Well, the spoilers I linked to some time back called it right. I was so hoping they would be foilers deliberately posted to lead us astray. As we head into next week's finale, I noticed Phil Keoghan's intro was decidedly different tonight.
"Which of the four remaining teams will be eliminated tonight?"
We last left the teams in Macau, China. The Beauty Queens, Dustin and Kandice, were in first place while Oswald and Danny, Team ChaCha, were marked for elimination due to their last place status. If they don't arrive in first place during this leg, they stand to suffer a thirty-minute penalty.
From the Pit Stop, teams had to fly to Guam where they would then head to Andersen Air Force Base. They would then have to select a military escort and climb the control tower on the base to receive their next clue.
Oh, but we know, getting through the airport and getting the best flight is often more trying than the actual destination's challenges! Sure enough, the Beauty Queens faced down Eric and Danielle as one said, "You look buff in your white shirt." Eric just glowered. There's no love lost there even though he seems to be on the ChaCha Warpath at this time.
While in the taxi, Mirna turned on the odd fake accent once again. She then smugly declared, "The right accent makes all the difference in the world." I'm sorry. Maybe I'm just not the globe-trotter she is. Maybe it's because my high school French teacher told me I had a bad American accent. I just don't get it. After all, if the driver can speak and understand English, why? Why?
Charla and Mirna, Eric and Danielle, and the Beauty Queens all ended up on the first flight to Guam, set to connect in Tokyo. Oswald and Danny made a different flight, but with the same connection in Tokyo if they could make it in 45 minutes. Much to the chagrin of Eric, they made it.
The teams would have bunched up at the Visitors Center anyway as it didn't open until 7 AM. Once they climbed the tower (Charla wanted to know where the elevator was... I would, too), the clue led them to a Detour. Both tasks had to do with the United States Air Force. The first one was Care Package -- teams would have to load a 500-pound care package of food and supplies, then go in a cargo plane to the air drop, then return. The other task was Engine Care -- teams would have to scrub a huge B-52 and only receive the next clue after it passed scrutiny from the Sergeant.
I was stunned that only Charla and Mirna chose the Care Package! If I were there, I would have gone for the humanitarian deed. It sounded like a lot more fun and probably easier than scrubbing a whole plane.
Dustin and Kandice found out there's "no charming the sergeant." No-sirree-Bob, that guy was all business. I'm surprised the teams ever got his approval. Meanwhile, Charla and Mirna sort of irked their Air Force guy by tossing the goods into the box. "Don't just throw things like they're garbage!"
Once they loaded the box and got aboard the cargo plane, the fun began. "I feel like we're Top Gun!" They got to see the package dropped at its destination and experienced zero gravity as the cargo plane nose-dived.
I'm not sure how thrilled the airmen were when Mirna asked them to please go faster as they're in a race. I don't think I'd be pushing them too much, but then again... I don't think I'm as pushy as Mirna. That, of course, is probably a good thing. They ended up landing after the last team (Team ChaCha) had finished the plane, but it didn't seem like there was a big time gap there.
The clue at the completion of the Detour directed them to drive 21 miles to the US Naval Base. Again, they had to have an escort. Dustin and Kandice complimented their female sailor on her cute uniform and nails.
The Roadblock, Search Far and Wide, was kind of cool, I thought. One member of each team had to locate a hidden officer using a handheld GPS unit. Dustin did best of the girls as Mirna and Danielle seemed hopelessly lost for ages. Charla kept touching the face of the GPS and Danielle kept hitting the side buttons. Once Oswald got going, he seemed to really know what he was doing. Was there hope? Would there be hope?
Nope. If he hadn't walked right by his hidden soldier a dozen times, maybe he would have made it, maybe not. You couldn't really tell how edited the timing was at that point.
Dustin completed the task, then Danielle. Charla squeaked by Oswald in radioing, tossing her smoke grenade, then getting her helicopter ride back to from whence they came. Oswald saw her running in her camouflage gear and said, "Oh, no. The Teletubbies go to war!" It didn't look like anything short of all the other teams getting totally lost and driving into the ocean would save the ChaChas as Charla landed before Oswald.
The Pit Stop at Fort Soledad would be the telling moment... and it was sure to tell what I'd rather not hear. Here's the order of arrival:
1. Dustin and Kandice - Each won an all-terrain vehicle.
2. Eric and Danielle
3. Charla and Mirna
4. Danny and Oswald... Philiminated. (Sigh)
So, my favorite team is out of the running. They took it well and said they hope Mirna and Charla win. As much as I like the guys, the team I'd like to see win out of the remaining three would be Dustin and Kandice. No all -female team has won the race before and only one all-female team has ever made it in the Final Three. And this year we have two teams. If Mirna wasn't as grating on me with her rudeness, fake accents, condescending ways, poor treatment of Charla... I could cheer them on. But Mirna just turns me totally off. Eric and Danielle were never originally a team and Eric's sexist ways irk me. At least Dustin and Kandice don't whine and they're generally a strong team.
