(S12E04) Goths tend to be sincere and genuine according to Kynt of The Amazing Race. And, if one were to base his perception of Goth kind of folks just on this particular episode of the show, it would be and accurate perception indeed.There was a lot to enjoy with the episode and the Goth couple, Kynt and Vyxsin were just a part of it. Ah, but there was a team to boo, too. That team was genuine, as well. Genuine creeps, that is!
When the teams started out from Bingo in Burkina Faso (the last Pit Stop) with zero dollars, I figured they wouldn't be traveling out of Africa this leg. Eventually they had to take taxis, but I didn't see any money pass hands, did you? Odd, I say. Maybe they were prepaid cabs for some reason. Perhaps local laws don't allow them to drive? I don't know.
The teams had to travel 100 miles in taxis heading for the next clue at Bood Pelegtana where they first had to pick up a chicken. Now, I know 100 miles in a cab here would be extremely costly. The first team to leave, Azaria and Hendekea, left at 7:58 and the last team, Lorena and Jason, departed at 10:07. So, there was about two hours between first and last. But, in view of how things went down, I don't think it was a late start which hurt Lorena and Jason. The chickens would travel the leg with the teams -- no chicken, no check in. It was the blondes who decided to name their chicken Phil. "He's so cute ... just like Phil!" Poor Phil. That chicken looked nothing like him.
After receiving the clue from the Chickenman (he's everywhere, he's everywhere!), it was head on over to a Detour. This one was a lot of fun. Well, one choice was, anyway. Teams had a choice between Shake Your Pan or Shake Your Booty. Shake Your Pan was panning for gold. Ho-hum, but it was a fairly easy task and not subjected to the approval of judges like Shake Your Booty.
Donald and Nicolas were the only team who initially went for Shake Your Pan. But TK and Rachel, after seeing how strictly judged the booty bit was, headed off to find gold in them thar muddy holes. The judges for Shake Your Booty were local celebrities and it looked like the entire village came to watch the fun. The teams were shown a dance by a costumed warrior. They had to dance using those moves, plus add in moves of their own. If the judges didn't approve of their dance, they'd suffer a ten minute penalty.
Some of the dancing was pretty creative; some just looked stupid. Er, to use the judges' lingo -- "your creativity was not good." Nathan and Jennifer had to wait out the ten minutes as did Ronald and Christina. But some made it right through, including my favorite Goth duo. Shana and Jennifer made it through, but I think only because they were vampy.After completing the Detour, we got our first look at the newly created U-Turn.
Hmmm ... I definitely like it better than the Yield. Hopefully, it will take the place of the Yield. Apparently there are two U-Turns this season after Detours. A team can only use the U-Turn once. They name a team they want to U-Turn and the selected team has to go back to complete the second Detour choice.
Most of the teams didn't want to use the U-Turn thinking they didn't need it and it would cause ill feelings between teams if they were to use it.
Not so with Shana and Jennifer. TK and Rachel were right on their heels, or at least in sight, when Shana thought she saw Lorena and Jason. Huh? As far as I could tell, Lorena and Jason were nowhere near them and hadn't even arrived at the Detour. What do they do? They U-Turned Lorena and Jason! That made no sense at all to me. Later we'd find out that it was more Shana than Jennifer, but it was a stupid and unneeded move at that time in the game. Perhaps TK and Rachel because they were right behind them, but Lorena and Jason?Remember, the teams are still carrying their chickens through all of this. They were allowed to sit them down while they danced, but that was a bout it. It's a bit like an albatross, but it tastes like chicken.
From there they had to head to the Pelegtanga goat market where they faced a Roadblock -- Who's ready for juggling?
Of course, the teams thought about it the same way I did when I heard it. I thought actual juggling. You know, balls, knives, up in the air and all of that. Nope, that's not the kind of juggling they meant. One member of each team had to load a bicycle with a ton o' stuff including a live goat tied down in a laundry basket and find a certain stall in the marketplace to get their next clue.
Good, Shana had issues with the task. She deserved it. TK talked to Jennifer (of Shana and, not Nathan and) and it seems that Jennifer was extremely displeased with Shana about U-Turning Lorena and Jason. "You've put a target on your back," he told her.It seemed, other than juggling the items on the bike, the language barrier was the biggest issue. Vyxsin spilled over, but eventually a bunch of local children led her to her destination. No such luck for Shana -- she just kept getting frustrated, but finally found her market stall.
In the end, though, it was Hendekea and Azaria once again getting to the Pit Stop mat at the Hotel DeVille first. Oh, they had a footrace with Nathan and Jennifer for an almost photo finish, but they were first. Jennifer got really pouty about it. What were they supposed to do? Hand over the first place finish to them? I don't think so! For their efforts, Hendekea and Azaria each won Yamaha motor scooters. Jennifer and Nathan just won second place. Heh. I still don't care that much for them.
