February 21, 2010

Before I get to the recap of this week's episode, I noticed something interesting this week. The Amazing Race has always made a habit of only referring to a team one way. By that, I mean that you never heard Nick and Starr referred to as Starr and Nick, or Flight Time and Big Easy referred to in the opposite order. I get that...I understand that you're trying to brand the name to breed familiairity. But what I don't get is why you would ask a couple from Big Brother to compete, who were always referred to as 'Jeff and Jordan', use them as the major draw for the show, and then call them 'Jordan and Jeff'. Doesn't make much sense to me.

But regardless, on to the episode, which was entitled "The Time The Cow Kicked Me In The Head", and I'm not joking about that...that was the real title of the episode.

They noted that Jeff and Jordan (I'm still calling them that) left the Pit Stop at 3:21 am, but they didn't show anyone else leaving, instead showing them all bunched up at the bus depot at 5 am. I thought, "Wow, if they're eliminating the traditional 'time-check and rip open your first clue' moment, we must be in for an action-packed episode.

Boy, was I wrong.

The first clue contained instructions for the racers to take a bus...to take another bus...to drive a car...to take a boat...to walk a path...all to find their next clue. That seems like a lot of work. The only thing mildly entertaining about this opening segment was watching Jordan try to explain to the taxi driver that she wanted to go to the bus station. "Bus-a-bus," she told him, channeling the spirit of Bustah Rhymes.

So, after a comedy of errors including teams traveling to different cities to take different buses, and some teams missing their buses (why would you leave the terminal if you knew there was another bus leaving in 30 minutes?), all the drama-filled 'bus footage' saw teams finally arriving on an island to open their first clue...26 minutes into the episode! Good thing they cut the opening departure footage so we could see a whole lot of nothing.

And then, after they got there and received their Detour clue, all they had to do was turn around, walk down the path, get back on the boat and go BACK to do the challenge on the mainland. It was the least exciting clue retrieval since last season's elevator trip up the Burj Dubai.

Why on earth would you come on The Amazing Race without one of the team members knowing how to competently drive standard? I have to think that you have advance knowledge that you're going on the Race...take a lesson!

Before Jet and Cord even mentioned that their cowboy hats had "covers" on them, I noticed that the interviews featured one of them with a plastic cover on top. Made me think back to every Italian Aunt and Uncles house in my family, with plastic covers on the furniture upstairs. One of the cowboys was smart enough to bring his cover with him (get your head around that one!), while the other one improvised by using a trash bag. Here's my question: isn't a hat, by design, intended to cover your head? Why does IT also need a cover?

Words of wisdom from one of the lesbians while they traveled on the boat - "If you're gonna throw up, you're gonna throw up." And in related news, blue is blue.

I was noting to myself that this was the least foul-mouthed cast on The Amazing Race when I kept hearing phrases like "Oh my gravy!", "Holy Shikey Bikey!, and "We're gonna enjoy the Dickens out of this." But then the Handlebar Twins (Louie and Michael), upon realizing that they drove past their destination, declared, "We went right the f*ck by it!" Ahhh...leave it to two guys from Rhode Island, hotbed of profanity.
Remember how awesome the past couple of seasons have been in terms of challenges? Remember the cheese rolling Roadblock where everyone was falling down the hill, or the Wasabi bombs? Well now, in one episode alone, we had challenges that consisted of putting a blanket and a scarf on a llama, collecting ingredient for baking, and wearing what looked like a parade float and just falling into the water.

What was with that Condor choice anyways? The clue said that you had to fly out to the clue in the water. If all you had to do was dress silly, and look like you tried, why wouldn't you pick that one? For a show that penalizes the smallest rules violation...seemed kind of odd. On a side note, I liked how Caite made sure to specify to Brent that when they were dressed as the condor, the should run together, as if running independently was an option.

Oktoberfest in Chile? Sounds exciting enough to make a beauty queen spit. You can expect to hear more about that in future episodes, I'm sure. Otherwise they wouldn't have shown it.

Undercover cops declaring "Drive it like you stole it." Your department must be so proud. Part of me really wanted the Handlebar Brothers to get eliminated, but let's be honest, like Coach on Survivor...they're better for the show, and this blog!

I called it last week that Granny and the girl would last 2 episodes. Other than getting kicked in the head by the cow (so THAT'S what that cryptic title meant!), the one big revelation coming out of it was that Granny plays favourites. I'm sure her other grandchildren were thrilled to hear that Shannon is her favourite. No more 'Grandmas Try Harder' shirts for you this Christmas!

Did you see Caite leave Brent hanging with a high-five at the Pit Stop? That was awesome. There's no defense against a rejected high five...you're just standing there. You can't wave to someone in the distance, or point at a bird...your only option is to shamefully lower your hand and admit that you were just shunned.

In the least appropriate prize since mother and son Margie and Luke won a romantic sunset catamaran ride (no joke), the Cowboys won a sailboat. There's simply too may easy jokes for me to choose from, so I'll let it go.

Next week, the return of the exhausting 'Carry The Travelocity Gnome For The Whole Episode For No Reason" challenge. Can't wait... (yawn)