The Amazing Race Recap
By Daron Aldridge
October 31, 2011
BoxOfficeProphets.com
First, the other most glaring blight on this season (common sense-wise) was removed when twins Liz & Marie failed to overcome the Speed Bump and every other task quick enough. Goodbye and take heart in knowing that you lasted two legs longer than your showgirl compatriots.
Second, Laurence of Laurence & Zac fame was knocked down a few pegs with his condescending attitude we usually only see exerted from a male to a female dating or married couple on the race. Just a very unflattering showing by him.
Finally, I noted in the last recap that I thought it was an unfair equalizer to make all the teams do the extensive overnight travel in the middle of the episode. It’s a week later and I still think it was unfair. It basically said to the teams, “Hey, you did great on the first couple tasks. You know that momentum that is key to this race? Well, we’re going to squash that right now. Have fun being at the mercy of the overnight bus driver.” This is cool with me at the start of the leg because teams are just getting going but it seemed like just an effort to prevent the leaders to no longer be leading.
Here’s how I rank the teams now:
(tie) Team Dude snowboarders Andy & Tommy and Mr. & Mrs. NFL Amani & Marcus: I felt that the married team would be strong in my preseason scouting report and they finally came through with a first place win. Granted, they were aided by the aforementioned bus debacle but this may have been the shift in fortunes to give them momentum. Team Dude was the primary victim of the bus situation because this dropped them from first past the leg’s half way point to fifth. Despite this, history can’t be changed and these guys have owned just about every other leg. They are still my number one but they share the spot now.
Siblings Justin & Jennifer: They are still working well in spite of the frequent blowups, Jennifer’s overdramatic eyerolls and Justin’s unfounded arrogance in their racing ability. More thinking on their feet like last week’s use of the cabbie’s camera phone will serve them well and they seem willing to pause the bickering just long enough to remain in contention.
Team Task Master engaged couple Ernie & Cindy: Ernie proved to be the liability last week on the Roadblock and that is why I give the siblings the edge here. They can have some strong racing and are still holding the Express Pass but their slipups are becoming more frequent and that’s what will keep them out of the top three.
Father/son Laurence & Zac: Team Regatta lost favorability in my mind as stated above but that doesn’t mean much in the race (as much as I wish my opinion counted that much). The problem is that reason for the tarnished image was directly related to them losing ground. So it is with good conscience that I rank them as nothing more than middle of the pack racers - much to my dismay because they had the best Race-friendly resumes.
Grandparents Bill & Cathi: Yes, Ma & Pa ended up so close to first place (and good for them in doing it) but I still think they are one physical task away from elimination. While I like them, I just think the Amazing Race’s need for endurance will be too much. On the bright side, I predict they outlast…
Team Test Drive dating divorcees Jeremy & Sandy: No meltdowns last week; yet, they were still bottom dwellers. While I believe that Ma & Pa are one physical task from elimination, Jeremy & Sandy are one fight away from the same fate. Avoiding elimination seems to just be best they can hope for each leg.
Let’s see how right or wrong I am this week (probably wrong more often).
After spending one night in Bangkok (sorry, I couldn’t resist), the teams are greeted with a clue pointing them westward to Malawi in Africa. More specifically, a tobacco warehouse in Malawi.
With travel to such a far off destination, it’s unsurprising that there is only one flight and all the teams are on it. That is a proper equalizer, folks. As they are leaving the mat, here’s a rundown of highlights: Cindy supports my earlier assessment that they have messed up at least once per leg save for the first one; Amani & Marcus’ youngest child is special needs and they hope to show her to never give up, which is also why they know to enjoy even the smallest milestones; and Jeremy & Sandy lament the inability for them to easily shift from friends to dating.
Jeremy & Sandy are the first out of the airport and actually do end up as the first ones at the clue box. It’s a Roadblock. They have to maneuver ten 200-lb. bales of tobacco on a dolly through the warehouse to get their clue. All the while, the warehouse workers will try to delay them by running their own bales. This may be the physical task to doom a team that chooses the wrong partner for the task but Jeremy is not the person I am thinking will struggle here. It’s a good thing he’s doing the Roadblock, then.
