S28.E07: Welcome To Bloody Fingers 101

[Supay]

The race continues in Tbilisi, Georgia.

As confirmed by the official schedule:

https://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/the-amazing-race/photos?episode=9998

[Supay]

Congrats to the newlyweds' shock win! (Only guy among the three couple teams to perform the DanceBlock, no less ~)

[Miss Chevious]

Can Blair possibly get any more annoying? One would think that little fame junkie with all her stupid YouTube videos would definitely want to do the dance moves. But noooo, she makes her old father who has no sense of rhythm do it. What a dumb move! Well good riddance to her & her screeching.

[Browncoat]

What is Brodie going to do now?  No more Blair and Daddy.  Maybe if she had done the roadblock, they would have finished earlier.  And maybe if Tyler and Korey hadn't bald snarked, they could have finished earlier.  Korey's dancing was painful to watch at first.

 

That dance looked like it was as challenging (if not moreso) as the Bollywood one from a few seasons ago.  The judge here didn't seem terribly lenient, either, though he did give them passes on sticking the landing at the end. 

 

What language do Georgians speak?  It looks like a beautiful country.

[PaperTree]

Yes, Blair is pathetic.  I was stunned when she made daddy dance.  And he was a trooper as always.

 

Stunning country as well.  The language barrier is tougher off the beaten path.

[nottopbravo]

The title of the episode should have been, "And then there were two".

[TV Anonymous]

Why Sheri and Cole did not do a Speed Bump?

[Peanut]

I think there was no speed bump because it was a continue racing leg.  

 

I want to ride that weird train and I really want to visit Georgia.  And Armenia.  

[Lantern7]

"And yes, they are taking the midnight train to Georgia." Uncharacteristic quip from Phil. I approve.

 

I'm happy Scott & Blair are out because I feel Tyler & Korey bring a better energy to the game. Also . . . eliminated teams still do the rounds with the press, right? Because I'd like to know the rationale of Scott taking the Roadblock. Blair must be the biggest spaz alive, but she and Scott would still be in the game if she had done the Roadblock. You can also make a case that she screwed up by taking both bags, leading to Scott taking Tyler's stuff. BTW, if I'm coming off a flight with Tyler, I will wait for him to find and pick up his luggage before retrieving my own. Not a good look for Tyler, even though 99 percent of people (including Phil) would've flipped out as well.

 

When was the last time a team did a "Double Bald Snark"? Lucky for Dana & Matt that the Roadblock had dancing. Otherwise, they might have gone out, and we wouldn't have lost much. It's negative energy . . . nowhere near as bad as friggin' Logan & Chris, but it's there.

 

Roadblock looked brutal. Not exactly Mark almost dying under the sun in India, but it looked complex. In addition to Scott & Blair, I wonder why Sheri took the Roadblock. Maybe she's more limber than her son. BTW, that's her fourth Roadblock to Cole's three. I'm not seeing any major discrepancy between them.

 

TV Anonymous . . . I think that if you're doing a leg immediately after completing one, the Speed Bump is waived off.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Why Sheri and Cole did not do a Speed Bump?

 

Because it was a continuation leg.  When they were last in the previous episode it wasn't a checking in point, it was a 'you're still racing' point.

[pally]

 

What language do Georgians speak?  It looks like a beautiful country.

The speak Georgian with Russian likely as a second language.

 

I really got the feeling that the judge passed Daddy just to get rid of Blair and her screeching.  

[ByaNose]

Bag-gate...not so much. I was shocked Blair didn't do the roadblock. Did she do anything this season? She watched him do the nuts & then the dancing.

[Lamima]

Again the older parents carrying the baggage for their loser kids. Glad Blair is gone. And did you hear Cole at the beginning of the epi about them coming in last due to the oil change...something like "yeah if we lost I'd have been like 'it's ok mom, you did your best, I am proud of you' but since we're not out because it's a continuous leg then 'what the heck mom' ". Loser. His mom, Sheri, is a rockstar. She can only carry him for so long.

[NYGirl]

I'm surprised Cole and not Sheri actually went into the wine cask first to clean it.  I will say there's no way I would have done that task.  Talk about claustrophobia..yikes.

 

Not a bad episode because:  Very little Brody ...  and bye bye Blair.  It's a win/win for us viewers. 

 

I was worried about Korey and Tyler and I wish Burnie and Ashley would have come in first.

[sinycalone]

I can understand that forcing the needle through the nut was hard....but everyone else at the roadblock had to do it the same way, in the same cold.  Not quite sure why Tyler and Korey had so much more trouble with the task.

 

Glad Zack and Rachel won...a little diversity is good.  Of course, if Barnie/Ashley's taxi driver had taken them to the right bridge.....

