Jim

What do you suggest the maximum income allowed be for contestants? $50K/year? $100K? Do we know anything about the income of the other contestants?

I think complaints about how they don't need the money and shouldn't be on the show are the same as the people on Survivor who vote someone off because they say that person doesn't need the money. Lame reason in my book. It's competition and entertainment is all it is.

The NFL wives might be very competitive individuals which could make them interesting to watch, but they made one of the most bonehead decisions in the short history of the show by taking that Fast Forward.

Right now I'm rooting for Josh and his dad. Josh seems to filling the role of Gary from TAR 2.

CharlesC

If money doesn't matter then why are they giving away prizes? Obviously the main motivation for the racers is to win the money.

Jim

I think people compete for a lot of reasons other than money, although that is certainly one of the reasons. I'd do that race for free just to see all the places and do all the things they get to do.

Jim

Hopefully good news for the future of TAR - it was 16th in the Nielsens last week. Much better than it has done in the past if I remember right.

Groucho

While money is a factor in competing in these reality shows, it seems the biggest reason people show up is to help open up opportunities for themselves in the entertainment industry.

I would also do "The Amazing Race" for free, as it looks like great fun (of course they don't show the contestants sitting around bored on airplanes). Another one I'd do for free would be "The Mole."

garmonbozia

woohoo! it's on........waiting this past week seemed like a month for some reason.......

B.A.

B.A.

That sucks I actually liked those two. I was definitely hoping they would make it further.

Patman

AARRRGGHHH!!!

Team F-Bomb is gone! I so wanted Team NFL to get the boot. Oh well, Chris totally lost it for him and Amanda with his poor mask recognition skills.

Chip seems pretty immature in his strategy. Even the previews for next week show a bit of this trait.

But pretty cool to see Venice, considering I saw some of it in "The Italian Job" albeit much faster with boats speeding around canal ways.

B.A.

Troop Beverly Hills (Reichen and Chip) act like a bunch of immature 14-year-old girls. They behave like spoiled brats who aren't getting their way. No kidding people are gunning to get you out of the race! Your two guys in good physical health w/ brains - you are a threat! Morons.

Flay

Not sorry to see Team F-Bomb go. She was almost as annoying as Flo.

Team Implants did alot better than I thought they would.

Weezer and Geezer didn't finish as well as I thought they would.

Team Coronary only prolonged the inevitable.

Team NFL tried to follow everyone else and went from 4th to almost eliminated. Just what I expected.

Team Virgin looked frazzled, but they finished very well. It looks like she is going to beat up Chip next week.

Very unique roadblock this episode. The Bungie jumping next week looks very cool.

Mark Holtz

Departure Times
Steve & Josh (FP-1t) - 11:52 PM
Amanda & Chris (FP-1t) - 11:52 PM
Millie & Chuck (FP-1t) - 11:52 PM
Monica & Sheree (FF-1) - 12:49 AM
Steve & Dave - 1:05 AM
Kelly & Jon - 1:16 AM
Jon & Al "The Clowns" - 1:22 AM
Russell & Cindy - 1:44 AM
Reichen & Chip - 2:29 AM
David & Jeff - 3:08 AM
Tian & Jaree (LP-1) - 3:43 AM

Time differential: 4 hours, 51 minutes

Iron Chef

That one came down to the wire.

Skorp

Wow! Lots of shifting of position in this leg. Big gains & big losses for several of the teams. In order of completion:

1. Steve & Dave - up from 5th. (+4, but used the Fast Forward)
2. Reichen & Chip - up from 9th. (+7)
3. Kelly & Jon - up from 6th. (+3)
4. Tian & Jaree - up from 11th. (+7)
5. Dave & Jeff - up from 10th. (+5)
6. Jon & Al - up from 7th. (+1)
7. Russell & Cindy - up from 8th. (+1)
8. Millie & Chuck - down from 1st. (-7)
9. Steve & Josh - down from 1st. (-8)
10. Monica & Sheree - down from 4th. (-6, and already used FF)
11. Amanda & Chris - from 1st to Last. < ouch! >

A couple of random thoughts:

I'm curious about the Fast Forward. You could see it in Tian & Jaree's hand on the train, so the teams already had it upon arrival in Venice, yet Steve & Dave didn't go for it until after the Waterway/Walkway Detour. If they had gone for it earlier, they would have been even farther ahead. Or maybe the clue told them they could only use it after the Detour?

