Episode 4: Ha Long Bay, Vietnam (10/8)
SMOOTH SAILING FOR ROB & KIMBERLY; TOM & TERRY SINK Who says bickering doesn't pay off? After another leg of constant fighting for Rob & Kimberly, the dating couple reconciled long enough to claim a victory while enduring a grueling day that required the Teams to row small boats on the ocean. Boyfriends Tom & Terry started out swimmingly at the Roadblock, but neither knew how to row a boat, ultimately causing them to be eliminated from the race. LISTEN CAREFULLY Departing the Pit Stop in first place at 10:55pm, brothers Erwin & Godwin ripped open their clue to discover they needed to travel 20 miles by taxi to the Ly Thai To Garden in Hanoi. Once there, they would need to listen for their next clue. A slow taxi caused the Cho brothers to fall behind a majority of the Teams who congregated at the garden straining to listen for their clue. Beauty queens Dustin & Kandice thought the crickets were talking to them, but like the other Teams, they soon heard a voice emanating from a loudspeaker, "Attention racers! Taxi across the Red River to Ben Xe Gia Lam. Then, take a bus to Ben Xe Bai Chay. Then, find the Hydrofoil Harbor." Having become accustomed to showing written locations to taxi drivers, the Teams needed to take a different tact this time around. Single moms Lyn & Karlyn simply relayed their phonetic spelling of the clue to their driver, while models Tyler & James and friends Peter & Sarah chose a smarter option of walking their driver to the loudspeaker to listen to the clue. Dating couple Rob & Kimberly ran into problems when their driver, who didn't have directions of his own, lost the taxi he was supposed to follow and ended up back at the garden. Losing his cool, Rob took the driver over to listen to the clue and assumed they would now make it to Ben Xe Gia Lam without incident. Instead, the driver again went in a circle returning them to the garden. Getting out of the taxi, Rob paid the driver who complained about the fare, to which a fuming Rob replied, "No dude, you didn't do anything!" Pulling another driver aside to listen to the clue, the dating couple hopped into another taxi, sighing, "Finally, a competent cab driver." In the end, Rob's panicking and stressing amounted to little as all of the Teams had to wait until 5:00am for the bus station to open. HEAVY LIFTING At 5:00am, the Teams boarded a bus that traveled 103 miles east through Vietnam's lush countryside to Ha Long Bay. Getting off the bus, the Teams searched for their clue at Hydrofoil Harbor. Coalminer and wife David & Mary spotted the clue-box first to discover a Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member had to use a mechanical ascender to climb 90 feet up the sheer face of a rock. Three racers could ascend the rock at any given time on a "first come, first serve" basis. With all eight Teams right on top of each other, the boat race to the rock island proved crucial as only three people could ascend at one time. Beauty queens Dustin & Kandice claimed the boat that single moms Lyn & Karlyn were about to board, but paid the price when Dustin's leg fell through the bottom to draw blood. Karlyn commented, "She got what she deserved for cutting in front of us. She got cut." Mary's ankle slowed her Team in getting to the docks, but a fast boat put them in first place heading to the island while a slow boat forced models Tyler & James to the back of the pack with friends Peter & Sarah and Dustin & Kandice. Landing on the rock island, David, Terry, and Rob all began the ascent for their Teams as their partners cheered them on. Meanwhile, waiting on deck, Karlyn and Sarah began to worry if they had the strength and stamina for the task that lay ahead. Using his upper body strength, Rob completed the ascent first, attached himself to another rope, and rappelled back down to his boat where a happy Kimberly waited for him. Opening their clue, the couple discovered they needed to travel via motorboat another 1.2 miles to Sung Sot Cave. Their next clue would be located within the winding paths of the dark cave. With the first three Teams headed to the cave, Godwin, Karlyn, and Sarah all geared up for the grueling climb. Lyn supported her partner by shouting, "If you can have a baby with no anesthesia you can go up this rock." After a relieved Karlyn rappelled back down, she remarked, "I think my daughter's going to be like, 'Wow, I'm so proud. That's my mom.'" Sarah, looking visibly concerned, began ascending the rock wall, but quickly ran into difficulty when her foot got tangled in the rope. Not willing to give up, she talked herself through the situation, saying, "Sarah, you find your power." She momentarily lost her confidence when Tyler passed her and Peter offered useless motivation such as, "Keep it going, sister," but she remained calm and fended off the surging last place Dustin to complete the climb and rappel. ROW YOUR BOAT Docking their boat at Sung Sot Cave, dating couple Rob & Kimberly broke out their flashlights and headlamps to help them see as they navigated through the dark, small crevices of the cave. Returning to a more spacious area within the cave, the pair found their next clue, a Detour giving them the choice between ch Over and Under. In Over, Teams ride a large boat known as a junk to a marked buoy, then row a smaller boat known as a sampan to a supply boat, load provisions, and row the sampan to a floating village and deliver the goods to the two addresses on the invoice. When finished, Teams must row back to the supply boat and present their signed invoice to the captain. In Under, Teams take a junk to the marked buoy, then row a sampan to a pearl farm, choose a line of buoys and harvest thirty oyster baskets by hauling them out of the sea and onto their boats. Finally, they had to deliver the baskets to a pearl farmer to receive their next clue. Taking their junk to the marked buoy, Rob & Kimberly began rowing their sampan to the pearl farm and learned very quickly they had no idea how to maneuver their boat. The couple switched positions several times in their boat, alternating between Rob rowing alone and Kimberly taking one of the oars. After arriving at the pearl farm, the pair argued as they tried to find the baskets attached to the buoys. Ordering Rob to the opposite side of the boat, Kimberly warned him, "Don't throw a hissy fit." Finally, Kimberly found the first basket and the pair began to collect them in the sampan. COMING UNDONE While Rob & Kimberly moved ahead, boyfriends Tom & Terry floundered in their sampan unable to row. Not faring any better were coalminer and wife David & Mary who remarked, "We come from Kentucky. We've never been in the real live ocean. Water over you head. If you fell, you're dead." Lack of experience didn't stop Mary from barking orders at David, who tried in vain to steer his sampan. Unable to row against the current and the strong wind, they opted to switch to the closer pearl farm along with the struggling beauty queens Dustin & Kandice. Tyler excelled at rowing for his Team, as did Peter who told Sarah to be quiet because he needed to concentrate, sniping, "I don't need encouragement. I just need direction." As models Tyler & James passed by the still floundering Tom & Terry who hadn't started collecting baskets, dating couple Rob & Kimberly delivered their thirty baskets to the pearl farmer and opened the clue that instructed them to row their sampans back to their junks which they'd take nine miles to the Pit Stop located on a beach on Soi Sim Island. While the pair made it through the day with great success by coming in first place, their relationship again took a hit with their incessant fighting. Kimberly noted, "When Rob loses his patience with me, it's frustrating because he just is very intense sometimes. The race has definitely intensified us arguing." Hopefully making up for the bickering, the couple each won a jet ski. The stress of rowing took its toll on Peter who shouted orders at Sarah and proclaimed, "I'm done after this. I don't want to do this anymore. I really don't." Even though the Team finished in a strong second place, Sarah grew increasingly frustrated with her partner. On the junk, she teared up, remarking, "It kind of kills me when Peter talks about giving up in the middle of a task because I did give a hundred per cent and I didn't complain. We made up so much ground. That should be enough to make me feel good right now, but it doesn't." With models Tyler & James and brothers Erwin & Godwin claiming third and fourth place respectively, only beauty queens Dustin & Kandice and boyfriends Tom & Terry remained at the pearl farm. Having chosen to deliver goods to the floating village, single moms Lyn & Karlyn struggled mightily to row their sampan back to their junk, but preserved to finish in sixth place behind coalminer and wife David & Mary. ELIMINATION While Dustin & Kandice completed the Detour ahead of Tom & Terry, the beauty queens couldn't read their tattered clue that instructed them to row to their junk. Instead, the pair began rowing aimlessly as Dustin blamed Kandice for not taking better care of the clues. Eventually, the pair realized they needed to row to the junk where Dustin broke down crying after Kandice fought back about always being blamed for situations. The pair returned to smiles however when they stepped onto the mat in seventh place. Having the most difficulties of any team rowing, Tom got into the water and began pulling the sampan in an effort to reach their junk. On the way to the Pit Stop, a crying Tom remarked, "This is the hardest thing I've ever done." After being eliminated by Phil, Terry remarked on his partner, "I don't know what made him just jump out and drag the boat, but he did and it just reaffirms that Tom has a lot of heart. He's my soul mate. But today more than any day on the race speaks volumes about the strength of our relationship."

