157 replies to this topic

[TWoP Roxy]

From zap2it.c0m:

One team continues to struggle with a debilitating injury; in New Zealand, the racers participate in a ``shemozzle'' race.

[enlightenedbum]

It's a good thing New Zealand is so pretty, because these people are not interesting, or at least they are not being edited in an interesting fashion.

[possibilities]

Dad was really booking on those crutches!

Lots of shuffling of order this time, and I am still not sure how it all happened. Weren't Pam and Winnie lost-- twice? Yet they're running in 3rd.

The scenery is spectacular this season, and I thought the obstacle course was amusing enough. Still, I'm in love with all the dogs and kind of neutral to meh on most of the humans.

[ReadIshmael]

The best part of this episode was watching Max and Katie fail. I almost felt bad for him, except that he seems to so admire her meanness, so it's exactly what he deserves.

Pam and Winnie apparently can't navigate at all. That's going to bite them sooner or later. And Chuck and Wynona are bad at the airport stuff.

Overall a better leg design that we've had so far this season; the obstacle course was a lot of fun, and the TBC was actually unexpected, and created a genuine cliff-hanger: what will Dave decide?

[TheRabbi]

I thought that was a pretty boring leg design. 2 consecutive days of bunching. Then a detour where of course everyone would choose to race a car instead of fish (except for people from Alabama of course), and then a rather mundane roadblock. Just kinda blah. It was nice to see the father/son win a leg and get rewarded, but I'd be shocked if they make it past the next elimination now that they are without an express pass. He was definitely hauling ass on those crutches though!

That said, once again it was an incredibly beautiful episode. Going from Bora Bora to New Zealand, both beautiful destinations. I would have actually preferred even more time spent on the boats, the overnighting in the airports or in the tents, and the driving, and less time with the rather boring racing detour.

I can't say that anyone really went up or down on my list of heroes or villains this week. I still like Chuck and Wynona and the hockey guys. The country gals are alright, as are the moms. I don't seem to hate anyone.

Edited by TheRabbi, Mar 3, 2013 @ 9:06 PM.

[TorontoFan]

I've been on crutches a few times, and I can't imagine moving that fast on them. Kudos to Dave and Connor for sticking with it. Hope they decide to keep going. I was hoping that there would be a good trip for winning the leg - and there was. So that is nice for them at least.

Hockey players continue to be entertaining for us...the others, not so much.

I'm allergic to feathers and hay - that road block would have been a disaster for me!

Edited by TorontoFan, Mar 3, 2013 @ 9:08 PM.

[Lamb18]

Go Connor and Dave! I hope they continue to race until they're beat or dad's leg totally gives out. That Katie is sure horrid to be with on the race. I'm sure her husband loves to hear her say "I told you so." I thought the challenges were good and the design allowed for lots of order changes once they got to the main Tahiti airport. It seemed like Chuck and Wynona were doomed but they got back into because others went the wrong way to Mount Hutt. That course looked like fun, too, but I wish there'd been sheep involved, too.

Edited by Lamb18, Mar 3, 2013 @ 9:13 PM.

[rippleintime]

Were Bates and Anthony also lost and followed Max and Katie once they saw they too were lost, or were they following them into lostdom? Either way, I hope they manage to smoke the obstacle course and get ahead of them. Knowing that it's a TBC means they don't NEED to win in order to not be eliminated but being trained athletes, I'm hoping they fly through that thing just because I like them and I don't like Max and Katie.

If there were a drinking game for this cast, everyone would definitely have to drink every time Dave goes all Kermit-voiced with choked up emotion. Goodness dude. I admire how fast he can book it on those crutches, though! Looks like he's a few mighty hops away from injuring the other foot!

[Kitty15]

Poor Max, as he and Katie are watching this now, he must be thinking "what kind of a bitch did I marry', if they are still married. There is nothing likeable about either one of them. They deserve eachother. A douche and a bitch.

[stopeslite]

Katie is really a horrible person.

I was surprised that Dave and Connor seemed to possibly be quitting at the end, but it must have been a blow to the Dad not to get the rest period he was expecting. I imagine it will be about 5 minutes of adjusting his brain, then off to get a flight to Bali.

Seriously, that road block? They had to totally make that up for the race, right? That can't be a real thing.

I thought an express pass took you directly to the pit stop? It only allows you to bypass one task?

ETA: Editors, stop putting podunk music over the Alabama team or I will hurt you.

Edited by stopeslite, Mar 3, 2013 @ 9:10 PM.

[Lantern7]

Damn. Right up until the end, I thought we had an Emmy submission episode. Speedboats,, ATVs. fly fishing, gross obstacle course racing, and big doggies. Then Phil gave Dave & Conner new Route Info, and we gotta wait a week to see if Dave decides he's had enough.

Note to Jamil & . . . urm . . . the OB-GYN twins: Dave is showing you how to not quit. He's got a bum leg, but as long as the medics give him the green light (or not restrain him), he'll keep running with the boot. He doesn't know how to quit. Okay, except for the fly-fishing. But c'mon, with the Express Pass, it's okay to quit!

