S31.E08: You're The Apple In My Eye

[Bryce Lynch]

If you get the chance to U-turn the team with the racer who has run the most legs in the history of TAR, you have to do it, right?

[Bryce Lynch]

One thing I didn't get was how it took so long for most of them to hit the apple.  Most of them seemed to hit the head of the dummy, about 6 inches directly below the apple.  You would think the adjustment to shoot a few inches higher would be pretty easy.

I wonder if the sights were intentionally set for a low impact at that distance.  It seemed like nearly all of them hit about the same spot on their first try.  

[chaifan]

9 minutes ago, laserlady said:

I don't know that their motivation really was personal, though.  I think at that point they were still hoping that no other teams would vote to U-turn them, so it made good strategic sense to just U-turn the team that had already voted for them, rather than alienating another team who had yet to vote and thus almost guaranteeing that they'd be U-turned.  It didn't work out, but I think their decision was based on strategy, not on personal feelings.

Good point.  I guess "personal" in the sense of it likely wouldn't have happened if R&E hadn't U turned them in the first place, but I see your point about strategy in not pissing off other teams down the line.

[srpturtle80]

I forgot to mention in my past last night how much I loved the appearance of the cat and Leo’s joy at seeing him/her. I was squealing with joy just sitting at home and watching lol. 

And I’ll sit at my table for one, but I have to express how much I love Tyler and Korey. I can’t believe how much they are disliked on these boards. Maybe it’s because they are from my state and a town pretty close to me. They also graduated from the same university that I attended law school. But aside from all that I think they are delightful racers, they stay very positive in general and with each other, they make me laugh, and they seem to genuinely be enjoying themselves. T&K for the win! 

[Bryce Lynch]

14 hours ago, Squirrely said:

In previous seasons of my recollection, it's okay to lose a clue. But you must have retrieved every single clue during the leg. Teams have lost clues and sometimes still managed. Teams who stumbled upon tasks and tried to check in without having found every clue box and retrieved every clue have been sent back to find the missing clue from the clue box they skipped. 

I don't think bromance was dumb to U-turn the sisters, if the purpose of a U-turn is to get that team eliminated. Tonight was a perfect example. C&C came in 3rd place and are probably more motivated than ever. I'm not saying they were a bad choice either, but U-turning strong teams isn't always the way to go. But opinions have always varied on proper use of the U-turn. I wish it would go the way of Speed Bumps and Intersections and never be seen again, personally. And that vote was way too Probst for me. Phil, what are you becoming? 

Bret and Chris u-turning the Oh Reilly sisters set up sort of a hedge, where the perceived strongest team and weakest teams were both U-turned.  If the other teams got lucky, they would eliminate C&C and have a better chance of winning, if not, the Oh Reillys were the least likely to overcome the U-turn, so it increased the chance of survival for everyone else. 

[fishcakes]

12 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

Maybe it's because I’m a Survivor fan, but I’m rooting hard for Bret and Chris. They seem like great guys, and they were cracking me up tonight with the snide comments. Have they always been “Team Bromance”? I never noticed that before, and I will have to deduct a few points for that nickname.

I'm liking them so much more than I expected. Neither one of them was that great on Survivor; they lasted a respectable amount of time, but neither one of them was a particularly good or interesting player. But I just love them here. They're decent racers, seem like good guys, and they make me laugh, especially every time I see Chris hauling around Bret's enormous backpack.

Chris: It's by foot or fanacalar.
Bret: Fanacalar.
Korey: They're taking the funicular. Let's run.
Bret: [running up hill] Where's the fantackula?

I also liked how during the u-turn vote and everyone saying it was just a game move and not personal, they basically said, "this is completely personal." I don't dislike Rachel, but her meltdown was fun to watch. Oh, and the stretches! LOL.

Kitty! I need a GIF of Leo running after that cat and waving his arms in the air.

Edited June 6, 2019 by fishcakes
TLDR

[Special K]

I loved Chris and Brett this episode, especially Chris.  His fake stretching to eavesdrop on the O'Reilly sisters, his stone cold lawyerly demeanor when Rachel was berating him for his vote, his snark that they don't talk to them because they don't have enough instagram followers, his hand off to his partner at the apple challenge, "Sarge, this one is all you."

They are delightful and funny.