 

Sherri is a good racer....and dang tough.  Her son....not so much.

 

Armenia and Georgia have been breathtaking....and the local people seem to really get in the spirit of things.  It's not only that the languages in those countries are difficult for non-speakers....but the alphabets are just so odd to eyes used to totally different "alphabets."

[SomeTameGazelle]

What was up with Phil's reaction to Sheri saying they looked for a beautiful lady in order to find him? "Hahaha, maybe Cole looks for ladies -- surely you must look for men!" He knows the mat is not about dating, right?

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Ok. This was a pretty intriguing leg with a lot movement and shuffling of places. Selfishly it was nice to see Brodie and Kurt struggle a little. It breaks the monotony of it feeling like they are on cruise control until the final leg.

 

Felt bad for RoosterTeeth. One bad taxi wasted a great, really efficiently run leg. Still two back to back 2nds make me think these guys are in it for the long haul.

 

Great leg by Zach and Rachel. Zach WORKED to figure out that RB, he was in a lather when the judge finally okayed his routine. They figured out the  candy process much quicker than everyone else too.

 

Matt and Dana and Tyler and Korey got away with one of the latest bald snarks in TAR recent memory (Matt and Dana actually tried to bald snark, aborted the bald snark attempt to go back to the candy detour, then ultimately bald snarked again. Yeesh). I really wonder if that was killer fatigue hitting Tyler and Korey hard for the first time in the race. They've made very smart decisions until this leg. They still survived it, but all they have to do is tough out the candy and even with Korey's dance problems they still probably finish in 4th ahead of Sherri and Cole. Cole is still insufferable, but if I was him and I saw both of those teams roll up to the detour when he and his Mom had just finished, I would've done a crazy spastic happy dance too.

 

I don't want to crush Blair because I'd have no chance at a dance challenge because I am rhythmically challenged to the nth degree, but don't you have to just try at that point? Even on something I'm not good at, I still like the idea of putting your race fate in your own hands (as long as the other partner isn't a trained dancer like Matt or Dana). Fake it till you make it or something like that.

Edited April 9, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[LotusFlower]

I couldn't believe Blair made her father do the dance roadblock, but it also bothered me that he just said ok and didn't challenge her at all. He's very passive with her.

What was up with Phil's reaction to Sheri saying they looked for a beautiful lady in order to find him? "Hahaha, maybe Cole looks for ladies -- surely you must look for men!" He knows the mat is not about dating, right?

That's not how I took it. He said: "you weren't looking for a beautiful man?" - sarcastically referencing himself.

[Jobiska]

I couldn't believe Blair made her father do the dance roadblock, but it also bothered me that he just said ok and didn't challenge her at all. He's very passive with her.

 

He said "are you sure?" but gave in when she said yes.  I had to rewind it because my husband said with certainty "Blair's taking it!" and that is not what I had heard!

[Guest Guest]

Here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

The Amazing Race Has Georgia On Its Mind

In Tblisi, teams take a literal stab at making Georgian hazelnut candy, and a figurative stab at some ballet moves.

[Artsda]

Blair making her dad do the dance was the stupidest thing ever. 

[NurseGiGi]

I can see why Scot got confused about the bags since that's the first time I've seen Blair pick them up.  And guess who was running to the mat holding both bags? Yep, Daddy.  I'm so glad they're gone, maybe now I can relax and watch the race.

[LotusFlower]

Blair making her dad do the dance was the stupidest thing ever.

I'd love to hear her excuse.

[vousviou]

That was an outstanding episode.  I loved the way the detour almost everyone wanted to perform was deceptively hard, and how Mom and Son got a significant advantage by going against the grain.  And yet, the candy making was also something that rewarded competence over brute strength, and two teams were able to jump ahead by figuring it out.

 

The dance roadblock was hard but fun to watch, and again rewarded competence and coordination. 

 

Blair only sunk lower in my estimation, but her father grew a lot on me by the end.  I'm glad to see them go, but really just to have her gone.

 

I really like the shakeup and I hope the two top finishing teams keep going strong.  I get a good vibe from both of them -- they're smart and competent but not loud, and seem very supportive of each other without being arrogant.  They seem glad to be in the race and enjoying themselves, and to me they don't seem to have any of the annoying self-promoting affect that I feared was going to be the dominant theme of this season.  This episode I completely forgot about the whole social media gimmick, and just enjoyed it as a race.

 

Great scenery, fun shots of animals, and the Georgians were engaged and entertaining.  Did I mention I really liked this episode?

[zscore]

I'd love to hear her excuse.

