"Amazing Race 9" Talkback (Spoilers)

[Rover_Wow]

So, 5 legs, no non-elims yet (just a Superleg in eps 3-4). Let's see when each season's first non-elims were:
1: Leg 6 (Italy)
2: Leg 6 (Thailand)
3: Leg 8 (Switzerland, I think... and the next leg was also non-elim)
4: Leg 8 (Malaysia)
5: Leg 5 (Egypt)
6: Leg 4 (Senegal)
7: Leg 5 (Botswana)
8: Leg 5 (Panama)

Nutshell: Dave and Lori really weren't expecting an elimiation round, but they've put the first non-elim legs as late at Leg 8 (!) (though since season 5, they've never been later than leg 5, so I guess they had a reason).

Notable quote from last leg I didn't catch: "This is Phil's turtleneck" (Jeremy doing the detour)

This leg: Only caught the kayak basketball thing. Interesting sport, isn't it?

ETA: Oh yeah, and Phil dancing! To a marching band, no less.

 

[spidl]

- Other Notes: 1) Some team other than BJ & Tyler or Eric & Jeremy win a leg! This season is frustrating not only for us fans who want to see plenty of shake-ups, but CBS too, who's trying to rebound from 'Family Edition.' It's so unprecedented that two teams have dominated this race thoroughly from the start. You know, I've never liked 'bunch-up spots' in the race, but if we so ever needed one, it's right now! Even if it's at the expense of BJ & Tyler... one very likable team amongst now six teams doesn't make for compelling television.

This had got to be one of the oddest things about this season. Even when their are bunch ups these two teams are still getting out. I think traffic has been the biggest factor this season. The teams that are behind are running into a lot of slow down. If Ray and Yolonda can get out and walk and still make to the box before Dave & Lori you something isn't right. Its going to be a few more legs before the other teams can make up the four lead the two lead teams have righ tnow.

 

[Rover_Wow]

- Highlight of the leg: The fake sign up sheet!
- Carrying the fish looked tough. And the nerds had a point... nightmare for a quick laundry job.
- E/J and BJ/T continue to dominate. Now THIS is a race.
- Nice touch with the "race so far, in case you didn't watch the 10pm airings" recap.

ETA many days later: Oh yeah, forgot about BJ/T's dog.

 

[Burgundy Ranger]

- Highlight of the leg: The fake sign up sheet!
- Carrying the fish looked tough. And the nerds had a point... nightmare for a quick laundry job.
- E/J and BJ/T continue to dominate. Now THIS is a race.
- Nice touch with the "race so far, in case you didn't watch the 10pm airings" recap.

Mediaweek's Marc Berman, who disliked the Family race so much he (foolishly, IMO) refused to watch this one, was upset the entire episode wasn't a catch-you-up clip show.

That's an extreme lack of faith in a show that got it right SEVEN times in a row but then took the chance to try something different. It's not like they forgot how they did it the first seven times.

But the quickie review at the beginning was a good move.

 

[Freedom Fighter]

Oopsie... almost forgot...

Wednesday, April 12, 2006: Episode #907 "Herculean Effort for Some Herculean Dudes"
Teams each get a portion of Da Vinci's famed "Vitruvian Man'' and must find the rest to get the clue; teams travel through Greece and compete in Olympic-style games, including a bout in the mud with a Greek wrestler.

See you tonight at as 8 pm EST on CBS!

 

[Burgundy Ranger]

Three teams disobey the "ride the train" instruction. Two aren't hurt by their 15-minute penalty. Lake & Michelle, the third team to break the rule are last anyhow.

Still haven't seen a non-elimination leg. Had the first Fast Forward, which the frat boys used to win the leg.

 

[Rover_Wow]

Okay, I'll ask... how the heck did BJ/T make up enough time to beat Lake/Michelle by more than 15 minutes? And 6 legs, still no non-elims?

Greek Olympics roadblock: cool.

Other highlights: Da Vinci Code challenge, F/B's broken window.

Another highlight from last week: "Let's go to cities we can't pronounce!"

