S26.E10: Fruits Of Our Labor (Peru)

[dgpolo]

Eolivet, on 02 May 2015 - 11:01 AM, said:

    The worst recent display? Yes. The worst ever? KKKendra (of season 6) would like to have a word with you.

 

I missed a lot of the early seasons.  Never saw Kendra, never saw Flo.  Based on what I have read, I feel rather fortunate, yet oddly intrigued.

 

You can get the DVDs I think, amazon might stream them too. Flo was useless but I don't remember her being ugly with the locals, Colin and Jonathan both had major disputes with cabdrivers. Spitting is yucky and the poor woman at the stall was probably thinking nasty thoughts but at least they didn't berate her when she dumped the potatoes.

[backformore]

Can someone tweet at Phil that "Tell me how proud you are of her" belongs in the same category as "What are you wearing?"

 

Yes. It's usually directed to the male of the team - how proud are you of this woman?

There is NO acceptable answer other than - very proud. It's a stupid question, because the answer gives no information.

[Guiaoshi]

Laura and Tyler may be annoying in some ways and they definitely made some sloppy mistakes this leg but props to Tyler. That was some really smart, quick thinking on his part, convincing Matt and Ashley they were at the wrong detour which confused them and then confused the driver who then really did take them to the wrong one. I actually think Matt and Ashley might have had a shot if they'd realized they were at the right place for the Mama's detour because that thing looked really easy.

Well, Matt and Ashley kept running like chickens with their heads cut off (specially Matt) so it was about time for them to go anyway.

 

Yet another lopsided detour.  Go somewhere faraway, sort a couple hundred similarish potatoes, drive them back to town and if you fail sort them all again vs. "pick up some ingredients at five different stores, have a drink."  

 

Exactly! So uneven... It totally cost J&J the first place on this leg.

[Artsda]

The Fitbit calculation challenge was silly, what's the point when they get to use a calculator?

 

Despite it being silly to not check for an earlier flight. I liked Laura&Tyler celebrating her birthday in Amsterdam.  

 

I liked Matt&Ash, wish them well on their life together. 

[BarneySays]

Wow- yet another episode in which one team fell so far behind there was no drama at the finish line.  This has to be a record for the show.  Nevertheless, I thought this was a great episode. 

 

I have enjoyed watching Blair and Hayley from the beginning and now I am routing for them to go all the way- which seemed an absolute impossibility at the beginning of the race.  Apparently the producers like them as well, since twice the date night recap has been pre-empted for the tales of B&H on the last leg.  I really thought the heavy emphasis on them at the start of the episode spelled their imminent doom, but surprise!  Their increasing comfort with each other is intriguing to watch.  Between the pep talk from Blair at the start to the mat conversation, they seem to really understand (and respect?) each other.  That moment when they were driving through the mountains, with Hayley describing the beauty of the scene was one of those TAR moments.  I love when the teams wax on about the wonderfulness of the experience and how it has broadened their worldview (see also the hairdressers farewell).  It's what makes TAR so special.  So, Hayley's monologue was only surpassed by the enraptured look on Blair's face as he looked out the window.  Pure enchanted awe.  A great little moment.  I'm really curious to know if Hayley did indeed take control when she said she was going to do.  They did manage to come in first again.

 

I was finally able to put my finger on what it is about Laura that makes her so appealing to me.  Sure, she has a pretty good wit (love the bickersons shtick).  But I think it's her knowingness.  She has a very knowing look/countenance, as if nothing would surprise her and/or she's seen it all.  I find that compelling.  Still cannot stand Tyler.  He is too attention-grubbing.  I don't think I could bear more than 10 minutes in his presence.  That self-aborption masked by mild self-deprecation is not my cuppa.  Also, I'm not so sure that Blair is actually bilingual.  His Spanish seemed pretty pidgen to me.  

 

As much as the dating theme is a bust for me, the one thing I will give this season is that they cast a decent group of people, with the possible exception of the gay blind date team (surprise!).  Throughout the race, all of the contestants have been good sports, have soaked in the beauty, and treated each other decently.  If they would continue to cast for this type of temperament, but add in a higher skill set, the show would be perfect.  I would not be disappointed with any of the remaining teams winning.  And Matt and Ashley (? still can't remember most of their names) went out like a class act.  Well done, show. 

 

That was some really smart, quick thinking on his part, convincing Matt and Ashley they were at the wrong detour which confused them and then confused the driver who then really did take them to the wrong one.

