S28.E09: Salt That Sand!

[NurseGiGi]

I feel like a jerk for even saying this but I shall say it...

 

Is Cole a little slow?  As Trevor Phillips says in GTA V, Cole looks (Well in his case sounds) like he struggles with simple tasks.  Now maybe I am wrong but he just seems a little slow to me.

Cole seems to have been pretty sheltered and is very immature for his age.  I was shocked to learn he is college age.  I can see how tweens would find his antics cute but not his peers.

[xcrayon2215x]

Had Zach done the first task, Brodie/Kurt would likely have been eliminated. None of teams are anywhere near as bad as Justin from last year, Dana and Brodie can irritate at times but not as bad.

[holly4755]

And fruit are the genitals of trees.  

 

 

wow! I never would have made that connection. making me rethink all my eating habits. Still don't like food crawling back up from my stomach though.

[gryphon]

 

And fruit are the genitals of trees.

Does this mean that trees have fruit measuring contests? 

 

Sherri still rocks (except for the soup comments) and I am really starting to love Bernie and Ashley.  I hope they keep on placing second until the final leg.

 

Snakes are ok.   Seeing all these lovely places and tasks just makes me want to apply for the race again. 

Edited April 24, 2016 by gryphon

[jjj]

Since Kurt and Brodie would have had to use the Express Pass by the end of this episode anyway, it really doesn't matter that they burned it early, except now they are at the back of the pack and will have to make up time

Is there even such a thing as "back of the pack" anymore?  In most legs now, air flight bunching or HOO puts everyone at the same level.  Except for first place (prizes!) and last place (buh-bye, usually), being anyplace in the middle of the pack is the same thing once the next leg starts. 

[Eolivet]

This was a great leg, but it killed me that Sheri and Cole -- who were legitimately last place during the last leg due to their own incompetence -- were saved, and got the easiest Speed Bump, so they could survive. But on this leg, where every team gave it their all, we lost Zach and Rachel because of basically chance in terms of Roadblocks. I still can't stand Cole (disrespect for his mother when stressed and being Justin's heir-apparent in terms of over-the-top camera mugging) and Sheri irked me with her "Why can't I have a taxi? Why do we have to drive ourselves?" comment from last episode, so the fact the Race fates have apparently chosen them to be born under the proverbial Race luck star is both irritating and baffling to me.

 

I know, the Race giveth and taketh away, and God is in the tub, etc., but I'm not here to see Sheri and Cole Dandrew their way into the final 3 through a combination of Sheri's force of will and being the luckiest team in Race history (saved by two non-eliminations/TBC legs?! Sigh).

[Netfoot]

Snakes are ok.

 

It you're making a handbag...

 

...and got the easiest Speed Bump, so they could survive.

 

 

 

No, there once was a speedbump (can't remember when/who) where all they had to do was run 50 yards through a firework display.  Total time? What, 10 seconds?  15 tops?

[RCharter]

wow! I never would have made that connection. making me rethink all my eating habits. Still don't like food crawling back up from my stomach though.

 

I love, love figs, and my parents have a giant fig tree that I will often plunder.  

 

Anyways....found out that figs are pollinated when a gnat flies into the fig, The gnat can never get out of the fig, and so the fig grows around the gnat carcass, and so every time I was eating a fig (and I ate so many!) I was eating a bug.

 

Had Zach done the first task, Brodie/Kurt would likely have been eliminated. None of teams are anywhere near as bad as Justin from last year, Dana and Brodie can irritate at times but not as bad.

Justin as the standard is pretty much setting the bar on the ground.

 

No one was as bad as Justin.....and I'm sure he is still trying to get back onto another season of AR.

[rose711]

Fruits are not genitals of a tree. In fruit trees, the flowers contain both of the reproductive organs where the pollen from the male stamens fertilize the female pistil. Some trees, but not fruit trees as far as I know, are individually sexed so there are solely male trees and solely female trees.<br /><br />It's a little pointless to even compare plant reproduction to animals, so I will just leave it there .

