Amazing Race Recap - "Oh Man, Oman"

Last week I pointed out that Nick and Vicki were not forced to do a Speed Bump. One of the commenters here and on Spoiler TV explained that the reason this happened is because the previous week, in the Piano Detour, apparently they gave the correct answer but were told it was wrong. So they ended up being last, even though they should have arrived at the mat much earlier.

While I understand the logic, I think that it was inexcusable that CBS did not offer an explanation for this situation instead of assuming they could sneak this by their loyal, regular viewers. This was all anyone was talking about last week, and it’s insulting that it wasn’t addressed on the show.

For this week’s episode, the teams were off to Oman. Would the long-awaited proposal from Meathead Chad finally happen? Would Mallory get help from the heavens, as she seems to ask for every week? And on a scale of 1 to 10, how happy do you think I am that I live and watch The Amazing Race in Canada, where I can happily view the episode at 8:00 ET every Sunday, without waiting for football delays?

My Random Thoughts:

- After last week’s near-elimination for Chad and Stephanie, don’t you think that would have been a HUGE wake-up call for them to be on their game and make sure not to miss any details. I mean, after Phil tells you that you’re the last ones to arrive, AND you have a penalty…and then you find out that someone messed up even worse, and you’re still in the Race, how on earth could you possibly miss the start of your next leg? I know that their two hour sleep-in only resulted in them being behind by 10 minutes on their flight, but it’s still idiotic.

- So how does Chad decide that they should deal with this turn of events? The penalties, the near-elimination, and then missing your scheduled race start by 2 hours? He decides that NOW is the perfect time to propose…in the romantic hotbed of Oman? (and was the commercial break mid-proposal really necessary, when it had already been teased in the preview this week) Ok, I’ll drop the harsh exterior and give Chad some credit for using his mom’s ring, but any warming of the heart that I may have started to feel was immediately removed the moment the ‘Dating’ descriptor for Chad and Stephanie changed to a sparkly ‘Engaged.’ Gag.

- I loved how Chad talked about the fact that “no one has beat us”, because they’ve been causing their own problems that are preventing them from winning. What a horrible analogy. If you’re running in the 100 Meter Dash at the Olympics, and you fall coming out of the starting blocks…you know the guy that finishes first? He still beat you. And he still gets the gold medal.

- Brainiac Nick declared that “it takes just as long to look at the map and try to get an understanding of it, as it does to ask a local that, for sure, knows to where to tell you to go.” That actually made me laugh out loud, to think that some random local is a better directional option THAN A MAP. The problem is that Nick can’t read maps, and…some people out there in our nation…don’t have maps. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist) If you can’t read a map, then yes, the ‘talk to a local’ method is your best option, but don’t try to tell the world that the map is a bad idea. Nick then classily followed up his map ineptitude by doing what he always does: having a tantrum and yelling at Vicki, threatening to go home if she did anything else stupid, and saying that he was “ laughing at (her) dumb ass.”- How hard did you laugh when you saw that there was a second rappelling task on this season…and that Thomas the Master Rapeller wasn’t going to get to do it? And while we’re on the subject of classy boyfriends, did you love how he felt he had to correct Jill on the pronunciation of ‘rappel’?

- Jill: “I definitely do have a fear of heights. Just in a really high area.” Um…ok.

- Nick and Vicki encountered a flat tire, and Nick took his rage out on the tire iron, kicking it to loosen the nuts on the wheel. I absolutely loved the shot of Nick under the vehicle working to change the tire…because he was actually pumping the jack DOWN instead of up. I’m serious…go back and watch it again!

Earlier this season, I had a discussion with a fellow Amazing Race fan who reads and comments here, about the number of flat tires on the show. He suggested that the show, and vehicles, were rigged so that there would be flat tires on the show periodically. I said I didn’t think so, and he said to me “How many times have you had to change a flat tire?” I told him that I had to change 2 in the past year…and since we had that conversation in early October, I’ve had to change a third now.

- When Chad and Stephanie saw Jill and Thomas already pumping water from their water truck when they arrived at the Detour address, Stephanie said that she was pissed. Ok, forget about the near-elimination and oversleeping (covered above), but if I was Stephanie, I would be more pissed about the fact that my truck was equipped with a blurry camera, and that I have a water truck driver who is checking his blackberry as he’s driving!

Then Stephanie talked about how when she and Chad find a way to make it up front in the race, someone else finds a spot to “weasel their way in” to pass them. Ok, let’s use the 100 Meter Dash analogy again: if you’re leading the race, and then you’re not…nobody ‘weaseled’ their way in…they just beat you. And once again, they get the medal, not you.

- In last week’s recap, I wondered if the “you can’t pay a taxi to lead you” rule was across the board, or just a single instruction. I guess Jill and Thomas found out the hard way. No Belize for you.

- Upon finding out that they were Team #1, Chad did the most awkward girlish scream/jump on the mat. I’m sure his football buddies won’t mention it at all.

- The “Ali Baba In A Suit” challenge was significantly easier for trailing teams Nat and Kat and Gary and Mallory because the shop that Ali Baba was located in, was the only one open at the time they were at the market!

- Gary and Mallory arrived at the location from their first clue at 8:43 pm viewing time, after driving for nine hours. They never had a shot in this one, even though Mallory apparently turned into Flavor Flav, dropping a “Yeeee-uh” when she thought she saw another team. Did Gary really say Mallory was the “boy I never had?” Wow, way to tug on the heartstrings, dad.

Next week: Bangladesh stinks, and the premiere of the Double U-Turn.

Amazing Race Fans, feel free to bookmark the site or add your name as a Follower on the sidebar to the left. You can also add me on Facebook, where I post all of the recaps as soon as they go up. Don’t forget to mouse over the pictures for captions, and please leave a Comment in the Comments section if you’re so inclined.

Related Posts:
Josh Wolk’s Amazing Race Recap
Darren Franich’s EW.com Amazing Race Recap

Spoiler TV Recap

Survivor Nicaragua Recap: "I'm Not Perfect...I'm A Humanitarian"

Last week we learned that it’s preferential to keep an admitted thief who is likely insane, and a crotchety old man who can barely walk, over a single twenty-something woman with no alliance. We’ve also learned this season that keeping the crazy people over the proven leaders is a good tactic as well. The Season of Idiots continues:

My Random Thoughts:

- In the opening segment, The Voice of The Blue Shirt warned us that “the feud between Jane and Marty has reached critical mass.” Look, I understand that these two are throwing barbs back and forth (Marty a little more aggressively), but up until this point, hasn’t it all really been just verbal? Is “critical mass” really the right term? It’s not really the Hatfields vs. The McCoys. I think the more appropriate voice-over of what is reaching critical mass would be Naonka vs. sanity, or Purple Kelly vs. the ability to speak.

- Marty said “It’s just frustrating to play a game with people, some people, that are just stupid.” Let’s analyze Marty’s game play so far this season: a) he orchestrated the ousting of Jimmy Johnson, the sole force that could have kept his team united, b) he orchestrated the ousting of Jimmy T., who was admittedly unbearable, but could have helped in challenges (if only someone would give him a shot!), c) he did both of those things while protecting Dan, a liability instead of an advantage, d) he targeted the Southern Old Lady for his verbal attacks, and e) HE GAVE HIS DAMN IMMUNITY IDOL AWAY FOR NO REASON. I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in this game who, based on facts alone, has been stupider than Marty himself. And I say that begrudgingly, as he was my pick to win the game.