The Amazing Race 10, Episode 4: Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat by Jenn Brasler -- 10/09/2006 Or, if you’re Tom, Terry, or Peter, lie down. This week it’s all about teamwork - the encouragement and cooperation (or lack thereof) that can make or break a team. Will Peter & Sarah’s encouragement of each other mean anything? Will Rob & Kimberly’s lack of encouragement hurt them? And will Kandice & Dustin, the race’s most cooperative team so far, surge ahead? Previously on Not Without My Daughter: Nine teams headed to Vietnam, which affected David more than anyone else. Tom & Terry got upset with Kandice & Dustin for seemingly cutting the line, because we’re all in third grade. ErGo were the first to the Pit Stop, and though Tom & Terry were second, they suffered a penalty for not paying attention to their clue. Sadly, Duke & Lauren took even longer to build a birdcage and had to leave us. Eight teams are left: Erwin & Godwin (Team ErGo) - Brothers/Finally starting to give a good showing Tyler & James (Team Zoolander) - Models/recovering drug addicts/Kind of annoying but I’m not sure why Rob & Kimberly - Dating/Sigh Dustin & Kandice - Friends/Racing very consistently Peter & Sarah - Recently dating/Sentimental favorites (well, not him) Lyn & Karlyn (Team Dublyn) - Friends/Hanging out with Mary & David Mary & David - Married/Sentimental favorites/Probably getting the best experience out of everyone Tom & Terry - Dating/Need to leave Dustin & Kandice alone Wow, Vietnam is pretty. Phil tells us that Rob collapsed from heat exhaustion at the end of the last leg and had to receive medical attention before he was allowed to keep going. Mary is still struggling with her hurt ankle. Thanks for the update, Phil. ErGo are the first to leave at 10:55 p.m. They’re heading back to Hanoi via taxi to find the Ly Thai To Garden and “listen for their next clue.” They first have to collect dong from a man at a table. Erwin interviews that it’s a big responsibility to be Asian-American on this race. They can compete with the best and show different sides of their culture, including their sense of humor. As a demonstration, one of them shouts, “We’re going to Disneyland!” Maybe after the race, guys. They have those hats with the lights on them. I would have to think those are good investments. Zoolander leave next. I’m tired of their interviews about being in rough spots, picking each other up, blah blah addiction blah blah recovery blah blah. We get it. They enjoy the word “dong.” Mature. Rob & Kimberly leave next, Rob saying that he feels good despite the heat exhaustion. He adds that he thinks control is a big thing in this relationship. He has to work on it as much if not more than Kimberly. Dustin & Kandice leave next, Dustin interviewing that she thinks people are starting to get a sense of how competitive they are. They’ve come in fourth in two legs and fifth in one - I should hope people are realizing that they’re serious contenders. Dustin continues that they have to do their thing, and if people see them being competitive, they’ll learn something about them. Sarah and her albatross… I mean Peter leave next. Sarah interviews that Peter is “a complicated guy.” Some things about him are wonderful and some are disappointing and surprising. Dublyn are the next to go as Lyn interviews that this is the longest she’s been away from her kids, but winning the race would better their lives. Karlyn says that’s her motivation. David & Mary are next to depart, Mary saying that she’s going to have to be Superwoman if this race gets any harder. She’s a couch potato who just watches reality TV all the time. But remember, Cirie from Survivor: Exile Island said the same thing, and look how far she got. Mary’s not sure how she’s still in the race. She doesn’t want to give up because she’s doing this for her kids. That’s probably one of the big reasons she and David have connected with Dublyn. David says that every day is a new day and Mary gleefully adds that they’re within minutes of everyone. Terry & Tom leave last, just under and hour after ErGo. Terry says they’re not going to let their placing get them down; they’re just going to pay more attention and keep their energy up. ErGo are afraid they’re heading in the wrong direction. They probably are, as Zoolander arrive at the garden first. There seems to be an announcement sounding over a loudspeaker. Sarah & Peter arrive next and Sarah takes off, wondering why Peter is being slow. Ditto for Kimberly & Rob. Dustin & Kandice hope this won’t be too difficult. They quickly find a box filled with what looks like grass and hear crickets. While ErGo are asking for directions, Dublyn reach the garden next. A statue tells the racers to take a taxi across the Red River to Ben Xe Gia Lam. Then, they’re to take a bus to Ben Xe Bai Chay and find the Hydrofoil Harbor. That’s a ton of words that sound completely different from the way they’re spelled, which is a neat twist that forces the racers to do more legwork and thinking than usual. Dublyn get a cab first and head off even though their driver doesn’t seem to know where they want to go. Kandice & Dustin are right behind them. Zoolander and Sarah & Peter, however, get drivers to listen to the statue. Smart. Kimberly & Rob tell their driver to follow Zoolander but the traffic doesn’t really allow it. Kimberly needs Rob to not freak out right now. She considers getting out and going back to the garden. Terry & Tom are at the garden now. Mary & David are still in their cab and Mary loves their driver. “You ain’t takin’ him home,” David tells her, like she’s a kid who brought home a dog and said, “Can I keep him?” Hee. They get to the garden, followed by a returning Rob & Kimberly. They ditch their cab, upset that their driver basically just drove them around the block. The teams at the garden get their drivers to listen to the statue before heading off. Rob thinks his driver is high. Now that would be an interesting trip. “He’s just toying with us right now,” Rob says. Because I’m sure he has nothing better to do in the middle of the night. They decide to ditch this cab as well. Back at the garden, Rob shorts the driver some money and they get another cab. “I’m done talking with foreigners,” Rob says. If you ask me, the foreigners are lucking out in that deal. David & Mary take their driver back to the garden to listen again. Dublyn says the clue doesn’t make any sense. Kandice & Dustin are first to Ben Xe Gia Lam. Zoolander are next but aren’t sure they’re in the right place. Tom & Terry arrive as well, followed by ErGo. Of course, they can’t get a bus until the morning. Dublyn manage to make it next. Rob & Kimberly think they’re last, but they’re actually the next to get to the spot. They share their bad driver story. At 5 a.m., everyone boards a bus. Tom & Terry are encouraged by the fact that ErGo didn’t do so well in the first two legs but wound up in first place last time. The bus takes the teams to Ha Long Bay, passing some beautiful scenery that Dublyn enjoy. When they arrive, everyone jobs for the clue box, which David & Mary reach first. This clue is a Roadblock for someone with “strong arms and legs.” Phil