S24.E08: Donkeylicious

[Tara Ariano]

Six teams encounter a double U-turn; one team considers a major decision.

[ali59]

I'm not a big Brendan & Rachel fan BUT I think they did the right thing and David & Conner are big babies!  Sorry to see the Globe Trotters go but they were gentlemen to the end.

[merylinkid]

Bye bye Globetrotters.  Phil seemed really sad to say goodbye to them.   If they had not gotten lost they might have had a chance.  they are clearly fans of the show since they referenced the Beekmans.

Dave and Connor, it's the Amazing Race, not the Amazing Make New Friends While Traveling Around the World.  I think by going out so early last time they didn't realize how cuthroat it can get in later rounds.   And honestly, asking where everything is is not smart racing.  You are responsible for your own race.  Plus getting mad because Rachel wouldn't give them the answer?   I don't like Rachel but she was right not to help a strong team.   Which is also why they got u-turned.   Connor and Dave are a strong team.   That is who you try to knock out because you know they aren't going out absent bad taxi luck.  

[momlyd]

You are a 60 year old man, Dave? Really?

 

[ItalianAngel73]

Aww, sad to see Flight Time and Big Easy go. They were fun guys with a lot of class.

I'm disappointed in Dave and Connor's behavior this leg, especially Dave. I will say that it was classy of them to help Leo and Jamal after they U-turned them. In turn, it was classy of Leo (I think, I keep forgetting who is who) to ask Connor if he needed help at the Road Block.

Can't stand Brenden and Rachel. Especially her, when she grins in that smug bratty way of hers. The way she was bragging about how much she knew calligraphy, just ...ugh!  I was like "hell yeah" when the monk judge rejected her first try.

Love Jet and Cord. Hilarious seeing Cord sitting with the monks and the monks wearing the cowboy hats.

Cowboys for the win!

 

[blackrose602]

Hi all! I migrated over from TWOP. Looking forward to making a new home here!

That was quite possibly my least-favorite episode ever. Dave and Connor went from one of my favorite teams this season to one of my most hated ever when they decided to channel Sugar from Survivor and start playing kingmaker. It doesn't help that the Globetrotters are one of my top teams of all time, and I hate the way they went out. But even if it had been Brenchel in the back of the pack, I would have hated Dave and Connor this episode. A temporary alliance is one thing. Dragging the country girls through the entire leg, to the point of GOING BACK to retrieve them and their wooden donkey, was insanity. And would Leo and Jamal have ever figured out that their donkey was missing the crate? The Globetrotters never did. But we'll never know how Leo and Jamal, the country girls, or the Globetrotters would have done in this leg on their own, thanks to Dave and Connor playing the Amazing Kindergarten Share! Combine that with the linear leg design, with no bunching and no real way to catch up, and I have an incredibly bad taste in my mouth.

Too bad, because the tasks were actually pretty awesome. I would have loved to do the calligraphy roadblock!

[Royvac]

I didn't think I could dislike a team more than Brenchel but Dave and Connor have surpassed them. It's a race people, make friends on your own time. Sad to see the Trotters leave, I was hoping that Connor would take a penalty and lose because of it. And Dave if you think you're too old to run the race you should have stayed home!

[merylinkid]

I did love how Brendan had to remind Rachel it was a holy place at the calligraphy task.  In other words, keep your clothes on and watch your mouth.

[Lantern7]

I'm still on the Dave/Conner train, ride or die. I think that Dave complaining about dissing a "60-year-old" man was tongue-in-cheek, though I know the other stuff from him is harder to defend. On one side, you have a pair of cancer survivors who -- at minimum -- would have contended for the $1 million had one of them hadn't pulled up lame. On the other side, you have a stuntcast team from a show that is inferior to The Amazing Race, and one of them thinks they're an unstoppable team with God. I can't break with my view. I just can't.

I'm sad to see the Globetrotters go, but they could've raced a lot smarter. I kept waiting for the judge to scream, "IT'S THE BOX! YOU PUT THE BOX ON THE DONKEY'S BACK!! MAMMA FRIGGIN' MIA!!!"

