All quiet on the AR front?

[tanstaafl2]

At least I saw no thread for this week.

Spoiler

I guess I am a hard ass bastard (OK, I don't really have to guess...) or perhaps it is because I am somewhat well traveled although in this day you don't have to be particularly well travelled to know that there is abject poverty in a goodly portion of the world (not to mention a few right places here in the good ol' US of A...).

Perhaps seeing (and smelling) it up close is a sufficient shock to the system for some people that it causes them to break down. Always seems to be at least one person on every season. Luke seems to have led a pretty sheltered life for all the pub about his independent nature so having him break down was no big surprise but as I recall it had that effect on somebody else as well, the Reds maybe?

In any case, while I was neither disappointed or surprised that the Stews got the hook I found I didn't dislike them as a team as much as I had out of the gate. Nevertheless they didn't seem destined to be competitive so no big loss there. But the stunt jockeys need to get it in gear if they are going to hang around.

At least they seem to be absolutely blatant this season about keeping them bunched together. There remains little advantage to coming in well ahead of the pack so the only advantage to being first is the prize.

Seems to be less angst amongst the groups this season as the sisters have cooled down a bit and the lawyer sibs aren't likely to decompensate much as long as they stay near the front of the pack, which seems likely without another major screw up. No couples screaming at each other as in past seasons. Usually I dislike those couples but maybe that is the problem at the moment.

Nobody left to pull against...

[MarleysGh0st]

Thanks to the basketball games (I presume) delaying the AR episode, I didn't see it. I had to catch the season finale of Big Love at 9.

[Thousandaire]

Arkansas? Accounts Receivable? I'm lost...

[MarleysGh0st]

Arkansas? Accounts Receivable? I'm lost...

Amazing Race.

[tanstaafl2]

Thanks to the basketball games (I presume) delaying the AR episode, I didn't see it. I had to catch the season finale of Big Love at 9.

Yes that is always annoying. Fortunately I planned ahead on the Tivo by adding an extra hour to the show and even tivo'd the west coast feed as a back up.

Although I think my Tivo hard drive is starting to get a little wonky. Seems to fail to recognize shows on the season pass that it should pick up. Survivor has been doing that lately so I have to watch it very closely to make sure it records what it is supposed to. Not a big problem when I am home but it can be if I am on the road.

[a1mamacat]

At least I saw no thread for this week.

Spoiler

I guess I am a hard ass bastard (OK, I don't really have to guess...) or perhaps it is because I am somewhat well traveled although in this day you don't have to be particularly well travelled to know that there is abject poverty in a goodly portion of the world (not to mention a few right places here in the good ol' US of A...).

Perhaps seeing (and smelling) it up close is a sufficient shock to the system for some people that it causes them to break down. Always seems to be at least one person on every season. Luke seems to have led a pretty sheltered life for all the pub about his independent nature so having him break down was no big surprise but as I recall it had that effect on somebody else as well, the Reds maybe?

In any case, while I was neither disappointed or surprised that the Stews got the hook I found I didn't dislike them as a team as much as I had out of the gate. Nevertheless they didn't seem destined to be competitive so no big loss there. But the stunt jockeys need to get it in gear if they are going to hang around.

At least they seem to be absolutely blatant this season about keeping them bunched together. There remains little advantage to coming in well ahead of the pack so the only advantage to being first is the prize.

Seems to be less angst amongst the groups this season as the sisters have cooled down a bit and the lawyer sibs aren't likely to decompensate much as long as they stay near the front of the pack, which seems likely without another major screw up. No couples screaming at each other as in past seasons. Usually I dislike those couples but maybe that is the problem at the moment.

Nobody left to pull against...

I was not surprised to see the blondes go, nor was I surprised to see Victor and Tammy come in first again, but I was pleased that they dint pull any dirties. There are no real villians this time, and no real underdogs. Big J is still rooting for the Reds, and I'm hoping Luke and Marg come through.

[earendel]

At least I saw no thread for this week.

Spoiler

I guess I am a hard ass bastard (OK, I don't really have to guess...) or perhaps it is because I am somewhat well traveled although in this day you don't have to be particularly well travelled to know that there is abject poverty in a goodly portion of the world (not to mention a few right places here in the good ol' US of A...).

