The Amazing Race Recap

Run Like Scalded Dogs

By Daron Aldridge

March 2, 2010

Almost every team this year is terrible, so what does it say about us that we're already eliminated

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Carol, Heidi and Jet each get a rope and start throwing. Jet gets it on the second toss but embarrassingly acknowledges that he will get some heat back home for not getting it on the first try. The girls are struggling and complaining about it. I know you're surprised.

Team Big Brother is the first team for the second bus and they win their poker hand easily. As Jeff clumsily knocks over a chair, he exclaims, "I'm busting up this joint." (Better alternate episode title #2). Jeff represents Big Brother at the Roadblock and proves he's more Emmitt Smith than Wild Bill Hickok in the cowboy department. Carol and Heidi get through the challenge and head to the next task, which is located on cliffs by a river. In the car, the girlfriends' foreshadowed tension is rearing its head as Carol the navigator gets resistance from Brandy the driver because she can't see a river. Cut to a similarly themed argument between Brent and Caite as they try to find the saloon and I think I would rather be in an RV with Robin Williams than some of these teams. Mental note: Never apply to be an Amazing Race cameraman.

Coach Steve and daughter Allie show up at the saloon fifth but there's no sign of Monique and Shawne, detectives Michael and Louie, or brothers Dan and Jordan. Jet and Cord reach the Detour, which is a choice between Horse Sense and Horse Power. For Horse Sense, they have to use a sign compass and a set number of paces to find a bag of loot. Said bag must then be taken to the "lead bandit" at the train station for their clue. For Horse Power, they have to use a practice polo pony (basically a five-foot tall non-rocking wooden horse) to hit a ball with a polo mallet the length of the field in nine hits (alternating between players). Based upon how convoluted the directions for Horse Sense are, which I admittedly streamlined here, I would choose the polo Horse Power option.




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The cowboys of course go with Horse Power but are disappointed to see that it's not a real horse they will be using. Back at the ranch, Jeff finally defeats his inner city slicker and gets the clue while Coach Steve is getting started. The defective detectives Michael and Louie show up at the saloon and Coach gains some ground on Big Brother by finishing up quickly.

Next up is more arguing from Carol and Brandy and aimless wandering by married Joe and Heidi. At least, now the dating couple has reached the Detour and chosen Horse Sense. Jet and Cord finish Horse Power on the first attempt and get the clue in the form of a trophy with the pitstop name printed on the bottom.

Dan and Jordan are the second to the last ones at the saloon but Louie and Shawne are still working out their lasso arm muscles.

I guess their arguing is not confined to motor vehicles because Carol and Brandy are now fighting in a field trying to find the bags of loot. Instead of using the compass coordinates they were given and told to use, Carol impulsively runs toward a shovel and off the paces that Brandy was counting. Luckily for them, their misadventures in an Argentine field are now joined by Jeff and Jordan and Joe and Heidi, who both make equally foolish moves. First, Jeff glosses over the "go to the train station" part of the directions and thinks that the guy who gave them the coordinates is the "lead bandit". The producers point this out to us viewers with the slo-mo/gong effect when he makes this assumption. Next, Joe in all his brilliance decides to use the compass on his watch to find the location. Unless it somehow doubles as a pedometer or is a compass watch built 150 years ago, this isn't going to help matters.


Continued:       1       2       3       4       5

     


 
 

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