(S14E04) In the promos for this week's The Amazing Race, they promised us Siberia and a Blind U-Turn. Well, I know a bit about Siberia -- it's very cold. The plain old U-Turn on this show has its own coldness, too. But a "Blind" one? What could that be? Do they don blindfolds and pick a team at random like in pin the tail on the donkey? Nope. It's something even colder than Siberia itself.
They're getting smarter ... sometimes
The teams that are left are, I think for the first time in the history of the show, all teams I enjoy watching. Some folks might find it boring not to have a team to hate, but I like the change. And, they're catching on a bit quicker. It looks like all of the teams make an effort to make any travel arrangements ahead of time, using internet cafes and the cell phones of cab drivers. All of the teams seemed to read the clues tonight.
That's not to say they can't still screw up now and then. Case in point -- oh my, how dense could the shuttering bunch be when walking right by where they needed to repair the house? Also, when Mark and Michael thought their cab driver connected them to the airport and they really were talking to Cara and Jaime was such a hoot! I didn't think the girls would be able to carry it off, but they did.
Detour and Roadblock
The tasks seem really tough this season. In the Detour, that wood stacking looked like it would take hours. I'm a bit surprised there isn't a team still stuck out there stacking the wood now months after the season was filmed. It looks like the locals had a great time watching those silly Americans, didn't it? The other part of the Detour, the Construct task, wasn't a piece of cake either. But I thought the building and installing of the shutters would be harder than finding the house with the clearly marked fence!
The Roadblock bobsled ride looked like a lot of fun, but it looks like the adventurous one of each team went rather than the reader. I think they thought more about the ride itself than it being dubbed "speed reading." Sure, some teams like Mike and Mel or Tammy and Victor were naturals for knowing Chekhov. Poor Luke -- I was getting frustrated watching him get frustrated.
Then there's the Blind U-Turn
Oh, this is both cold and sneaky! The U-Turn makes a team go back and do the second part of the Detour before continuing the race. A team can anonymously U-Turn another one in this new twist -- the team using it used to have to plaster their own poster on the marker. Luke and Margie used it to U-Turn Amanda and Kris hoping that their move would save Cara and Jaime this leg. Yeah, it did. But it was the kiss of death for Kris and Amanda. They ended up getting Philiminated.
For the record, the Pit Stop order
1. Christie and Jodi -- each won a motorcycle
2. Kisha and Jen
3. Tammy and Victor
4. Margie and Luke
5. Jaime and Cara
6. Mel and Mike
7. Mark and Michael
8. Amanda and Kris -- eliminated
Not only am I enjoying the teams this season, I also find it refreshing that the first place winners are changing each week. We had so many seasons during which one team would dominate the prized win. It's nice to spread the wealth.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-09-2009 @ 7:38AM
Lisa said...
I kept thinking Margie should finger spell Chekhov to Luke but I don't think she did. Sorry to see Amanda and Kris go as they were the first attractive young couple since I started watching the show that didn't bicker and generally annoy the heck out of me. Perhaps an exaggeration but it makes the point that all of the teams are generally likeable. Still pulling for the stunt guys but they need to focus.
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3-09-2009 @ 1:43PM
Derek said...
I think the other team members were not allowed to see or know the letters, for just that reason.
3-09-2009 @ 7:58AM
laura said...
Watching Luke keep trying to spell Chekhov was so upsetting and frustrating, I kept yelling at the TV "You can do it!" I cant imagine the panic that was in his stomach!!
I like the Blind U-Turn, Its a bit evil but it helps relieve the guilt I am sure!
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3-09-2009 @ 9:46AM
Bill said...
Very disappointed in Margie and Luke. Absolutely no need to use the U-turn there. What comes around goes around. I also don't like it being a blind u-turn either. Much easier for cowards to use it.
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3-09-2009 @ 10:04AM
Daniel said...
I have had a bad feeling about Margie and Luke all along, but tonight just sealed it. U-turning someone for absolutely no sound strategic reason is just rude, despite the trite rationalizations of "its part of the game." I hope to see these two go down in a big way in the next couple weeks, then I will be able to agree with there being no team to hate on the show.