 

I'm not sure of that.  Didn't T&L also want to go to mamma, but thought they were taken to pappa? 

[Snaporaz]

That was a great first-place prize for Blair and Haley. Why punish them with a vacation they would have to take together after the race?

Spitting on the potatoes was disgusting. The woman at the stall looked horrified. Then, stupid Tyler insisted she high-five him when she clearly didn't want to. He's a tool, and he's the only one I don't want to see win.

[Morgalisa]

 

Despite it being silly to not check for an earlier flight. I liked Laura&Tyler celebrating her birthday in Amsterdam.

 

Are they told on every leg that they can choose a more advantageous flight or is it on certain legs?  I didn't understand that.  

[Quilt Fairy]

This leg was OK, but I am severely pissed that the Amazing Yellow Line was pushed aside for yet another montage of Hayley shouting at Blair. Show, we. Get. It. And find it unpleasant. Now stop!

 

I don't like it that TPTB are playing fast and loose with some of the traditions that the fans associate with this show, such as showing the arrival times of the flights. The only team we saw getting their 'release time' was J&J, not even H&B who must have showed up within a few minutes. I know that it was a moot point for the teams that arrived the next morning, but we didn't even see them go to the plaza with the band, they just suddenly were looking for a clue. That being said, I like clues that have the potential to confuse the teams such as 'look for something that shines in the morning'.

 

Now that we're down to 4 teams, I can finally tell them apart. I'm hoping that Mike and Rochelle squeeze their way into the finale, so they'll probably get eliminated next week.

[needschocolate]

Spitting on the potatoes was disgusting. The woman at the stall looked horrified. Then, stupid Tyler insisted she high-five him when she clearly didn't want to. He's a tool, and he's the only one I don't want to see win.

 

Hey, wanna touch the hand I used to rub my spit on the potatoes you were hoping to sell?

[Rancide]

The teams on the following flight were racing not to be last, so they had their "stronger" male partner take the task. 

 

I don't know about this.  I'm pretty sure Rochelle would kick Mike's ass in any physical challenge.  She's a beast.  He's doughy and easily winded.

 

It was hard to tell how much Blair's Spanish helped them out in the "Mamas" detour. They made it seem like it was quite useful both in interpreting the list and in locating the vendors and dealing with them. But Mike and Rochelle blasted through it just as fast, and they seem to know almost no Spanish. 

 

Yeah, this was my impression, too.  It seems like all Blair's Spanish did was let some taxi driver be able to convince them to circle the city twice to get to a destination a few hundred feet from where they started.  (Not to mention possibly letting some man con them into getting in a taxi in the first place.)  Also, Blair may speak Spanish, but it seems like he hasn't spent much time in South America.  Hailing a street taxi in most parts of Peru is seriously inadvisable.  Traveling with cameramen and such, they probably weren't going to get kidnapped for ransom (yes, that is a thing that sometimes happens), but rule #1 of taxis in Peru--and most of South America--is that you always, always know how far you're going and negotiate the rate BEFORE you get in, or you're going to be taken on a tour of the city.  I disapprove of Hayley's shrieking, but she wasn't wrong to be telling Blair they needed to leave.  The driver wasn't "asking directions."  He was running up the meter pretending to be lost.  I was laughing hysterically during that whole segment.  Everyone who got in a taxi was being majorly conned.

 

I was sad there weren't more (and better) opportunities for Blaire to use his Spanish.  It think the Mamas task just involved reading off a list already in Spanish.  Spanish is a phonetic language, so assuming you can read, it's pretty hard to screw that up.  It seems like speaking the local language should confer some sort of an advantage.  Maybe next week.

 

Then again, it's not totally clear how well Blair speaks Spanish.  I didn't know what "Plazuela" means, either, other than that it's probably some sort of small plaza, but "la Merced" means "Mercy" is basically as sure a sign in Spanish that what you're looking for is a church as "Our Lady of" would be in English.  Sure enough, Google says "Iglesia la Merced" (Mercy Church) is a famous landmark in Trujillo about half a block from Plaza de las Armas, and Google image search indicates that the shoe shine guys were outside that church.  So yeah, Blair's Spanish may not be so hot, and those taxi drivers were definitely not "lost."

