S27: Tanner & Josh

[Donny Ketchum]

Hi.  We're best friends and the resident alpha-male team that is probably going to bore you.

 

Seriously.  Alpha-male teams very rarely fail to make it to the end.  Won't be a bit surprised if these two do the same.

[7-Zark-7]

Sounds like the sequel to Turner & Hooch.

 

This may be the team to beat.

[Donny Ketchum]

Boldly established themselves as the team to beat, but I don't have to like that fact.  I predict they're going to be a team of boring alpha-males who'll dominate the race and win anticlimactically, a la Bates & Anthony from TAR22.  I was so hoping that Jazmine & Danielle would beat them.  But alas.

 

I hope they don't do any Godbothering, since they mentioned how important their faith is to them.

Edited September 27, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[Donny Ketchum]

Oops.  Delete, please.

Edited September 27, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[Sayla Vee]

I'm going to wait to judge them because my all-time favortie team were two boring alpha-males......Rob and Brennan. 

[Paron Xanthis]

The Detour was about the only thing they did right this week.  Tanner fucked up the Roadblock three times, more than any other person.  And then, he pulled his hamstring trying to race out Denise & James Earl for a first-place finish he and Josh weren't even going to get.  I smirked at that.

 

Second place, but I'm gonna root for them to be gone sooner rather than later if they keep up this obsession with Justin & Diana.

[ByaNose]

They must have known there plenty of other teams behind them, right? I guess it was stupid pride thing where they didn't want a woman in her 60's and a gay beating them. Otherwise, I'm at a complete loss why they felt they needed to be in a foot race in Leg 2. The hamstring might not be an issue anyway since it looks like they are okay next week and they do have the Fast Forward.

[Shadow Wave]

In the abstract, it doesn't make sense for them to pass the other team for second place, but if you're competitive and athletic, it would be hard to hang back when you know you could beat someone else.

 

I tend to think that someone who let up in that situation might very well not have the killer instinct you need to power through to the end.

[Paron Xanthis]

In the abstract, it doesn't make sense for them to pass the other team for second place, but if you're competitive and athletic, it would be hard to hang back when you know you could beat someone else.

The problem is that they didn't know they were in second.  They thought they were racing for first, and then found out that it was for nothing when Phil said they were in second.

[biakbiak]

I know they said that they thought it might be for first but that made no sense because Justin and Diane left the tango a good time ahead of them.

[Paron Xanthis]

I know they said that they thought it might be for first but that made no sense because Justin and Diane left the tango a good time ahead of them.

Oh, yeah, of course!  That's true!  I knew that!  I was just restating their reasoning above, even though they really should've realized how far ahead of them Justin & Diana had gotten.

[TheOriginalDonald]

The Detour was about the only thing they did right this week.  Tanner fucked up the Roadblock three times, more than any other person.  And then, he pulled his hamstring trying to race out Denise & James Earl for a first-place finish he and Josh weren't even going to get.  I smirked at that.

 

Second place, but I'm gonna root for them to be gone sooner rather than later if they keep up this obsession with Justin & Diana.

So you rather root for the second coming of Tim and Marie than #TeamLonghorn. #GotIt

[TudorQueen]

TudorPrince said they seemed like frat boys to him, and neither of us particularly likes them, though they have isolated moments of humor and warmth that are encouraging. But, ironically, their early hate vendetta towards Justin (who can be irritating sometimes!) makes me dislike #Team Texas more than it does #Team Green

[Paron Xanthis]

So you rather root for the second coming of Tim and Marie than #TeamLonghorn. #GotIt

Yep.  I don't think Justin & Diana are Tim & Marie-like at all.  Neither one seems mean or nasty like Marie, and neither one seems as doormat-like as Tim.  Justin seems to lack social awareness, but he seems fairly well-meaning and harmless so far.  And Diana has done nothing to make me think she's anything but a sweet, nice person.  They just wanna run the race and enjoy it.

 

Tanner & Josh, however . . . they don't seem like they're enjoying the race at all and are already getting too obsessed with beating Justin & Diana.  It's not pleasant to watch, and if they do indeed shore up a mob to turn on them, they'll be even less pleasant to watch.