 

[Mr Cat Dog]

Barry crashing into the tree was the best part of the episode, hands down! The rest - while a significant improvement from last week - seemed plainly OK. L/M went from cute to annoying in a single week, so I'm kinda glad they got eliminated. E/J had better slip up somehow in the next leg or something...

 

[Freedom Fighter]

Apologies for being late... I wasn't feeling well last week, so I taped the episode and didn't get around to watching it until tonight.

Leg 6 Observations:
- Like: BJ & Tyler and Joseph & Monica. The 'Hippies' fall from grace and nearly get eliminated, and Team 'Mojo' becomes just the third team this race to finish a leg in the Top 2.
- Neutral: Ray & Yolanda and Fran & Berry. Both teams are hanging in there. Ray & Yolanda show some real strength bolting up to 3rd (would've been 2nd if not for the penalty), but it looks they've got some 'relationship pains' on the way. Meanwhile, Fran & Berry hop back up, and they ellicit a funny moment when they accidentally back up into a little tree.
- Dislike: Eric & Jeremy and Lake & Michelle. Eric & Jeremy have actually gotten nicer the further we get away from Danielle & Dani's elimination. I'm disgusted, though, that their winning streak continues after they pluck the Fast Forward. And alas, we finally say goodbye to Lake & Michelle, who finally explode (at least what CBS is showing us) right out of the competition. Good riddance... well, more to Lake than Michelle, but still... good riddance to them both.
- Other Notes: 1) Okay, so out of our all-domineering Top 2, the team I want to fall from grace first (Eric & Jeremy) actually saves themselves with the Fast Forward and my favorites (BJ & Tyler) come within minutes of elimination. That makes four wins for the 'Frat Boys.' What's the record for most won legs, I wonder...
2) Speaking of Eric & Jeremy... how much did whatever company's releasing 'The DaVinci Code' movie to get that sponsorship deal? Not worth it, I say!

And, before I forget/get bogged down with something else... this week's episode...

Wednesday, April 19, 2006: Episode #908 "Here Comes the Bedouin!"
To get their next clue, racers must get up close and personal with some ornery camels at a detour in Oman.

That's tonight at 8 pm EST on CBS!

 

[Bad Asp]

That episode looks interesting, I'm going to watch it tonight.

By the way, on an unrelated topic, Freedom Fighter, I e-mailed you a copy of the missing episode of Roomies: Boys' Edition. You should have received it by now. Why didn't you?

 

[Freedom Fighter]

(Waitohooru, I'll PM you shortly about that. That's off-topic for the talkback... PM me if you have any future concerns about that stuff.)

With only five teams left now, I'm changing up the observations to team-by-team (in leg finishing order) as opposed to like-neutral-dislike sensibilities. Thus...

Leg 7 Observations:
- Fran & Berry: I must say, is this what they were blabbing about at the beginning when they said they could compete with the young'ins? To say the least, I wasn't expecting them to be the first team not Eric & Jeremy or BJ & Tyler to win a leg. But they seem to be done biding their time... they're here to win!
- Joseph & Monica: They're also starting to hit their stride with two second-place finishes in a row. It seems that as long as they can keep their wits about them, they're a viable final team with Eric/Jeremy and BJ/Tyler right now.
- Ray & Yolanda: It seems the whole long-distance relationship issue is finally hitting home, as the pair's learning a lot more about each other. Is it time to write them off as a couple? Not yet, but they'll be open to questioning each other (and their decisions) a lot in the next few legs.
- Eric & Jeremy: Who would've thought their gung-ho 'charge through everything' strategy would backfire thanks to a desert? They finally seem to be in a place 'outside their element' and they're paying for it, big time. Hopefully for them, they're not out of luck just yet.
- BJ & Tyler: The worst thing about starting and finishing a leg in the back of the pack is when you spend part of that same leg at the front. BJ & Tyler's luck has suddenly taken a hit, but they're saved by the race's first official non-elimination leg. Can they recover?
- Other Notes: 1) Talk about surreal experiences... being helped across a flooded road for a guy who could pass for a modern-day Ghandi.
2) Mud Pit #2 - No one wants to go across (and a line forms), Eric & Jeremy arrive and just go for it! I find it sickening Joseph complains about them cutting the line, but considering you were trying to bait BJ & Tyler to go first hoping they'd get stuck... his disgust is unfounded.
3) I love whomever picked that camel to be at the Road Block. It's perfect to have something annoy you so much when you're frustrated.

