S31.E09: Let's Split!

[Haleth]

9 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

I thought so too at first, but Bromance's "not found anything in two hours" was his justification. He's a persevere-er, but also a pragmatist, and that was new and decisive information. And if you're really going to switch tasks, best not to shilly-shally but to do it right away and not lose more time.

"My metal detector is broken!  This is bullshit!"  I wonder if there was enough of a current that the coins were swept further away or buried?  It's too bad the task turned out to be impossible, despite being a "needle in the haystack" deal it would have been my choice.

9 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

The country includes not only Dalmatia, but Illyria (as in Twelfth Night; if Viola had washed up on this touristy beach, her story might have been quite different).

Love this.

7 hours ago, Melina22 said:

ETA Is it a double, triple or quadruple bald snark? We need to hear from the judges. 

The original Bald Snark wasn't just a switch to the second choice, they went back to the first task.  So to go back to the second one again would be a Double Bald Snark.  That's my take anyway..

7 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I met a lady with a Dalmatian who responded to gestures since he was deaf. She said the breed was prone to deafness. Overbreeding no doubt. The dog was sweet.

Yup.  I had friends who had a dalmatian who was deaf.  She was fine with the family but not very friendly with strangers.

About Linegate, I think the biggest problem is the agent didn't tell Vic & Nic that she was closing after Leo & Jamal, giving them an opportunity to get into another line.  But it surely wasn't Team Fun's problem that N&V did not change lines quickly enough.  Whatever, I did love seeing the airport drama again.  Finding the best flight is a talent.

[amazingracefan]

10 hours ago, spanana said:

I can't really point a finger at what about Becca annoys me.  I think it's partly because she tries to come off so laid back and "fun" and I do think she genuinely has fun a part of the time, but the rest she seems like she's dangerously close to losing her cool.  

It feels like she's fake, too over the top.

10 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Too much cooperation between Racers, though. 

10 hours ago, North of Eden said:

I DO NOT like teams helping each other...it's against the spirit of a race!

I've always disliked it, it always curtails possible drama, as seen here at the end of the leg.  It would have been quite possible to stop it, simply have teams do the road block one at a time, and queue up in line.  It was like it was set up for teams to co-operate, whether for budget/time reasons or because the producers wanted it.  At least u-turns you know are officially part of the race, but this kind of tactic isn't really an integral part of challenges, it's just a way to make them easier and quicker.

10 hours ago, srpturtle80 said:

Watching the airport drama made me realize how much I miss watching them arrange flights and having the results like we did tonight with different teams arriving at different times. They’ve really gotten away from that and I definitely think that’s sad. 

cheaper budget

8 hours ago, SnideAsides said:

To be fair, the last time they raced this show was still sponsored by American Airlines Vacations.

At the start it probably had its biggest budget.

It didn't matter in the end but is it normal for teams to be able to go back to a detour they had left and just take over where they had left off instead of starting from the beginning?  I don't remember what happened in the past.

Edited June 13, 2019 by amazingracefan

[Eolivet]

Well, that's better than Chris and not as good as Bret finished in their Survivor season, so I'd call it a wash. At least they were clearly in the back of the pack when the time came -- I'm just happy they didn't lose a race to the mat.

Is it just me or does the "we're going to be friends forever" seem kind of ridiculous on the reality show version of Amazing Race? I guess teams that don't really audition together, teams picked by casting have to say something. I believe it, it just sounded ... forced. From a team who seemed pretty authentic, it kind of fell flat to me. Man, that Survivor season produced some tight bonds, though.

Airport drama was fun, but if they're spoonfeeding flights based on availability, I'm fine with it. I'd prefer this over what used to happen, where one team is 4 to 6 hours behind/misses a connection, and they try to clumsily edit like there's suspense, when really that team was eliminated 15 minutes into the show.

Edited June 13, 2019 by Eolivet

[Fake Jan Brady]

I was sure someone was going to be skewered by their gnome while bouncing around learning the poem.

Edited June 13, 2019 by Fake Jan Brady

[shura]

4 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

Tyler, honey, stop trying so hard.  It's not funny in the slightest and very embarrassing for all of us.

Amen to that. Why did he keep saying "It's Croatia!" in this weird way as if there was a mental wink there like it was a pun or a witty reference to something? Was there more to it than him trying too hard to be witty? If there was, it went completely over my head and just sounded annoying.

This was my favorite episode of the season. I found the whole season up to this point pretty bland. There had been nothing really exciting to me, they were just retreading all the tired situations that I had seen dozens of times already. Who knew that they just needed to go back to real basics like airport shuffling, bald snarks, etc., to become awesome again?

[TheRabbi]

Most product placement on TV makes you cringe. But I couldn't imagine TAR without its annual gnome episode. Love having to help him reach the top of the area with the pulleys. Always makes me laugh. Sad to see Chris and Bret go - they were definitely my favorite non-TAR team.

[mertensia]

Yeah, I like that they are integrating the gnome into tasks. 

Becca's "always on" reminds me of a kid I knew in school who was always being made fun of and had very few if any friends and that's how they got through school without crying.

[TVbitch]

Excellent episode of the Amazing Race. These last few episodes have been good and this one was classic. Tough tasks, missing gnome, airport bickering, lots of team order shuffling, gorgeous scenery, plenty of suspence, adorable greeters.

Colin and Christie put the fear in me, but the way Colin handled the gnome mishap proves that Colin's transformation runs deep. Him doing a quick meditation in the cab was so cute. Those two are perfect for each other. 