tells us that one team member will have to ascend a cliff using mechanical ascenders. Tom makes Terry take it. Godwin, Kandice, Rob, and Sarah wind up taking it as well. Sarah says she has arm strength, so she’ll be fine. In the boat to the cliff, she tells Peter that she’s going to be slower than the others, but he tells her that’s fine. Kandice & Dustin grab a boat that Dublyn were trying to get. To be fair, it looks like Dustin & Kandice didn’t realize they were going for that boat; it’s hard to tell that they were heading in that direction. Dustin cuts her leg and Karlyn says that’s what she gets. Hey, now, let’s be nice. Tom & Terry and Rob & Kimberly wave to each other from their boats. Everyone speeds across the water. Mary yells, “Back pack,” and I thought Tom & Terry said something about that in relation to ErGo, so maybe that’s their nickname. Whatever, ErGo is better. There’s lots of jockeying for position in the boats. David & Mary arrive first, followed by Tom & Terry and Rob & Kimberly. Only three teams can climb at a time, so those are the first three up. Karlyn, who’s doing the Roadblock for Dublyn, interviews that she remembers from doing the Great Wall climb that being anxious hurt her and slowed her down. That, and lack of upper-body strength. As the first three climbers get started, Kimberly’s brilliant advice to Rob is to use his arms and legs. I’m sorry, I was under the impression that they had to climb using their teeth. (In which case Sunny from A Series of Unfortunate Events would beat everyone.) David pulls out in front with Rob in second and Terry dangling in third. Sarah is starting to doubt her decision to do the Roadblock, and Zoolander notice that Peter isn’t doing this one. While Mary shouts to David that she loves him, Peter sternly tells Sarah that she’ll be fine. Random thought: does anyone else think Rob looks like John Leguizamo? Kimberly reminds him to get the clue before he comes back down. That would suck if he had to climb up again. Maybe the guys at the top would throw it down to him. David and Terry arrive shortly after Rob and Tom says that Terry can definitely make him do the next Roadblock. Rob brings the clue back down to Kimberly; it tells them to travel by motorboat to Sung Sot Cave, which they have to search for the next clue. Godwin suits up for the climb, announcing that he’d like to leave all his possessions to Erwin. Kandice calls him a stud. As David descends, Mary asks if it was fun. She tells him she’s “super proud.” They’re in second place, which they should both be proud of. Karlyn gets ready to climb as Lyn tells her that if she could climb the Great Wall, she can do this “little bitty rock.” She’s a very good encourager. She tells us that this is for their kids and they want people to see that they’re more than just moms. Sarah is teary and probably isn’t appreciating Peter joking that she should “pull the handicapped placard” and cut in line. Shut up, Peter. Lyn shouts that if Karlyn can have a baby without anesthesia, she can climb the cliff. Karlyn laughs and says, “She did not just say that.” Sarah is next to suit up, but Peter is yelling to her while she’s trying to listen to the directions. She has trouble from the beginning with her foot. Godwin makes it up but has trouble holding onto a rope because his arms are weak. Sarah gets caught and doesn’t think she can keep going. Hmm… I wonder what would happen if she tried to Boston Rob the Roadblock. Instead, she starts giving herself a pep talk, telling herself to find her power. Peter, who is now reclining in the boat like he’s on vacation, tells her she’s doing a good job. Eh… Lyn’s better at that stuff. Rob & Kimberly reach the cave first and look for the clue box. Rob bangs his head on a rock, so maybe they should have given them helmets. Godwin makes it back down, sounding like he didn’t have that much fun. Kimberly & Rob find the clue box and are met with a Detour. The choices are Over and Under. In Over, teams ride a boat called a junk to a buoy, then row a smaller boat called a sanpan to a supply boat. After collecting some supplies, they’ll row to two places to deliver them, then hand over an invoice at the supply boat before getting the next clue. That’s a lot of steps, but I think it’s faster than Under, in which teams take a sanpan to a pearl farm, pull 30 oyster baskets out of the water, and deliver them to a pearl farmer. Karlyn reaches the top but Sarah is still struggling. Tyler is climbing now and Peter tells Sarah to give him an ugly look or spit on him when he passes her. Peter is, by the way, kicking back, drinking a soda. Boo, Peter! He’s relaxing while Sarah is busting her butt. I don’t know why this bugs me so much but it does. Karlyn is down and hopes her daughter is proud of her. Tyler passes Sarah and reaches the top; James calls him Spider-Man as he descends. Sarah is still not appreciating Peter’s “encouragement.” Dustin takes the climb despite her hurt leg, so I’m guessing that once one person announces he or she is doing the Roadblock, there’s no switching allowed. Tom & Terry and David & Mary reach the cave as Sarah gets to the top of the cliff. Tom & Terry decide to do Under, one of them announcing that he can row a boat. Keep that in mind, everyone. Rob & Kimberly struggle immediately in their sanpan, Kimberly telling Rob over and over not to freak out on her. Neither of them can row. David & Mary pick Over since David is scared of deep water. Kandice & Dustin are done and determined to make up some time. Tom & Terry relax on their junk, saying that as long as there’s a nearby Starbucks, they could live there. David doesn’t seem sympathetic towards Mary’s injury. He tells her they can sit down on the junk, but she wants to stand up at the front with him. “When you become my boss, you can tell me what to do,” she says. Hey, Sarah, are you listening? Kimberly & Rob still haven’t gotten the rowing down. I just saw Mean Creek, so I’m expecting something very, very bad to happen. I also just finished reading The Ruins, so if any vines show up this season, excuse me if I run and hide in another room. Fourth to the Detour, ErGo pick Under. Kimberly & Rob reach the pearl farm but can’t find the baskets. Maybe they’re under the water, as the clue suggests? Instead of listening to me, they screech at each other. Zoolander pick Under and don’t tell a passing Dublyn where the clue box is. They find it anyway and pick Over for the same reasons I would. Rob & Kimberly finally figure out what to do and get a basket. Peter & Sarah pick Under, Peter reasoning that in Over, they have to go to two locations. Tom & Terry quickly prove that whichever one of them claimed to know how to row was lying. Dustin & Kandice are last to the Detour and pick Over. They say they’re not out of the race and will run until they hit the mat. As David accidentally steers his and Mary’s sanpan towards a “mountain” (according to Mary), she interviews that being from Kentucky, they’ve never been to the ocean: “Water over your head, if you fail, you’re dead.” Terry takes over the rowing, so he must be the self-proclaimed rower-knower. ErGo are having trouble, too, but Zoolander are doing