[sportsgirl]

Tyler has really grown on me as this season has progressed -- I think he's my favorite racer. As Rancide pointed out, he kept his cool when Laura causally mentioned the speed bump in the cab, translating it into positive action without even a blip stop at accusations, like pretty much every other person ever on the Race would have done. That same cool was present when the team was taken to the papas instead of the mamas (Laura's instinct was to turn around and leave; Tyler pointed out they were there, they may as well do it), and even at the airport when they realized they could have swapped their flight for an earlier one. Instead of getting upset about something that couldn't be changed, he remained positive and focused on racing against M/R and M/A. Tyler is stealth-smart underneath the stubble. KF hit the team hard this leg, but they recovered.

Also -- I love that Hayley showed some growth this episode. She went from demanding that Blair let her lead to recognizing -- even out loud! -- the value of his Spanish skills in completing the task.

[ichbin]

It has been great to watch the race without:

 

-Select teams anointing themselves as being the "good" people while actively shunning/mocking/disparaging/attempting to derail those they have decided are evil/mean/undeserving teams.

-Teams of incapable people who are only able to get ahead by relying on others helping them out.

 

Things were getting really ugly for awhile there, particularly during the last all-star season (speaking of which, I woke up after falling asleep in front of the TV the other night to find Connor and Dave hosting an infomercial for Travelocity...not a selling point for this viewer).  I don't watch this show for high school drama. 

 

After the first couple of episodes this season was there anyone watching who would have believed that Blair and Hayley would become one of the most entertaining teams?  

[Black Knight]

I cannot think of any culture that doesn't think that spitting on something/someone is an insult. 

Coincidentally enough, just last night I was reading Mary Roach's Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, and in the chapter focusing on saliva, she writes that the Greeks spit on anything they want to protect from the evil eye, or for good luck. (They got this from the Roman Catholics, whose priests used to baptize babies with spittle. And the priests got it from the gospel of Mark, in which Jesus heals a blind man by mixing his saliva with mud and then rubbing it on the man's eyelids.)

 

I know Hayley shrieks, but she was right when Blair was condescending to her about how she didn't even know what the cab driver was doing, he was looking up street names. Blair, it doesn't take 20 minutes to look up a street name; the cab driver was running up the meter. I don't think Blair could really understand the Spanish being spoken in his hearing. I have a friend with a degree in Spanish, and she explained to me once that the Spanish taught in American high schools is a highly formal Spanish, where people in countries like Argentina or Peru will understand you, but they don't speak that Spanish themselves nor will the Spanish they do speak be easy for you to understand.

 

With Matt and Ashley's elimination, I'm rooting for Mike and Rochelle. I like them in general and the fact they aren't typical Racers in specific, but even more, I don't want a blind date couple to win and M/R are the last actual couple standing.

[Wings]

I thoroughly enjoy Haley and Blair and I am rooting for them to win.  It was a pleasant surprise to see Blair with his arm around her.  I love Blair's calm personality and dry wit.  Totally love these guys together.  Haley on her own, no.  

[Cyranetta]

Although for the most part I've been horrified by Hayley's non-stop high-pitched carping, for some reason last night it just struck me as hilarious.

 

Blair seemed comfortable speaking Spanish, but it was puzzling that for someone who seemed fairly fluent, he would throw in random Italian words (Ciao, grazie).

 

Peru was a stunning country to visit, but I wish they would abandon Phil's nudges about the state of the non-existent love affairs. It's such a time waster.

[greyhorse]

The spitting on potatoes was totally uncalled for, just as much as putting water on them was.  Why were Laura and Tyler the only team that felt the need to get the potatoes wet in order to sort them?  As much as I like this team, I wish the potato woman would have not accepted any of them because they were wet and made them go back to get a whole new four bags.

 

The Fitbit challenge was all kinds of useless, but I understand they need the product promo because they were giving away the week's prize.  But why not at least make them do the math by hand?  Or make them walk the 4000+ steps that were needed to burn off the calories of the sugarcane drink?  The racers got a number, thought "Oh, that's interesting", and then off they went.  

 

At this point Hayley and her shrieking is just a caricature.  No wonder the woman is still single.

 

Glad to see Matt and Ashley are gone.  I didn't particularly like Matt, who can't keep it together when there's the least amount of stress.  But kudos to them for exiting with grace.

[Black Knight]

The Fitbit challenge was all kinds of useless, but I understand they need the product promo because they were giving away the week's prize.  But why not at least make them do the math by hand?  Or make them walk the 4000+ steps that were needed to burn off the calories of the sugarcane drink?  The racers got a number, thought "Oh, that's interesting", and then off they went.  

At first I thought what the show was going to do was have the racers drink the amount of sugarcane drink that would equal the calories burned off in the sugarcane cutting. I would have found that much more fitting.