 

TudorPrince said they seemed like frat boys to him, and neither of us particularly likes them, though they have isolated moments of humor and warmth that are encouraging. But, ironically, their early hate vendetta towards Justin (who can be irritating sometimes!) makes me dislike #Team Texas more than it does #Team Green

I'm still actively hoping their obsession with Justin & Diana results in their crushing, humiliating downfall.

[Lingo]

Oh, yeah, of course!  That's true!  I knew that!  I was just restating their reasoning above, even though they really should've realized how far ahead of them Justin & Diana had gotten.

 

We don't really know how much time there was between the Green Team leaving the RB and the guys leaving. And it's always possible that the Green Team could have gotten really lost like the Cousins (who were taken to a shopping mall downtown). Even Team Paparazzi said that they thought they might have had a chance at first place if they hadn't been taken to the wrong entrance. I'd go all out to if I thought I had a chance at one of those sweet trips (especially one to Morocco, which seems particularly extravagant for an early leg prize on this show).

[ItsJessMe]

Yep.  I don't think Justin & Diana are Tim & Marie-like at all.  Neither one seems mean or nasty like Marie, and neither one seems as doormat-like as Tim.  Justin seems to lack social awareness, but he seems fairly well-meaning and harmless so far.  And Diana has done nothing to make me think she's anything but a sweet, nice person.  They just wanna run the race and enjoy it.

 

Tanner & Josh, however . . . they don't seem like they're enjoying the race at all and are already getting too obsessed with beating Justin & Diana.  It's not pleasant to watch, and if they do indeed shore up a mob to turn on them, they'll be even less pleasant to watch.

 

I'm still actively hoping their obsession with Justin & Diana results in their crushing, humiliating downfall.

This. Totally agree.

[TheOriginalDonald]

This. Totally agree.

Sorry, but #TeamGreen are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much #RADON #GoTeamLonghorn

[7-Zark-7]

I expected these two to be boring (and possibly stupid) but I didn't see their creepiness coming. Their comments about Justin make them seem crazy and vicious.

[Paron Xanthis]

They won another leg.  Meh.  Boring alpha-male teams tend to win legs repeatedly.  I'm kind of surprised they did after all of their errors.  But as many people thought, they just assumed that they were going to cruise right to the end of the race due to being alpha-males.  And they clearly think they're going to manipulate the race by giving their Express Pass to whomever U-Turns Justin & Diana if they don't.

 

Ugh.  I can't stand them and hope they're being set up for a fall.  A big one.

[Bryce Smith]

I'm pointing and laughing at these two right now!  They wasted their Express Pass for nothing!  Their plan failed utterly and completely, and now they have to rely on finishing all of their tasks fairly if they want another chance at U-Turning Justin & Diana!  Yes, their task performance was once again strong, but that doesn't matter!  Their plan blew up in their faces, and I loved it!

 

Cindy & Rick were right -- you should've waited till the Detour, boys!  Ha!

[Thog]

All I can think about when I look at these guys is how much hair gel that one guy must have packed so that his hair could stick up like David Boreanaz's in Angel.

 

I'm never a fan of alpha male teams, teams that focus more on others than on the race itself, or teams who think God is on their side. I also resent how much screen time is taken up by their manufactured feud, and I really want them out just so we can move on to other storylines. I have enjoyed watching their mistakes bite them back, though.

[Bryce Smith]

I'm never a fan of alpha male teams, teams that focus more on others than on the race itself, or teams who think God is on their side.

Eesh.  I don't, either.  And the fact that these guys appear to fall under the entire trifecta you mentioned isn't a good look on them.

[Bryce Smith]

It was so amusing to see the douchebags complete bungle the rowing at the Detour, going both ways.  They seemed to have no other major problems, though.  Actually, they somehow made up time at the fruit balancing if they passed Kelsey & Joey.

 

Nonetheless, while the obsession they have with Justin & Diana got a rest on this episode, they still have it.  I'm hoping it leads to their downfall.