As for Guam, it was an interesting destination for the leg. It brought back memories for me as a friend of mine was stationed there at the Naval Base after his tour in Vietnam. He told me when he first got there, he'd see lights and hear noises coming from somewhere in the distance. When he asked, he was told, "That's just Gorco." So, he pictured a monster dinosaur in his mind. It was actually GORCO - Guam Oil Refining Company. No, not as exciting as a monster dinosaur, but Gorco made a good name for a cat years later.
37 comments:
I hate to have to correct you Jackie,but the BAMAS from last season were the first all female team to race in the final leg.
Thanks for a fantastic write-up of this episode. I'm originally from Guam and I was jumping for joy the entire time I was watching the show. :)
I'd have to say that none of the final three is a team that I really like, and only one that I think is a pair of superior racers (Dustin & Kandice, the women my mother dubbed "The Blonde Bombers" a couple of weeks ago - she can't stand them though). I would have loved to have seen Ian in Guam doing the Roadblock and reminiscing about his time as a Marine, or Rob & Amber filling that relief package. I can also imagine a Fast Forward for this leg - who likes it high and tight - in which the people doing it have to get a Marine Corps haircut; a male Marine's haircut. Would Uchenna & Joyce have done that one? (Yeah, those are my three favourite teams in this season. Dustin & Kandice are climbing on the list even though I don't think any TAR 10 team should have been on All Stars.) I just hope the spoiler I saw this week doesn't turn out to be true.
Excuse me 1129PM...Jackie did say another female team raced in the final three BEFORE...they just did not win. Maybe you need to read better before being SNIDE and DISRESPECTFUL.
What Jackie wrote 1129PM:
As much as I like the guys, the team I'd like to see win out of the remaining three would be Dustin and Kandice. No all -female team has won the race before and only one all-female team has ever made it in the Final Three.
ENOUGH SAID
Oh fudge! Another show where none of my favorite make it to the finals!I was so disappointed w/the ChaChas tonight. They just seemed to be out of gas. When they caught up and made the plane,I thought,great,now they're back in it. But every task,everywhere they went,there was no sense of urgency,they walked,not ran to get taxis,or just seemed so laid back. I was disappointed with their efforts.
Now,I am going to go way out of my comfort zone and say I hope that Charla and whats-her-name win this! I know,I know,Mirna is an ass,but I am so impressed with Charla and all she accomplished on the race this time. She is one gutsy,determined lady!!! Not a whiner like Danielle or a sneaky snake like the BQs! They have yet to own up to their part in getting E/D yielded the second time and that I just don't like! So,even though I am probably backing a loser(they ARE in last place again)(AND Charla has those little,tiny legs to race to the finish on),I am going to have to pull for them to be the first all female team to win!!!! I wanted to pull for E/D,because they had the most obstacles thrown in their way,but can't abide D and her whining or E and his snarky,mean attitude.It's kind of like me when I get sent back in Sorry by my kids,I'm such a baby about it(I know,I know),it's all part of the game,but it's childish and stupid,so they(and I), need to grow up,suck it up and I hope they don't win!
I fixed an unclear sentence after the post went live. The first commenter must have read it before the fix. At the time I corrected the sentence, I hadn't received that comment yet. I don't know about snide or disrespectful, but it was corrected on my own first read after I uploaded it. I usually catch a typo or a really awkward sentence as I go through once it's live and have to scramble to fix it. This time someone sneaked in during the crack. ;-)
I am kinda confused about Charla/Mirna's race last night. The instructions said they had to fill one 500 pound box, but their box was only 300 pounds. I kept waiting for Phil to tell them their error at the pit stop but he never did. Did anyone else notice this or I am wrong?
There were two boxes. One weighed 300 lbs., the other 210 lbs. Both of these boxes were put into one larger box.
Sharon - I agree, there was no sense of urgency with the Cha Chas except for running for the plane... and I feel they didn't do much of this through several eps. But in this one of all, they should have hustled. We will never knwo if there is stuff to explain this that gets edited out, but the BQ's certainly haul it all through all the time. Amber and Rob were really slow in their last ep as well, and it just makes me want to scream at the screen GO!!!!!
Charla has totally come through on all these challenges. Just really rubbed the wrong way by her other half. I'm still rooting for the BQ's!!