[iMonrey]

Quote

 I actually didn't mind Rachel on BB. Rolled my eyes at her on her other TAR showings but this time...gah, 

I won't and cannot defend Rachel but her inclusion won't prevent me from watching the whole season. Whereas there are other "reality stars" that I cannot abide to the extent that I would skip the whole season. Paul, from BB, for example, or any of the Hantzes. And the way this show is spiraling into the gutter it won't surprise me to see some ass clown like that in an upcoming season. Someone who decides it's more important to screw with other teams than try to race well and win. Because that's what Survivor and BB have become: opportunities for wanna-bes to become "infamous." And CBS seems determined to drag The Amazing Race down to the same level.

Quote

If you get the chance to U-turn the team with the racer who has run the most legs in the history of TAR, you have to do it, right?

Except she only has that distinction because TAR keeps inviting her back for the "drama" she brings. She and Elissa weren't placing particularly well this season.

Quote

I forgot to mention in my past last night how much I loved the appearance of the cat and Leo’s joy at seeing him/her. I was squealing with joy just sitting at home and watching lol. 

Korey was sweet to the kitty. Leo scared it away. 

[proserpina65]

15 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

I don’t see how that’s possible, unless it’s a new rule. Because there have been many teams over the years that have lost their clues and none of them received penalties. (Unless maybe it didn’t affect the order so it was never shown on camera?)

I'm pretty sure it's not a new rule, because we've seen teams who've lost clues go back to find them rather than arrive on the mat without them.

15 hours ago, dgpolo said:

And they have been made to go back to get it, Chip (Colin's season 5) is a case in point when he and Kim came upon a task by accident they had to go back to get the clue for it before Phil could check them in. And someone else Aaron? just took another clue from the box and they got a penalty for doing that.

The Cowboys stumbled upon a task without finding the cluebox, completed it correctly, but weren't allowed to check in at the mat until they'd gone back and retrieved the clue.  I think that was in their first race.

15 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

Yes but Chip and Kim stumbled upon a task by accident without picking up the clue that was supposed to lead them there, which isn’t the same as losing your clue. But then there were other times, for example, back in season 2 when Wil and Tara lost their clue in an airport and had to fly to the next city without knowing where they were supposed to go. So....? Maybe they tweaked the rules later.

That may have been why AR changed the rules.  It has been a rule for quite a long time.

[fishcakes]

I think we all might be talking about slightly different things in regard to the penalty for a missing clue. The rule seems to be that they can't check in without all their clues and will have to go back and retrieve/find their missing clue, but that's not a penalty per se, it's just something that slows them down. What we don't know is what happens if they can't retrieve a clue -- as in the Will and Tara example, where their clue was in a different city. Back then, they weren't penalized, but if that happened now, presumably there would be a clonking big time penalty at the mat, but since we haven't seen that situation since season 2 (not that I can remember anyway, but my memory about this show is not the best so maybe someone else has a more recent example), we don't know how it would be handled now.

Edited June 6, 2019 by fishcakes

[Haleth]

I think U turn strategy depends on how you yourselves are as a team. If you are kind of back of the pack yourselves it’s probably better to target a weak team, but if you are a well oiled machine, why not take the chance to knock out a strong competitor?  (Strong teams mostly bypass the U turn anyway.)

Edited June 6, 2019 by Haleth

[proserpina65]

6 hours ago, Haleth said:

Yes there is.  I can't remember specifically who was involved but I'm 100% sure this has happened.  Plus as I said above, the Reillys performed the mowing task incorrectly (because they couldn't read the clue) so they should have had an additional penalty for that.  AND because they did not finish with their clue and did not complete the task properly I believe the "most legs ever!" title should be stripped from Rachel.  She did not complete this leg.

I agree any of the remaining teams can win and I'd be more or less satisfied.  Still rooting for Colin and Christie, which is something I never would have believed before this season.

I know that in AR12, TK and Rachel lost their clue and had to go back for it because they wouldn't have been able to check in at the mat without it.  It was one of the legs in Italy, I believe.  So it's been a rule since at least then.

2 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

Yes, I think it's pretty clear that the rules must have changed at some point.  A couple of you have said that you've seen racers get time penalties for losing their clue but nobody can give any concrete examples.  Not that I don't believe you, I would just like to go back and re-watch those episodes because I genuinely don't ever remember that happening and I'm starting to question my sanity lol.  

See the above about TK & Rachel - they didn't get a penalty BECAUSE they went back to find their clue.  They specifically said out loud that they had to have it in order to check in at the mat.

