And we’re back in Malawi for the next leg of the race. First Double U- turn of the season and it is looking like it will be a really hard leg for Amani and Marcus. They clearly were starting off in the hole this time. But I should’ve known by the title that this episode was kind of going to blow. The most exciting thing that happened was a goat getting in the way of a taxi. It was all downhill from there.
Anyway, Andy and Tommy came in first again, so they leave first again. They start off on a two hour bus ride to the next clue. Won’t even bother with my usual “they are first again” comment. You know the drill.
Justin starts talking about how he came out of the closet. I wasn’t that surprised, kind of got that vibe off of him a couple of times earlier in the season. What was kind of surprising was that he made it sound like it was so hard to come out to Jennifer. Now usually when this story is told, it’s the parents that are mentioned as the ones it is hard to come out to. But he said that it was very hard to come out to Jennifer. She really is a tough one, huh? Anyway, I’ve kind of noticed that when the show tends to reveal personal details about a player during a show and focus on them a lot, they are goners. Such was the case here. Similar suffering when the gay flight attendants were eliminated. Borefest with how they met, etc.
Next, Laurence starts talking about the U- turn and how he and Zac would do it to another team in a heartbeat if necessary. Duh. Laurence would probably U- turn Zac if he could. To me, this guy is quickly turning into a class A prick. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not because he’d U- turn another team. It’s just his general attitude toward Zac and his inability to take any blame for his own missteps during the race. He’s made some major blunders yet never seems to admit he’s done anything wrong. Just more of the same of this from Laurence in this episode, unfortunately. I feel bad for Zac, he seems like a nice, even-keeled kid. Not sure how he could have this hothead perfectionist for a father, but I guess we can’t pick our family members.
Ernie and Cindy are shown next, reminding me that they are still in the race. What a blow that is every week. I’d rather be looking at the twins or the showgirls at this point. I somehow keep forgetting these jerks have an Express Pass to fall back on too, even though they are always talking about using it like parrots. Crap. It will obviously take some doing to finally get rid of them. I really hope I don’t have to suffer the possibility of them winning this thing much longer.
Amani and Marcus are last to leave and have exactly $1 to work with. Uh oh, these two are in trouble. Marcus rattles on with more crap about what his coaches would say in his usual pep talk type speech. It is almost comical how much Marcus manages to weave NFL tales and talk into the Amazing Race. Kind of funny considering he started off the show saying he didn’t want anyone to know. He sure is okay with US knowing. Nice guy, but shut up already.
Despite some late starts, everyone makes it onto the 7am bus. This ride must’ve been pretty cheap if $1 covered a two hour bus ride for both Amani and Marcus. Maybe they had money left over from a prior leg or something–they really don’t say. Anyway, Marcus started rattling on about thinking that Africa looked magical. On and on and on. But then he ends his whole diatribe with saying that he realizes now how fortunate we are in the U.S., which to me is him pretty much saying that while appearing kind of magical, Africa actually sucks.
We arrive at the Road block – One team member uses a bike taxi to deliver a passenger to some address. They have to drop the passenger off, get paid, and then return to the start and turn over the earnings in order to get the next clue.
Cindy asks some random guy where they are going. Was she expecting him to say Vegas or something? Like if he told her the name of the place (all of which pretty much had 30 letters and somehow included use of every letter of the alphabet) she would somehow know where to go? I mean, what exactly was the point of asking this guy where they were going? Typical control freak Cindy stuff.
Jennifer is next shown taking off on one of the bikes. I’m having flashbacks from one of the first episodes where she veered off course on a bike, almost took out a local person and crashed into a building or something. Please crash again, Jennifer. I love that stuff. Anyway, not exactly sure what the strategy was choosing her to do this road block. She obviously sucks on a bike. Why choose her to do this task?
Amani and Marcus arrive at their speed bump that they alone must complete before they can get to the road block. Once again I am amazed at the ease of these speed bumps. Do they even try to make them challenging? This one was some wooden puzzle that is out of order where the tiles have to be pushed around to complete a picture of the flag of Malawi. Didn’t seem that hard at all to me, I mean seriously, two minutes tops. Except for these two. They are seriously stumped. I mean, it’s a freaking color coded puzzle you slide around until it matches. My six year old son would’ve taken a minute at most. It’s three large stripes with a pattern in the middle! Is it really that hard? How the hell Marcus ever figured out where any end zone was, I’ll never know.
Another funny recap Kim! I wanted to leave the first comment and tell you I loved it. I had to get that in before all of your readers, who do not like your recaps, slam you again for your negativity. There are other recaps out there if you don’t like the tone of this one. It is really that simple. We are several legs into the season and your style is the same each week, yet they keep coming back. Boggles the mind. Looking forward to next week!
I love your recaps too, Kim! Honestly, this season is full of idiots anyway, how can you NOT be negative? But that is what is so great about your recaps. I find myself watching the show and wondering what Kim will say about it! Keep em coming!
I thought Cindy’s writhing on the ground episode was really strange too, but I read that she has asthma and now I realize that’s probably why. Haha.
I really enjoy your recaps, negative or not. I’ve liked all of them so far and you’re a very funny writer. Keep it up. 🙂
Am I the only one who caught Sandy’s comment about not having kids? After she and Lawrence returned from their great bicycle escapade, she was complaining to Jeremy about how awful it was…I think because noone spoke English…and I SWEAR she said something like “this is why I don’t want to have children”. Um…excuse me…doesn’t Jeremy have a son? Or did I dream that, too? And while we’re on the subject of these two, when she whines at him to stop “yelling” at her…he’s not actually yelling!!!
I love Marcus and Amani, but he definitely needs to cut it with the NFL references. Ernie and Cindy can’t be gone fast enough as far as I’m concerned. And I gotta say…I love those snowboarders. They were on my last nerve in the beginning, but they’ve “totally” grown on me dude. 😉 They’re just having fun and they’re running a clean race. I’d like to see them in the finals along with Marcus and Amani. I guess I’ll cheer for Lawrence and Zac to be the other team in the finals. But only because I like Zac. His dad is a prick.
Love your recap, Kim!