Seriously, why don't we get the New Zealand legs near the end of the season, like with TARs 2 & 5? Lots of fun stuff to do, the show hasn't even touched on anything J.R.R. Toliken, and it's Phil's home turf. Look at how he insisted on introducing the O'Learys to Tim the dog. And interacted with the taskmasters at the Detour. It's like crashing at his folks' home for a few day.

I'm guessing there's not going to be an elimination for this leg. That sucks, since Max & Katie are circling the drain. Sure, Jessica & John aren't Kris & Jon, and Team YouTube is too artificially peppy for their own good, but Max & Katie are the alpha douches. But at least Katie learned how to drive stick. Shit, several Racers learned how to drive stick. Some people are actually preparing for the Race. Meanwhile, you got at least a dozen people on Survivor who act like they've been dropped in against their will.

[bluvelvet]

Wow major props to dad for staying in the race with a torn Achilles. I probably would have dropped out, it takes months of rehab after surgery to recover. I am wondering thought if they used the express pass too early? The fishing task was a stationary one and could have been done by Dave just standing but I understand why they didn't want to take the chance.

If there were a drinking game for this cast, everyone would definitely have to drink every time Dave goes all Kermit-voiced with choked up emotion

*falls over laughing*. Yeah, they need to cut that a bit.

Edited by bluvelvet, Mar 3, 2013 @ 9:17 PM.

[culturevulture73]

Dave and Connor were flyng even on a bum leg. Dave scared me on that terrazzo floor with crutches, then the stairs...

The schemozle looked like a Big Brother challenge - I'm betting they steal it for this summer.

Loved that Max messed up the racing.

Edited by culturevulture73, Mar 3, 2013 @ 9:14 PM.

[Miss Molly]

If there were a drinking game for this cast, everyone would definitely have to drink every time Dave goes all Kermit-voiced with choked up emotion.

We would all be wasted! Imagine what he'd be like if he was going through killer fatigue?

Kind of a boring leg, too much Dave, too much airport stuff. I am sick of the you tube team and don't like the alliance since I am cheering for the Battaglias. I like the country singers as well. I had a feeling it might be a TBC because if the father/son team had quit last week or this week they would have had to eliminate 2 teams in one leg and that would have screwed things up.

[merylinkid]

That was Phil's dad right?

Oh that obstacle course totally had to be made up. "Hey let's have them slide into a manure pool -- after we cover them with feathers. Multiple times. It will be great and they will do it for a chance at million dollars." I really hope they had a chance to shower before getting on a plane with other people who did not slide into a manure pool voluntarily.

[etagloh]

That's the Emmy leg, then -- earlier than usual, given the number of teams, but my guess is that TPTB pulls out the stops for NZ (and Phil calls in all his mates) and events fell into place (pardon pun) to provide the narrative. Not quite as spectacular a victory, given the Express Pass, but fair play to Dave for some pretty nifty crutchwork.

Lots and lots in that leg, perhaps too much for the one-hour edit, even with the TBC. Airport drama was weird, in part because of the layovers, but also because it seemed like the flight from Tahiti to Auckland was spoonfed, with freedom on the connecting flights, but you couldn't book a through ticket including that flight. Anyone guess how long it took between the start of the leg and the post-camping speedboat ride down the gorge? A couple of days?

Katie is apparently enough of a fan of the show to learn to drive a manual, and I suspect a couple of the other competitors who only just learned did so in anticipation of being picked. Jessica & John's Amazing Survivor tactics are now starting to grate more than Max & Katie's villain act, and somewhat undermine the fact that they've been pretty competent racers so far. Alliance, schmiance.

then a detour where of course everyone would choose to race a car instead of fish (except for people from Alabama of course), and then a rather mundane roadblock.

Oh, I dunno. It's a decent early test of "can you drive a manual?" -- the Fords they were driving between tasks appeared to be autos, since gears and driving on the left in relatively remote NZ might have been a bit too much. (As the country blondes proved by grazing the edge of the road.)

Edited by etagloh, Mar 3, 2013 @ 9:21 PM.

[WanderingSnark]

Arggh... a TBC already??

This is just a mostly un-memorable group of Racers imho. So far it's like oh yay, look, people racing I can't tell apart...

As an avid fisherman I knew that the fishing part would be kinda dumbed down, for example not with fly reels and flies... and they wouldn't pick a spot without a good natural resource to tap... really I was suprised more people didn't go that route. Though the fishing with the race helmet still on was a favorite shot of mine today.

Beautiful (location) but unmemorable racing.

[shura]

Seriously, that road block? They had to totally make that up for the race, right? That can't be a real thing.

New Zealanders are weird, aren't they? Didn't they give the world that Zorb thing too? Awesome roadblock, though I'd never do it myself. What was the shepherd's dog for again?

Why does Dave remind me of John McCain? If this is a TBC leg, why is there a prize for "winning" half of it?

That was Phil's dad right?

No, that was Butch the Dog (or whatever his name was).

[petramom]

I don't know about that particular obstacle course, but a shemozzle race is definitely a real thing.