[Wandering Snark]

Okay, I need to mention that I never want to hear "Okay we'll do this and come back to help you." again. HELLOOOO??? RAAAAACEEE!!! *shakes head* I mean can they do anything by themselves? And girls you aren't "kicking butt" people are showing/helping you "kick butt" which doesn't really count.

And the Brothers Afghanus at least took it the right way without all the hand wringing and moaning and "oh whyyyy us???"-ing we got from Dave and Connor. Calling B/R 'snakes' is a little harsh... Go find the cluebox or the helmets or the whatever for yourself!

Have to say I loved the donkeys race, especially when Rachel just was holding on to the poor thing's neck for dear life. Did anyone's helmets fit?

I keep thinking of the monks with the cowboy hats on and them saying "There's a new Sheriff in town!" Heh.

I'd totally bring the 'Trotters cookies if they came through town. They really seem like good guys.

EDIT: Lantern7 I was totally screaming at the teevee "ARGGH IT'S THE BOX!!!" I'm amazed the judge could keep from blurting it out too. BUT the reason that Dave & Connor figured it out was... they READ THE CLUE and figured "if this thing is going to carrry wood like it says..." and then the lightbulb came on.

Edited April 21, 2014 by Wandering Snark

[Alapaki]

I think Dave and Connor showed their true colors this leg.  Assholes with a sense of entitlement.  

Hissy fit when another team refuses to help you?  Check.

Expecting some sort of "I'm 60 years old" immunity from U-Turns?  Check.

Mocking a woman's appearance because you're upset she's beating you?  Check.

Refusing to accept an apology (and I suppose we're supposed to believe that Dave and Connor were sorry for U-Turning Leo and Jamal?)? Check.

Mocking someone's admittedly goofy dance, when you're in a church?  Check.

I have no problem with Brendan and Rachel's use of the U-Turn.  Personally, I'd try to use it to ensure that the last place team (and not me) definitely gets eliminated, but I'm not sure that Brendan and Rachel would've known which team finished last (and which team got eliminated).  Therefore, there was a chance that they would've burned their U-Turn on an eliminated team.  They knew where Dave and Connor were.  And, while I personally wouldn't be running the race to roll up first-place finishes, I can see that as a legitimate goal. 

[Snaporaz]

Brendan and Rachel are the only team I can root for now.  I can't stand any of the others, and now Dave and Connor are mean girls?  Yeah, real classy.  Again, did they even try to look for the helmets?  They just expect other teams to hand them the answer.  What entitled little jackholes they are.  Maybe if they hadn't waited at the exit for those loathsome country singers, they could have beaten Brendan and Rachel to the U-turn.   

[Haleth]

Argh! If the cowboys don't win I'm going to be very frustrated. The cowboys are the only ones who don't whine about other teams being mean (Dave & Connor), don't require hand holding or help (country girls, Afghanimals), and don't neglect to read the damn clue (Trotters). They run their own race and don't obsess about what other teams are doing (Brenchel). The rest of them can get off my tv any time.

Plus I loved the monks wearing the hats.

[Tukahar]

So...I watched the arrival of Dave and Connor and the Cowboys at the u-turn board twice, and both times I swear I saw the cowboys get there first...so why did Dave and Connor assign the u-turn? And I thought the rules changed so if you were u-turned, you couldn't assign it until you finished your task.

I don't mind Brenchel turning Dave and Connor, but I wish someone would get rid of the girls. They are useless without someone holding their hands.

[Heather Lynn]

The only teams I can root for now are the cowboys (who I think were just playing along with the Brenchel complaining to keep themselves out of the cross hairs)and, as much as it pains me to say this, Brendan & Rachel. The Afganimals were on that list until they delayed leaving to help Connor with the calligraphy. You would've thought they learned their lesson the previous leg when they didn't realize they were helping the last teams. Still, I wouldn't be that upset if hey did manage to win. I kind of think they are working with them to make sure they have the least competent teams in the finals.

The blondes are useless. They had actual directions, the same one Connor & Dave had, still managed not to follow them and whined that they were left behind. When you follow, it's up to you to actually...you know....FOLLOW! If it were not for others literally carrying them through this leg (and many others), I'm sure they would still be trying to put together the wooden donkey.

