The Amazing Race Recap
By Daron Aldridge
October 15, 2012
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Anyway, the bigger issue is that the twins have likely extended their Race life by winning the coveted Express Pass. I still don’t like them and therefore, this week’s rankings pain me more than usual:
Abbie & Ryan (Dating divorcees): Fourth place on the previous leg means they slipped a bit but from what we have seen of the teams this season, they are still the favorites to make it to the final. The teased Double U-Turn this week may be cause for alarm unless, they A.) Stay far enough ahead of the others so they can’t be U-Turned or B.) Showed they are fallible by not dominating the last leg. That extra $1 million carrot dangling in front of them should be enough incentive to make A.) happen.
Trey & Lexi (Dating): Last week, Team Longhorn ended in second place. In spite of their unholy allegiance with my least favorite team, I still think these guys have the spunk and fun-loving attitude to go the distance on the race. They work well together and after two legs, there hasn’t been even a tinge of animosity or frustration directed at one another. This alone makes me comfortable placing them ahead of most teams, especially…
Natalie & Nadiya (twin sisters): I sincerely hope the first place these twins nabbed on the last leg was a fluke. But the fact that they now have the Express Pass doesn’t bode well for elimination in the near future. If I had my way, tonight’s U-Turn would be used on them after they foolishly think that they are safe and use the Pass on the first part of the Detour only to see they are exactly where they were. That is such a big IF and pipe dream that I don’t believe it will happen and why I am placing them this high.
James & Abba (Friends): Like recycling the same chords from generic heavy metal ballads, Team Headbangers Ball recycled their sixth place finish from the first leg. I would like to see the strategic side of James & Abba’s racing produce better results in the long run for them (i.e. the risky Jakarta standby flight last week that put them at their destination an hour earlier but then having to wait for sunrise and everyone catching up). At this point, it’s just been an “okay” performance, like a White Lion reunion gig at your local fair, but given the quality of the other teams, I still place them in the top four.
(tie) Caitlin & Brittany (Friends): The blondes were just off the middle of the pack with a seventh place finish on the last leg. AND Josh & Brent (Life partners for 15 years): Team Beekman snagged a fifth place finish last week. This ranking should be subtitled “Where are they now, because I don’t remember seeing them last week?” Neither of these teams did anything remarkable for the good or the bad last week. Heck, Team Beekman got ZERO screen time during the Detour. They are at the clue box and the next thing we see is them standing in front of Phil. If I had to pick, I would give the girls a slight edge over the guys, because of the quickness to argue that Josh & Brent have already show for us.
Jaymes & James (Best friends/Chippendales dancers): It was a nice third place for Team Beefcake last week but these guys, I suspect, are one dunderheaded move away from elimination every week. They haven’t exhibited much in the way of Race smarts that will justify viewing them as anything more than muscles. Who knows; maybe they will this week, but I think these guys embody this brilliant line from a Gin Blossoms song (yeah, I said brilliant and Gin Blossoms in the same sentence): “If you don’t expect too much from me, then you might not be let down.” I don’t expect anything noteworthy from them and I don’t think they will let me down in fulfilling such low expectations.
Gary & Will (Best Friends/Substitute Teachers): Narrowly escaped elimination last week as number nine (or at least the producers would like for us to believe it was “narrowly”). I don’t buy any semblance of closeness in the substitutes’ finish and the eliminated Amy & Daniel. But they (mainly Will) struggled so much on the Roadblock that he almost single-handedly eliminated his team. These guys are surrogates for me. I am a huge fan of the show but that doesn’t mean I would be good at this Race. I feel they are only a week or so away from elimination but not before…
Rob & Kelley (married monster truckers): Last Sunday…SUNDAY…SUNDAY!!!, this couple crossed the finish line with a not-so-monstrous eighth place. They are blissfully ignorant of their own inability on the Race and convinced that poor racing will be a strategy. I don’t buy this thinking as valid or even quite understand how it could be valid. They branched out from the others last week by taking a different connecting flight but failed to compare the ultimate arrival times and length of layovers. If they do somehow stick around it will assuredly be as one of the last two teams.