pretty well. ErGo engage in some light brotherly banter. Sarah asks Peter if she can do anything to help; he tells her not to talk. He really doesn’t like it when she talks, does he? “I don’t need encouragement, I just need direction,” he tells her. Sigh. Dublyn get in their sanpan, Karlyn immediately complaining that it’s too windy and they can’t do this. Lyn calmly tells her that they can and she needs to settle down. If Karlyn were more like Lyn, I’d like her a lot more. Kandice & Dustin get into a rhythm, noting that they might be racing for last place. Tom & Terry are in the wrong place. Other teams are having problems, too, because of the wind. Dustin is now crying. Get used to it. They decide to go for Under, since they’re near it. David & Mary do the same. At Over, Kimberly screams at Rob again but they get their 30 baskets and head off, bickering over whether or not Rob needs to yell. Tom cuts himself but Terry says, “So what?” That’s kind of how I feel about them in general. Kimberly & Rob deliver their baskets and gets their clue, which sends them back to the junks, which will take them to the Pit Stop on Soi Sim Island. Dublyn get to the supply boat and Karlyn seems to be in much better spirits. I think I would like her a lot more if she were always in a good mood. As Kimberly & Rob head towards their junk, Rob proclaims that he knows how to row. “I forgot you went to school for that,” she replies. Ha! She interviews that it’s frustrating when he’s intense, and the race has made their fighting worse. ErGo and Peter & Sarah start Under, but Peter tips the boat over too far and water starts leaking in. Dublyn note that people live in the boats around them, but it’s kind of cool. They make their first delivery without any problems. Peter gets frustrated with Terry & Tom because their boat is too close. He actually shoves them away. Dude. He then orders Sarah to grab a rope and hold it while he does the rest. “I’m done after this. I don’t want to do this anymore,” he says. He’s so much like Colin, it’s not even funny. David & Mary start Under. Dublyn make their second delivery and head back to the supply boat. Dustin & Kandice are excited that they’re on their way to catch up to the others. Zoolander finish. Rob & Kimberly get to the mat first (sigh) and win jet skis. Couldn’t they win a swift kick in the pants instead? Phil asks if they’re being nice to each other. Rob says they’re competitive and need to chill. Dublyn are stuck by a cliff and not happy about it. ErGo are done getting baskets. Zoolander deliver theirs and get the next clue. ErGo are close behind them, in third place. Sarah & Peter get their baskets. Karlyn is frustrated but Lyn is still calm. Back in their junk, James calls Tyler Superman for rowing so well, saying that he was just a passenger today. Lots of rowing and boat stuff. On their junk, Sarah tells Peter he did awesome and he doesn’t reply. She interviews that her feelings for him have changed. Yay! She’s not always “impressed” with his temperament or the way he treats her. She says that it kills her that he talks about giving up in the middle of a task because she gives 100%. He’s totally not even listening. Sarah says that she should feel good because they’ve made up ground, but she doesn’t. Peter gives the camera this really smarmy, smirky look that makes me want to reach through the TV and pull his hair. I really want him to get dumped on national TV. David & Mary finish getting their baskets. Tom & Terry only have five. They’re moving really slowly. Kandice & Dustin work on getting their baskets, too. David & Mary deliver theirs. Peter & Sarah and Zoolander spot each other on their junks. Zoolander note that their boat is slow. Sarah would really like to beat them, since Tyler passed her on the climb. Zoolander discover that they’re moving slowly because the guys on their boat forgot to pull up the anchor. Too bad they’re really annoying and smarmy about it. Shut up, Zoolander. This allows Sarah & Peter to arrive at the Pit Stop in second place. Phil doesn’t ask them if they’re getting along, though. More rowing and stuff. Zoolander hit the mat in third. Dustin & Kandice have 22 baskets. Tom & Terry have 16. Wow. Slow. ErGo are fourth. Kandice & Dustin finish up. Mary spots Phil from the junk (it helps that he’s wearing an orange shirt) and says she knows it’s him - “gorgeous thing.” The woman has good taste. Kandice & Dustin get their clue but misread and think they have to row their sanpan to the Pit Stop. Dublyn finally get back to the supply boat and get their clue. David & Mary are thrilled to reach the Pit Stop in fifth place; they thought they were sixth. Tom & Terry finally get their 30 baskets. Dustin & Kandice are definitely in the wrong place and Dustin is crying again. Their clue is “shredded” and they can’t read it again. Tom & Terry have the last clue as well. Dustin tells Kandice that she’s frustrated that she didn’t take better care of the clue. Kandice replies that she’d appreciate it if she didn’t place blame right now. For the record, they’re arguing calmly, not yelling at each other or calling each other names, Rob & Kimberly. Tom & Terry, on the other hand, are whining. Dustin is crying again but Kandice wants her to suck it up and keep paddling. Dustin says that crying doesn’t hurt and she’d like to just be allowed to do it. In Dublyn’s junk, Lyn says that Karlyn always tells her, “Mind over matter.” Karlyn is just worried that all their hard work won’t pay off and they’ll be eliminated. Kandice gets the brilliant idea to return to the junk, so she and Dustin head that way. I bet they built up some nice arm muscles, though. Tom & Terry are also definitely in the wrong place. Dublyn arrive at the Pit Stop and are very happy to hear that they’re in sixth place. While Dustin & Kandice row back to the jumk, Tom decides to pull the sanpan through the water. Um, okay. On the junk, Dustin tells Kandice that she was the last one to have the clue (which is, indeed, shredded). Kandice says she gave it to Dustin, then repeats that she doesn’t want to be blamed. She complains that she always gets blamed when something goes wrong. Dustin is crying again. Tom & Terry make it back to the junk. Their orange shirt/red shorts combo is quite the fashion statement. For a show that wants to destroy stereotypes, they’re definitely destroying the one that all gay people dress well. Dustin, still crying, asks Kandice if she can cry on her shoulder. They hug each other and all seems to be forgiven. And they didn’t yell once! I love them. Tom & Terry are very tired and tearful but proud of themselves. In the junk race to the Pit Stop, the winners are… Kandice & Dustin. Yay! I wasn’t ready to see them go yet. Tom & Terry, however, can go away. They reach the Pit Stop at sundown and receive the news that they’ve been eliminated. Terry doesn’t know what made Tom drag the boat. Me either. He says this day more than any other on the race speaks volumes about their relationship. Aww, they’re nice, I’m sure; they just need to simmer down a little. Next week: Alligators! Sarah finally takes off her leg and beats Peter over the head with it. Maybe. I can hope, can’t I?