[millennium]

16 hours ago, bmoore4026 said:

Oh, God, we're still stuck with Leo and Jamal.  I'd take Rachel and Elissa over them any day.  I mean, yes, Rachel and Elissa were villains, but they were entertaining villains.  Leo and Jamal are just a-holes.

Yup, this.

Rachel and Elissa weren't equipped to win this race.    Their advancement was largely dependent on fumbles by other players.  But the challenges this season don't seem tailored to cause any sudden or random upsets (such as having to find one read bean in a small mountain range of white beans or trying to fit one key into thousands of potential locks), so as the pool of players became more concentrated and disciplined, the Reillys' chances of survival narrowed.  There was no way they could have won or even finished near the top. 

[ByaNose]

2 hours ago, lexington11 said:

With the way Leo & Jamal and Team Fun are racing, I wouldn't be surprised to see one of them knocked out of the top 4 and Nicole & Vic sneaking in there instead

Quite possibly.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I think U turn strategy depends on how you yourselves are as a team. If you are kind of back of the pack yourselves it’s probably better to target a weak team, but if you are a well oiled machine, why not take the chance to knock out a strong competitor?  (Strong teams mostly bypass the U turn anyway.)

Yes but two teams are U-Turned. The likelihood that both teams will survive the U-Turn is much lower. If it were me I would have moved to jeopardize the two strongest teams, not the strongest team and the weakest team. That said, I don't begrudge Chris and Bret their decision. It was a dicey proposition because they had to make their choice aloud in front of the other teams and that's going to factor into the decision, strategically.

[TVbitch]

That was so tense. Based on the editing, the show had me convinced the underdog sisters would somehow pull out a miracle save. First I thought they'd beat Chris & Brett, then I thought they might actually might beat Colin/Kristie, then I thought maybe they would beat the Garanimals. 

I was so damn relieved when Colin/Kristie made it to the matt. I must really want them to win. That vote thing was bullshit. I don't want to see that again. The whole point of a U-turn is you race to get to the U-turn before someone else can U-turn you. Colin/Christie had zero chance of not being U-turned. I don't want them introducing an element where the best teams can get voted out, or even where socially lacking teams can get voted out. I get that this is a big part of Survivor and Big Brother, but this the Amazing RACE.   

[mikewho]

2 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

Yes, I think it's pretty clear that the rules must have changed at some point.  A couple of you have said that you've seen racers get time penalties for losing their clue but nobody can give any concrete examples.  Not that I don't believe you, I would just like to go back and re-watch those episodes because I genuinely don't ever remember that happening and I'm starting to question my sanity lol

It was years ago, but didn't Dallas and his mother get eliminated because they lost their clue?  Or was it their passports?

Personally, I think it was time we could stop hating on the BB or Survivor teams. Corrine and and Eliza...gone. Rupert and Laura...gone. Both out early. Now Rachel and Elissa gone (Janelle and Britney didn't bother me and didn't act BB-ish).

Now at the beginning of this episode Victor said something like, 'There was some drama with Rachel and Elissa, but there's no need to continue that drama'. Something like that. And that's definitely not BB-ish.

At this point, I'm rooting for Colin and Christie, Chris and Bret (I don't even remember them from their Survivor seasons. They're doing TAR now.) and Vic and Nicole.

Side note: I personally never found any humor in Colin's declaration of 'My ox is Broken! This is Bullshit!'

But at that season's TarCon, someone had made him a T-shirt that said 'My ox is Broken!' on the front, and 'This is Bullshit!' on the back. He was very amused.

Somewhere in the depths of my closet, I have an envelope of pics of myself with TarCon pics. They both have big smiles on their faces, Colin wearing the T-shirt.

[green]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I won't and cannot defend Rachel but her inclusion won't prevent me from watching the whole season. Whereas there are other "reality stars" that I cannot abide to the extent that I would skip the whole season. Paul, from BB, for example

You do know that Paul was cast with Josh as one of the teams for this season.  Thank goodness they got kicked off before the Race started for at least one or more of the rumored reasons.  As bad as it was with Rachel/Sister it would be even worse -- far worse -- if Paul the Hateful Bully had been on as well.

Edited June 6, 2019 by green

[mikewho]

2 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

I've realized by this time in my life that I will never understand the phenomenon of just melting into a giddy puddle at the mere sight of a small furry feline in the area. That's OK, I know I enjoy many things that others don't, and we can all just get along....