After Hendekea and Azaria, then Jennifer and Nathan, the Pit Stop arrival order went down like this:
3. Christina and Ron
4. Nicolas and Donald
5. Kynt and Vyxsin
6. Shana and Jennifer
7. TK and Rachel
8. Lorena and Jason
Lorena and Jason were Philiminated just as I was starting to like them more. Yeah, she freaks out a bit too much when things go wrong. Oh, and yeah, he looks a bit like Marky Mark. But they've been doing better at getting along. I wanted Nathan and Jennifer to go before Lorena and Jason. Can we have a recount?As for the other teams -- Ronald and Christina are coming along well. He really seems to want to change how he treats his daughter and he's obviously making a lot of progress. Yay. I always like to see fathers and daughters get along well together.
TK and Rachel are still running the race a bit mellow. It might cost them although at least they don't have the target on their back for being mean so-and-so's using the U-Turn.
Donald and Nicolas are hanging in nicely. The tasks haven't been geared for athletic 20somethings so much, so it's more of an even playing field for older racers. Not that it's all easy, but they're not climbing cliffs and stuff.
Hendekea and Azaria are a force to be reckoned with. That's the third first place they've taken out of four legs. I think he's too bossy. I'd bristle if I was his sister, but they are working together very well.
Then there's my favorite team, Kynt and Vyxsin. Race-wise, they're hanging in. But I was more impressed with their reactions to their surroundings. Kynt mentioned how everyone they met was so tolerant and they all smiled to make them feel welcome. With tears in her eyes, Vyxsin said, "It's heartbreaking to see such wonderful people having to live with so little." Their reactions to the poverty, yet fantastic people all around them, made me think even more of these two little Goth elves. I want them to win. That would be an amazing finish for an Amazing Race, wouldn't it?
Giveaways reminder: Office, Eli Stone, Supernatural, South Park
Giveaway Thursday: Tickets to the New York Television Festival ... all of it!
I miss the media-friendly John McCain - VIDEOS
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-26-2007 @ 12:23AM
VP said...
Almost two full weeks in one country? Looks like Jerry Bruckheimer was trying to save some cash. BOOOOOOOO.
I echo your feelings on the goths. At first i thought they would try to be all different & such but they blended in very well and are appreciative of where they are. Can't say the same about the two blondes.
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11-26-2007 @ 1:12AM
lucyfan62 said...
Seems like the past few seasons we've had a team of blondes who are just annoying as hell. This season is no different, and the stupid move tonight just cements how much I hate them. If you're going to strategically use a U-Turn or a Yield, at least use it on the team that is practically on your heels. Why they had to do that to a team already in last place is just beyond stupid. Can't wait to see how karma - in the form of a large truck - treats the girls next week!
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11-26-2007 @ 1:30AM
Zarquon said...
About the cabs... It looked like they were in a pretty rural area and eight cabs might not just be hanging out. They were probably prearranged to make sure they could keep going on a reasonable time scale. Also in some countries, you don't necessarily get a cab to yourself, you share it with everyone else who's going your direction (esp. in rural areas) *That* wouldn't make the racers happy!
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11-26-2007 @ 3:26AM
Tigre said...
I can't believe Jennifer started b*tching after Hendekea and Azaria took first place again. If the tables were turned theirs no way she would give up first place because her and the boyfriend took first on other legs. Besides the two blondes it was kinda hard to find a team that you just don't like but now I want Jennifer & Nathan gone.
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11-26-2007 @ 3:45AM
Brent McKee said...
Love Kynt & Vyxsin's attitude throughout the episode. Their dance, with Kynt`s "Darth Maul" style work with the staffs was amazingly complex and beautiful, and Vyxsin's heartfelt talk in the cab about the people she met and saw were exactly the sort of thing that "The Amazing Race" is meant to show. The Blondes are a perfect contrast to them - the "ugly American" type who are self centered and come close to blaming the people for the condition they're living in.
Note to Nathan & Jennifer - there's no crying in baseball and no "fair" in "The Amazing Race;" you are racing and the race is to the swift. or did you forget trying to get cab drivers to pass each other and trying to get the first flight to Paris to get an advantage going to Burkina Faso.
The U-Turn is a brilliant idea (badly used by the Blondes - you U-Turn TK & Rachel not Lorena & Jason) but it works best on a stage where there are no obvious bottlenecks. Tonight's episode - which probably took about 12 hours or less real time - was ideally suited for it. It's the sort of thing that would have been perfect for non-elimination stages: "You have not been eliminated but on the next stage you must complete both sides of the Detour," but as I said it only works in stages where there isn't a bottleneck point between the Detour and the finish.
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11-26-2007 @ 8:20AM
Jack said...
The producers definitely prepaid those cabs. Each one would normally hold close to 20 people (not exaggerating)! Piling things on the bike was an inspired game. In Burkina, many women ride bikes piled with that much stuff, plus they can carry 50 lb bags of sticks balanced on their heads!
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11-26-2007 @ 8:23AM
Ryan said...
I hate the blondes too and I thought their use of the U-Turn was blah. But I thought that THEY thought TK/Rachel was Lorena/Jason. They could only see a guy/girl team from the distance. So in that sense it was smart in that they thought they were in a race for last place. I think when they found out that it wasn't Lorena and Jason, they felt bad.