As for Sheri and Cole, Cole is reasonably cute with his vines. On RHAP, Jessica reminded the listeners that in past seasons other teams have been saved twice by non- elimination legs and one team even won. So this doesn't seem to be anything new in terms of the Race. I guess it would still be annoying if I didn't like the team.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

The Amazing Race Gets Salty
As Racers harvest salt and fly kites in Bali, everyone randomly piles on one guy for not pulling his weight.

[rozen]

Ugh, poor Rachel. I could see her skin roasting all over, she is going to have the worst sunburn. I can't imagine even trying to race with the sunburn she probably had the next week, so maybe it was for the best? She's also lucky it was hella humid there, because she was moving so slowly I fully expected the back half of her plot to start drying out. She raced very tough, it was impressive, and sucks she was the weakest person doing that task.

 

I legit think Brody has ADHD or something along those lines. It seemed like one of the kite-flyers kept telling him to look at the example, and Brody would keep grunt-screaming back as response. If any other roadblocks require him to follow instructions, they are going to get eliminated shortly. 

 

Team Roosterteeth are very even-keeled and are keeping up a good pace. I bet they will end up winning their first leg on the last leg, they seem like that kind of team that will not commit the pressure-induced brainfarts that usually abound on the last leg.

 

Heh, warm meat mixed with a lot of tapioca? Yea, I would have gone straight to testicles, and I eat a lot of that type of food. I would just automatically revert to my southern setting and go "oh god waiiiii?" Those were so obviously paid actors, Sheri & Cole hardly had to head someone's direction before the person was gesturing them over and giving them perfect change. I feel like they should just give people who hit a NEL a time-out instead of these silly tasks. Maybe make them spend ten minutes in some historic site associated with the country. 

Edited April 25, 2016 by rozen

[Quilt Fairy]

There is a common saying that you really don't want to know how they make sausage. ;-)

 

The 2 worst eating challenges that come to mind are the pound of caviar and having to drink fresh pig's blood (although that was for a fast forward).

[tanyak]

I must say that I didn't watch much of the first part simply because simply looking at snakes bothers me.  I'm getting better but it still literally brings nightmares.

Same here. I covered my eyes for the first two thirds of the challenge. I don't watch TV shows, look at pictures, go in that part of the zoo or science center, nothing. I don't care if some are not venomous, won't hurt me, blah blah blah.

Mr. Tanyak said that as soon as they took the lid off the basket, he would have had someone summon Phil and we would have thanked him for the lovely adventure. After I had been treated for my panic attack. Lol

[vousviou]

I love, love figs, and my parents have a giant fig tree that I will often plunder.  

 

Anyways....found out that figs are pollinated when a gnat flies into the fig, The gnat can never get out of the fig, and so the fig grows around the gnat carcass, and so every time I was eating a fig (and I ate so many!) I was eating a bug.

I have a couple of fig trees, and you're right about how great they are.  You might be glad to know that most garden variety figs in the US aren't pollinated by the tiny fig wasp.  The wasp isn't native to the US, so varieties were introduced which didn't need it.  Plus, figs will dissolve the bodies of any trapped wasps as they grow.  Of course, all types of fruit will have insects walk on them, probe them, lay eggs inside them, and other things, which is why the USDA allows small amounts of insect parts in processed fruit -- there's no way to keep them completely bug free.

[RCharter]

I have a couple of fig trees, and you're right about how great they are.  You might be glad to know that most garden variety figs in the US aren't pollinated by the tiny fig wasp.  The wasp isn't native to the US, so varieties were introduced which didn't need it.  Plus, figs will dissolve the bodies of any trapped wasps as they grow.  Of course, all types of fruit will have insects walk on them, probe them, lay eggs inside them, and other things, which is why the USDA allows small amounts of insect parts in processed fruit -- there's no way to keep them completely bug free.

The first part of your post delighted me....and the second part of  your post concerned me!  

 

Either way, I'm happy to know that this is not how fig trees in the US are pollinated. 

 

You're so lucky to have more than one fig tree, the ones off of my parents tree are far superior than anything I've found in a store.....they are also wildly expensive in the store.