Thank you. I've been long since the time where I've found humor about animals posted here. They never amuse me at all. And I say that as an animal lover.

[Halting Hex]

2 hours ago, laserlady said:

I think at that point [C&C] were still hoping that no other teams would vote to U-turn them, so it made good strategic sense to just U-turn the team that had already voted for them, rather than alienating another team who had yet to vote

Also, two teams were going to U-turned, so Colin needed to "nominate" a third team to join him and the Afghanimals "on the block".  It made sense to choose someone who couldn't throw a revenge-vote back at him, and he had a better excuse to vote for the Reillys than for Vic/Nic.  Simple as that.

Also, he might well have heard somebody talking about U-Turning the sisters during that fandango on the train last episode, whereas everybody was loudly declaiming "Oh, no, Victor!  We would NEVER U-turn you and Nicole!  I have no idea what the Reillys are talking about!"  Colin's always been a bit too willing to take people at their word, IMO, but that's another possible factor in his choice, I'd say.

[iMonrey]

Quote

It was years ago, but didn't Dallas and his mother get eliminated because they lost their clue?  Or was it their passports?

Passports.

Quote

Personally, I think it was time we could stop hating on the BB or Survivor teams.

Never! I will never be OK with cross-over reality stars invading TAR, or CBS trying to dumb down TAR to be more like Survivor and Big Brother. 

I also think it makes a big difference if you've actually seen some of the people on those other shows. Victor is OK, he's a bit dim and has lousy taste in friends, but Nicole is a whiny, dim-witted, childish brat. Nothing she's done this season has changed my mind about the way I felt about her on BB.

[mikewho]

8 minutes ago, green said:

As bad as it was with Rachel/Sister it would be even worse -- far worse -- if Paul the Hateful Bully had been on as well.

Talk about a Famewhore. He's probably the one one I've seen who not only deserved it, he patented it.

[AlleC17]

37 minutes ago, mikewho said:

Side note: I personally never found any humor in Colin's declaration of 'My ox is Broken! This is Bullshit!'

But at that season's TarCon, someone had made him a T-shirt that said 'My ox is Broken!' on the front, and 'This is Bullshit!' on the back. He was very amused.

Somewhere in the depths of my closet, I have an envelope of pics of myself with TarCon pics. They both have big smiles on their faces, Colin wearing the T-shirt.

Thank you for sharing this:  it made me smile!  I am really hoping they win, and they certainly have a great shot at it as they are strong racers.

[biakbiak]

9 minutes ago, Halting Hex said:

lso, two teams were going to U-turned, so Colin needed to "nominate" a third team to join him and the Afghanimals "on the block".

Not to mention I think C and C would have a good chance against any of the teams but they would much rather go up against a weaker team if they got the most votes to increase the likelihood of surviving. Add in the fact that they are annoying, and voted for them and not wanting to alienate another team and it’s the most logical choice.  

[watch2much]

15 hours ago, tinkerbell said:

Rachel:  why would you U-turn us?  we're not a strong team!  you wasted your vote!  that was stupid! We are NOT a strong team!!!!!!! 

and yet despite being u-turned they nearly beat the Afganimals....who they seemed to indicate were a stronger team.  agree with everyone, Rachel can dish it out but becomes a whiny little vindictive baby when she has to take it from others.

[Angeleyes]

It seems like this leg of the race was short compared to some where the contestants are racing all day. I thought I saw a sign on the funicular that it would be back down the mountain at 10 (an hour from then according to Phil in the voiceover) when Bret and Chris arrived there. It makes me wonder when the last teams arrived. On the one hand, it made speed more of a factor on this leg. On the other, it was probably good for the show to have some built in down time for the racers before the final few legs of the race. 

[laserlady]

What I want to know is what would have happened if Bret and Chris had voted for a team who had no other votes -- say, Tyler and Korey -- making it so there wasn't a clear second choice for the U-turn.  Probably they would have done a re-vote, and it would have been interesting to see how that would have shaken out.

[Rachel RSL]

3 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I'm pretty sure it's not a new rule, because we've seen teams who've lost clues go back to find them rather than arrive on the mat without them.

The Cowboys stumbled upon a task without finding the cluebox, completed it correctly, but weren't allowed to check in at the mat until they'd gone back and retrieved the clue.  I think that was in their first race.

