New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Brent explains that he is happy for Caite to take this challenge to prove that “she is not as dumb as everyone thinks.” I had to laugh at his backhanded compliment manner of phrasing that. Because when I hear this, I hear from Brent, “Oh, she’s dumb but just not as dumb as you think she is.” I highly doubt that was his intent but this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Brent have a verbal faux pas.

As Brent reflects on and seems to legitimately enjoy the cultural difference in how he worships his religion and the people in temple do so, Caite lowballs her first guess and has take her penalty. Fortunately for her, the urban public transportation system of Shanghai is taking its toll on our rurally-inclined team. They could have easily replaced Jet and Cord’s cowboy-themed muzak with the Green Acres theme (“Green Acres is the place for me, farm living is the live for me”) as the ‘boys struggle to find the train station.

Speaking of struggles, the clueless (meaning they can’t find the clue box and not a statement of their intelligence…all right…maybe a little) coupling of Super Fuzz and the brothers are still fruitlessly scanning the area with Michael’s binoculars, until he spies two coats hanging on sign. Both the detectives are convinced that this is where their clues are. The silence and nonparticipation of Dan and Jordan in any of these asinine decisions speaks volumes about how frustrated they are with this leg so far. Lo and behold, the coats have nothing to do with the Race. As an armchair Racer, the first flag that this was wrong would be the complete lack of a flag at all. There is always a red and yellow flag or route marker but I don’t have the benefit of years of police experience to shape my observational skills, so what do I know.

Back at the temple, Caite gets another strike on attempt number two and has to wait another ten minutes. At this rate, Jet and Cord may catch up as they are finally on the train.

With a crowd of people around them, none of whom have an idea about this Garden Bridge they are looking for, Michael has the brilliant notion to borrow one of their cell phones to call the Shanghai translation service and get the translator to tell their cabbie where to go. This is a great idea that hints at how smart the cops have played before but it is diminished by the significant time they wasted at this location.

With Super Fuzz’s cab leading the way, the downtrodden spirits of Dan and Jordan pile into their cab with the sole instruction to follow the other team. If that seems risky, well, it was. The cabs get separated easily because the brothers’ cabbie doesn’t follow his only direction to “follow that green cab.” It makes me wonder where he thought he was planning to take his passengers. At this point, Dan restrains himself because he is “going to get violent.” I don’t think anyone has been that angry at a taxi, since audiences (as small as they were) endured a certain Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon’s "comedy."

Continued:       1       2       3       4       5