[TudorQueen]

I think the vendetta/obsession has lessened, or at least shifted. They've admitted more than once that their respect for Team Green has increased a great deal because they 'kept their word', and have emphasized "they're formidable competitors" over "We really hate him" as the reason to beat them. This, to me, is a big improvement. I might end up liking them. Maybe.

Shallow note: Now that my first thought upon seeing them isn't "I want them gone!", I've finally noticed that they're kind of good looking.

[Bryce Smith]

TudorQueen, on 26 Oct 2015 - 11:34 PM, said:

I think the vendetta/obsession has lessened, or at least shifted. They've admitted more than once that their respect for Team Green has increased a great deal because they 'kept their word', and have emphasized "they're formidable competitors" over "We really hate him" as the reason to beat them. This, to me, is a big improvement. I might end up liking them. Maybe.

Except one of them still snotted, "How did they beat us?" at the canoeing.  I think this is actually going to keep up, despite this last episode's moment of humility.

[ProfCrash]

Team Texas can leave right after the Papparazi leave. I am not a huge fan of Alpha Male teams, I think it is a bit unbalanced and gives them a very real physical advantage in the race. Mainly, I find most of the teams that fall into the Alpha Male catagory to be boring. Pretty to look at but not all that exciting in personality and, many times, not the brightest. I suppose that last bit is normally their undoing and I suspect it is going to be an issue this season.

 

Their obsession with Team Green is silly. Justin sure appears like he can be annoying. I am think Shirin and Max Super Fan annoying but with the benefit of being off on your own often enough that you don't have to listen to them 24/7. But I don't think Team Green is worthy of the obsession that they have engendered from Team Texas.

 

Team Texas built an entire alliance to get out one team. Seriously. They bribed people with the extra express pass to get out one team. They then wasted their own express pass in attempt to target one team. Nevermind that Team Green was far enough ahead that they would have easily survived the U Turn and would have been able to make up any lost time at the next hours of poeration bunch, lets use the Express Pass and a U Turn in order to maybe, by some massive long shot, elimate a team.

 

They could not have seen the bunch that happened but they should have seen that their entire plan was massivly flawed. Justin is annoying but he was right.

 

Toss in the desire to beat the Mom and Son team so badly that one of the dudes pulls a muscle. Was it pride? We can't be beating by the older woman and the gay guy. Or was it greed? We really want all the first place prizes we can win. Whatever it was, they risked an injury that could hurt them throughout the entire race.

 

I just don't like them.

[Bryce Smith]

Finally!  Glad to see these two finish out of the top three at last!  It's what they deserve, quite frankly!  I can't believe anyone found them tolerable on this leg.  "If he misses this, I'm going to freak out on him."  That's something to find tolerable?  Seriously?!

 

Anyway, they got both Roadblocks right, but they struggled at the Bust a Crab Detour, much to my great pleasure.  They finally got it, and only Cindy & Rick's cabbie screwing them over helped them go from fifth place to fourth.

[Lingo]

 I can't believe anyone found them tolerable on this leg.  "If he misses this, I'm going to freak out on him."  That's something to find tolerable?  Seriously?!

What's wrong with that? Pretty typical Over-Invested Racer behavior.

[Dale Griffin]

We got another look at how dumb they are.  Tanner was almost completely clueless at the Roadblock, and neither one of them can do math to save their lives.  They were overwhelmed at the Ship Detour, as well, and had to thank Logan & Chris, Denise & James Earl, and especially Cindy & Rick for being even more overwhelmed at it to thank for finishing fourth.

 

Also, whoever called them "cute and funny" in last week's episode thread . . . they're not.  They're just . . . really not.

[ByaNose]

Tanner & Josh are getting dumber & dumber each week. They were the presumed alpha male macho team. Unfortunately, they are as dumb as a bag of rocks. They still have their looks though.

Edited November 7, 2015 by ByaNose

[Chyna]

My 4th grader is working on 3-digit subtraction in class right now, and she was baffled that adults couldn't do it. (Although seeing that gave me an answer for when she asks "When am I going to need to do this in real life?")

[Dale Griffin]

Chyna, on 07 Nov 2015 - 3:38 PM, said:

My 4th grader is working on 3-digit subtraction in class right now, and she was baffled that adults couldn't do it. (Although seeing that gave me an answer for when she asks "When am I going to need to do this in real life?")

