THE AMAZING RACE #19 official thread. No Spoilers!! Premieres Sept. 25

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I understand the frustration, and I was a fan of the snowboarders, too. I jsut want to point out, though, that taxis following each other can HURT a team, too. In this episode, Marcus and Armani's taxi took them to the wrong place--they wanted the fish market, he took themto the sandal-making place, because he followed another team. In the last episode, all the teams had different houses to go to, to get their message from the pigeon. Following another team (in that case, I think they were driving themselves) would be the WRONG thing to do. Plus, it looked like the cab drivers did this of their own initiative. It was as if, say, Ernie and Cindy told their driver to get the information.

I was glad to see Jeremy and Sandy come in first--they were the only two to draw a picture, and that's the thing that really got them all to the pit stop.

P.S. This is why you have to be careful in choosing who does what roadblock--I would have been a hysterical mess trying to walk that tightrope!

 

[DMRick]

Come to think of it, how DID the taxi drivers figure out where to go, when the racers couldn't?

One of the teams figured it out and the cab drivers called each other to spread the news. I don't care who ended up at the end, because I liked them all, but I felt this wasn't right. All but one couple were going to the wrong place and those going to the wrong place were surprised when the cab driver told them he was taking them elsewhere, because he knew the correct place to go. Really ruinned it for me..since two of those couples should have been given a time out for not figuring it out themselves.

 

[HillPete]

It was really nice to see how genuinely pleased the top 3 teams were to see one another at the mat. I don't recall another year when they all jumped for joy for each other.

--H

PS - Cindy and Sandy need to stop wearing the same color top. I kept getting them confused during the shoe making challenge.

 

[robinb]

It was really nice to see how genuinely pleased the top 3 teams were to see one another at the mat. I don't recall another year when they all jumped for joy for each other.

It makes me think that maybe there was some animosity toward the snowboarders since they seemed to happy to see each other. No matter how nice a team is, I think that other teams may get tired of the same team winning again and again and again (6 times to be exact). PLUS, I think that the snowboarders were the best team in the race and once they were out of it that meant that EVERY other one of the remaining teams had a better chance of winning.

 

[Sorsha]

I guess I just don't get all the angst over last night's elimination. So many other times, strange things have happened in the course of The Race, and no one gets all worked up about it!?

Let's say the teams choose to work together, and one team tells their cab driver to tell the other cabbies where to go. Is there a huge fuss made over that?

Let's say, through no fault of their own, the team tells their cabbie the right place to go, but the cabbie screws up. Is there a huge fuss made over that?

Let's say (in the most similar-to-last-night-scenario) the teams are on their way to the wrong place, when they drive by and see a different team arriving at the right place. So they tell their cabbie to stop right there and they get out. They didn't have the clue right, they were on their way to the wrong place, and by a happy happen-stance they end up at the right place, even thought they didn't figure the clue out properly!!! Is there a huge fuss made over that? Are they forced to go back and do it again, or suffer a penalty?

They only things that are required are the things that are plainly set down in the rules... i.e. you must take the required form of transportation, you must follow the rules on the clues exactly (i.e. WALK to the clue, don't hitch a ride, etc). IMHO, anything else is fair game, as long as the teams get from Point A to Point B, that's all that matters. In fact, isn't that kind of the point of the show??

 

[jrmasm]

Woot!! I'm very happy with how last night's episode ended.

 

[lovin'fl]

Oh no...when did another season of Amazing Race begin? I've missed it. Gotta go look on demand.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

I guess I just don't get all the angst over last night's elimination. So many other times, strange things have happened in the course of The Race, and no one gets all worked up about it!?

It's because it was a favorite team that got eliminated. You know, it's just the luck of the game and good karma when your favorite team comes out ahead in these situations. But unfair when it benefits someone else.

I don't like Cindy so I would have preferred not to see their cabbie being given the right location (I would think the snowboarders would have beat them had Cindy and Ernie gone to the statue of Balboa as well). But I don't see it as any different than other good/bad luck with cabs, when drivers get lost, teams follow other teams, etc.

And Cindy still had those huge bruises on her leg, but they looked like they were covered with makeup. I still wonder how she got those.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I guess I just don't get all the angst over last night's elimination. So many other times, strange things have happened in the course of The Race, and no one gets all worked up about it!?

Let's say the teams choose to work together, and one team tells their cab driver to tell the other cabbies where to go. Is there a huge fuss made over that?

Let's say, through no fault of their own, the team tells their cabbie the right place to go, but the cabbie screws up. Is there a huge fuss made over that?

Let's say (in the most similar-to-last-night-scenario) the teams are on their way to the wrong place, when they drive by and see a different team arriving at the right place. So they tell their cabbie to stop right there and they get out. They didn't have the clue right, they were on their way to the wrong place, and by a happy happen-stance they end up at the right place, even thought they didn't figure the clue out properly!!! Is there a huge fuss made over that? Are they forced to go back and do it again, or suffer a penalty?