[green]

9 hours ago, North of Eden said:

The smartest people I see on any given reality shows are the ones that say "I/we are not here to make  friends (magical or otherwise) but to win a million dollars. They realize they've put their lives on hold for weeks for a shot to better their or the families lives which tops making friends with people who may live on the other side of the country and you'll never see again.

Actually the smartest people I've seen are the ones that do both.  You can have your cake and eat it too on TAR.  That is why it is indeed the AMAZING race.

5 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

I'm surprised Colin didn't try to work the airport more; it seems like he might have discovered that flight via Düsseldorf (it may have had a few seats left the night before, when the teams seem to have arrived at Zürich's airport).  In any event, the return of airport drama was most welcome!

Rules have changed over the years on TAR.  These days they cannot book multiple flights.  Just one.  Since the Dusseldorf one was stand-by only it would have been a suicide move for Colin to put their one pair of tickets on a stand-by when you know you can arrive at least even with two other teams and think maybe ahead of another.  Especially since the "pair" is actually four tickets since their camera team must travel on the same flight with them per the rules.  That is a lot of seats that need to free up at the last moment.

Victor & Nicole, on the other hand, really had no choice at that point but to gamble since there seemed to be no viable flights after the one C&C, Team Fun and the Afganibles booked on.  V&N basically hit the lottery when they got on.

1 hour ago, sigmaforce86 said:

Took me awhile to realize everyone's swimwear matched and the teams must have been given bathing suits, it just wasn't shown.

They provide Racers with swimwear as well as heavy winter apparel if needed on TAR.  The winter apparel from the beginning of the show.  Though I admit the swimwear was added as "provided" a few seasons into the Race I believe.  Maybe it was added after Teri was forced to go swimming in that tank in her disposable paper underwear in TAR3, heh.

1 hour ago, North of Eden said:

I say Quadruple because that is so much more epic and the fact that it cost them the race to boot!

And a MUCH better term than that other stupid term I always hated.

58 minutes ago, amazingracefan said:

It didn't matter in the end but is it normal for teams to be able to go back to a detour they had left and just take over where they had left off instead of starting from the beginning?  I don't remember what happened in the past.

Yes you pick up from where you left off.  Some tasks there is no "left off" point but this one was one of those that was a "work in progress" one so yeah they did it legit.

[biakbiak]

I thought the poem task was cruel and unusual punishment to the audience because it was so awful and we had to hear it so many times. The poor judge!

I don’t believe Team Fun cut but even if they did I would find Nicole’s passive aggressive muttered whining about it far more annoying.

Edited June 13, 2019 by biakbiak

[aemom]

So impressed that C&C kept their shit together when they forgot their gnome.  I am so surprised with how calm they remain under pressure.  Such a huge change from their previous season.  I'd like to see them win the whole shebang.

I really like Floyd, but there is something about Becca that I can't put my finger on.  It's like she's just always one small step away from an old-school Colin freakout.

I enjoyed the airport drama and that tubing Detour was hard.  They were flying around in that tube.  The leg started out with very easy tasks and then got really hard.

Edited June 13, 2019 by aemom
Typo

[green]

6 minutes ago, aemom said:

So impressed that C&C kept their shit together when they forgot their gnome.  I am so surprised with how calm they remain under pressure.  Such a huge change from their previous season.  I'd like to see them win the whole shebang.

I really like Floyd, but there is something about Becca that I can't put my finger on.  It's like she's just always one small step away from an old-school Colin freakout.

I enjoyed the airport drama and that tubing Detour was hard.  They were flying around in that tube.  The leg started out with very easy tasks and then got really hard.

Yeah Colin is legit changed and good for him.

The easy tasks they started out with really weren't tasks.  They were just go here and get a clue ones but set-up so as to showcase Split's scenery -- beach and cliff monastery -- more.  I always like when they do that.

I agree with others this was more a TAR Classic type of leg therefore a really good one.  Please, producers, look at your earlier seasons again.  Make the Race rock like it did this leg but for a whole Race again.

[aemom]

1 minute ago, green said:

I agree with others this was more a TAR Classic type of leg therefore a really good one.  Please, producers, look at your earlier seasons again.  Make the Race rock like it did this leg but for a whole Race again.

That's one reason why I really enjoy TAR Canada.  Every leg of the race is brutally hard.  Every time we get a new Canadian season, I realize how "dumbed down" TAR USA has become.

[doodlebug]

9 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I met a lady with a Dalmatian who responded to gestures since he was deaf. She said the breed was prone to deafness. Overbreeding no doubt. The dog was sweet.

They are, about 15 % are completely deaf, many more are deaf in one ear.  The gene for the spot pattern is very close to the gene for deafness and unscrupulous breeders have not been careful and often breed dogs with unilateral hearing.  Never buy a Dalmatian unless it has had a certified hearing test and don't breed one who is deaf in one ear.

I had a deaf Dalmatian who I got as a rescue pup, her rescuer didn't know she was deaf.  The AKC still recommends euthanizing deafies because they are supposed to be aggressive.  My girl was the most loving, gentle, downright kind dog I've ever known.  Smart as a whip, she learned sign language and was very obedient.  I miss her to this day.  I've read all of the warnings about the difficulty of owning Dalmatians, especially deaf ones, but there are exceptions to every rule and my girl was one.

Was so happy to see Split, Croatia is gorgeous, the scenery is even better in person.  I though the tasks were great, kinda surprised anyone would choose to do a needle in a haystack challenge based on the show's history.   Always a crapshoot, better to go with the memorization task in almost every case.

[Bryce Lynch]

I thought it was stupid for Brett and Chris to switch.  They only needed 2 more coins, and there had to be at least 27 of them out there, for there to be enough for all 6 teams to find 5.

