The Amazing Race 12 Episode 2

I've Become the Archie Bunker of the Home

By Reagen Sulewski

November 14, 2007

Really, they were just happy to be there.

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The ditch they have to travel over is filled with muddy water, which foretells some misery for teams that aren't that good at this. Lorena and Jason continue their strong leg as Jason leaps across the ditch with ease. He comes back with the clue, which sends them to the Pit Stop, which they need to get to by a bicycle with a big basket on the front.

Around this time, the final trainload of teams is arriving in Amsterdam. A lot of The Amazing Race is about the roles that people fall into. Someone always ends playing the role of Jackass, to varying degrees. Rarely has someone volunteered for this role as fast as Ronald does right here. While all three of the trailing teams choose the bicycle Detour, Ronald manages to delay his team behind all of them by undermining Christina's desire to trying the hoisting Detour. To top this off, when Christina finally gives in, Ronald decides that he needs to explain the task, and how difficult it will be to find the bikes, and what they should look for on the way. Just go, you idiot! It's a masterful job of passive-aggressiveness, as he forces Christina into his choice of task and then foists the responsibility of its success onto her. Yeah, I can believe this guy's in sales.

Back to the Pit Stop, and we see the first busload of Roadblockers checking in with Phil. Lorena and Jason hold onto their lead, and are rewarded with a pair of off-road vehicles for their first place finish. The two teams with Jennifers are next, with all three of these lead teams having run very strong physical legs.

Marianna and Julia actually do a pretty good job with the bike Detour, while Pat and Kate and Ronald and Christina struggling with it. In Ronald's case, it's more to do with him taking time out to lecture his daughter about the proper method of looking for bikes and how people suck and how positive attitudes are dumb. Right at this moment, Christina is probably realizing that she preferred his half-assed under-parenting to his half-assed over-parenting.




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The second busful of racers reaches the Roadblock although not without some confusion. Kynt, using his infinite deduction abilities, concludes that it must have something to do with the sheep in the field nearby. Given that the clue asks which team member is an acrobat, and he volunteers for it, I can only wonder at exactly what he thinks that involves. The other team members that take this on are Rachel, Hendekea, and fatefully, Donald.

After they reach the bus stop to take them to the Roadblock, Ronald decides that it's a good time for an after-action report on the day so far. His conclusion: his daughter is a big disappointment and makes bad decisions. He's apparently completely forgotten about him not wanting to do the hoisting Detour, and also that this is being filmed. Christina does well not to burst into tears at this haranguing.

Kate and Pat made a comment earlier in this leg about not being the fastest team but they would try being the smartest. Well, fast is nice too, as they dilly-dally just long enough to miss the bus that Marianna and Julia and Ronald and Christina get on, throwing them well back in last place.


Continued:       1       2       3       4

     


 
 

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