Dear Dave-IT'S A RACE!!! No one is obligated to give you help. If they don't, it's not dirty play but smart play. Why should they help you beat them because you are dumb enough to do the same for other teams? Get over yourself you big 60 year old baby!!!

Edited April 21, 2014 by Heather Lynn

[Lantern7]

Tukahar . . . maddening, right? It feels like it goes against logic, but that's how it's always been . . . if you get U-Turned, you can do the same to another team.

I'm rooting for a sausage fest finale. I can root for the Cowboys and Afghanimals, and I don't see how Dave & Conner are total assholes (though I do see the cracks) . . . but I can't pull for moochers like the Country Girls, and I don't want a Big Brother-spawned team winning.

[auntlada]

The blondes are useless. They had actual directions, the same one Connor & Dave had, still managed not to follow them and whined that they were left behind. When you follow, it's up to you to actually...you know....FOLLOW! If it were not for others literally carrying them through this (and many other) legs, I'm sure they would still be trying to put together the wooden donkey.

They got the printed directions, so that was good racing, but I don't think they even bothered to read the directions or look at the map until they lost Dave and Connor, which was stupid.

 

Therefore, there was a chance that they would've burned their U-Turn on an eliminated team.

Can they do that? I've always assumed that the only pictures in the box are for teams that are still in the race.

If I had been Rachel and Brendan, I would have u-turned Caroline and Jennifer or the Globetrotters just because they seemed more likely to have serious problems with tasks and navigating. As it was, if the Globetrotters hadn't gotten so lost and then double baldsnarked, Dave and Connor might have been in serious trouble since they kept helping the people who were behind them.

And I don't have a problem with people using the u-turn, and I don't have a problem with someone who has been u-turned saying, "We had to u-turn somebody," (although I do agree that they should have to finish their u-turn before they get the chance). But I hope I never have to hear again, "We had to u-turn (insert specific team names here)," because no, you didn't. You wanted to u-turn that team. Rachel and Brendan did not have to u-turn Dave and Connor. They picked them out of five teams. Dave and Connor did not have to u-turn Leo and Jamal. They could have u-turned four other teams, including the one that was standing right next to them and was going to pass them immediately. (I figure they didn't u-turn Jet and Cord because they just didn't have the guts to do it right in front of them.)

So...I watched the arrival of Dave and Connor and the Cowboys at the u-turn board twice, and both times I swear I saw the cowboys get there first...so why did Dave and Connor assign the u-turn?

I think Connor was there first and then Jet and Cord and then Dave, and Jet and Cord let Dave join Connor on the mat. Maybe if one member of the team is on the mat, that team is first there, and another team can't jump on (opposite of the pit stop when they both have to be there).

I'm glad they didn't get u-turned, but I did want to see Jet and Cord try riding the donkeys. I'm guessing they could have done pretty good at it. At least they know  how to ride something. Also, did Dave really say a donkey is more stubborn than a mule? Anybody know if that is true? I wouldn't have thought so since people talk about being stubborn as a mule and being muleheaded, but nobody talks about being donkeyheaded. (I'm a little prejudiced against mules, though, because my grandfather had one that bit his hand, and he only had partial use of the hand after that.)

[Rick Kitchen]

I get so fed up with people whining about U Turns.  It's part of the game, suck it up.  And hey, if you are upset that a 60 year old man got U turned, then maybe the 60 year old man shouldn't be racing (and I'm older than he is).  Still and all, I detest Brenchel, and always have, no matter what show they're on.  And I detested the Globetrotters from the moment they made fun of the girl who was afraid to go down the water slide.  So, not unhappy they're gone, at all.

[Joystickenvy]

I was sooooo hoping against hope that the Conners would get horribly lost, not because I like the Trotters.....their refusal to read the freakin clues took the bloom off that rose, but because the Conners expectation that other teams should help them and their constant whining has made them my least favorite team since the border patrol team.

The country girls also expect to get help and don't even bother to try and do stuff themselves.....like following along with the directions in case they got separated or taking their donkey to the toy maker instead of standing around waiting for the Conners to come back, but since they annoyingly do manage to get help and thus don't whine constantly, they are a tiny notch above the whiny ass Conners. It would have been the greatest moment in Amazing Race history if the Trotters passed both of those teams while the Conners were stupidly going back to help the Country Girls.

