Pop Culture Kitty

The Amazing Race 14 – Episode Eleven

Aired 5-3-09

For the second week, the race recap was more sympathetic towards Kisha & Jen in their feud with Margie & Luke.  That could either bode well, or really badly, for them as the race approaches its conclusion.

We rejoined the race exactly where we left off last week – with best friends Jaime & Cara arriving at the Pit Stop in Beijing, China and learning that they had not won their first leg.  Instead, host Phil Keoghan handed them another clue and told them the leg was continuing.  It seemed fitting that, after all the abuse she has heaped on the world’s cab drivers, Jaime should be smacked in the head by the door of their taxi as they scurried to their next destination at a street mall.

Mother and son team, Margie & Luke, were the second team to arrive and depart from the faux Pit Stop.  We finally got an indication that Margie can sometimes see that her beloved son can be a bit impatient and irritating.  After he again yelled at her to move faster, Margie finally snapped back with, “You yell at me again and I’m finished.”  It’s about time.  Luke has no room to ever claim that his mom slows their team down after all the tough challenges she’s powered through.

Jaime & Cara arrived at the street mall and had to search the stores for a Travelocity gnome that had the next clue written on the bottom.

Meanwhile, brother and sister team, Tammy & Victor, arrived at and left the Pit Stop.  They were just concentrating on not being eliminated from this leg.  Once they made it to the final three, they would concentrate on winning.

Sisters Kisha & Jen arrived last at the Pit Stop with Jen crying and feeling burned out by their traumatic swimming Roadblock.  Jen’s afraid of the water and it took a lot of support from her sister for Jen to finally get through it.  It was with great relief that they found out they weren’t yet out of the race.

Margie & Luke and Tammy & Victor joined Jaime & Cara in the gnome search and the mother and son were the first to find it.  The clue took them to an area called Gu Gong Xi Bei Jiao where they had to locate some electric bicycles (pictured above).  They had to ride the bikes through Tiananmen Square to the Dongdan subway station.  Jaime & Cara were the next to find a gnome with Tammy & Victor following close behind just as Kisha & Jen arrived at the shops.  The teams were actually pretty close together.

Jaime went at another cab driver when he wasn’t communicating to her satisfaction and, while he also showed amazing patience with her, he did at least look irritated at the way she was speaking to him.

Tammy & Victor’s ability to speak Chinese, and familiarity with Beijing, came in handy as they were the first to arrive at the bicycles.  Margie & Luke were second and were just leaving on the bikes as Kisha & Jen arrived.  The sisters had managed to move ahead of Jaime & Cara.

Detour

At the station, Tammy & Victor found a Detour.  Phil informed us that the teams had to choose between two Beijing professions – “Beijing Opera” or “Chinese Waiter”.  In “Opera”, the teams had to make their way to the Beijing Opera House and make each other up as a princess and gentleman of the opera.  In “Waiter”, they had to go to a restaurant and take food orders from five customers in Mandarin.  They had to accurately recite the orders to the chef and deliver the food to the patrons.  For Tammy & Victor the choice was easy.  Since they could speak Mandarin, they went with “Waiter”.  Everyone else opted for the “Opera”.  Kisha & Jen had moved ahead of Margie & Luke by this time and were the first to start with “Opera”.

They briefly stumbled over one word, but Tammy & Victor breezed through the Detour.  The next clue told them to travel by foot to the location of the race’s second U-Turn.  A U-Turn is when one team forces another to go back and complete the second part of a Detour.  The location was within a few yards of the restaurant (and Opera House) and they quickly found it.  The siblings opted to U-Turn Kisha & Jen because they were the most athletic team left and, as Tammy added, they did not want to be in a footrace with the sisters at the end of it all.  They then had to travel to the Dong Hua Men Yi Shi Street Market.

Meanwhile, Jaime & Cara were taken to the wrong Opera House.  Kisha & Jen easily completed their make-up and costuming and Luke had another temper tantrum.  Patience is definitely not one of his virtues.  He was slopping the make-up on his mom and, when she tried to correct him (she said he was making her look like Alice Cooper), Luke said he was going to quit unless she just let him do it his way.  Luckily for them, the requirements for the make-up were pretty liberal and they still got their clue.  Neither Kisha & Jen nor Margie & Luke looked in the immediate area for the U-Turn.  They ran off into the streets to find someone who could help them.

Roadblock

At the street market, Tammy & Victor found a Roadblock.  One of them had to eat some deep fried Chinese delicacies – grasshoppers, larva, scorpions and a starfish.  How horrifying!  I’m willing to try a lot of things but the line gets drawn at bugs.  I honestly do not think I could have done this.  I was really impressed with the way Victor powered through the meal.  He said it was nasty but he didn’t really flinch at any of it.

We were then “treated” to a long scene of Jaime & Cara trying to get from the incorrect National Opera House to the Beijing Opera House during which Jaime went on yet another ugly American rant.  Please, Cara, slap her and make her shut up!  We’ll all feel better.

Victor finished off his plate of bugs and they got the final clue taking them to the Pit Stop at Niao Chao, better known in the west as the Bird’s Nest.

Kisha & Jen and Margie & Luke wasted so much time looking for the U-Turn site that Jaime & Cara were able to catch up and join the hunt.  Unfortunately for them, they made the same mistake and took off running down the street and away from the U-Turn.  Margie & Luke finally came upon a young woman who told them she thought the site was back at the Opera House.  They wisely listened to her and found that Tammy & Victor had done the dirty work of U-Turning their nemeses – Kisha & Jen.

Tammy & Victor checked in first at the Pit Stop and they won a trip for two to the Galapagos Islands.  They will even get to snorkel with penguins!

After a long search, Kisha & Jen told Jaime & Cara that they were just going to go back to the Opera House and start over from square one.  Upon returning to the Opera, they found that they’d been U-Turned.  Getting lost had really cost them.  If they’d found the U-Turn site right away, they would have been done by this point.  They headed off to the restaurant where they faced a much bigger struggle than Tammy & Victor.  The translations of what they were saying were quite funny.  It was a bit like the mess you sometimes get from Google Translate.

Margie buckled down and plowed through her plate of bugs using some water to help her along.

Kisha & Jen managed to finish their U-Turn before Jaime & Cara made their way back to the Opera House.  Once the best friends did return, Jaime wasted no time in saying “I told you so” to Cara because Jaime claimed to have wanted to go back all along.  Ummm.  That’s not exactly what was shown.  We saw Jaime asking Cara if she thought they should go back but Jaime didn’t flat out say that’s what she wanted to do.  We’ve seen plenty of evidence that Jaime can bully Cara into doing whatever she wants and I’m sure they would have returned if Jaime had insisted.  Cara told Jaime to stop being negative and Jaime snapped back at her that Cara’s been negative through the whole race.  This pot-kettle-black moment was not lost on Cara who finally snapped back – kinda, sorta.  She actually apologized to Jaime but, she used a snide tone and that was at least something.

Margie & Luke checked in second.

At the market, Jen ate the bugs but had a really hard time with it.  She had to break them into little pieces and use a big swig of water to wash the pieces down.  It was going so slowly that Jaime & Cara were able to get to the market while the sisters were still there.  Cara ate the stuff quickly and even Jaime had to praise her.  Jen still finished first but not by much.  The huge amount of water it took, though, was taking a toll.  The poor thing had to go to the bathroom badly.  I’m actually surprised that this issue doesn’t come up more frequently on the race.  Once they were dropped off in the area of the Bird’s Nest, Jen had to stop at the nearest porta-potty.  Meanwhile, Jaime & Cara got a driver who understood them and sped them to the site.

The potty break cost Kisha & Jen as Jaime & Cara were able to check in third.  Rats!  I was really hoping to be rid of Jaime.

Kisha & Jen were last and eliminated from the race.  Jen said it was on her that they lost because she had to stop and use the bathroom.  Kisha said she wasn’t going to hold Jen responsible for their losing because she was a big part of why they got that far in the race to begin with.  They were both very proud of each other.

Next Week:  It’s the finale!  And we’re in Hawaii!  And Jaime still can’t be nice to cab drivers even when they’re American!  At this point, I’m on Team Tammy & Victor but, more than that, I’m on Team Anyone But Jaime.

Full episodes and bonus clips of TAR can be found at CBS’ website here:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/

The Amazing Race 14 – Episode Ten

Aired 4-26-09

I think it’s worth noting that in host Phil Keoghan’s recap of the previous episode, he described Kisha’s actions as “nervous laughter”.  It seems to me that the show is trying to establish that Margie & Luke jumped to the wrong conclusion when they accused Kisha of ridiculing Luke’s use of sign language.

At the Pit Stop in Guilin, China, sisters Kisha & Jen were the first to depart at 1:48PM.  The teams had to fly over 1000 miles to Beijing.  Once there, they had to travel to a foot massage spa.  The sisters proclaimed that they were over the incident with Margie & Luke and were going to move on.  Siblings Tammy & Victor were the second to depart at 1:49PM.  They had been to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics and speak the language so they felt they had a tremendous advantage over the other teams.

Mother and son, Margie & Luke, left in the third spot at 1:50PM.  They were not so over the confrontation with the sisters with Luke saying he wanted to “kick their ass.”  The last team to depart was best friends, Jaime & Cara at 2:12PM.  They were frustrated that they had yet to finish first in any leg of the race.

Tammy & Victor stopped at a travel agency on the way to the airport and booked tickets on a 5:10PM flight to Beijing.  Margie & Luke were the first team at the airport and were arranging to get on that same flight when Kisha & Jen got in line right behind them.  The sisters overheard the ticket agent tell Margie that their counter couldn’t accept international credit cards and pointed towards a ticket agent who could.  Kisha & Jen then made a beeline to that counter and got the tickets first.  Margie & Luke were offended but I have no doubt they, or any other team, would have done exactly the same thing.  It was all for naught as the four teams ended up on the same flight.  Tammy & Victor did use their language skills, though, to talk their way into seats at the front of the plane giving them an advantage once they landed.