By switching they guaranteed they would be behind everyone else doing the other challenge.I think they got discouraged and panicked a little.  

Also, while it would have been cut throat, they should have told C&C that they had only been there a half an hour and were almost done, or something like that.  Or, they could have pretended to finish the task, and switch to the other one.   That would have put C&C behind them.  

I think we can officially declare Colin's anger issues a thing of the past.   Him reacting calmly to discovering that they had forgotten their gnome is the clincher.  The love of the universe is truly flowing through him.

It is amazing how many times Floyd's drum major experience has helped him in his 2 seasons on TAR.  Who knew those skills would be so useful in life.   I think I am going to force my 14 year old son to join the marching band.  

[greyhorse]

39 minutes ago, aemom said:

So impressed that C&C kept their shit together when they forgot their gnome.  I am so surprised with how calm they remain under pressure.  Such a huge change from their previous season.  I'd like to see them win the whole shebang.

I really like Floyd, but there is something about Becca that I can't put my finger on.  It's like she's just always one small step away from an old-school Colin freakout.

I enjoyed the airport drama and that tubing Detour was hard.  They were flying around in that tube.  The leg started out with very easy tasks and then got really hard.

I agree that Becca comes across as annoying.  Appears nice, but secretly not.  Floyd has this natural exuberance.  Becca seems to have exuberance but only because she is playing into a role.  I hated the dancing she did after the airport scandal and they got tickets.

I loved the airport drama as well.  Way more exciting when teams got an advantage by finding alternate routes and connections.  Too much bunching now, "open at 7 am", etc.

The tubing detour certainly seemed hard.  It looked like Colin almost fell out of the raft at one point.  Did the clue say that you had to recite the poem with flair?  Noticed that the Afghanimals were so demonstrative in the early attempts, then they maybe thought it wasn't helping to convince the judge and were much more reserved in the later attempts.

I have no problem with the teams helping each other on the roadblock and splitting the board in half.  That's just smart racing.  It looked like Floyd got it on the first chance (which may have just been editing) and that was impressive.  Christie and Afghanimal helping each other is what caused Survivor dudes to finish last.  We didn't even get to see those poor guys complete the roadblock, just saw them Philiminated on the mat.

[Bryce Lynch]

13 hours ago, spanana said:

I'm of two minds about airport gate but don't have a real opinion without knowing more details. I do agree Nicole is whiny so this isn't really me defending her exactly.

I don't think Team Fun cut exactly, but it also seemed like there was only meant to be one ticket line open at a time.  The new lady came in and opened just as the other lady was going off duty, so I don't necessarily think there was mean to be two windows.  Just that they slightly overlapped while helping one customer and then the second lady left after she finished her last sale.   

So is that two lines?  I'm not sure.  I do think if Nicole/Victor had a problem with it then they could have done more in the moment and the smart thing to do in the first place would hav been to split up and have one of them in each line so both lines were covered.  That said, I didn't really get the impression Victor cared much.  I mean, of course he cared in that he wanted to get on the flight but we weren't shown any footage of him complaining about Team Fun cutting.  He was mostly calming Nicole down away from where Team Fun is while they got their standby flight booked.

Chris/Bret really eliminated themselves here.  It just seemed like they gave up.

I don't hate anyone left but I think Colin/Christie are the only ones I really want to win.  Oh wait, I wouldn't be mad at Tyler/Korey.  Truly I wouldn't be mad at any of them but both Nicole and Becca annoy me and Leo/Jamal have run a fairly crappy race.  

I can't really point a finger at what about Becca annoys me.  I think it's partly because she tries to come off so laid back and "fun" and I do think she genuinely has fun a part of the time, but the rest she seems like she's dangerously close to losing her cool.  

Can I team Victor and Floyd up together?

I thought the line situation at the airport was ambiguous, and rather than be overly polite, Team Fun stepped up and took advantage of it.   I could understand Team Fun honestly believing they didn't cut and Victor and Nicole honestly believing they did.  

It ended up backfiring on them and benefiting Victor and Nicole, so it was a moot point.  

I hate being in situations like that, where it is not clear if there is one line for all the cashiers or individual lines for each one.   

I think Becca sometimes exaggerates her level of anger and frustration in a playful way.  

Tyler and Korey and Victor and Nicole annoy me a little, but I don't hate any of the remaining teams.  In order, I am rooting for Team Fun, C&C, Afghanimals, Tyler and Korey, Victor and Nicole.  

Have they ever shown a team flying standby before?  I can't recall seeing this.  I liked it, as it added drama as to whether they would get on the flight.  

Edited June 13, 2019 by Bryce Lynch

[ByaNose]

Tyler is sooooo annoying. He’s always trying to make a word or phrase a thing. I wish he would STFU with his “jokes”  and, mugging for the camera. I was kinda hoping he fall out of the raft. They’ll probably make the Final 3 along with the TAR teams. 

[aemom]

11 minutes ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Have they ever shown a team flying standby before?  I can't recall seeing this.  I liked it, as it added drama as to whether they would get on the flight.  

Definitely.  I can't name a team or a season, but yes.

I was actually yelling at my TV: "ASK TO FLY STANDBY!"  I'm glad they heard me.  😉

[Tryangle]

13 hours ago, srpturtle80 said:

Watching the airport drama made me realize how much I miss watching them arrange flights and having the results like we did tonight with different teams arriving at different times. They’ve really gotten away from that and I definitely think that’s sad. 

