The Amazing Race, season 27: Legs 9 to 11
Dec. 31st, 2015 10:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spiderbraidsGotta get this out before 2015 is over :-)
Leg 9:
1. This week, we're staying in Agra and everyone's getting start times in the late afternoon 4 to 6 p.m., which can mean either a start of leg bunching... or a nighttime leg, as is the case here... The first stop is a balloon related Roadblock with the predictable logline "Who's full of hot air?" :-) And just as with the pumpkin cutting task last week, a bunch of people have shown up to watch the contestants doing the task :-) We get to see Team Green (Justin/Diana) play the crowd, and one of the cheerleaders (think it was) giving a couple lucky spectators some temporary tattoos :-) The paparazzi (Chris/Logan) also make a comment about their current state not being really ideal to propose :-)
2. The task itself involves filling up a bunch of balloons and putting them in a net on the back of a bicycle (like a bike carrying balloons briefly glimpsed in the previous leg :-)), before delivering them to a wedding party organizer... Most of the trouble the contestants have concerns tying up the balloons after filling them up, but team Alabama (Denise/James) has problems untangling his bike's net to get the balloons in, while one of the cheerleaders apparently has most of her balloons knocked out of the net by some insane traffic :-0 The contestants have plenty to say about the crazy traffic on the delivery route, mind you... (Incidentally, the cheerleader isn't shown gathering up the balloons to deliver them to the wedding planner :-/)
3. After the Roadblock comes a U-turn... and you've probably noticed that there hasn't been a Detour yet (HUH.) But anyways, Team Green decides to use it on the paparazzi with the intention of keeping the weaker teams in the competition, and given that Chris has been complaining about feeling sick (in the literal sense, not necessarily of Logan ;-)) since the start of the leg, that plan might have a chance to come off :-)
4. Turns out that both Detours involve delivering things to the same wedding party: One is for a groom (replete with a big parade!) and the other is for a carnival-style swing ride :-) Both tasks also have a little something extra for the contestants to do: the groom task involves starting up a gas powered generator and then carrying the electric candelabras along with the parade, whereas with the carnival ride, after bringing the ride them to the party they then have to get eight children to ride... Which proves to be a problem for the paparazzi after spending a good chunk of time arguing about where to place the ride :-/ (and at this point they still have the groom task to do)
5. Pit stop is behind a fake "wall" at the party, and each team gets to check in with a bunch of children :-) Not surprisingly, Team Green gets another win (and $5,000 each this time) and once again the reporters are second... So basically the final 15 minutes of the show are the last three teams carrying their heavy electric candelabras to the party in the middle of their parade, in other words, no chance for overtaking... Pretty much the only interesting thing happening is the greeter teaching the cheerleaders some Bollywood style dancing, right before the paparazzi check-in, thus eliminating Alabama, and foiling Green's little scheme... And also meaning that Agra took out the only teams not called Green to win any legs :-/
Leg 10:
1. This week, everyone's heading to Hong Kong and riding Rolls Royces to the famous Peninsula Hotel for a clue pickup, prompting the reporters (think it was) to quip about going from a tuk tuk in India to Rolls Royce :-)
2. Detour is between looking for a functioning cell phone (Green... Justin: "Always bet on Green :-)") and cutting cloth at a tailor (others) At the tailor, the cheerleaders briefly think that they actually have to sew the thing together, and waste a bit of time fitting the paper patterns to the mannequin :-D Chris also observes that they could save a bit of time by folding the cloth over tracing the pattern and cutting two pieces at once. Logan disagrees... and then they end up having to do the task again, much to Chris' chagrin :-/
3. At the cell phone Detour, Green quickly find their cell and get the message about the address of the phone shop at which they're supposed to drop it off to get the next clue, but the non English speaking cabbie they ask to find the address drives the team to a different part of town... the kicker: Phone shop's literally a block down the road from where they were searching for their cell (!) They spend a good chunk of the ride back arguing with each other and with Justin yelling at his English impaired cabbie, and they're especially frustrated that the incident pointlessly wasted a good 40 minutes :-/
4. Next stop is to ride a Turbojet ferry to Macau. There are two ferry terminals, one in Hong Kong (which they're supposed to take) and one in Kowloon (which they're not) And as if the whole wasted time to find the cell phone shop wasn't enough, some dude gives Green the address for the Kowloon terminal (which is closer), and though Green are told they cannot get the premier class ticket they need to travel to Macau with, it appears that they don't twig that this is the wrong terminal (This will be important.)