- The Reward Challenge was once again a pretty entertaining challenge. I thought it was an unfortunate turn of events (for the women) that it ended up being boys vs. girls, they never had a chance. Brenda nearly decapitated herself, the men dragged Dan through most of the course, and the teams had to burst through a brick wall, which made me laugh out loud because all I could think of is this:

- Purple Kelly spoke! To be fair, she just cried and talked about how sad she was that she didn’t get to go on the Reward with the winning team, but it’s something. Baby steps, people! The biggest character development we’ve seen so far was tonight at Tribal Council when she had trouble opening the pen.

- Jane came up with the most repetitively confusing line of the season, when she spoke of voting Marty out at the next Tribal Council: “If…uh…he doesn’t win immunity, the fat lady’s gonna be singin’, I’ll tell you that much…and I ain’t fat…but I’m gonna be the fat woman…although I’m not fat."

- After 5 or 6 awesome challenges in a row, The Immunity Challenge was essentially a game of Simon, which was a pretty big letdown. It was ridiculously easy as long as you could transfer each symbol to a single letter (like the first letter), and make a 6-letter acronym to remember. But still, we lost over half of the contestants before the first sequence was done, proving my suggestion that THIS IS THE DUMBEST CAST IN HISTORY. If you didn’t know this would end up being Marty vs. Brenda at the end from the moment Jeff started explaining it, you haven’t been watching this season.

- Fabio said “I hate playing stupid so much, but it’s like the smartest thing to do right now.” I’ve heard the argument that Jud/Fabio is just playing dumb as part of his strategy, but I wasn’t buying into it…until now. I’m still not fully on board, but I’ve opened my mind to the possibility. That line just seemed too perfect to not have been placed in there for a reason.

- Chase figured out the plan to say the Tribe was voting for NaOnka, but instead vote for Jane, in approximately a nanosecond. That's pretty good for a "Pro Race Car Jackman", I bet his Pit-mates are proud of him. And say what you will about Sash and Brenda and how arrogant they are about ruling the camp…but they’re right. I loved Sash’s argument to keep Marty around, because he’s a good cook & sings like a canary about everyone’s plans.

- At Tribal council, NaOnka actually lost her final marble – bouncing around, ranting, swearing, name-calling everyone she could, getting pissed at Jeff, and even giving the finger to others while they were voting. She’s lost it…she’s gone.

- When Jane was voting, she talked about Marty being a bad father, and how she would never allow Marty’s kids to play with her grandkids. Wow…maybe I was wrong, this is like the Hatfields and the McCoys. But still, the “kids and grandkids not playing together” is the most non-relevant threat since Sue Hawk told Kelly Wigglesworth she wouldn’t give her a drink of water if she was dying of thirst on the side of the road.

- The second NaOnka didn’t play her Idol, Marty made the face that said it all: “I’m screwed”…and there goes my pick to win it all. (Jimbo, I owe you $20)

Next Week: The tribe is shocked about something…what is “the day from hell?”

(leave your guess in the Comments section)

Survivor Fans, feel free to bookmark the site or add your name as a Follower on the sidebar to the left. You can also add me on Facebook, where I post all of the recaps as soon as they go up. Don’t forget to mouse over the pictures for captions, and please leave a Comment in the Comments section if you’re so inclined.

Thanks for reading.

Related Posts:
Survivor Nicaragua Recap by Dalton Ross
Jeff Probst’s Blog
Spoiler TV Recap

Amazing Race Recap: "To Cab Or Not To Cab"

Last week’s episode of the Amazing Race featured no real progression in the Race itself since it was a non-elimination leg. Essentially Chad got frustrated at Stephanie, Thomas was condescending to Jill, and Nick and Vicki sucked at anything and everything they tried. Sounds like every other episode so far this season. What would the second leg in St. Petersburg bring?

My Random Thoughts:

- Jill and Thomas started the leg out in first place, and on the obligatory ‘Leaders talking about their great teamwork’ on-camera confessional: Jill declared that “Our main issue is Thomas talking at me and not to me”, while Thomas explained “We work very well together. I hope that continues.“ Yep, they sound like they’re on the same page.

- Brook and Claire opened their clue to find that they were heading off to the circus, which caused Brook to break out her trademark shriek and exclaim “I want to be in a Circus! That’s where I belong!” (also the title of the episode) For some reason, I can imagine that if Brook was actually in a circus, at some point, the people in charge would have to pull her into the office and say “Listen Brook, you’re just a little too…over the top. We need you to tone it down a bit.”

- Once the door opened to allow the teams into the Circus, Thomas leaped down the steps in a gesture that was more suited to a 5-year-old than a Notre Dame graduate. Seriously, look at the picture below. Can’t you just hear him yelling “Wheeeeee!” in his own head? I’m guessing that he still comes out of the grocery store with his shopping cart and runs and jumps on the back end of it, rolling along in the parking lot with a big smile on his face.
- You know what this show has been missing? Russian Carnies! Looking at the freak show that the teams had to deal with on the first detour, I felt like I was watching a Cirque Du Soleil show while on acid.

- Hands up if you were shocked that Thomas didn’t talk about his experience Plate Spinning and playing the accordion while at Notre Dame. Last week I explained that the only thing dumber than switching tasks, is switching back again, and then we see it yet again this week. And Thomas tried to justify it by saying that since the other option was right there, they would have been foolish not to see what it was. I really enjoyed watching him have trouble with the accordion, and saying that it was “way too much to learn.” I’m still loving how delicious that irony tastes.

- Nat & Kat’s post-leg confessional looked less like an on-camera interview for the Amazing Race, and more like a scene from Flashdance 2: The Doctors Can Dance.

- Did you notice that Mallory was completely calm & composed in this episode? Explaining everything clearly to the cab drivers, not getting flustered, and not screaming for no reason whatsoever? Whatever medication she took at the beginning of this episode should be prescribed for the duration of the Race.

- Chad had trouble spinning the plates and said “I don’t think I’m gentle enough. This is stupid.” I think he has lost sight of the fact that almost everything they do on this Race could fall under the category of Stupid if you really think about it. I’m not sure anyone else would find themselves flinging watermelons out of giant slingshots at suits of armour just for a Sunday afternoon treat. His tantrum-like behavior is getting very annoying. After they switched to the accordion, he thought he could do it because it was “just like Guitar Hero.” Listen, if you’re comparing your cultural experience in Russia to your Wii game…maybe you shouldn’t be making comparisons.
- I liked how they specified that the teams were not able to pay a taxi to lead them because I’ve always thought that it’s a cop-out to be able to do that on the Race. I hope that’s an across the board rule and not just one for this leg. It was also some pretty good foreshadowing that someone was going to get a penalty.

- Kevin said “I don’t think Nick would lie to us cause he’s awesome”, which made me wonder about Kevin’s ability to assess a situation for 2 reasons: 1) OF COURSE he will lie to you in a race for a million dollars, and 2) Nick is most definitely not awesome. And even if he was, what kind of logic is that? The faux confrontation afterwards was pretty lame:

Kevin: “Did you guys lie to us?”
Nick: (shrug) “Lie to you? We’re right here looking.”

Was that not the worst response ever? It made no sense, and Nick gave him the most obvious ‘I’m lying” face I’ve seen in a long time. After seeing that scene, I’d like to personally invite Nick to my next poker game.

- Nick, meanwhile, was calling everyone he could either a dumbass or a moron. I’d like to respectfully remind everyone that this is the guy who got into a cab in Ghana and asked the driver to take him to the Arctic Circle.

