Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn!
Trying to figure out the biggest blunder on the latest episode of The Amazing Race proved particularly challenging because the stupid Roadblock was so difficult that it took some teams more than half the show to finish it. So if there were any glaring errors to speak of in “Choir Boy at Heart,” they were likely edited out for time.
Still, a few teams made some questionable decisions that impacted the order in which they finished the leg. But whose mistake earned them this week’s Uey? Let’s break it down.
The Amazing Race Recap: Singing with the Choir >>>
Musical Chairs
Through no real fault of their own, it was the end of the road for Tim and Danny. But could the Oklahoma besties have done anything different to change their lot? I can’t come up with anything because being tone deaf isn’t something you can help.
The “Who’s a Choir Boy” Roadblock required one team member to learn complicated German lyrics and the correct inflection of each line, and then he or she performed the song with the Vienna Boys Choir and was judged on pronunciation and musicality.
It’s no easy task for someone who is musically inclined. But poor Tim didn’t stand a chance. (And for the record, it’s a great thing they weren’t being judged on vocal quality, or he might never have finished.) So hats off to Tim for the effort, but I can’t fault him for being the last to finish this challenge.
An Unnecessary Lie
Everyone knows the Afghanimals U-Turned the beard boys, but for some reason, Leo and Jamal lied about it with very little on the line. They got called out three or four times for not being honest, but they continued to laugh it off and deny, deny, deny.
It might only affect the perception other teams have of them, but using the U-Turn on the only team they knew was behind them was the most obvious move of the season. No one would blame them for doing so, and now they just look like a couple of untrustworthy liars. It probably won’t come back to hurt them, but it could prove costly down the road.
Cab Drama Number 1
I don’t know if it’s because they are always frantically yelling at each other, but Tim and Reebs (Marie) once again made rudimentary tasks overly difficult. It already cost them both of their Express Passes, and they probably don’t have many chances left. They could be a really strong team if they were just a bit more thorough.
This week, it was the exes’ inability to get a cab after flying through the Masquerade Detour. They vaulted into first place with the quick finish, but then an astounding five of the six other teams hopped into taxis before them. And it would’ve been all six if not for Jason and Amy’s bad luck. (More on that later.)
While I can’t speculate on what the issue was for them to find a ride, as the other teams seemingly got cabs instantaneously, that’s just not something that can happen if you expect to compete. It’s like the drivers can tell just by looking at Marie that they don’t want her inside their vehicles. They’re probably afraid she’ll burst into flames at any moment.
Cab Drama Number 2
Stealing Jason and Amy’s taxi after the maze came very close to earning Timothy and Marie their second U-Turn Award of the race. When you’re the villains of the season, it’s never a good idea to piss off the only people who don’t hate you yet.
Yeah, it’s about the money and you’re not there to make friends, but you shouldn’t go out of your way to make enemies, either. Timothy and Jason actually seemed to be getting rather close, considering how he made fun of Marie when she yelled at Tim to fix the song lyrics.
And then to plan to blame it on the Afghanimals? C’mon. They seem to be forgetting that people actually talk and use words and stuff.
I don’t know if cab drama number one contributed to the decision to partake in cab drama number two, but with no friends and without an Express Pass to use as leverage, it’s going to be very tough for these two to find any sort of helping hand should they need one.
Weather Forecast for Tonight: Dark
After deliberating for quite some time, our sixth U-Turn Award goes to first-time recipients and consistently strong partners Jason and Amy for their decision to bank on the weather. And they are darn lucky that Tim can’t sing and that the Ice Girls are, well, the Ice Girls.
There was a Fast Forward on this leg that required a team to bungee jump off the Donauturm, the highest structure in Vienna. The only catch was that the challenge was weather dependent, and it was too windy to jump safely.
Jason and Amy were the only team to attempt it, and they wasted a lot of time at the top of the building waiting for the conditions to improve. By the time they gave up and moved on to the Detour, they were well behind the other teams.
And on a normal leg, it probably would’ve been too difficult to overcome such a deficit. But fortunately for them, everyone struggled with the German singing and they had plenty of time to catch up.
They were a strong enough team to stay in the race, but they dropped from second to fifth place. And as the weaker teams get picked off one by one, they won’t have that kind of leeway moving forward.
The Amazing Race airs Sundays at 8pm on CBS.
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Emmy-winning news producer & former BuddyTV blogger. Lover of Philly sports, Ned, Zoe, Liam and Delaine…not in that order