Enough of my ramblings and sarcasm-laced predictions. Let’s get to this week’s leg, which kicks off where they left off. It looks like a pesky flight won’t be the equalizer this week as the teams will continue their onslaught of Indonesia.
Natalie & Nadiaya are the first off the mat but only a mere five minutes before Trey & Lexi. Those five minutes vanish as the girls are already turned around in the market going in the wrong direction. The teams are heading to a restaurant but they are immediately warned that a U-Turn is ahead.
Since we aren’t facing a “hurry up and wait at the airport” scenario this week, it begins fast, furious and confused for the first four teams. Team Beefcake and divorcees Abbie & Ryan are preyed upon by the allied twins and Longhorns to all work together to find their next clue location. This not-so-fierce foursome finally gets in cabs and head out. Based upon the manic nature of the other three teams so far, I stand by my assertion that Abbie & Ryan are one of if not the strongest (read: most competent) team we have this season.
Team Beekman of Josh & Brent nicely sum up their observations of the teams so far: The Alpha teams (twins, Longhorns, Beefcake and Abbie & Ryan) are hyper-competitive and will do anything to win, while everyone else is just trying to make it from leg to leg. He then says that the teams that are good people seem to end up winning. He must have missed the season when Ernie & Cindy won.
Anyway, Trey & Lexi are the first ones at the Roadblock which poses the question, “Who wants to serve a balanced meal?” The teammate has to serve 20 plates of food all at once at the restaurant and if they drop even one dish they have to return to the kitchen and start over. (Side note: No U-Turn in sight yet.)
Lexi takes the snaps and runs off to do the Roadblock for Team Longhorn. Hopefully, none of the other teams hail from Oklahoma because then there’s the risk of two humiliating losses to Texas at the hands of Oklahoma in the same weekend. What? Too soon, Texas fans? Sorry.
As Lexi loads up on plates, the other teams are piling up outside to determine which person is going to do the Roadblock. Of the teams at the clue box, Jaymes is doing it for Team Beefcake, Brent is stepping up for Team Beekman and Ryan is the divorcees’ Roadblock taskmaster this week. (Blissful side note: No twins in sight at the Roadblock. At least, not yet.)
The blonde duo Caitlin & Brittany are the next ones off the mat and heading to the restaurant Roadblock.
In the kitchen, the muscular arms of Jaymes and Ryan are paying off for their respective teams as both guys complete the Roadblock without incident. Even so, you can see that they were both struggling with the balancing act. Not letting the trembling get the best of them is key but unfortunately, Lexi and Brent both crash and burn on their first attempt.
The next clue points them to the Surabaya train station where they will be riding the rails to their next destination city. The sneaky producers aren’t just giving them their next clue but rather say that the teams have to pay attention to what’s happening on the train around them to find their next clue.
As they leave the restaurant, James & Abba show up and Abba assumes the role of Roadblock doer. I wonder if he will be able to rock it (rimshot). The answer to the groan-worthy pun is “sure.” We only see Abba take one stab at it but he still trails Lexi and Brent, who finally finish the Roadblock. All three are heading to the train station now.
With expected frustration and a grating “OH my GOOOODDD,” Natalie & Nadiaya are at the Roadblock. If the onscreen label of their names is accurate, then Nadiaya is doing the task. The twins left the pitstop an hour and some change ahead of monster truckers Rob & Kelley, who are just now leaving the mat. That gives us an idea of how long the twins were lost from start of the leg to the first task.
With those first four teams at the bus station, it becomes clear that this mode of transportation will not level the playing field this week. The train they are all ticketed for leaves at 7:36 a.m. Based upon the failed first attempt by Nadiaya, Beefcake, Beekman, Longhorn and the divorcees will not have additional company.
The blondes are now at the Roadblock to add pressure to Nadiaya and Brittany is slowly getting going on the Roadblock. Meanwhile, substitutes Gary & Will are the last to leave the mat and are do all sorts of wishful thinking that they can come back from last week’s debacle. We get a glimpse at their departure time and see they were less than an hour and half behind the leaders last week. Dare I say that the last week’s editing made the gap seem more Gary-like, when in reality it was more Will-like.