 

I also noticed that while the first few teams had two straws and split the drink between them, the last couple of teams didn't have straws and it seemed that just one person drank. At least we were only shown one person drinking. Rochelle for her team and I think Matt for his.

[Rancide]

I have a friend with a degree in Spanish, and she explained to me once that the Spanish taught in American high schools is a highly formal Spanish, where people in countries like Argentina or Peru will understand you, but they don't speak that Spanish themselves nor will the Spanish they do speak be easy for you to understand.

 

This used to be far more true than it is now.  I'm a heritage speaker (Spanish was dad's first language), and I have an aunt who was a high school Spanish teacher.  I'm not sure when your friend was in high school, but back in the 60s/70s, it was true that most high school textbooks used Spain Spanish as their baseline.  But between the explosion the U.S. Hispanic population over the last 30 years, almost none of it from Spain, and the fact that much of the growing demand for Spanish teachers has been met by heritage speakers, almost none of whom speak Spain Spanish, it's pretty rare for high school students taking Spanish to not be at least exposed to other varieties.

 

I went to high school in the mid-to-late 90s, and our school had three Spanish teachers--one from Cuba, one from Colombia, and one from the U.S. who had learned Spanish from her Mexican husband.  Blair's a few years younger than I am, so I'd be surprised if he'd only ever been taught Spain Spanish.

 

Edit:  Peru Spanish is actually pretty neutral in terms of grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary.  It doesn't have a ton of weird local-isms, strange regional accents, or unique grammar rules.  People who learned standard Spanish probably won't struggle too much in Peru.  Argentina, on the other hand, is another world.  Weird verb conjugations, crazy strange pronunciation, and a ton of regional slang.  If they go to Argentina and Blair struggles, I won't hold it against his language skills.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Rancide

[Black Knight]

This used to be far more true than it is now.  I'm a heritage speaker (Spanish was dad's first language), and I have an aunt who was a high school Spanish teacher.  I'm not sure when your friend was in high school, but back in the 60s/70s, it was true that most high school textbooks used Spain Spanish as their baseline.

She was in high school in the late 90s, and got her college degree in Spanish in the early oughts. Thank you for your input, it was really interesting. (We could easily talk more, but we're straying OT now, I think, so I'll bow out here.)

[Camera One]

It was kinda funny how Tyler and Laura ended up accidentally screwing Matt and Ashley twice in the same leg.  I think Matt and Ashley could have caught up, if Matt wasn't doing his usual running around like a chicken with its head cut off, and if they weren't so quick to follow other teams.  The first time, Matt and Ashley were lucky they didn't go too far out of the way like the Medical and Lawyer teams did.  The second time, I don't think Tyler necessarily knew that Mama was also in the same market.  If it had been intentional, I would have expected a few jokes and wisecracks between Tyler and Laura afterwards... they're known for them.

 

The Mama task was way too easy.  I was hoping Blair's Spanish would help a little more, but Rochelle and Mike had no problems.  His Spanish was what got them into trouble with the taxis and the so-called "bad area" which necessitated them going in a cab.  

 

Jenny and Jelani seem more professional now, so I'm back to being able to cheer for them.  They were reasonably decisive in the taxi error and took the potato sorting in stride.  Blair is pretty funny, especially with his sugarcane jokes, so I was happy they got first.  Mike and Rochelle are nice, though I don't know how much longer their luck and Mike's fitness will hold.  I like their calmness a lot, though I think this was the first time I've heard Rochelle nagging on Mike to "keep up the pace".  

Edited May 2, 2015 by Camera One

[Guiaoshi]

Wow- yet another episode in which one team fell so far behind there was no drama at the finish line.  This has to be a record for the show.  

 

 

 

This leg was OK, but I am severely pissed that the Amazing Yellow Line was pushed aside for yet another montage of Hayley shouting at Blair. Show, we. Get. It. And find it unpleasant. Now stop!

 

 

Here is two things that I´m losing count of how many legs it keeps happening over and over again: The total lack of suspense at the eliminations with teams in dead last and Hayley and Blair at the beginning of the leg making promisses on how they will work well together to later we get a montage of Hayley yelling at him..

[anonymiss]

Matt & Rochelle totally bore me too. They got off to a bad first impression with me in the early episodes where she would be acting like he was the one at fault when she was the one screwing up with the tasks and decision-making (not remembering the dance moves, insisting on remaining at the ice rink challenge they weren't able to execute on). I would have rather had seen Matt & Ashley stay. His competence marred by his lack of impulse control and her patience combined with their support of each other is more interesting.