While the others waited at the gate, Kisha & Jen wandered off on their own.  This left Margie & Luke and Tammy & Victor to relate the story of the Pit Stop confrontation to Jaime & Cara.  I’m going to give Victor some credit for making a point of saying that Kisha had apologized and didn’t mean to offend but Margie still wasn’t having any of it.

In Beijing, Tammy & Victor raced off the plane and were the first to get a taxi and head to the spa.  Tammy was dreading the thought of having to give someone a foot massage and did a great job of describing feet in a way that would make anyone squeamish.  Yuck! 

After many legs full of whining about (and yelling at) their cab drivers, Jaime & Cara got a speed demon and ended up getting to the spa first.  They found a Roadblock.

Roadblock

One team member had to take part in a traditional Chinese curative to heal the body – a foot massage.  It sounded lovely.  It wasn’t.  They had to drink a cup of tea (which apparently did not taste good), have someone’s knuckles driven into the soles of their feet for 10 minutes, and then drink a second cup of tea.  If the pain got to be too much, they could cry “uncle” but then would have to start all over again.  Cara agreed to do it.  Kisha & Jen arrived in second place and Kisha went for it.  She found Cara writhing in pain and actually crying.  Tammy joined the group and declared that she would have preferred massaging other people’s feet.  She was the least vocal about the pain but she did end up holding hands for a while with Luke, who was the last to join in.

Cara finished, wiped away the tears, and got the next clue.  It instructed them to travel to the Guangcai Natatorium.  Outside, there was a long line of taxis but no drivers who knew where the Natatorium was.  It took long enough that all four teams were done with the massage before the first team was able to leave.  Kisha & Jen left first.  Tammy & Victor and Jaime & Cara had a little battle over the second driver who knew the location with Jaime saying the siblings were always using some “trickery”.  Victor was annoyed that the girls had stiff-armed them after he and Tammy were the ones who told the driver the location in Chinese.  Tammy then had my favorite line of the episode saying that she didn’t want to get in a fight with Jaime because, “She scares me.”  You and a world of cab drivers, Tammy.

The siblings still managed to be the first to the Natatorium clue because they were able to get their driver to take them directly to the correct entrance.  They found a Detour.

Detour

The choice was between “Sync” and “Swim”.  In “Sync”, the teams had to perform synchronized diving.  In order to get the clue, they had to jump from a 3 meter diving board and hit the water at the exact same time.  In “Swim”, the teams had to don a Speedo laser suit and complete a 400 meter relay.  Each team member had to complete 200 meters.  The siblings chose “Sync” because Tammy had only learned to swim a couple of weeks before the show began.  Kisha & Jen were next and also chose “Sync” because Jen was not comfortable with swimming saying, “I just think of drowning automatically so I won’t put myself in situations where I would drown.”

Jaime & Cara went for the swimming as did Margie & Luke and that seemed to be the best call.  Both teams moved quickly through their relays while Tammy & Victor made jump after unsuccessful jump.  Meanwhile, Jen got out to the end of the diving board and then realized that she couldn’t make the jump.  They switched to the relay.  Kisha went first and, as it turns out, she isn’t much of a swimmer either and ended up pulling herself along by the lane dividers for most of her laps.

Jaime & Cara were the first team done and got the clue taking them to the Pit Stop at the north gate of the Drum Tower.  Margie & Luke followed close behind.

When it came time for Jen to do her laps, she told Kisha they needed to switch back to the diving.  They found poor Tammy & Victor still at it.  It looked like Jen was able to do three dives before it all became too much and she started sobbing saying that she just wanted to go home.  I was feeling really badly for her.  It had to feel very hopeless at that point.  Kisha told Jen that she still wanted to finish strong and eventually convinced her to go back to the swimming challenge.  They gave Jen a big life vest to wear and Kisha donned one too so her sister would be more comfortable.  We then watched as Margie & Luke gloated a bit over beating Kisha & Jen as their taxi travelled towards the Pit Stop.  The show didn’t do them any favors by sandwiching that scene between scenes of Kisha trying to comfort her distraught sister.  As Jen began her laps, Kisha started crying saying, “I’m glad she’s finishing strong.  I think she feels like she let me down but she didn’t.  I’m proud of her right now.”  For her part, once they were done, Jen was able to say that she appreciated her sister hanging in there with her and not letting her quit.

Meanwhile, Tammy & Victor had switched over to the relay, completed it, and headed out to the taxis.  They got delayed, though, because every time Victor tried to get in the cab, his legs cramped.  When they were finally on their way, Victor said, “The race is humbling.  Even though we had a communication advantage, we’re still at the mercy of the local taxi cab driver knowing where to go and the Roadblocks and challenges that we’re not comfortable in.”

To triumphant music, Jaime & Cara tearfully arrived first at the Pit Stop.  A stern faced Phil greeting them and then pulled a clue envelope from his back pocket.  He announced that the leg wasn’t over yet.  He actually looked a little nervous as he presented them with the next clue and I don’t blame him.  Jaime has lost her mind over much less and, this time, I wouldn’t really blame her for flipping out.  Honestly, Phil, that was just mean! 

So, the final four will still be at it next week.  I’m glad for Jen because it gives her a chance to pull everything back together but I really fear for the next innocent cab driver that crosses paths with Jaime.

Next Week:  The teams have to eat “nasty” local delicacies and Jaime is again frustrated that the whole world doesn’t speak English.

Full episodes and bonus clips for TAR can be found at CBS’ website here:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/

The Amazing Race 14 – Episode Nine

Aired 4-19-09

This was the episode that had been previewed all week as having “the most memorable Pit Stop ever.”

Mother and son team, Margie & Luke, were the first to depart from the Bangkok Pit Stop at 9:36AM.  The teams had to fly over 1000 miles to Guilin, China.  Once there, they had to take a taxi to a street called Qing Xiu Lu and find a hair salon.  Luke stated that he liked when they raced in countries where English isn’t spoken because it puts both he and his mom in the same boat.  Luke, who is deaf, communicates through sign language.  At the airport they booked an 11:20AM flight from Bangkok to Guangzhou, China with a connection leaving for Guilin at 8:30PM. 

Best friends Jaime & Cara left at 10:30AM with Jaime rolling her eyes in exasperation about having to go to China.  She knew it had a lot of people and it is now clear she hates crowds.  Cara started to show some limits to her tolerance of Jaime’s attitude.  She said that she knew things would go better if Jaime didn’t always yell at the taxi drivers but Cara avoids getting in the middle of it because that would only make Jaime more upset.  I hope we get at least one “shut up” moment from Cara before the race is done.

Sibling attorneys, Tammy & Victor, were the third team to depart leaving at 10:40AM.  They were thrilled.  They’re Chinese-American, speak the language and Tammy has visited there before.  They and Jaime & Cara booked tickets for a flight to Guangzhou leaving at 1:15PM that would also connect with the 8:30PM flight to Guilin.

Sisters Kisha & Jen left at 12:43PM.  Jen said that, now that they are in the final legs of the race, her competitive side is coming out and she’ll knock over anyone in front of her.  They got tickets for a 3:20PM flight to Guangzhou with a 9:10PM connection to Guilin.

The sisters were taking comfort in knowing that brothers Mark & Michael were significantly behind in last place.  They didn’t leave until 4:08PM as they were hampered with a 4 hour penalty from the last leg when they broke race rules by using personal possessions to pay off two of their cab drivers.  They were also going to have to complete a Speed Bump because they came in last on a non-elimination leg.  They knew they were in trouble but had hope they could overcome it all.  They got a 6:10PM flight to Guangzhou.

At the Guangzhou airport, the three lead teams met up at their gate and discovered that the 8:30PM flight to Guilin was delayed.  Kisha & Jen ended up leaving on their flight first.  It looked as if the two flights made it to Guilin within minutes of each other.  It also seemed that it took quite a while to get to Qing Xiu Lu because the cabs all left the airport in the dark but got to the street in broad daylight.  Tammy & Victor found that their language advantage only helped so much with Tammy saying, “Even though we can communicate with our cab driver, all it means is that we understand him when he says he doesn’t know where we’re going.”

Jaime & Cara were the first to arrive at the hair salon and we saw that it was also the location for Mark & Michael’s Speed Bump.  The clue instructed the teams to travel to the #24 Bridge.  Tammy & Victor arrived at the salon close behind.

Kisha & Jen got lost because their first driver dropped them off in the wrong area.  They ended up finding the salon at the same time as Margie & Luke.  That was the setup for the first incident of the leg.  Somehow, neither team saw the cluebox sitting right in front of the salon and they were just running around hysterically looking for it.  Jen and Luke spotted it at the same time and charged it.  Here’s how it looked to me:  Luke got to the box first and Jen ran up behind him, bumped him, and put her hands on his back in a move that appeared to be her trying to stop her forward momentum while reaching around to get to the box.  Luke responded by brushing her off.  The problem was that he did it by throwing an elbow at her face.  Now, I don’t think he was intentionally trying to hit her but that was what he came very close to doing.  That was what prompted Jen to call him a “bitch”.  She thought it was a “bitch move” which, frankly, it would have been if he really was trying to elbow her in the face.  When Margie told Luke what Jen said, he stated that it was lucky he was deaf or “it would have been on.”  Really, Luke?   What would you have done?  Fought with her?  I know everyone in the race has been referring to Luke as “the deaf kid” but the reality is that he is a grown man.  I’m pretty sure Luke knows better and wouldn’t actually get in a physical altercation with a woman but the blustering about it made him look petulant.

Tammy & Victor were the first to get to the clue at the bridge.  They found a Roadblock.

Roadblock

One team member had to take part in Guilin’s fishing industry.  They had to take a raft out to the middle of the river and help to train cormorants to retrieve fish.  Once they got the birds to bring them back 10 fish, they’d get the next clue.  The siblings hoped that Tammy would be able to learn the task quickly because she could communicate with the person assisting.  That turned out not to be the case.  It didn’t look like she did anything wrong but Tammy just got stuck with some uncooperative cormorants.

