The Amazing Race -- All-Purpose Thread

Two memorable quotes from tonight:
"I'm gonna jump off of something but AT LEAST IT'S PRETTY!"
"I'd rather rollerblade off Mt. Everest than do this."

(Seriously, I'd close my eyes and they would have to shove me off that dam. I would have been worse than Sheri.)

Lulu and Lala really surprised me tonight. But seriously, how far around the wrong side of Switzerland did the flight attendants drive? Also, for someone that was sitting in the backseat with a compass, how did Natalia manage to take that team an hour in the wrong direction?

My immediate thought on the detour was that I would do the bartending one. But those stairs looked BRUTAL. (Also initially, I thought you had to do all the chestnuts and wine in one trip.)

Pool update:
Pilot - Ryan & Dusty | 72
WolvEagle - Kim & Penn | 44
*Anthony & Spencer | 34
WriteThinking - Raquel & Cayla | 29
*Huggy - Connie & Sam | 22
*Wenders - Caro & Ray | 19
nietsroob17 - Lulu & Lala | 16
TigerVols - Akbar & Sheri | 16
MTM - Arun & Natalia | 15
*Taylor & Isaiah | 10
*bumpy mcgee - Michael & Moe | 2

*Team has been eliminated

 

It was no coincidence I timed my daily Wordle game during the dam scene.

I still have to turn away while watching "Vegas Vacation" when Clark Griswold is hanging from the Hoover Dam.

 

Yeah, once again, I was proud of Sheri, this time for doing that dive off the dam. (I also cheered a little when she told Akbar to shut up as she was trying to climb those stairs later). I feel like she's really living up to the spirit and purpose of The Amazing Race. I'm not at all sure I could have done that bungee-jump. And it actually looked like it was harder on a couple of the partners than the people doing the diving!

I know it has probably been discussed before, but if someone just cannot do a task -- like, not just messes it up, but can't/won't do it once they've seen it, can their partner do it instead?

I think I would've taken one look at those stairs on the Bartender race, realized I would've had to make several trips up and down, and I would've turned around and done the sausage task. I'm surprised more people didn't try that instead of the bartender thing.

 

The sausage thing clearly appeared to be the easier task so I assume things must read very differently on the clue cards the teams are given. Sheri and Akbar, who apparently were Division I athletes, never seem happy to be there in the opening sequences. Yet Sheri somehow keeps pulling a rabbit out of the hat.

 

I give huge credit to Sheri, doing both the mountain climb then the bungee jump. I didn't think she'd finish the stairway climbs.

That bungee jump was IMHO the most harrowing thing next to I guess parachuting.

I'm sorry, Dad and Arun are sweet, nice people but damn its soooo painful even seeing them in a car; they've got no clue where they're going and don't even appear to think to go back and read the directions; "no problem, let's just keep putzing along, ho hummm."

Hats off to the stewardesses (wife, not me, calls one "Miss Boobs") too for killing the sausage roadblock.

 

The most harrowing thing I remember from all the Amazing Race seasons -- I don't know exactly which one anymore, and I'm not looking it up just now -- was when a team got a Fast Forward advantage for getting out of a plane and walking on the wings while it was in the air. I still don't know how they did that -- either got themselves to get out and actually do it, or survived it...Nobody, and I mean nobody, could begrudge them that Fast Forward because they certainly earned it.

 

So let me get this straight: Akbar constantly rides Sheri for not being in her peak physical condition that she was at 19, and then gets winded doing essentially the same task she did? Sheri's a saint for putting up with it.

Arun and Natalia were awesome this week. I love seeing Superfans get to be on the Race and clearly have a great time.

Pool update:
Pilot - Ryan & Dusty | 76
WolvEagle - Kim & Penn | 60
WriteThinking - Raquel & Cayla | 34
*Anthony & Spencer | 34
*Huggy - Connie & Sam | 22
*Wenders - Caro & Ray | 19
nietsroob17 - Lulu & Lala | 18
MTM - Arun & Natalia | 18
*TigerVols - Akbar & Sheri | 17
*Taylor & Isaiah | 10
*bumpy mcgee - Michael & Moe | 2

*Team has been eliminated

(not looking forward to the gross-out food challenge next week. CAN WE NOT. I thought we left the Fear Factor nonsense back in the 2000s where it belongs.)

 

That water challenge looked like it was so much fun.

I wonder why Arun and Natalia didn't have to do a speed bump. Maybe last week's non-elimination leg was added late after they lost so many teams and there wasn't room for another task. Or the 15-minute start behind the second group was their penalty.

And it's easy to judge others, but I wonder why after getting a taste of the race, Akbar and Sheri didn't use the 19-month layoff to work on their fitness. I read something from Penn saying he and Kim did and the flight attendent wihout the glasses (I don't know which is which) looked more fit on the restart.

 

Don’t quote me but with respect to the flight attendants, the one I’d rather see is NOT “Miss Boobies” and the other one is. Just sayin’….

Ahkbar really needs to look in the mirror. What was that? It’s a zip line and water slides, Jeez. Too bad.

Loved how the women crushed the cheese while the guys couldn’t get it done. (Smart move to bail BTW). Only because tired of seeing them win.

 

I agree about Akbar. And, it was good to see Ryan & Dusty struggle for once, which gives some hope to my team! If Ryan & Dusty didn't win the $1 million, though, I'd be really surprised, but you never know.

And, it sure struck me that the flight attendants enjoy flirting with Ryan & Dusty.

 

I guess maybe Sheri shoulda done the canyoning challenge!

I couldn't help chuckling a bit at the juxtaposition of the scenes of Akbar's struggles in the canyoning, followed by the shot of Arun smiling big and going, "I'm having a good time."

I was surprised at how they all really seemed to have to figure out how best to row the kayaks. It doesn't seem like it'd be that difficult, but showed there really is a method to it, and that it's an effort that needs to be coordinated.

It definitely was nice to see the order of finish get shaken up a bit.

 

Now, for the rest of their lives, every time Ryan and Dusty have their pictures taken, they're probably going to be reminded of that detour.

You know, "Say 'Cheese!'"