The Amazing Race Recap

Dumb Did Us In (but not the way the sore losers mean)

By Daron Aldridge

April 13, 2010

I was rooting for the bombs in this scene. Sadly, they lived.

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The cowboys fail their first time out and turn the stage over to Brent and Caite, who get it done on the first shot. Michael and Louie are still peddling their ice cream, as Caite is as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning that she will get to U-Turn Brandy and Carol. She even goes as far as to say that "it is all I want." I guess if you win the whole race, Phil gets to keep the check for a million dollars, since your petty vendetta is "all you want." As mean as the girls may have been, Brent and Caite are showing their spiteful side here, too. The fact that the producers only have footage of the "Where's her tiara?" comment from the first leg to highlight Brandy and Carol's meanness implies that this has been blown out of proportion in the minds of Brent and Caite. But maybe the producers are sitting on a gold mine of snarky footage. Anyway, South Carolina is now en route to a shipyard for the Roadblock.

Back to the Drums, and Carol and Brandy finally get their Detour clue. With only ten more to sell, Michael and Louie get a gift from their cab driver who buys the remaining ones. They'd better plan to tip that guy handsomely. The girls get to the next clue and see the course of their race has been altered.

Well, all that benefit of the doubt that I was giving Brandy and Carol about not being the mean-spirited people Brent and Caite claim they are is now officially gone. They spiral out of control with hateful diatribes that offer the following gems of tact and restraint: "This is flat out stupid but let's be honest, she's hasn't built a career on intelligence." and "She's an idiot. She's on YouTube to prove it."

They do bring up a valid point similar to Jordan's earlier observation that the girls haven't won a leg, so this was not a wise move. Carol appears to be calmed down and says, "For me, it just didn't make a lot of sense." Brandy is still reeling and pops off, "You can't make sense. Stupid is as stupid does...It's Brent and Caite Gump." Brandy even adds in an unflattering impersonation of Brent as Forrest. You can't even dismiss the comments with an "in the heat of the moment" excuse because the majority of the venomous and contemptuous statements were said during their interview, which was obviously conducted post-pitstop. If you have read any of my recaps, then you know that I am no fan of Team South Carolina and do question their race choices and even relish in their absent-minded foibles in a (hopefully) playful, sarcastic manner. But pure and simple, Brandy and Carol are just hateful in their words and overall tone.

All right, back to the race. Michael and Louie get to the clue and see that their insistence to Brent and Caite to U-Turn the girls panned out. Michael admits that they slyly kept mentioning the supposed edge that Brandy and Carol had over them, as a way to deflect Brent and Caite from recognizing that they should be U-Turning the stronger/better performing teams. This is a beautifully executed strategy. They express their desire for a final three of them with Brent and Caite and Jet and Cord. Super Fuzz is a much bigger player than I figured they would be.

It's anchors aweigh at that the Roadblock as the teams have to count the chain links on a giant anchor chain before getting their clue. Brent suits up for this task and starts counting but is distracted by the PA voice that is calling out random numbers.

Jet and Cord finally channel their inner timpanist and would be the last ones to finish their Detour task, if not for the U-Turn, which the girls are still fuming over and attacking each other now. Self-destruction, thy names are Brandy and Carol.

Despite the distractions, Brent clears the Roadblock on the first attempt and they are off to another task. It seems like this leg has been fast-paced but more task-heavy than usual. Teams have to go to an amusement park and ride the Mega Zip.

Jet and Cord are thrilled that they weren't the ones U-Turned and head to the Roadblock. Michael takes the Roadblock for Super Fuzz and brilliantly grabs a "pitch counter" that he uses for little league. This smart move is somewhat counteracted by the slip up of not grabbing the clipboard and report needed to complete the task. Jet steps up for the cowboys and he and Michael are battling for third place.

Despite all their complaining, it doesn't appear that Team Bitter of Brandy and Carol are too far behind as they complete the Pavement Detour. Back at the clue next to the U-Turn, Brandy continues with her criticism and derogatory remarks about Caite.

The objects of their disdain are loaded up on the MegaZip and sail on down to the next clue. The final task seems to be just an extra step to potentially give the U-Turned team a chance to possibly catch up. It may work out that way and if so, there will be fireworks galore on the next leg.

Michael gets the right number and is informed that he must get his clipboard to get the clue. As Jet and Michael finish the Roadblock, Carol and Brandy arrive. The cowboys' taxi waited and Super Fuzz's didn't. So, Jet and Cord are on their way to the MegaZip and Michael and Louie are trying to convince the girls' waiting cabbie to take them instead. I find it satisfying that the jerk move employed by the gay brothers from last season didn't pan out this time around.



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Brent and Caite are team number two and Phil questions them about U-Turning Brandy and Carol. Smugly, Caite says they brought it on themselves. They make it hard for me to take their side here, especially given Brandy and Carol's attitude this leg, but Brent and Caite also come across as deluded and arrogant. I wish there was a way for both teams to be eliminated but I will just keep hope alive that the girls end up in last.

Jet and Cord knock out the zip line task and are off to the marina pitstop, which they hit as team number three. They recovered decently from Cord's lack of percussion-ism. Super Fuzz repeat their mistake from the concert hall at the beginning and wander around the amusement park trying to find the zip line, which everyone else found easily. They appear to only be a few minutes ahead of Brandy and Carol. After the Mega Zip, they are both hoofing it from their cabs to the pitstop.

Officially, Super Fuzz is team number four and Brandy and Carol are eliminated from the race. As I rejoice in this fact, the vitriol continues with Brandy providing us with the episode title of "Dumb did us in," and Carol comparing them to first graders. To paraphrase Ron Burgundy, "Stay classy, Brandy and Carol."

For the next week, I will cross my fingers that Brent and Caite don't make the cut into the final three, so I can legitimately say that I would be happy if any of the last three teams were to win.


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