The Amazing Race 10, Episode 4 First Class and Cargo Class Awards by Sandy Lamparello -- 10/12/2006 Episode 4 of The Amazing Race 10 found our racers still in Vietnam. They received a different kind of clue at the start of the leg, and faced some very physical challenges along the way. Cargo Class was pretty clear. First Class, not so much. Who did Sandy decide to give the awards to? Read on to find out! Vietnam is really a beautiful country! Although the pace of the race has really picked up, I hope the teams are taking the time to appreciate their surroundings. If you haven’t already done so, click on over and read Jenn’s recap (go ahead, I’ll wait…). All done? Good. Now, it’s time for some awards! I had a bit of difficulty deciding who earned this week’s First Class award. I didn’t think any one team really excelled throughout the whole leg and considered not awarding First Class at all. However, upon further reflection I decided that David & Mary deserved this week’s First Class award. Mary’s ankle is apparently causing her a lot of pain, and though it did slow the team down a few times on this leg, she did not let it discourage her. She kept going, taking advantage of the chances to rest whenever she could, while at the same time remaining very much in the race and every bit an equal partner. When David was climbing the wall during the Roadblock, Mary offered encouragement and repeatedly told him how proud she was of him. They exited the Roadblock in second place and really weren’t in danger again on the leg. When their initial choice for the Detour task proved to be too difficult to reach, Mary & David made the very wise decision to switch tasks. They worked very quickly and finished the Detour without trouble. This allowed them to pull themselves up two spots and finish in a very solid fifth place. Order of finish is starting to become more important as the number of teams winds down, and any opportunity a team has to finish closer to the top is a huge bonus. David & Mary are now solidly in the middle of the pack as the next leg begins, and if they can continue to perform well they have a very realistic shot at being serious contenders. One last note about David & Mary. They are probably more out of their element than any other team on the race. They are admittedly meeting people and seeing places they never dreamed they would. They are doing it with class and kindness, and I for one feel that they are getting everything they can out of their race experience. Mary & David have shown a real appreciation for every place they have visited so far, all while keeping the purpose of the race in mind. So, David & Mary, head on in and settle down in the comfy leather chairs. Get a heating pad for Mary’s ankle, relax, and enjoy the in-flight movie. You’ve earned it! Cargo Class this week was more clear cut. Tom & Terry started the leg in last place but were equalized when all the teams had to wait until morning for the bus to Ha Long Bay. Terry had a bit of trouble with the Roadblock, but once he got going he finished up towards the front of the pack. That’s when the bottom dropped out for Terry & Tom. Unlike many of the other teams, they chose to do Under for their Detour task from the start, even announcing how skilled they were at rowing. Not so much. They wasted so much time getting to the Detour task, but to be fair, they were not alone in their difficulties. Many teams had trouble with the currents, which is what caused some to switch tasks. Rowing problems aside, once they arrived at the Detour task, Tom & Terry began working at it as if they had all the time in the world. Did they forget they were on The Amazing RACE? They pulled the oyster baskets in so slowly it was like watching paint dry. Teams were moving MUCH faster than they were, which they should have been aware of, yet they continued at their leisurely pace. When they finally did complete the Detour, they once again had rowing problems, which led to incessant whining. Then, for some inexplicable reason, on their way back to the junk to head to the Pit Stop, Tom decided to PULL the sampan through the water. I’m sorry, but where was the logic in that move? Clearly there was none. Tom & Terry narrowly avoided Philimination last week but this week found themselves on the mat in last place. They knew they were in last place, yet they didn’t even try to load up on clothing in case it was a non-Philimination leg. I know, I know, you’re sitting there saying “The non-Philmination legs NEVER come this early.” Remember Bilal and Sa’eed? Have we ever had a team Philiminated in the middle of a leg before? They’re changing things up this season, and it was not out of the realm of possibility that Tom & Terry would survive to race another week despite their last place finish. So, Tom & Terry, for failing to take advantage of an equalizer, for performing badly, and for whining along the way, you’ll be riding in Cargo Class. I hope you have some warm blankets because I hear it gets cold down there.

The Amazing Race 10: Thinking Smart in Episode 4 by Jeffrey Clinard -- 10/11/2006 Is it thinking smart? Or is it rowing smart? The latest leg of the race was physical in nature, though some teams lost position by violating thinking smart tips. Dustin & Kandice broke two of them and were lucky to not be eliminated. Who made the most of the leg, who had bad luck, and which teams were thinking smart? This was quite a difficult leg, with problems coming in the form of audible clues and physical challenges. However, another form of challenge emerged with teammates having annoying partners when they were trying to do something. Peter is especially guilty, as he did nothing but cheerleading for Sarah (including when she was trying to listen to directions), then turned around and snapped at her when she did the same thing. Actually, I was kind of disappointed that teams who did the smart thing by getting a local to learn the audio clue (and possibly writing it down in the native language) gained no advantage over the other teams. I figured they'd all bunch up at the hydrofoil, but instead they bunched up at the bus station. Any team that had problems with the clue would have easily been able to follow another team. It was another point where it might have been better to race in a pack with a few allies so nobody got totally lost. Overall, I liked the audio clue, though it didn't end up shuffling positions of any team. Teams also had to pick up their dong from a local at a table. That was a nice idea, but I'd have liked a trap where the teams would have been shortchanged if they didn't check it before leaving. It's called taking care of your possessions, and it's a thinking smart tip. Taking care of your clue falls in that category, and Dustin & Kandice blew that one. I think teams should pack zip lock baggies to keep their current clue in – nice and dry instead of the soggy mess the beauty queens ended up with. The Roadblock was one where the strongest team member should have participated, though with four gone, some teams are starting to be unbalanced in the number done by each team member. The Detour had a choice of “Under” or “Over,” which was largely dictated by the wind. It was simply easier to row with the current to the oyster traps. Only Lyn & Karlyn did the “Over” option, but they didn't seem to gain or lose position through that option choice. It was quite a physical leg, and one where thinking smart did not come into play very often. Indeed, the most important ability in the leg was the ability to row a boat. Teams were better off if one person did the rowing. Still, what moves were the teams making in the leg that resulted in their overall positions? Who was thinking smart in Episode 4? Rob & Kimberly: The bickering couple stalled out quite a bit in the early part of the leg, having the most difficult time getting their cab driver to take them to the correct spot. If that clue had been at the end of the leg, they would have lost. However, once to the bus station, they bottlenecked with the others and really made the most of their early jump to the Roadblock. By being one of the first three teams there, Rob was in the first group of climbers, and was the speediest. That allowed them to get a further jump on the Detour. Plus, even when they didn't know what a junk was, they were smart enough to look for the yellow and white flags to guide them (race historians will remember that the flags are yellow and white in Vietnam to avoid confusion with their national face of yellow and red). Overall, it translated to a first place finish. Peter & Sarah: I'll say this much of their racing – they are doing a great job at the tasks. Speed in completing them has given this team the edge. Also, Peter knew what he was doing when rowing the boat. This allowed them to pass several teams who had problems moving their boats. Overall they had a good leg, despite Peter's unwanted cheerleading of Sarah, who also performed unwanted cheerleading on him. Tyler & James: The recovering addicts turned in another strong leg, though they often seem to have no luck. They did refuse to help Lyn & Karlyn in the cave, though they probably should have; Lyn & Karlyn are not looking like strong competition at this point in the race. They might have had an better position if their boat driver had remembered to pull up the anchor before they set sail to the pit stop. Still, they are making the most of their physical abilities and doing very well in the race. Erwin & Godwin: The brothers had a middle position in this leg, which reflects their own ability to row a boat. They passed several teams with poor rowing abilities, but were passed by several other teams. Overall it balanced out, and left them in a pretty good position at the end of the leg. David & Mary: This team had a strong start out of the gate, but ended up falling behind because of poor rowing abilities. It cost them several positions as teams which started out behind them gained several places. They did most of the other things correctly, but are not looking good at this time. Lyn & Karlyn: The only team to do the “Over” option did not perform well in the leg, possibly because there was more rowing involved in that option. At times it seemed they did well, with one person at a time rowing, but when going back to the junk they were both trying, and it didn't work as well. They are still the in race, but are not looking good after four legs. Dustin & Kandice: The beauty queens were behind for much of the leg, and all things being equal they should have lost the race. Losing the clue (in this case, through getting it shredded) is a major thinking smart tip violation, as it led to the violation of the number one thinking smart tip of following the instructions. They wasted valuable time trying to find the pit stop by rowboat. I'm not sure what tipped them to the idea of returning to the junk (perhaps they noticed another team's junk speeding towards the Pit Stop), but they were lucky not to be eliminated. They'll have to do a lot better if they want to be the first all-female team to win. Tom & Terry: What went wrong? A complete failure in their ability to row, either separately or together. More than anything else, this sent them from a mostly second place position in the leg to dead last. I'll give them credit for using a creative approach to getting their rowboat back to their junk, but by then it wasn't enough to save them.