It's definitely wasn't a rule in the early seasons but, as I think we've all concluded, the rules in general have probably changed since the early years.  Tweak here, tweak there.   Regarding the Cowboys, having to go back and retrieve the clue isn't a penalty.  It's just something you have to do.  I'm trying to think of a time where a team lost their clue (and it was not possible to retrieve it) and when they showed up at the mat, Phil told them they had a 30 min penalty.  I wonder why that's a rule anyway.  I can understand needing your passports to check in but why do they require the clues?

1 hour ago, mikewho said:

Side note: I personally never found any humor in Colin's declaration of 'My ox is Broken! This is Bullshit!'

Heh.  That was a TAR classic.  It makes me so happy that so many people are rooting for them this time around because last time I felt like I was on an island of one.

[Lamima]

3 hours ago, srpturtle80 said:

I forgot to mention in my past last night how much I loved the appearance of the cat and Leo’s joy at seeing him/her. I was squealing with joy just sitting at home and watching lol. 

And I’ll sit at my table for one, but I have to express how much I love Tyler and Korey. I can’t believe how much they are disliked on these boards. Maybe it’s because they are from my state and a town pretty close to me. They also graduated from the same university that I attended law school. But aside from all that I think they are delightful racers, they stay very positive in general and with each other, they make me laugh, and they seem to genuinely be enjoying themselves. T&K for the win! 

Yeah, I like T and K just fine. In the same vein, I don't get the Team Fun (especially Becca) haters. They are my fave team. They just enjoy everything they do and are supportive to each other. I was nervous as Becca seemed to just be having fun and taking her time shooting the apple...was thinking 'girl, get a move on and stop playing'. 

[mikewho]

3 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

Heh.  That was a TAR classic.  It makes me so happy that so many people are rooting for them this time around because last time I felt like I was on an island of one.

You weren't. I was rooting for Chip and Kim, but if not them then Colin and Christie. I'm hoping for a Colin and Christie win this time. First time, I didn't like them but they were excellent racers. This time, they're still excellent racers but I ALSO like them.

I also always wondered how it might have ended if we'd been shown that flat tire C&C's cab got on the way to the pit stop in that final leg.

[dgpolo]

20 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

It's just something you have to do.  I'm trying to think of a time where a team lost their clue (and it was not possible to retrieve it) and when they showed up at the mat, Phil told them they had a 30 min penalty.

Don't have an example of that but I finally know who took a second clue and got a penalty, it was Freddy and Kendra in TAR 6, they had to sit out a 30 minute penalty, not for not having their clue but for taking a second one from the box when they couldn't find theirs.

Edited June 6, 2019 by dgpolo
editing

[mojoween]

Season five was my first ever TAR season and I loved Colin from the jump.  Didn’t mean he didn’t have some moments where I went “eek Colin no” but my love never wavered.

Rachel may be disagreeable and rather heinous at times but she's not even the worst person to have been on this SEASON.

[millennium]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

 That said, I don't begrudge Chris and Bret their decision. It was a dicey proposition because they had to make their choice aloud in front of the other teams and that's going to factor into the decision, strategically.

I do, not just because I enjoy the Reilly sisters, but because their choice helped to turn TAR into just one more show where decisions are made on the basis of personality rather than strategy.  Vic and Nicole were the logical targets yet they walked away unscathed.

(And on a personal note, big strong Boston cops, targeting a couple of non-threatening women because they didn't give them enough attention.  Maybe the sisters should have cried -- Chris and Brett might have let them off with just a warning.)

[Rinaldo]

17 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

It's definitely wasn't a rule in the early seasons but, as I think we've all concluded, the rules in general have probably changed since the early years.  Tweak here, tweak there.  ... I wonder why that's a rule anyway.  I can understand needing your passports to check in but why do they require the clues?

I wonder if it may have been added precisely because of the shenanigans Tara and Wil pulled in TAR 2 -- essentially going outside the framework of the race, like movie characters stepping outside their world (cf. The Purple Rose of Cairo). Having lost the clue that specified where they had to go for their chartered individual flights in the morning, she got on the phone and called local flight services asking if they were expecting a bunch of teams to show up in the morning, and actually found the right one. In that case, they were able to survive the loss of the clue as long as they knew where to go. So it's possible the rules were changed in response to that incident, that early in TAR history. (Or maybe later.)

But we know there have been tweaks over the years, like the rules about even splitting of Roadblocks, before which one partner could do all of them (which didn't quite happen, but we came close).

