Amazing Race? Amazing!

I finally lost all patience with the Chos. Heaved a sigh of relief that they're gone. I hadn't realized how insecure they were about travel. Stopping constantly to ask for directions. Combine that with their being so polite. Destined to lose. In fact, they didn't seem to be playing to win. Alabama finally lost patience with them as well.

I'm not crazy about any of the remaining people. Somebody's gotta win.

BTW, I was waiting for Rob to put his head through the windshield when the car broke down. He was amazingly composed, relatively speaking. Or they didn't show us his putting his head through the windshield. Who knows what they cut out.

So the remaining teams: Barbie dolls, Ken dolls, a maniac and SO, and Alabama. Let the good times roll.

Agreed. *sigh*

I think it's the Barbies for me, now. Not that I usually cheer for privileged blondes, but they seem to be focused and having fun.

I agree about reaching the "fed up" limit with the Chos. The last straw was waiting for Alabama at the Tank School. HELLO!!!!! IT'S A RACE AND YOU'RE CURRENTLY 4TH OUT OF FIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, this now leaves me with no one to root for and consequently very little incentive-- beyond mild curiousity-- to keep watching. I don't see myself rooting for the lesser of any of the remaining evils.

Although it's always interesting to see if Psycho Rob and Kimberly get yet another vehicle to break down...

Tico, I may end up with you--rooting for the Barbies. I could take some small measure of pleasure in seeing a two-woman team win for the first time.

Blacksmithn, I'm with you about needing someone to root for, which is why I may root for the goils. But I really don't like them. If I met either one in person, I think I'd be itching to get away.

Maybe they'll pull a surprise and bring back a team or two that was already eliminated. This was done on Project Runway. A few ousted designers got a second chance. They lost again--a foregone conclusion.

I have to agree with Tico. I don't really like the Barbies, but they are good competitors and work together.

Why would some one decide to run in this race if not to win? So if you play soceer for example, do you not block the opponent from scoring because they are nice? Even my little daughter nows how to be competitive while still be a good sport. These guys should never do anything competitive - they are way too passive.

Linkat, I agree entirely about competition. Alliances in a race might amount to helping with information. But waiting for people?! Bizarre.

At one point, I pictured an Olympic team of sprinters waiting for the other guys on the team to catch up.

Blacksmithn, You called it. Rob and Kimberly in yet another disabled vehicle. How do they do it? Am I imagining things or is Rob appearing saner than he was at the beginning of the race? Maybe he's calmed down.

As I watched tonight, I had to ask myself whether the six-pack alliance was holding back Alabama. They certainly didn't need any help. Got their map. Found where they were supposed to go and got there. Now I have somebody to root for. I was so certain that they'd be gone that I didn't even consider the possibility of rooting for them. Go 'Bama.

The Barbies are out as far as I'm concerned. They yielded Alabama?!!! Even Rob thought it was low. It was low. Will they survive the half-hour wait next time? I hope not.

The Ken dolls are looking strong.

There's still a ways to go.

I don't like Team Goldilocks, but I have no problem with their using the
"Yield" option. It's part of the game. What I don't get is why nobody
else used the option on Blonde Ambition. When it gets down to the final
stages and you have the opportunity to slow down what may arguably be
the strongest team, you use it.

I also thought that odd. The Yield should be used to give you an advantage, however, you have to watch out - in that if there is a future Yield - you could have people out for revenge.

Well, Rob did appear saner, except for the part about not being able to get the jack out of the car. I mean, come on. They put those things in the car to be used. They don't put them in so that a reasonably competent person can't take them out.

Anyway, I had no problem with the Yield. The problem I had was that 'bama got to the studio FIRST. They should have had the right to approach the way station first too, instead of turning the whole thing into another hurry-up-and-wait footrace. I'm not much for the 'bama girls, but you have to admire their pluck in weathering the yield and coming in second.

Next time, maybe they'll put the way station OUTSIDE of a locked gate instead of forcing everyone to wait.

You guys are right. I shouldn't have been bothered by the yield. I never was before. I guess I was in a stunned state that Bama was in contention.