 

[Rover_Wow]

- BJ/T invoke the ghosts of previous teams, and it turns out not to help them one bit, esp. with the latest search for a "needle in a haystack" task. At least this time it doesn't get the elimmed... though they still finish last anyway, so they're Phil-mugged instead. Phew. I love the hippies, okay?
- Nice camel drawing. And of course, TAR fans love camels!
- No more "needle in a haystack" tasks, please! We don't need another Lena/Kristy style Philimination.
- At the other end, F/B must be the oldest team ever to finish first in a leg (sans FF, to boot!)
- Next week's Australia? Hey, where's the Thailand leg? I smell double-back coming...

(For the record, Colin and Christie TAR5 won 6 legs.)

 

[Freedom Fighter]

Wednesday, April 26, 2006: Episode #909 "Do You Know How Much Running I Did Today, Phil?"
Teams travel to Australia and ride a bicycle built for two; one team picks up a hitchhiker. (*snickers* Three guesses as to who picks up the hitchhiker, and the first two don't count! )

Catch it tonight at 8 pm EST on CBS!

 

[Freedom Fighter]

I forgot I hadn't commented on this yet, and apparently, everyone else missed this episode, as I don't see any comments on it yet.

Leg 8 Observations:
- Eric & Jeremy: That's five. The 'Frat Boys' recovered nicely from last week. Oh, and apparently I was wrong predicting they'd be the ones to pick up a hitchhiker... that was the other 'boys,' BJ & Tyler!
- Joseph & Monica: Speaking of 'getting used to finishing here,' Team MoJo gets their third-straight runner-up finish! Even though they seem to be falling apart with all of their arguing, they're hanging in there.
- BJ & Tyler: The 'Hippies' gets some help (and non-help) getting money from some teams (Fran/Barry, Ray/Yolanda) and none from others (Eric/Jeremy, Joseph/Monica). Hmmm... not sure if helping others exactly exudes good karma anymore, given the above.
- Ray & Yolanda: Given the above three teams, Ray & Yolanda are looking like lame ducks (i.e. most likely the next team eliminated). With me betting the next leg will be non-elimination, they'll need some big help (i.e. huge stumble by another team) if they have hope of getting to the finish.
- Fran & Berry: Alas... they finally broke through last week and are repaid the following leg by being eliminated. That seems to be a recurring theme in AR... go straight to the top, then knocked out of the race. So sad...
- Other Notes: 1) Just one this week... I'd just like to say that Michael Scofield and his boys ("Prison Break") would love to be imprisoned here, with their own escape route already built for them.

 

[Freedom Fighter]

With my 2000th post here at TZ and hopes that someone other than me will watch this week's episode... (I can only imagine how dead this thread'll be for the finale, which is booked against the finales of 'American Idol' and 'Lost.')
SELF-CORRECTION: Belay that... AR9's finale airs the week before the AI/Lost finales. I got my dates screwed up.

Wednesday, May 3, 2006: Episode #910 "Man, They Should Have Used Fake Names"
Teams travel to Australia to swim with crocodiles and skydive.

Anyway, see you tonight at 8 pm EST on CBS!

 

[Burgundy Ranger]

MoJo has to be one of the dumbest teams in recent TAR history. They drove too long and got beat to the Yield and then stayed on the mat and argued -- causing them to miss that the sand had run out!

Good thing I have no interest in Idol. My two VCRs are occupied with Deal or No Deal and TAR.

 

[Rover_Wow]

MoJo has to be one of the dumbest teams in recent TAR history. They drove too long and got beat to the Yield and then stayed on the mat and argued -- causing them to miss that the sand had run out!

Didn't one other team yielded team overstay their yield in an earlier season?