I get the impression that they can only bring the airport flight multiple options into play when flying within the EU, this day and age the security, etc. issues going from other countries would be too difficult to deal with so they're spoon-fed outside of Europe.

Good call to the Colin & Christie raced before Travelocity became a thing, hence not paying attention to the Roaming Gnome.

[Rinaldo]

2 minutes ago, Tryangle said:

I get the impression that they can only bring the airport flight multiple options into play when flying within the EU, this day and age the security, etc. issues going from other countries would be too difficult to deal with so they're spoon-fed outside of Europe.

That's my impression as well. Also, it seems to me that within the ±2 decades TAR has been on the air, airlines have become more cutthroat/frugal about arranging routes and schedules to minimize empty seats; at least I haven't been on a flight that's less than completely full in many a year, whereas I do recall half-empty flights in the more distant past. If I'm correct there, international flights in much of the world may just not have masses of last-minute seats (in multiples of four) ready to be booked, unless they're reserved well in advance -- i.e., it could be not just challenging, but impossible, to get all the teams from one country to another on the same day without prearrangement.

Helping each other on Roadblocks has (sometimes) happened from the beginning. It's always a balancing act for the teams that do it: you're trading away the possibility of finishing ahead of the other, for the security of knowing that at least you won't finish behind. If Floyd had happened to show up at the same time as someone else, for instance, I wouldn't have blamed him for refusing to work together -- he'd know he could blaze through on his own, why give that up?

[gibasi]

16 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

Tyler is sooooo annoying. He’s always trying to make a word or phrase a thing. I wish he would STFU with his “jokes”  and, mugging for the camera. I was kinda hoping he fall out of the raft. They’ll probably make the Final 3 along with the TAR teams. 

I disagree. Personally I like Tyler's jokes and think he is doing it all in fun.  I don't see mugging for the camera.  I think he is more authentic than Becca.  

Quote

From Bryce Lynch:

Also, while it would have been cut throat, they should have told C&C that they had only been there a half an hour and were almost done, or something like that.  Or, they could have pretended to finish the task, and ...

I absolutely agree. If they didn't want to lie they could have just been vague and said a little while or something.

[lexington11]

15 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I'm getting mighty tired of his man-bun.

Thankfully that man bun doesn't last long, because when he proposed to Nicole about a month later, the man bun was gone

[seacliffsal]

14 hours ago, Lamima said:

And the Dalmations...I used to want one. Many many yeas ago. But then I learned they are a bit temperamental, maybe nippy of little kids so we never got one. But they all looked stunning there at the mat. Maybe that helped the bros take losing on the chin.

Dalmatians are actually great dogs.  I've had two and would have gotten another after the last one died, but as I keep getting older (who knew?) I was afraid I wouldn't be able to carry/help another one as I could barely carry Spot before he passed (he could no longer stand/walk).  They need companionship which is where a lot of owners make a huge mistake.  If they are left in the yard alone most of the time they can get difficult.  And, they really do need exercise.  Anyway, back to the episode...my heart sang when I saw the dogs and puppies at the mat.  I was also a bit frustrated with Bret and Chris as I really liked them and it appeared that they didn't read the full instructions for the snorkling as the editors kept highlighting the floats.  I think they may have read "floats" but mistakenly thought it meant the float upon which they place the gnome.

Oh, and Nicole really is a complainer and perpetual "victim."  She needs to find the joy of running the race.

[Archery]

2 hours ago, aemom said:

I really like Floyd, but there is something about Becca that I can't put my finger on.  It's like she's just always one small step away from an old-school Colin freakout.

So what if she is?  Is there some rule that a contestant cannot have any moments of frustration or fatigue, and act on it while doing a month-long, exhausting, stressful racearoundtheworld for a million dollars?  If that's the case, nobody within the sound of my keyboard would be able to meet that standard. 

[smartymarty]

15 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

One of the more stunning feats of strength (mental, in this case) ever seen on TAR was the sight of Floyd just smoking that Roadblock on the first try because of his expertise at keeping track of marchers in formation.

Oh, we don't know that was his first try. The number of attempts was suspiciously missing then.

[fishcakes]

I wish the editors hadn't telegraphed Bret and Chris's elimination at the beginning. I was sorry to see them go, but if they hadn't shown the, "as long as we don't make a mistake, we should be fine" TH at the beginning, I could have at least held out some hope that they'd squeak through. As it was, watching them struggle with the detour was painful. I did enjoy the return of Bret lusting after alcohol, though. That was kind of his thing on Survivor.

I don't mind Becca, and I'm sure Floyd genuinely likes her, but I had to rewind the part where she says she learned the poem as a rap because "that's just how I FLOW" complete with hand gestures because the dead-eyed expression of Floyd's face was making me laugh. To me it says he's thinking, "God give me the strength not to strangle this poser right here on camera."

I also had to rewind the scenes at the mat a few times just for the dalmatians. I find Nicole too boring to think about, but it was cute the way she ignored Phil and immediately started snorgling the puppies at the mat. I've never heard that dalmatians were aggressive, just that they're very high energy and need humans who'll know they need a fair amount of exercise. The fire station a few blocks from where I live has an open house every summer and people who own dalmatians bring them in for the day. The neighborhood kids have a blast climbing all over the trucks and playing with the dogs, which as far as I know, has always gone without incident.

[smartymarty]

14 hours ago, green said:

They were suppose to use the scoop to dig down a little and then metal detect that scoop like how Colin was doing it.  Instead they just skimmed the surface.