The Amazing Race 10, Episode 4 Insider: Brother Can You Spare Some Dong? by Heathyr Fields Ford -- 10/13/2006 It was another action-packed week on The Amazing Race 10, but as always, CBS has more for us than what we saw on this week’s episode. Fortunately, Heathyr’s here to bring us all the details. First of all, hats off to CBS for providing me with two of the best thoughts ever, one from Survivor and one from The Amazing Race: “What do boobies taste like?” “Collect dong from a man at a table.” Seriously. I’m seriously supposed to look at these circumstances and not live in the gutter? Riiight. Alright, so we’ll jump into the clips and all the other things I wrote before I watched the clips will get inserted at will throughout. Ready? I thought not, but come along anyway! Maybe It’s Because You’re an Asshat? Peter & Sarah discuss why “Alabama” (Lyn & Karlyn) might not like them. Sarah says Karlyn isn’t that friendly, and she will not acknowledge Sarah even when Sarah’s trying to be nice. Sarah does not need that energy, she proclaims, as she knows plenty of good people. Peter is actually obviously listening during this clue (quelle surprise) but he still gazes aimlessly around until he can interject and wax rhapsodic about how many handicapped people he and Sarah work with daily. Sarah looks down. I can’t tell if it’s just random or if it’s because he’s bringing up the handicap thing again. However, she pipes up about it too, saying that Karlyn might just be upset because a tiny, blonde, one-legged thing beat her at the Forbidden City run. She rightly points out that at the end of the day; she still has to hop to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Peter interjects that they are only nice if they want something from someone. I think he’s wrong here. They seem nice enough to the others, but there is a major chip about Peter & Sarah. Lyn & Karlyn on Peter & Sarah: Well, this is Lyn & Karlyn’s time to rant about them. Karlyn, I think, rants about how Sarah seems to not want to be treated like she has a handicap, how she runs all these races and so on, but then still uses the handicap woe to get advantages on the race. How is this different than women using sex appeal? Or men flirting with local ladies? Or Rob (of Romber) bribing locals? The only difference is that it is more awkward for you to know how to deal with. Plus, she truly does have a handicap, ladies, and like she said in her clip, at the end of the day, she has to hop to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Trust me, any perceived advantage (preboarding, whatever) pales in comparison to what disadvantages she has. However, when it comes to the treatment thing, I agree with Alabama. Utilize the handicap to your advantage when you can, but realize that it’s incongruous to just want to be treated as a person when you’re shoving the handicap in people’s faces. Hey, if it works for a million, more power to you as long as you accept the consequences. We pause now for my rant on Peter: Rants on Peter, Peter, The Cripple Eater Peter likes appearances, namely his appearance and how he looks to the world: “Look at me; I’m the great guy who motivates and assists all these handicapped people to go beyond their handicap. I’m really a shallow bastard, but you won’t dare think that because I work with crips, I mean physically challenged people, and that makes me have a heart of gold. Hot women everywhere should love me. If they won’t, I guess I’ll be stuck with the one-legged wonder. If I were less shallow, I’d realize she’s gorgeous and awesome, but in my reality, she’s just a conduit to more adoration by people as they fawn over how great I am to be with someone with such a handicap. Hey wait, where are you going? I’m not done talking about me yet!” I find it ironic that he throws out nauseating encouragement (“You’re all-American!” to the sound of nationwide gagging), but gets totally bent when she does the same to him. She seems to enjoy his normal encouragement (whereas I would rip his larynx out with my bare hands then beat him over the head with my prosthetic until his lobotomy was complete). What she doesn’t appear to like are his “Handicap Reminder Moments.” Things like “whip out the handicap placard to move ahead in line” make her face go a bit empty and sad. That he can’t get it shows again how completely and utterly self-centered and jackassy he is. She also appears to dislike his “Cruelty to Other Racers” suggestions, such as spitting on Tyler or something. Peter is like the dorky dude who never could get along with other men and creeped out women just enough he could have friends, but never be more than the cute lap dog they tolerated, when he wanted to be the outstanding stud they rode like Catherine the Great meets The Black Stallion. He makes those inappropriate jokes thinking others will find him cool and amusing, and they really just find him pathetic. It’s doubly pathetic, of course, as his partner struggles (ON ONE LEG) to climb an effing rockface! I haven’t even touched on my irritation with how checked-out he is when Sarah talks. I wanted to beat him senseless when she’s attempting to vocalize how it irks her that he wants to quit, but she climbed an effing rockface and didn’t want to quit. He just looked sort of snarky and disengaged, and not at all apologetic. Hell, he didn’t even look like he understood. Jackass. I’d rather watch Jonathan & Victoria. At least Sarah is noticing his idiocy rather than just burying it and putting up with it. Mary’s Ankle & Her Darker Side: Mary’s ankle hurts while on the junk, so David goes to get her some ice for it. The guys won’t give him any ice, so he comes back empty-handed. She starts to wind it back up in the ace bandage, but he tells her she’s doing it wrong. She gets totally bent and snippy and turns away from him. She tells him to not touch her and there is more muttering about not talking to each other from both sides. He sits and pouts out the window. Ding Dong the Joke’s Gone: Tyler & James sit in the back of the cab on the way to the square after receiving their wad of dong and make jokes about their wad of dong. It’s totally amusing, but the cab driver looks annoyed. I can’t say as I blame him, but I truly amused myself anyway. Here are the highlights: “Are you going to put all that dong right there?” “I’ve got your dong.” “That’s a big roll of dong.” “I’ve got to see how much dong you’ve got.” “You can see my dong.” “Don’t be jockin’ my dong.” Yes, as they quip at the end: “Dong jokes never get old.” Unless you’re the cab driver wondering why two idiot Americans are making fun of your money. James Gives Up the Dong: Dong talk aside, James gets a bit serious on the junk. Oh god. Junk and dong in the same thought. I. Won’t. Go. There. James percolates positivity like a beauty queen as he attempts to get Tyler to accept that nothing in the past can change, and they won’t be eliminated, so be happy. He claims it lowers the morale if you don’t try to get fired up. Dude, it also lowers the morale if you just want a few moments to get over bitchiness and someone is trying to shove apple pie in the sky, cockeyed optimist BS in your face. Trust me, I know. Nothing pisses me off more when I’m sort of mad than someone saying “be happy.” Fortunately, Tyler is not me. He doesn’t push James overboard. Cut to James going on about how far they’ve come in live and overcome their drug addiction, etc. He’s more “stay in the moment and be positive” than Tyler is. Tyler asks if James is ragging on him. No dude, but let’s have fun, dude. Does No One Get Out Any More? We start