[iMonrey]

Quote

The Cowboys stumbled upon a task without finding the cluebox, completed it correctly, but weren't allowed to check in at the mat until they'd gone back and retrieved the clue.  I think that was in their first race.

Was that the time when they were on a beach and one of the cowboys threw the bottle down at Phil's feet? Or was that another time. I remember that being one of the rare, uglier moments for the Cowboys. However, in that instance, it wasn't that they stumbled upon the task (something to do with swimming out to boats). They had the clue, they just left it behind, I think.

Edited June 6, 2019 by iMonrey

[preeya]

6 hours ago, RemoteControlFreak said:

On another note, Rachel Reilly is the most distasteful contestant I've ever seen on any reality show. I've never watched Big Brother but maybe her whining and juvenile snideness fit in there?  

 

THIS ↑ IN SPADES!

[preeya]

Just now, preeya said:

THIS ↑ IN SPADES!

I can't even bear to look at the screen when she's front & center.

Just now, preeya said:

[mojoween]

Chris is a lawyer from Oklahoma and Bret is a police Sargent from Boston.  

[biakbiak]

52 minutes ago, millennium said:

do, not just because I enjoy the Reilly sisters, but because their choice helped to turn TAR into just one more show where decisions are made on the basis of personality rather than strategy.  Vic and Nicole were the logical targets yet they walked away unscathed.

Chris and Brent were the last to vote a vote for Vic and Nicole would have been a throw away vote. 

[millennium]

5 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

Chris and Brent were the last to vote a vote for Vic and Nicole would have been a throw away vote. 

A vote for the Afghanimals would not have been a throw-away.   The Afghanimals have proven they are superior competitors to Rachel and Elissa.   Instead, Brett and Chris chose the Reillys.    I now hope the Afghanimals is the team that edges out Brett and Chris.  

[biakbiak]

Just now, millennium said:

A vote for the Afghanimals would not have been a throw-away.   The Afghanimals have proven they are superior competitors to Rachel and Elissa.   Instead, Brett and Chris chose the Reillys.    I now hope the Afghanimals is the team that edges out Brett and Chris.  

You didn’t say the Afghanmals in your post that I quoted you said that Vic and Nicole were the obvious targets.

[millennium]

Just now, biakbiak said:

You didn’t say the Afghanmals in your post that I quoted you said that Vic and Nicole were the obvious targets.

I just looked back at the voting.   Before Chris and Brett announced their vote, the Reillys had one vote, the Afghanimals had one vote,  and Nicole and Victor had one vote.   All other votes went to Colin and Christie.   So unless I'm misunderstanding something, Brett and Chris could have indeed assigned a vote to Nicole and Victor instead of the Reillys, making them the second team to be U-turned.

So a vote for Nicole and Victor would not have been a throwaway.   And even if we take Nicole and Victor off the board, the next logical candidates for u-turning were the Afghanimals

[biakbiak]

4 minutes ago, millennium said:

And even if we take Nicole and Victor off the board, the next logical candidates for u-turning were the Afghanimals

Since the Reilly sisters nearly beat the Afghanimals despite the UTurn I don’t understand how the Afghamimals who have been on the bottom a lot are any more “logical” than the Reilly sisters. There is no right or wrong answer on who to use the UTurn on in this situation.

Edited June 6, 2019 by biakbiak

[Archery]

I've decided that I like the U-Turn of Democracy--for this season.  It's a nice little nod to the Survivor contestants. 

[raven]

So if Chris and Bret had voted for Tyler and Korey what would have happened?  Were they not allowed to, did Phil instruct them to break the single vote tie and we didn't see it? Because if they had voted for T&K, then we would have had C&C (3 votes) than V&N, R&E, L&J, and T&K with one vote each.  Would five teams then have had to do both U-Turns?  Or if C&B had voted for C&C, then we would have had four teams doing the U-Turn.  I needed clearer instructions.

I wondered if C&B already figured they weren't going to win - they can't beat any of the others in a footrace - so hey, may as well get rid of the team we don't really like. 

I didn't like the voting; I don't watch Survivor or BB, personality conflicts and strategizing are boring as hell to me.

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

but Nicole is a whiny, dim-witted, childish brat.

OMG the whining!!!  The whiny tone is like nails on a chalkboard to me.  I started out kind of liking them but as KF sets in, Nicole is becoming more whiny.  Ugh. 