I have no issues with Brenchel using the U Turn. They wanted to finish first and give themselves a cushion should something go wrong with the next task or they got lost or something. That's racing. However, the "I don't know if god told me to U-Turn the Conners" bit totally put me off rooting for them. I'm not a believer, so I'm not offended or anything, I just think the idea that there's some god that cares about your success on the amazing race is patently ridiculous and narcissistic.

So.....since the Afghanimals annoy me more than the Cowboys, I guess Cowboys it is.

[Alapaki]

I'm still trying to understand Dave/Connor's thinking with their own U-Turn.

Sure, I understand the first team to be U-Turned on a 2x U-Turn turning around and U-Turning another team.  Presumably that's the point of the 2x U-Turn (at least as long as the rules don't require that first team to complete the second part of the Detour before exercising their own U-Turn).  

But then, why in the world help the team you've just U-Turned?!?!

It just seemed like Dave/Connor were so spiteful and pissed off at being U-Turned that they either weren't thinking straight, or trying some bullshit display of "we're better than Brendan/Rachel".  But, if it was the latter, then why U-Turn anyone?  

Why say "sorry, we had to U-Turn you" to the Afghans, and then do something that defeated the purpose of U-Turning them?  

Also, by telling the Afghans about being U-Turned as they arrived at the Detour, Dave/Connor further helped the Afghans by preventing them from having to run to the U-Turn box to learn they were U-Turned, only to run back to the second Detour option.  (I was wondering whether there might be a penalty for them having proceeded to the second Detour without having checked in at the U-turn box, but apparently not.  Either that, or it wouldn't have made a difference because the Globetrotters were so far behind).

[ribboninthesky1]

Dave and Connor did not have to u-turn Leo and Jamal. They could have u-turned four other teams, including the one that was standing right next to them and was going to pass them immediately. (I figure they didn't u-turn Jet and Cord because they just didn't have the guts to do it right in front of them.)

I thought the same.  I am 95% certain that if the Cowboys weren't standing there, they would have u-turned them.  I doubt the Cowboys will be as lucky if it comes around again.

If Dave and Connor hadn't run into Leo and Jamal, and the latter didn't ask to work together on the detour, I don't think they would have volunteered.  Leo and Jamal calling them classy, after being u-turned, was endlessly amusing to me.  On one hand, good for them for growing up, and realizing it's not cute to be sourpusses about being u-turned.  On the other hand, they seemed to lose all brainpower and relied on the team that u-turned them for assistance.  I'm all for learning and growth, but that was some boneheaded decision making by them. No way these those two get into F3.  It's ironic, I like them a lot more this season, but I think they may be racing even worse than they were last season.

Really, no one HAD to u-turn anyone.  I was baffled by Brenchel's decision, but watching Dave and Connor bitch about it, and proceed to kind of meltdown this leg was worth it. 

[Kara]

Dave and Connor did not have to u-turn Leo and Jamal. They could have u-turned four other teams, including the one that was standing right next to them and was going to pass them immediately. (I figure they didn't u-turn Jet and Cord because they just didn't have the guts to do it right in front of them.)

 

 

I missed all but the last 10 minutes or so due to DVR issues (my 8 year old daughter may have something to do with it)  but don't the cowboys still have the express pass?  So u-turning them would have been pointless since they could have just skipped the second detour.  Unless they used the express pass, in which case, I agree with you.

 

I am sad to see the globe trotters go, they are always one of my favorites.  I have not liked Connor and Dave since their first season, something about them rubs me the wrong way, and it sounds like tonight would have solidified my opinion.   The Country Girls are the worst, but it is smart of the other racers to help them out, if they can carry them to the final 3, they essentially will only have one other team to compete with since those women are terrible racers, which bums me out, because I want strong women to root for.  The cowboys are just meh for me.  I don't really have an opinion either way.  The Afghanimals go back and forth, half the time I can't stand them, half of the time I like them.  So, I am left rooting for Brenchel.  They never annoyed me as much as they seem to annoy the rest of the internets, but I have never watched BB, so I did not have any opinion on them to start with.  And Rachel is a good racer.  She is there to race, but she is nice to people along the way and being nice does not mean that she has to give answers to the other team.   It sounds like she did the right thing tonight.