 

Blair was newly hot in that moment he was handling Hayley with aplomb, taking charge in Spanish, and leaning against the taxi with his tanned arms folded (which nicely exaggerated their size). 

 

I was appalled at Tyler and Laura's high-handed behaviour! First they unnecessarily hasten the spoilage of the potatoes and then they SPIT on them. It was like they were spitting on her, and, as visitors to her country, her culture. To add to the insult, Tyler pressures her into high-fiving them for it! They reeked of superiority. Oh and not to mention how Tyler had his violent outburst after their failed attempt, which further disrespects and intimidates her. Ugly behaviour aside, they remind me of watching a rom com or sitcom where they're the only two oblivious to how they're each other's True Loves, and then they get together at the end.

Edited May 3, 2015 by anonymiss

[etagloh]

The total lack of suspense at the eliminations with teams in dead last

To be fair to the leg-planners, even if you felt the Olympians were the walking eliminated in Namibia, Matt & Ashley had ample opportunity to catch up in this one, and just had too many brain-farts along the way. Can't control for that. They even took the right side of the Detour before being sent off on that semi-wild potato chase.

On that topic: I think J&J's spud-sorting tactic was the right one: do the sorting in the relative quiet of the farm, then do a quick check at the market, instead of bagging them randomly and trying to sort them at the stall.

[J-Man]

 

Blair seemed comfortable speaking Spanish, but it was puzzling that for someone who seemed fairly fluent, he would throw in random Italian words (Ciao, grazie).

I never heard "grazie," but they said "gracias" numerous times. And most Latin American countries use "ciao" also. (Although it's spelled "chao," or "chau" to match the pronunciation rules of Spanish.)

 

I'm curious about the first location in Peru where they met the band and picked up the first clue. The people who arrived on the earlier, non-spoonfed flight (Hayley/Blair and Jelani/Jenny) got there at night, where they got to see (and set off) the cool fireworks displays. But I presume the people who didn't arrive until morning didn't get any fireworks. (Did they show much of the other three teams arriving?)

 

Anyway, it must have been a pretty big deal to have the band and the fireworks, etc., all set up, so they must have known and expected that some teams would be arriving at night, right? Otherwise, they probably wouldn't have chosen something like fireworks that wouldn't be as visual in the daytime.

[Netfoot]

SHUT YOUR PIE-HOLE, WOMAN!!

 

Burnt cane.  Nasty.  But only one row instead of three.  Hey, you're supposed to cut through the stem with a single blow from the Collins!  Swing harder!  And keep your other limbs clear.  You know, I've never owned an actual Collins.  Maybe I'll buy one on Monday.

 

What a cock-up at the shoeshine.  Except Mike/Rochelle, who seem increasingly competent in a quiet and unassuming sorta way...

 

Oh, they gave them green cane to walk with.  That will be much easier.

 

Phil! Much PhitBit mathematical mumbo-jumbo, and a glass of cane juice.  I don't really like cane juice, but I guess it's better than snake blood or something. 

 

Spud-sorting looks like it could be a nightmare!  I guess you'd only have to mis-identify a single spud to have the judge shake his head and grunt at you.  Woah!  That wasn't a grunt, that was really mean!  (I love it!) 

 

Chillax about the spitting.  What's a bit of spit on potatoes that were grown in dirt and fertilized with pig-shit?  Or were you planning on cooking them without washing them first?

 

Phil:  "BFFs.  Wow!"  But I love the crowd of locals forming around the mat. 

 

Pretty unfortunate to be running last and have the taxi take you to the opposite detour.  Twice.

 

Too bad for Matt & Ashlery, but somebody has to go, and.....  Cute selfie at the end there.  (OMG, did I actually say that?!??)

 

The Fitbit calculation challenge was silly, what's the point when they get to use a calculator?

 

That had to be as easy as humanly possible.  Wouldn't  do to have FitBit customers pulling their hair out and getting useless results from today's specific piece of techno-consumerist junk.  Bad for sales!

[ChuChu]

I gotta agree that spitting on the potatoes was not a big deal.  The locals that judge and hand out clues on the Amazing Race are hired and paid.  Those potatoes were not her income for the day, they were props for a challenge and she was a judge.