- Chad to Stephanie at the tower: “It was right in front of your freakin’ face!” Stephanie: “I love it when he rubs it in.” Then footage of Chad laughing at Stephanie in the cab for missing the statue of the building. I look more and more forward to that marriage proposal every week.

- Gorodki looked like a lot of fun. How many shots do you think it took for them to nail that one of Phil getting knocked over? (don’t worry, he was fine)
- Brook had a fan club of 10-year-olds gather to watch her throw sticks, and she rewarded them with a good old-fashioned ass shake. Meanwhile, Nick might have actually pulled a muscle patting himself on the back for how great he was on the challenge.

- Did you notice that Nick and Vicki were not subjected to a Speed Bump, even though the last episode was a non-elimination leg? I have been saying it for 3 weeks now, stop making redundant Speed Bumps…just carry on with the race.

- Michael and Kevin’s elimination was quite anti-climactic, because we all knew the penalties were coming. I liked Team Jumba, but they never really had a shot to win the whole thing.

Next week: Chad and Stephanie get some extra sleep, and Mallory once again turns to Jesus.

Amazing Race Fans, feel free to bookmark the site or add your name as a Follower on the sidebar to the left. You can also add me on Facebook, where I post all of the recaps as soon as they go up. Don’t forget to mouse over the pictures for captions, and please leave a Comment in the Comments section if you’re so inclined.

Related Posts:
Josh Wolk’s Amazing Race Recap
Darren Franich’s EW.com Amazing Race Recap
Spoiler TV - Amazing Race Recap

NOTE - A lot of people are searching for an explanation as to why Nick and Vicki didn't do a Speed Bump this episode. See the Comments section below for an explanation.

Survivor Nicaragua Recap: "It Tastes Better When You're Stealin' It."

I’m still shaking my head at Marty’s idiotic move last week, giving Sash the Idol. Now, with the merge already revealed in the trailer for this week’s episode, it looks like an even dumber move. This week, would Purple Kelly finally say something, since we’re already on the eighth episode of the season? How is Dan still in this game? And what is the South Dakota Word of Honor?

My Random Thoughts:

- NaOnka was edited to look like villain for the first few episodes, then she came across as this harmless little wallflower for the last couple of episodes, and now she’s back to the villain again. I think I have it figured out, though: When NaOnka wants to be the “sympathetic” character that you’re not supposed to hate, her eyebrows are up so high you would think they’re auditioning for a role in her hairline. But when she’s the nasty crazy person, she’s got her eyebrows all furrowed. She’s basically a living emoticon.

- Jane and Chase talking about doing P90X workouts while filling their water jars was one of the most awkward things I’ve ever seen on this show. I get that you can bond over your common North Carolina roots, and your dead husband/dead father, but P90X? Really? And what was up with their “well” where they were getting their water? Instead of some dingy old hole in the ground like we usually see, their water source looked like some sort of treatment facility with reverse osmosis and refill options.

- Naonka stealing and hiding the flour made absolutely no sense. Why on earth would you steal the stuff that can make you food…when you’re hungry…and not use it to actually make the food? And if that weren’t crazy enough, to then tell Alina, who you want to get rid of…and then telling the whole tribe? It’s like NaOnka went to the Holly School of Insane Behaviour, where you learn to do idiotic things that serve no purpose, only to admit to them a short time later. I feel the only justification for this absurd turn of events would be to find Dan’s $1600 shoes in the lagoon, and then fill them up with the flour that NaOnka stole. Maybe then it will close up the seam in the universe that is causing these morons to do crazy things. Stealing fruit I can understand, but none of this made any sense. Even sock-burning, water-dumping Russell Hantz must have been shaking his head at the TV.

- Sash talked about wanting to take NaOnka to the Final Three, which makes total sense. She’s in the process of burning so many bridges that no one will ever vote for her. Just like the aforementioned Russell Hantz, who single-handedly gave Natalie and Sandra $1 million dollars each just because they weren’t him. Yes, Sash is an arrogant douchebag, but at least he’s using his head.

- Purple Kelly said 3 things this episode: 1) “Oh.” 2) “She caught another fish”, and 3)“So, we need to get, like, us girls together…and…um…Sash. And get Marty out. And that’s it.” Why is this woman on this show? Are they planning on editing her in at any point? Even Brent from Survivor: Samoa is like “she’s getting screwed by the editors!”

- 30 minutes into this episode, as the teams headed to the Immunity Challenge…nothing had happened yet. Well, they merged, there was redundant food stealing that came full circle, and Jane caught a fish…but are you telling me that’s half of your episode?

- I thought that this was another great challenge. I’m happy to see that the old standard “cut a rope and raise a flag” to end a challenge has been replaced by tiles smashing at the end of every one, but I have to think that Mark Burnett got a great deal on tiles in bulk.
- Jane wins her challenge and keeps on trucking until the boys are done. Give the crazy old cackling bird credit, she even refused to break her tile at the end. Fabio, meanwhile, made it look effortless, cruising to an Immunity win. Dan lasts 3 seconds. Shocking.

- Speaking of Dan, did you happen to notice the scene where he was telling Marty that Chase was planning on blindsiding him? First of all, his tank top was on backwards! The tag kept flicking up from the front (er…back) while he was talking, and he WAS GRABBING HIS CROTCH. And I don’t mean a scratch, or an adjustment, I mean a full-on “I’m just going to hold this thing” sort of grab. Very awkward.

- What is the “South Dakota Word of Honor”? Is that like a pinky swear? Or a “cross-my heart, hope to die.” Any readers from South Dakota who can shed any light on this?

- Can we please make sure that the cast knows how to spell each other’s names before Tribal Council? Marti? Aleina? It’s just embarrassing.

- Benry called Alina a “100 Percent Grade A Dirt Squirrel?”, which, to be fair, is soooo much worse that a lesser grade Dirt Squirrel that is only, say, 80%. Nice burn, Benry.

- I liked Alina, but she never had a chance once Kelly B. was gone. Too bad.

Next Week: NaOnka leaves Jeff speechless.

Survivor Fans, feel free to bookmark the site or add your name as a Follower on the sidebar to the left. You can also add me on Facebook, where I post all of the recaps as soon as they go up. Don’t forget to mouse over the pictures for captions, and please leave a Comment in the Comments section if you’re so inclined.

Thanks for reading.

Related Posts:
Survivor Nicaragua Recap by Dalton Ross
Jeff Probst’s Blog

I'd Like To See Floyd Mayweather Pull THIS Off...

Lost: Island Reunion T-Shirt

This is the new #1 item on my Christmas list: the limited edition Island Reunion T-Shirt from TeeFury. (click to be taken to the page where you can purchase it...for you or me)

Amazing Race Recap: "Run, Babushka, Run"

With all of the sheep-head eating completed (presumably) for this season, the Amazing Racers found themselves on the way to St. Petersburg, Russia. In this “city full of culture”, why are the teams dealing with manure and potatoes ? Is there anything Thomas hasn’t done? And since it’s Halloween and we just finished giving out candy to the neighbourhood kids, does the fact that I’m writing this recap while still dressed as Super Mario make you smile?

My Random Thoughts:

- Nat and Kat gave us a speech early in the episode on how they survive and thrive in a male-dominated world, and how they would be the first all-female team to win The Amazing Race. How bad do you think the Amazing Race producers wanted an all-female team to win this year, considering that there were four all-female teams?