I suspect that teams didn't yield the Barbies because of their so-called alliances. The Barbies would have had no such compunction.

Well, whoda thunk? Alabama in the final three. And the Barbies are gone. Did they really think that the Ken dolls would step aside and let them take first if it was close? Delusional or overly optimistic?

While Kimberly was busy looking for the clue in the tomatoes, Rob was busy throwing tomatoes. Why didn't he help her? Nuts! Or having too much fun?

To my astonishment, the needle in the haystack challenge was easier and faster this time than the alternative. Whoda thunk?

I could be wrong, but I think they're gonna be in NYC for at least part of the finale. I think I recognized a taxi.

Any predicitions?

Predictions? I don't think so. The Kens have been first more often than anyone else and could beat the other two in any foot race. However, if it comes to map reading, 'Bama might just trump 'em all. Worst case, and just as possible, Psychocouple scream and fight their way to first place, hence finding the meaning of life and nirvana. They are certainly made for each other.

I have no favourites left. The Ken Dolls are easy on the eyes and I do admire their effort to pick themselves out of the gutter, but I just can't warm to them. Psychocouple Rob & Kim -- well, volume and tantrums are not my favourite human traits. And 'Bama's Karlyn's bitchin' makes me want to slap her uspside the head. Can we vote to have Lynn of Alabama win by herself?

I couldn't understand why Rob didn't position himself where he could have
shielded Kimberly while she dug. But then again, I don't understand
anything about that pair.

I've been watching reruns of previous races on the Game Channel. Rob and Kimberly are cooing love birds compared to some other couples. What is wrong with these people? Don't they have any idea that what they're doing is being televised? Or do they assume that their behavior is normal?

I'm with you, Tico. Let's get rid of Karlyn. Lynn is a trooper.

BTW, I had no idea that people ate camels. I thought they were just beasts of burden.

I told my wife last night that at this point I'm not watching to root for anyone. I'm watching to see if Rob goes completely crazy and kills someone.

I think he came close with the tomato challenge...

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, camel!

They just couldn't get enough shots of that camel head with the tongue
hanging out, could they?

Is Rob an emotional train wreck or what? One minute he is swearing and you think going to actually kill his future wife and the next he is crying actual tears of love and devotion.

I really don't like any group much either. Though it will be interesting to see who wins. I don't think it has to be some one stronger, just lucky and it depends on the challenges. The tomato in a hay stack type of thing can be easy if they have lots of clues hidden. Wonder if the show decides to put more clues in, making the non-strength challenge easier and therefore keeping an Alabama type underdog team in longer.

Isn't the last challenge tend to be something based on everywhere they have traveled - almost a more mental game? I remember a flag one once and a puzzle one another time.

The greatest surprise for me was that two teams managed to find NYC cab drivers who were willing to drive them upstate without batting an eye. It must have been the tv cameras. Dead giveaway that these were not normal fares.

Also I'm wondering how Lynn and Karlyn managed to get to the final spot while everyone was still gathered. Did the producers hire a private plane to get them from Europe to NY?

Not surprised, pleased, or disappointed that the Ken dolls won. Sorry, I can't remember their names.

Who among us will be watching the news to find out when Kimberly's body is found buried under the house and Rob is led off to the pokey? Volunteers?

I confess to being a little disappointed that 'Bama didn't win. They seemed so completely out of it at the beginning. Their late-found competence was a pleasant surprise. And I like to root for the underdog (sometimes), even when one of the underdogs is a bit snarly.

All in all, not a bad race.

Ditto, Roberta. It's unfortunate that 'Bama made the error of going to Orly instead of Charles de Gaulle -- that was a beginner's mistake and the first major one they had made for some time. Perhaps it was a language barrier thing, in that they seemed to stop asking locals for advice and assistance. However, even if they had got the same flight as the other teams to NYC, they still had the huge disadvantage of the other teams' knowledge of the city.

Anyway, I enjoyed how gracious everyone was in the end. I wish the producers would do a little post-game wrap-up, maybe not as drawn out as Survivor, but the Race always seems to end too abruptly.