[Guest]

I was sad to see Zach go but Rachel was kind of ineffectual.  She said she blew the roadblock because she lacks upper body strength and she was getting sunburned.  Say she could get 2 gallons in each basket, that's only 32lbs. across your back, and your lower body is doing the work, not your arms.  If you can't squat 40 lbs. you're a wimp.  And I don't think she even had a gallon in each.   And why wasn't she pre-sunscreened?  Or she could've put a t-shirt on like she did over the gold bikini.  She just seemed to be lacking that inner toughness nearly all the women racers find in themselves.  

[anhydrite]

No, there once was a speedbump (can't remember when/who) where all they had to do was run 50 yards through a firework display.  Total time? What, 10 seconds?  15 tops?

 

Actually, I read somewhere (probably on the TWOP forums, I don't remember, and it was a while ago anyway), that this Speed Bump was much longer that what was shown. TK/Rachel (of season 12) said it took them about half an hour to complete the task, because there was a long security briefing and they had to change/unchange from safety outfits.

[holly4755]

 Of course, all types of fruit will have insects walk on them, probe them, lay eggs inside them, and other things, which is why the USDA allows small amounts of insect parts in processed fruit -- there's no way to keep them completely bug free.

we had peach trees in the yard and I can't eat a peach without cutting it open, we used to cut out the worms, much better for us than to use pesticides. I used to give peaches to everyone. but told them to cut it first. Hey, that is called real life.

 

As to the speed bump. that was not a particularly short one, first they had to get to the location, then Identify the truck which they did fast even though Phil seemed to indicate it would take time, then they had to make each individual bowl of soup (10) and deliver it to people on the outer circle.  Then they had to get back to the original race. There have been some places right next to the next task, others were more or less complex.  The sitting one was probably appreciated as a mid race rest. I think they try to make them all take similar time but when you have different people doing it and different countries to work with there is no equal task. 

[piequinn35]

No whiny Dana this episode? Sad to see the Kings go. 

I hope Rooster Teeth wins this race too.

[Netfoot]

we had peach trees in the yard and I can't eat a peach without cutting it open, we used to cut out the worms, much better for us than to use pesticides. I used to give peaches to everyone. but told them to cut it first. Hey, that is called real life.

 

Take it from me, you do NOT want to just bite into a guava in Trinidad.  Here in Barbados, it's fine.  But not in Trinidad.

[blackwing]

I liked Zach and Rachel a lot.  They were nice and calm and treated each other well.  Unfortunately, I think Rachel just wasn't cut out for this race.  The other week she said she gets scared when riding fast on a bike.  Then this week, I think she would have done equally terrible on either roadblock.  She's just not strong enough.  I will miss them though.  I did think the "walking the plank" was lame... it wasn't a plank, they just hopped over the side.

 

Cole continues to bug.  That Speed Bump was so easy, and they were still whining about it.  Sell 10 bowls of noodles to people planted by production.  How long could that have possibly taken?  Then they had to eat one bowl?  I have low tolerance to spicy food, but for a chance to stay in TAR, I would have eaten it and just sweat, without complaining.  Cole is such a sissy about everything.  He is kvetching about what he thinks are goat testicles?  They were in a meatball... at the end of the day, it looks like a meatball.  Chew and swallow and be done with it.  I think there were a whopping TWO meatballs in the soup?  Wish I could tell Cole that Nat and vegetarian Kat ate a SHEEP'S HEAD on their race.  Suck it up Cole.  I can't stand him.

 

I don't mind Brodie and Kurt.  Brodie was a little annoying with the Blair stuff and the shouting, but he has calmed down a lot.  These two seem like good pals who respect and like each other.  I wish he didn't give up so easily on tasks, but there must be something we haven't seen, because all of the other teams seemed to comment that Brodie has to do all the roadblocks from here on out, and all of them seemed to imply that meant the team was doomed.  I don't get it.  Brodie appears to be a big strong athletic guy.  For them to imply that he can't do either the physical or the mental tasks must mean he is even more useless than he appears.

 

Do women racers flirt with Phil?  

In addition to Mirna and Lena/Kristy, I think Jill (of the defunct John Vito and Jill) also flirted with him?  I seem to recall her in a cab on the way to the Pit Stop, putting on lipstick and saying "Have to look nice for Phil".  Or maybe that was Mirna.

 

The father and son Dave and Connor who won a few seasons back were both cancer survivors and that was brought up more than once by them, so I didn't assume Kurt's story meant that they were in trouble.