[sportsgirl]

I thought it was clear from when Jenny & Jelani did the task that at least two of the potatoes resembled each other when dirty. Therefore, Laura's idea to wash them so they could differentiate between them seemed really effective. And it's not like the Racers were instructed to lovingly and gently treat the potatoes with white gloves -- I don't think spit is all that much worse than the sweat, dirt, and who knows what else already on them.

"I think J&J's spud-sorting tactic was the right one: do the sorting in the relative quiet of the farm, then do a quick check at the market, instead of bagging them randomly and trying to sort them at the stall."

etagloh, I'd thought that, too, at the beginning of the challenge, but it didn't play out that way. Everyone had their potatoes dumped, and the "neat sorting at the farm" then turned into a waste of time for J&J.

[Ohgeez]

Can someone tell Jelani that lipstick color is awful?

[waving feather]

I can't stand Hayley when she's being verbally abusive to Blair. She's like a woman possessed and is not in control of her emotions and speech. So there's definitely some anger issues there. But she's also intuitive and smart and likable when she has calmed down. I already adore Blair for his dry wit and kindness towards Hayley. I don't mind his gentle jabs at Hayley because she also gives as much she gets. So I guess I'm rooting for them to win the million. If not them then Tyler and Laura. I know they are not the sweetest people but I love the dynamic between them. They are so cool with each other. No unnecessary drama or blaming. Just like she didn't blame him when he left the fanny pack, he didn't blame her for seeing the sign but not putting 2 and 2 together. He even praised her for it. They said they don't have any romantic connection but they really are very compatible.

I'm glad Matt and Ashley are eliminated. I like Ashley but she really is the only brain trust of the team. I can't stand Matt. He panics at the slightest things and ain't too bright. It's painful to watch. He's lucky how patient she is with him.

I like Mike and Rochelle too but just like Matt and Ashley, she's smarter and stronger than him.

[Haleth]

Gotta give Matt credit though for burning through the cane field.  The man can wield a machete like no one's business.  He even got a round of applause from the farm hands.

[kili]

The teams on the following flight were racing not to be last, so they had their "stronger" male partner take the task.

I don't know about this.  I'm pretty sure Rochelle would kick Mike's ass in any physical challenge.  She's a beast.  He's doughy and easily winded.

 

Mike is the reason I put "stronger" in quotes. Rochelle can not only kick Mike's ass in any physical challenge, I don't think we've seen any challenge she can't do better than him. Yet, for some reason, this team keeps turning to Mike for the physical challenges only to have Rochelle finish it up (e.g. when they did the stacking task, they first let Mike try before Rochelle took over). Rochelle is both the brawn and the brains of that team. They'll probably do better now if Mike has burned all his roadblocks.

 

Mike even seems to know this and loves Rochelle all the more for her abilities.

[vousviou]

As far as the potatoes, I'll note that a lot happens to food from the time it's on the farm to the time it goes on sale that you probably don't want to know about.

My grandparents lived out in the country and grew a fair amount of food. Manure gets used for fertilizer and you can bet those pigs that were wandering around weren't being careful about where they did their business. Bird poop, bugs, dirt are all part of the process. Depending on the soil, potatoes can come out of the ground really dirty, and that dirt isn't always nice.

That isn't to say you want to be hocking lungies on your potatoes, but I can pretty much guarantee they've been through a lot by the time they end up in the market, and either the vendor or the customers will be washing them very well before they're cooked as a matter of course. Laura and Tyler were probably putting themselves at greater risk of germs by using their saliva than anyone who might end up cooking those potatoes.

[vousviou]

Although for the most part I've been horrified by Hayley's non-stop high-pitched carping, for some reason last night it just struck me as hilarious.

 

Blair seemed comfortable speaking Spanish, but it was puzzling that for someone who seemed fairly fluent, he would throw in random Italian words (Ciao, grazie).

I agree he seemed comfortable, but wow was his pronunciation awful.  I wonder if he learned it formally or just picked it up somewhere.  I give him a lot of credit for plowing ahead.

[vousviou]

That had to be as easy as humanly possible.  Wouldn't  do to have FitBit customers pulling their hair out and getting useless results from today's specific piece of techno-consumerist junk.  Bad for sales!

 

I liked the way they used the fuel economy feature in the cars last season where teams had to perform a penalty task if they used too much fuel, and I think it would have been worthwhile using the Fitbits as part of a challenge -- you have to get your heartrate up to a certain point or take a certain number of steps while performing a task before you get to move on.  I think doing division with a calculator is about the most boring way possible to incorporate them.

Edited May 3, 2015 by vousviou

[Netfoot]

I think doing division with a calculator is about the most boring way possible to incorporate them.