I think most of us who were pulling for the Cha Cha's noticed that they seemed to have run out of gas...it started when they used all their money to buy the papers rather than continue collecting them for free...that bad judgement began a downward spiral that they just couldn't seem to pull out of. It looked like they lost heart last week when they went against their own values in order to get money...and then came in last anyway. In this race you have to be racing all the time. I dislike Mirna intensely, but Charla has been amazing. Mirna thinks she has been running alone...but it's been Charla who has done all the hard stuff thus far. I prefer the BQ's to win and am disheartened that they finaly appear to "fall apart" next week...but if the BQ"s don't pull it out I'm okay with Charla winning, even if it means Mirna wins too. Charla has been plucky and usually ignores it when her cousin is ragging on her. But Mirna's stupid foreign accent...what is that all about...so strange. And she seems to think it is so clever and her big contribution to have come up with this "plan." Will miss the Cha Cha's. That "the Telletubbies go to war" was priceless.
I'm so glad those idiot rude guys (Cha Cha) are gone. They deserve to go!
"Charla kept touching the face of the GPS"
It was so funny that Charla had to be reminded so many times not to touch the GPS. That has nothing to do with being little, she's just stupid. And Mirna/Charla are dumb for not having Mirna do this challenge. It was so obvious from the description that Mirna should have done it. Oh well.
Well I hope Mirna/Charla win, I hate Dustin/Kandice because they always try to use their looks to get ahead (they even joked about how that couldn't happen on a military base), Eric/Danielle, well Eric is a jerk and Danielle is dumber than dirt,
which leaves Mirna/Charla.
Plus I know if they win it would frustrate you Jackie, which is the ulimate goal!
"rudeness"
Oswald/Danny were RUDE EVERY SINGLE LEG OF THE RACE.
Didn't you see how rude they were to a taxi cab driver who didn't speak english in Hong Kong?
Oh no, you conveniently ignore that and other RUDENESS and CONDESCENDING ATTITUDES from Oswald/Danny becuase for some reason it's okay for those gay guys to be rude, but not Mirna.
And Mirna does not have a fake accent. She was born in Syria of Armenian decent. She drops into an accent because she thinks others might understand her better in her normal accent, that way she sounds less "white american" like Dustin/Kandice. Considering she was born in Syria of Armenian decent, this makes perfect sense.
Too bad your bias blinds you Jackie.
Two BIG raspberries for Anons. 2:41 and 2:45! Pbbbbbbbbt and Pbbbbbbbbt!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Anonymous's -- not all of you, but we all know who.
Those of us who are regular commenters come here for fun and community. There's room for differing opinions here, and even some tongue in cheek dissing, but we keep it respectful of each other or someone speaks up. Today Joy and I are. Last week it was Orkmommy. Before it was Sydney. Occasionally it's Jackie. It's not the vibe we enjoy and maintain here.
You all never have the guts to sign your names or reveal your own blog where you could be found and be vulnerable to the concequences of your actions. Express yourself, just on a blog or in a chat room where it's appropriate. It's unwelcome here. And that's as polite as I can be about it.
Well said Lionisis.
I can not believe AR is almost over. Tears!!!! At this point whoever wins wins. Should be a good race to the finish.
Anon 2:41 and 2:45 are the same person and the same person who has trolled this blog since last summer. He's an obsessed teenager.
What he doesn't seem to grasp (in addition to reading comprehension) is that while I may cheer on some teams to win, it really doesn't affect my life at all if I team I don't care for wins. I don't "hate" any of the racers on the show. I may not enjoy watching them, but it's very childlike to react in that manner.
Why use the word "hate" when it comes to people at all? It's strictly juvenile.
I allow anonymous posters, but a name can be signed off with at the end of the comment. None of his slams have them, but I know who he is.
I appreciate all the commenters, by name or not, who participate here and have a good time even if they have different favorites.
I'm curious...does anyone know how long the race takes from start to finish (about a month?)
In an interview, Rob & Amber said that sleep deprivation is a big factor which doesn't always come across on TV.
I know we get frustrated when our favorite team looks like they're not trying (oh, ChaChas!). And I personally find it annoying when a team looks "blank" at the pit stop (hey, I'm cheering you on, look happy, darn it!)
But sometimes in life you just hit that mental/physical wall and can't recover.
So, I forgive you, ChaChas and Rob & Amber, for losing your mojo. But I'll be very disappointed if Eric & Danielle win the title of Amazing Race All-Stars.
