Ohmigod. I can't believe I am actually going to say this, but I'm now rooting for the Beauty Queens to win this thing.There, I've said it. I know I've been on record since the start of this edition of The Amazing Race with my dislike of the Blondes, but they've far and away proven themselves to be the team to beat, even when they're dead in last place. And while I knew, based on the odds, that this would be a non-elimination leg, I nonetheless was on the edge of my seat to see whether Dustin and Kandice would be sent packing... or marked for elimination. And every iota of my very being was hoping that they wouldn't be out just yet, if only because all of the remaining teams seem to hate and fear them quite so passionately. (Guys, don't get pissed at them for taking off at the airport and trying to ditch you... and then follow them blindly.)
I've even begun to view their somewhat serpentine actions with a blend of admiration and respect; these woman want to win this thing so badly that they're willing to do just about anything to get to the finish line first. And, you know what? That's not such a bad thing in a race. In fact, that's what you're supposed to be doing. There aren't alliances or double-bluffs in a footrace and there shouldn't be one in this Race either. But at no point have Dustin and Kandice bent the rules or even broken them, nor have they been anywhere near as mean-spirited as the Rob half of Team Romber, which I cannot believe has been invited back again to run as part of The Amazing Race: All-Stars Edition. (Shudder.) And I couldn't help but applaud when they managed to not only get on that all-important connecting flight to Ouarzazate, but had somehow been able to board BEFORE all the other teams. The looks on Rob and Tyler and James' faces were absolutely bloody priceless.
The Beauty Queens are cunning, ruthless, and utterly deserve to win. Should they have Yielded Lyn and Karlyn, as they did in Morocco on this week's episode of The Amazing Race? Absolutely! I thought it completely idiotic that Tyler and James and Rob and Kimberly chose to Yield no one, especially when the Blondes were hot on their heels. Guys, this was the second of only two Yields along the Race, and you blew the opportunity to gain some time on your biggest competitors. That's just not smart Race behavior. Fortunately, the Blondes realized that being in third place meant that they needed to be sure that the fourth place team would stay behind them and Yielded Lyn and Karlyn.
Lyn and Karlyn really did not act in the most becoming way, upon discovering that they had been Yielded by the Blondes. I'd actually been quite impressed with Lyn and Karlyn this week and they seemed to be coming into their own after blindly following their misguided Six-Pack alliance for so long: they smartly found maps of Morocco ahead of time and charted out a quick route that put them in first place upon arriving in North Africa, but their behavior at the Yield quickly diminished any respect I had for them (well, for Karlyn anyway), when she flipped off the girls for Yielding them. Um, excuse me, but you can get down off of your holier-than-thou high and wise up for a second: you were planning to Yield them had you gotten there first, so drop the wounded act, girl. It doesn't play with me. Karlyn just irks me (Lyn seems to be the far nicer of the two) so her behavior just rankled me even further.
Poor Dustin and Kandice this week managed to drive right past the Detour, not a good move when there were only three stations and four teams competing to complete the the same Detour. No one chose Throw It, in which teams had to correctly throw (yes, Tyler and James, that means "make") two pieces of pottery at a local potting shop, instead opting for Grind It, a more physical task involving grinding 77 pounds of olives into a fine paste and then filling pressing sleeves with their homemade paste. Thanks to their oversight, the Beauty Queens arrived at the Detour last, even after fourth place team Lyn and Karlyn and Rob and Kimberly, who had a flat tire and had to wait for help at the side of the road. (Loved that the Blondes saw the flat and waited until literally the last second possible to "warn" Rob; even better were Lyn and Karlyn's thoughts that Rob's constant car problems had more to do with him than the cars.)
Why is it that Rob and Kimberly seem to have such a hard time locating where they are supposed to go? When they are not trying to drive right into a mine shaft, they're climbing down into some desert chasm in search of Phil. Um, guys, there are route markers pointing you in the right direction. Way to pay attention. I was hoping that the Beauty Queens could slip in there and beat them to the mat, but no such luck. Dustin and Kandice arrived in last place and, thanks to a non-elimination save by Phil, are still in the Race but are targeted for elimination next week. Will they manage to pull another first place finish? Or will they be forced to take the 30-minute penalty? Find out next week.
Next week on The Amazing Race: teams race to be a part of the all-important final three, Karlyn pushes Lyn too far on what appears to be another eating challenge, and Kim has a mental breakdown when locals start pummelling her with apples. Ah, precious memories.
What's On Tonight
8 pm: How I Met Your Mother/The Class (CBS); Deal or No Deal (NBC); Everybody Hates Chris/All of Us (CW); Wife Swap (ABC); Prison Break (FOX); Desire (MyNet)
9 pm: Two and a Half Men/The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS); Heroes (NBC); Girlfriends/The Game (WB); The Bachelor: Rome (ABC; 9-11 pm); House (FOX); Fashion House (MyNet)
10 pm: CSI: Miami (CBS); Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC)
What I'll Be Watching
8:00 pm: Everybody Hates Chris.
Now on its new night (Mondays) and at a new time (8 pm), it's the second season of former UPN comedy Everybody Hates Chris. On tonight's episode ("Everybody Hates Superstition"), Chris discovers that everything he touches turns to gold (well, not literally, anyway) after Julius lends him a pair of lucky socks. Meanwhile, Drew and Tanya decide to pit Rochelle and Julius against one another. Uh-oh.
9:30 pm: Old Christine.
I can't tell you why I like watching this traditional sitcom, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus is like a warm blanket of coziness after a long Monday. On tonight's episode ("What About Barb?"), Christine and new partner Barb argue over how best to run the women's gym that they now co-own, while Matthew--still resolute in his decision to attend medical school--searches for a new nanny for Ritchie.
Comments
I am definitely rooting for the BQ. At this point, it's either that or root for no one. I wouldn't be crushed if the boys won, but I wouldn't be happy. The girls deserve it.
I couldn't believe (well, yes I could) whomever it was (I think it was Rob?) who bitched because the girls were being sneaky by taking that other flight. Sneaky?!? No. Strategic. Have you never seen the show? Everyone tries to find an alternate flight. Not only that, but the BQ actually shared their flight info w/you. Jackass.
Giving the finger wasn't called for as a response to getting yielded. However, I think it sums up nicely how I would feel toward the hubris and general disrespect of the Beauty Queens if I were a member of Team Alabama.
And I give the middle finger to CBS for moving the Amazing Race to Sundays. Football causes shifts to the CBS schedule that my Tivo cannot deal with. If the show begins a half hour late, I only get to see half. Perhaps I missed some redemptive act by the Beauty Queens that would cause me to reconsider my dislike of them. Perhaps not.
I am rooting for the blondes to win only because I would like to see an all-girl team take this thing, and I think they have the stuff to do it. Lyn and Karlyn just won't be able to hang in that tough last leg.
As for All-Stars...I am in the minority who LOVES Boston Rob so I am excited about the return of Romber. He is a true competitor in every sense of the word, and I can't wait to see him go head-to-head with Colin of Colin and Christie. That is good times, right there.