I didn't think so. Can you imagine how long that would take??!! I think they were to use the metal detector to find the coins, then use the scoop to get the coin off the bottom. I believe this because the coins were not always visible--likely sand and grit in the water washed over them over time and/or by the contestants disturbing the bottom--such that it would be difficult to pick them up off the bottom without further disturbing the bottom and not seeing where the coin went.

What we didn't see was the contestants employing any kind of organized search like a grid. I would have started in the shallow area and swum parallel to the beach, gradually going out further and further.

Chris and Bret should have been the most successful since they got there first, before others picked up coins (unless TPTB threw more coins in after each team finished, but I doubt that).

It also seemed like nobody used the snorkels, which, with the flippers, would have made searching much easier. Just glide along with the metal detector.

But what do I expect from a group that seemed to not have even ONE person who knew how to row a boat. (I include Victor since though he knew how to row, he rowed the stern towards his destination rather than the bow).

[LittleIggy]

2 hours ago, doodlebug said:

They are, about 15 % are completely deaf, many more are deaf in one ear.  The gene for the spot pattern is very close to the gene for deafness and unscrupulous breeders have not been careful and often breed dogs with unilateral hearing.  Never buy a Dalmatian unless it has had a certified hearing test and don't breed one who is deaf in one ear.

I had a deaf Dalmatian who I got as a rescue pup, her rescuer didn't know she was deaf.  The AKC still recommends euthanizing deafies because they are supposed to be aggressive.  My girl was the most loving, gentle, downright kind dog I've ever known.  Smart as a whip, she learned sign language and was very obedient.  I miss her to this day.  I've read all of the warnings about the difficulty of owning Dalmatians, especially deaf ones, but there are exceptions to every rule and my girl was one.

Was so happy to see Split, Croatia is gorgeous, the scenery is even better in person.  I though the tasks were great, kinda surprised anyone would choose to do a needle in a haystack challenge based on the show's history.   Always a crapshoot, better to go with the memorization task in almost every case.

The lady I met mentioned the AKC euthanizing deaf Dalmatians recommendation. That makes my blood boil. 😡 My cat Aemon Targaryen was dumped by the side of the road as a kitten because he was blind. This is getting OT so I’ll stop...

[zoey1996]

2 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

It is amazing how many times Floyd's drum major experience has helped him in his 2 seasons on TAR.  Who knew those skills would be so useful in life.   I think I am going to force my 14 year old son to join the marching band.  

I was in marching band from about 7th grade on through freshman year at college.  I was drum major senior year of high school.  It was a whole lot of fun, and I even got to travel to a couple of football games in other states in college.  So if your son has any interesting in being in the marching band, encourage him!  But don't force him; that generally doesn't work well for him or the band! 😊

It's really hard to decide who I'm rooting for; I like all the remaining teams, though I like Nic and Vic the least.  Pretty much be happy with anyone at this point.

[iMonrey]

Quote

The easy tasks they started out with really weren't tasks.  They were just go here and get a clue ones but set-up so as to showcase Split's scenery -- beach and cliff monastery -- more.  I always like when they do that. 

I don't. There are better ways to showcase the scenery. Too often, challenges are designed around something that is visually stimulating for the TV audience but isn't terribly difficult for the racers (zip lining, bungee jumping, rappelling, etc.) . Fortunately, this week's Detour and Roadblock were a little harder than they have been lately. So that made up for the pointless busy work they put the racers through first.

Quote

Colin and Christie put the fear in me, but the way Colin handled the gnome mishap proves that Colin's transformation runs deep. Him doing a quick meditation in the cab was so cute. Those two are perfect for each other.

I'm curious to know why they never married if they've been together this long and have children together. Perhaps they simply don't believe in the institution? 

Quote

Nicole may be whiny and she's quite naive at times, but she's not dumb.

I disagree. I disagree vehemently. 

[aemom]

3 hours ago, aemom said:

I really like Floyd, but there is something about Becca that I can't put my finger on.  It's like she's just always one small step away from an old-school Colin freakout.

1 hour ago, Archery said:

So what if she is?  Is there some rule that a contestant cannot have any moments of frustration or fatigue, and act on it while doing a month-long, exhausting, stressful racearoundtheworld for a million dollars?  If that's the case, nobody within the sound of my keyboard would be able to meet that standard. 

Based on the way I phrased it, I totally see your point.  What I didn't express very well, is that I always get the impression that if she were to freak out about something, that she will get very nasty, either at Floyd, or someone else.  I still remember on their season the time that Floyd thought he'd lost his passport, and she really seemed like she was moments away from going completely ballistic on him.  I also see little glimmers of meanness in some of her behavior.

Basically, she presents herself as being a happy, go-lucky person, and when she is happy and things are going well, she is generally fine.  But if something were to go very south, I could see her getting very nasty and think that she would cut you like a bitch.  It's kind of like a two-faced personality - and personally don't like people like that.  If you're going to be a villain on the show, and present yourself that way, at least you're being honest about it.

[30 Helens]

10 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

The final few minutes were way too rushed and terribly edited.

Yeah, that was weird. When I saw there was only 5 minutes of show left and so much left to do, I thought we were about to end on a cliffhanger.  Instead, it was like the editors said, “oops, we’re out of time! Let’s try a montage!”

2 hours ago, Bryce Lynch said:

Have they ever shown a team flying standby before?  I can't recall seeing this.  I liked it, as it added drama as to whether they would get on the flight.  

This used to happen fairly often, IIRC, back in the days when they showed airport hijinks.  Another reason I wish they would go back to letting people book their flights, and showing it, instead of mostly prebooking the seats for the contestants. It adds another element of risk and strategy.

