The Amazing Race 15 -- "This is Not My Finest Hour" -- 11/01/09

[DJariya]

The Race continues tonight in the Netherlands.

No NFL doubleheader this week. East Coast audiences should be good.

[cdollaz]

Both of those shitty teams should have been sent home after their pathetic displays in this episode.

[Red Dog]

I don't know what it says about this season when I still don't know the names of anyone. Good challenges though.

Regardless, I guess I'm rooting for the gay dudes because they are the only team that doesn't seem retarded. That father-son team annoyed me....you do the first 2 things and can't eat a small fish? Get over it.

Weird flight out of Dubai. That must have been fixed by the producers....to have a midnight east to west flight 2-3 time zones? Doesn't make sense. You'd think a major European carrier would have a east to west flight to Amsterdam mid-afternoon same day even with a connection.

[Red Dog]

"We could do if it wasn't so windy."

No, you're all-in and have been wamboozled.

Spoiler:

Next week looks interesting, but I really think the needle-haystack challenges are lame except for the chick meltdowns

[Finisher]

What on earth are we going to do now without the poker analogies?

[Patman]

Earlier, I liked Megan, but now, not to much, just too much meltdowns and whininess.

Loved how the math stereotype about beauty queens is still holding strong.

[JasonF]

I think that walking in wooden shoes when everybody else is riding bicycles is more than enough penalty in and of itself -- no need to add another 30 minutes.

In terms of the poker players, the Asian girl seemed to put more effort into acting like she was trying than she did in actually trying. The white girl would swing the hammer as hard as she could and make it almost to the top, then the Asian girl would take a wimpy swing and then make a big show of saying "Oh, I wish I could do it as well as you. You're coming so close." And I was faberglasted when they decided to go back there for a second try. Did they think that they had gotten stronger during their attempt at golf?

[JasonF]

Originally Posted by Patman

Earlier, I liked Megan, but now, not to much, just too much meltdowns and whininess.

Loved how the math stereotype about beauty queens is still holding strong.

I'm pretty sure "counting" doesn't qualify as math per se.

[Merkin Muffley]

Next week...wow, I can't believe they...

Spoiler:

are returning to the haystacks. That was probably the most excruciating challenge they've ever had on the show.

[Double_Oh_7]

Originally Posted by Finisher

What on earth are we going to do now without the poker analogies?

Guess poker playing skills aren't much of an advantage after all.

[mwbmis]

Honestly, I didn't like the detour at all. To devise a challenge that one team would be physically unable to perform is just BS. It's not like they gave up either.

How many times do you have to swing that hammer before you realize you're just strong enough, and they had no chance at that "golf". Obviously, strength is part of the race, but that was just unfair. Both detour options should not have had a physical strength requirement.

As for next week...

Spoiler:

It makes me more angry that the elimination that pissed me off the most (Lena & Kristy) is coming back.

[grenier]

Why didn't that boyfriend/girlfriend team (I can't remember anyone's names this season) get some sort of penalty for both of them doing that roadblock?

[MrX]

I was hoping Brian would tell his wife is she could count she wouldn't have had to do stairs for 2 hours when she was whining.

[Patman]

Originally Posted by JasonF

I'm pretty sure "counting" doesn't qualify as math per se.

But she had to count and then add up bells from different levels. She is not elevating the beauty queen stereotype. Personally, I find her shrill and just unpleasant.

[MrX]

Originally Posted by grenier

Why didn't that boyfriend/girlfriend team (I can't remember anyone's names this season) get some sort of penalty for both of them doing that roadblock?

That was one of the gay brothers she was working with

[gr8vette]

So, for next week, I wonder why the blond girl decided to do the road block instead of the boyfriend????

Is there some requirement that they alternate or that they each have to do so many. I know it was their a few season's ago, but I don't remember any requirements in the past few seasons.

This season is one of the better ones IMHO.

[mwbmis]

Originally Posted by gr8vette

So, for next week, I wonder why the blond girl decided to do the road block instead of the boyfriend????

