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The muscle poses phase demonstrates a couple of aspects of the competition Kim and I had noted last week. Some folks take instructions better than others. As an example, Marcus Pollard spent the body of his NFL career listen to the drill sergeant demands of Peyton Manning. When his bodybuilder teaches poses, Pollard doesn’t need to hear them twice. Oddly, the professional snowboarders are not like this. I guess that a coach’s role in this sport is downplayed and that they are affable enough not to have needed harsh discipline. They don’t pay anywhere near enough attention during their training.

Ernie & Cindy make the same mistake in this heat that befell the grandparents and the fledgling couple earlier in the leg. They do not demonstrate enough attention to detail with regards to the workout, causing them to fail with only 9 points in the first round of judging. Ernie was too busy being impressed with how he looked mostly naked to learn the correct poses. The snowboarders make them look like Mr. Olympia. Their combined score is 4. This may take them awhile.

The Pollards, on the other hand, knock it out of the park with 12 points in their first attempt. They have dominated on this leg and appear headed for a first place finish, as long as they don’t get lost on the way to the Pit Stop at Parc Elisabeth. The Pollards overcame a disastrous decision last round and are now in strong shape to make the final four.

After Andy & Tommy blow the pose-down again, improving only 1 point to 5, Ernie & Cindy become the second team to complete the challenge with a score of 12. If they are not penalized for losing their train tickets, they have survived this leg. Bill & Cathi then deliver the worst performance yet with only 3 points, the worst score possible. Their loss is a gain for Jeremy & Sandy, who deliver a tremendous performance of 13. Despite start the leg well behind the other four teams, they appear likely to survive.

We do not know that for certain, though. When the Pollards arrive at the Pit Stop, Phil greets them with the news that they are team number one. They win a great prize, a trip for two to Panama. Then, their celebration is truncated.

Phil unequivocally states, “Now, as the first team to arrive, you know what that means. You’ll be the first team leaving on the next leg of the race…and the next leg of the race starts right now.”

Yes, this is the dreaded To Be Continued… episode. When Daron returns next week, he will find out whether Ernie & Cindy were punished, whether the last time to arrive on the current leg is eliminated or whether there will be a single/double elimination on the next leg. As long as the Pollards win the competition, we don’t care about the specifics.

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