Kisha & Jen and Margie & Luke got to the bridge at the same time and we had incident number two.  Jen and Luke bumped against each other as they scrambled to the box.  Jen got there first and Luke ran into the back of her almost toppling both Jen and the box.  Jen then brushed Luke off as he tried to reach around.  It was almost exactly the reverse of what happened at the salon except Jen kept her elbow down.  Margie and Kisha also exchanged words.  Frankly, at this point everyone looked pretty silly.

Mark & Michael arrived at the salon and found their Speed Bump.  It was a lame one.  They had to wash and towel dry the hair of two women.  The brothers went at it with a sense of humor at least.

In the course of working with the birds, Luke got bit by one while the show humorously accompanied the moment with quasi-”Jaws” theme music.  Jen thought it was Karma.

Jen was the first to get 10 fish.  The next clue took them to the Ancient South Gate.  Jaime was the second one done – proving she really is better with animals than with people.  Luke also managed to finish ahead of poor Tammy but she and Victor got to their taxi first because Margie & Luke had a slow raft driver.  Despite all the trouble Tammy had with the task, she and Victor kept their sense of humor.  Victor commented in an interview that they’ve learned a lot about each other through the process of the race.

At the gate, Kisha & Jen found a Detour.

Detour

The choices were between two forms of artistic expression – “Choreography” or “Calligraphy”.  In “Choreography” the teams had to learn a dance and execute it successfully for a pair of judges.  Host Phil Keoghan informed us that learning the dance could be daunting but it had the potential to go quickly.  In “Calligraphy” the teams had to copy a series of Chinese characters at four different Calligraphy stations.  Once they had all four, they would receive the next clue.  Kisha & Jen opted for the “Calligraphy”.  Jaime & Cara, who were the second team to arrive, opted for the dance since they were used to learning choreography from when they were Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders.  Tammy & Victor and Margie & Luke chose the “Calligraphy”.

The three Calligraphy teams moved quickly through the stations because they all just followed Tammy & Victor.  Things didn’t go as well for Jaime & Cara.  They almost bailed on the dance but then they figured out that they had to dance through the whole song and not just do the routine one time.

Tammy & Victor finished the Calligraphy task first and received the final clue.  It instructed them to travel by foot to the Pit Stop which they could locate by finding the view depicted in a picture.  Margie & Luke and Kisha & Jen quickly followed.  Kisha & Jen outran the pack and came in first.  They won a trip for two to Barbados.

Tammy & Victor were 2nd.
Margie & Luke were 3rd.

Phil then stated that he felt like things were getting tense on the race and we got our much advertised Pit Stop moment.  Margie tried to talk Luke out of saying anything but he insisted.  I watched the exchange between the two teams (with poor Tammy & Victor caught in the middle) several times and I think Margie & Luke way overreacted.  I thought the cluebox tussling was done by both Jen and Luke but, if I had to assess degrees of blame, I’d put more on Luke because he actually came close to injuring Jen.  When Luke started his complaining at the Pit Stop, Kisha & Jen smiled and Kisha laughed a bit.  Margie & Luke jumped to the conclusion that she was laughing at Luke’s angry signing.  Kisha said it was just how she reacts when things get tense and she even apologized.  Phil also said he didn’t think the sisters were trying to ridicule Luke but Luke was insistent saying that “all hearing people put deaf people down.”  Margie even went so far as to tell the sisters, “You should understand oppression because you’re black and you live with it.”  It was not Margie & Luke’s best moment.  The irony was that I think the sisters were treating Luke exactly the opposite of what they were being accused.  They were reacting to him as an absolute equal – an equal they were pissed at – but an equal all the same.  They weren’t condescending, dismissive or oppressive.  The girls were ticked off by Luke’s actions which had everything to do with his being a temperamental young man and nothing to do with his being deaf.  I was rather impressed with how calmly Kisha & Jen handled the whole thing.  I’ll give some of the credit to Phil because his stepping up for them probably made it easier to keep their response in check.  My guess is that Phil had seen tapes of the encounters and had a good picture of what really happened.  Tammy & Victor, on the other hand, just looked lost and uncomfortable.

Jaime & Cara finished 4th.

Mark & Michael, bless their hearts, did the fishing challenge and the dancing Detour and also eventually arrived at the Pit Stop.  They were last again and, this time, they were done.  All in all, it was a miracle they made it to the top 5.

Next Week:  The racers get painful foot massages and Jen has another tough leg.  Her fear of water leaves her in tears and wanting to go home.

Full episodes and bonus clips are available at CBS’ website here:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/

The Amazing Race 14 – Episode Eight

Aired 4-12-09

The race is back on!  We returned from the show’s one week off back at the Pit Stop in Phuket, Thailand.  After the mandatory rest period, brother and sister lawyers, Tammy & Victor, were the first to depart at 9:27PM.  The teams had to fly 400 miles to Bangkok.  Once there, they had to take a taxi to a boatyard on the outskirts of town to find the next clue.  The crash and burn the siblings had on leg three was still fresh in their minds so Tammy said they just needed to stay focused and take the race one leg at a time.  They must have finished the last leg way ahead of the pack because the second team to leave, best friends Jaime & Cara, didn’t depart until 12:31AM.  They started off in typical fashion with Jaime assuming someone was lying to her about being a cab driver because the car was too nice.  She said the language barrier was frustrating her and there was nothing she could do to keep from becoming a lunatic over it.  I will give her points for being self-aware but, seriously Jaime, you can get past this by just growing up a little.  Sheesh!

Brothers Mark & Michael left in 3rd place at 12:46AM.  They were coming off a bad leg in which they racked up two 30 minute penalties.  They were still hopeful about their future on the race, despite their previous mistakes, with Michael adding, “As long as we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot.”

At the airport, Tammy & Victor borrowed a cell phone to try and make flight arrangements only to discover that they had to wait until 6:00AM when the airline ticket counter opened.

Mother and son team, Margie & Luke, were the 4th team to leave at 12:53AM.  Margie seemed recovered from her heat exhaustion collapse in the last leg and she was taking care to drink more water.

The last team to leave at 1:05AM was sisters Kisha & Jen.  They believed that their relationship was surviving the race because they’ve learned how to read and deal with each other’s personalities.  Jen added, “Most teams are acting a little paranoid and it’s fun to watch.”

There ended up being a race reboot as all the teams were on the 7:25AM flight to Bangkok.  Once they landed, there was a mad dash to the taxis and they all managed to get drivers who took off without really knowing where they were going.  At one point the drivers for Kisha & Jen and Margie & Luke conferred about directions.  Kisha & Jen’s driver quickly ran back to his cab but some locals had overheard the conversation and stopped Margie & Luke’s cab from heading off in the wrong direction.  Margie made a point of telling the driver not to let the other driver know about the change but it didn’t seem to matter because the other driver was already on his way.  Kisha & Jen quickly realized that the mother and son had headed off in another direction and jumped to the conclusion that Margie & Luke’s driver had deliberately misled their driver.

Margie & Luke were the first to find the boatyard.  There they discovered a Roadblock.

Roadblock

One team member had to attach a propeller to a long-tail boat.  Once they got the propeller working properly, they’d receive the next clue.  Margie took the challenge and completed it with ease.  The next clue told the teams to take the boat through the Bangkok canals, following a map included with their clue, to a place called the Peninsula Pier. 

Jaime & Cara were the second team to arrive with Jaime volunteering for the task.  She finished just as Tammy & Victor and Mark & Michael arrived.  The girls started to leave when Jaime realized that they should settle up with the cab driver and retrieve their backpacks.  They made a point of not announcing what they were doing to the other teams but one would think they’d have noticed the girls running back and forth.  I think it’s ironic that, after repeatedly bullying the cab drivers of the world, Jaime would be the one who thought about settling up.  Kisha had started working on her team’s propeller just as Jaime & Cara were heading off.

Poor Victor really struggled with the task and Mark was able to finish ahead of him.  The brothers were pulling away from the dock when Mark mentioned that they should get their bags first.  Michael, though, was convinced they’d be returning the boat to that dock after the task.  Kisha also finished before Victor.  The sisters left behind their backpacks along with Kisha’s shoes AND their official TAR fanny pack with their money and passports.  When Jen realized their documents were still on the dock, she wanted to turn back but Kisha pushed for them to keep going.

Proving there was a good reason why Victor became a lawyer instead of a mechanic, he finally finished attaching the propeller only to find that it didn’t work.  His second attempt succeeded and, more importantly, he and Tammy had noticed that Mark & Michael and Kisha & Jen had left without their stuff.  They decided to gamble and take the extra couple of minutes to get all their belongings.

Margie & Luke were the first to make it to the pier.  They hadn’t been shown getting their backpacks but they must have because they were both wearing them as they read the clue.  It was a Detour.

Detour

Host Phil Keoghan informed us that the teams had to choose between two routine activities that the people of Bangkok had turned into something unusual.  In “Broken Teeth” the teams had to go to an area known as the Street of Happy Smiles.  There they had to search through 50 sets of dentures (contained in bowls I assumed, and hoped, were full of disinfectant) in order to fit five different customers.  Once everyone was smiling, they would get the next clue.  Phil said the task could be unpleasant – to put it mildly – but could go quickly.  In “Broken Record” the teams had to get in a “Party Taxi”, equipped with a karaoke machine, and drive 5 miles with three locals and repeatedly sing along with a Thai pop video.  It was an easy task but the teams might get stuck in traffic.  Margie & Luke opted for the teeth with Margie explaining that she’s a bad singer and Luke, who is deaf, is “really bad.”  They figured they’d spare the people of Bangkok. 

Jaime & Cara got to the pier just ahead of Mark & Michael and both teams decided to karaoke.  By this time Mark & Michael had figured out that they needed to get their stuff back but their boat immediately left without them.  They tried to find alternate transportation but Mark finally decided that they were wasting too much time and should just keep going.  That started an argument between the brothers and Michael ended up putting his foot down and insisting that he wasn’t going to give up his backpack because he had some irreplaceable things in it.  They found another cab from the same company and headed back to the boatyard still sniping at each other.