@BlairFowler

A lot of you are asking why I made my dad do the dancing roadblock... I hurt my knee in chamonix and could barely put any weight on it!

[rlangmit]

This was my favorite episode in a long, long time.  Everything about it worked.  There was a beautiful new country with cool sights to see.  (The travelogue part of the show has really been top-notch the last few weeks, after I had conceded they weren't really trying anymore.)  The candy Detour was difficult and allowed skilled racers to jump ahead.  I'm not usually a fan of limited availability tasks, but this one created interesting strategy as one team stayed and another one left.  The wine Detour required less skill, but it was apparently at least somewhat tough to find.  All of these elements combined to form some excellent Bald Snarking (and pseudo-Bald Snarking?  Does it count if you don't ever get to a task?).  Then there was an extremely difficult Roadblock...but one, I suddenly realized, that was perfectly suited to a team at the back of the pack.  On the way to the Pit Stop, one of my two favorite teams was in the lead...only to get lost and lose the win to my favorite team!  And then a dance showdown, bag mixup, and footrace to the mat?!  With the better team winning?  After an episode in which I was convinced they or Dana & Matt were getting the doomed edit, only to look back and see the splitting of "Blodie" (ugh) expertly foreshadowed?

 

This is why I fell in love with this show.

[blackwing]

I thought this leg was poorly designed.  A to-be-continued finish followed immediately by a bunch and a 10 hour train ride?  It's as if the last leg didn't matter at all.  Plus it doesn't help that out of all the racers, the only one I intensely dislike is Cole, and I hate that he was saved.  He is a grade A ass.  He was saying something about how if they had been eliminated he would have told his mom it was OK, but since it was nonelimination, he was wondering why she did so poorly?  He sucks donkey dick.  Sheri should have been all "yeah, and if you had stepped up and did the oil change task, maybe we wouldn't have been last".

 

Happy that Zach and Rachel finished first.  I think Zach might be the only minority contestant left, and yay for diversity.  (Although Korey might possibly be half-Hispanic, and I've been wondering if Blair like Zach is also half-Asian.)  And happy for Matt and Dana.  Dana rocked that roadblock, as well she should, and they were very pleasant this leg.  No arguing, even though they changed detours multiple times.  Matt and Dana and Zach and Rachel are my favourite teams.

 

I greatly dislike Cole, but I like Sheri, she was great at the dance.  Tyler gets on my nerves (too frenetic, too much drama queen, too much pandering to the camera) but I like Korey.

 

Blair must be a really bad dancer if she opted out of the dance.  If she had been better than him, and If Scott hadn't grabbed Tyler's bag, they probably wouldn't have gotten eliminated.

 

I'm surprised Cole and not Sheri actually went into the wine cask first to clean it.  I will say there's no way I would have done that task.  Talk about claustrophobia..yikes.

I am horribly claustrophobic and I think I would have been OK with that task... at least there is an opening and you can see the sky.  I think the worst task ever for someone with claustrophobia was that one they did some seasons ago where they had to go into a pyramid.  I would have had to shut my eyes and blindly grope around for whatever it was I needed to find.

[Quilt Fairy]

Great scenery, fun shots of animals, and the Georgians were engaged and entertaining.  Did I mention I really liked this episode?

ITA. This was the first episode this season that felt like it was actually TAR.  Bald snarking, a deceptive detour choice, a hard roadblock, shuffling of teams and both taxi and backpack hijinks. Good times. Really enjoyed the shot of the dog at the wine detour laying out on his back and airing his privates. That was one relaxed dog! Normally we only see skinny ones scrounging for scraps in the garbage on the street that I have to feel sorry for.

 

I still don't care for the editing/camerawork this season. It seemed strange that teams took a gondola up to get a race clue and the next time you saw them they were back in a taxi. About half the teams I don't remember even seeing in the gondola. And (although this is not the editors' fault) I HATE it when they go to really interesting places like the ancient mountaintop fortress and then the ancient mountaintop monastery only to get a clue there.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Quilt Fairy

[Dobian]

Well Blair's dad had been making dumb mistakes since the first leg when he dropped a bunch of mask pieces on the ground.  Now he does them in by grabbing the wrong backpack.  Why in the world Blair doesn't do that challenge in the first place makes no sense to me though.  Fit young girl, old uncoordinated dad, a complicated dance routine.  Sounds like a no-brainer to me.  Sometimes these teams just don't think.

[J-Man]

So they found a way to keep me from fast-forwarding everything until the opening credits. It's usually just the "previouslies," but this week there was actual race stuff going on.

Wouldn't it have been easier to string the nuts by holding each nut on the table and stabbing the needle into it? Certainly less chance of finger damage that way, and you get the benefit of more strength to force the needle into the nut from up above.