 

Speaking of the father and son, though, I'm glad that the show is making a point here about both teammates doing an equal share of the roadblocks, since those two notoriously got away with the son doing a lot more than he should have.  I suspect the prominent mention of the balance of tasks by more than one team was the result of either a reminder from the production staff, or else someone on the remaining teams bringing up the rules on the way to Indonesia.

I hated the father and son, and on their first race, I thought the cancer survivor thing was brought up immediately when we met them.  So it was part of their backstory all along.  Much different than with Kurt, who we saw in 8 previous episodes, and then all of a sudden in episode 9 we learn this bit of personal information.  I was sure they were toast.

 

I too remember being confused as to how Grumpy Dave and Pantene Hair Connor got away with the uneven roadblocks.  I know that Season 5 and the trio of useless women (Kim, Chrasstie and "Brandon can't shave his head" Nicole) resulted in the Roadblock Rule.  But apparently somewhere along the way that got relaxed, and now it's back.

[Mreid]

I've just come to accept that there is just always gonna be at least one annoying couple on the amazing race, Jim/Misti, Hayley/Blair, Justin/Diana, and they always go far. Matt and Dana are that couple this season. I wouldnt be surprised if they made it to the end and won the whole darn race lol

[blackwing]

I've just come to accept that there is just always gonna be at least one annoying couple on the amazing race, Jim/Misti, Hayley/Blair, Justin/Diana, and they always go far. Matt and Dana are that couple this season. I wouldnt be surprised if they made it to the end and won the whole darn race lol

I liked Blair.  I think Matt and Blair are fairly similar, they both seem very calm and collected in stark contrast to their aggressive type A partner.  I'd be very happy for Matt if he and Dana win.  Their relationship must be strong if he is still with her.  He very much seems to be a "pick your battles" kind of guy.

 

For me, the annoying couple this race is most certainly Tyler and Korey.  I don't know if they are a couple or if they are just friends, but I truly can't stand Tyler.  He just seems like he is always "on".  I find almost everything he does to be very annoying.  Even his voice is annoying to me.

[snarktini]

I wonder if they let Rachel off easy in the sand task. Thought her plot looked less wet -- there were visible dry patches I didn't see in the others. 

 

Not that it's a huge deal, they were eliminated anyway. It could explain why they weren't even farther behind, though, given how little water she was bringing up per load.

[proserpina65]

That was in season 4 I believe. At least they got fresh food...

 

In my grossometer season 6 in Hungary where they ended up eating each other's puke on soup bowl was the top.

 

Feels like there are lot less eating challenges in recent seasons.

It was Season 4, and it was a detour, so they didn't have to do that task.  Yes, I think between Season 6's soup debacle and the fish eyeballs of, I believe, the first all-star season, this soup wasn't so bad.  I would've struggled to get it down due to the heat, and I would also have worried about what was in the meatballs, so I'm not going to criticize Sherri and Cole since, while they did talk about it, they weren't over the top about it.

[Boilergal]

The baby squid or octopus and the tentacles crawling out of the bowl  can't remember which season that was - blech blech blech

 

I think one of the easiest speed bumps was - go sit on a block of ice for 5 minutes.

 

This episode Brodie really came off as an entitled jerk.  Expecting/demanding the locals to help him, and then going and looking at what the others were doing instead of looking at the example.  He's watched Kurt do enough roadblocks to know by now that you aren't going to get help you pull up your big boy panties and get it done.  He really reminded me of the executives at work - he has absolutely no idea how to do things, lacks common sense to figure it out on his own, but knows he can snap his fingers and someone will run and do it for him.

[windfall]

I wouldn't be surprised if the speed bump took them in the neighborhood of half an hour when you account for the travel time.There was just a lot of running back and forth throughout this leg. But it was way too easy to sell them to be believable. Cole's comments didn't really surprise me. They reminded me of my days as an undergrad. While they're not things that I would particularly recommend saying on national television, they're exactly the sort of things that my friends would've said back then. Ah the carefree energy of youth.

[scowl]

I liked Zach and Rachel a lot.  They were nice and calm and treated each other well.  Unfortunately, I think Rachel just wasn't cut out for this race.  The other week she said she gets scared when riding fast on a bike.