Kisha & Jen arrived at the pier and picked the karaoke challenge as did Tammy & Victor who were close behind in last place – but had their bags. 

The sisters and Jaime & Cara arrived at the taxi stand and began their party ride.  It was rather nice to see Jaime looking like she was actually enjoying something.  Tammy & Victor followed.  The locals, who joined the teams on their party ride, were a colorful group.  Tammy described them as “Mai Thai Trannies.”  Most did look like girls but the camera did focus on one who seemed to have sideburns.

Meanwhile, over with the teeth, Luke was pretty grossed out and useless but Margie just powered through it.  She said having been a nurse made it much easier.  She got all five people fitted and they received the final clue taking them to the Pit Stop at Phya Thai Palace.  Phil reminded us that the last team to check in may be eliminated.  They made it to the palace and checked in before any of the other teams finished the Detour.  As the first place team, they won a trip for two to the InterContinental Spa and Resort in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Phil also commented that Margie looked a lot better than she did the last time he saw her.

Kisha & Jen finished their karaoke ride only to find that their regular cab had disappeared.  Jen was relieved since that meant they didn’t have to worry about how they would pay him.  They eventually found another taxi driver who agreed to take them to the Pit Stop for free.  Jaime & Cara and Tammy & Victor also finished and headed towards the Phya Thai Palace.

At this point, Mark & Michael were just getting back to the boatyard.  They were very relieved to see that Kisha & Jen’s taxi was also waiting.

Jaime & Cara checked in 2nd.

In a footrace to the mat, Kisha & Jen arrived just ahead of Tammy & Victor BUT Phil informed them that he couldn’t check them in without their travel documents.  They were ready to burst into tears but Tammy & Victor encouraged them to just go and get their stuff because there was still a team behind them.

Tammy & Victor were 3rd.

The brothers finally made it to the party taxis and informed their original driver that they only had 600 for their 785 ride.  He settled for the 600 plus a flashlight and compass.  Meanwhile the sisters made it back to the boatyard and found all their stuff waiting for them.  They headed back to the Pit Stop feeling quite dejected.

Mark & Michael finished their karaoke ride and found another driver willing to take a mix of cash and goods to drive them to the palace.  They made it to the Pit Stop ahead of the sisters but ……. they got hit with penalties again.  They broke a race rule by using their personal possessions to settle a bill.  They did it twice and got a two hour penalty for each – a total of 4 hours!  I was shocked.  I know other teams have done this in previous races so this must be a new rule- and it’s a brutal one.

Kisha & Jen finally got back to the palace and were checked in as 4th.  Jen started bawling which also got Kisha going.  Kisha said it had been a tough day.

With 3 hours and 10 minutes of their penalty still remaining, Phil went ahead and checked Mark & Michael in for last place.  The good news for these two was that this was a non-elimination leg.  Honestly, they are the luckiest team ever on TAR.  No matter how much they screw up, they just keep advancing.  The bad news was that the 3 hours would be added to their next departure time and they would be encountering a Speed Bump sometime during the next leg. They said they just needed to keep going and not panic.

Next Week:  Jen and Luke call each other a bitch – and both are probably right.

You can watch full episodes and bonus clips of TAR at CBS’ website here:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/

Mel & Mike Tell It Like It Is

Fresh from their “The Amazing Race” elimination, Mel & Mike White gave a candid interview to TV Guide.  One thing is crystal clear – Luke is not one of their favorite competitors.  Here are some highlights:

TVGuide.com: I was thinking I would’ve Googled it at the airport. Did any of you do that?
Mike: Luke said he’d done research and his hands were doing a sign language that indicated where the location was. So the whole night, I was like, “Luke, tell me!” And he was like, “I don’t know, I’ll have to decide later.” He was basically playing a mind game with me. They didn’t know. I went around the airplane all night going, “Do you know sign language? What does this say?” He just sent me on a fool’s errand. My biggest regret was trusting Luke.

TVGuide.com: Well, you called Jaime mean.
Mike: I said she was kind of mean.
Mel: “Kind of mean”? She was mean straight-out! What are you talking about?

TVGuide.com: Mike, I know you said your ideal teammate would be your friend Reese Witherspoon. Should there be a Celebrity Amazing Race?
Mike: I think it would definitely be entertaining for people to watch, but I don’t know how many celebrities would put up with how they treat you on the Race. [Laughs] You’re not treated like a star, let’s just say. Even for me, who’s never even been a star, I felt like I was being treated like an extra with a criminal record.
Mel: I loved the line Michael gave at the beginning: “I don’t fly coach.” But then he learned that coach is pretty good, huh, Mike?
Mike: I didn’t say I don’t fly coach. I said I feel misunderstood when I fly coach. [Laughs]

There’s even more good stuff in the article.  Check it out here:

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Mel-Mike-Amazing-1004533.aspx

The Amazing Race 14 – Episode Seven

 

Aired 3-29-09

Up until this episode, I’d found this season’s teams to be generally likeable.  Some I’ve rooted for more than others (Mel & Mike pictured above) but I haven’t been hoping for anyone to lose.  That changed this week.

The leg began in Jaipur, India.  Brother and sister lawyers, Tammy & Victor, were the first to depart at 10:21AM.  The teams had to fly almost 2000 miles to Phuket, Thailand.  They were given a photo of a gorilla statue and were told they had to locate it for the next clue.  They weren’t told it was at the Phuket Zoo.  That little detail had to be figured out on their own.  They were instructed to buy their airline tickets at either the airport or at a local travel agency.  In the cab ride to the agency, we learned that Tammy had been to Thailand years before with her parents who were extremely protective of her and wouldn’t even let her go to the beach.  She added that the family has always seen Victor as the older, smarter and brighter sibling.

Father and son, Mel & Mike, left second at 10:50AM.  Mike commented that he and his dad don’t want to get so caught up in the competition that they forget to have fun on the race.  Sisters Kisha & Jen were third and left at 11:02AM.  They are very competitive and said they were just focusing on themselves.  Mother and son, Margie & Luke, followed at 11:03AM.  Margie said that it can get exhausting communicating in sign language with Luke and sometimes she needs a break but added that she wouldn’t change it for anything.  Best friends, Jaime & Cara, were 5th departing at 11:04AM.  Jaime pointed out what had become painfully obvious on the last leg – patience is not one of her virtues.  Brothers Mark & Michael were the last to leave at 11:11AM.

Jaime & Cara were the only team to head straight to the airport.  The rest all went to the travel agency first.  It made no difference, however, as we had another race reboot.  All the teams were on the same flights leading to Phuket.

Kisha, a middle school youth program coordinator, was overwhelmed by the poverty she saw as they drove through India.  She gave a little money to one of the begging children and their car was then swarmed.  She said it broke her heart and made her appreciative of what she had.

Once in Phuket, the teams all raced to the cabs and most exited the airport before asking anyone about the gorilla picture.  They seemed to think the drivers would know.  Cara commented that Jaime had a tendency to talk to the cab drivers as if they were little kids and that, in their position, she would think Jaime was “a witch with a B.”

Mel & Mike were the last to leave and they did ask about the picture.  Their driver looked at it and said they needed to go to Patong Beach.  Oh, Oh.  The rest of the group all ended up pulling over together and scurrying through the street holding out the picture and asking the locals.  Mel & Mike saw the commotion, but chose not to stop to see what was going on.  Ominous music should have started playing at this point.  They watched as everyone else headed off in a different direction from them.  Mike said that they were about to fall behind or jump ahead.

At the zoo, Jaime & Cara were the first to find the statue.  Host Phil Keoghan informed us that the teams would have to “let the wild side take a walk on them.”  First they had to be photographed sitting next to a real tiger - accompanied by a one-armed trainer.  Then they had to lie on the ground while a performing elephant bounced his foot off one player’s backside and then squatted over the other.  You could see that the elephant was actually making contact with his foot on people’s butts.  The squatting looked pretty freaky too.  Once they completed both tasks, the tiger trainer would give them their picture with the clue written on it.

The teams frantically completed the tasks and seemed to have fun with it.  Jaime showed some self-awareness when she said, “I absolutely loved the zoo.  If I could just spend my life in the wild with animals and never see people again, I’d be completely OK with that.”  Methinks all the cab drivers she’s encountered so far on the race would be fine with it too.

Meanwhile, poor Mel & Mike were beginning to realize that their driver had no clue where the statue was.  They got out and wandered the streets asking for help.  They actually found a young man who said it was at the zoo but the guys brushed it off.

Mark & Michael were the first team done with the animal challenge and received the next clue.  They had to head to Nguan Choon Tong, the oldest herb shop in Phuket.  There they had to ask the shop owner to open one of 99 drawers in search of the next yellow TAR envelope.  They had to keep guessing until they found the right drawer.

Finally, after another man pointed them towards the zoo, Mel & Mike headed off in the right direction.

On the ride to the herb shop, Jaime & Cara passed Mark & Michael’s cab.  The girls referred to the brothers as “the Tweedles” adding that they are so animated and talk so much that they’re like cartoon characters.  It was a bit harsh but not totally inaccurate.

Once at the shop it looked as if Karma was coming to the race as Jaime kept screaming at the owner and guessing wrong.  One by one all the other teams found their envelope and left ahead of them.  I felt really bad for the man as Jaime ranted and raved.  She was beyond obnoxious.  In an interview clip we saw Mike refer to Jaime as “a mean girl.”  Unfortunately, they did manage to get the clue before Mel & Mike had arrived from the zoo challenge.

Detour

Mark & Michael were the first to find the Detour.  Phil told us that the teams had to choose between two physical activities familiar to the people of Phuket:  “100 Barrels” or “2 Miles”.  In “100 Barrels” the teams had to go to the harbor and prepare a fishing boat for 10 days at sea.  They had to fill 47 barrels with drinking water and move the other 53 barrels from the bottom deck to the roof.  In “2 Miles” they had to head to a temple and chose a rickshaw.  They were provided with pumps in case any tires were flat – a good heads up that tires would, in fact, be flat.  One team member would sit in the rickshaw while the other pulled it through the streets to a park.  They could trade off with the pulling and the sitting.  The brothers decided on “2 Miles”.  Kisha & Jen arrived next and picked “100 Barrels”.  Tammy & Victor decided on the rickshaw and Margie & Luke and Jaime & Cara opted initially for the barrels.