If you don't mind, what was it, @Chyna? :)

[Chyna]

Clearly, it was "But what if you're on the Amazing Race and you don't have a calculator??" :) She's young enough to be swayed by that. 

[lexington11]

Tanner & Josh are getting dumber & dumber each week. They were the presumed alpha male macho team. Unfortunately, they are as dumb as a bag of rocks. They still have their looks though.

No kidding...those two and the frat boys from season 9 (I think) have the record for dumbest alpha male team in the show's history.

[scrb]

Yeah that speed bump was bad luck. But the first guy needed to be the first one done and he was like the fourth, behind Diana.

That was it.

Even without being u-turned, they might have still been last.

[SanDiegoInExile]

I'll still buy the gay porn they eventually make millions with.

[ByaNose]

Wait! They're gay? Nothing wrong with that but thought they were into the cheerleaders. Who knew? LOL!! I like the tall exotic cheerleader. She is stunning looking.

[Bella]

I believe that comment about their sexuality was made in jest. In any case, it doesn't matter.

[Chyna]

Even though everyone pretty much bunched up coming into India, it was the sightseeing in France that really did this team in, I think. As we've seen before, there's definitely something to be said for stopping a team's momentum. They stopped their own momentum with the sightseeing, and they never got their mojo back.

[Bella]

Even though everyone pretty much bunched up coming into India, it was the sightseeing in France that really did this team in, I think. As we've seen before, there's definitely something to be said for stopping a team's momentum. They stopped their own momentum with the sightseeing, and they never got their mojo back.

 

I think there's something to this. While I'm not interested in backtracking through TAR history, it does seem that when a team takes a break, they're either not aware of how hard the Race is going to be or they're burnt out. Racers need to keep their heads in the game from the moment they start until they moment they're eliminated or win. A shift in focus can be quite damaging.

 

And that Speed Bump was brutal compared to most past Speed Bumps. Functionally, it was as if the team was U-Turned twice.

[Shadow Wave]

FWIW, Tanner thinks it went south for them in Poland, where it took them more than an hour to get a taxi.

 

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/exclusive-the-amazing-race-tanner-kloven-and-josh-ahern-talk-(part-1)-18872.php

[John Seavey]

Team Texas built an entire alliance to get out one team. Seriously. They bribed people with the extra express pass to get out one team. They then wasted their own express pass in attempt to target one team. Nevermind that Team Green was far enough ahead that they would have easily survived the U Turn and would have been able to make up any lost time at the next hours of poeration bunch, lets use the Express Pass and a U Turn in order to maybe, by some massive long shot, elimate a team.

 

They could not have seen the bunch that happened but they should have seen that their entire plan was massivly flawed. Justin is annoying but he was right.

 

In fairness, they were required to use the Express Pass that leg or lose it, and they were also required to hand it on to another team at the end of that leg, so really they weren't doing giving up any real advantage with their plan. They didn't know it was a double leg, but really, it was a good use of their resources with no practical downside if the plan failed. Their only real mistake was in using the Express Pass at the Roadblock instead of the Detour, which was an obvious mistake even before they found out about the Hours of Operation bunch--the Roadblock was short and took all teams the same amount of time, whereas they could have made up significant time at the Detour (the giraffe painting was clearly time consuming).

 

They were definitely overconfident in thinking they could "take out" Justin and Diana with it, but it wasn't a bad strategy.

[ProfCrash]

I believe they had a few more legs to use the express pass in. I think they had to use it by the fifth leg.

[John Seavey]

I believe they had a few more legs to use the express pass in. I think they had to use it by the fifth leg.

 

You're correct, that was the fourth leg where they used it and not the fifth. My apologies. Still, it seems pretty reasonable for them to assume that a) there would be no U-Turn in Leg 5 if there was one in Leg 4, and b) the difference between using the Express Pass in Leg 4 and Leg 5 was probably not going to be a huge one. I still think it was a good bit of Race strategy--they were just ludicrously optimistic in their belief about how effective it would be.