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3-09-2009 @ 11:24AM
Ryan said...
They weren't using it for no reason. They wanted to save their friends, Care and Jaime. Stupid reason? Yes, but a reason nonetheless.
As for it being a "blind" U-turn, it doesn't REALLY matter since the other teams would almost always be able to discern who used it during their rest time. And from the previews, it seems they already knew it was Margie and Luke. So while it creates a sense of anonymity at first, it doesn't really in the long run.
3-09-2009 @ 10:36AM
Leroy said...
"...no sound strategic reason.."
Since when is eliminating one of the strongest teams an unsound strategy? Luke is right. It's part of the rules and the first team who arrives at a U-Turn would be stupid not to use it on their strongest competition, particularly when it's blind.
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3-09-2009 @ 10:45AM
Edward said...
I am waiting for Tammy and Victor to get eliminated.
Victor: "Who doesn't know Chekhov?!" *in his annoying voice*
Luke and Margie just lost my respect. I was starting to like Amanda and Kris. Kisha and Jen should have U-turned Tammy/Victor or Christie/Jodi to set them back.
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3-09-2009 @ 11:28AM
Ryan said...
I can't really judge Victor since my brother and I while watching the show couldn't believe how many people didn't know Chekhov. I mean really what passes for education in America nowadays?
Luke was really the one person I thought might have had legitimate reasons for not knowing Chekhov. The other people, come on.
3-09-2009 @ 1:52PM
Robert said...
Um...but who doesn't know Chekhov? :) I'm rooting for Tammy and Victor to win it all. And I'm sure you have a pretty annoying voice too.
3-09-2009 @ 6:17PM
Brent McKee said...
Really, who doesn't know Chekhov even if it is just as the ensign from Star Trek.
3-09-2009 @ 12:44PM
jag said...
I was hoping some team would have used the Blind U-turn on Tammy and Victor. Did Amanda and Kris ever come in first? How were they a strong team?
First week winners Margie and Luke, Then Tammy and Victor then Mel and Mike then Christie and Jodi.
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3-09-2009 @ 2:57PM
Ryan said...
I think Tammy and Victor definitely lucked out actually being in last place the leg before since I am almost positive that if they came in the top 3 last leg they would've been the team others would U-turn.
3-09-2009 @ 2:59PM
David said...
Unfortunately the Blind U-Turn isn't really "blind" because as soon as a team is posted everyone can see that they were by some team previous to themselves. Therefore, after the leg when everyone's hanging out and talking about what just happened, it's going to come out that team X used it (the team that actually U-Turned someone might deny it, but it's going to be their word against the teams directly before and after them). A truly blind U-Turn would have each team check a covered marker for their own U-Turn, and then vote for someone or not by either stamping another team's covered marker or just moving on. That way, nobody would know until the end of the leg whether any other team had been U-Turned, and therefore it could have been anyone who did it. Obviously the producers would have to make sure that only the first team U-Turned actually had a stamped marker when they got there, but there are any number of ways they could do that (the easiest of course is to simply switch out markers between teams). Another concept for the blind U-Turn might be that multiple teams could use the U-Turn...even stacking them onto a team. Might be a way for the other teams to "take out" a seriously unpopular team if they have to do each task twice or something.
If they really wanted to be evil they could implement a Golden U-Turn, which granted the team giving another team the U-Turn immunity from the second U-Turn of the race. I don't think I'd like that concept however, because it would virtually guarantee that the first team to hit the U-Turn spot would use it.
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3-09-2009 @ 10:37PM
Chester said...
"It looks like the locals had a great time watching those silly Americans, didn't it?"
I'm no writer for a blog, however I feel I would have chosen;
It looks like the locals had a great time watching those silly Americans.
OR
Didn't it look like the locals had a great time watching those silly Americans.
But I would not have started and finished with IT.
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3-12-2009 @ 8:23PM
whocares said...
seriously Chester, no one cares about your writing prowess. I prefer the original to either or yours.