5. In Macau, contestants get to participate in the "House of Dancing Water" as a Roadblock: dive into the water, pick up a golden fish prop, and give it to the fisherman dude in the given amount of time dictated by the music, with 20 minutes between attempts. The cheerleaders were enthusiastic reading the route marker clue back in Hong Kong because it has "dance" in it, but the actual task is an utter nightmare for Krista, to the point where Green catches up on her 3rd (!) attempt (they still don't know about their penalty at this point, though) Meanwhile, everyone else (including Green) lands their fish on their first attempt...
6. Pitstop with guaranteed elimination at a lake, and Paparazzi get themselves a trip to Peru, and the reporters continue to be frustrated by their constant 2nd places (that's 5 in a row now) The real doozy: Green arriving at the mat in 3rd thinking they've at least dodged a bullet, only to get themselves a 55 minute penalty: the standard 30, plus 25 for the Kowloon ferry being that much closer :-/ (Phil: "Bet you didn't see that coming! :-)") Meaning we spend a good bunch of time intercutting between Justin's meltdown, and Tiffany giving Krista some encouragement after failing the task for a 4th (!) time...
6. Justin reckons that Krista would have to fail 5 times for Green to have a chance... guess how many attempts Krista takes :-) Failing that, Justin's also hoping that the cheerleaders' taxi takes them to the wrong place a la Amy and Daniel... guess what happens... It appears that Green spots the cheerleaders' second cab dropping them off at the entrance to the pier some distance away with time still left on their penalty, but the penalty expires soon enough for Green to check in 3rd... Nevertheless, the cheerleaders won't complain too much about finishing 4th, seeing that they only just squeaked by TMZ just to make it to the 2nd leg...
Leg 11:
1. So, heading to New York are the bickering paparazzi, perennial runners-up the reporters (surely they're not being set up to pull off a Beekman Bros, right?), and the long-dominant but now freshly-humbled superfans Team Green... who just happen to have someone who lived in New York for 20 years on the team, as Justin gets his New York swagger back at the airport :-) Nevertheless, the paparazzi are quick to point out his hometown favoritism might make him cocky... (And you'd think that a TAR superfan would be aware of how the very first race ended, but if he is, it doesn't show :-/)
2. First stop is Randalls Island (which Justin used as part of his TAR-style wedding proposal!) and the Fire Department's training facility for a Roadblock: "Who's ready to play with fire?" Justin tries to offer enough money to their cabbie to stay on Randalls for the task, but the cabbie apparently wants more money than Justin's willing to pay, so he sends him off without a tip (This will be important... And you'd think that a superfan would know to put up more effort [read: money ;-)] to hang on to a cabbie as long as possible :-/ especially in an area that apparently doesn't get much taxi traffic...)
3. Task involves rescuing a dummy from a burning building and the first (!) memory challenge, arranging fire hats with the capitals of the countries visited (Rio is a ringer, and both Justin and Chris know this), before getting a clue mentioning the 3rd leg of the Triple Crown... The only thing notable about the task itself is Chris accidentally ramming his dummy into the side of the gurney :-D
4. As usual, Green is first to finish the task, but there's trouble involving cabs that will majorly affect the final outcome: Green knows the clue means Belmont, but it appears their next cabbie (the paparazzi's, apparently) doesn't know where that is (and drives off!) and so Green ultimately have to bus to Manhattan to get another cab... while the paparazzi try to steal the reporters' cab, only to apparently be intimidated by the reporters into getting out and also ending up bussing to Manhattan :-/
5. After some intercutting between the reporters in their cab and the others lamenting their cab issues on their buses (or in the paparazzi's case, arguing about it), the teams arrive at Belmont in the reverse order from finishing the FDNY task (!) to ride a helicopter to the Hamptons (Green manages to quote Arnie's "Get to the choppah" :-D and half-joke about needing their pilot to break the sound barrier) then self drive a jetski to a marked lobster boat... (And a small crowd has gathered at the nearby beach to see the teams arrive, nowhere near the size of an India crowd though :-))
6. Next up is pulling up lobster pots (which is shown to be a very physical and arduous task, but whatever) and memory challenge #2: arranging flags. We're actually shown on the clue that notes are not allowed for the task... that said, one team memorized the flags immediately... and it's the reporters, not Team Green (!) It's also noted there's an extraneous flag (of Egypt, not that anyone notes) and Green are hoping it'll trip up the reporters... reporters do briefly think it's the flag of Macau but realize the extra flag thing quickly enough to still lead, while Green move into 2nd while the paparazzi are apparently looking for the flag of Africa (!!)