- We got the old TAR classic that sees all the teams equalized by a train or plane that leaves so late, all teams have to travel together. However, we were spared the redundancy of watching every team leave the Pit Stop, rip open the clue, and find this out all together. Instead, we only saw Nat and Kat, and then all teams were together at the train station by 8:06 ET viewing time. They started this last season, and I’m happy it is continuing. Give us the good stuff, not manufactured travel drama.

- On the train from Norway to Sweden, Jill saw the sleeping quarters and said to Thomas: “This is crazy. Have you ever slept in one of these before?” Thomas once again answered condescendingly, ‘Yeah, of course.” Clearly Jill has forgotten that Thomas went to Notre Dame! Although we actually didn’t hear the words “Notre Dame” in this episode at all (and thank God, after a record setting episode last week), we were still reminded that Thomas has done everything.

- Mallory has never been on a train before? Seriously? Maybe for some bonding time, she should have headed over to the other car, where a slumber party scene broke out with Nat, Kat, Brook, and Claire. It started with smelling socks and shoes, and I half-expected it to turn into the 4 of them having pillow fights, doing each other’s hair, and making s’mores.

- Stephanie wasn’t up early enough, according to Chad. “Every other girl” was up and ready before her, so it was clearly her fault that they were the last ones to find a cab. Do you notice how Chad is all about the blame…all about whose fault it is? What a great teammate.

- Personally, I would have chosen the Music Detour over the Film Detour. Yes, it was hard, but I would always avoid the ‘needle in a haystack’ type challenges wherever possible. And here’s a question for you, which job would you rather have on this episode of TAR: the guy who just stands there saying ‘Nyet’ or ‘Da’ as the music folder is handed in, or the person sitting at the piano playing the same song over and over and over again?

- Yes, we get it. Sometimes the cab drivers get lost, and sometimes they don’t know where they’re going, but does it really warrant the ‘dramatic music leading into the commercial break’ all the time? I think half of the time the cab driver has that Deer In the Headlights look is because two people have just jumped into the back seat of his cab, while a cameraman has just jumped into the passenger seat. If you’re in Ghana, or Russia, or somewhere else halfway around the world, you’d be shocked too.
- Mallory seemed to be having a seizure while describing the Piano Detour, and then when they had to switch to the Film Detour, she once again asked for Jesus to help her.

- When Thomas was trying to explain to his cab driver what the clue said, he just spoke louder and slower, telling him: “We need a MARKED sign telling us where to DRIVE to.” When he said ‘marked”, he moved his hands side to side, and when he said “drive”, he moved them up and down in a gesture that seemed to more apt to describe milking a cow than driving a car. I’m shocked that Mr. Notre Dame didn’t already speak Russian…or at least decided to learn the entire language on the train ride from Norway while Jill was still amazed at the beds.

- Michael told Kevin that St. Petersburg is a city full of history and culture. He’s right, of course, but if you didn’t know anything about Russia before watching this episode, all you really would have learned is that they produced a number or Classical Music composers, apparently everyone owns a barking dog, and that groups of old men will try to lure young women into their shacks to drink vodka with them. What the hell was that? Did Mallory really let that guy lift her over the fence? That whole situation was a disaster narrowly averted.

- Chad is nothing but a complainer. I’m now referring to him as Captain Bitch-N-Moan. He never has any solutions, he just whines. He kept asking Stephanie, “Well, what do you wanna do?”, and even after her answers were clear and concise, he kept asking…and complaining that they should have left a long time ago.
- Nick on Nat and Kat at the Film Detour: “They got here last and they found it first? That’s the best luck I’ve ever seen.” Really, Nick? You live in Las Vegas, and that’s the best luck you’ve ever seen? Shocking.

- Switching from one task to another is dumb, but switching back is even worse. Drives me nuts every time I see it. It was obvious that Nick and Vicki were going to be last this leg.

- In the cab, after Jill completed the Babushka Roadblock, Thomas told her “Jill, god job. I’m so proud of you”, but let’s be honest, we all heard “I went to Notre Dame, I’m not doing a menial task that involves manure and planting potatoes.”

- 8:43 pm ET – Vicki declares in the cab “I’m just glad we never quit. You never know what’s going to happen.” Could it have been any more obvious that this was going to be a Non-Elimination leg? Nick and Vicki will now have to encounter a Speed Bump on the next leg, but based on the idiotic tasks (see my rant—and solution—in last week’s post) that we’ve seen so far, my guess is that their Speed Bump will be “Count to 100."

Amazing Race Fans, feel free to bookmark the site or add your name as a Follower on the sidebar to the left. You can also add me on Facebook, where I post all of the recaps as soon as they go up. Don’t forget to mouse over the pictures for captions, and please leave a Comment in the Comments section if you’re so inclined.

Related Posts:
Josh Wolk’s Amazing Race Recap
Darren Franich’s EW.com Amazing Race Recap

Finally, and only because it’s Halloween today, please enjoy the video embedded below. A full year after seeing it for the first time, I still have no idea what is going on, but it’s funny every single time…and you’ll never hear “Ghostbusters” the same again.

Survivor Nicaragua Recap: Why Keep An Idol When You Can Give It Away?

Marty is an idiot.

Seriously, a complete idiot.

I can't believe I picked this guy as my choice to win after the first episode.

Sorry tonight's recap is up later than normal. I was out for the evening and didn't get back to even begin watching the show until 1 am ET, so forgive me if this is short and rambling.

My Random Thoughts:

- Dan is now comparing himself to John Gotti? Now he's 'Teflon Dan'? Come on, man...you can barely walk and serve no purpose to anyone in this game. Take your $1600 shoes, your swollen knee, your spiffy mob nicknames, and shuffle on out of here. If you start walking now, you may reach the Ponderosa section for evicted castaways by the Season Finale.

- Naonka hates Alina. Then they switch to the other tribe and they "bond". And now she hates her again? Discussion topic: Is NaOnka a) crazy, b) bipolar, or c) both?

- Do we really need a full-on HD shot of a tarantula crawling around in the dark? Not cool. Not cool at all.

- The Reward Challenge seemed like fun: Chase took it in the junk, Fabio pissed in the pool, Dan waddled like a crippled penguin, and Benry rocked again. That challenge looked like it would have been toughest on Fabio and Chase as the defenders, as they had to keep getting up onto the pedestal from the water.

- Purple Kelly spoke! Correct me if I'm wrong, but was that her first on-camera confessional when she spoke to the camera in tonight's episode? I was so shocked, I didn't even notice what she said. I had no idea what her voice sounded like until tonight!

- And can we talk about names for just a moment? As I mentioned with Jimmy T. after Jimmy Johnson was eliminated, the indicator is irrelevant once the other person with your name is gone. So why can't Purple Kelly just be Kelly? And have we all forgotten that Fabio's name is Jud? Why do we even learn these people's names if we're going to call them something else?

- I love how in one week, Survivor can turn someone you felt indifferent about, or even liked, into a total douchebag. That was accomplished in one on-camera monologue from Sash, the self-anointed King of La Flor, who decided it was in his best interest to sit back and let the older tribe members serve him.

- I have to say, other than the breakfast feast, that didn't seem like much of a reward. Milking your own cow before you get the milk? In most of the world, that falls under the category of "chores", not "reward." Although, to be fair, I suppose that milking the cow is probably more television-appropriate than shooting it in the neck with a bow and arrow and drinking its blood! Remember that from Survivor: Africa?