with a brief clip of Tyler & James coming over in the oyster farm to give Mary & David some gloves. They toss them in the boat and tell Mary (who has her back to them) where they landed and explain that she shouldn’t cut up her hands. It’s very genuine and very sweet. Cut to Mary & David post-race and Mary’s wide-eyed surprise that the “front pack” teams are nice to them too. She says all the teams seem to help them extra, and it’s so sweet. David says no one has ever seen country people before. God, that’s sad. I mean really, I’ve lived in small towns, large cities, suburbs, etc., and I exposed myself to all sorts of cultures (not in that way, thank you very much). Are all these people this egocentric that they’ve never met anyone similar to Mary & David? Wow. Anyway, David goes on to claim that Mary’s bluntness blows them away. He says everything comes down to the fact that at the end of the race, they’ll all walk away united as one sort of team, ya know, the TAR10 team. He doesn’t say it quite this succinctly, but that’s what he means. I think. Mary beams about her new friends the beauty queens, and the other back packers, and David interjects they even met gay people, and goddamn it, they’re so genuine that I can’t even make fun of them! She says the race did that, made her meet all these great people she’ll take with her for life. Rob Proves He’s An Ass Too: Rob & Kimberly are rowing at the oyster farm and Terry & Tom are having issues too. Rob snaps at Kimberly for watching them. She tells them not to bother with the gloves and almost loses her head as Rob snarls not to talk to them. He calls out something like “we have to keep going, dude” but it’s a bit snarkier than that. I understand the concept, but there’s really no need for this level of rudeness. It’s not like she’s giving away the secret that will cause them to lose the million dollars. She again calls out to offer the advice of going against the current, and again, he snarls at her to shut up. And now my Rob interjection: Random thoughts for Rob Rob, when you are in another country, you are the foreigner, not them. Thus, “not speaking with any more foreigners” means you will stop talking to your fellow racers. Rob, when you are in any country, bullying and yelling at cab drivers is only going to lead to bad news. Be thankful he didn’t ditch you in their equivalent of south Chicago or something. Rob, when are with a partner, yelling is never... Oh forget it. Your partner is just as bad. I’m done defending you against her insanity, because you’ve proven yourself just as bad now. You deserve each other. Carry on. Once, Twice, Three Times a Taxi: Rob & Kimberly interview that they are in their third taxi. She states the first one was slow; the second one was probably drunk, so hopefully this one will work. Rob looks exceedingly frustrated, and I think we know how well he handled it. Not. He does admit that a fault he is working on is being better able to handle things that are out of his control. You mean like not yelling and bitching? Good luck with that. How Sick Is This? Godwin is on the back of the junk raving about the day. He wishes his friends could be there, because watching it on TV won’t be the same. How many people get to go caving, rappel a 90-foot rock, and go to an oyster farm all in one day, he wonders. Not many, dude. Not many. He calls Erwin over and asks “how sick is this?” and Erwin agrees it’s incredible. Godwin asks “who gets to do this?” and they say in unison “we do.” Most Mild Fight Ever: I’d be here all night if I transcribed this four-minute gem. However, it’s Erwin and Godwin discussing very rationally how they are each feeling because Godwin was getting a bit upset apparently. They explain feelings, validate situations, accept responsibility and act so mature it’s almost disgusting and sacrilegious from a reality show contestant! Godwin drags it out a bit much, but I think that’s because he has more estrogen then Erwin, despite the shorter hair and buff arms. Tom & Terry Kick Back: On the way to the tasks, Tom & Terry kick back on the junk and hold a drink in their hand. Note the lack of dong, junk, and T&T jokes, okay? I am showing great restraint here, people. Anyway, they say this is the life, and they are so adorable I want to take them home with me. Tom excitedly waves and calls out to every junk that goes by and gets all excited when one of them had Americans on it. Terry finally wants out of the sun, which is a smart move. Tom & Terry Know It’s Over: They’re back on the junk, but this time it’s after all the tasks, and they appear to know they don’t stand a chance of getting anything other than last place. They are so obviously physically and emotionally drained it’s not even funny. Tom cries. Terry talks about how much they bonded with the other back packers. He touches Tom’s hand and says how proud he is of him. They have cuts, sunburns, nicks, and bruises and they were out in the sun about eight hours, he thinks, and it was rough. They decide to learn to row a boat in Central Park. Cut to them relaxing up on the deck, commenting that this is how they started the junk, so they’ll end that way. They look a bit more recovered and hydrated. They say in life you have to get rid of the negative and persevere. They are glad they finished. Tom & Terry’s Parting Words: Terry says they accomplished their mission, to have fun every day. Tom agrees, and says he knows he snapped sometimes, like today. Terry is going to miss the other back packers. Tom will miss the travel and the competition and the back packers. Terry won’t miss no sleep and can’t wait to find a nice pillow. Amen, brother. The Real Troublemakers: Team Zoolander knight Peter the real reason there is dissension in the teams. They say the division on the teams (front and back packers) is fueled by Peter’s mouth. He does and says things that aren’t nice and stabs in the back. They are surprised there is so much tension so early on. I’m not. We saw Bilal & Sa’eed out practically randomly, and the tasks have all kicked butt and any one could lose at this point, so you have to stay on top of it. Rob & Kimberly Argue: Yeah, so what else is new? This is post-race as they discuss how intense they are. He claims to be intense and that he gets revved up. Ya think? He says it happens more and more in the last four or five months since they’ve lived together. Heh. That explains SO much. He says they’ve had this conversation lots of times, and starts to say something else but loses his train of thought, looks at her and asks why she’s jabbing his leg. She claims innocence, and we don’t see their legs, so we don’t know. She says it’s not a flaw of hers, he’s just too intense. He tries to make the point that she sets him off sometimes and could help that, but she tells him to shut up, basically, and keeps talking. She is calm, but there’s tension seething below the surface of these two. It’s like, if there weren’t cameras there right now, she’d go into full-on bitch mode and the fight would be on. BFF: Yes, I hate myself a little for using that acronym. Dustin & Kandice talk about how great the other is and how they are best friends. It really is sweet, and so far, they don’t bug all that much. This episode they were a bit too ditzy. It’s keeping them in the back, and they’ll be eliminated soon if they don’t watch it. Shredding the clues? Dumbass move. Whining about “no blame game”? Idiotic. Just accept fault when it’s yours and move on. Nothing wrong with taking a bit of responsibility for your actions. Minor things though. For beauty queens, they’re not half bad!