7. Green are heading back to the beach to drive some ATVs, hoping for another time consuming task to catch up to the reporters... Well, last task is to put together deck chairs, and arrange them in order of the tasks portrayed on their pix (which includes the water biking at the very start of the race [!]) And the adjudicators are strict on things like nails or wood pieces not being flush, AND Justin claims Diana's good at putting things together (OTOH, Joey also has experiences with this kind of chair) This could get interesting...
8. But even so, the reporters still get their finish line clue first and pull off a Beekman Bros, leaving both stragglers to bemoan their cab issues back at the FDNY and naturally, we spend more time on Team Green, who aren't taking their loss very well: in a nighttime post-race confessional, the usually gabby Justin has been left to cry his eyes red all afternoon (at least, that's how it looked to me) so it's down to Diana to explain how much it sucks that they can pinpoint the exact point of their final leg downfall :-/ with Justin eventually expounding on how it'll haunt him for the rest of his years (not an exaggeration) There's also a little bit about the paparazzi's constant bickering, but whatever...
9. Team Green's leg wins will pay for their honeymoon and the wedding according to their confessional, but they know that's just gravy compared to the reporters' million-dollar (+ bragging rights) victory... and whereas most seasons leave us off with a shot of all the teams on the mat, this one ends by following up that shot with a mock-news soundbite from the reporters: "Breaking news: Kelsey and Joey have won TAR" :-) Next season will apparently be a "Social Media" season, should be interesting...
Leg 9:
1. This week, we're staying in Agra and everyone's getting start times in the late afternoon 4 to 6 p.m., which can mean either a start of leg bunching... or a nighttime leg, as is the case here... The first stop is a balloon related Roadblock with the predictable logline "Who's full of hot air?" :-) And just as with the pumpkin cutting task last week, a bunch of people have shown up to watch the contestants doing the task :-) We get to see Team Green (Justin/Diana) play the crowd, and one of the cheerleaders (think it was) giving a couple lucky spectators some temporary tattoos :-) The paparazzi (Chris/Logan) also make a comment about their current state not being really ideal to propose :-)
2. The task itself involves filling up a bunch of balloons and putting them in a net on the back of a bicycle (like a bike carrying balloons briefly glimpsed in the previous leg :-)), before delivering them to a wedding party organizer... Most of the trouble the contestants have concerns tying up the balloons after filling them up, but team Alabama (Denise/James) has problems untangling his bike's net to get the balloons in, while one of the cheerleaders apparently has most of her balloons knocked out of the net by some insane traffic :-0 The contestants have plenty to say about the crazy traffic on the delivery route, mind you... (Incidentally, the cheerleader isn't shown gathering up the balloons to deliver them to the wedding planner :-/)
3. After the Roadblock comes a U-turn... and you've probably noticed that there hasn't been a Detour yet (HUH.) But anyways, Team Green decides to use it on the paparazzi with the intention of keeping the weaker teams in the competition, and given that Chris has been complaining about feeling sick (in the literal sense, not necessarily of Logan ;-)) since the start of the leg, that plan might have a chance to come off :-)
4. Turns out that both Detours involve delivering things to the same wedding party: One is for a groom (replete with a big parade!) and the other is for a carnival-style swing ride :-) Both tasks also have a little something extra for the contestants to do: the groom task involves starting up a gas powered generator and then carrying the electric candelabras along with the parade, whereas with the carnival ride, after bringing the ride them to the party they then have to get eight children to ride... Which proves to be a problem for the paparazzi after spending a good chunk of time arguing about where to place the ride :-/ (and at this point they still have the groom task to do)