Mark inflated the tires on their rickshaw and then decided to be sneaky.  He scooped up all the pumps and put them in a box hoping to slowdown or confuse the other racers.  They then decided to be “funny” for the cameras and chattered away in a mock accent as they headed off in the rickshaw.  It was racially insensitive to say the least and made me cringe.  The brothers haven’t shown themselves to be the sharpest team but this was definitely their worst moment so far.

Meanwhile, the shop owner got a nice break when sweet natured Mel & Mike arrived.  They were sticking to their philosophy of having fun and actually made the man and his wife smile.

Kisha & Jen, Margie & Luke and Jaime & Cara all arrived at the harbor but couldn’t find the boats.  Kisha & Jen kept looking while the other two teams bailed and headed to the rickshaws.

As they were cruising down the street, Mark & Michael came upon their waiting cab and decided to have the driver lead them to the park since they were paying for his time anyway.  The show then immediately cut to Tammy & Victor having their driver draw them a map explaining that the rules wouldn’t allow them to just follow him.  Oh, Oh!  Mark’s plan to hide the pumps seemed to help, though, as Tammy & Victor headed off without inflating their tires.  It made it more difficult to pull the rickshaw.

Chipper Mel & Mike found their clue and headed off to do the barrels.  Jaime continued to badger the innocent residents of Phuket as she and Cara struggled to find the park.

Mark & Michael found the final clue and took off for the Pit Stop at the Wat Thep Nimit Temple.  Phil reminded us that the last team to check in may be eliminated.  The brothers arrived at the Pit Stop before any other team had finished their Detour BUT Phil did his trademark eyebrow raise and delivered the bad news.  They were given a 30 minute penalty for following the cab and a second penalty for tampering with the pumps.  They had to sit for an hour before Phil would check them in.  It was looking like Karma might prevail.

Kisha & Jen began working on their barrels as Tammy & Victor, Jaime & Cara and Margie & Luke pulled their rickshaws through the streets of Phuket.  I noticed that Margie was getting increasingly cranky as the task progressed which was out of character for her. 

Mel & Mike arrived at the harbor and started to gain a little ground as they were filling and moving their barrels with more efficiency than the sisters.

At the park, Tammy & Victor would have been the second team to get the final clue but they dropped their rickshaw too soon and had to waste time going back to get it.  This allowed Jaime & Cara to jump ahead of them.  Margie & Luke were the next team to arrive and Margie definitely looked the worse for the wear.  She said that Thailand was probably the hottest place she’d ever been.  She added that she had the chills and felt like she was going to pass out – not a good sign.

Mark & Michael turned out to have been way ahead of the pack because they had burned off all but 4 minutes of their one hour penalty when Tammy & Victor arrived.  Phil informed the brother and sister that they’d won a trip for 2 to the island of Oahu.  Jaime & Cara were immediately behind them and checked in second.  Mark & Michael ended up in 3rd place.  Oh well.  So much for Karma in this leg.

Margie & Luke arrived next with Margie clearly in trouble.  Luke tried to put his hands on her shoulders and she shrugged him off.  She also commented that her fingers were “frozen”.  Phil hadn’t picked up on any of it and was teasingly telling them they were fourth when Margie keeled over.  Phil and a crew member helped her inside and one of them poured water over her head as the other fanned her.  They called for an ambulance but Margie insisted she was OK.  Hopefully they didn’t listen to her and had her checked out anyway.

Kisha & Jen finished their barrels at the point that Mel & Mike had 10 left.  Things were looking more hopeful for the father and son as we watched the sisters’ cab driver drop them off at the wrong place.  The girls ended up getting a ride from a group of people with a van.  Kisha & Jen still managed to arrive first and checked in 5th.

Phil informed Mel & Mike that they had been eliminated from the race.  He seemed genuinely sorry to see them go.  They were a sweet and supportive pair to the end.  Mel said that Mike was smart, wise and mature and ensured that he would be able to leave the world with someone who will make it a better place.  Mike said that being teammates had brought them a new kind of camaraderie and he appreciated that gift. 

Well, my favorite team is now gone.  My hope is that Jaime & Cara and Mark & Michael will be the next ones to go.  I’m fine with the other four teams - although Victor can sometimes be a bit much. 

In Two Weeks:  It looks like the teams do karaoke in cabs in Bangkok – yeah, I don’t get it either - and Mark & Michael screw up yet again and this time actually seem to notice!

Full episodes and bonus clips for TAR are available at CBS’ website here:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/

The Amazing Race 14 – Episode Six

Aired 3-22-09

We picked up at the Pit Stop in Novosibirsk, Siberia.  Mother and son team, Margie & Luke, left in first place at 12:18AM.  They had to fly almost 2000 miles to Jaipur, India.  There they had to take a taxi to a sacred tree (Peepli Ka Pedh) on the outskirts of a nearby village.  Luke said that he and his mom make a great team because she does all the communicating and he does the strategizing.

Brother and sister lawyers, Tammy & Victor, departed at 12:24AM.  Victor said that he’s always done what was expected of him as the eldest son and the race was giving him a chance to be extroverted and do the unexpected.  Best friends Jaime & Cara left in third place at 12:30AM.  Cara said the race was highlighting the differences in her and Jaime’s personalities.  Cara is laid back and Jaime is strong in her “convictions and aggressivity.”  Father and son, Mel & Mike, departed at 1:01AM.  Mel said that, at his age, he’s just trying to survive the race and he’s appreciative of how understanding Mike has been.  Brothers Mark & Michael left in 5th place at 1:02AM.  Mark commented that they have tough competition on the race.  There are three teams of girls who are each taller than the two of them put together.  They’re still confident, though, and believe they can pull out a victory.

Sisters Kisha & Jen departed at 1:28AM.  Kisha felt that she and Jen were getting along better now than when the race started.  She said, “It bothers me at times when we don’t get along ’cause I feel like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I want us to enjoy it.”  Best friends Christie & Jodi, in last place, left at 3:09AM.  They were worried about the Speed Bump they faced in this leg as a consequence of their avoiding elimination in the last leg.  We also learned that Jodi is a single parent who wears her daughter’s name on a bracelet as a good luck charm.

At the airport, the teams discovered that there was just one connecting flight to Jaipur so the race would be rebooted.  Every team would arrive in India at the same time.  They flew to New Delhi and then connected through to Jaipur.  Tammy & Victor won the footrace to the cabs and headed out of the airport in first place.  Mel & Mike got frustrated when their driver ran off to get directions putting them behind.  They tried to bail out and find another driver but they couldn’t get their bags out of the trunk.  Mel lost his temper – which means he spoke a little bit more emphatically and loudly than usual.  He immediately felt bad about it and said, “This race certainly isn’t important enough to dehumanize somebody else by yelling and screaming at them.  So I’m gonna feel bad about it for the rest of the day.”  They weren’t alone in having taxi frustrations.  Pretty much everyone had an overly thrilling ride through the city with Michael commenting that he wouldn’t want to be a taxi driver there.  They were also amazed at seeing cows and monkeys standing or sitting on the sides of the streets.  As they traveled through the slum areas, Jaime and Luke started crying at the extreme poverty they saw all around them. 

Tammy & Victor were the first to arrive at the tree and quickly noticed the bright red phones underneath.  The note on the phones told them to call for the next clue.  They couldn’t understand the voice on the other end so they had their cab driver listen.  The instructions were to travel to Amber Fort and Gaura Parvat Parking.  The rest of the group (except for Christie & Jodi) was traveling together in what Mike called “the caravan of fools.”  The group tried to live up to Mike’s description as they wandered about the tree looking for a clue and ignoring the phones.  Finally Kisha & Jen actually looked at the phone and read the note.  The sisters and Mel & Mike understood the clue and scurried off.  Margie had trouble making it out so she and Luke just had their driver follow the others.  The last of the group to leave were Mark & Michael but they still made it out before Christie & Jodi.  The girls’ taxi driver had stopped for gas and put them behind.

Roadblock

Tammy & Victor arrived at the Fort and found a Roadblock.  One member of the team had to care for a group of camels by filling a trough with water and building a mound of hay using traditional tools.  Victor took the challenge.  He made what turned out to be a common mistake and used the water bucket to transport the hay instead of using the rakes and baskets which were set up right next to the pile.  Luckily he corrected it quickly and started to make faster progress.  Tammy commented that their father was going to love watching Victor shoveling feed because he thinks both his children have lived very privileged lives.  The caravan arrived as Victor was still working and Jaime, Kisha, Mark, Margie and Mel volunteered to take care of the camels.  Poor Mel did not know what he was getting himself into.  He wheezed and struggled trying to carry the weight of the water bucket and fell behind.  Mike stood watching just feeling terrible for his dad.  Jaime, on the other hand, was having trouble because she was being her short tempered self.  She actually announced, at the top of her lungs, how annoyed she was that no one spoke English. Sigh.  Every race has to have someone to fill the ugly American niche.

Victor finished and he and Tammy headed to a puppet store for their next clue.  As they left, they passed Christie and Jodi. 

As Jodi joined the workforce, we saw that Karma was on the side of sweet Mel.  He was the first one to realize that the baskets were for the hay (pictured above) and it allowed him to make up enough time to pass everyone else.

Detour

At the puppet store, Victor & Tammy found a Detour.   They had to choose between two tasks that host Phil Keoghan said would plunge them into the chaotic streets of Jaipur:  “Movers” and “Shakers”.  In “Movers” the teams had to choose a cycle loaded with barrels full of hay.  They had to transport the barrels through the streets to another location where they would empty them in search of a small, silver elephant.  They could trade the elephant for the next clue.  In “Shakers” the teams had to go to a busy intersection, don a colorful costume and make-up and move with a band through the streets dancing for tips.  Once they collected 100 rupees, they could trade them for the next clue.  Tammy & Victor chose “Shakers” and hoped they were breaking the stereotype of lawyers.  Victor said it wasn’t something he’d ever imagined himself doing but he actually felt comfortable with it and had fun.