[LittleIggy]

What is "bald snarking"? I snark but don't know this term.

Years ago, when there was still a Soviet Union, I saw the Georgian Ballet here in the US. They were AMAZING! The women could glide like spirits across the stage and the men could dance en pointe in soft leather boots. This was over 30 years ago, and I still remember it well. I would love to visit Georgia.

So they found a way to keep me from fast-forwarding everything until the opening credits. It's usually just the "previouslies," but this week there was actual race stuff going on.

Wouldn't it have been easier to string the nuts by holding each nut on the table and stabbing the needle into it? Certainly less chance of finger damage that way, and you get the benefit of more strength to force the needle into the nut from up above.

You would think they would use thimbles to protect the thumb.

Edited April 9, 2016 by LittleIggy

[PhD-Purgatory15]

LittleIggy, bald-snarking was a term created on the old TWOP boards.

 

It basically refers to any time a team starts on one detour, gives up and switches to the other option. I think it goes back to Ken and Gerard, a pair of brothers from one of the first few seasons. It was a specialty of theirs and I believe they were mostly bald in appearance.

Edited April 9, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[J-Man]

I was really hoping some team would end up in Atlanta. 

[Netfoot]

DAMN!  

 

I'm not particularly a Blair fan, but we were so close to having that little shit Tyler sent packing!

 

Also:  I liked Hazelnut Lady.  And those grapes were making my mouth water.  Don't know if I'd have done that wine task because:  Tummy!

[Ducky]

 

Wouldn't it have been easier to string the nuts by holding each nut on the table and stabbing the needle into it? Certainly less chance of finger damage that way, and you get the benefit of more strength to force the needle into the nut from up above.

 

maybe but if I were to do it that way I'd still stab myself in the hand or finger!

 

Yay, glad to see Zach and Rachel win- rooting for them.  Good episode...Dana a lot less grumpy this time but you could still see it when they drove from the candy detour on the way to the clean detour.  Loved watching the dancing- way cool.

 

Loved the candy lady making comments about the racers lol  "poor boy" .

 

Sherri is beginning to grow into Margie 2.0 (aside from the tears and trouble last week),,, well in my view anyway.

 

Happy to see Blair go- though whatever will Brodie do now? <gasp>.  I happen to like Tyler and Korey so hope they stay in.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Ducky

[GaT]

That was a really tough dance, it was a lot tougher than the dances usually are. I really hope that they threw away the candy & nobody ate it, every time someone talked about their bloody fingers I gagged.

[JakeyJokes]

I can understand that forcing the needle through the nut was hard....but everyone else at the roadblock had to do it the same way, in the same cold.  Not quite sure why Tyler and Korey had so much more trouble with the task.

 

 

To me, that task looked like it required dexterity and good fine motor skills. I can barely tie my own shoes, so I could definitely understand how teams struggled with it.

[pfk505]

I hate everyone except Zack, Rachel, and Sheri.  Worst season in quite some time.

[Guiaoshi]

Well, Tyler and Corey losing points with me for give up so easily on the detour ( I was afraid at the beginning of the season that most of these teams wouldnt give enough on the race since they dont need the money as much as the regular racers and just want more exposure, but they surprised me until now.. At least, at the end, seems they still care about the race).

Kudos for Zach and Rachel & Burnie and Ashley this leg, they are growing on me.

Again the older parents carrying the baggage for their loser kids. Glad Blair is gone. And did you hear Cole at the beginning of the epi about them coming in last due to the oil change...something like "yeah if we lost I'd have been like 'it's ok mom, you did your best, I am proud of you' but since we're not out because it's a continuous leg then 'what the heck mom' ". Loser. His mom, Sheri, is a rockstar. She can only carry him for so long.

 

Yess, like he couldnt even hug her when she was crying over the oil change.. In other hand, at the same time Sheri and Scott are really troopers, you can see a bit of the origin of the problem on the way they treat/overprotect their kids (Sheri during the detour, how she was ´´sorry, carefull baby`` all the time). At the end, they just want the best for their kids and as grow up they should realize when its their time to take charge of things, but its a little warn on parenting.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Guiaoshi

[Muffyn]

I have eaten that candy.  There is a bakery near me named Triblisi that sells it.  They use walnuts instead of hazelnuts.  I understand gagging at the thought of the bloodied nuts. I started gagging when Tyler put  the string in his mouth.  Dude, that's going in the candy! 

 

Blair explained on Twitter that she had hurt her knee and so wasn't up to the dance task.  Scott's earlier comment that they would take it slow when climbing the hill made more sense in that context as well as their discussion of trying to outrun Tyler and Korey. 