Ernie and Justin are the chosen team members as well as all three are neck –and-neck. They are joined rather quickly by Laurence and Tommy. As these teams must overcome bumper bales, the two teams that were duking it out for first on the last leg are on the slow road to the warehouse. Thanks to an engagement procession where their cabs are caught and being seated at the back of the plane, Amani & Marcus and Bill & Cathi are trailing something fierce.
With traffic finally clearing up, Ma & Pa sneak past Amani & Marcus to get Bill suited for the Roadblock, but Mr. NFL is right behind him. The age issue for Bill just may be neutralized by the years of ranching experience. As he put it, “When it’s time to move the bales, it’s time to move the bales.” Laurence, on the other hand, is giving us a glimpse at how difficult the task is. The gap between him and the top four is widening with him placing his third bale to their sixth or seventh.
Jeremy is the first to get the clue sending them to memorial tower, followed by Ernie is second and Justin in third. Tommy officially surpasses Laurence to put them back in fourth place. Justin comments that Bill is likely the only one with any experience that even comes close to that challenge. While winding them and giving them quite the workout, no seems overwhelmed and defeated by the Roadblock yet. But you never know, the Detour may take care of that for them.
Jeremy & Sandy remain at the head of the pack, retrieving their Detour clue first. The options are All Sewn Up and Not Grown Up. All Sewn Up requires the teams to head to a market and design shop. Select a customer and then finish sewing a suit for him. Not Grown Up takes the teams to a school where they assemble a toy truck out of scrap materials that is then "test driven" by a student. Appropriately, Team Test Drive of Jeremy & Sandy will choose Not Grown Up.
Ernie & Cindy and Justin & Jennifer get to the tower together but then part ways as the engaged team chooses sewing and the siblings go with the school. Justin presents a logical argument against the sewing and it is based upon being at the mercy of the sewing machines. I hadn’t thought about it that way but that is a great point. The unreliability of machines on the race is tantamount to the unpredictability of animals in challenges. If given the choice, I think I would opt out of a task involving either of these. Not far behind is Team Dude who also goes with Not Grown Up. The guys freely admit they don’t see themselves as grown up and for a pair that seem to savor every drop that live gives them, I’m not surprised by this choice.
And it looks like Ernie & Cindy decide to keep their streak of one mistake a leg alive by choosing the sewing task. When they ask their cabbie if he knows where it is, he replies "No" and they STAY in the car as he just drives around. Why don’t they insist upon getting directions immediately or switch to a driver that knows? Consistency is king, I guess.
Laurence & Zac have left the Roadblock and arrive at the Detour clue. Laurence shows his age and chauvinism by rationalizing that sewing is “where the ladies whip past us.” Wow. That is some anti-progressive thinking there, Laurence. I get the “from a different generation” thing but that seems awfully antiquated.
While Bill stays out front of him because of years of hay baling experience, Marcus is motivated by the warehouse workers singing and dancing. This puts him in the mood to keep plugging along and finish the task.
As Jeremy & Sandy begin building their truck, we get a glimpse at Jeremy’s humanity as he says being around the kids at the school makes him wish he could see his six-year old son.
Well, Cathi may disagree with my condemnation of Laurence because she happily jumps at the chance to sew a suit when they get their Detour clue. She expresses experience doing it as well as a love for it, rather than doing it because it’s "woman’s work." To debunk the notion further, Amani & Marcus go with All Sewn Up also but at the suggestion of Marcus. He feels that family experience with sewing may have rubbed off on him. I’m not sure it works that way but we will see.
Justin & Jennifer arrive at the school next. Justin deconstructs that task and they dive into it. At the next workstation, Sandy is distracted by the kids and would rather be playing soccer with them than doing the challenge. It’s hard to fault her for that because taking in the moments like that shouldn’t have a price on them but we are talking about a million dollars on the line.
As Team Dude and Team Regatta arrive at the Detour, Laurence is surprised to see that the girls would choose this task over the other. He is legitimately stunned when Sandy tells them that she can’t sew clothes…only bodies (we find out that she’s a nurse practitioner here for the first time, I think). The look of "what the @%#$ are you talking about?" that Jennifer gives Laurence for his chauvinistic assumption is priceless. But the fool doesn’t let it go. He keeps on talking about it. What a beating he's turned into.