Shemozzle New Zealand

[Candy Moocher]

I think Dave and Connor feel their time is limited and therefore, the best they can hope for is to win a leg and get a nice trip or some cash out of it. It's not a bad strategy. Dad seemed ready to cry/quit when Phil handed them the next clue. I have to wonder how long his adrenaline is going to keep him going.

The obstacle course was amusing, I guess. All of these people are so boring, though. What was the point of the dogs?

The hushed stratergizing is so melodramatic and ridiculous. It's seriously so silly.

[Modernwhimsy]

New Zealand is Oh So Beautiful! Need to put that on the hot list to visit.

The dad and son are really inspiring and makes twin docs look even more pathetic. They are a shoo in to return in a Second Chance race however his constant weeping is starting to grate. How long can the next leg be? Half of each team is wet and smells like crap.

I loved the obstacle course! Mainly cuz I loved the dogs too.

In our household we're using "katie" now to equate unacceptable annoying behavior. The DH was kind of short with me so I said "Hey. Don't be a katie." and you would have thought I called him Satan. And then we burst out laughing.

[Kolaka]

Go Connor and Dave! I hope they continue to race until they're beat or dad's leg totally gives out.

So do I - keep going! I did feel bad at the beginning when his lip was trembling.

If there were a drinking game for this cast, everyone would definitely have to drink every time Dave goes all Kermit-voiced with choked up emotion.

LOL. or Wynona says "I wouldn't be able to do that/we'd be here all day" or some variation. I enjoyed Chuck blowing past others on the course. Hate the theme music that plays when they're on screen.

Car racing was boring, schemozzle was not and the dogs were awesome.

Edited by Kolaka, Mar 3, 2013 @ 9:26 PM.

[stopeslite]

Look at how he insisted on introducing the O'Learys to Tim the dog.

Oh, I'm pretty sure that knowing the name of the dog is going to be important information on the final task of the race.
And now I'm trying to remember if they've been introduced to any other animals yet.

I hope it's an elimination, even if it is a double leg.

[mtlchickie]

My sister is heading to Auckland tomorrow and after tonight's ep, I kind of wished I took my vacation with her!

I'm waiting for one of the awesome dogs to attack John because he needs to SHUT. UP.

Well that was a interesting leg: "Yay! You win a leg! Here's a prize! Now keep racing!" "Um...no recovery? That's going to be a problem." But I have to hand it to Dave for hauling ass like he did. It was a decent ep, but nothing special about it.

[tgrfan23]

I thought an express pass took you directly to the pit stop? It only allows you to bypass one task?

You're thinking of the Fast Forward. The Express Pass is a different thing.

[TVQueen]

I'm betting the father and son will continue, although I was as disappointed as they were that they weren't getting a rest period. I think they should have spent more time at the fishing as they were ahead and it was a good resting task. The first half of this ep was boring and confusing - too much airport and every person reading the clue out loud. But the second half tasks were really fun. I'm just kind of bummed watching the show because the father and son are my favorites and I know they can't last forever. Also, I was hoping newlyweds would come in last.

[nembhard]

I hope that father and son team keep going. Although I am kinda pissed at this being an non-elimination leg. I don't really like cliffhangers especially on this show but oh well.

[SnideAsides]

Seriously, that road block? They had to totally make that up for the race, right? That can't be a real thing.

It's real. (For the record, "shemozzle" is Aussie/Kiwi slang for "convoluted mess", which seems only appropriate.) Nice to see they found a way to do the 'wacky Japanese game show' Road Block without actually having to go to Japan.

[Shocker]

Dave's attitude of "let's get 'er done" is so refreshing. We've seen so many people whine their way through TAR, so I found his attitude INSPIRING when he heard the devastating news from the doctor yet was determined to make it through at least one more leg of the race for his son.

When I broke my ankle, I had to wear a similar boot, and it's HEAVY! Whether you find Dave's continual reference to the fact that he and his son beat cancer annoying or not, you must give him props for making it look as though booking it through that leg of the race over hill and dale was a breeze. I will miss their competitive natures if they decide to end their journey.

Jessica and John were honorable when they gave Dave and Connor the Express Pass, which allowed them to win this leg of the race. Whether J&J would have given them the pass or not if Dave were not hurt is questionable.

"Beverly Hills has left the building" when Jennifer PLOPS in the pond of manure. LOL

New Zealand is gorgeous, and I can't wait to go there!

[LoveSupreme]

NZ is gorgeous isn't it? Just amazing...

What was the point of the dog during that molasses and feather thing?

Dave was BOOKING it with those crutches, kudos to him! I have a feeling though that this might be the end of the line for them, it seemed like he was ready to give up after Phil gave them the "keep racing" clue. At least they got a nice trip out of it. I'd be happy with that.

Was that really Phil's dad with him at the mat? Did I miss something?

I have no favorites, none of the teams are really wowing me with the exception of Dave and Son, but I'm sure they won't be too long for this race. The rest of the teams are kinda meh. more than kinda. Like really really meh.

Edited by LoveSupreme, Mar 3, 2013 @ 9:55 PM.