 

I agree, but showing competitors doing long division and getting it wrong and pulling their hair out wouldn't have been good for FitBit sales.

[Camera One]

Matt still seemed to be somewhat confused by the calculations.  

[Thog]

 

they remind me of watching a rom com or sitcom where they're the only two oblivious to how they're each other's True Loves, and then they get together at the end.

Several people have said that they hope none of the blind date couples wins, because TPTB might get the wrong idea that this silly premise was actually worthwhile. Honestly, I think the worst possible outcome would be for any of these couples to start dating. Because I haven't really minded watching strangers get to know each other, but if anyone decides this should become a blind dating show I'm out.

[PaisleyPam]

Speaking of saliva, I wonder whether the beverage Mama was making was this one:

http://southamerica.amateurtraveler.com/chicha-the-infamous-saliva-fermented-beer-from-peru/

[PhD-Purgatory15]

I wonder how the immediate bunch in Peru was actually supposed to work. We got to see H&B and J&J take 7:00am tickets after arriving the previous evening.....but the other three teams arrived so late the following morning, if they were supposed to have staggered departure times (7:30am, 8:00am etc.) it didn't end up coming in to play.

 

That's at least 3 (maybe more) times that Mike and Rochelle have benefited from just having sharper eyes than some of the other teams. Their ability to see the Clue Box/Speed Bump station and not have to take a taxi wild goose chase pretty much guaranteed them a third or fourth place finish (helped a bit by the fact that Matt and Ashley still had a speed bump to do). Although I did worry a little for Mike during the machete challenge. Carrying his extra weight at elevation during a physically strenuous task could not have been easy....he easily could have been at a greater risk of heat stroke or general exhaustion which would have made the rest of the leg a dicey proposition.

 

Much like J&J the last few legs, Tyler and Laura seem to be able to put mistakes behind them. Missing the earlier flight, and missing the Speed Bump/Clue Box at first would have sent some teams over the edge....and yet really they only let it boil over momentarily as they started to bag up the potatoes. As for the spitting on the potatoes.....in a vacuum, it's definitely not a good look. Yet I have to believe that TAR does provide some type of compensation for being filmed and use of their potato carts for the challenge. What they should have done was seek out a vendor right there in the market that was selling bottled water because that did seem like an effective way to differentiate between similar looking produce.

 

From the previews, Mike and Rochelle appear like they are going to have to overcome some sort of vehicle related problem next week (minor accident, flat tire, out of gas etc.). Generally speaking that's not a good place to be.....hopefully for them it will occur as early in the leg as possible because I'd like them to squeeze into the final just so it isn't a battle between three of the non-dating blind-date couples.

Edited May 3, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[J-Man]

 

 

Can someone tell Jelani that lipstick color is awful?

When was Jelani wearing lipstick?

 

[etagloh]

I wonder how the immediate bunch in Peru was actually supposed to work.

It might have been as simple as it looked: if you got in on the evening, you got the fireworks and a HoO bunch; if you took the spoonfed reservation, you got to start when you arrived in Trujillo. Perhaps if all the teams had got earlier flights, they'd have divvied out staggered start times. But the options would have been well scoped out by TPTB, given that the journey required a connection from Lima to a regional airport that doesn't have that many inbound flights.

[Delwyn]

I wonder how the immediate bunch in Peru was actually supposed to work.

 

Maybe I am just jaded by watching so many seasons of TAR, but this read to me as a heavy-handed production influence. Usually when teams way out ahead get in, they get a clue that says something along the lines of "the stall will open at 7am"  or they have to choose a number for a morning start time. We saw nothing except a welcome that the other teams did not receive, no clue envelope till morning and then Jenny saying that their "release time" was at 7am (very suspicious wording, even for Jenny). It came across like a scramble to reduce a 12 hour deficit for the other teams to avoid a situation like S1 with Kevin & Drew/Guidos. YMMV.

Edited May 4, 2015 by Delwyn

[aradia22]

Blair and Hayley are difficult for me because we only see a small part of their time together. Yes, again, she did have a point since the clue said it was a 2 minute walk. But she is quite irritating so.... eh?

 

I felt bad that Jenny had to cut that entire row but the expression of the guy who normally works there was hilarious as she was blindly hacking away. The girls seemed to do a good job at the task though. It's hard to tell since they didn't show much.

 

LOL at Hayley's "I'm not a person that yells" and "It takes a lot to make me mad." Really? Do you really want to do this?

