The Amazing Race 5 a go.... (1 Viewer)

[Lew Crippen]

I was in both Uruguay and Buenos Aires back in '98. Looking forward to next week to spot some landmarks.

My wife and I have been hoping that they will travel to Buenos Aries on the ferry across the Rio de la Plata. I’d like to see them get to Colonia and go that way.

 

[Bob-N]

Good opening episode. The elimiated team made a huge error when giving up their taxi. I expected that either the married couple or the twins would have been eliminated due to missing the detour marker but I guess the hotel and pit stop were close and the eliminated couple took too long to flag down another taxi.

Lots of player errors this time around which I thought made for an interesting first episode. As some have noted above, you really weren't too sure who was going to be eliminated. I could have been any one of the last 5-6 teams going into the detour.

at Allison for bouncing down the stairs. Donny not being so bright, that's got to be the only reason they're still together (she's controlling, he's a patsy). Looks like a meltdown for next week. Yes, I do want her to get eliminated but like a NASCAR wreck, it's hard to not look.

I'm neutral on the yield but I like the previously mentioned idea that it should be an additional task vs. just a time penalty. That would give more suspense by watching whether the yielded team will get the task done quickly or take a long time. I also thought it might replace the fast forward but I guess not.

Looking forward to Tuesday's episode.

 

[Chris_Morris]

WooHoo! Best. Season. Ever. (so far at least) Tonight was just the icing on the cake
Didn't see a yield tonight, but there was a roadblock

Chris

 

[Joseph S]

I thought for sure this wouldn't be an elimination with the "may" line. Leave her Donny.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Allison began by complaining to Donny as they left the pit stop and she was still running her mouth as the approached the finish. Reasonably satisfactory to see her out, though I have nothing against Donny, except perhaps for being a bit whipped.

When I lived in Buenos Aries, there was no tram that took you to the Duarte family tomb (Evita Peron is properly Evita Duarte de Peron). You had to wander around La Recoleta to find the tomb. This is an absolutely fascinating cemetery, filled with massive tombs, monuments and mausoleums. The area is pretty upscale and there are plenty of sidewalk restaurants and cafes in the area where you can rest and watch the world go by after wandering through La Recoleta. Great stuff.

 

[MarkMel]

I don't think that was a tram. I think it was a hearse for transporting caskets. There were no seats in the back, just a flat-bed.

 

[Andy_Bu]

1) Another young team is out.

2) Donny's line of "you disappoint me greatly" while they were running up to the finish made me crack up

3) This is only my second year watching. How often are the non elimination rounds?

4) Is it rare for a team that started first to come in last on the same leg?

5) I wonder if the brothers knew how silly they sounded when they were complaining about the country being filled with foreigners

Andy

 

[Chris_Morris]

1. And that's a good change of pace
2. LOL he cracked me up
3. In previous years, there were three and didn't start until around 5 or so teams were gone and would be 2-3 rounds apart. This year though it sounded like there would be 4-5 NEs and they may start sooner due to the twist.
4. Not really near the start, the bunch ups help to even out the advantages, as the race goes on teams start to place pretty regularly in the same groupings (lead, middle, end), but shakeups do occur. However this season so far is the first that I can truly say that it is anyone's race.
5. That happens every season, and will surely happen again in this one. To race contestants, anyone who cannot speak english (no matter what country they are in) are dumb foreigners

My top moments of the show last night:
1. Mirna and Charla barely making the ferry, then coming in 2nd. This team is really shocking me, and not due to Charla's size (or lack of), but because of Mirna's seeming lack of braincells.
2. Jim and Marsha getting screwed by the "Bowling Moms", and then coming back to finish before them.
3. Of course, Donny and Marie Allison getting the boot. I had fears that since she was Arnold Shapiro's darling on BB last year, they would be ringers in this season. He is a brainless moron, she annoyed me for one whole summer already. Only bad side is no more seeing them make fools of themselves, and the constant fighting was getting funny.


Chris

 

[Lew Crippen]

I don't think that was a tram. I think it was a hearse for transporting caskets. There were no seats in the back, just a flat-bed.

I’m sure that you are right—my point was that it is not that one might have to wander a bit in order to find the family tomb.

