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

Anyway, this Detour is a choice between Straw Dogs or Bamboo Jungle. Straw Dogs has teams untangling 20 bundles of jute and taking it to the machines that will then manufacture it into bags. At the end of the production line, they will get their clue, which appears to be the picture of their next destination on one of the straw bags. For Bamboo Jungle, they have to transport 40 pieces bamboo from a marked area using a bike rickshaw across town to a construction site. When all the pieces are delivered, they are given a section of bamboo with the same picture on it.

Headbangers’ Ball decides to go with Bamboo, but I am not sure that the more physically demanding task it the right choice for a team that has intentionally avoiding putting Abba’s knee in such situations. Once again (and much to Ryan’s dismay), the divorcees and the twins are side-by-side at the Roadblock as Abbie and Nadiaya are the chosen team members. The role of the viewing audience this evening will be played by Ryan, who asks Natalie if she will be yelling “Twinny” the entire time because if so, he will go get his earplugs. Then Natalie has the disillusionment to label Ryan “rude and obnoxious.” She must be like the kids who want to be singers and their parents never have the honest conversation with them that they are not very good at singing. Clearly, no one ever told these girls that their constant, high volume “encouragement” isn’t endearing but annoying.

Back to the starting line, Team Beefcake and monster truckers have loaded up in cabs and Longhorns Trey & Lexi are the last ones to leave the mat about 20 minutes after the strippers…I mean…performers. While the Longhorns correctly believe they have a lot of ground to make up, there is less ground than they initially thought thanks to Team Beekman being completely clueless about the location of the marked taxi cab area. Josh & Brent are standing slack-jawed and overwhelmed in the middle of the street.

James & Abba have arrived at the Bamboo market for their Detour task and quickly inspect the display. As they begin searching for their bamboo, Abba notes that the clue says that they are to only collect bamboo from the marked area. This little bit of instruction has “screw-up” written all over it for at least one team. Which one? Based upon the teams this season, it could be any of them.

At the Roadblock, Nadiaya is making much better progress than Abbie. Typing that sentence is more painful than you can imagine for me but she deserves credit for a job well-done. She has completely assembled her scale and is working on the getting the rocks and wood to balance. Abbie has to correct her assembly that got a thumbs down from the judge. The next two teams (Jaymes & James and Rob & Kelley) have received their clue at the market pointing them to the Roadblock. Side note: This week, it finally dawned on me, who monster trucker Rob reminds me of – Sloth of The Goonies. He’s not deformed but his tuft of blond hair on the top of his head and exposed scalp all around it are a perfect match for Sloth.

The week that I finally decide to give them props and a third place power ranking, Team Beekman repays me by stalling out at the starting point. As they get into a cab, they are now tied for last with the Longhorns.

James & Abba have completely loaded up their rickshaw and are about to heading out, which is a good thing for their position because the twins are now done with the Roadblock and have selected Bamboo Jungle as well. I can see that if Bamboo is too arduous, that this may be the leg that we see Natalie & Nadiaya pull out the Express Pass and skip on over to Phil. Before they leave the Roadblock, though, Kelley is there and starting to tackle her own Roadblock. Joining her is a Jaymes from Team Beefcake.

Continued:       1       2       3       4