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From Cambodia, "The Amazing Race" took us directly to Burj Dubai, the tallest building in the world... even if it still is under construction. See, I wouldn't think that title should count if it was still under construction, but apparently it does.
What I never understand about people who go on this show is how they have clearly paid no attention to the world they live in prior to becoming a contestant. Or, failing that, at least have looked at a map in preparation for the show. Sam & Dan, starting in first place, had no idea where the Persian Gulf was. The way I see it, it's okay to not know what the world's tallest building is, or which country in the Persian Gulf it's in. What's not okay is neither knowing where the Persian Gulf is nor that it's not a country. I didn't dislike Sam & Dan before that, but that put them on my list.
Equally foolish - people who go on the race who are terrified of heights. Mika's fear of heights may be valid, but if you're going on the show you need to be prepared to do a skydive or freefall or tight-rope walk over nothingness. I think it would have been awesome for them to bungee off the Burj Dubai, sadly they just went to the desert instead.
Meghan & Cheyne opted to skip the desert and head to the FastForward, but I'm not at all sure why none of the others bothered to try to get to it first. Sure, it may be risky, but just handing the only FastForward in the game to Meghan & Cheyne didn't seem like the right choice. The couple completed their race car lap (Cheyne is apparently like Ricky Bobby) and no one had a chance of beating them to the PitStop this week.
As for everyone else, Brian & Ericka, Sam & Dan, and Tiffany & Maria made it to the desert locale first, while the others got lost, but they all seemed to get lost differently. I was all worried about the Globetrotters, but fortunately, you can always count on Lance & Keri to be more disoriented than everyone else. Those two clowns fell so far behind that only a miracle could save them, and no miracle happened, instead, they got lost again later. How great was that!?! There was no way they weren't going home tonight (the gods would never allow them to come in last during a non-elimination leg).
The Roadblock forced the teams to look for water in urns buried in the sand. Why some of the teams thought the urns could be completely buried I couldn't tell you - if an open-topped urn is completely buried in the sand, there's probably only going to be sand in it, not water.
Moving away from the facts and back towards the utter crazy - why, I beg of you, would Sam & Dan stick around with Maria & Tiffany after they busted their radiator? I'd suggest that they wanted to get into the girls' pants, but the guys are gay.
As for on-point insanity, almost everyone opted for the needle in the haystack (find a tiny snowman in a mound of snow) Detour. It was like they've never watched the show before. Matt & Gary, Sam & Dan, and Maria & Tiffany eventually changed tasks, but why they bothered to start with the needle in the haystack is anyone's guess. I say it every season and I'll say it again now - you don't do the needle in the haystack task. Now you say it with me one time - you don't do the needle in the haystack task. Future racers remember these words - you don't do the needle in the haystack task.
Odds and ends:
- Sam & Dan and Maria & Tiffany clearly have an alliance. How long before you think one team betrays the other (call me crazy, I'm saying the poker players betray the guys).
- Brian & Ericka helping others out - I buy the good karma bit, even if Ericka wasn't into actually helping.
- Indoor skiing? Awesome!
- Lance breaking urns? Typically idiotic. Out of all the teams I won't miss in the future, I won't miss them the most.
- FYI, MPH ≠ KPH.
The TV and Film Guys Reviews - more like a haystack full of needles.
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What does MPH/KPH mean?
@Francine MPH= miles per hour
KPH= Kilometers per hour
@Josh Lasser I enjoyed reading your recap. You focused on all the important points. Mika's behavior did get on my nerves. If she wants to play it safe, stay at home and watch the show like everyone else.
I just watched this show for the first time this week because i heard it was in Dubai, one of my old stomping grounds. the show was quite good (but i probably won't watch again next week).
And, i have to say i really liked your recap! when you wrote:
"As for on-point insanity, almost everyone opted for the needle in the haystack...Detour. It was like they've never watched the show before."
I almost fell on the floor laughing because i was thinking i would've looked for the snowman, and yes, it was my first time watching! so LOL. (but now i know better: Don't do the needle in the haystack task!!)
I also thought it was pretty funny when the one team was trying to buy a ticket to "the Persian Gulf." i was yelling "you gotta pick a city, idiots." (and even before that, you have to pick a country first, haha.) duh.
Finally, I immediately disliked Lance & Keri, and was glad to see them eliminated. (can anyone say annoying as all get out!) but they were so screwed it was actually funny, anyway....
You are not at all sure why other teams tried to beat them to the fast forward?? Um, because if they beat you there, then you have gained nothing and lost a bunch of time. What a stupid way to lose the race. Heading to a fastforward that you know somebody else is also going to is far stupider than looking for a needle in a haystack!!
why other teams did not try to beat them I mean...
Thank God Lance & Keri are gone. Keri I could tolerate, but Lance seems like a complete meathead. It's really scary that he's a lawyer. People actually go to him for legal advice.
I ,too, found it funny that none of the teams (with the exception of Brian & Ericka) knew where the Persian Gulf was. Were none of these people alive during the Persian Gulf War?
Doing TAR with a fear of heights or water is pretty foolish, unless you are willing to face that fear. Just about every season has some challenge involving heights or water. If you can't deal with it, you might as well have stayed home.
I can see why none of the other three teams bothered to challenge Meghan & Cheyne for the FF. You would basically have a 50/50 shot of beating them to it, but if you don't get it you're probably eliminated. If you don't go for the FF, you have a 1 in 7 chance of getting eliminated, plus those three teams had a slight headstart on the other 4 teams.
Glad boorish Lance and irritating Keri are gone. Her voice was like fingernails on a blackboard and Lance acted like a 10-year old on steroids. (I wanna kick my snowman). What a tool.
"Let's pahk the cah Lance" Good-riddance to these two idiots. The Amazing Race will be much better without them.
I'm loving Brian & Ericka, Matt & Gary, and Sam & Dan. Hope they make it all the way.
I can't wait until Sunday when we see how Canaan tries to push Mika down the water slide. What a nice Christian boy he is. LOL.
YEAH, Lance and Keri are gone!!!!! Good riddance. Things are changing. I now LOVE Brian & Erika. Did not like them initially. Sam & Dan are losing points. As for Canaan and Mike - they are my new annoying couple. He doesn't seem like the nice Christian boy he keeps saying he is.
Good call on needing to be OK with heights and not doing the Needle in the Haystack task. Also, racers need to be able to drive stick shift, read a map and eat disgusting foods. Otherwise, stay home. . . as the eternally awful Lance and Keri should have done.
Anyone have any ideas where that water slide is? Looked like Atlantis to me. Oh, wait. . . didn't Atlantis open a Dubai resort? Or maybe it was one of the other Emirates?