It’s almost Happy New Year….and your MAC Daddy is back!
Well, MAC Mama sounded so….wrong. But hey, at least I’m not wearing a “Who’s Your Daddy” t-shirt, Ron…
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and ate plenty, got good stuff, and spent time with loved ones. I did all of the above, but did manage to take a break long enough to watch both Amazing Races.
So….here we go!
Okay, this was like the best of legs, and the worst of legs…. Five teams (some loved, some un) set out from Dubrovnik, Croatia (which is really a gorgeous country.) In first is Ron and Christina, followed shortly by Jen and Nate. Then it’s TK and Rachel, the Goths, and Nick and Pops. My rooting tendencies lean to the back of the pack this go around.
However, shockingly, Jen and Nate apparently got some great counseling (or some really good medication) during their rest stop as they are actually being almost civil with one another this leg. They and TK/Rachel find the short route to Italy (after a mishap with the clue for TK/Rachel - am I the only one who thought that woman at the restaurant was totally hoping for a big eBay sale on the left-behind clue card?) Ron/Chris, Goths, Nick/Pops get to Italy last after a delay with a closed road.
But everyone gets up in the sky in an ultralight, looking for a clue. Apparently TK couldn’t even buy one as it took him what, three flights to finally find the dang thing? He fell from second to last place, but seemed to keep his cool. But then, TK has only one speed - mellow.
Then Nick and Pops take the one and only Fast Forward offered this go around…and ended up having to get tattoos in order to claim it. You know, shaving your head is one thing, but permanently accessorizing yourself is another. I was kind of surprised by this FF demand. However, they go for it, and now they sport FF’s on their person….for life. Or laser removal surgery. Whichever comes first. But they do come in first….so I suppose (hope) it was worth it!
Kynt and Vyxsin don’t fare so well on this leg. Killer Fatigue sets in in a big way, especially for Vyx, who has a complete meltdown when they get lost, then the car acts up. And Kynt loses it and starts screeching, and well…can we give them whatever meds Jen and Nate are taking? Because Goth’s Fighting? I don’t like it! Not one little bit, show!
However, show, you are forgiven, because even though you lied and told us there were no Non-Elimination Legs on this season’s show, when the Goths came in last, I was very forgiving when it was, in fact, a NEL….since it meant they got to stay. But! Phil tells us about the New Twist this season….and I have to admit, it beats making them beg and giving them a come-in-first-or-die penalty. This season they get what is called a Speed Bump. What that means is that sometime during the next leg of the race - they won’t know when - they will have to stop and perform some other task, before continuing on with the leg. If that puts them in last place, then so be it, but if they can persevere, perform the task and still beat out at least one other team, then they’re still in it. I, for one, think this is actually kind of interesting and am curious to see how it plays out.
Aaaaaaand………we’re on to this week’s show!
Nate and Jen re-upped their prescription apparently, laced with some self-awareness drug. Which lasts alllll the way until they reach the first airport and play pushy-shovey as they go inside, with Jen grappling hold of the back of Nate’s backpack lest, god forbid, anyone get in line in front of them. They ponder why other teams, like Nick and Pops, get a night of sleep in a hotel and then pick up their great tickets, while they had to sleep outside and then play pushy-shovey. I guess they don’t know about advance reservations. Let’s not tell them, shall we?
TK/Rachel and the Goths are left off the first flight. Kynt manages to find a pretty decent second choice, but they play it up like they’re all upset, so TK and Rachel think that their sucky second choice flight is par for the course. I have no problem with this tactic. It’s a million dollars. And they already know they’ll have to make up time after their speed bump.
Ron is hoping Italy proved to be his Renaissance of being a better parent. We’ve seen the previews, Ron. Our hopes are not high.
Due to heavy runway traffic on the first flight, the Goths hit Mumbai first. (And if we thought Killer Fatigue was bad before? Yeah. India gets them every time. It’s usually my least favorite leg(s) of the race. Maybe this season will be different.) Naturally the Goths and Ron/Christina both enjoy the idea of being in India, riding rickshaws…. Nate/Jen? Yeah, they make faces at the smell (which, to be fair, is apparently so bad they all put things over their faces, but only Jen has to be crabby about it.) Some things even good meds can’t cure. Then Jen is pissed that the newstand they have to go to doesn’t open until morning, rendering all the flight jockeying moot, but she seems to think their “jumpy nerves” are a Good Thing. Oooookay.
The Goths find the ad/clue first. Jen can’t figure out why everyone else is finding it first (oh, maybe because you can’t stop “nicely” bickering with Nate? Bitching about the dogs? Making everyone’s life a miserable, freaking hell? Okay, so maybe just mine, but boy I wouldn’t mind if they got booted off tonight. Then I could enjoy the rest of the season
We get Phil Walking In A Crowd (hey, camera guy! What’s with the waist up only shot? Huh?) He explains the detour, which, according to the previews, will be the site of Ron’s meltdown of the week. In comparison to Jen/Nate, we might tolerate it a bit better. Although Christina? Probably not so much. Maybe we should put Ron and Jen together….make him appreciate his daugther more.