It didn't seem like any of the teams had been to Venice before. If they had, I think more would've chosen the Walkway Detour. Speaking from personal experience: the canals are just as confusing as the streets in Venice, and the teams who opted for the gondolas were further hampered by the speed of the gondolier and the inability to ask for directions.

Cool Roadblock: Not dependent on physical strength or athletic ability and much harder than it looked. It also captured something uniquely Venetian.

Sorry to see Amanda & Chris go, as I think they would've provided some interpersonal fireworks in the weeks ahead.

Monica & Sheree are doomed: They're in last place, haven't impressed me with their skills or abilities, and have already blown the FF. They might luck out & hang on for another week or two, but I don't expect them to last much longer.

BDB

I was happy to see chris and amanda gone only for the fact that he totally screwed up the Roadblock. Monica or Sheree ( again wearing the same clothes, as were chip and reichen ) were lucky to get 2nd last.

The ATC guys were clever to use the FF, it is prolonging the obvious but was good strategy, as they could not walk.

T&J lasted well and were surprisingly good at stumbling on the clues.

Team Weezer and Geezer were annoying me, I was rooting for chip and reichen holding the door, there are no rules in this folks as was displayed in the 1st episode.

The others just want the 2 teams with the Fit Guys gone, as they see them as the biggest challenge.

Great episode, looking forward to next week now.

chowderhead

I think that they only decided to take the Fast Forward when they saw that the building would not open until 5pm. It was actually very good thinking on their part as they probably got 5-6 hours on the rest of the teams. Maybe there will be bunching at the beginning of the next episode.

garmonbozia

great Roadblock. Great that they went to Venice since is my favorite place in the world (well of places I've actually been).

Static Cling

Does someone want to send me a tape of this leg of the race? My girlfriend and I would be your biggest fans. E-mail me at [email protected] if you can help, as I won't be looking at this thread anymore. Thanks!

BizRodian

I have trouble keeping track of all the young hetro couples.

This is actually the only show I watch on TV...

One thing I do find odd is how there's so many gaps between everything. I don't know why everyone hurrys or wants to be first in line because almost everyone makes it... the last part, yes, I understand... I guess they do it because there might be an option to take an early bus or late bus like there was last time.

Struz

Kind of a weak episode.

There was too much waiting around which led to all the teams to be even.

All the teams that had leads going into this leg finished near the end and one got eliminated.

I was hoping the NFL wives wouldn't make it. Hopefully next show they will get eliminated. Now they are in last place and have used their FF.

Patman

"You can let go of the door."

Bwah-hahahaha! Has it come down to this?

briank

yeah I was really hoping Team NFL was going to get the boot.

I thought Amanda and Chris would be more entertaining to watch in future episodes.

I loved the Weezer and Geezer line.

Red Dog

Damn - I was hoping those Falcons bitches lost.

I am still torn on this show. They allow people to catch up way too easily. There was absolutely no advantage in being one of the first to leave Cortina. I was laughing when that guy was holding the doors - I mean what can one second of an advantage do for you in this game.

The producers definitely confused me further about the FF - they edit it so it looks like only team has the option.

silentbob007

I wonder if Reichen & Chip are as big of jerks as they are edited to be ... probably. It is like they are taking it personally that the other teams are not rooting for them (but they aren't acting maliciously towards them, either). The holding-the-door bit was incredibly stupid and childish ... it is not like there were only 2 tickets on that train to Venice. Everyone would have been on equal footing, regardless of position.

The teams that formed an alliance made a mistake in talking with the NFL wives, who it looks to me, are trying to work the groups against each other.

BDB

I would have held the door just cos it was annoying to the weezer and geezer.

that whole Boat thing was one of the more stupid tasks, it served no purpose. the one on the ski ramp. they should have let teams ride it alone, that might have made it more interesting