Anon 2:45 - Your accent defense hasn't held water all season. I know many folks from various cultures, countries, backgrounds... no one "slips into an odd fake accent." And, what she's talking isn't anything even remotely connected to Armenian, Turkish or Arabic -- the languages she most likely can speak. She speaks English with no particular accent.
All her fake accent is is just an odd and annoying quirk. It serves no purpose and has no reason behind it except in her own mind. Perhaps once you finish school and get out of Indiana, you'll experience more of the world and see that people just don't slip into fake accents.
Anon 7:40 - It is about 30 days. Those booted in the beginning basically get a cool vacation for the remainder of the time. I'd be tired, too.
I guess my 2:58 comment was a bit childish, but it felt good at the moment.
I'm just curious how Anon knows so much about why Mirna uses the accent? Is that the same reason Charla uses it too? I seem to remember Mirna saying something in last night's episode about getting the accent right and it making all the difference.
My mother was born in England of Polish descent and she doesn't use an English or Polish accent. It just doesn't make sense!!
Joy - It's understandable. ;-)
OrkMommy - It's all in the commenter's mind. If she reverted to a real accent, that may be one thing. But that odd fake non-existent accent is an affectation of hers... and not an endearing one, either.
Rock on. I agree Delee... and Lionisis...and Joy, etc...
Actually Mirna's fake "accent" is broken English which she seems to think foreigners speaking English as a second language sound like...it's insulting to new English speakers and those struggling to learn our difficult language.
Jackie.. you wrote a nice article. Totally brought me through the whole episode again.
"The teletubbies go to war" definitely had me stitches. Too damn funny!
I want the ChaCha to win but... oh well...
I guess I will be rooting for Dustin/Candace. I think they got better and stronger in each race. The do not owe any explanation to anyone about yielding E/D. They are playing the game.
Mirna... really irks me BIG time. She talks too much, yell too much, control queen, thinks she is clever. She is just so eurgghh...
jackie - i agree with you, the fake accent thing is all in her mind - it's like when someone with a real accent is talking to you, & you think that if you yell really loudly, & say "i go to store" in broken english, they will understand you better !! or speaking loudly & slowly to an older person = more than likely the receivers of that fake accent are probably thinking "who is this bozo"
I love charla, she ran a more difficult race than anyone else, even tho she doesn't want to be considered "handicapped" - just climbing stairs is harder for her than an average height person !! I'm rooting for charla, but not myrna to win !! ha ha
the beauty queens have endeared me to them, i think they are doing a great job, i didn't like them at first, of course i stereotyped them, but they have actually surprised me with their intelligence, & abilities.
has anyone noticed that of the top 3 teams, 6 people, only one is a man !!
Go Women !!!
Barb
Man... just catching up this morning and reading all the posts.
We are all so fortunate to have found Jackie's Blog and can have our favorites and comment without somebody getting nasty. Sorry this kid found you Jackie. Maybe he'll finally go away if we ignore him (which I know we've been trying to do for a while now).
Joy N... LOL at your comment...not childish...well maybe, but still funny...
I'm glad Cha=Chas are gone...never did like them. Don't like any of the remaining couples much either... don't even like Charla ... couldn't stand the BQ's, but have warmed up to them a little since they haven't been too nasty this season... Guess if I had to choose I'd choose them.
Thanks Jackie.
I was away Sun and Mon, so I missed this show. It sounds like I missed a good episode. I forgot to tape it before I left...oh well.
I hear you, Sharon. I too, am rooting for Charla....and her partner. I admire Charla and I feel she takes on the challenges to prove to herself and anyone else that she is capable. I think its an agreement she made with Mirna.
The Beauty Queens just irritate me. They depend on their looks too much. They don't need to, but they seem to make it too important.
Eric and Danielle, same sentiments as Jackie....they aren't a complete team to race the all-stars.
Too bad the Cha-Chas are out. They ran a great race though and should be proud of themselves.
tbc
I wish just once, one of the recipiant of Mirna's fake accent would turn to her and ask what her native language is...and suggest that they communicate in that rather than "broken" English.
Good point that there is only one man left standing...
love the show and love this blog! You Rock!
Anon 6:29 and 6:31 (same person) -- Go troll somewhere else. Your comments aren't welcome here when they're laced with personal insults.
I am interested in researching the history of GORCO (Guam Oil Refining Company, but am not sure where I might find people who have been connected with it. Do you know anyone who worked there or otherwise has intimate knowledge of it and its history? If so, please email me at labor4labor@gmail.com
I noticed that you mentioned GORCO in your posting. I intend to research GORCO's history, but do not have many sources as of yet. Do you know anyone who worked there or may be intimately familiar with its history? If so, please email me at labor4labor@gmail.com.
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