 

[Brad Porter]

My favorite moment was Mirna talking in Spanish to the cab driver trying to get directions to the ferry, only to have Charla step in, say "Let me try.", and proceed to mime a dog paddle and speak in loud, slow English. Classic.

Since I have The Twits in the HTF pick'em challenge, I'd like to see them make a move up from the back of the pack.

Brad

 

[LorenzoL]

Mirna and Charla barely making the ferry, then coming in 2nd. This team is really shocking me, and not due to Charla's size (or lack of), but because of Mirna's seeming lack of braincells.

I believe in Mirna's bio it says that she's a lawyer.

Another excellent episode. I'm sad to see Donny and Allison getting booted since they provided some nice television moments.
Classic lines on yesterday show:
"She outsmarted a cow"
"The dogs are having sex"
"Those foreigners are useless"

 

[Ken Chan]

When I lived in Buenos Aries

Where there street signs in that area? I suppose the dogs might be difficult to control, but is it really that difficult to read and follow a map? (I guess it helps if your teammate is not constantly whining.)

 

[Jason Seaver]

Speaking of maps... Am I the only one who remembers reading that the teams wouldn't be getting maps in their clue packets any more this year? I was kind of surprised to see people consulting them in the cars at the start. Of course, those might have been the teams wise enough to buy one in the hotel gift shop during the rest period.

Two pretty great episodes to start the season, though, and now that the most obnoxious team has removed itself, the field is looking pretty enjoyable too. I'm liking the dynamic between the father/daughter team I chose in the challenge, while Charla & Mirna are at least occasionally entertaining in their cluelessness (I'm somewhat shocked that they're still around and in first after two weeks). The two "pretty dating people" teams kind of run together for me, though.

 

[brentl]

"Those foreigners are useless" completely ignorant statement that turned my stomach.

B

 

[Lew Crippen]

Where there street signs in that area? I suppose the dogs might be difficult to control, but is it really that difficult to read and follow a map?

I don’t know if there are now, but there certainly used to be—as I mentioned this is a reasonably upscale area and places tend to be well marked. Plus this is an area where there are lots and lots of people, many of them visiting the cemetery (sort of an obligatory tourist stop)—and lots of Porteños visit as well, so it would not be hard to get help, even if all you speak is English.

Now to be sure you need a bit of humbleness and charm when asking for help—which means that Allison had no chance of getting any help.

It can be a bit confusing leaving the cemetery and (IIC) there may be more than one way out, so you might not exit in the optimal location.

 

[Lee L]

"Those foreigners are useless" completely ignorant statement that turned my stomach.

Well, they were mostly young kids and were pretty much useless, they were just useless natives (or residents?)

 

[Bryan_O]

What was Charla thinking about with the bulls? She kept saying something about having to put her hand in the cow's a$$? Why would anyone ever have to put your hand in a cow's a$$?

 

[Bryan_O]

P.S. You would think that knowing that they will be travelling abroad, they will pick up the most basic words or phrases in Spanish, French or German or carry some type of phrase book in different languages

At least learn -in most common languages- a way to tell a cabbie to go faster. I thought I heard one of the teams quoting Speedy Gonzolez...

 

[MickeS]

It's a fairly common veterinarian procedure, and knowing that this is a "reality show", I wouldn't be too surprised if they had to do that. But I loved that Mirna even brought it up, even though there was nothing in the clues that would indicate it.

By the way, I don't think Mirna and Charla come across as stupid. They seem pretty smart and it looks like they're just having fun.

/Mike

 

[Chris_Morris]

By the way, I don't think Mirna and Charla come across as stupid. They seem pretty smart and it looks like they're just having fun.

Yeah, stupid may be too harsh. I guess Mirna just comes across as slightly ditzy.

Another big difference this season is that there is no team that I dislike right now. Dennis and Erika, Allison and Donny both did things that got on my nerves. Collen and Christie are mildly annoying, but more so because they both look plastic and fake, I dunno kinda creepy to me.

Karma seems to be playing a major role in this season with D&E holding up everyone yet still getting on the wrong flight and getting eliminated, and the "Bowling Moms" trying to screw J&M yet ending up a place behind them.

The only thing I seriously dislike about this season is the timeslot. Tuesday at 10pm Why not at 8pm rather than repeats of Navy CSI NCIS?

Chris