Meanwhile, loved the footrace, and love that the hippies are still in it (although the last team to get a non-elim last place twice AFAIK went on to become one of the most hated winners... Florika Pesenti, I'm looking in your direction!)

 

[Freedom Fighter]

I'm glad we got some action in this race! I'm not too keen on backstabbing (and misled backstabbing), but for a race that's been pretty much dead on arrival, this was a much needed shot in the arm!

Leg 9 Observations:
- Ray & Yolanda: Well, they're making a case for getting to the Final Three. As long as they don't fall apart again and they don't get overconfident like Fran & Berry did, they'll steal away one of the other teams' tickets to the finish line.
- Eric & Jeremy: I admit, cancelling other teams' cabs to gain an advantage was low, but it stirred the pot, so to speak. Karma got them, though... somehow their taxi didn't show up, either. But as a result, the hate that should've been directed to them instead goes to...
- Joseph & Monica: It's getting down and dirty, people aren't being nice anymore... they're being real. Seeing Monica break down after being Yielded by the Hippies... buck up, girl, it's just a Yield! And given the past, we still have no instance of a team being eliminated thanks to a Yield.
- BJ & Tyler: Not much to say about my favorite team. Still... do they have a chance after finishing last in a non-elimination leg a second time? Don't think even Ray & Yolanda will pad them with money this time...

Another nice kick-in-the-pants was the footrace for second. Ranks as my second favorite 'footrace for any position other than first,' behind the panic-filled 'race for 10th or go home' from the first leg of AR7.

 

[Rover_Wow]

- Joseph & Monica: It's getting down and dirty, people aren't being nice anymore... they're being real. Seeing Monica break down after being Yielded by the Hippies... buck up, girl, it's just a Yield! And given the past, we still have no instance of a team being eliminated thanks to a Yield.

Hello? Double D's, Italy leg with the statues. This season.

- BJ & Tyler: Not much to say about my favorite team. Still... do they have a chance after finishing last in a non-elimination leg a second time? Don't think even Ray & Yolanda will pad them with money this time...

As mentioned above, Flo/Zach won TAR3 after 2 non-elim last places.

Another nice kick-in-the-pants was the footrace for second. Ranks as my second favorite 'footrace for any position other than first,' behind the panic-filled 'race for 10th or go home' from the first leg of AR7.

Also from TAR7, Brian and Greg Smith outrace Ray and Deana, and send them home in Africa.

Another notable quotable: whoever said "safe sex" while suiting up for the croc pit.

Meanwhile, sucks to be MoJo, essentially getting Charlie Browned (and Yielded) for the cancelled taxis.

Another parallel with another season... TAR5.
* Of the final 4, one team has no leg wins (Linda/Karen, MoJo). L/K were elimmed... I reckon MoJo should be next.
* Only four teams have won legs (Alison/Donny, Brandon/Nicole, Colin/Christie, Chip/Kim ; Eric/Jeremy, BJ/Tyler, Fran/Barry, Ray/Yolanda)
* Of those four teams, one team were eliminated one leg after their leg win (A/D won leg 1, elimmed leg 2, Fran/Barry won Oman leg, elimmed in Perth leg).

Next week, the race returns to Thailand. SQUEE! (Although, not so squee on the bug eating.)

 

[Freedom Fighter]

Hello? Double D's, Italy leg with the statues. This season.

Oops... I had already forgotten about that. See, I think the season went downhill once they were gone... last week's episode was the first episode I've enjoyed a lot since then, since it's established Eric & Jeremy are the most 'evil' team still in the race. (Though comparatively, they're nowhere as close to the race's most evil teams who made it this far. Team Guido, Flo & Zach, Rob & Amber... the few I can think of off the top of my head.)

Onto this week's episode!

Wednesday, May 10, 2006: Episode #911 "I Think This Monkey Likes Me"
In Bangkok, teams must prepare a feast for hundreds of sacred monkeys.

Catch it tonight at 8 pm EST on CBS! And remember, the finale's next week, so after this week's episode, get in your predictions for the final finishing order! I know I will!