[meep.meep]

6 hours ago, Squirrely said:

I've never called her dumb. That task simply didn't seem to play to her particular strengths. She screwed it up at least once while working with the Afganimal, making them have to do it again, and she seemed completely confused. It finally took him to point out they should split the board. They were both a little slow to come to that realization. When they did finally get it, most of the figures were on his side. Despite her performance at other tasks, she did not shine at this RB. I would have been miserable at that task myself without someone to work with. 

Didn't Nicole do the Roman task with Korey?  Leo did it with Christy and suggested that each of them take one side of the board.  Floyd and Brett managed it all on their own.

I don't think she is dumb, but her whining is gold medal levels.  I've never watched BB, but I imagine people voting for her just so that she would shut up.  Victor is tots adorbs.

The judge at the poem task should be recognized.  Couldn't have been fun sitting there in the hot sun listening to people repeatedly making small pronunciation errors.

And that better all be Christy's own hair!  It must be incredibly hot and she never seems to put it up.

[spanana]

26 minutes ago, aemom said:

I still remember on their season the time that Floyd thought he'd lost his passport, and she really seemed like she was moments away from going completely ballistic on him.  I also see little glimmers of meanness in some of her behavior.

Basically, she presents herself as being a happy, go-lucky person, and when she is happy and things are going well, she is generally fine.  But if something were to go very south, I could see her getting very nasty and think that she would cut you like a bitch.  It's kind of like a two-faced personality - and personally don't like people like that.  If you're going to be a villain on the show, and present yourself that way, at least you're being honest about it.

I agree with this and I preface this that I don't HATE any of these people because I don't know them and hate is a strong word that I save for particularly vile people.  None of these racers come even close to that for me.  I also fully know that I would be a full on basketcase or insane person in the race, which is why I would never subject myself to such a thing.

But for me it's not that Becca doesn't always keep her cool, it's more that as said, sometimes little slivers of mean poke out when she gets upset and it's more that sometimes it feels like she puts on a front as being so laid back and fun, maybe because she thinks that is supposed to be her assigned persona on this show, but that isn't really her actual personality?

Also while I don't dislike for this, I'll echo what someone else said in this thread about her rap comments being a bit cringeworthy.  So also maybe don't be the whitest person possible co-opting black culture and talking about your mad flow or whatever she said?  Especially in front of your black partner.  But I'll chalk this last paragraph more up to ignorance of how she comes off than anything.

[EllenB]

30 minutes ago, aemom said:

Based on the way I phrased it, I totally see your point.  What I didn't express very well, is that I always get the impression that if she were to freak out about something, that she will get very nasty, either at Floyd, or someone else.  I still remember on their season the time that Floyd thought he'd lost his passport, and she really seemed like she was moments away from going completely ballistic on him.  I also see little glimmers of meanness in some of her behavior.

Basically, she presents herself as being a happy, go-lucky person, and when she is happy and things are going well, she is generally fine.  But if something were to go very south, I could see her getting very nasty and think that she would cut you like a bitch.  It's kind of like a two-faced personality - and personally don't like people like that.  If you're going to be a villain on the show, and present yourself that way, at least you're being honest about it.

I'm a pretty happy, goofy person.  I also lose my temper occasionally.  More than occasionally, at times.  FFS, if Becca was cheerful every second, people would complain how one-note and boring she is.  I like her BECAUSE she's fun but can turn snarky and cranky in certain situations.  

[aemom]

8 minutes ago, EllenB said:

I'm a pretty happy, goofy person.  I also lose my temper occasionally.  More than occasionally, at times.  FFS, if Becca was cheerful every second, people would complain how one-note and boring she is.  I like her BECAUSE she's fun but can turn snarky and cranky in certain situations.  

My objection is that her happy, go lucky personality strikes me as a crafted persona, not her true self.

[Guest]

20 hours ago, green said:

Well to start I have to say I LOVE when teams help each other.  They have been doing it since Season 1 where it was so sweet to see Kevin & Drew helping Nancy & Emily.  And it is always best to work together not to get eliminated then play alone and shoot yourself in the foot and come in last.

I agree. I only dislike when teams act as though other teams are obligated to work with them or they use alliances as a crutch. Some of the best teams knew when it is advantageous to work together and build alliances. This episode was a perfect example of when helping each other is smart.  

18 hours ago, Melina22 said:

Thank you! I could NOT remember what the name was for that. Oh yes, the old double bald snark. Good times, good times.

ETA Is it a double, triple or quadruple bald snark? We need to hear from the judges. 

They switched tasks three time so according to this it would be a triple bald snark. 

11 hours ago, greyhorse said:

While I understand Nicole saying they were there first, which they were, there really wasn't a roped line where everybody has to wait and next available agent belongs to the person first in line.  It's sort of like at the grocery store, baseball concession stand, or movie theater line.  You see two lines - you send your wife to one line while you stand in the other.  Whichever moves first, then the other switches over.  Why didn't they think of that?

I found Nicole particularly annoying because they were the ones who chose to treat it has individual lines. If I’m in the situation and I’m not sure if it’s a single line for both I either do what you suggested or I stand back and in between the two agents.

Edited June 13, 2019 by Guest

[mikewho]

1 hour ago, meep.meep said:

The judge at the poem task should be recognized.  Couldn't have been fun sitting there in the hot sun listening to people repeatedly making small pronunciation errors.

What a cushy job he had. Sit there under an umbrella, saying 'Yes' or 'No' for each team. It's not like he was digging ditches in the hot sun.

[HurricaneVal]

This was an excellent episode in an excellent season.  I was afraid when I'd heard about the casting theme that it would be really bad, but it has really shaped up to be a really fun season.  I'm especially happy now that the Reilly Sisters are gone...