6 hours ago, Special K said:

I loved Chris and Brett this episode, especially Chris. 

I like them as well and think the #Bromance hat is cute.  I also like Leo and Jamal and Tyler and Korey - well, pretty much I like everyone who's left.  I didn't have a huge hate for R/E but am not sorry to see them gone.  Rachel is definitely a shit stirrer and dish it out, can't take it kind of person, not really someone I want to watch on TAR.  Elissa seemed alright though.

T/K have definitely sort of stealthily been doing well.  I still think C/C are the team to beat, even after this episode.  Love their attitudes, especially Christie's when Rachel asked to see the clue - not offended, angry, whatever, just "Absolutely not!" LOL.

[Jessa]

6 hours ago, srpturtle80 said:

I forgot to mention in my past last night how much I loved the appearance of the cat and Leo’s joy at seeing him/her. I was squealing with joy just sitting at home and watching lol. 

And I’ll sit at my table for one, but I have to express how much I love Tyler and Korey. I can’t believe how much they are disliked on these boards. Maybe it’s because they are from my state and a town pretty close to me. They also graduated from the same university that I attended law school. But aside from all that I think they are delightful racers, they stay very positive in general and with each other, they make me laugh, and they seem to genuinely be enjoying themselves. T&K for the win! 

I’ll join you. Want to split some nachos or something? 

My daughter used to watch Tyler’s videos and listen to their podcast when she was younger, so I’d listen too to have an idea on the kinds of things they were talking about. I’d love to see them win. 

[chaifan]

3 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

I I'm trying to think of a time where a team lost their clue (and it was not possible to retrieve it) and when they showed up at the mat, Phil told them they had a 30 min penalty.  I wonder why that's a rule anyway.  I can understand needing your passports to check in but why do they require the clues?

I remember reading and/or hearing, quite a while ago, that teams had to turn in anything they gathered along the race at the pit stop.  IIRC it was a post-race interview and someone had asked if they could keep anything as souvenirs, and the answer was no, everything had to be turned in.  Turning in clues was to help prevent spoilers.  That makes perfect sense to me.  The best way to enforce it is to make it a game rule with a penalty attached.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

47 minutes ago, raven said:

So if Chris and Bret had voted for Tyler and Korey what would have happened?  Were they not allowed to, did Phil instruct them to break the single vote tie and we didn't see it? Because if they had voted for T&K, then we would have had C&C (3 votes) than V&N, R&E, L&J, and T&K with one vote each.  Would five teams then have had to do both U-Turns?  Or if C&B had voted for C&C, then we would have had four teams doing the U-Turn.  I needed clearer instructions.

Phil said something at the beginning about how they would continue voting until they had collectively  chosen two teams for the u-turn so I'm guessing they would have all had to vote again if there had been a four way tie for the second team.

[tinkerbell]

4 hours ago, green said:

You do know that Paul was cast with Josh as one of the teams for this season.  Thank goodness they got kicked off before the Race started for at least one or more of the rumored reasons.  As bad as it was with Rachel/Sister it would be even worse -- far worse -- if Paul the Hateful Bully had been on as well.

I'm intrigued. What are the rumored reasons Paul and Josh were kicked off?

I can't stand Nicole's whiny nasally voice. And it makes me recall how she spent her BB season in bed with COREY! (Screamed in that nasally whine) how the hell did victor fall in love with someone who was attached at the hip to another guy the entire time?

[HawaiiTVGuy]

22 hours ago, Squirrely said:

I don't think bromance was dumb to U-turn the sisters, if the purpose of a U-turn is to get that team eliminated. Tonight was a perfect example. C&C came in 3rd place and are probably more motivated than ever. I'm not saying they were a bad choice either, but U-turning strong teams isn't always the way to go. But opinions have always varied on proper use of the U-turn. I wish it would go the way of Speed Bumps and Intersections and never be seen again, personally. And that vote was way too Probst for me. Phil, what are you becoming? 

I agree, their choices were one of the other teams.  Rachel's argument was something along the lines of, who do you want to race against at the end, haha well to answer that question truthfully, they don't want to race with you!

Yeah, if you are a weak team, you have no idea what the roadblock/detours are going to be, putting two strong teams against each other, both who possibly can blast through the U-Turn and still beat you, it makes more sense to go after a definite sacrificial lamb.  As a "weak" team you are not trying to think about who you want to race in the finals, you are trying to figure out the calculus on how can you best survive another leg.