The Amazing Race 33: Meet the Teams Part 1

My apologies for the delay in posting about the teams. I cut my finger quite badly and it's been limiting my ability to type! No, not life threatening or anything of the sort ... just a cross between painful and awkward. I'm going to cheat on these intros and use videos I found online.

We have three teams who are somewhat "internet famous." I was only familiar with one of them -- Kim and Penn Holderness.

Here is their show intro video -- 

Here is an example of their humor from their YouTube channel. It's usually more her than him. I find them funny for the most part although a bit of the humor is hit or miss with me. I just wonder what they will be like not "on" all the time.

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The next "internet famous" team would be the "singing cops" from Buffalo, New York. That would be Michael Norwood (tall one) and Armonde "Moe" Badger (shorter one, duh).

The video I'm including of them is from their appearance on Ellen a while back although there are many videos of them online. I am a bit worried that, due to their jobs, they could be one of the two teams who couldn't return. Police officers have been needed so much throughout the pandemic and the civil unrest. They look like they will be a fun team.

 

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The last of the "internet famous' teams would be Taylor Green-Jones and his husband Isaiah Green-Jones. No, I never heard of them, and it seems the only thing on YouTube of them is the video I'm posting below the show introduction. If TAR has a dance challenge, my money would be on them!

Have you signed up for the blog pool yet?

If not, make sure you sign up at THIS HERE LINK.

The Amazing Race 33: What's Up With This Season?

This season of TAR will be like none other. It started filming pre-pandemic and made it to the third pitstop. Then it stopped for what Phil is calling "the longest pitstop ever." At the beginning, the cast was the usual eleven teams of two racers each. However, over a year went by before they could pick up the filming and two teams couldn't reschedule their lives to return. So, post-pandemic (although we are not only still in a pandemic but it's getting worse again), only seven teams returned instead of nine. 

Another big "post" change is now they have their own jet plane so they won't be scrambling at airports. Teams also could no longer use public transportation and could only mingle with tested and/or vaccinated locals. The countries visited were cut down and limited to Mediterranean countries with low infection rates.

I hope they all know how to drive cars with manual transmissions! I'm thinking public transportation could include taxis. If that's the case, then no team will lose due to a bad taxicab ride. 

Here are the eleven teams who start the race ...

Akbar Cook Sr. (45) and Sheridan Cook (44) - Married educators from Martinsville, N.J.

Anthony Sadler (29) and Spencer Stone (29) - Childhood friends from Sacramento, Calif.

Arun Kumar (56) and Natalie Kumar (28) - Father and daughter from Detroit, Mich.

Caro Viehweg (23) and Ray Gantt (25) - Dating from Los Angeles and Toms River, N.J., respectively.

Connie (37) and Sam (39) Greiner - Married couple from Charlotte, N.C.

Kim (45) and Penn (47) Holderness - Internet personalities from Raleigh, N.C.

Marianela “Lulu” (37) and Marissa “Lala” (37) Gonzalez - Twins and radio hosts from North Bergen, N.J.

Michael Norwood (36) and Armonde “Moe” Badger (42) - Singing police officers from Buffalo, N.Y.

Raquel Moore (31) and Cayla Platt (30) - Flight attendants from Chicago, Ill. and Gulf Breeze, Fla., respectively.

Ryan Ferguson (37) and Dusty Harris (38) - Best friends from Columbia, Mo.

Taylor Green-Jones (38) and Isaiah Green-Jones (31) - YouTube personalities from Portland, Ore.

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First, let's just say it now, loud and proud ... NEW JERSEY IS IN DA HOUSE! (Had to get that out of my system.) I'll be exploring each team a bit in upcoming posts. The season premiere is next Wednesday, January 5 at 8PM ET/PT.

If you want in on the blog pool, you need to sign up right now at this here linked link. If you leave your name here on this here post you're reading, it will NOT make it to the blog pool!

The Amazing Race 33: Blog Pool OPENS!

Come one, come all! The Amazing Race Blog Pool is now OPEN!

 Okay, here's how the blog pool works:

*Names are matched up randomly with the teams.

*You get to cheer on your chosen team until they're Philiminated or win it all.

*If your chosen team is creepy, fights, fusses or cries a lot, we won't hold that against you personally.

*Not much, anyway.

*Heehee

*There is no wagering of monies.

*The winner(s) of the blog pool retain bragging rights until the premiere of the next season while we all bow to them and lament on what could have been.

How do I get involved? 

Sign up right here on this post! If you're posting anonymously, you need a sign off name on your comments. We don't care if you're a boy named Sue, we have to know something other than anonymous. The cut-off for entering is this coming Tuesday, January 4, 8pm ET/5pm PT. 

REMEMBER - YOU NEED TO SIGN UP ON THIS VERY POST YOU'RE READING! 

If you sign up on another post or Twitter or the Facebook page, your request might be missed.