They only things that are required are the things that are plainly set down in the rules... i.e. you must take the required form of transportation, you must follow the rules on the clues exactly (i.e. WALK to the clue, don't hitch a ride, etc). IMHO, anything else is fair game, as long as the teams get from Point A to Point B, that's all that matters. In fact, isn't that kind of the point of the show??

I was happy to see the boys go.

 

[jackemail]

I like the final 3!

 

[Tumblwd501]

It makes me think that maybe there was some animosity toward the snowboarders since they seemed to happy to see each other. No matter how nice a team is, I think that other teams may get tired of the same team winning again and again and again (6 times to be exact). PLUS, I think that the snowboarders were the best team in the race and once they were out of it that meant that EVERY other one of the remaining teams had a better chance of winning.

I agree with your later point. They all knew Team Snowboard were the favorites to win the whole thing considering how strong of a race they had been running all season/race.

 

[FireDancer]

It makes me think that maybe there was some animosity toward the snowboarders since they seemed to happy to see each other. No matter how nice a team is, I think that other teams may get tired of the same team winning again and again and again (6 times to be exact). PLUS, I think that the snowboarders were the best team in the race and once they were out of it that meant that EVERY other one of the remaining teams had a better chance of winning.

I think they were happy because despite last night screw up they were the best team and it would have been hard to beat them in the final. I liked them because they seemed like good sports and went into every challenge with a positive attitude and knocked it out. There is nothing worse than seeing teams get snippy with each other or frustrated when they couldn't get a challenge done. They just kept pushing through and didn't complain or get snippy with each other like almost every other team does every season. At least not that I remember.

I liked all 4 of the teams so no matter who was knocked out I would feel sorry for them but I always like seeing the best team make the final.

 

[minniecarousel]

I'm thrilled that Amani & Marcus and Jeremy & Sandi are in the Finale....Ernie & Cindy, not so much. She's too intense! I love the attitude of Amani & Marcus. Jeremy & Sandi are locals (Sandi works for a Plastic Surgeon about a mile from the house we just moved from.) I liked the Snowboarders, but man, they were going to be hard to beat in the end! They won a lot of stuff - including the custom Mustangs. I'm not feeling too sorry for them.

Really looking forward to next week!

 

[DMRick]

Let's say the teams choose to work together, and one team tells their cab driver to tell the other cabbies where to go. Is there a huge fuss made over that?

Let's say, through no fault of their own, the team tells their cabbie the right place to go, but the cabbie screws up. Is there a huge fuss made over that?

Let's say (in the most similar-to-last-night-scenario) the teams are on their way to the wrong place, when they drive by and see a different team arriving at the right place. So they tell their cabbie to stop right there and they get out. They didn't have the clue right, they were on their way to the wrong place, and by a happy happen-stance they end up at the right place, even thought they didn't figure the clue out properly!!! Is there a huge fuss made over that? Are they forced to go back and do it again, or suffer a penalty?

Nope, I wouldn't have cared about any of the above (well, I wouldn't be thrilled if the cab driver took them to the wrong place, but that is by chance..this wasn't by chance..I mean really, they just happened to have the other cab drivers on speed dial?). But that isn't what happened (any of the above). Often couples tell the driver to follow the other cab..that is a chance they take..but these cab drivers said..we are taking you here instead. That is different.

I do wonder though, why the cab drivers were so sure the first person was correct, and decided on their own to take them there, instead of where they were asked to take them. Makes me wonder if the cab drivers knew in advance where they were going.

And of course the other teams were thrilled to see each other there. The snowboarders have played a wonderful game, and if they had one of those cab drivers, they might have won..the others have a much better chance now.

 

[Music City Mama]

The only team I genuinely like is Amani/Marcus, so, I'm rooting for them. Jeremy/Sandy has grown on me (they made no impression on me in the earlier episodes), so I'm okay if they win, too. Ernie/Cindy . . . meh.

Andy/Tommy . . . they would've been hard to beat, so I think that's why everyone was happy that they were eliminated. I'm glad Jeremy/Sandy came in first place last night considering they were the ones who actually got the pit stop location correct.

While it's true that it didn't seem fair that the others followed them there vs. figuring out the clue on their own, as others have pointed out, there have been many times that following has backfired on teams vs. helping them. It's not the contestants fault that the cab drivers were all trying to help each other out. It's just how the game works out sometimes . . . it's not all skill, a lot of it is luck.

 

[jen0610]

I love Amani and Marcus style of playing the game. They KNEW they didn't want to mess around with making shoe's. And even when their taxi driver took them there by mistake, instead of just sucking it up and trying to do a task they didn't want anything to do with, they made the driver take them to where they wanted to go. So many other teams would have just settled on doing the task they were already at - we have seen it happen in past seasons. Leaving and making the driver take them to the other task, could have knocked them outta the game.

