Norway to St. Petersburg, but not the St. Pete where my Aunt Henrietta spent her golden years, the one where the czars used to live. It's planes, trains and automobiles to get there, with lots of bunching (sorry Howard).
Upon arrival the Detour is either classical music or classic cinema, and both involve such ridiculous sensory overload that it may actually constitute torture. More teams opt for the cacophony of the music challenge, which seems bizarre to me, but there is mucho switcherooing as they become frustrated. The whole thing is an exercise in frustration for many of them. This is kind of a boring challenge to watch but it is an evil-genius challenge to think up, as it strains their eyes, their ears, their brains and their patience. The MelonHeads and the WhoTubes emerge first.
The Roadblock is one of those challenges that on the surface pays tribute to a certain foreign lifestyle but in reality is mocking it. Dressing up like a babushka and planting potatoes while surrounded by real babushkas cheerleading in Russian is not compelling.
In the end the Formerly Firsts are first again, and he has new found respect for his beleaguered and non-college educated girlfriend because she can plant potatoes faster than anybody. The MelonHeads are second, and could it be that these two will be the first all-female team to win AR? Maybe. They show remarkable fortitude.
The WhoTubes are third, but they should've been second, except the son will never be able to listen to the dad because he thinks his dad is an idiot. And luckily for us, the Docs fall back to fourth. They will not be the first all-female team to win AR.
The Dumbs end up last, but they are kinder, gentler Dumbs because he did not blow his stack at her despite their inability to do the music challenge, the movie challenge and then finally back to the music challenge, where they eventually prevailed because she breathed in blue and breathed out pink. He said he "took a little Ghana" with him, and honestly, if doing this race makes this douche bag a nicer person, then I'm all for it. Bertram van Munster, changing the world one dysfunctional relationship at a time.
Luckily though Phil tells them it is non-elimination, making it the second one already, and they will have a Speed Bump in the next leg. These two won't win, that's for sure, but I have to say she is growing on me. I still don't have a clear favorite, this far along. How about you?
I don't think he's found new respect for her - I think he just likes her when she is good for them. When they boarded the train, she was in awe of the sleeping accommodations (as would I be - I have travelled widely but never on a sleeper car), and to her question of "have you ever slept on a train before" he replied sneeringly, "Of course." REALLY? Because it isn't actually a normal thing to have done. So where? Does Notre Dame have a sleeper car in its dorm? And I now love the Vegas couple - it took them a while, granted, but they were the only ones who figured out how to do the music challenge in a sane way: ONE AT A TIME. And his whole "took a little Ghana" and "very little race, a whole lotta drag" lines were the best of this season so far. My faves are the two female teams: the QVC duo, because really they might be as nice as they seem and Phil genuinely seems to adore them, and the doctors because, well, they are awesome in every single way.
ReplyDeleteWe keep finding ourselves rooting for the home shopping hosts. They just seem like they are having a great time and they've have good grace and good humor along the way.
ReplyDeleteBertram, Bertram, Bertram: you gave us, last week, an airport "bottleneck" which actually SEPARATED teams but this week you gave us a real airport bottleneck AND a train-station bottleneck in the FIRST TEN MINUTES of the ep! I agree that the potato-planting task was hoky... but I always enjoy the locals laughing at the Racers. WhoTube Junior should have been spanked 20 years ago - I want Senior to do it NOW. Am now rooting for the Hosts because they combine a positive attitude and mad skills.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous:"he has new found respect for his beleaguered and non-college educated girlfriend because she can plant potatoes faster than anybody." This is sarcasm ...
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same thing about that guy on the train...Of course all college educated people have been on sleeper cars on trains....not. He doesn't seem to have any kind of personality at all and I suspect the producer/editors are searching through hours and hours of film to find something interesting to put in the episode for him and can't find too much. In fact, he was probably the inspiration for that film challenge this week!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I'm liking the TV shopping girls, too. I thought they'd be getting on my nerves by now, but they aren't. I don't mind the lady docs and dumb and dumber are growing on me too. I'd love to see a new twist in the game where people could blow off their loser teammate and join a new team. The non college educated girl could team up with the other girlfriend whose boyfriend is a jerk (and whose names I can't remember) and leave the two jerky guys to fend for themselves. Maybe Whotube Dad could join Mallory and her dad and leave Kevin by himself since he clearly thinks he's the only one on his team who can do anything anyway. I guess then we'd miss out on all the growth and bonding and whatnot though...
ReplyDeleteThank God for you! I missed it! (where are those late football games when you need 'em?) And btw, while I am appalled by the Domer db - think I knew some like him, back in my days under the dome - I will grant that trains with sleeper cars are often the best way to get to South Bend - and I myself took advantage of this! So db yes, maybe liar, no.
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