 

But she jumped off the side of that ship like it was nothing! I couldn't figure her out.

[iMonrey]

The kite roadblock was excellent. Too often lately the producers seem to be going for tasks that are more visually interesting like sky diving and hang gliding that require no real work on the part of the racers. At least the kite building combined something that was difficult to do and something that was visually entertaining.

 

I think Sheri's journey has been the most interesting so far. Too much crying and apologizing to Cole for the first few legs, but she seems to be getting more and more self-confident with every episode. Maybe she never expected to make it this far and is learning she's tougher than she thought. Good on her.

 

 

Getting tired of that little shit Tyler hitting on Phil!

 

It was Korey who made the pirate booty joke not Tyler. And I begrudge no racer the opportunity to flirt with Phil. It's Phil. 

 

 

Speedbump: i wonder if the locals are set up by producers. Are they given money and told to buy what the Americans are offering? It didn't seem that anyone was refusing.

 

I wondered that as well. I think at the very least the people who were sitting around typically go there for that very food and were simply told there would be no need to buy directly from the vendor as someone would bring bowls to them and they could pay them instead. 

[RCharter]

I liked Blair.  I think Matt and Blair are fairly similar, they both seem very calm and collected in stark contrast to their aggressive type A partner.  I'd be very happy for Matt if he and Dana win.  Their relationship must be strong if he is still with her.  He very much seems to be a "pick your battles" kind of guy.

 

For me, the annoying couple this race is most certainly Tyler and Korey.  I don't know if they are a couple or if they are just friends, but I truly can't stand Tyler.  He just seems like he is always "on".  I find almost everything he does to be very annoying.  Even his voice is annoying to me.

I really liked Blair too.  The sweetest part of their elimination was it all being Hayley's fault.

 

As for Justin and Diana....the sweetest part of the race was them losing....I can't remember if he cried....but I'm sure he did....and I'm sure I was amused (I don't consider myself a naturally heartless person, but he sincerely annoyed me.

 

I was sort of on the fence with Tyler.....but I saw him posting on the Amazing Race page on FB and I don't like him at all.  If people simply express an opinion that they don't like him (much like you have here, without any anger, just "hey, this is my opinion") he seems to get nasty and defensive.  He is a public figure, he should be better about someone simply expressing an opinion....unless he sincerely thinks that every single person in the world should like him or be subjected to his attitude.

[Eggman]

If any other roadblocks require him [brodie] to follow instructions, they are going to get eliminated shortly.

The thing is, the final task almost always involves difficult instructions and thinking. If they both have to contribute, it should be interesting.

Oh, and walking the plank is totally made up. Real pirates just took anyone they didn't want and kicked them overboard.

[Guest]

The baby squid or octopus and the tentacles crawling out of the bowl  can't remember which season that was - blech blech blech

 

I think one of the easiest speed bumps was - go sit on a block of ice for 5 minutes.

Another classic speed bump:  Sit in this sauna with this hot blonde for X minutes.  

 

The worst eating challenge to me was the one Boston Rob organized the 'all take the penalty' move on.  They were supposed to eat like 4 lbs. of meat.  I'm not sure that's even physically possible.  Barf.  The eyeball ones are pretty gross, too, though.  

 

I loved how much that ship at the end was rocking.  They could barely make it to Phil.  

[tanyak]

Cole's comments didn't really surprise me. They reminded me of my days as an undergrad. While they're not things that I would particularly recommend saying on national television, they're exactly the sort of things that my friends would've said back then. Ah the carefree energy of youth.

I agree. Unless college freshman have changed dramatically since I was one 22 years ago, Cole's behavior doesn't seem all that off to me. There are plenty of freshman and sophomore who are very mature, but there just as many who are quite silly, to be honest. They were more fun to be around then the ones who constantly had their nose in the air and a stick up their rearend. Lol

[seacliffsal]

I was disappointed that Zach and Rachel were eliminated as they have been my favorite team since the season began. This was not the first time that Brodie kept asking locales how to do something. He has pretty much been asking for help whenever he had a task. He also acts a bit indignant when he doesn't get help.