The Stupendous SueGee (affectionately known as SqueeGee at times) will be the lifeguard here this season. Please don't test her patience by running with scissors around the pool!

Over the next few days I'll be posting about the teams. Here's a taste for y'all --

  

The season premiere is next Wednesday, January 5 at 8PM ET/PT. Be here or be square!

Survivor 41: Season Finale Blog Party

 

Tonight, tonight ...

Yes, it's finale night for the season. The final five aren't quite the ones I would have predicted from the start, but there they are. Tonight's show will be two hours of actual gameplay and then an hour of well, um, mingling with the jury, I guess. The winner will be announced on site after the votes and the after-show is also set there due to the pandemic. It will be different!

I will be updating this entry with the major events as the show airs here on the East Coast -- refresh the page to get the latest news! As always, the real party is in the comments area. Please feel free to join in on the fun!

But first, Lifeguard Laurie has submitted her last blog pool update of the season. Thank you so much, Laurie! Are you still in the pool?

Deshawn, Heather, Xander, Erika, Ricard

Deshawn Radden - Kelsey NY, PDX Granny, Jlaf
Erika Casupanan - Petals, Pam Arceneaux, Margo
Heather Aldret - Debbie, Joanne Victoria
Ricard Foye - Mikes Girl, GiLLL
Xander Hastings - Donna in FL, April

Jury
Tiffany Seely

Naseer Muttalif

Evvie Jagoda

Shantel Smith

Liana Wallace

Danny McCray

Survivor fans ready?

We start out with Jeff at night on a beach. Two Immunity challenges, two Tribals and a fire challenge. The votes will be read out on voting night.

It's Night 23 as the five head off to a new beach with bare minimum supplies. Deshawn is trying to make amends with Erika, but she's not hearing it. He had tried to turn Heather and Erika against each other to better his own game. She turns to Ricard. Let's see how that goes.

Ricard is thrilled that Deshawn kind of blew his chances to work with anyone while Ricard is still in with them. Meanwhile, Deshawn thinks Ricard needs to go. Of course, anyone with a brain would want Ricard out. If he stays to the end, he will win!

Deshawn and Erika come across a final advantage clue box. There's one for all. They each have to unscramble words, come up with the phrase answer and then have a chance to win the advantage. Xander deciphers it first, something to with the treasure hanging where the trees love to dance. They all eventually decipher it with Erika last ... and she finds it! It will aid her in the Immunity Challenge. She tells Ricard and they let Deshawn (and others) keep on searching.

Immunity Challenge time! Erika speaks up about it. Jeff explains the challenge first. Build a rope ladder, build another one, bring puzzle pieces up, 75-piece puzzle. Steak, veggies, bread and wine reward. Erika's advantage is that she starts with four rungs already up on each ladder. Heather is doing poorly, surprise, surprise.

ERIKA WINS IMMUNITY AND A SPOT IN THE FINAL FOUR!

She can choose one person to go with her for the meal. She chooses Heather.

At their little feast, they both blame Deshawn for their problems. BFFs again. Neither want Deshawn to go to the end although they both know Ricard would beat them in the end. Ricard and Deshawn are voting for each other. Ricard is reading Erika's face and is bothered that she claims to be on the fence. Now Heather is telling him it's complicated. Xander says he will vote with him against Deshawn. But Xander told us Ricard has to go. Now he's conflicted! Xander tells Ricard that he might be able to save him with the idol. Hmm.

First Tribal Council! Jeff asks Deshawn about the emphasis about taking out Ricardo. Oooh ... Ricard goes for the heartstrings and in tears talks about his baby due next week, could even be here already. Oh my. Jeff says he normally feels a blindside coming but doesn't feel that this week -- hinting he thinks Ricard will be voted out.

The tally -- Xander saves himself! Deshawn, Ricard, Ricard, Ricard.

It was the smart choice. Ricard played an amazing game.

Night 24 with the Final Four. The only one I cannot see winning at all would be Heather. There they are in a thunderstorm without a shelter. Xander is the only one not bothered by the weather.

Daytime comes and they are practicing making fire. Erika knows she can because she did it on Exile (or whatever they're calling it this season).

Day 24 and time for the last Immunity Challenge. Navigate a curved walkway while stacking blocks spelling FINAL THREE wins.

XANDER WINS THE FINAL IMMUNITY! It's emotional.

Xander goes to each person feeling them out. Deshawn says he can't make fire. He tells Erika that he's taking her. He tells the other two they will be making fire. So they need to practice. In practice, Heather builds a fire while Deshawn has problems. Oooh, Erika is having problems and Xander notices! He talks to Heather who tells him she could win and he should take her out. Hmm.

Final Tribal Council. Jeff and Xander talk about perceptions. Xander thinks that the jury thinks Heather's the goat -- not the G.O.A.T. goat, mind you. He doesn't think so. Xander sticks with taking Erika even though he knows she cannot make fire. Heather and Deshawn will do the making fire challenge.