Both sets of all-girl teams have finished the Roadblock (Nadiaya – two attempts, Brittany – one attempt) and leave as monster trucker Rob jumps into the kitchen. He doesn’t struggle at all. This task proves to be one of those that is scarier in explanation than in execution. I may be a bit premature in that conclusion since unskilled Roadblock laborers Gary & Will have yet to try it.
The 6.5 foot tall Gary does the Roadblock and his sizable wing-span helps him cradle the dishes easily.
Previously, I said it looked like none of the other teams would make the 7:36 train. I was wrong and I am okay with being wrong because the team to catch up is James & Abba. The twins, on the other hand, are literally about a minute late, as they see it head out of the station. I am smiling on the inside and outside as the teams have to recognize that the twins have an Express Pass and they can force them to burn it off by U-Turning them. Please let this happen.
Well, even if that doesn’t happen, the first train’s teams learn from a passenger that the next one doesn’t leave Surabaya until 10:55 a.m. That would be a three and a half hour gap between the front and back of the pack. The girls aren’t too happy to learn that it is pretty accurate information. Instead of 10:55, the next one leaves at 10:50 a.m. Natalie & Nadiaya condescendingly say they are now stuck with all the stragglers in the back. Well, ladies (and I use that term loosely), then you are also stragglers, then.
On the long train ride, four of the five teams acknowledge that they are easily in the front of the pack with a nice cushion of a lead; so they make a pact to not use the U-Turn at all. The lone team not part of this agreement is Headbangers Ball, who have adopted the “go at it alone” strategy on the race. We will see if they attempt to use the U-Turn on their train mates or the back of the bunch.
The clue reveals itself aboard the train and it’s the Detour: Egghead or Lion’s head. For Egghead, they have to get four eggs from a store and then ride to a “magician” who will place a coconut half on their heads. He will then light the coconut on fire and fry up two eggs each, which they have to then eat. For Lion’s head, they have to dress with a 40 pound lion headdress and perform in a street parade that stops several times. When they return to the park, they get their clue.
Of these teams on the train, only Team Beekman says they are going to try Egghead. That means that metal James will be reuniting with the “Lion” in Indonesia. [INSERT air guitar lick here] Rock on.
As they scramble to their bike taxi to get to their respective Detour location, it becomes a clear that Egghead’s extra stop at the store for the eggs proves trickier than Lion’s head. Team Beekman is trying to navigate the streets, while the other teams are already well into the Lion’s head task.
With a profound amount of support and encouragement from Ryan toward Abbie doing this difficult task, the divorcees are the first to complete the Detour. They are a much more cohesive team than I pegged them for.
Before Team Beekman even gets to their reenactment of the execution of Del Delacroix from The Green Mile (okay, they aren’t really getting set on fire), all four teams have finished Lion’s head. As the boys are serving as a stove top for Indonesian locals, the four last place teams are all aboard and leaving Surabaya for Bangil.
At the next clue box, the Double U-Turn is the first order of business and despite the added incentive that it is a blind, anonymous U-Turn, all four of these teams choose to not use it. That means all four are racing for first place. Who is the first one to be greeted by Phil at Bangil High School?
Abbie & Ryan. They get first place and a trip to Fiji. Second place for the second time in a row are Trey & Lexi. Lexi tells the confessional camera that she assumed the divorcees would be the biggest competition because they have the additional cash prize on the line. Then she puts it out there that given the opportunity to U-Turn Abbie & Ryan, she wants to. So before that happens or any U-Turns happen, I will throw out my seasonal declaration that using a U-Turn is not playing dirty. Teams shouldn’t get their panties in a bunch if they get U-Turned. The only way to prevent this tool of the game from being used on you is to stay ahead of the other teams.