Is there some requirement that they alternate or that they each have to do so many. I know it was their a few season's ago, but I don't remember any requirements in the past few seasons.

This season is one of the better ones IMHO.

After Colin/Christie & Chip/Kim they institued a rule that no one player could do more than six roadblocks. I'm sure that's still an active rule.

[Groucho]

After weeks of "Poker will help us do anything, we are superwomen!!!!!!1111" the ego chicks finally got taken down a notch.

[chowderhead]

the detours were brutal.

Spoiler:

It's no wonder there has never been an all women team winner.

Well, next week's roadblock looks just as tough.

[Jadzia]

I was glad that the Poker chicks were eliminated because they essentially cheated on the bells challenge - being given the answer by the other team. I wonder if they would have incurred a penalty had they checked in before the other team? That seems a much more flagrant violation of the rules than the other team that essentially made it harder on themselves by walking instead of biking.

[dolphinboy]

Originally Posted by Jadzia

I was glad that the Poker chicks were eliminated because they essentially cheated on the bells challenge - being given the answer by the other team. I wonder if they would have incurred a penalty had they checked in before the other team? That seems a much more flagrant violation of the rules than the other team that essentially made it harder on themselves by walking instead of biking.

I'm usually happy when any team willing to quit is eliminated. Two weeks in a row now. But how can you say the girls cheated? They had no ability to keep someone from blurting out the answer.

"If" there was a rule about something like that, it should go to the team that gives away an answer to a team and doesn't make them do it themselves.

I'm terrible with remembering specific facts from reality tv, but, while I very much remember that hay roll challenge from a previous season, I was wondering...are they doing it in the very same place or is it just the same challenge in another location? I thought I heard Phil say something like, "they return to the place of one of the toughest challenges," but I wasn't sure if I heard him right. Same exact place?

[chowderhead]

Originally Posted by Jadzia

I was glad that the Poker chicks were eliminated because they essentially cheated on the bells challenge - being given the answer by the other team. I wonder if they would have incurred a penalty had they checked in before the other team? That seems a much more flagrant violation of the rules than the other team that essentially made it harder on themselves by walking instead of biking.

why should the poker players get a penalty for something like that? Megan and one of the gay brothers collaborated at the roadblock. Teams collaborate all the time. The brother offered the answer without being prompted so why not try the answer. At the gold weighing challenge, the poker players gave the brothers the answer ... did you also demand a penalty back then? As long as it is not specified in the rules, I think it should be ok.

Edit: every other team except for Brian and Ericka were shown to get the number of bells right on the first attempt. Ericka was the only one having problems. I am not sure that Tiffany and Maria even saw Ericka doing the task. Who's to say Maria didn't count the bells to verify and that was edited out. It doesn't matter as long as the number was correct.

[Jadzia]

Originally Posted by dolphinboy

But how can you say the girls cheated? They had no ability to keep someone from blurting out the answer.

Because she did not do the challenge. It would have been one thing if she had went and counted the bells to verify the answer before getting the clue, but I was annoyed by the fact that she just went up and got the clue without even bothering to do the task. Especially after seeing the other team struggle so hard to get the right answer, it just seemed unfair that another team was allowed to turn in the answer without doing ANY of the work. Seemed like a much more unfair an advantage than not using a bike.

[Phod]

The detour was total bs.

[dolphinboy]

Originally Posted by Jadzia

Because she did not do the challenge. It would have been one thing if she had went and counted the bells to verify the answer before getting the clue, but I was annoyed by the fact that she just went up and got the clue without even bothering to do the task. Especially after seeing the other team struggle so hard to get the right answer, it just seemed unfair that another team was allowed to turn in the answer without doing ANY of the work. Seemed like a much more unfair an advantage than not using a bike.

Do you, technically, have to do the challenge? What if you had a hunch it was 62, wrote it down, and you turned out to be right? I don't think you can be penalized for that and, again, the boys were responsible for giving out the answer. I can't blame the girls for that. For a lot of other things I didn't like about them, yes. That...no.