It will be interesting to see how much of a help living an hour and a half from Atlanta is for Amani and Marcus. I know that for us, if we were racing and the final city was Indianapolis, while we aren't in that city monthly, I have been there enough to know where somethings are and how to jump around and get from point A to point B faster than someone who has no clue and is hoping that their taxi driver know where they are going.

As for Panama itself. No way, no how would I have jumped out of the boat to get unstuck. I know what critters live in those waters. Just wouldn't do it. The rooster statue, no clue where that was. Never did see that while we were down there. The square where they found the dancers and the pit stop, both of these are places that we did get to see. The pit stop is so cool and full of history. Before I got down there, DH and several of the guys from his platoon, actually camped out by that site one weekend.

The lock station that the driver took the snowboarders to, was right driectly across from where our quarters were. That is the view I had out my front window. I could watch ships coming and going all day long. The bridge that they showed - The Bridge of America's - we drove over that several times. The bridge is crazy. There are two lanes going onto the bridge, but they merge together and only have one lane exiting off the bridge.

 

[LadyZolt]

Let's say (in the most similar-to-last-night-scenario) the teams are on their way to the wrong place, when they drive by and see a different team arriving at the right place. So they tell their cabbie to stop right there and they get out. They didn't have the clue right, they were on their way to the wrong place, and by a happy happen-stance they end up at the right place, even thought they didn't figure the clue out properly!!! Is there a huge fuss made over that? Are they forced to go back and do it again, or suffer a penalty?

In Season 3, Derek and Drew followed another team and ended up at the pit stop, but they had to go back because they didn't do a roadblock.

In this season, several teams failed to leave money at the orphanage and went to the pit stop, and they all were turned back and couldn't check in until they completed the skipped step.

In this case, Ernie/Cindy and Amani/Marcus also skipped a step. They did not discover where they should go, and ended up at the pit stop because their cabs took them there. So, yes, other times when someone skips a step, Phil does turn them back or otherwise penalize them (there are other examples, I just don't feel like researching all the right names. LOL!)

And I agree with you about Amani/Marcus and the cab taking them to the wrong detour because they did tell the cab where to go, and he instead took them to the detour everyone else was doing. That was wrong of the cabbie. But that's still not the same thing as skipping a step. I am sure that if the cabbie took them to Panama Vieja instead of the fish market or sandal making place, Phil would not have checked them in. He would have said "go back and do what you missed."

-LadyZolt

 

[gometros]

The lock station that the driver took the snowboarders to, was right driectly across from where our quarters were. That is the view I had out my front window. I could watch ships coming and going all day long. The bridge that they showed - The Bridge of America's - we drove over that several times. The bridge is crazy. There are two lanes going onto the bridge, but they merge together and only have one lane exiting off the bridge.

Were those the Gatun locks? We were there last year and it looked very similar.

As far as how everyone got to the pit stop, luck plays a huge part in AR. Had the snowboarders not have been in the lead, they could have easily been with the group that got to share the information. I disagree with a previous poster that the two teams that got lucky should have been penalized for missing a step. It's not the same thing. Their intent has no bearing on the end result. As long as they followed the rules of how to get there (i.e mode of transportation), they were fine. Like somebody else said, it's no different from when taxis follow each other. The leader could have as easily been wrong.

Updated to add: Discover is a very loose term. They discovered where to go by way of their drivers. The clue was not that specific.

 

[jen0610]

Were those the Gatun locks? We were there last year and it looked very similar.
As far as how everyone got to the pit stop, luck plays a huge part in AR. Had the snowboarders not have been in the lead, they could have easily been with the group that got to share the information. I disagree with a previous poster that the two teams that got lucky should have been penalized for missing a step. It's not the same thing. Their intent has no bearing on the end result. As long as they followed the rules of how to get there (i.e mode of transportation), they were fine. Like somebody else said, it's no different from when taxis follow each other. The leader could have as easily been wrong.

Updated to add: Discover is a very loose term. They discovered where to go by way of their drivers. The clue was not that specific.

They were at the Miraflores Lock. Gatun is over on the Atlantic side. The locks the taxi took them to are the Pacific side and right in Panama City area.

 

[gometros]

They were at the Miraflores Lock. Gatun is over on the Atlantic side. The locks the taxi took them to are the Pacific side and right in Panama City area.

Shoot, now I'm confusing myself. We must have gone to the Miraflores locks, since I definitely recall the bus taking us through the US military neighborhood and seeing Panama City in the near distance. Must be a senior moment.

Just double-checked the excursion description on Carnival's web site and it was the Miraflores locks. (btw, if anybody ever takes a cruise with Panama as a stop, I strongly recommend the Two Oceans by Railroad excursion.)