Ticketing-Agent-Line-Gate aside, that was an incredible gamble that Nicole and Vic took, and it paid off.  It could so easily have gone the other way, especially with the rule that only one set of tickets can be purchased at a time.  I believe that means that they couldn't buy tickets on the "sure thing" flight, then try for standby tickets on the "iffy" flight, right?  So they had to commit, and if they didn't make it on standby, then and only then could they start making alternate arrangements.  At least that's how I understand it.

I did love the old school TAR comps.  More, please...

OMG.  I thought the lines of the poem they had to memorize were written on signs bobbing on buoys that they had to read while their floatie was towed past at a fast clip.  I would have thought that would be impossible too, and gone for the other impossible "needle in a haystack" coin search instead.  I was happy to see that "all" they had to do was read and memorize the poem from the laminated card while inside the boat.  That is way easier.  Not easy, mind you, but easier. 

Floyd just owned that challenge.  Straight up owned.

Sometimes I think Nicole gets a bum rap as a whiner because she has that awful voice.  Literally everything she says sounds like she's whining, even if it is something innocuous like "please pass the salt."  However, sometimes she really is whining.  That voice really is a handicap for her.  It also causes people to dismiss her as a useless whiner, when as others have pointed out, she can be a savage competitor who really does hold her own.

I'm sorry to see Team Bromance go, but they got tripped up inside their heads on that comp.  I'm good with any of the remaining teams winning.  I am absolutely astounded at Colin's solid zen, and astonished that I find myself rooting for him.

[Melina22]

1 hour ago, Dani said:

They switched tasks three time so according to this it would be a triple bald snark

Awesome! Great TAR resource. So was this the first triple bald snark ever? I feel like it was, but I missed a few recent seasons. 

[spanana]

1 hour ago, HurricaneVal said:

Sometimes I think Nicole gets a bum rap as a whiner because she has that awful voice.  Literally everything she says sounds like she's whining, even if it is something innocuous like "please pass the salt."  However, sometimes she really is whining.  That voice really is a handicap for her.  It also causes people to dismiss her as a useless whiner, when as others have pointed out, she can be a savage competitor who really does hold her own.

Oh, I know.  Believe me.  I feel like sometimes I have to listen to what Nicole says twice because her voice is so naturally whiny in tone that it takes me a second to register if she is actually whining or if it's just her vocal tone making the most innocuous comments sound that way.  I also think when she's stressed her voice becomes even whinier if possible.   Like if you listen to her on her podcast where she's way more relaxed, her voice isn't that bad.  But in a high stress situation like this, watch out.

That said, I do think she can be a competitor when she puts her mind to it.  I know on Big Brother she claimed to play down her abilities because of course on that show it's a liability to be seen as too strong.  Whether she did or didn't is debatable. 

She's not going to be able to compete in the more physical strength tasks against the likes of Colin and part of the reason they haven't managed to win a leg is her inability to win a foot race to the mat (though some of it may be navigational too), but she's pretty good at reading clues, paying attention to the details, following directions and getting crap done.

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, Melina22 said:

Awesome! Great TAR resource. So was this the first triple bald snark ever? I feel like it was, but I missed a few recent seasons. 

It’s happened at least a couple of times. I think that FAQ only goes through TAR10 or 11. 

[Booklady1017]

20 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Whew!  Thank goodness Colin and Christie are still in it!  I was worried there for a while.

Switching to a new line as it opens is not cutting in line, Nicole.  You should have been quicker on the move if it bothered you so much.  I'm kinda sad it worked out so well for her and Victor.  I'm getting mighty tired of his man-bun.

That raft thing looked like fun!  Unless you had to try to memorize a poem while riding it, of course.

Puppies!!!!!!!!

Bye, Chris and Bret.  Ya done good, all things considered.

I was sad they left but I thought they would have left earlier (Chris and Bret), so they did better than I thought. I was worried for a little bit too that Colin and Christie were going to be eliminated. I 'm glad they were not. I'm also happy they finally had them take different flights so we could see the drama it created and who would get in quicker and all.

20 hours ago, raven said:

Props to Floyd and Bret for completing the soldier task on their own.

Really good ep - gorgeous Croatia, difficult tasks, some flight drama and a rookie mistake from Colin and Christie.  

I laughed when Tyler and Korey got off the raft and were wobbling around.  Another good win for them!

Chris and Bret got stuck in their heads with the needle in a haystack task.   Colin looked like he started with the right method (using the container to scoop) which C&B didn't appear to do. 

Oh and Dalmatian puppies!!

I didn't realize how pretty that area of Croatia is. I want to visit now. Tyler and Korey look like the team to beat now. I had a feeling they'd have a problem when they said something about (Chris and Bret) about being first and not having any problems so they could have a good leg. 

[Booklady1017]

20 hours ago, PaperTree said:

OMFG!  I can't believe CC forgot their gnome.  And survived.  Wow

I love airport drama!  Sorry Nicole, you picked the wrong line.  Usually there is a queue, but not today.  Then the woman clocks out.  rofl.  Then they pull a stand-by out of their butts and arrive 3rd. 

Ay carumba!

My busboy experience would be useful to deliver those drinks.

Split is beautiful.

I'm not good at snorkeling, I tend to choke.  Good switch for TK.  The poem on the boat is not easy, but more controllable.

Not looking good for CB.  They need to focus.

It's such a strange feeling to not despise any of the last six standing.  I like some less than others, but would be OK with anybody winning.

Roadblock is hard.  Drum Major Floyd kills it.