- NaOnka wanted nothing to do with the cow, although I was surprised she didn't starting yelling at the cow and calling it names, since it has FOUR TIMES as many good legs as her nemesis, the ousted Kelly B.

- How many camera shots do we need of Brenda and Kelly's bikini bottoms? Honestly...I think I could pick Brenda's ass out of a lineup. I know this season is exceptionally weak so far, but that's just too gratuitous.

- Jane sneaking off to cook her own fish was just weird. First of all, how does she start her own fire off somewhere where no one would see it? Is she so far away, that no one would see the smoke from a second fire? If you're going to steal fruit or something that can't be traced back to you, I could understand the logic...but why would you start a fire, then cook a fish? Are they not going to see the ashes from the fire later? And that was a creepy cackle she gave us, wasn't it?

- The Immunity Challenge was great as well. I have to give the Survivor crew a lot of credit...for a lackluster season thus far, the challenges have been great to watch. And again...Benry rocked at another challenge.

- Didn't you just love the irony of Mr. Arrogant Sash telling Crazy Hair Marty "I'm not going to tell you what to do with your idol"...while telling him what to do with his idol?

- Marty giving away the idol was an idiotic move. Ask Erik the Ice Cream Scooper. Ask JT, who gave it to Russell. Ask Russell, who gave it to Parvati. I'll say this slowly for you Marty:

GIVING...THE...IDOL...AWAY...IS...NEVER...A...GOOD...IDEA.

Your risk vs. reward was nowhere close to a good balance. You unnecessarily risked your own safety at Tribal Council for essentially no reward. Play your idol, stay safe, and who knows what could happen next?Maybe you win the next immunity challenge and don't have to worry. Maybe you find a clue to another idol. Maybe there's a Merge. All of those make playing the Idol a better idea. Jill still goes home either way, but now you risked your own safety, you still don't have the Idol, and someone else who is against you DOES. And Sash saying he will give it back to you if they lose the next Immunity is a flat-out lie and carries as much weight as Dreamz promising the same to Yau-man in Survivor: Fiji.

Next week: The Merge...and NaOnka the Villain returns.

Survivor Fans, feel free to bookmark the site or add your name as a Follower on the sidebar to the left. You can also add me on Facebook, where I post all of the recaps as soon as they go up. Don’t forget to mouse over the pictures for captions, and please leave a Comment in the Comments section if you’re so inclined.

Thanks for reading.

Related Posts:
Survivor Nicaragua Recap by Dalton Ross
Jeff Probst’s Blog

Amazing Race Recap: "Tastes Like A Million Bucks"

In last week’s Amazing Race recap, I talked about how lame the Speed Bumps have become since they were introduced as a “punishment” for the team that comes in last place in the non-elimination leg. That led to a fair bit of discussion on one board where I posted the recap, with some people saying that it’s fine that it’s just a minor inconvenience, kind of like a real Speed Bump would be, just something to slow you down briefly.

I see that point, but since the beginning of The Amazing Race, the team in last place on the Non-Elimination has faced some sort of significant punishment, from losing all of their money, to losing their backpacks and only being able to keep their travel documents and the clothes on their backs. Neither of those were great ideas, as the teams just ended up looking like hobos who happened to be followed by a camera crew, either because they were panhandling, or because they were carrying around hotel garbage bags with their stuff inside.

I don’t have a problem with the last place team not being punished at all. Just call it a lucky break, and they go on as normal in the next leg of the race. But don’t try to paint these five or ten minute “Speed Bumps” as anything other than a token redundant task that really makes no difference at all.

If you want to continue the concept of the Speed Bump, I would suggest at each Road Block or Detour, only ONE of the envelopes contains the Speed Bump task, and the team that opens that envelope then has to perform it. I really think that would add an interesting element to the show, and could make for some great TV.

But on to this week’s episode: Will Mallory continue to yell and scream for no reason whatsoever? Who’s been on lots of gondolas? And why are people eating a sheep's head?

My Random Thoughts:

- When the teams left the Pit Stop after ripping open a clue that said “Make a run for the border", I was expecting a task that involved them carrying Taco Bell Tacos over into Norway. But then I realized that this isn’t Survivor or The Apprentice, and the product placements aren’t THAT in your face…unless it’s involving Travelocity. On that note, keep in mind that the needless “carry the Travelocity Gnome for the entire leg” episode must be coming up soon.

- Did Michael really just say that the Race is probably the last time that he and Kevin are going to be able to pee together? I know that fathers and sons do a lot of different things to bond with each other, but is urination on that list?

- I loved that in tonight’s episode, we got pounded over the head with the fact that Thomas went to Notre Dame and that Jill didn’t go to college. My favourite exchange was this one:
Jill: “Have you been in many Gondolas?”
Thomas: “Of course. I’ve been in LOTS of gondolas.”
I half expected Thomas to turn to her and say “Dammit Woman, you know I went to Notre Dame! That was first-year curriculum…Gondola Riding 101.” Of course, Jill would later explain that Thomas was sure to excel at the rappelling challenge because he grew up in the mountains rappelling all the time. So, as far as I can tell, Thomas is pretty much a Gondola Riding, Mountain Rappelling, Bridge-Identifying, Position-Predicting, genius who went to Notre Dame. Go Irish! (Did you notice that even on the Pit Stop Mat, when Phil told them they were third, he said ‘Yeah, I figured that.”)

- Mallory gave her reasoning for wanting to do the Fast Forward: “A Christmas ritual!? I Love Christmas!” At least Gary overruled that logic, but up until tonight, had he actually spoken, or did we just not notice because of Mallory’s high-pitched squeaks and whistles? - At the Fast Forward where Nat and Kat had to eat the Sheep’s head, did we really need to hear Kat say that she’s been a vegetarian for 22 years…THREE times? The point is valid once, but looking at the head itself and what they had to eat, it was a non-issue once they decided to attempt it. Even the most voracious carnivore would likely have had a hard time with that one.

- Nick and Vicki even going for the Fast Forward when they were in 6th place was ridiculous. But not nearly as ridiculous as when they got there and had no idea what the sign “Fast Forward Taken” meant? How much more direct did the sign need to be? Did it have to be a picture of Nat and Kat waving the Fast Forward and a speech balloon that said “Too Late Bitches!”

- I had to laugh at the partners constantly yelling “Good Job!” to their teammates as they rappelled off of the bridge towards the water below. Essentially, you’re congratulating them for falling. Gravity did the work there, not your partner. Save your energy for the ascent, when they really need it. - Claire had trouble ascending on the second part of the Road Block, and Brook was hollering support from the bridge. Well, it was intended to be support, I’m sure, but Brook has a way of making it sound like she’s just yelling orders at Claire. And after Claire complained about how hard it was, I kind of wanted Brook to drop a watermelon off of the bridge and hit her in the face again. If you can shake that off and complete the task, you can climb a rope.

- The teams that chose the Boats detour had to deliver fish and a chainsaw to the top of a mountain to a Norwegian man wearing a Cosby sweater. I don’t really have a lot to say about that except that I really liked the phrase “2 large cod and a chainsaw” when Phil said it, because it sounded like the end of about 50 different jokes. Also, do you think the cod and chainsaw were slated to be used together? Gross.

- Claire, on the way up the mountain with the chainsaw, again started complaining, saying “my body is in shock.” Woman, you had a watermelon explode in your face…stop whining about climbing a hill.

