited April 7, 2015 by kakiphony

[etagloh]

Part of me is curious about IF this had been a nonelimination, whether there would have been additional penalties for not driving.  They had the two hour delay for skipping the Winter Wonderland task.  But then other clues said "drive yourself" here and there.  Would there have been stacking penalties?

 

I'd assume so, though at that point it would become a logistical nightmare, especially if the subsequent leg involved significant travel. As I said upthread, time penalties are the only real tool we've seen used for infractions* . Perhaps there's some small print in The Rules We'll Never See saying that if you stack up a certain amount of time penalties, you're obliged to "voluntarily" withdraw from the race.

 

* 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.

[Jersey Guy 87]

So happy these two are gone.  Part of me is curious about IF this had been a nonelimination, whether there would have been additional penalties for not driving.  They had the two hour delay for skipping the Winter Wonderland task.  But then other clues said "drive yourself" here and there.  Would there have been stacking penalties?

 

I'm sure we won't see anything mentioned, but I would say Jeff and Jackie should get a penalty for trying to hide Tyler and Laura's fanny pack under the backseat.  They were deliberately trying to conceal it by moving it.  If they had put a coat over it, it's one thing, that could just be seen as accidental.  But to stuff it under the backseat?  Now I am trying to remember.  During the Jason/Amy and Marie/Tim season, wasn't there an incident where one of them took bags out of a cab and left them by the side of the road?  Or did they get the taxi driver to do it?  No penalty, right?

 

When was the last time we saw a tampering penalty on this show?  I kind of remember the Globetrotters one.  But the only other one I remember was those really short stunt men messing up all the tools at a bike task.

 

I think if you don't gain an advantage by not following the instructions (and clearly they did not by not driving to the Winter Wonderland or anywhere else) you're not assessed a time penalty - you hurt yourself more by not doing what you were told to do.

 

As for tampering, I'm not sure about the fanny pack.  They didn't really "tamper" since the pack was still in the car and fairly easily found.  As I remember with the stuntmen they actively hid tools so that subsequent teams wouldn't find them.  That cost other teams time and was penalized.

 

I clearly remember it being Bergen who cried and whined about the proposal, while Kurt stood there stone-faced.

 

I saw things between them the way you did, Jobiska. I found Bergen deeply annoying and I think he ended up creating a self-fulfilling prophecy with his whining about Kurt giving up.

 

I think if your primary purpose on being on the Amazing Race is to win the money you'll wind up disappointed.  Both of them quit, Bergen just did a better job of blaming someone else.  But I don't see a need to take sides with these two - I'm glad both of them are gone.

[ProfCrash]

But is it tampering? The Twinnies didn't get in trouble when they found and kept the Rockers money. Is the fanny pack different then someones cash? And is it really tampering if they say this bag doesn't belong to us, we are going to leave it at the side of the road.

 

They cannot help it that another team got into the car, drove it onto a curb, left the car and left their fanny pack. It is not like they went to a cab and removed the bags or asked for someone to remove the bags from a cab. It was their car and someone left something in their car. Why couldn't they lock it in the trunk with their bags?

 

And is it tampering that the other team went through their car to find the fanny pack? It wasn't their car so why were they allowed to open the car and search it?

 

On Bregen and Kurt, I didn't like either of them. They both seemed to be miserable running the race and not really making much of an effort. They are a quieter Blair and Hayley but just as annoying. There was no romantic spark and they could not find a way to work together. It was hard to watch. Not must see TV. I am thrilled that they are gone and would love to see Blair and Hayley leave next.

Edited April 7, 2015 by ProfCrash

[Donny Ketchum]

During the Jason/Amy and Marie/Tim season, wasn't there an incident where one of them took bags out of a cab and left them by the side of the road?  Or did they get the taxi driver to do it?  No penalty, right?

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.  No penalty.  Just an angry Jason & Amy.

Edited April 7, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[biakbiak]

Yeah I think it has to do with the racers touching the stuff, for instance Don and Mary Jane also got a 30 minute penalty for taking Adam and Rebecca's car and therefore their bags on season 6.

The difference with the cash is that you can check in with no money, you can't check in without your passports.

[enlightenedbum]

The rules are inconsistently enforced on this show.  Especially what we're actually shown.  There was a case in All-Stars where Charla and Mirna took a cab when it was explicitly stated you had to walk, they showed that on camera, and then never penalized them.  Kind of infuriating sometimes.