The Korey - Nicole temporary alliance was beneficial to both of them.

Then Christie arriving saved the Afghanimals, and herself the same way.  The end was really rushed.

Friends had 2 dalmatians.  Challenging dogs.

eta:  The episode free of Reilly drama is like the fresh cool breeze tonight.

I was happy with the remaining teams and agree I'd be okay with any of them winning but there are some I'd want more to win like C and C and B and F and T and K.

[Booklady1017]

20 hours ago, spanana said:

I'm of two minds about airport gate but don't have a real opinion without knowing more details. I do agree Nicole is whiny so this isn't really me defending her exactly.

I don't think Team Fun cut exactly, but it also seemed like there was only meant to be one ticket line open at a time.  The new lady came in and opened just as the other lady was going off duty, so I don't necessarily think there was mean to be two windows.  Just that they slightly overlapped while helping one customer and then the second lady left after she finished her last sale.   

So is that two lines?  I'm not sure.  I do think if Nicole/Victor had a problem with it then they could have done more in the moment and the smart thing to do in the first place would hav been to split up and have one of them in each line so both lines were covered.  That said, I didn't really get the impression Victor cared much.  I mean, of course he cared in that he wanted to get on the flight but we weren't shown any footage of him complaining about Team Fun cutting.  He was mostly calming Nicole down away from where Team Fun is while they got their standby flight booked.

Chris/Bret really eliminated themselves here.  It just seemed like they gave up.

I don't hate anyone left but I think Colin/Christie are the only ones I really want to win.  Oh wait, I wouldn't be mad at Tyler/Korey.  Truly I wouldn't be mad at any of them but both Nicole and Becca annoy me and Leo/Jamal have run a fairly crappy race.  

I can't really point a finger at what about Becca annoys me.  I think it's partly because she tries to come off so laid back and "fun" and I do think she genuinely has fun a part of the time, but the rest she seems like she's dangerously close to losing her cool.  

Can I team Victor and Floyd up together?

I'd like Victor and Floyd as a team. Becca doesn't bother me but I think Nicole does sometimes because she's sometimes whiny. Victor does try to be patient with her. 

[Booklady1017]

19 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

One of the more stunning feats of strength (mental, in this case) ever seen on TAR was the sight of Floyd just smoking that Roadblock on the first try because of his expertise at keeping track of marchers in formation.

It's hard to know what Team Bromance should ideally have done. Having completed the snorkeling, all but 2 coins, it seems they could and should have gone all the way with it. But they were there experiencing it, and I wasn't. Surely the producers can't have planned for it to be that impossible; were they in the wrong spot, or not searching in a systematic enough way?

The Afghanimals' attempt at the, um, poem was hampered by habits of sloppy thinking, not even hearing themselves make word substitutions because it's "close enough." But they made it, and acknowledged the problem in the end.

This bit of Croatia is beautiful, and obviously geared to an international tourist industry. The country includes not only Dalmatia, but Illyria (as in Twelfth Night; if Viola had washed up on this touristy beach, her story might have been quite different).

I thought so too at first, but Bromance's "not found anything in two hours" was his justification. He's a persevere-er, but also a pragmatist, and that was new and decisive information. And if you're really going to switch tasks, best not to shilly-shally but to do it right away and not lose more time.

I also feel Becca and Floyd have had good luck getting some tasks that mesh with their talents and they been able to finish quickly like the farming one, the dancing beat one and the soldier formation one.

[Booklady1017]

19 hours ago, chaifan said:

Thank You TAR!  This was probably the closest TAR has come to a classic first season episode in a very long time.  Actual airport strategy and shuffling, not just spoonfed flights.  Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous scenery.  (Split is even more amazing in person - it's like a walk back through time.)  Truly challenging challenges.  Multiple opportunities to shake up the order of things.  And puppies!  Multiple puppies!  I loved this episode!

I'd love to hear from Phil on the coin dive challenge.  I know they test these things out, so I wonder how long it was supposed to take?  Two coins in two hours is ridiculous. 

I have no problem with the racers teaming up on the gladiator challenge.  I think that was smart of Nicole & Corey - yeah, it becomes a foot race (or row race) to the finish, but I'd rather deal with that than risk losing second place to teams that could pass me up if I can't get it on my own.  But wow!  Floyd just smoked that challenge!  How many times has his band experience come into play on TAR?  Same thing for Christy & Jamal - teaming up meant neither would be last, and that's all that matters at that point.  So, good game play.  (Also, I would have loved to be a fly on the wall in Rachel's living room when Christy so easily agreed to work with Jamal on this task.)

Sort of sorry to see Chris & Bret go.  I'd rather have Nicole & Victor out at this point.  C&B were finally getting into the TAR groove, and were really enjoying the race, too. 

Allover, way to go TAR!

I was wondering too if C and B weren't doing the coin dive task right or it was just that difficult. I wish we knew more.

[chaifan]

32 minutes ago, Booklady1017 said:

I didn't realize how pretty that area of Croatia is.

Split is amazingly beautiful.  Dubrovnik gets all the attention, and it's also gorgeous, but Split feels almost other-worldly in parts.  It really is like a step back in time.  Oh, and the food!  They do Italian better than the Italians! 

[Fukui San]

24 minutes ago, Booklady1017 said:

I was wondering too if C and B weren't doing the coin dive task right or it was just that difficult. I wish we knew more.

I know I was expecting Colin to absolutely smoke that snorkeling task, Bowling Moms overtake redux. When he switched it told me volumes. If there was a correct way to do the snorkeling task none of these teams were going to find it.