- Phil gave Gary and Mallory 2 raises of the eyebrow to indicate that they had finished in second place. Nice touch, Phil…way to mix it up. I’ve missed the Brow. - Nick talked about how he was Mr. Competitive bike rider, but then Vicki blew right by him on the Bikes challenge, and he ended up trailing behind her, pushing his own knee while pedaling? I’m picture him finishing last in every race, but I’m sure he would have thought it was second place based on how he thought they finished this leg.

- Brook cut her eye on the car door on the way to the Pit Stop mat, and Phil made a big deal out if it, even declaring “That’s insane!” OK, I know this is the third time I’m mentioning it, but CLAIRE HAD A WATERMELON EXPLODE IN HER FACE!! Brook cutting her eyelid is not “insane.”

- It was obvious for the entire episode that Katie and Rachel were too far behind to recover, even though they justified that it was easier to be in last place because there’s no pressure. (???) Well, at least they now have spiffy matching green shirts, jackets and shoes to wear together after the race. It’s a shame they were eliminated before the race headed to warmer climates.

Next Week: Baboushkas, film reels, and stepping in crap…welcome to Russia.

Amazing Race Fans, feel free to bookmark the site or add your name as a Follower on the sidebar to the left. You can also add me on Facebook, where I post all of the recaps as soon as they go up. Don’t forget to mouse over the pictures for captions, and please leave a Comment in the Comments section if you’re so inclined.

I mentioned last week that all Amazing Race fans should read Josh Wolk’s recap as well as Darren Franich’s EW.com recap. From now on at the end of each post, I will have direct links to both. Links will become active as the posts go up online, usually within 3 hours after the episode airs on the East Coast.

Thanks for reading.

Related Posts:
Josh Wolk’s Amazing Race Recap
Darren Franich’s EW.com Amazing Race Recap

Lackawanna, Layered Lasagna, And The Biggest Meatball You've Ever Seen

Regular readers will know that I'm a food junkie, and watch a lot of Food Network programming on television. One of the shows I have found that I really enjoy is Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives featuring Guy Fieri, which sees him traveling across the USA highlighting tiny places you might never have heard of otherwise. Every time there's a place that I see that I would like to actually go to, I find it online and bookmark it for potential future information if I'm in that specific city.

A while back, my girlfriend Devena told me about an episode she had seen about an Italian restaurant just outside of Buffalo, New York, called Mulberry Italian Ristorante. I found the episode online and checked it out, and knew from the moment I saw it that it would be our next trip. (video is embedded at the end so you can see for yourself)

We decided to go this week, and with our trusty Google Maps directions in hand, and a full appetite, we headed off for the bustling community of Lackawanna, New York. Now, before I get into the actual restaurant experience itself, I'm going to perform a community service for anyone who actually decides to go to Mulberry based on this post.

While Google Maps will give you a list of convoluted instructions on where to turn and how far to go, etc..., unless you feel like being diverted through the construction zones, coastal roadways, and bridges of Buffalo's Outer Harbour, you can ignore them all and just do the following: 1) Get on the Buffalo Skyway, 2) Turn left on Madison, 3) Turn Left on Walnut/Jackson.

That's it. I didn't need a page-and-a-half of instructions that took me OFF the road I needed to be on, and into a scene that looked like something off of the second season of The Wire. But thankfully, we figured it all out and ended up at Mulberry's right around dinner time on a Friday Night.

From the amount of cars that were there, it was obvious that this was a pretty hot spot. For those of you that are from my home town of Guelph, Ontario, the best way that I could describe it to you, is that the neighbourhood we were in looked like it was a lost block from The Ward (the heavily Italian neighbourhood in Guelph). Imagine if an Italian restaurant was supplanted right in the middle of the appliance factories and warehouses, and residential homes.

The restaurant itself was right on a residential street, with a gravel parking lot backing on what appeared to be a set of train tracks. I honestly felt like I was on the corner of Huron and Alice street in Guelph. There were kids running around the front of the restaurant from the house right next door, playing hide and seek at dusk. It was exactly like you would have seen back home.

And the deja vu continued as I entered the restaurant by opening a black screen door into a vestibule area, before I actually entered the restaurant. It was the exact same feeling, visually and physically, as walking into my Nonno's house when I was growing up...opening the door, walking about 10 feet, and turning right to open the door into the house.
Now, let me say that while the show is called Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, this restaurant is none of those things. It's a wonderful, traditional restaurant that could suit your needs, from casual to fine dining, and the quality of the food was fantastic.

Upon walking into Mulberry, I was immediately reminded of the decor of Carmine's, an Italian restaurant that my friend Norm took me to when we were in New York City last fall. There was a big bar area on the right as you walk in, and separate rooms off to the side, and in the back. We were seated in the back room, which was decorated with wonderful pictures of old-time New York.
Our server's name was Nicole, and we explained to her that it was our first time there, and how we had come from Canada after seeing the show. She was very friendly and helpful, and I knew we would feel at home when she was explaining about the homemade ricotta cheese. Not because it was homemade, but because of the way she said it. Not your anglocized (mangia-cake) way, but the old-school, traditional Italian, From-The-Sopranos pronunciation of "Rrri-Coatt."

This was going to be good.

We started off with a couple of appetizers: The Mulberry Meatball and The Mozzarella Russo. The Meatball was a no-brainer because that was the crux of the video, which you will see when you watch it, and The Mozzarella Russo was based on a recommendation from Nicole. For our entrees, Devena got the cheese ravioli (which came with another meatball), and I got the Lasagna, which that night was filled with layers of Double Meatballs, Sauteed Chicken, and Roast Pork.

The appetizers came first, and this meatball was unlike anything you've ever seen before. It was huge, and delicious: an amazing combination of beef and pork, the size of a softball. Not a baseball...a softball. The Mozzarella Russo was 2 big pieces of Mulberry's homemade mozzarella cheese, egg-battered and sauteed...and finished with capers and anchovies in a lemon butter wine sauce, with a full leaf of fresh basil on top. Here are pictures of both.

We devoured our appetizers, along with some nice fresh Italian bread that was perfect for dipping in the sauces of each. Looking at the size of the portions that were coming out to the tables surrounding us, we knew that we shouldn't be filling up on bread, and maybe the appetizers weren't a good idea, since we likely weren't going to be able to finish everything, but when you drive two hours for a meal, you might as well try as much as you can, right?

Each of our entrees came with a house salad, so that came out next, and I was pleased to see that it wasn't just a basic house salad, like you would normally see, consisting of iceberg lettuce, some shaved carrots and a tomato. Instead, this was a mix of different leafy greens, olives, carrots, homemade garlic bread croutons (which were delicious), and one of my absolute favourite things to include in a salad: chick peas. Huge bonus points from me after seeing that. I had my salad without dressing, of course, but all of their dressings are homemade as well, and based on Devena's assessement of the Homemade Creamy Italian, they're a big hit.

The entrees came next, and it was a lot of fun watching people look at the food as it comes out to the tables. The piece of lasagna that landed in front of me was, without a doubt, the biggest piece I have ever seen in my life. (you can choose a smaller size, or the regular size...I went with the regular size) With all due respect to my mom, it was the best piece of Lasagna I've ever had. It was amazing. Devena's cheese ravioli was also very good, and the sauce on both was a perfect compliment, with just enough garlic. We're both Italian, and we both love garlic, and we were really happy with the sauce.



