The Amazing Race Recap
By Daron Aldridge
October 4, 2011
Our soon-to-be married and already married teams are three and four out of the Roadblock. The rest of the teams are pretty much keeping their positions as the Roadblock as proven to be less physically or mentally taxing than I was hoping for. Here’s hoping the Detour causes a bit of drama for some teams.
Twins Liz & Marie start out doin’ a little dance, but only makin’ a little dough, so they keep getting’ down tonight. Meanwhile Ma & Pa and Ernie & Cindy are working hard as valets. There seems to be an even split on teams choosing between each of the Detours with the twins, Amani & Marcus, and Team Test Drive Jeremy & Sandy going with dancing and Justin & Jennifer and Andy & Tommy joining the parking attendants union.
Cindy & Ernie wisely take the front of the lot and are able to siphon off the people before they get to Bill & Cathi. This allows them to once again take first place out of a challenge and they have done well at regaining momentum despite the transportation equalization. Just as impressive is that Bill & Cathi get out in second from Ticket Taker and seem poised to avoid repeating a last place finish.
I guess I should recant that "wisely" adverb from the last paragraph because Ernie & Cindy are the first at the orphanage and the first to not give over all their money. But Ma & Pa and the twins fail to do it either, so it looks like that Phil will be doing quite a few non-check-ins at this Pitstop.
Team Survivor has joined Amani & Marcus at the Money Maker with Jenna dancing and Ethan playing. By now, it seems that parking task is preferable to panhandling/street performing, as Team Dude and the siblings have also finished their Detour with Justin & Jennifer starting the task.
The beauty of split screen lets us experience the simultaneous epiphany by Team Dude and disappointing reality by Ernie & Cindy. After the good-natured snowboarders give up their earnings and dole out high fives, Andy notices the sign and they start fishing out the rest of their cash. Meanwhile, Phil informs Ernie & Cindy about their mistake and he can’t check them in until they have returned to the orphanage. Cindy starts to break down and blames being raised in a “competitive Asian culture” for being so hard on herself and expecting nothing but perfection.
Ummm…okay…while I’m not disputing her claim, it seemed a bit shoehorned into the episode unnecessarily, especially considering that they are currently in Asia. Just a strange editing choice.
In a classy move befitting previous good-natured laid back teams (and race winners) BJ & Tyler and TK & Rachel, Team Dude says, “I’m glad we’ve saved up because that is more that goes to them.” That’s perspective, folks, and I think that I now have a favorite team this season.
With the mad scramble to the orphanage and the fight to not be one of the last two teams, I’d wager all my rupiah that Team Dude is the only team to not mess this up.
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