[Lantern7]

Kara . . . tonight's leg was the last one where the Cowboys could have used the Express Pass, and they burned it on the Detour.

[SirDigbyPollo]

Kara, Brenchell was first to finish the Detour and first to the U-Turn board, U-turning Dave & Connor.  Dave & Connor were riding the donkeys when the Cowboys showed up.  Jet & Cord immediately used the Express Pass, giving it to "Geppetto" and getting the next clue, just as Dave & Connor finished with the donkeys and got the next clue.  Both teams were then searching for the U-Turn board, and got there virtually at the same time.  If not for the danger of being U-Turned, the Cowboys may have been better off using the Express Pass on the Roadblock.  They probably could have done both sides of the Detour faster than that Roadblock.

[Wandering Snark]

I got a bit of a creepy vibe from "Geppetto and Pinocchio".

[Alapaki]

If not for the danger of being U-Turned, the Cowboys may have been better off using the Express Pass on the Roadblock.  They probably could have done both sides of the Detour faster than that Roadblock.

 

I can't recall if we've seen this exact scenario before, in which a Team with an Express Pass uses it at the beginning of the Detour.  I thought the EP would've gotten through the entire Detour (meaning, bypassing the U-Turn as well).  But, apparently not.  

I guess the Cowboys thinking was that they could complete the donkey-ride much quicker than they could the cart assembly, and so they chose to use the EP on the cart assembly, assuming they'd most likely have been U-Turned and have to go back to the donkey ride (which they anticipated completing rather quickly).

But, in that case, I wonder if it wouldn't have made more sense to just go ahead and do the donkey ride first, and then if they were U-Turned, use the EP to get out of the second half of the Detour.  That way, if they had not been U-Turned, they could've used the EP on the Roadblock.

Also, in that regard, assuming Brendan/Rachel also knew that the Cowboys had to use their EP on this leg, I don't understand Brendan/Rachel's initially stated rationale of wanting to U-Turn the Cowboys to force them to use their EP.

[Sueby]

Dear Dave and Conner,

GROW UP. Watching a 60 year old man who signed up for a race, whine about a U-turn, is not only embarrassing to watch it is disgusting. Then to disparage your fellow competitors looks and make rude imitations of them only because they beat you, is even more despicable. If being u-turned is such a horrible thing to do why did you turn around and do the same thing? Perhaps pay attention to what the way the cowboys treat people and get some class.

Go COWBOYS AND BRENCHEL!

[aradia22]

I wasn't expecting the teams to bunch up like that so soon but it made for an exciting race to the U-turn sign. I am completely on Brenchel's side in this matter. They wanted a first place finish and a first place prize and it's not like they were knocking out a team at the back of the pack. They knew Dave and Connor would recover and catch up. They just wanted to slow them down so they'd have a better chance at first place. Dave and Connor complaining about it all episode was tiresome. And Dave, you can't pull that 60-year-old man stuff when you're at the head of the pack. 

The donkey challenges were not that exciting to watch. It was another racing challenge and another building challenge. The first was only difficult if you got a stubborn donkey. The second seemed to be difficult only because everyone didn't realize that they needed to put the box on its back. 

I laughed at Brendon telling Rachel to "take her time" and that she was "in a place of God". What did he think she was going to do? The calligraphy challenge wasn't the most exciting to watch but I liked the racers' reaction to the task. The monks wearing the cowboys' hats were adorable. And it was nice to see a harsh judge (like the choir master last season) and a task that they couldn't have prepared for in some way before coming on the race. 

[Kazootie]

All the remaining teams are flawed.

The cowboys are least flawed- race wise and personality wise.  They have a few holes in their game.

The Country Singers are pretty helpless on a fair amount of tasks. A bit spoiled maybe.

Dave and Dad are a bit self centric, and passive aggressive. 

The afghan guys are way showy and can wear thin quickly.

Brendan and Rachel are awful, just awful in so many ways. She is screechy and inane/doltish and selfish and abrasive and showy beyond measure. He is talented in some ways (math/science/more?) but regularly bothers a non helpful (non existent) god with their trivial lives and requests. And why on earth would he be with her?