Fire Challenge is ON. Heather ALMOST had it, but DESHAWN WINS THE THIRD SPOT IN THE FINAL THREE!

The Final Three gather watching the sunrise. And, then they get their feast. We get to hear each of them telling us about their game and why they should win. They head off to the jury questioning.

Evie - Congrats all. Diversity. However, no questions.

Danny - Pro athlete. Breaking down game plan going in and then adapting. Xander - wanted to do something different, take big risks, team dynamic at the start, then marketing himself, at the end, keep Ricard as shield, had to turn on him. Naseer tells him he's got a kind heart. Deshawn - Social game build relationships at first, then those saved him. Ricard confronts him about Sydney, wrecking Danny's game, throwing others under the bus. Deshawn denies. Erika - Had expectations being sweet, on winning team, Exile, down and out, flipped the game, joined up with others on the bottom. Ricard tells her that it's a shame she didn't make bonds with all like Deshawn did (then betrayed them). She speaks up about using Heather not as just a number but a partner.

Tiffany - Xander, going into the merge. Friends, but had to adapt. Liana asks about his social awareness. He talks about the Tiffany vote and reading the room. Evvie - asked about him holding the idol and not playing it. Ricard - bromance with Xander. Kept the number two threat, Erika. Did we have a real relationship? We did. You would have won against anyone. Heather brings up that she told Xander that the only one who could win against him was Erika.

Shan - Deshawn, emotional breakdowns and tantrums. Win for the Black community. Capitalizing to win on a movement? Out of bounds. He says it was not his intention to sell out his people.

Danny - Erika, did amazing. Allowed people to underestimate you but you're a real competitor. 

Liana - Asks Xander if he has an idol. Heehee.

Time for the jury to vote. Jeff says that the last time they read the votes at Tribal was Season One.

Erika, Deshawn, Erika, Erika, Erika, Erika ... all the rest are hers, too.

ERIKA WINS!

Congratulations to blog pool winners Petals, Pam Arceneaux, Margo!

We then get into an after show party with champagne and pizza. Now I might slack a bit on blogging this. But I will be here.

I am indeed here. So far it's just been Jeff asking Probsting questions and the Final Three talking about their games. Going on to talking to Naseer and Liana about the phrase and Knowledge Is Power advantage, respectively.

Survivor 42, same location. Looks like they will be keeping a lot of the happenings and pace from this season. Expect it in the spring.

No Sia award announced but it might be coming. I don't know.

Survivor 41: Ponderosa Videos!

Most of the Ponderosa videos are now up on YouTube. However, I note a few are missing. I'm adding them here from another source on YT, but they may disappear. So, catch them while you can!

I wasn't all that keen on Tiffany. I think that part of it is that she comes across as leading a bit of a sheltered from the reality of the everyday world. Does she not know any gay people? Does she not know any Black people? At least she questions rather than be unfriendly. I think I'm taking it as a bit of an affront as she is one of their "older" people. I can't help but wonder what it's like to be the sole person for a few days at the Ponderosa, though. While we think of it as a week, it's only two to three days before arrivals.

 

Now, these two I liked, Naseer more than Evvie. I think they both played good games. Naseer's enthusiasm, ability to provide and friendliness won me over on his first night. To think ... he learned English watching the show and, even though he didn't win, he actually lived his dream of getting on! And then there's Evvie. I think she's the first castaway responsible for the show retiring a puzzle! 

Time for my blog pool person Shan to join them! True, she played a villain kind of game. She played it too hard, too. But she was loyal to Xander although a bit iffy at times. Had Ricard not targeted her first she would have been loyal to him until she wasn't. And, she does deserve some kudos for doing the show so soon after chemotherapy and having MS. 

Here come the first of the fireworks -- the Shan/Liana debacle. Now, Liana would probably still be there had she not put her sole focus on getting Xander out. Xander, mind you, was Shan's biggest real ally. (I don't count Ricard as such.) That said, I totally understand what Liana is saying about race. I know that everywhere I go I don't feel I have to represent white people. The life experience of a Black woman is very different. The race is always there. At this time in this world, people really need to be more accepting of others. If we were all alike, it would be one boring world!

The most recent juror and arrival on the Ponderosa was Danny. Rats. I liked the dude! I know that, with the allies and the numbers the way they were, it would be either Danny or Deshawn. I would have preferred Deshawn go. However, he did run around bonding with all, a move Danny didn't make and that proved fatal to his game. Of course, the real fireworks at the Ponderosa went down between Danny and Shan. But they smoothed it over. Good. Rather than either Deshawn or Danny going, I would have rather seen Heather gone. On a side note -- look how quickly Naseer's hair grows!

Heather who? There's a Heather on the show?