Perhaps seeing (and smelling) it up close is a sufficient shock to the system for some people that it causes them to break down. Always seems to be at least one person on every season. Luke seems to have led a pretty sheltered life for all the pub about his independent nature so having him break down was no big surprise but as I recall it had that effect on somebody else as well, the Reds maybe?

In any case, while I was neither disappointed or surprised that the Stews got the hook I found I didn't dislike them as a team as much as I had out of the gate. Nevertheless they didn't seem destined to be competitive so no big loss there. But the stunt jockeys need to get it in gear if they are going to hang around.

At least they seem to be absolutely blatant this season about keeping them bunched together. There remains little advantage to coming in well ahead of the pack so the only advantage to being first is the prize.

Seems to be less angst amongst the groups this season as the sisters have cooled down a bit and the lawyer sibs aren't likely to decompensate much as long as they stay near the front of the pack, which seems likely without another major screw up. No couples screaming at each other as in past seasons. Usually I dislike those couples but maybe that is the problem at the moment.

Nobody left to pull against...

You're right about there not being any villains to root against (for the time being). I've been pulling for Keisha and Jen because of their Louisville connection. As to Sunday's episode...

Spoiler

I agree that the teams shouldn't be surprised to find poverty in most of the world but still, being confronted with it firsthand may make it more real, especially when watching children eat garbage (as one team reported).

I noticed that they did the Road Block first this time; usually the Detour comes first. Mel came through by figuring out how to carry the camel feed (and aren't elephants more representative of India?); the clue said to use something indiginous, which a bucket wouldn't be, so I'm surprised teams weren't penalized.

The detour was almost a disaster for the stuntmen - it took much longer, and trying to find a small object in a bunch of hay was very difficult. This was a poor choice on their part and only the fact that the flight attendants had to do a Speed Bump kept the guys from being eliminated.

[Sir_Galahad]

The way they had it edited, I thought the Hobbits were going to be eliminated. But, you're right about there not being any clear-cut teams to root for this season. I am just enjoying the Race in general and the scenery. And, of course, putting myself in those situations and wondering how I would handle them.

[tanstaafl2]

The way they had it edited, I thought the Hobbits were going to be eliminated. But, you're right about there not being any clear-cut teams to root for this season. I am just enjoying the Race in general and the scenery. And, of course, putting myself in those situations and wondering how I would handle them.

I confess I like to see it when they go to places I have been before. It happens on a regular basis. Of the next 6 legs I have been to the locations of 5 of them. Only Guilin, China in Week 9 has escaped my wanderings across China in the past. Next week is Phuket, Thailand and then Bangkok the week after that so I will be on the lookout to see if I recognize anything! Of course it has been awhile since I was last in either of them.

Also like to see if they go anywhere I am thinking about going to! In the part that has aired so far Romania (Hungary is as close as I have come), Siberia (Been to Moscow but not farther east although got close with Mongolia) and India (have been meaning to go but not quite made it yet) are places I have not been.

[tanstaafl2]

The way they had it edited, I thought the Hobbits were going to be eliminated. But, you're right about there not being any clear-cut teams to root for this season. I am just enjoying the Race in general and the scenery. And, of course, putting myself in those situations and wondering how I would handle them.

As has been noted it is very rare when the team you think is going to be last in those forced "dramatic finishes" actually turns out to be last. I think they did pull it off once this season.

[Jeemie]

As has been noted it is very rare when the team you think is going to be last in those forced "dramatic finishes" actually turns out to be last. I think they did pull it off once this season.

Actually, I think you meant it the other way around...that the team you think is going to be last actually turns out to BE last, and the attempts at false tension fall flat.

[tanstaafl2]

As has been noted it is very rare when the team you think is going to be last in those forced "dramatic finishes" actually turns out to be last. I think they did pull it off once this season.

Actually, I think you meant it the other way around...that the team you think is going to be last actually turns out to BE last, and the attempts at false tension fall flat.

Indeed. Pay no attention to what I said and only to what I meant!

[kroxquo]

I know that last summer when I traveled to Dakar and saw what REAL poverty is like, it really affected me and I like to think that I was a fairly worldly person. The look, sound, smell of places like this are impossible to fully comprehend unless you have actually been there. My experience there was something which will stay with me for a long time.