I know casting loves polarizing folks like rachel. ugh man!  i'm gonna build a show that features better adjusted people. I'm ok with anyone but them......

[aradia22]

 

I think Dave and Connor showed their true colors this leg.  Assholes with a sense of entitlement.

Thank you! I've hated them since their own season so I'm biased but I'm happy to make room on this bandwagon for everyone. I think there's always been an ugliness to their characters that has only peeked through before (even to make me dislike them intensely) but they were the cancer survivors and then Dave was injured so I think that was downplayed in the editing. It's not just their response to Brenchel, first making themselves victims and then mocking Brenchel at every turn and making passive aggressive remarks but even how they interacted with each other when deciding who was going to do the task.

 

I'm glad they didn't get u-turned, but I did want to see Jet and Cord try riding the donkeys. I'm guessing they could have done pretty good at it.

I wonder if they would have been able to bring in any of their experience or if it was really about whether the donkeys were feeling stubborn or not.

I read the spoilers back on TWoP and I thought I'd quit watching way before now knowing which teams would be left. But Brenchel have been surprisingly tolerable this season. The Afghanimals still have their moments where they annoy the heck out of me but after the first few episodes, they really started to win me over. I don't hate Caroline and Jennifer. They're just not a team you can root for. They've lasted way longer than they should have lasted and as a feminist, their behavior and comments sometimes... I just can't. I really disliked the cowboys at first (not having seen their previous seasons) but they've also become quite tolerable. Which leaves Dave and Connor as the only team I really hate. 

 

It just seemed like Dave/Connor were so spiteful and pissed off at being U-Turned that they either weren't thinking straight, or trying some bullshit display of "we're better than Brendan/Rachel".  But, if it was the latter, then why U-Turn anyone?

Because they're not better than them. They just have a warped sense of morality. They were willing to U-turn the Afghanimals but then I think they were trying to justify why they weren't like Brenchel so they could still feel good about themselves while disparaging that team. They were willing to help just enough but then they were ready to run out of there with the Country Singers and leave the Afghanimals in the dust. 

Leo's decision to stay and wait for Dave and Connor in case Connor needed help felt much more genuine.

[Joystickenvy]

I kind of wanted to see the cowboys ride the donkeys as well. I was also kinda surprised that the Trotters were allowed to ride them and was glad when they finally switched. Flight Time probably wasn't too bad, but I felt sorry for the one that got stuck with big easy.

[ProfCrash]

My Husband watches the show infrequently but often enough to have a clue as to what was happening. He was baffeled by the cooperative nature of the teams this leg. It is one thing to drag the Country Singers with you because you know they cannot complete an entire leg on their own, dragging them along means that you have an easy team to beat. But WTF with helping the Afghanimals? Seriously? You U Turned them so that you had a team that you could beat and then you help them with the tasks so that they can catch up? Really?

I like the Globetrotters as people. They have a good time and are pretty low key. I still think their behavior at the top of the water slide in their first season was dickish but that is about the only time I thought that they were out of line. My problem with them is that they have always been mediocre racers and they proved it again this time. They might be fun but they are never going to be serious contenders to win the entire thing so why bring them back?

I can't believe that I am rooting for Brendon and Rachel. They have been pretty well behaved this season and they have run a good race. They also understand that this is a race and not an oppertunity to make good friends for a life time. What the hell is going to happen if the Country Singers, Leo and Jamal, and Dave and COnner are the final three. Are they going to rock paper sciccors at the final pit stop to see who wins?  Simply ridiculous.

I can understand being miffed that you were U Turned and being annoyed. Get it. No one wants to be U Turned. But to treat it as anything other then a game move is silly. Then to U Turn someone and help them? What the hell is the point of U Turning them?

Hubby and I decided that we would have been screwed with the roadblock. Both our handwriting sucks. We would have been ubberly screwed.

[auntlada]

 

I wonder if they would have been able to bring in any of their experience or if it was really about whether the donkeys were feeling stubborn or not.

They might at least have stayed on better than, say, Rachel.

[Tara Ariano]

Oops, forgot to link this last night: my post on the episode!