To his son’s cheers of “Feed those camels, dude!” Mel finished and he and Mike were on their way to the puppet store.  Cara & Jaime, Margie & Luke and Kisha & Jen quickly followed.  Mark & Michael left next although it looked like they were only a few minutes ahead of Christie & Jodi.  Unfortunately, while the girls had made up a lot of time, they were now headed to their Speed Bump.

Tammy & Victor collected their 100 rupees and got the final clue instructing them to travel to the Pit Stop at the Jaigarh Fort.

Mel & Mike chose the “Shaker” challenge because Mike figured his dad had done enough heavy lifting for one day.  All the other teams also chose “Shakers” except for Mark & Michael.  Their streak of making the wrong call continued as they headed off to the bicycles and barrels.

Christie & Jodi’s Speed Bump had them decorating an elephant (a real one) with vivid paints for a festival.  They stayed in good spirits and had fun with it.

Tammy & Victor arrived at the Pit Stop and Phil informed them they’d each won an Ocean Kayak.  Victor commented that he thinks they’ve come a long way from their travesty in Romania (when he lead them up the wrong path on a mountain and was too stubborn to stop).  It’s been hard to unprogram who they are and how they’ve always related to each other but he thought they were doing a good job of it.

Mel & Mike collected all their money and headed off to the Pit Stop.  Jaime & Cara were next but they couldn’t find their cab.  Jaime completely freaked out.  Once they found the poor driver she lit into him.  I was wishing the man would dump out their bags and tell them to find another cab but he was too nice for that.  Margie & Luke and Kisha & Jen also finished.

Meanwhile, the brothers were slowly making their way through the streets with the barrels and were only part way done when Christie & Jodi arrived at the puppet store.  They opted to do the “Shakers”.

Mel & Mike checked in 2nd.  Mel said making Mike proud of him was better than any prize.
Kisha & Jen, Margie & Luke and Jaime & Cara arrived as a group taking 3rd, 4th and 5th place.

While the editing made it look like Christie & Jodi finished their task first it was Mark & Michael who managed to take the 6th spot.  Phil could see Christie & Jodi running for the finish as he checked the brothers in.  Mark & Michael seem like genuinely nice men but I think they’ve been on borrowed time for quite a while.  They are forever making mistakes and/or bad guesses yet there always seems to be one other team with worse luck.  I have to believe they will be the next to go.

For this week, though, it was Christie & Jodi’s turn.  They were done in by the Speed Bump.  Christie said she took on the race because she was getting ready to start a family and wanted one more chance to do something just for herself.  Jodi wanted to prove to herself that she could do it and prove to her daughter that she too can do anything she wants in life.  They were a nice team and I liked that they always kept their cool and were kind and thoughtful towards each other.

Next Week:  There are animal related challenges in Thailand and Margie passes out from the heat.

Full episodes and bonus clips are available at CBS’s website here:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/

The Amazing Race 14 – Episode Five

Aired 3-15-09

Seven teams remain in the race:  best friends Christie & Jodi, sisters Kisha & Jen, siblings Tammy & Victor, mother and son Margie & Luke, best friends Jaime & Cara, father and son Mel & Mike and brothers Mark & Michael.  The teams departed from the Theater of Musical Comedy in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia.  The first place team, Christie & Jodi, left at 12:34PM.  They had to ride the Trans-Siberian Railroad almost 400 miles to Novosibirsk, Russia.  Once there, they had to race to the Puknte Technicheskovo Kontrolya.  I have no idea what that is, but it looked like a car rental place.  The girls were disappointed because they knew a place with that many consonants in its name would not be warm.  They believe they have an advantage because they work together every day (as flight attendants) and the race is definitely work.  Nice going girls.  You know you’ve just jinxed yourselves.

Kisha & Jen were only two minutes behind and quickly caught up as the group searched for the train station.  The sister’s strategy was to stay close to at least one other team because, if it came down to a footrace, they were confident they’d win.  After trudging through the snow and slush, they found the station and discovered that the only train to Novosibirsk left at 10:26PM.  It was a race reboot as everyone left together.  Mike remarked, “Let the last become first and let the first become last.”  To which his dad, the clergyman, responded, “He’s quoting the bible!  Thank God.  It’s a miracle.” 

Once on board, they happily found warm, sleeper cars.  The next morning we discovered that everyone knew Margie & Luke had been the ones to U-Turn Amanda & Kris.  So much for it being anonymous.  Mike said he originally didn’t think the mother and son team would last long but now it’s clear they are the power players.  About Luke, Mike said, “He’s gonna create a whole new archetype – the sinister deaf kid.”  Luke said that, of course, he wanted to get rid of a big, strong guy like Kris.  Mike replied that he’ll keep limping in front of Luke so as to not seem like a threat.  Meanwhile, Tammy & Victor explained that, ever since the U-Turn was used, it was clear that every team needed to be in it for themselves.  The thing is, Margie & Luke didn’t use the U-Turn to save themselves.  They did it to protect their allies, Jaime & Cara.

Upon leaving the train, the teams made a mad dash to find taxis.  Kisha & Jen went the opposite direction of every other team and, consequently, were the last to find a cab.  Margie & Luke and Jaime & Cara continued to team up and had their taxis stay close together.  This group was the first to arrive at the car place.  The next clue was a Detour.

Detour

Host Phil Keoghan told us that the teams had to chose between two inevitable parts of Siberian life:  “Russian Bride” and “Russian Snowplow”.  Gee, you’re such a romantic, Phil.  In “Russian Bride” the teams had to choose a manual transmission car (Note to self:  If ever on TAR, learn to drive a stick) and travel to a large Soviet era apartment complex where they would search for a waiting bride.  They then had to drive the bride to a church across town to meet up with the groom.  Once they had their picture taken with the couple, they would be handed the next clue.  In “Russian Snowplow” the teams would also choose a car and drive downtown to a stadium.  There they each had to drive a large snowplow through a training course to get the clue.  On Luke’s advice, the quartet opted for the snowplows.  Tammy & Victor arrived as the group was leaving and decided to tag along.  Mel & Mike followed but they chose the “Bride” Detour because Mike thought it sounded like more fun.

The plow group didn’t know where the stadium was so they all pulled over at a gas station to get directions.  Except, Tammy & Victor intercepted a taxi driver and got directions from him.  They then took off without the other two teams.  Margie & Luke and Jaime & Cara gave chase and did eventually catch up.  Victor still didn’t really know where he was going, though, so they all pulled over again.  The person the siblings stopped didn’t seem to know but Victor watched in his rearview mirror as a woman gave directions to Margie and he and Tammy took off again.  In an interview, Luke said he was surprised that Victor didn’t wait.  Ummm, Luke?  If he ditched you once, why wouldn’t he do it again?

Christie & Jody and Kisha & Jen arrived at the car place and picked the “Bride” Detour while Mark & Michael chose the “Snowplow”.

Mel & Mike found their bride pretty quickly but had trouble finding the church.  Meanwhile, Jaime & Cara and Margie & Luke caught up with Tammy & Victor again.  At the stadium, Tammy & Victor took the lead by picking the right type of plow.  The others wasted time running to all the less intimidating looking plows. 

Christie & Jodi got lost looking for the apartment building and had the misfortune of stopping a group of young, drunk men to ask for directions.  Luckily, they knew better than to trust them.

Back at the snowplows, Tammy & Victor continued to stay in front followed closely by Jaime & Cara.  Cara was nervous about her turn driving saying that she can drive, “as long as there’s no manual transition involved.”

Kisha & Jen and Christie & Jodi arrived at the apartments and easily found their brides - but then had a nightmare finding the church.

Tammy & Victor finished the Detour and got the next clue taking them to ….. a library with an unbelievably long name.  Even the show’s graphics guy didn’t bother writing it all out.  Jaime & Cara and Margie & Luke were close behind.

Mel & Mike delivered their bride and headed off to the library as did Mark & Michael who easily handled the plow.  Christie & Jodi found a sober guy who led them to church.  Except it was the wrong church.  Meanwhile, Kisha & Jen floundered about causing traffic problems and stalling out their car.

Margie & Luke were the first to arrive at the library and found a Roadblock.

Roadblock

One member of each team had to strip down to their underwear and run a race.  First they had a mandatory 10 minute warm-up and then they ran with a group of Siberians for 1.4 miles to the Novosibirsk Ballet and Opera Theater.  I actually had to rewind the Roadblock explanation several times to get it all because our Phil did the whole thing standing outside in his underwear.  Yeah, he looked pretty good.  Not that I hit pause or anything.  Anyway, Luke, Cara and Tammy were the ones who peeled down to their skivvies.

Luke led the whole way.  Cara had to walk for part of the race which allowed Tammy to overtake her. 

Mike and Mark were the second wave of runners.  Kisha & Jen finally found the church and dropped off their bride and Christie & Jodi seemed to be only a few minutes behind them.  It might have been longer, though, because they paid a taxi driver to lead them to the library which helped them gain ground on the sisters.

Margie & Luke checked in first and Phil informed them they’d won a trip for two to St. Lucia.  This made them the first team to win two legs in this race.

Tammy & Victor were 2nd.
Jaime & Cara were 3rd.

Poor Mike still had on his big winter boots for the run but did manage to stay ahead of Mark.

Mel & Mike were 4th.

Mark & Michael wandered about the theater until Phil finally whistled to them.  They checked in 5th.

Kisha & Jen arrived at the library and Jen volunteered to do the run.  We got TMI as Jen said she had to change into her underwear because she doesn’t wear any.  She ended up being better off than most because she had boy shorts instead of bikini undies.  Tammy, though, won the “cute undies” contest with her fetching ensemble pictured above.