 

I liked seeing a mix up in the order of the teams.  I hope this trend continues. 

[mertensia]

I would still be trying to dance; I have like zero rhythm.

Sheri was smart about the detour: let Cole do the first part then let her do the fine cleaning. Also picking it in the first place, figuring it was a strength of hers.

I was also sad we didn't see someone at the airport booking a flight to Atlanta.

[RCharter]

Can Blair possibly get any more annoying? One would think that little fame junkie with all her stupid YouTube videos would definitely want to do the dance moves. But noooo, she makes her old father who has no sense of rhythm do it. What a dumb move! Well good riddance to her & her screeching.

I could not even believe that when I saw it....really?  Can she be any more useless?  Her father has had to do almost all the difficult tasks....even at the candymaking, he had to thread all the hazelnuts, while princess Blair sat around stirring.  I literally could not believe she sent her father in to do that fast dance while she sat around looking like a fool....I just can't.

[RCharter]

I'm surprised Cole and not Sheri actually went into the wine cask first to clean it.  I will say there's no way I would have done that task.  Talk about claustrophobia..yikes.

 

Not a bad episode because:  Very little Brody ...  and bye bye Blair.  It's a win/win for us viewers. 

 

I was worried about Korey and Tyler and I wish Burnie and Ashley would have come in first.

 

I think each team member HAD to go into the giant ceramic pot.  Actually cleaning it required more skill so I'm guessing thats why Sherri had to do it.  Cole made some remark about cleaning being a "mom thing" IIRC.

 

@BlairFowler

A lot of you are asking why I made my dad do the dancing roadblock... I hurt my knee in chamonix and could barely put any weight on it!

Nope -- she was walking fine, and was even running at the end.  I don't think people run with fucked up knees.  It would be nice to see Scott run the race with someone other than his useless daughter.  Maybe Scott and the other Blair from the dating season.

[In Pog Form]

This is The Amazing Race - they aren't supposed to be good at dancing! What the hell is going on?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

YAY for Zach and Rachel winning this leg! We was definitely working it at the dancing task. I have been rooting for them since the beginning so it was nice to see them finally win a leg!

 

I wanted to high five Ashley for getting the dance task on her first try.

 

I would be more apt to believe that Blair's knee was hurt too badly to dance (as opposed to just being lazy) if I hadn't watched her do nothing but halfheartedly stir a pot while Scott threaded all 100 of those hazelnuts. It seems like she does as little as possible in these tasks.

 

I have no idea why Brody was having such a hard time threading those nuts and stabbing himself so many times.

Dana was verging on a temper tantrum in the cab on the way to the wine task. I understand being frustrated but don't take it out on your cab driver unless you definitely know that he's going the wrong way and don't get pissy because YOU don't speak the native language.

[In Pog Form]

That's not how I took it. He said: "you weren't looking for a beautiful man?" - sarcastically referencing himself.

That wasn't sarcasm, it was pure vanity.

[In Pog Form]

I can see why Scot got confused about the bags since that's the first time I've seen Blair pick them up.  And guess who was running to the mat holding both bags? Yep, Daddy.  I'm so glad they're gone, maybe now I can relax and watch the race.

Also notice how he puts himself down on the Amazing Bathmat?

"She was more successful at 15 than I was at 50"

The way that Blair was treating him like an Amazing Bathmat made me suspect that he did something horrible in the past, and this is his punishment.

[tenativelyyours]

I think we might see a future episode of Dateline about a internet famewhore who tried to kill her father off for her inheritance by entering him on a strenuous tv reality contest and having him do all the heavy lifting. 

[CrashTextDummie]

Thought this was an excellent episode from start to finish, with a good mix of actually challenging challenges and all the drama the race can provide (including a bad cabbie deciding first place and a footrace to the mat for last). Unlike most episodes, this one felt open throughout with no foregone conclusions. I also enjoy how supportive the team members still are with each other even in the face of killer fatigue setting in (this lap seemed really exhausting), and how the teams interact with other teams. Particularly liked the interaction of an apologetic Scott with an exasperated Tyler when the bags got mixed up.

 

I understand why Sherri did the dancing roadblock, she seemed to have very good rhythm. Was really impressed with her and Ashley. Also while the editing didn't really reflect it, Dana seemed to learn the dance really fast, and although that's not surprising given her profession, I appreciated being able to see what she's actually internet-famous for.

 

To top it all off, Georgia and its inhabitants (both two- and four-legged) where gorgeous.

 

Please more of this!

[Browncoat]

I thought they had to taxi or walk up to the fortress and take the gondola back down.