The Amazing Race 21 Episodes 9 and 10: Moral Quandary in Amsterdam

James and Jaymes in Amsterdam. Is it hot in here?

It's always OK to U-Turn someone on The Amazing Race. It's a competition for heavens' sake. But the goody-goody Chippendales got all moral and whiny when faced with U-turning Abby and Ryan (Team World Domination) in last week's episode (ep. 9, Amsterdam). It made perfect sense for the Chippendales, Trey and Lexy, and those annoying Sri Lankan twins to form a pact to U-turn Abby and Ryan and then have the next team U-turn whoever did the first U-turn so that Abby and Ryan couldn't U-turn the Beekman Boys. The front pack obviously wanted the weaker team to stay in. Team World Domination was a stronger unit, plus they had the extra motivation of $2 million. Of course, they should have been U-Turned.

But Ryan and Abby didn't see the logic of that, they thought the Sri Lankans or the Texans would take them down just because they didn't like them. So when they got to the mat in Amsterdam they got on the Whaaa-ambulance and cried all the way through the organ grinder challenge ("Why don't you just run me over and get it over with faster," sobbed Abby) and dragged themselves to the finish line after Brent and Josh. Usually even if a team loses they say stuff like "Even if we didn't win, we had a great time and saw so many wonderful things, we're so thankful to have this opportunity to travel the world." But instead Abby and Ryan said "I don't know what to say. It just feels so wrong and I'm so disappointed." Granted it was probably crushing to lose out on not 1 but 2 million and to be beaten by the Beekmans who have been last or near the bottom for most of the show, but they knew they were going to lose as soon as they hit the U-turn, so they could have dregged up a little bit of a positive attitude. They got to be in 9 legs of a TV show and they took an amazing trip.

I was so glad Josh did not talk Brent into helping Ryan and Abby as they drove to ditch-jumping. The Beekmans are nice, but not stupid. As Brent correctly pointed out, Team World Domination would not have let them step on the mat before them. As far as I'm concerned, the Beekmans have already won, if their goal was to be on as many segments as possible and gain exposure for their brand and their own show on The Cooking Channel (The Fabulous Beekman Boys) in order to get a third season, they've succeeded. Plus everyone loves them.

Other highlights of this episode included seeing Jaymes and James shirtless--for the 110th time--and the reactions of the Amsterdamers; some of whom may have been gay, like the guy taking a picture with his phone. I loved it when Jaymes said "Then all these dudes started coming up." Which brings up the question, don't they know gay men are going to stare at them when they disrobe? (BTW, I have just learned through an interview Instinct Magazine that Jaymes, the blonde one, is gay. He said so himself. Why didn't they mention that on the show? Are they afraid it might decrease their audience at the Chippendales in Las Vegas?)

Episode 10 moved to Majorca, Spain and the loud-mouthed Sri Lankans finally got a karmic payback for taking the money from the longhairs back in Bangladesh. One of the twins didn't bother to learn how to drive shift and they lost valuable time while the Beekmans used their farming skills to repair the windmill quickly and finish ahead of them. I did have a feeling it was non-elimination when Phil did not say "You are in the final three" to Trey and Lexie who came in first after the bullfighting challenge.

So the Sri Lankans' asses were saved and they'll have to carry a cup of tea across a street or something for their speed bump (we don't know where the last two legs will be held). The preview for next week's two hour finale seems to indicate that the Texans, Chippendales, and Sri Lankans will team up against the Beekmans in the 11th leg which doesn't make any sense to me. If I were one of the top 3 "alpha" teams, I'd want the Beekmans in the final 3 because they would be less of threat. It would be great if the Sri Lankas slipped up again and Josh and Brent made it all the way to the end. But even if they did, I'm afraid the Chippendales or the Texans would beat them. I like both of those teams and wouldn't mind if either won, but I'm getting a little tired of Jaymes pulling out the sympathy card every time he gets on the mat. Are the producers preparing us for a Chip win?  

The Amazing Race 21 Episode 8: Russian Cab Drivers Rule!

I love Russian cab drivers and I loved this episode of The Amazing Race. These Moscow cabbies should have their own show. Trey and Lexie's guy was such a character: clashing pink shirt and checked tie and jacket, cigarette dangling from his mouth. And then the Chippendales' driver was a hoot, too, leisurely getting coffee and pastry--and a cigarette, of course--as James and Jaymes were pushing him, "We're in a race, let's go!" The Sri Lankans' driver was sort of cute too, admonishing them that he knew where they were going as the loud girls panicked behind him.

In addition to the most memorable Amazing Race cabbies ever, there was a lot of drama and action and heart in this week's episode. The Fabulous Beekman Boys have more lives than a roomful of cats. Last weeks they joined with Team World Domination as they were trailed several hours behind the other four teams because of a delayed flight. The boys were unable to complete the synchronized swimming task and had to take a four-hour penalty. But they were saved because James and Abba lost their possessions and Abba's passport. In yet another twist, leg 7 was a non-elimination round and they had the whole leg to retrieve the passport. The Long-Haired Guys were also lucky that this episode continued in the same city so they wouldn't need the document to get out of the country.

So not only did we have the usual tension of roadblocks and detours, but there was the tension between the Beekmans and the Rockers. Could the latter could find the passport before the Beekmans' four hour penalty ended. Oh yeah and the Rockers had a Speed Bump as well.

We also witnessed the reversion of Team World Domination to their old arrogant ways (at least on Ryan's part). Last week Ryan and Abby were all lovey-dovey and singing Kumbaya with the Beekmans as they cheered them on at the pool and then Josh helped Abby finished the lock and key challenge. There were hugs and kisses and everything was winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Then Ryan returned to his alpha male jerk mold at the Time Zone challenge. He thought he had the whole thing nailed and even got up with his backpack after he turned in his test the first time. It was so good to see him get shot down by the overacting professor ("Wrong! The next round!") and have to take the test 20 more times. I think the professor saw his big opportunity to become a star on American TV and exaggerated his sternness ("Ah, Team Vorld Domination, I vill cruch you like ant!"), but I didn't love him as much as I did the cab drivers.

Several hours later, the Beekmans breezed through the time zones. Brent figured it out right away, making up for his lack of swimming ability the night before. Then they had fun at the costume cocktail party while everyone else was sweating their guts out at the military dance doing seated kicks and coffee grinders. They managed to survive to take fifth place and James and Abba were eliminated. We never did find out what their speed bump was, except it involved driving around in a limo with a Russian Orthodox priest.

The previews for next week show Team World Domination stuck on a delayed flight--AGAIN!--and a double U-turn. Here's a cool prediction. What if Abby and Ryan get stuck several hours behind everybody else, nobody U-turns the Beekmans because they aren't seen as a threat, and they wind up being in the final four.