Back to egg-frying action. Team Beekman is enjoying the meal that was cooked on their craniums and heading off to the next clue. Jaymes & James have strutted their stuff back to the number three spot and James & Abba scoot up a couple notches to team number four. They explain to Phil that they don’t believe the pack mentality will win the race for them, so they will continue to go at it alone. Personally, I can see the advantages to both approaches because there is a bit of socializing in the game that may prevent you getting a spiteful U-Turn thrown your way but I hope this works for them.
Just like the Longhorns and Team Beefcake, Josh & Brent repeat their previous leg’s placement by taking the fifth place finish.
All the teams in the back of the pack are contemplating what awaits them…mainly, the U-Turn. Monster truck mama Kelley happily and preemptively apologizes (to the camera, of course) to any team behind them at the U-Turn because it will be used on them. With their Detour clue in hand, all of them have opted for Lion’s head. Now it’s time for a race. It’s do or die time for these teams and I hope for some drama.
Teams disembark in a frenzy, save for the substitutes who are the last ones off and way behind the others. While the others are speeding down the street to the park, Gary & Will are bewildered about what mode of transportation they are looking for. (I have intentionally danced around trying to not butcher the spelling of this bike taxi.)
As they arrive at the park, the blondes admittedly spend 15 minutes trying to break the language barrier with their driver. The twins are the first ones to start and finish Lion’s head with Rob & Kelley right behind them. Caitlin & Brittany and the substitutes are struggling, bickering and yelling as they attempt the task.
While Natalie & Nadiaya elect to not use the U-Turn, Rob & Kelley live up to their earlier threat and U-Turn Gary & Will because they are the only ones they know for sure are behind them. The move is smart because the married couple even recognizes that they may have trouble finding Phil.
At this point, the only way that the substitutes aren’t eliminated is if they get to the U-Turn box before the blondes and use the remaining one on them.
Officially, the twins are checked in as number six and the monster truckers are number seven. I am surprised that Rob & Kelley did as well as they did this week. Of course, I had little confidence in their abilities, so anything better than elimination is more than I expected.
The blondes are lost and yelling at the locals out of desperation and shockingly, Gary & Will arrive at the U-Turn box to see they are U-Turned. Based upon their assumptions, they are now stuck to debate whether to U-Turn Caitlin & Brittany or Rob & Kelley. We know which one is the right choice for them but instead they go with U-Turning…
…Rob & Kelley. And with that, the superfans of The Amazing Race have wasted a perfectly good U-Turn. The blondes apparently feel that wandering aimlessly is a great way to squander this golden opportunity, so much so that they have somehow ended up at the Egghead Detour task instead of the U-Turn. They waste enough time there that the foregone conclusion of the substitutes going home has vaporized. Their ineptitude negated Gary & Will’s bad choice to U-Turn Rob & Kelley.
For a leg that should’ve been over ten minutes ago, this one is still going. The girls finally get to the clue box to see that Gary & Will were U-Turned and are once again struggling to find a driver that can get them to the high school pitstop. Gary & Will have caught up and despite an attempt at outrunning them on their bike taxi, the subs get to Phil first, avoiding elimination.
Caitlin & Brittany bitterly complain and blame all their misfortune on their driver. I believe they had three different drivers…so the common denominator is actually the girls themselves. The ugly tone that Brittany had during the second half of the leg, especially directed at the locals, is probably the reason that they weren’t communicating that well. Why else would their driver have taken them to the OTHER Detour location? My theory is that the blondes were showing him the wrong address. So, last week, the classy duo of Amy & Daniel legitimately could’ve blamed elimination on a driver and didn’t but this week, the blondes incorrectly assign blame to a guy that Brittany “cannot believe doesn’t speak any English.” They may not have U-Turned anyone in the game but they did a U-Turn in mind from likeable to unlikeable in the span of 25 minutes.
I must admit the Race had a bit of recovery for me, as I enjoyed this week much more than last. Specifically, the fact that the reveal of Caitlin & Brittany’s ugly side occurred on the same leg as the one they were eliminated on and more importantly, that the twins were knocked off their high horse.
Have a good week, all.