[Bella]

This is a season in which I'd be happy if all of the teams lost. Seriously, I can't get behind any of them as of last night.

[Gummo]

Oh, Dave & Connor, you've committed the ultimate sin - you've given me a reason to root for Brendan & Rachel.

Really, Dave is such an entitled, sef-righteous, smug, hypocritical, petty, smarmy little diva, with the maturity level of an overtired 4-year-old.  Ugh.  I'm actively rooting not just for him & Connor to lose, but to lose with the biggest, most humiliating meltdown in Race history.  When he gets bluffed in poker (to use TWOP's Ms. Alli's famous analogy), I bet he overturns the table, scattering chips all over the room, whining about how could anyone bluff a poor, helpless 60-year old man!  Then he takes his ball and goes home, but not before mocking his opponent with "funny" faces and imitations of the way they walk.

My preferred final 3 at this point would be Brenchel, Afghanimals and Cowboys.  Get rid of Diva & Son and their "right kind" of friends, the useless Country Singers (and if you turn over that "right kind of people" rock, all sorts of slimy things slither out, so let's not go there, shall we).

I felt so sorry for Big Easy's donkey.

Edited April 21, 2014 by Gummo

[MortysCleaningLady]

Stupid question from a non-livestock owning suburbanite:  Are bowel emptying donkeys really faster than those who have not exercised their excretory system?  It would be good to know if I ever get on The Race.

 

My favorite part of the episode were the Monks sporting the cowboy hats!  Too cute!  (I also laughed at Rachel's donkey riding poses.)

If the Country Girls hadn't followed Dave and Connor out of Rome, would they have been better or worse at getting their than the Globetrotters?  Navigation skills are important!

[Bella]

 

Stupid question from a non-livestock owning suburbanite:  Are bowel emptying donkeys really faster than those who have not exercised their excretory system?  It would be good to know if I ever get on The Race.

I don't know if they're faster, but donkeys that are moving around seem to poop a lot. 

[Alapaki]

I'm not sure which enrages me more:  the fact that all these stupid men keep helping out the hot blond girls who act all helpless or the fact that the hot blond girls act all helpless. Either way, it's poor race performance all around.

 

There's also something very annoying to me about Dave/Connor's attitude towards helping the Country Singers.  They always talk about what "good people" the Country Singers are.  As if to say that the Country Singers deserve their assistance or something.  I find something very patriarchal and condescending about their approach to the whole thing.

[Snaporaz]

It was hard to choose just one, but I thought this was probably the funniest line from Tara's recap:

"Afghanimals arrive third to the mat with a flurry of fake Italian that I personally consider a hate crime."

I noticed that Dave and Connor abandoned their chivalry this time around and did not allow the country singers to step on the mat before them.

[fishcakes]

I adored the Globetrotters, but I knew they weren't going to win and with them gone, now I can wholeheartedly root for the Afghanimals, which .. when did I start to love the Afghanimals? Life is strange.

Dave needs a time-out and a nap. It looks like next week, he and Conner and the "quality people" Country Girls are going to go all Regina George on Rachel. You know, I wish they'd go back to the pit stops being 12 hours of "eat, sleep, mingle" instead of isolating the teams. People were a lot less dickish to each other when they socialized a bit.

Did Brendan actually say that he, Rachel, and God were an unstoppable team? Ha. If God were on the team, pretty sure he'd be unstoppable whether Brendan and Rachel were there or not.

[Lamb18]

Dave and Connor sure were a disappointment, especially Dave.  I have a feeling Connor, with a different partner, would not have whined about the U-turn. I don't understand why Dave thinks his team deserves special treatment when they're all competing against each other.  Other teams have complained and held grudges against the U-Turners, so I'm not sure why his complaining bothers me more, except that I thought he was the type of guy who would blow it off and continue racing, or at least be more objective about it. 

I would have liked to see the Cowboys racing the donkeys.  I bet they wished they would have done the detour so they could ride donkeys.  They used the Express pass before they knew what the detour involved.