When they arrived at the library, Jodi slammed her finger in the car door so Christie made the run.  Poor Christie.  She was wearing a thong!  They left it on her and we got a big blur over her backside through the whole race.  She said her dad was going to die when he saw the show.

Kisha & Jen were 6th.

Christie & Jodi checked in last and Phil tortured them for a bit before telling them that this was a non-elimination leg.  They’re still in the race but will have to face a speed bump during the next leg. 

Next Week:  Luke breaks down in tears over the poverty in India and they all get up close and personal with camels.

Full episodes and bonus clips are available at CBS’ website here:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/

The Amazing Race 14 – Episode Four

Aired 3-08-09

At the Pit Stop in Transylvania, father and son team Mel & Mike were the first to depart at 10:49PM.  The teams had to fly to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia by way of Moscow.  They then had to travel by taxi to the structure shown on the back of the 10 ruble note, the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Dam.  On the way, Mike said he thinks they’ll survive the race because his dad is a combination of Woody Allen, Billy Graham and Judy Garland.

Dating couple Amanda & Kris left second at 10:52PM.  Kris was feeling confident because he and Amanda are young, competitive and have been together a long time.  Sisters Kisha & Jen followed at 10:55PM.  Mother and son, Margie & Luke, were fourth leaving at 11:06PM.  Margie said that Luke is going to be giving it his all during the competitions because he is living his dream with the race.

Brothers Mark & Michael were fifth leaving at 11:06PM.  I didn’t find it surprising that they had trouble pronouncing Krasnoyarsk, but it was odd that they also struggled with saying Siberia.  Little did I (or they) know this was just the beginning of their struggles with Russia.  Best friends, Christie & Jodi, were in sixth place departing at 11:08PM.  Their cab driver offered to take them to an internet cafe to do some research before heading to the airport.

Best friends, Jaime & Cara, were seventh leaving at 11:29PM.  We saw several of the teams borrow phones from their drivers to get a jump on booking reservations but Mark & Michael had the misfortune of getting a cabbie with a sense of humor.  He called Jaime & Cara’s driver but lead the brothers to believe it was a travel agent.  Cara played along for a while but eventually had to hang up because she and Jaime couldn’t stifle their laughter.  To Mark’s credit he did seem surprised to hear an American voice but I’m not sure he ever really figured out what happened.  The show left us with the impression that he just thought he’d been disconnected.

Tammy & Victor, the brother and sister who had a major meltdown last episode, were the last to leave at 1:30AM.  They did seem to be in a better mood than the last time we saw them.

There was only one flight from Moscow to Krasnoyarsk so the choice for the racers was what flight to take to Moscow.  The group split onto four different flights connecting through Frankfurt, Munich, Sofia and Istanbul.  The only teams who ended up actually making the connection to Krasnoyarsk were Mark & Michael, Kisha & Jen and Christie & Jodi.  The rest were stuck waiting for the connection in Moscow.

The three leading teams quickly got to the dam only to discover it didn’t open until 8:30AM.  Once they got in they all ran for the clue that told them to travel to the Church of Saint Innokenty.  At the church they found a Detour.

Detour

Host Phil Keoghan informed us that the teams would have to choose between two tasks the locals perform to protect themselves from the bitter Siberian winters:  “Stack” or “Construct”.  In “Stack” the teams had to stack firewood in a traditional method.  In “Construct” they had to head to a workshop to construct some shutters, take them to a house marked with a sign saying “Repairs Needed”, and install them.  Every team chose to stack the wood.

Kisha & Jen and Christie & Jodi actually had a pretty smooth time with the wood although it took a lot longer than they anticipated.  Poor Mark & Michael, though, were a mess.  First they got lost trying to find the site and then they knocked down the wood stack that was setup to demonstrate the stacking method for them.  At that point, they gave up and headed to the shutters.  Unfortunately, their bad luck continued as they lost a huge amount of time wondering around unsuccessfully trying to locate the house.

Kisha & Jen finished their wood stack first and got the next clue.  It told them to head to the Museum of the Novel “The Last Bow” and also warned of a U-Turn ahead.  Phil informed us that this was the first of only two U-Turns in the race.  It can be used to slow a team down by forcing them to complete the second part of a Detour.  Usually a team that U-Turns another team has to do so publicly.  They run the risk of creating an enemy out of the team they burned.  This time, though, the show introduced a blind U-Turn.  The team forcing the U-Turn gets to remain anonymous.  Kisha & Jen opted not to use the U-Turn because they knew five teams missed the first flight and were significantly behind them.  The next clue took them to a local amusement park called Bobrovy Log Park.  Christie & Jodi were hot on their heels and also chose not to use the U-Turn.

Roadblock

At the park, Kisha & Jen found a Roadblock.  One member of the team had to make a bobsled run in 4 minutes or less while registering 7 letters posted along the course.  They then had to unscramble the letters to spell the name of the famous Russian playwright, Chekhov.  Kisha missed a letter during her first run and had to do the bobsled a second time.  This allowed Christie & Jodi to get a slight lead but it was short-lived as Christie had no clue how to unscramble the name.

The second wave of racers all chose to stack the wood and three of the teams suffered the same fate as Mark & Michael.  Mel & Mike, Jaime & Cara and Amanda & Kris all watched as their stacks collapsed.  It was particularly heartbreaking for Amanda & Kris because they were almost done.  While Jaime & Cara opted to fix their stack, Mel & Mike and Amanda & Kris headed over to the shutters.

Margie & Luke continued to show they were a strong team by being the next to finish the wood challenge.  When they arrived at the U-Turn they decided to use it to try and protect their allies, Jaime & Cara.  They U-Turned Amanda & Kris.  Margie felt bad about it but Luke said it was just part of the game.  Tammy & Victor also finished their stack and were happy to find that the U-Turn hadn’t been used against them.  They still seemed to be getting along fine.

Back at the park, Kisha was the first to guess the name Chekhov because she knew “hov” was a common name ending in Russia.  The next clue directed them to the Pit Stop at the Krasnoyarsk Theater.  Phil informed us that the last team to check in may be eliminated.  Christie finally got the name as well and did so before any other team had arrived at the park.

Tammy & Victor and Margie & Luke arrived at the bobsled park and Victor and Luke made the run.

Mel & Mike and Amanda & Kris found the still lost Mark & Michael at the shutter Detour.  The brothers agreed to help the two teams construct their shutters in exchange for help in finding the house.  Sidenote:  Mike was wearing a t-shirt that said, “My dog is a rescue” so I now love that team even more.

Kisha & Jen got turned around looking for the entrance to the theater which allowed Christie & Jodi to bolt ahead and take first place.  They each won a motorcycle.
Kisha & Jen were 2nd.

Victor finished the bobsled run and instantly knew the letters spelled Chekhov.  Luke, on the other hand, was clueless and frustrated.  He explained that he’d never had any Russian or even English literature classes.  His mom also added that, for someone who is deaf and uses sign language, English is basically a second language.

Meanwhile, Jaime & Cara finished their second attempt at stacking the wood and were thrilled to see that Amanda & Kris were the U-Turn victims.  They said, “Thank you whoever did that!”  They were even happier to discover that some cabs were still waiting for the teams doing the shutter challenge.

Eventually Mel found the correct house and all three teams descended on it.  Luke finally guessed the name and he and his mom crossed paths with Jaime & Cara as they were leaving the park.  They helped the girls once again by pointing them towards the bobsled run.

Mel & Mike and Mark & Michael finished installing the shutters simultaneously and felt bad upon finding that Amanda & Kris were U-Turned.  Mike said that he thought it would just crush them.  When Amanda & Kris got there they weren’t exactly crushed but they were very disappointed.  They felt they’d been nice to everyone on the race.

Tammy & Victor checked in 3rd.

Jaime finished the ride and, despite saying she didn’t know any Russian playwrights, seemed to guess the name so quickly that it shocked even her.

Margie & Luke checked in 4th.
Jaime & Cara were 5th.

Michael and Mel rode the bobsleds as Amanda & Kris finished their wood stack.  They were maintaining a good attitude while speculating that the U-Turn was done by Kisha & Jen or Christie & Jodi.  They set themselves up for another big disappointment by declaring that Margie & Luke probably felt really bad when they saw who’d been given the U-Turn.

Not surprisingly, Mel easily guessed Chekhov - his son is a writer after all.  Michael missed a letter on his first run but had the name figured out by the time he went through the second time.

Amidst a plethora of “I love you’s”, Amanda & Kris kept plugging away with Kris making the bobsled run.

Mel & Mike were team number 6.

It looked like Amanda & Kris might have a chance when the second unluckiest team in the race, Mark & Michael, didn’t have enough money to pay their cab driver at the Pit Stop.  They tried offering their watches but the driver pointed out that he was already wearing a Rolex.  They also tried to give him their jackets but he finally just settled for all the cash they had.  They checked in 7th.

Amanda & Kris were last and Phil informed them that they were eliminated.  I thought they were a very sweet pair so I was sad to see them go.

Next Week:  Margie & Luke don’t stay anonymous as the U-Turners with Mike saying about Luke, “He’s gonna create a whole new archetype – the sinister deaf kid.”  It also looks like they have a Roadblock involving long distance running through the streets of Siberia (with snow falling) while wearing bathing suits.  I love this show.

Full episodes and bonus clips are available at CBS’ website here:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/

The Amazing Race 14-Episode Three

Aired 3-1-09

After the mandatory rest period at the Pit Stop in Salzburg, Austria, brother and sister Tammy & Victor were the first to depart at 10:13AM.  The clue told them to travel by train to Munich and then fly to Bucharest, Romania.  Once there, they had to take a taxi to the gymnastics hall where Nadia Comanechi trained.  Tammy opined that Victor is smart and can analyze things better than most people but she followed that compliment by shaking her head and saying that Victor doesn’t want to be wrong.  After Tammy suggested that they head straight to the train station, Victor had them stop at a travel agent to try and book a flight first.  They discovered that the first flight out was at 3:20PM but it was full.  They got tickets for the next flight at 4:45PM.

