Amazing Race Turkey--Welcome Viking Pundit Readers!Uchenna and Joyce and Gretchen and Meredith caught a big break tonight in finding an earlier flight to Istanbul, getting what appeared to be a 2-hour lead on Rob & Ambuh and Ron & Kelly (you know the show is getting near the end when you can remember the names of all the contestants). However, I gotta admit, it was one of those maddening moments when you wonder just how they actually did it. They managed to bum a cell phone off somebody to make the call, but then what do you do--call India Information and ask for a travel agent?
Anyway, the other two couples made an apparently determined effort to find an earlier flight and were unsuccessful. But then Rob made the classic reality-show mistake of assuming that good enough is good enough. I'm sure that if they watched the show tonight he and Ambuh winced seeing him mouth off about how the black couple and the retired couple were "the blind leading the blind".
For a change, the teams did not all pick the same task at the detour, and once again the team (the POW & the Beauty Queen) that went against the grain appeared to pick up some time because of their choice.
Gretchen obviously redeemed herself tonight with the climb up the rope ladder, although you gotta wonder about Meredith's sanity in agreeing to let her handle the task. But it was a great moment for the show as she doggedly hoisted herself up that ladder.
Boston Rob's luck continued to hold. While every other team's climber struggled to find a key at the top of the fortress, he saw one immediately and was dashing back down, making it impossible for the POW to catch him. Fortunately for Ron & Kelly, it turned out to be a non-elimination leg, so they live to race another day (and ironically won the evening's prize, which includes $20,000 to spend on Travelocity).
Random Thoughts: It was nice to see that Joyce was confident enough to show off her new shaved look after last week's obvious distress. Was it just me, or did Phil seem extremely pleased to see them win the leg? Don't forget, the producers of this show are looking for drama and Joyce provided it in abundance last week.
Also, when Phil specified that Ron & Kelly have to start the next leg without any money, was that a rule change? Remember, when Meredith & Gretchen finished last they lost their money and got no more the next day, but they had apparently bummed a few bucks from the gay couple (and clothes from Uchenna & Joyce). Or was that after that leg started?
Kelly will no doubt take some criticism of her comments on how Ron got out of his military commitment by becoming a POW. It was a cheap shot, but Ron seemed to pick the fight with her by making the comment about not being ready to settle down, wanting to see more of the world (and, I suspect, its women). The scene where they kissed and made up seemed a bit forced.
Viking Pundit posted his
weekly recap and points us to
Kris' take on the evening's show.
