A difficult hike through the desert left Paul & Amie (shown at right) eliminated. Although the finish to this week’s episode was by far the most obvious, the events leading up to it were very interesting. Let’s take a look at how each team has been doing.
A difficult hike through the desert left Paul & Amie eliminated. Although the finish to this week’s episode was by far the most obvious, the events leading up to it were very interesting. Let’s take a look at the standings.
First Place
Kevin & Drew, the Frat Pack
Previous Standing: Second Place
They are now the first team to finish in first place twice, and it’s not a fluke. They made all the right choices this week, and sabotaged the Guidos in a moment of brilliance. The brothers of fun are here to stay. They really haven’t shown any signs of weakness. They argue with each other, but apparently they’ve always been like that. At the start of the race, they found their way to the first market with no problems. “Tatoonie? That’s from Star Wars!” Loved that line. They navigated the desert well, and although they had some camel problems, they came in first place. Not bad for a pair of “Fatties” as Joe & Bill call them. I said it during the preview and I stick by it: They’re going to win.
Second Place
Joe & Bill, the Idiots Life-Partners.
Previous Standing: First Place
Just after Kevin & Drew found their walkie-talkie and the next clue, the Guidos arrived. Kevin came up with an idea: If the Joe & Bill see them on the roof holding the clue, they would assume their walkie-talkie was on the roof too. It worked, and it gave the Frat Pack valuable time to find the next clue. This tells me that the Guidos can be manipulated. Thus, they’re in danger. They spend too much time patting each other on the back and telling themselves all the other teams are either weaker or dumber then themselves. And talk about cockiness, calling Kevin and Drew “the fatties.” I wonder if Kevin and Drew go around calling the Guidos “The Ferrets.” Homosexuals ask where all the gay stereotypes come from. The answer is simple: Because of people like Joe & Bill. But that’s a topic for another column. I just want to say that America wants to see the Guidos lose, and I hope Joe & Bill know it’s not because of their sexuality, but rather their actions. That being said, they still have the Fast-Forward pass at their disposal if they want to take a chance and track it down. Previews for episode six show them intentionally sabotaging the other teams, pissing everyone off to the point where a team might sacrifice themselves to take Guido out of the race. Hey Guido: if you ignore the other teams and not worry about who’s in front of you or who’s behind you, then logically you would do better in the race. Of course, logic likely doesn’t enter the mind of a team who says “Let’s see, there are seven poles, and each has an envelope with directions on it, and one of the envelopes is missing… WE MUST BE IN FIRST!”
Third Place
Nancy & Emily, the Mother & Daughter
Previous Standing: Third Place
At the beginning of the show, we saw what Nancy gets like when she’s run out of patience. I liked it. Of course, if you hung around Emily 24/7 your patience would be short also. Either way, they’re still playing smart. We didn’t see a lot of footage of them this week, other then Emily shaking her finger at her mother in a bit of comic relief. They didn’t stay with Kevin & Drew like I thought they might, but they are still in the race, and they still have access to the Fast Forward pass if they need it.
Fourth Place
Rob & Brennan: The Lawyers
Previous Standing: Sixth Place
I’ll admit, they proved me wrong. They’re not out of the woods yet. The challenges are just going to get tougher. But I’m quite impressed that they were able to find all the route markers and still finish in fourth place, which teams behind them had a great deal of difficulty doing. They stopped at the wrong spot a few times, but they quickly gathered themselves and pressed on. They could make it to the final three, although they’ve already used the Fast-Forward. A no-BS attitude will carry them far.
Fifth Place
Frank & Margarita, Separated Parents
Previous Standing: Fourth Place
This is the lowest in the standing they’ve slipped to. They had a great deal of difficulty navigating the desert and finding the route marker. Moreover, Margarita wants to discuss their relationship between legs of the race, while Frank wants to discuss strategy. I’m going to have to say Frank is in the right here. You can discuss getting back together when you don’t have a one in seven shot at winning a million dollars. Again, they didn’t get a lot of camera time this week, so I will move on to the next team.
Sixth Place
Lenny & Karyn: The Dating Couple
Previous Standing: Seventh Place
I’m amazed that they’ve stayed this long. Because of the misfortunes (or sheer stupidity) of other teams, they’ve stayed alive. The dumb teachers wanted their change for the Taxi. Lenny & Karyn take advantage. Dave and Margaretta don’t have the correct type of money. Lenny & Karyn take advantage. Now Amie gets sick, and Lenny & Karyn take advantage. To their credit, they will be just seconds behind Frank & Margarita, so the next leg of the race could be very close. I’ll bet they decide it’s time to head for the Fast-Forward. I also seriously doubt that they will stay together once this is over with.
Seventh Place: Eliminated
Paul & Amie, the Engaged Couple
Previous Standing: Fourth Place
Due to a technical difficulty beyond their control, they got to leave in the fourth position instead of the fifth. And due to a stomach virus beyond their control, they are out of the game. Actually, I can’t see why Amie didn’t just look at the map. I mean, it wasn’t like she was throwing up non-stop. If they had paid for a driver instead of letting Paul do all the driving, then they might have finished this leg of the race. But Amie wanted Paul to do the all the work, and it cost them. Paul, she’s not right for you, so I would politely break off the engagement. If she can’t look at a map after having thrown up, what is she going to do with your demon-seed in her? That’s a thought best left for Stephen King.