Nick/Don take Paste It. As do Ron/Chris. Goths are lost, losing time. TK/Rachel takes Thread It since she has madd flower threading skillz. Goths find their Speed Bump. They have to go to a yoga center and perform a series of moves before going back to the detour. Jen finally finds the clue, then tries to make light of their bickering like she’s really a Fun Girl, Honest! Yeah. I’m not buying it either. But Nate is. Poor, dumb Nate.
Chris/Ron are bickering. Nick/Don find the tunnel late but are smooth as Don apparently has madd poster pasting skillz. The Goths get to the detour and choose Thread Em. Nate/Jen are threading them, too. Ron is melting down. Nick/Pops are done.
And this next part I hate. A lot. They put a U Turn on the same leg as a Speed Bump. They know it’s a Speed Bump leg as the one before is a NEL. So, boo, show, boo! The only way this is a Good Thing is if the Speed Bump team gets to it anytime before last, so they can put another team behind, but even that? Yeah, sort of diminishes the whole Speed Bump thing, too, as a penalty. But, here we go.
Aaand now Nate is being as big an asshat as Jen, so they really do deserve each other. Rachel and TK rock the flower threading, which comes as a surprise to absolutely no one, and they move on. The Goths show up at the flower threading, making Jen even more hateful. What would make me hateful? Is if they finish first and U Turn the Goths. What I would love? The exact opposite of that. Please, show, please let this happen. Hopefully this is where Vyxsin’s madd macrame skillz will come into play.
Ron continues to meltdown while pasting. Christina sooo needs some yoga right now. Nate/Jen need….I’m not sure there is a strong enough drug. They’re bickering like twelve year olds. “You started it!” It would so suck if both bickering teams make it and the Goths do not. (And by bickering teams, I mean Nate/Jen/Ron. Christina did the best she could with her own twelve year old.) At least he admits as much, kind of. And they’re off toward the U Turn, too. (I really will hate it if the Goths pass the Bickersons only to get U Turned. Hopefully the other teams will think they are too far behind to worry about and put a “strong” team in U Turn - aka Nate/Jen. And yes, I am small enough that I’d really like to see Jen’s reaction to being U Turned…..)
TK/Rachel bypass the U Turn (Yay, Team Mellow!) Nick/Pops don’t U Turn anyone. Ron/Christina don’t U Turn anyone. (Whew!!)
Now it’s all about the flower threading….
Roadblock - I love Nick/Pops. A lot. Nick takes the task. Ron takes the task clearly saying he’s the best for this (really, Ron? It’s lifting heavy things and you have a hernia…) TK takes the task. Now we sweat out the U Turn - I’m sure Nate/Jen will use it. They leave first. Biting nails! If they do, the roadblock would have to completely do them in for the Goths to survive. Stupid U Turn.
TK rocks the roadblock, Nick pumps it up, Ron….yeah, is being Ron. Poor Christina!
OMG! THe Goths get to the U Turn first by a hair (and a once again lost Nate/Jen who don’t ever think to, you know, think ahead.) Yay! Except….WHAT??? They U Turn….Nick and Don??? Not the people who were just with them on the detour task???? Oookay. I mean, I know they have no idea where the other teams are, and I do get his logic about them usually being behind, but still…. Rrrrrr, Kynt! I wanted to see Jen’s U Turn face!
And please, do we have to see Nate/Jen kissy face? I might be sick. A lot. And I’m already sick about Kynt’s major U Turn disaster. Sigh. I need a yoga class.
Other than the initial flight out, TK and Rachel totally rocked this entire leg of the race and totally deserve to hit the Pit Stop first. Nick/Pops head out next, but Nick stops to get sick from over exertion. Ron/Chris are out next. Kynt takes the roadblock as does Jen. Nick/Don are team number two. Ron/Chris are third.
Major stress, screw ups by both teams, (which the Goths handle much better)….aaaaaaaaaand? CRAP. Ah well. What can you do? Jen/Nate are in. Goths are out.
Four teams left. Next week? TK and Rachel go AWOL from the rest of the teams. Don works it, Nick helps. My fave two teams that are left get featured and the Bickerson teams, not so much. Let’s hope the actual episode is the same.
Okay….you know what it’s time for now?
It’s SHaQ Attack contest time! For the first SHaQ of the new year, you need to tell me the name of the Chisholm ancestral home in The Great Scot. (Hey, it has to be a real Scavenger Hunt Question as least part of the time!) Send your answer to donna@donnakauffman.com with “My Castle for a free book!” in the subject line. Winner drawn from all correct answers and announced here Friday. Good luck!
Aaaaand, dish! Who should win this season on Amazing Race? I hope it’s not a bickering team - but, at the same time, I’m very much enjoying that there are no Team Models this season, or Team Two Alpha Guys. It’s been far more competitive this way! And did you laugh at Kynt’s expression when Phil gave them the Most Fashionable Award? A show of hands from those who believe the two of them are actually a romantic couple vs just being the very best of friends?