There was one crowd scene with multiple races and they all had a group reaction to something after which Tyler immediately looked for the camera (in my mind it was to make sure that the camera caught his reaction). I feel like of all the racers still in Tyler, Cole and Brodie seek camera time more than the others.

I have been enjoying this season more than I thought; so, this 'ratings grab' wasn't too bad in my opinion.

[Quilt Fairy]

It's turning into a trip down memory lane this week; I'd totally forgotten about Meatblock and the sheep's head. Good times, people. 

[fishcakes]

My favorite road block was "buy and eat an ice cream." Especially because they initially bought ice cream from the wrong cart and tried to show their empty mouths to the perplexed vendor in exchange for a clue.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The road block I always remember is the one where they had to eat some gelato. Not like a gallon of it either, just a regular serving of one scoop. And the vendor was at a beautiful location (next to a river?) so it was less a road block and more of a reward IMO. Whenever I see road blocks now, no matter how enjoyable (like the twinnies giving elephants a bath), I shake my head remembering the gelato road block.

ETA: I must have been thinking of the ice cream road block that fishcakes remembered!

Edited April 25, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[etagloh]

That Speed Bump was so easy, and they were still whining about it.  Sell 10 bowls of noodles to people planted by production.  How long could that have possibly taken?  Then they had to eat one bowl?  

 

Half an hour? Once again: it's basically a time penalty that TPTB adjust for the particular leg so that a team loses ground, but not enough to guarantee elimination.

 

The ice cream Speed Bump was the Beekmans in Istanbul for TAR 21, who did indeed go to the wrong vendor first. Because all the ice cream carts have a schtick with a stick, that was not as quick a task as it sounds, even if they had gone to the marked vendor.

[kingshearte]

I'm quite firmly in the "Snakes? Nope." camp, and I was actually a little surprised there weren't more dramatics at that task, given how common a phobia it is. I would like to think that I'd do it if I had to, but I guarantee that at the very least, I'd be openly sobbing the whole way. I said that to my husband, and he informed me that if we were ever to attempt to go on the Race, we would be paying a lot of visits to our local reptile zoo ahead of time, just in case. In any case, I didn't even watch that segment. I'm sure the snakes were very nice, but nope.

I'm definitely hoping that all Burnie and Ashley's second place finishes are leading up to the one really important first place. I also laughed far more at Burnie's offhand remark that the frisbee guys "aren't really doing that well: on half the legs, they haven't come first" (or something to that effect) than I have at anyone else's more obvious jokes.

[eurekagirl mOo]

Why I will never be on the Amazing Race

Snakes

Bungee Jumping

Weird food

I'll just stay home on my couch and enjoy watching people who are a million times braver then me.

[aradia22]

Quote

Apparently Dana was sedated between legs....cause she barely made her presence felt throughout the whole leg

I think (probably due to the fight last episode) she was making a conscious effort to be more supportive. I frequently noticed her cheering him on this leg.

I sympathize with them on the spice but they were making way too big of a deal about the meatball. If it had in fact been something "unusual" I think they would have told them. TV shows are much more likely to want to see you balk and cringe than to make you eat something and tell you what it was later. That said, I'm OK with a few squeals about the snakes. For one, no one was insulting snakes. And even knowing that they probably weren't venomous snakes, wild animals are never 100% predictable. I think a few people mentioned feeling like they were being choked a little.

Quote

That drove me crazy.  "Why won't they tell me what to do?"

I think he got the impression from the clue that they would be building the kite with the kite enthusiasts and not that they'd just be helping to fly it once it was done.

Poor Rachel. I know NEL's are determined ahead of time but I kind of wish they'd gotten one of Cole's extra saves.

[Wandering Snark]

My snake-phobic response would be something along the lines of "There are mothertruckin snakes on this mothertruckin leg!" But yes I'd have given bonus points to a "Snakes... why'd it HAVE to be SNAKES?" reference.

The ice cream "task" was certainly comically bad but I think even worse was when people were gagging and complaining about how bad the "task" was when the final leg came through Chicago and they had to eat *gasp* a pizza stuffed with... wait for it... cheese, of all horrors!!

Edited May 4, 2016 by Wandering Snark