Mama used to always say "Always have on clean underwear as you never know when you might get into a situation when others may see it" Let me add to that if you are traveling in cold climates, the type of underwear should cover as much as possible and keep you warm.
Well this time I am right in front of my television and blogging my impressions of The Amazing Race as it happens. Welcome to my weekly Amazing Race Blog for season 1.
The teams are in Siberia and its cold. Not only is it cold but with the strongest and potentially fastest teams out of the way, things now start to get ugly amongst the remaining seven teams.
The greatest of what I call the “Great Amazing Race team equalizers” came into play at the start of this leg. Teams had to travel over 400 miles via train to the town of Novosibirsk, Russia. And whatever position a team had didn’t matter. Even though teams departed from the pit-stop starting at 12:35 noon, everyone would wait for the same train scheduled to depart at 10pm that night. So they had an all day wait then an overnight train ride arriving the next afternoon. An entire day of travel passes and everyone is on an equal footing.
After the train ride teams travelled by taxi to their “detour” task choices of “Russian Bride” where teams would drive themselves to an apartment complex and then drive that bride to the church to meet their groom or “Russian Snowplow” where teams would drive themselves to a stadium where they would drive snowplows through a course. The vehicles the teams would use were Russian made vehicles with 4 speed manual transmissions.
During the start of this leg, teams tried to follow each other. Some assumed they still could have alliances with other teams but those so-called alliances began to disappear. The first to pull away from that (literally) was Victor who drove away leaving other teams behind while each of them were getting directions to their “detour” destination.
About half of the teams chose each of the “detour” task choices and there were few problems except for the blondes Christie & Jodi driving their bride to the wrong church. Tammy & Victor finished the snowplow task first and Mel & Mike finished driving the bride to the church first.
Then teams had to drive themselves to a library to search for the next clue and for things many of us should not see ESPECIALLY IN HIGH-DEFINITION… Host Phil Keoghan IN HIS UNDERWEAR!
Actually, it was the introduction to the “roadblock” task where one team member would have to run in a marathon in their underwear. Yes, in the cold winter of Russia, team members had to run outside in their underwear. The team member had to run with fully clothed Russian running partners for about a mile and a half from the library to a theatre where they would meet the other team partner and check in at the pit-stop. The Pit-stop is inside the theatre.
The racers we got to see in their underwear (or less) were Luke in a pair of “tighty blackie” briefs, Cara and Tammy each wearing bikini briefs and tops that didn’t reveal much, Mike in loose fitting boxer briefs, Mark in tight fitting black boxer briefs, Jen who had to actually put on some underwear to complete the task and the only one caught wearing a THONG, the bare-frozen assed Christie.
The racers ran the freezing streets to cheers and looks from the locals. The women got some special attention from the local men including some honking car horns and even a police siren.
Luke was the first to finish and therefore he along with his mother Margie were FIRST at the pit-stop. Their prize for the first-place finish was a vacation to a much warmer locale, Saint Lucia.
The rest of the arrivals were the same order as I mentioned in the underwear run
SECOND: Tammy & Victor
THIRD: Jaime & Cara
FOURTH: Mel & Mike
FIFTH: Mark & Michael
SIXTH: Kisha & Jen
SEVENTH: Christie & Jodi were last but this was the first of the NON-ELIMINATION legs of this season. That is a good prize for having to run outside in your underwear in sub-freezing temperatures. But for not having been eliminated Christie & Jodi will have to complete a special task that is exclusive to them, also known as the “speed bump” and it could seriously delay them and increasing their chances of being eliminated in the next leg.
So we have another first to worst situation. The “dumb blonde” came out of Christie & Jodi when they drove their bride to the wrong church. Kisha & Jen still appeared to have that big sister, little sister battle but on a friendlier scale. Add to that the little sister struggled to drive a stick shift. So Kisha & Jen also fell from the top two to the bottom two.
MY PREDICTIONS:
I think Tammy & Victor will be the strongest team on the race and reach the top three as long as they maintain a civil relationship. But I also think they will play dirty to survive the rest of the race. Also willing to play dirty may be Margie & Luke. I am not sure they will make the final three but they will not go down without a fight. I am not predicting specific teams yet but I do think there is a good chance that there may be an all-female winner of the race. We have three strong all-female teams left who are fully capable both physically and at least two of the teams mentally. I am sorry but I have to pull the stereotype about the “dumb blonde” and predict that Christie & Jodi will struggle to survive another leg. It is for that I am predicting CHRISTIE & JODI for next elimination.
Now, the previews for the next broadcast will show emotions and potential disaster as one team may have lost their bags. That type of mishap has killed off teams in previous seasons. But you cannot assume anything from the previews for the next broadcast. Creative editing creates great illusions.
But because of the next destination being in India and the upcoming “speed bump” task which surely would be something difficult while in India and the fact that it would be two young women who are not accustomed to the heat and poverty they will see while traveling in India. I maintain my current prediction that CHRISTIE & JODI will be the next team eliminated.
We will also see other teams struggle while in India as it has always been the most difficult area of travel on The Amazing Race. From the poverty, the unsanitary conditions or the local transit system together with the tougher tasks based on local customs. The Amazing Race will have tough times ahead.
And I will be watching from the comfort of my air-conditioned home. I can’t wait until next week.
And I hope to never have to see Phil in his DRAWZ ever again!
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