The calligraphy looked excruciating.  I liked how Jet started over when he thought his first effort wasn't good enough.  Brendan was funny with his "we're in a place of God."  But I don't think God told him to U-Turn Dave and Connor.  I think Brendan thought of that on his own.  Globe Trotters - all you have to do is reread your clue to see if there's something else you need to do.  Just reread your clue!!! I was wondering if they'd let Big Easy ride a donkey; I guess he could.

I liked how the Afghanimals stopped on the bridge to appreciate the view.  I like them, and Rachel and Brendan, better than in their original seasons.  I like the Cowboys, too.

[verve]

The singers' "let's work together" strategy apparently only works one way, their way. I noticed that after the singers finished the calligraphy roadblock, they hightailed it out of that church. They didn't offer any help or encouragement to Diva and son. The singers do not reciprocate. They are so selfish.

I liked how the Afghanimals stopped on the bridge to appreciate the view.

 

Their stopping on the bridge to appreciate the view didn't impress me. They are always playing and pandering to the cameras. To me, it came across as a phony attempt to show the audience that they're just two humble regular guys that the audience should root for. As phony as I thought they were at least they're not as contemptible as the holier-than-thou father and son and their whiny spirit.

[fivestone]

This episode showed so much of what's wrong with this season. I can't stand Connor and Dave. Eff this season. I'm out. I'm hoping for Brenchel for the win!!!

Edited April 21, 2014 by fivestone

[Nutjob]

Brendan and Rachel didn't have to U-Turn anyone. In fact, conventional U-Turn wisdom would suggest that you only do so if you are lagging during a leg, and then you use it on the team you think is in last place to ensure you at least make it through to the next one. Is it right to do what they did? Sure... it's not against the rules or anything. But I do think using it just to make sure you finish a leg first is kind of... not good racing strategy, from a social standpoint.

That said, while I still like Dave and Connor (and think Dave is suffering from a bit of the Killer Fatigue), Dave overreacted. Like WAY overreacted. Just put your head down and get the tasks done, people! And stop whining!

Gonna miss the Trotters, but like others have said--they weren't racing very well this time out, and seemed to lollygag way too often for my tastes. So... go Cowboys?

[bmoore4026]

I'm surprised that this show keeps giving the teams clues in riddles when so few can figure them out.

Also, if Rachel kept going on about how great an artist she was during the calligraphy challenge, I would have murdered my TV and claimed diminished capacity.

And are Dave and Connor going to become annoying now because of the U-Turn?

[Alapaki]

Brendan and Rachel didn't have to U-Turn anyone. In fact, conventional U-Turn wisdom would suggest that you only do so if you are lagging during a leg, and then you use it on the team you think is in last place to ensure you at least make it through to the next one. Is it right to do what they did? Sure... it's not against the rules or anything. But I do think using it just to make sure you finish a leg first is kind of... not good racing strategy, from a social standpoint.

I've always held to the philosophy espoused by the Globetrotters: up until the final leg, the main goal is "just don't finish last".

However, I do recognize that it's become possible to amass a fairly decent haul of booty by rolling up a bunch of first-place finishes.  I also admit that the goals of winning the race and finishing first in a bunch of mid-race legs aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.

Given all of that, I can accept that Brendan and Rachel did have a strategy that I can appreciate more than a pure spite-based U-Turn.  And, other than forfeiting their ability to U-Turn someone later in the race (which I admit isn't nothing) they probably didn't hurt their chances of winning by U-Turning Brendan and Rachel.  

[merylinkid]

DId I hear Phil say the prize for this leg was $750K each?   Which would make winning this leg worth more than winning the entire race.

[Alapaki]

DId I hear Phil say the prize for this leg was $750K each?   Which would make winning this leg worth more than winning the entire race.

 

$7,500 (total of $15K for the team).

[jpgr]

 

DId I hear Phil say the prize for this leg was $750K each?   Which would make winning this leg worth more than winning the entire race.

Merylinkid, the prize was $7,500 each, not $750,000. Other than gorgeous scenery that added to my "places to visit" list, this leg was kind of meh. It was obvious fairly early on that  either the Globetrotters or the country singers weren't going to catch up, so not much suspense. I really really really don't get why so many teams help each other this late into the season. Run your own damn race and read the f*ing clues! You don't have to be mean about it, but you should expect anyone to help you and you shouldn't feel guilty about not helping anyone else.