Ma & Pa get encouragement by arriving at All Sewn Up at the same time as Ernie & Cindy. As they begin slowly making progress, the trucks are taking longer than I would have thought. With the arrival of Amani & Marcus at the tailor, all the teams are accounted for at the Detour. This is the first time in a while that we have a pretty tight race. Finally, Ernie & Cindy acknowledge their Express Pass but insist they will wait to use it as late as possible. If they get eliminated holding that thing, it is equivalent of being sent home on Survivor with an immunity idol in your pocket. Right, Ozzy? Right, James?
In the lead, Jeremy & Sandy are still defying the odds I gave them as they finish the task first again. Sandy, in particular, is in the spirit of the country and gets to put in a few soccer ball kicks with some kids while Jeremy grabs their bags. For me, I think the dating couple has picked up some of the likability that Laurence has lost over the last two legs. They are heading to a furniture shop.
They are followed by the siblings and the snowboarders. Amazingly, Ernie & Cindy finish All Sewn Up first but Bill & Cathi aren’t trailing by much. There is a clogging of the teams at the next clue.
Jeremy & Sandy, Justin & Jennifer and Andy & Tommy are all at the furniture shop together for their final task. They must get two beds transported to a village and then they have to carry them down a winding, dirt path to the mat.
With Ma & Pa leaving the Detour, I am getting a sinking feeling that Amani & Marcus may be eliminated this leg, which bums me out. In fact, they are the only team left at a Detour task.
The siblings are in their truck and heading to the village. Fortunately for Team Dude, the guy at the furniture shop tells them to load up in the truck that was probably intended for Jeremy & Sandy. By now, everyone except Mr. & Mrs. NFL are at the last clue. The married team though isn’t too far back, it seems.
With another near miss on clue reading by Laurence & Zac, they appear to be the last ones trying to get their beds moved. After failing to convince their cabbie that he could fit two full size bed frames in what looks like a Toyota Carolla, Laurence rereads the clue to see that a truck has to be called for them. They eventually load up by a truck that Laurence flags down. Amani & Marcus are on their heels as they choose to load up a small truck and follow in a cab.
With beds in hand, three teams are on the path to the mat: Justin & Jennifer, Team Dude and Jeremy & Sandy. But the dating couple is probably not that close since they are doing more stopping than walking.
Misfortune continues for Amani & Marcus as their taxi cab breaks down en route to the village. Not good for them but great news for Laurence & Zac. To highlight how bad it’s been for the married couple this leg, I believe at least three of the commercial breaks were immediately preceded by them in a rough spot.
Marcus jumps on the back of the truck and they are back on the road.
With much short-lived jubilation, Justin & Jennifer hit the mat only a minute or so ahead of Team Dude. Alas, the siblings failed to pay their truck driver, so Phil can’t check them in until they do so. So, for the second time, Andy & Tommy jump from second to first because someone screwed up.
Ernie & Cindy arrive, unload and pay their driver. Bill & Cathi arrive, unload and don’t pay their driver. We know what’s in store for them: A nice walk back to the trucks.
Despite being "passed by old people" and Cindy ending up pinned beneath the bed frame, Ernie & Cindy are still laughing, which is encouraging. Not like Jeremy, who is now yelling at Sandy to hurry up. So much for that likability. Justin & Jennifer pass them back to the trucks and then again head to the mat. Add Laurence & Zac to the mix and we are looking at a five-way race for second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth. Except we know that at least Bill & Cathi will have to go back.
Justin & Jennifer are number two and as expected, Jeremy & Sandy are number three because Bill & Cathi can’t be checked in. As they head back to pay, Amani & Marcus are heading to the mat, Laurence & Zac are number four and Ernie & Cindy are number five.
The tension is high but Bill & Cathi get to their driver and then pass the only other married couple on the race to officially take the sixth place. As the tears of disappointment start to flow for Amani, Phil breaks the news that they are still in the race because this is another nonelimination.
I’m happy they are still around but man, that’s three noneliminations already. I think they may be exhausting them all this early in the season. If so, it’s "do or die" time for the remaining teams. Next week has more Malawi follies in store as well. Have a good week and Happy Halloween.