First off, congratulations and a big WOO HOO to Joyce M for getting the answers correct and being picked as this week’s Giveaway Winner! We had a lot entries this week, so thank you all for playing along and enjoying the contest games. For those who want to know if they were in the Bottom Three (and there were alot more than three, y’all) the correct answers were: The Legend MacKinnon, Charm Stone, and Catch Me If You Can. Check back in Monday for next week’s Contest Query!

Okay…Spence and I hunkered down and had a TiVo evening last night. First up was Amazing Phil. Okay, so there is a race involved, too, but was he rocking that red shirt this week or what? And how wrong is it that both BJ and Tyler get to kiss him and I don’t. Unfair, I say. Unfair!

So, it was a good night. A REALLY good night. Ahhhhhhh. I’m still basking in the glow of the ending and having a hard time going back to recap the entire show because I just want to revel and shout from the rooftops….but I’ll refrain. (Warning: I fully intend to shout later. In a really smug, obnoxious way, because, well, if you watched, you already know why.)

Okay, the best part about this leg of the race is that it totally turned the team order upside down FINALLY. And they went to two places my son is dying to go, Rome and Athens. A lot of bunching in the beginning and a few teams took full advantage. YAY!! Ray and Yolanda! They finally get their act together and really race. Even with a few setbacks, including a time penalty at the end for not following directions accurately, they manage to surge ahead. The ones who suffer the most from the bunching up this leg are BJ and Tyler, who, for the first time, don’t navigate so well AND suffer the time penalty, too and it almost costs them the race. I would have been so deeply disappointed had that been the case. They have been such good racers with such positive, fun loving, and joyful spirits, it would have been harsh to see them go from leaders to losers. MoJo hangs in there, much in the same position as usual, right behind the number one and two teams. (Though one and two change a little.) The time penalty given Ray and Yo put them up one into second. (And I loved when Yolanda is all “We lost to MoJo. That just isn’t right.” Cracked me up.

Fran-ken-Barry actually keep their act together for an entire leg that included Fran bungee jumping. I totally felt for her. She was to-the-bone terrified and I worried she’d leap and have a heart attack. To add insult to injury, it was raining and miserable to boot. (As it was for a great deal of this leg.) She definitely won my admiration. Everyone else seemed to make the bungee leap pretty easily and most of the jumpers really enjoyed themselves. It wasn’t quite the stumbling block it’s been in the past. I definitely enjoyed a lot of the team spirit shown between teams. MoJo soothing Fran on their way out, Tyler and BJ helping MoJo figure out which bus to take, etc. etc. Nice to see the teams totally into the race, but never being cut throat about it.

Okay, so there is a fast foward this leg and guess who uses it? Right. The ONE team that doesn’t need it. Eric and Jeremy. They’ve calmed way the heck down and they still irk me. Of course, having taken the FF and getting it, we are blessed with not having to see much of them at all during the entire leg of the race. So there is that. And, I well admit, that given how much the navigating this leg affected the various teams, maybe it was just as well they used it. Still. Ugh. And they win the red carpet ride at the DaVinci Code premiere? These guys? Double ugh. And deep sigh. Because you know they will be totally gross about ogling hot Hollywood babes. Shudder.

Notice I haven’t talked at all about Lake and Michelle. They are the most dysfunctional couple on the race, even though their constant bickering, name calling, cursing and generally spazzing out with each other “works for us” - right, whatever. They also suffer a navigational breakdown and a Lake breakdown that does, ultimately, bring them in last. I KNEW this was going to be a non-elimination leg. Amazing Race is famous for having them when there is a yield or fast forward. At first, I was very relieved, as it looked like the time penalty was going to put BJ and Tyler into last place. But when it didn’t, I could not believe that I finally get my wish…aaaaand the Bickersons are in last place, only to be saved by the very delayed appearance of the NEL. But NO people, NO! Phil cuts them dead. You’re out, go home, game OVER Lake!! It was incredibly awesome! Made my whole week. (Which says what about me I do not know and don’t want to know.)

So BJ/Tyler survive AND Lake/Michelle are OUT. Such a good night, especially after losing the Nerds last week. If this week had been a NEL and it kept L/M in? Och, but that would have been wrong. (And am I the only one who thought maybe the producers just changed their mind mid-leg? I can hear the walkie talkie convo now: “Ixnay on the non-elimination, Phil! Cut em, cut em!” Ah, it was SO sweet.

Of course, that leaves me in a new place on Amazing Race. Five teams left and none of them totally obnoxious and hateful. I love some more than the others, but, to be honest, all of the remaining teams seem to function pretty well together and most function well with other teams, too. I could do without the Frats, but they do race well with each other. Heck, they race well period. I don’t want them to win, but they’re not, well, Lake and Michelle. I kind of like that the remaining teams are All Raaaaaace, but no Screaaaaam at each other. Very refreshing.

Next week is when Killer Fatigue really sets in and they shove them into the Middle East. It’s the deadly combo that usually hits during the India leg, when you combine absolute race fatigue with third world country frustrations and uncomfortable heat conditions. Personally, from the highlights, I’m thinking the Ray/Yolanda meltdown doesn’t prove to be all that big a deal. But I am worried about our BJ. Looks like a good one and better be a non-elim, so I don’t have to worry about anyone. It would be very nice, though, if there is a shake up at the top. We’ve shaken out one of the top tier teams - just not the one I wanted shaken.

Current team order: Frats, MoJo, RayYo, FrankenBarry, Hippies. Personally, I’m pulling for the Hippies and RayYo, altho MoJo and FrankenBarry aren’t bugging me as much. I do want Eric and Jeremy to take a big dive though. That would be the most gratifying. Everyone else has shown their vulnerabilities except them.

On to Survivor where nothing surprising happens and Terry is still an ass. Although in this case, I completely understand why he held on to the idol. I knew when he didn’t use it the past two weeks, that he was going to have to keep it now just to keep himself in the game. No way was he going to give that edge up. So all the drama all night about them trying to get swing votes was a joke and I never fell for it. Still don’t like him. Although I would have been fine with Aras leaving, I’m glad Casaya stuck together. Honestly folks, would you have thought this dysfunctional tribe would have held it togeether this long as a voting block? With not one person caving to paranoia and flipping sides? I love it. Even better will be when they have to start canabalizing themselves. After Aras and Terry go, things would get real interesting. Although I doubt that will be how it shakes out. A shame, because that would be entertaining as hell.

So, Terry is the man to beat. Bruce has phenonmenal art skills (and is it weird we didn’t spend any time with the winners seeing them get their rewards?), it was actually cool to see Courtney do her fire dancing. I liked those pots on the rope thingies. Cirie should be given a very large check for having to play nurse to Shane’s crotch rot, (man, I laughed and laughed as she did. I loved her before, but my love for Cirie knows no bounds now.) Aras and Danielle survive, and to absolutely no one’s surprise, Sally goes home. Sniff! Sorry, Sally!

Now Terry and Aras will duke it out. Shane will entertain me with his Shane-ness. Danielle and Courtney will bug the crap out of me because they can’t help themselves. Bruce will zen out. And Cirie will continue to make the only rational and sane commentary about the entire game. Interesting game, y’all!

Have a great weekend, everyone, and Happy Chocolate Bunny and Jellybean Day! Check in Monday for the next Giveaway Scavenger Hunt.

Tags: Writing //