We shared both entrees, but at the end of the meal, we still had about 1/3 of the lasagna left (see picture below), and hadn't touched the meatball that came with the ravioli, instead opting to take it back to the hotel with us for a midnight snack (we were staying over in Niagara Falls). We were legitimately stuffed, with no room for dessert. If we would have been going directly home, we would have ordered half a dozen meatballs to go.
Overall, it was a fantastic meal, from both a restaurant standpoint, and from the point of view of two traditional Italians who were expecting a meal that tasted like it could have come from our family homes 30 years ago. That sort of experience is worth a lot, and when you factor in how affordable the prices are, Mulberry is someplace that we will be going back to many many times. The Meatball is on the menu at $4.79, and the full serving of Lasagna is $17.99.

If I could offer one thing that I would do differently, it would be the option to drink Coke instead of Pepsi. So if Joe, or Nicole, or anyone else at Mulberry are reading this, if you happen to have a can of Coke and Diet Coke waiting in the back of the cooler for Devena and I next time we come in, you'll have two Canadians who are even more impressed than they are already, and that's saying a lot.

Check out the video below, and if you're up for some fantastic Italian food, give it a shot.

I Did It...I Tried KFC's Double Down Sandwich

Earlier this week, KFC's Double Down Sandwich made it's appearance in Canada. I can't really use the term "eagerly anticipated", because I can't really speak for the population as a whole. I can, however, use the term "hotly debated", since it's all anyone was talking about this week, including a report (that was officially refuted today) that the Ontario government was considering launching a probe into the sales of the sandwich.

Let me be clear on something: I had no intention of ever seeking out the Double Down Sandwich. I had said in the past that I didn't think my life would change based on whether I ate one or not. But tonight, when my self-induced long weekend started with having to change a flat tire on a gravel incline (that included the car nearly falling on top of me), my dinner plans went out the window, and I decided that I just needed something "junky." What better candidate than the Double Down?

So, off we went to KFC, where the glorious God of sodium, grease, fat, and calories was proudly displayed in full-colour on the board FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY! For those of you who didn't know, it's only available in Canada until mid-November. That's right, you have only 4 weeks to ruin a year's worth of healthy living. It stared back at me, taunting me...daring me...and I put my head down with shame and ordered it as other customers stared on. I felt like I had been branded with a Scarlet Letter.
When I got my little red box of death, I opened it to find my two chicken pieces, two pieces of Spicy Pepper Jack cheese, and two slices of bacon, all neatly wrapped up in a pocket of paper that I know any health-conscious person on the planet, upon seeing me in the picture above, would have yelled out "Just eat the paper! It's better for you!"

Now, it goes without saying that I ordered by Double Down without the special "Colonel's Sauce", so I have to think that I significantly cut down on the calorie count of 560 by going condiment-free. Although, in the interest of full disclosure, I did have gravy with my fries, so let's just call that one a push.

I tried to find out online if there was a calorie count without the Colonel's Sauce, but I wasn't able to find anything. I did, however, come across a couple of alarming things:

First of all, I saw the ingredient list for the Colonel's sauce, which reads as follows: "Soybean Oil, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Egg Yolk, Sugar, Salt, Modified Corn Starch, Paprika, Xanthan Gum, Monosodium Glutamate, Spice, Chicken Broth, Garlic Powder, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Potassium Sorbate, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Soy Sauce (Soybean, Wheat, Salt), Natural Flavor, Chicken Fat, Dehydrated Chicken and Hydrolyzed Corn Gluten. Contains Egg, Wheat and Soy."

Chicken Fat? On a sandwich that is made of essentially of chicken and fat...do I really need a sauce made with Chicken Fat? Not to mention the TWENTY-SIX other ingredients! And what the hell is "spice?" They're mentioning other spices in there, like Paprika or Garlic Powder...now there's just a generic ingredient called "spice?" Does anyone else have an issue with that?

The second alarming thing I came across in my online search, was the KFC Nutrition Guide, found online at their website. Not because of the calories, or fat content, or any other nutrition concerns...but rather for some of the items that are listed. Listen to some of these (all listed under 'Other'): KFC Gizzards, KFC Livers, Country Fried Steak with Peppered White Gravy, and my personal favourite, Colonel's Buttery Spread.

Two thoughts: 1) Yes, I know that people eat chicken gizzards and livers and hearts (myself included), but is KFC the place you want to go for these? Are these big sellers? And I've spent a fair bit of time in South Carolina and Georgia, so I can appreciate a Country Fried Steak as much as the next guy, but again...is KFC the place for this? 2) What the hell is 'Colonel's Buttery Spread?' After what I saw from the Colonel's Sauce, I didn't even want to go look up the ingredients, but I'll tell you one thing it's NOT based on the name alone: butter.

Nutritional ranting aside, the Double Down is here in Canada, and we're being inundated with media to let us know. As a matter of fact, as I was writing that last sentence, a commercial just came on the TV to remind me in case I had forgotten.

Bottom line: It wasn't bad. I can't say it was great, but I also can't say that there was anything wrong with it from a taste standpoint. I do think it says a lot, though, that I was utterly disgusted with myself afterwards, probably a combination of dehydration from the sodium...and pure guilt.

So what do you think? Have you tried it? Will you? Am I overstating my concerns? And what the hell is the Colonel's Buttery Spread?

Let me hear from you in the Comments section.

Survivor Nicaragua Recap: "Double Tribal...All The Way."

After last week’s Tribal Switch-up, it looked like this season may have turned a corner finally. Someone made a comment recently on one of my posts that they thought NaOnka was heavily edited to appear to be the villain for this season, and after watching her mental breakdown over a rain storm, I wondered if that was indeed the case. Was she really a vicious snarly witch like we saw in the first couple of weeks, or the borderline mental patient we saw last week? Whichever one it is, I think we all can agree that she is indeed the biggest drama queen we’ve seen on this show in a long time.

Would this week shed some light on which NaOnka is the real one? Why are we seeing an individual immunity challenge again? And who is morphing into the ultimate Parvati/Russell hybrid?

My Random Thoughts:

- Previously on…Survivor: Jeff bludgeoned us over the head with the fact that Yve was the only one who didn’t vote for Tyrone. When I saw that, I turned to my girlfriend and said “if that doesn’t come into play this episode, I’ll bend through my own legs and kiss my own ass.” Her response: “I’d like to see that.”

- Normally to start the episode we see the aftermath of Tribal Council and the fallout back at camp. But this episode , all we saw was Dan talking about wanting to quit, and Holly acting horrified at the thought…even though she was the one who was ready to quit only a few days earlier. A very confusing way to open the episode, especially with a truncated opening credits sequence right afterwards.

- Yve talked about not wanting to “throw Danny under the bus”, so this is probably a good time for me to go over my rules for the phrases that should qualify a Reality TV contestant for immediate disqualification. For those of you unfamiliar with that list, it is as follows: 1) Threw me under the bus, 2) It is what it is, 3) There’s a target on my back, and 4) Game on! (any time after the first episode.)

- Crazy Hair Marty described the switch from Espada to La Flor as being like going from a serious drama to Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Not only was it an absolutely perfect analogy…but a fantastic reason for me to post a link to this.

- I will re-iterate what I say every season about how much I absolutely hate episodes where both tribes have to vote someone out. It's a cheap way to get more contestants at the beginning of the game, and it places NO value on winning. At least this time they gave the opportunity of individual immunity within the respective tribes...but that's still not enough to justify it. Sure, La Flor got their feast of chicken and beef kebabs, and a front row seat at Espada’s Tribal Council...but Tribal immunity is what this phase of the game has always been based on, and to take that away is, and always will be, a very weak tactic.