5. Pit stop is behind a fake "wall" at the party, and each team gets to check in with a bunch of children :-) Not surprisingly, Team Green gets another win (and $5,000 each this time) and once again the reporters are second... So basically the final 15 minutes of the show are the last three teams carrying their heavy electric candelabras to the party in the middle of their parade, in other words, no chance for overtaking... Pretty much the only interesting thing happening is the greeter teaching the cheerleaders some Bollywood style dancing, right before the paparazzi check-in, thus eliminating Alabama, and foiling Green's little scheme... And also meaning that Agra took out the only teams not called Green to win any legs :-/
Leg 10:
1. This week, everyone's heading to Hong Kong and riding Rolls Royces to the famous Peninsula Hotel for a clue pickup, prompting the reporters (think it was) to quip about going from a tuk tuk in India to Rolls Royce :-)
2. Detour is between looking for a functioning cell phone (Green... Justin: "Always bet on Green :-)") and cutting cloth at a tailor (others) At the tailor, the cheerleaders briefly think that they actually have to sew the thing together, and waste a bit of time fitting the paper patterns to the mannequin :-D Chris also observes that they could save a bit of time by folding the cloth over tracing the pattern and cutting two pieces at once. Logan disagrees... and then they end up having to do the task again, much to Chris' chagrin :-/
3. At the cell phone Detour, Green quickly find their cell and get the message about the address of the phone shop at which they're supposed to drop it off to get the next clue, but the non English speaking cabbie they ask to find the address drives the team to a different part of town... the kicker: Phone shop's literally a block down the road from where they were searching for their cell (!) They spend a good chunk of the ride back arguing with each other and with Justin yelling at his English impaired cabbie, and they're especially frustrated that the incident pointlessly wasted a good 40 minutes :-/
4. Next stop is to ride a Turbojet ferry to Macau. There are two ferry terminals, one in Hong Kong (which they're supposed to take) and one in Kowloon (which they're not) And as if the whole wasted time to find the cell phone shop wasn't enough, some dude gives Green the address for the Kowloon terminal (which is closer), and though Green are told they cannot get the premier class ticket they need to travel to Macau with, it appears that they don't twig that this is the wrong terminal (This will be important.)
5. In Macau, contestants get to participate in the "House of Dancing Water" as a Roadblock: dive into the water, pick up a golden fish prop, and give it to the fisherman dude in the given amount of time dictated by the music, with 20 minutes between attempts. The cheerleaders were enthusiastic reading the route marker clue back in Hong Kong because it has "dance" in it, but the actual task is an utter nightmare for Krista, to the point where Green catches up on her 3rd (!) attempt (they still don't know about their penalty at this point, though) Meanwhile, everyone else (including Green) lands their fish on their first attempt...
6. Pitstop with guaranteed elimination at a lake, and Paparazzi get themselves a trip to Peru, and the reporters continue to be frustrated by their constant 2nd places (that's 5 in a row now) The real doozy: Green arriving at the mat in 3rd thinking they've at least dodged a bullet, only to get themselves a 55 minute penalty: the standard 30, plus 25 for the Kowloon ferry being that much closer :-/ (Phil: "Bet you didn't see that coming! :-)") Meaning we spend a good bunch of time intercutting between Justin's meltdown, and Tiffany giving Krista some encouragement after failing the task for a 4th (!) time...
6. Justin reckons that Krista would have to fail 5 times for Green to have a chance... guess how many attempts Krista takes :-) Failing that, Justin's also hoping that the cheerleaders' taxi takes them to the wrong place a la Amy and Daniel... guess what happens... It appears that Green spots the cheerleaders' second cab dropping them off at the entrance to the pier some distance away with time still left on their penalty, but the penalty expires soon enough for Green to check in 3rd... Nevertheless, the cheerleaders won't complain too much about finishing 4th, seeing that they only just squeaked by TMZ just to make it to the 2nd leg...