 

I didn't really get the speed bump. Was it just using a typewriter?

 

Find the ingredients tasks aren't the easiest but sorting potatoes seemed more confusing so I would have chosen Mama over Papas. Potato lady was cruel just letting them all fall like that. At least they didn't have to go all the way back.

 

Aw, I thought the little pigs were very cute. 

 

They had calculators... why was the math taking them so long?

 

I kind of enjoy it when the crazy dysfunctional team of Hayley and Blair wins a leg.

 

I thought Tyler and Laura were just going to dump all the potatoes in and I was going to laugh when the woman dumped them back out again. But then I still got to laugh. :D

 

Matt and Ashley have grown on me but they were a mess this leg. Tyler and Laura tricked them but they were already not racing that well so it didn't break my heart when they were eliminated.

[aradia22]

 

I hope the TAR producers compensate the "Papas" Detour woman for those potatoes Tyler and Laura spat on.  Gross.

Agreed. These kinds of tasks seem to help local people do their work as additional compensation for taking time out of their day to participate (supervising, judging, etc.) I know potatoes come from the ground anyway but at least people don't intentionally spit on them. And yes, they're totally shady and deliberately mislead other teams. I don't know how that's a question.

 

Well, it's official: in order for the season to be redeemed, Mike & Rochelle need to win.

Nope, I'm 100% behind Hayley and Blair now. I would accept my early favorites who I'm now less into Jelani and Jenny as a second choice. I guess I could tolerate Tyler and Laura because they are strong racers even if they play dirty and make irritating comments. As for Mike and Rochelle... THIS v

 

Sigh.. once again Mike and Rochelle 'luck their way through'- oh well guess there has to be 4 teams.  I want to like them  I really really do but I don't.  They're about as bland as day old bread.

[aradia22]

 

I agree he seemed comfortable, but wow was his pronunciation awful.  I wonder if he learned it formally or just picked it up somewhere.  I give him a lot of credit for plowing ahead.

You should have come to my high school. We took French and even we knew the Spanish students weren't even coming close to pronouncing the words correctly.

[jhlipton]

I wonder how the immediate bunch in Peru was actually supposed to work. We got to see H&B and J&J take 7:00am tickets after arriving the previous evening.....but the other three teams arrived so late the following morning, if they were supposed to have staggered departure times (7:30am, 8:00am etc.) it didn't end up coming in to play.

 

The first team to the band were sh a time (7:00 AM), the second team wasn't.  So I took that as an Hours of Operation stall, rather than a stagger stall.  Since the other teams arrived around 10 AM, they could go directly to the shoe-shine.

[Eggman]

The Fitbit calculation challenge was silly, what's the point when they get to use a calculator?

 

Careful examination shows that even with a calculator there were plenty of erasures and refiguring, we just weren't shown the initial mistakes.   If you watch again, look at the answer portion of the chalkboard - there are smeared out figures on most of them.

 

 

I want Blair and Haley to win.  Blair because he deserves it.  Haley because, boobs.   (there, I said it.)

Edited May 4, 2015 by Eggman

[millennium]

The potato woman didn't pick out any one bad potato for Tyler and Laura.   She just dumped the load.

 

I wondered if she did it because they smeared their spit all over them.

I was appalled at Tyler and Laura's high-handed behaviour! First they unnecessarily hasten the spoilage of the potatoes and then they SPIT on them. It was like they were spitting on her, and, as visitors to her country, her culture.

 

That's what I got too, and why I considered that she dumped their potatoes just for the hell of it.

[tobysmom]

I gotta agree that spitting on the potatoes was not a big deal.  The locals that judge and hand out clues on the Amazing Race are hired and paid.  Those potatoes were not her income for the day, they were props for a challenge and she was a judge.

I agree, as someone mentioned they were probably already paid for by TAR so the stall lady probably could care less; plus when they were wrong and she upset the cart - the potatoes were probably banged and dinged and unsellable then.

 

Enjoy this episode - yeah, hard to believe I'm liking Haley and Blair for the win; if not them Mike and Rochelle.  But, unless there is a screw up I'm going to guess H/B, J/J and T/L in the final 3.

 

And yeah, must have been killer fatigue going on - Laura in the taxi casually mentioning seeing the speed bump and it not even registering :).  Have to give Tyler props for keeping his cool.

[Jobiska]

This morning I sorted all my pills and supplements into my weekly pill box, and then somehow bumped it and it rolled forward and several of the pills spilled out.  This seemed oddly familiar for some reason.