Father and son, Mel & Mike, were the second to leave at 12:01PM.  Mel said that it was fun having a famous son and he was proud that Mike’s success with “School of Rock” hadn’t gone to Mike’s head.  Mike’s facial expression in response was quite funny.  I’m not sure whether it was to say, “Geez dad, stop embarrassing me” or “yeah, it has gone to my head a little.”  Dating couple, Amanda & Kris, left third at 12:12PM.  We found out the racers got $332 for this leg.  Next to depart were mother and son, Margie & Luke.  Luke signed that he wished he could communicate directly with the other teams and know what they’re talking about without having to rely on his mom to interpret.

At the Munich airport, Tammy & Victor put themselves on standby for the 3:20PM flight and were lucky enough to get boarded.

Married couple Brad & Victoria left the Pit Stop at 12:53PM.  We learned that Brad is a recovering drug addict and alcoholic who has been sober for 25 years.  Best friends, Jaime & Cara followed them out at 1:17PM.

On the train to the airport, Amanda & Kris met up with a man who was nice enough to use his phone to get them reservations on the 4:45PM flight.  That only gave them 30 minutes to get from the train station to the airport.  He told them they wouldn’t make it but Amanda & Kris decided to go for it anyway.  Brad & Victoria also found a couple with a phone that was willing to help.  The couple told them it was impossible to make the 4:45 flight so they went for the next one at 9:30PM.  Yikes!  That’s a huge difference.

Sisters Kisha & Jen departed in 7th place at 1:51PM.  Jen said that she and her sister do awesome on the challenges but their communication on other stuff, like directions, needs to be tightened up.  Brothers Mark & Michael left at 2:00PM followed by the last place team, best friends Christie & Jodi at 2:42.

Tammy & Victor were off on their flight to Bucharest as the next wave of racers was just arriving at the airport.  As Mel & Mike were getting their tickets for the 4:45 flight, we learned that Tammy & Victor’s plane was having mechanical problems and was headed back to Munich.  Oh, Oh.  They went from having a tremendous advantage to being in deep doo-doo.  Meanwhile, Brad & Victoria were indeed too late for the 4:45 flight but opted for a 7:30 flight connecting through Amsterdam rather than the 9:30 one.  Victoria said that, even with the connection, the 7:30 flight would arrive earlier.

Tammy & Victor had hopes of getting on the 4:45 flight but didn’t make it.  That flight left with just Mel & Mike, Amanda & Kris and Margie & Luke.  Their flight was delayed but Brad & Victoria stuck with the 7:30 flight even though there was a risk they would miss the connection in Amsterdam.  The rest, including Tammy & Victor, were on the 9:30 flight.  I know you see this coming – Brad & Victoria didn’t make it in time for their connection and, because of heavy fog, no other flights were leaving that night.  They couldn’t get out of Amsterdam until 9:15 the next morning.  No!  I like this team!  Poor Victoria said she was feeling sick to her stomach and Brad gave her a reassuring hug and kiss.

Amanda & Kris were the first to arrive at the gymnastics hall.  They found a Roadblock.

Roadblock

A roadblock is a task that only one team member can perform.  That person had to learn and execute moves for the balance beam, parallel bars and floor exercises.  Once they did the moves correctly, and in the right order, the trainer would give them the next clue.  Amanda stepped up to it for her team.  Margie & Luke arrived next and Margie took the challenge after Luke signed this episode’s official title, “I’m not wearing that girl’s leotard.”  We watched as they learned the routines and they were complicated.  It took me back to the misery that was my junior high gym class when they tried to teach me this stuff.  It was a disaster.  Amanda, on the other hand, rocked the whole thing.  She and Kris quickly got the next clue that told them to travel by train to the city of Brasov in Transylvania.  They then had to make their way to the Biserica Neagra (Black Church).

Margie struggled more with the routines than Amanda, but I have to say that mama was looking really good in the leotard.  Mel & Mike were the third team to arrive and, no surprise, Mike took the challenge.  He did surprisingly well.

Arriving at the train station, Amanda & Kris and Margie & Luke discovered that the earliest train to Brasov didn’t leave until 6:30 the next morning.

The second flight arrived and Kisha & Jen were the first from that group to arrive at the hall.  They were followed by Mark & Michael, Jaime & Cara and Christie & Jodi.  Kisha, Mark, Jaime and Jodi learned the routines.  For some reason, Victor had the cab driver drop he and Tammy off before they got to the gym.  They wandered around in the dark until someone finally pointed them in the right direction.  They made it while the others were in the middle of their routines.  Tammy took the challenge.

Jodi breezed through the Roadblock as did Mark.  Jaime and Kisha had problems with the parallel bars (with Kisha saying that she was sticking to basketball from now on) and poor Tammy had herself so worked up about being behind that she had trouble with all of it.  In the end, everyone ended up at the station together waiting for the 6:30AM train.  Tammy had a little meltdown in front of the cameras as she said that she and Victor had a lot of tension between them.  Tammy thought that she had some good ideas but Victor doesn’t listen to her because he thinks she’s weak.  I have to mention that I don’t remember seeing Victor say or do anything mean to Tammy.  He actually has seemed to be trying hard not to be that way but, he does have a bit of a condescending, big brother tone when he speaks to Tammy and she is overly sensitive to it.  In other words, they are pretty typical siblings.

During the train ride, Jaime & Cara continued their bonding with Luke by simply making an effort to talk directly to him rather than going through his mom.  They wrote notes on a pad of paper.  He appreciated it and it will be interesting to see if anything comes of this alliance.

Brad & Victoria were able to fly out of Amsterdam on the morning flight and were hoping one of the other teams was as screwed up as they were.

The big group all descended on the Black Church and found a Detour.

Detour

They had to choose between two things one might expect to find in Transylvania – “Gypsy Moves” and “Vampire Remains”.  In “Gypsy Moves”, the teams had to go to a Gypsy encampment, load a family’s belongings on a horse-drawn carriage and move them to a new encampment.  Once they unloaded the carriage they would get the next clue.  In “Vampire Remains”, the teams had to find a coffin in the woods, drag it to a clearing, undo a series of locks and chains, open the coffin and find a bunch of antique frames inside.  Host Phil Keoghan informed us that, in the spirit of Vlad the Impaler (who inspired the Dracula story), the teams had to impale the frames to find the one with a flag hidden inside.  They could exchange the flag for the clue.

Amanda & Kris and Mel & Mike were the first to arrive at the Gypsy encampment and Mel & Mike immediately regretted their choice when they saw the size and weight of the items they had to move.  It even included a car body!  Kisha & Jen and Mark & Michael also took on the Gypsy Detour.

Tammy & Victor and Christie & Jodi were the first to arrive at the Vampire Detour.  Jaime & Cara and Margie & Luke were headed there too but Jaime & Cara’s cab driver kept getting lost.  I’m not sure what was up with Margie & Luke’s driver but the group stayed together.  At the woods, Victor saw some red and white markings and started to follow them even though Tammy quickly pointed out that the markings for the race were always red and yellow.  We soon discovered that she was right as Christie & Jodi found the red and yellow markings and surged ahead.  Tammy continued to express concern to Victor but he insisted they keep on his path.  Jaime & Cara and Margie & Luke finally arrived at the woods and they followed the correct path. 

Amanda & Kris were the first team done with the Gypsy Detour and they got the clue taking them to the Vila Panoramic (a small inn overlooking the Dracula castle) which was the Pit Stop for this leg.  Phil reminded us that the last team to check-in may be eliminated.

As Victor told Tammy they weren’t turning back for the umpteenth time, the show cut to Victoria doing the gymnastics routine.  I think she’s done every Roadblock so far.

Mel & Mike were getting in their cab to head to the Pit Stop when Amanda & Kris suddenly came running back.  They had lost their fanny pack with their money and passports.  Kris started freaking out while Amanda tried to calm him down.

Over at the Vampire Detour, Margie & Luke, Jaime & Cara and Christie & Jodi discovered that the frames inside the coffin were filled with a liquid that looked like blood and squirted out when they impaled them.  Ewwwww!  Someone working for this show has a sick sense of humor – and I’m looking at you, Phil!

Finally, Amanda & Kris found the pack and were on their way.  To get to the Pit Stop the teams had to climb up a steep hill and poor Mel looked like he was going to keel over by the time they got to the top.  He did make it and he and his son Mike claimed first place.  They won a trip for two to Hotel Mariposa in Costa Rica.  The victory gave Mel a chance to talk about what a special person Mike was.  Awww.  I like this pair.
Amanda & Kris were 2nd.

Tammy was still trying to get Victor to turn around and, even though by then he knew they had probably gone the wrong way, he still wanted to go his way.  Tammy once again gave in to him.  Finally, after several more minutes of walking, Victor knelt down on the ground crying and agreed to go back.

Kisha & Jen checked in 3rd.
Margie & Luke were 4th.

Tammy & Victor returned to the beginning, found the correct path and started dragging their coffin as -

Mark & Michael checked in 5th and
Christie & Jodi checked in 6th.

Ok, now I was really feeling bad for Tammy & Victor.  They got the first lock on the coffin undone but they couldn’t find the key for the next lock.  They began what Victor described as the “impossible task” of finding the key somewhere on the ground.

Jaime & Cara were 7th.

Victor did find the key and they got to the flag as Brad & Victoria were shown still on the train from Bucharest to Brasov.  The brother and sister pair checked in 8th.  Through tears Victor said that their old big brother/little sister dynamic clearly wasn’t working and it needed to change.  Tammy acknowledged that she needed to speak up more when she feels strongly about something even if it hurts Victor’s feelings.

As night fell, Brad & Victoria gamely finished the Vampire Detour, checked in last and were eliminated.  Rats.  It’s always difficult to see a team go down because of bad luck.  Especially when they are as nice and upbeat as this pair. 

Next Week:  The teams have to stack wood in Siberia and Luke gets very frustrated over a challenge.

Full episodes and bonus clips are available at CBS’ website here:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/