Leg 11:
1. So, heading to New York are the bickering paparazzi, perennial runners-up the reporters (surely they're not being set up to pull off a Beekman Bros, right?), and the long-dominant but now freshly-humbled superfans Team Green... who just happen to have someone who lived in New York for 20 years on the team, as Justin gets his New York swagger back at the airport :-) Nevertheless, the paparazzi are quick to point out his hometown favoritism might make him cocky... (And you'd think that a TAR superfan would be aware of how the very first race ended, but if he is, it doesn't show :-/)
2. First stop is Randalls Island (which Justin used as part of his TAR-style wedding proposal!) and the Fire Department's training facility for a Roadblock: "Who's ready to play with fire?" Justin tries to offer enough money to their cabbie to stay on Randalls for the task, but the cabbie apparently wants more money than Justin's willing to pay, so he sends him off without a tip (This will be important... And you'd think that a superfan would know to put up more effort [read: money ;-)] to hang on to a cabbie as long as possible :-/ especially in an area that apparently doesn't get much taxi traffic...)
3. Task involves rescuing a dummy from a burning building and the first (!) memory challenge, arranging fire hats with the capitals of the countries visited (Rio is a ringer, and both Justin and Chris know this), before getting a clue mentioning the 3rd leg of the Triple Crown... The only thing notable about the task itself is Chris accidentally ramming his dummy into the side of the gurney :-D
4. As usual, Green is first to finish the task, but there's trouble involving cabs that will majorly affect the final outcome: Green knows the clue means Belmont, but it appears their next cabbie (the paparazzi's, apparently) doesn't know where that is (and drives off!) and so Green ultimately have to bus to Manhattan to get another cab... while the paparazzi try to steal the reporters' cab, only to apparently be intimidated by the reporters into getting out and also ending up bussing to Manhattan :-/
5. After some intercutting between the reporters in their cab and the others lamenting their cab issues on their buses (or in the paparazzi's case, arguing about it), the teams arrive at Belmont in the reverse order from finishing the FDNY task (!) to ride a helicopter to the Hamptons (Green manages to quote Arnie's "Get to the choppah" :-D and half-joke about needing their pilot to break the sound barrier) then self drive a jetski to a marked lobster boat... (And a small crowd has gathered at the nearby beach to see the teams arrive, nowhere near the size of an India crowd though :-))
6. Next up is pulling up lobster pots (which is shown to be a very physical and arduous task, but whatever) and memory challenge #2: arranging flags. We're actually shown on the clue that notes are not allowed for the task... that said, one team memorized the flags immediately... and it's the reporters, not Team Green (!) It's also noted there's an extraneous flag (of Egypt, not that anyone notes) and Green are hoping it'll trip up the reporters... reporters do briefly think it's the flag of Macau but realize the extra flag thing quickly enough to still lead, while Green move into 2nd while the paparazzi are apparently looking for the flag of Africa (!!)
7. Green are heading back to the beach to drive some ATVs, hoping for another time consuming task to catch up to the reporters... Well, last task is to put together deck chairs, and arrange them in order of the tasks portrayed on their pix (which includes the water biking at the very start of the race [!]) And the adjudicators are strict on things like nails or wood pieces not being flush, AND Justin claims Diana's good at putting things together (OTOH, Joey also has experiences with this kind of chair) This could get interesting...
8. But even so, the reporters still get their finish line clue first and pull off a Beekman Bros, leaving both stragglers to bemoan their cab issues back at the FDNY and naturally, we spend more time on Team Green, who aren't taking their loss very well: in a nighttime post-race confessional, the usually gabby Justin has been left to cry his eyes red all afternoon (at least, that's how it looked to me) so it's down to Diana to explain how much it sucks that they can pinpoint the exact point of their final leg downfall :-/ with Justin eventually expounding on how it'll haunt him for the rest of his years (not an exaggeration) There's also a little bit about the paparazzi's constant bickering, but whatever...
9. Team Green's leg wins will pay for their honeymoon and the wedding according to their confessional, but they know that's just gravy compared to the reporters' million-dollar (+ bragging rights) victory... and whereas most seasons leave us off with a shot of all the teams on the mat, this one ends by following up that shot with a mock-news soundbite from the reporters: "Breaking news: Kelsey and Joey have won TAR" :-) Next season will apparently be a "Social Media" season, should be interesting...