- The Immunity contest was innovative, and entertaining, but didn’t it seem like a convoluted way for them all to just shake their asses trying to get the ring in the hole? It looked like a dance contest. What’s next? Probst telling them that they have to put their arms in the air…and wave them like they just don’t care?

- Fabio, when Marty tells you “I would love to go with someone like you to the final three”, listen carefully to the wording of that statement. He’s not saying that he wants to go to the Final Three with “you”, he’s saying “someone like you.” Translation: I want to go to the Final Three with a TOTAL MORON who thinks Guillermo Vilas is an Argentinian chess grandmaster. He wants to go to the end with someone he can mold like a piece of clay…and that’s you. Smart move on Marty’s part, but read the signs, Fabio!

- Dan talking about the fact that he doesn’t need the money is insulting. It’s insulting to the viewers, it’s insulting to the other contestants, and it’s insulting to anyone who has ever applied to be on the show.

- Purple Kelly AGAIN didn’t say a word in this episode. Is she really on the show? Is she perhaps just a hologram? A figment of our imagination?

- I was so frustrated watching Espada talking about the fact that Dan wanting to quit was the perfect reason to keep him around. NO! The second someone wants to quit, you vote them out, and here’s why: if they quit, then you’re a player down, and you run the risk of still losing another player if you go to Tribal council next. The potential to lose two players in a single 3-day period is a huge turning point in this game.

- At Tribal Council, Brenda turned up the heat on Marty with a lie about who was targeting Jane. Great job of making Marty look guilty, even when he wasn’t. But the fact that she remained calm and composed while lying, while he got flustered while telling the truth, made her appear credible while Marty looked guilty. Russell did the same thing last season: a bold-faced lie at Tribal Council, but it worked because he stayed calm and credible, while Danielle freaked out. Brenda is becoming a perfect mix of who I believe are the two best players to ever play the game: Parvati and Russell.- After the La Flor vote was revealed to be a tie, weren’t you wishing that Marty could play the Idol then…before the re-vote?

- I was completely stunned when Kelly B. was eliminated on the re-vote. Looks like those potential sympathy votes were too much of a threat for her to overcome. She didn’t have a leg to stand on. (I’m so bad…I know.)

- Dan calling Yve arrogant was absolutely laughable. Not only is it not true, but coming from him was even more ridiculous.

- Dan survives FOUR separate Tribal Concils where he should have been voted out? Unbelievable.

Next Week: Jane sneaks a personal fish-feast and Fabio takes a leak.

Survivor Fans, feel free to bookmark the site or add your name as a Follower on the sidebar to the left. You can also add me on Facebook, where I post all of the recaps as soon as they go up. Don’t forget to mouse over the pictures for captions, and please leave a Comment in the Comments section if you’re so inclined.

Thanks for reading.

Related Posts:
Survivor Nicaragua Recap by Dalton Ross
Jeff Probst’s Blog

I Said "Toy Yoda", Not "Toyota"

I know it's old, but it's just so funny. Click here to read the full story.

The 500th Post!

If you would have told me in 2008 when I started this blog that I would be sitting here in October 2010 writing my 500th post, I would have laughed. And not just a modest little chuckle, or a token chortle...but a belly-shaking, earth-shattering, "you-are-out-of-your-mind" kind of laugh. When I started this blog, neither longevity nor a strong readership were goals that I had in mind, either from the standpoint of intention or achievability (is that even a word?).

Yet here I sit writing my 500th post, and looking on the sidebar at 47 followers and just over 54,000 hits. Are you kidding me? When I think back to averaging 5 or 6 hits a day, then billowing to the unbelievable numbers I saw during the final season of Lost, and now settling in at a healthy 1000 hits per week, it makes me pretty happy to think how far everything has come. As of today, there have been hits from 118 countries, over 400 cities in Canada, and all 50 U.S. States.

Sean's Random Thoughts certainly has changed since 2008. It started as a bullet-point 'Random Thoughts' theme, then expanded into topical posts in the Spring of 2009. Regular readers will remember the music selection of the week, regular mashup videos, stories from my regular Tim Hortons, and more poker stories than you probably care to remember.

Much of what I talked about was pop-culture related, and some of the major topics of discussion were my favourite TV shows. So instead of just constantly grouping my thoughts into the "Random Thoughts" format, I switched to full-on recaps of my favourite shows. And as regular readers will know, my version of a recap has never been (nor will it ever be) an in-depth analysis of what I watched. Instead, it's a running commentary, often filled with intended comedy and sarcasm, that fans of the show can read immediately following the episode.

I know that a lot of readers over the past year have found this site through my Lost Recaps, and more recently from my Reality TV recaps (Survivor, Amazing Race, Big Brother...and no, I am not paid by CBS!). I couldn't be happier that you are here, especially those of you that stuck around and became regular readers, but for this, my 500th post, I wanted to try and do something for all readers, old and new:

First, I want to hear from as many of you as possible in the Comments section. Introduce yourself, tell me how you found the blog, and any thoughts you have. Ideally, I'd like to set a record for Comments in a single post, and hopefully it will be good for all of you to hear from each other as well. So please, head to the Comments section and leave a note for the 500th post. It would mean a lot to me. (You don't have to sign in to leave a comment, just select the 'Name/URL' option.)

Second, and this one is partially for me, and partially for the newer readers who may not have read much of the non-TV related posts on here. I'm going to list my personal favourites of the 499 previous posts, and provide direct links to each. For those of you new readers, I hope you'll go and read them, and get a bit more insight into Sean's Random Thoughts, other than just the TV Recap portion of the site.

Here's the list (in no particular order):

The Trouble With Condiments - A look at the evils of condiments.
Spoiler Alert - The danger of spoiling something for someone else, and how to avoid it.
Crossing Paths With An Iron Chef - My encounter with Bobby Flay in Las Vegas, and a surprising turn of events.
A post about the perils of boiling meat, and a couple of horrifying personal stories on the subject.
A post detailing my life-long love of the band Queen.
The story of a fireworks show gone wrong in my neighbourhood.
The Roaming Wolverine of St. Agatha - a story of my encounter with a wolverine on a golf course. (Make sure to read the follow-up post as well.)
My whirlwind trip to NYC for one day to see David Letterman with my friend Norm: Part 1, Part 2
My struggles to cope with my one addiction: Coca-Cola.
An Ode To Lost - my love letter to the show on the final weekend before the Series Finale.
Duke Basketball and meeting Christian Laettner - a lifelong dream come true. (UNC fans should avoid this one.)
My Five-Part Report on playing in the 2009 World Series of Poker - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

I started writing when I was 9 years old...the first thing I ever wrote was parodies of the Star Wars films for my grade 5 class. That love of writing continued through high school and university, writing for student newspapers and branching out into writing plays and screenplays. But as life goes on, and work and parental responsibilities become the priority in your life, the time (and desire) to write sometimes wanes.

I can't tell you how happy I am to have found a reason to write again.

I'm not going to go through a laundry list of thank yous, but I'd like to specifically mention Andy Page (aka DarkUFO), who gave an aspiring writer a shot on his site, and the exposure turned into something amazing. I can't thank you enough, my friend.

Most importantly though, I want to thank you...the readers. Whether you were here from Day One, or just got here last week...whether you've read one post, or all 500...you guys are why I keep writing. So thank you a hundred times over for the motivation.

And let's see if we can make it through another 500...

Sean