Then again, they still suck.
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11-26-2007 @ 9:22AM
jun said...
That's what I thought too, Ryan.
And yes, I totally love Kent and Vixen (can't abide the silly spellings) after this episode. I even had a dream with them in it where I was telling them all about manga.
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11-26-2007 @ 9:49AM
Dave said...
I must be in the minority of people who thought the U-Turn move by the Blondes wound up making perfect sense. I certainly got the impression they thought they were U-Turning TK/Rachel, but by U-Turning Jason/Lorena, they guaranty themselves sticking around another week. If I was the 3rd-last or 2nd-last team, I'd do the same thing.
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11-26-2007 @ 10:05AM
Mitch said...
What the blondes did with the U-Turn was the right thing to do. They would have been stupid to U-Turn the team that was right behind them. (Whether or not they realized which team was right behind them is another argument.)
My wife and I went back and forth about this game play element last night. Simply put, the goal of the game is not to finish in last place. If you finish in second-to-last place, you win (!) and in the words of Allen Ludden, "you get to play again."
It's that simple.
If you're able to push one team further back to guarantee that they will finish after you, you stay in the game longer and your chances of being a winner in that leg increase. The point of the U-Turn is to kick a team while they're down, and it makes for a more interesting game than the Yield did.
And guess what? Annoying or not, the blondes moved on. They were one of the winners of this leg. I don't buy the Karma argument because they played the game well.
And it's a game, folks. There are a million reasons why this is not a time to create deep friendships with your competitors. If I was playing, I wouldn't hesitate one second to use the Yield as the blondes did in that situation.
Also, I enjoyed the little blonde girl who acted like a six-year old in the second-place team. "I wanted to finish first!"
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11-26-2007 @ 10:18AM
mattu said...
I've always assumed that nearly everything on The Amazing Race is manipulated. How easy is for Bruckheimer to toss around a few dollars in these
poor countries to have the entire cab company at his beck and call?
Don't you think it's a little suspicious that one cab always breaks down, one cab always gets lost, etc, etc, etc. There's never enough seats on the plane for all of the teams, etc. I love watching most aspects of The Amazing Race but you just know Bruckheimer can't resist
getting his greasy little fingers in there. If he just let things happen he's risking losing some of the drama.
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11-26-2007 @ 10:19AM
jessie said...
I LOVE KYNT AND VYXEN! They are so genuine. They take in their surroundings and have the utmost respect for all of it. They race with couth! Just all around good people. Their dance was definitely the most entertaining. I dislike the blonds most. They don't look all that hot without makeup - I give the Beauty Queens from season past props for always looking great during the race. TK and Rachel are my second fav, the Grandson and Grandpa are my third. So far pretty good season and I hope the Goths win it all.
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11-26-2007 @ 1:45PM
Dave said...
I too thought that the blondes thought Jason and Lorena were right behind them when in fact it was TK and Rachael.
I thought it was real nice of Jason to say the nice things he did to Lorena in the cab as she was crying knowing they would finish last. "We can make our million dollars another way"
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11-26-2007 @ 1:48PM
Dave said...
I don't like the Blonds but I like Hendekea and Azaria less. I like TK and Rachael best followed by the Goths.
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11-26-2007 @ 2:04PM
jamiescrawford said...
I agree with Mitch on the blondes use of the U-Turn. There are only two in the game, and you can only use them once, so why would ANYONE waste the opportunity to handicap a team and help ensure their own future in the race? I would've used it even if I was in first place!
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11-26-2007 @ 3:18PM
grumpyoldman said...
It was obvious that the cabs on this leg were pre-arranged because one of the teams said they have zero dollars for this leg.....
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11-27-2007 @ 7:59AM
JPN said...
I would LOVE to know more about the "inner workings" of the race! Every season I think that. They had to have prepaid for the cabs, only because of the rural area - I get the impression cabs don't just drive around there waiting for customers. However, usually near the end of the race, they have a $0 leg, which I've always thought was there to punish teams who waste money.
As far as cars breaking down/flights being full and that being manipulated by the show - I really doubt it. Now, they make it clear when they've bought a certain number of seats on a flight and only that many teams can be on that flight. Of course, sometimes it's surprising that there are any seats at ALL on a flight.
However, way back around season 7 or 8, I read that the timing of the race is far different than what we see. I read a "behind the scenes" kind of thing that said that while most pit stops are 24 hours, some end up being 48 or 72 hours. Usually they provide activities for the racers, but the start times are always consistant with the finishing times of the previous race. Also, there have been episodes where racers have spent a full day in the airport and they edit all that out to seem like it was quicker.
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11-27-2007 @ 8:37AM
JPN said...
AND, it was correct to U-turn Jason and Lorena. They were a very strong team and could have won. They seem to have that "template" of many teams that have won in the past (Flo & Zack, Rob & Amber, Freddy & Kendra, etc.)
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