The Amazing Race 10: The Finish Line, Episode 4 by Teeuwynn Woodruff -- 10/13/2006 Welcome back to The Finish Line! This week Peggy Bunker is joined by guest host Oswald Mendez (Danny & Oswald) from The Amazing Race 2 to talk about Vietnam, rowboats, and the most recently Philiminated team – Tom & Terry. Peggy greets Oswald and welcomes him to The Finish Line. She also promises that we’ll see Tom & Terry in the studio this week, but I no longer believe such flippant words when they come out of Peggy’s mouth. We’ll see… Oswald says that he’s recently had an opportunity to go back and revisit some of the places he saw on his season – which has been great. Peggy asks Oswald what he thinks of this season’s racers so far. Oswald says there are some characters, of course. He says he likes the moms (Lyn & Karlyn) and is rooting for them. Peggy notes that Jon Weiss, our intrepid clown, ringleader, racer, and co-host, is in Lake Placid this week. He’s probably doing important circus stuff, but maybe he’s learning how to luge or searching for evidence of the existence of sea monsters. Who knows? In any event, Peggy takes us straight to Jon’s weekly Ringmaster Recap of the latest episode. Jon’s getting a wee bit less stiff with these bits, but he still needs a lot of work on his delivery. And the ringmaster music is too loud. Pffft. After the Ringmaster Recap we find that – gasp – Tom & Terry ARE actually in the studio!! Yay!! I guess they live in New York, so it wasn’t too expensive to get them to the studio. Peggy asks how it was to watch the episode last night. Tom was hoping it would be a non-elimination leg and they’d get another chance, but it didn’t happen. Terry says it was bittersweet to see. He says it’s hard because you don’t really get to say goodbye to the other teams. Peggy says Tom & Terry put in a great showing and Oswald thinks they were elegant and gentlemen, especially under the stress. He commends them. Peggy notes that she and Tom know each other and that both guys are very funny and entertaining. Terry says they had great fun with everyone. He then says that they actually got to sleep with the cheerleaders – before James & Tyler! Everyone laughs. Apparently, they shared a bunk on the train to Mongolia. James & Tyler were apparently jealous about it. Hah! Tom says that they had fun with all of the teams. Terry notes “go figure?” they really bonded with the Coalminers, Dave & Mary. They never expected that, but they were so great. They loved them! Peggy notes how sweet it was of Mary to wait for them at the Pit Stop last episode. Tom notes they made a terrible mistake thinking not riding the bikes was only in the countryside. Peggy now turns to the boats in the most recent episode. She says that steering the boat looked awful. Terry says that they didn’t show Tom & Terry’s boat flooding when they were neck and neck with the Beauty Queens. Apparently, that took a lot of time. They were actually in the water rowing for over seven-and-a-half hours. Yikes! They spent forty-five minutes one way going to the wrong place and then the wind was bad. It was brutal. Peggy now has the poor guys relive their torture and we get a clip of Tom & Terry struggling with their boat and total exhaustion, and Tom’s pulling the boat. The clip ends with their Philimination and reaction to it. They’re so sweet with each other! Awwww! Oswald said he cried when he watched them get Philiminated. Terry says they did too! Oswald notes that he was drunk when he watched his elimination. He asks if they were drunk while they watched it, but Tom & Terry say they weren’t. Terry says the sad thing is, he grew up in the Finger Lakes area and knew how to row, but the oars were very different than the ones they used back home. The oars were much longer and had spears on the end and they kept getting caught up on the ropes. Peggy notes that Tom was very studly jumping in the water and pulling the boat. Everyone agrees. It’s now time for our first caller of the week, our old friend Jamison from Massachusetts. He asks how long it took Tom to shoot the arrow at the target the other week. He says it looked frustrating for him. Tom says he actually hit that target on his fifth arrow! When he arrived he thought he would be there forever, but he got very lucky. He watched Lauren do it and then just got lucky. Peggy asks what Tom & Terry learned from each other on the race. Terry says he learned a negative and a positive about Tom on the race – but the positive was thankfully much stronger. He says the negative was that Tom got very, very ruffled when another team was there. But the positive was that Tom was never going to give up and always tried to stay upright. Tom agrees that he got stressed by other teams. They did much better when they were by themselves on the race. Oswald said that he and Danny would try to do the Detour option where no one else was, because having another team try to one up you was tough. Terry says he thought it was easier when you could follow other teams. Since they didn’t see Rob & Kimberly get to the water they had to lead the pack to the oyster farm and they found that stressful. Oswald agrees about the stress. Peggy notes that Team Cha Cha Cha (Danny & Oswald) did well on their race, finishing fourth. Oswald says he has no idea how they did that. Peggy now asks about what Tom & Terry thought about the lovely country of Vietnam. Tom notes that he has traveled a lot for his work, but never there. His first thought was of his father who served in the Vietnam War and of his brother who was born while his father was in Vietnam. He wished that they would have had more time to appreciate the history and country. Oswald says he thinks it’s really therapeutic to go back to the spots on the race and really appreciate the history and the culture of the place. Terry says that what he noticed was the heat! It was hot, hot, hot, and he’s not a heat person. But the people there were so nice. Even the poorest people were fantastically nice to them. Oswald comments that racers need to remember not to call people in their own countries “foreigners.” Good point. Peggy says that Rob did indeed do that and he’ll be in the hot seat when he shows up on The Finish Line! Oswald thought it was very rude and he wants to personally call him on it. Peggy thought it was impressive that Tom & Terry took a moment in front of John McCain’s flight suit at the Hanoi Hilton. Terry says that they really wanted to do the race with dignity and he thinks they even ended the race with dignity. Oswald, Peggy, and I all agree they did. Peggy asks if there’s anything they would have done differently if they could. Tom says he would have jumped in the water about four hours earlier than he did since rowing was so impossible. Terry says he wouldn’t have obsessed about the rules so much, but he was paranoid after their previous penalty. Oswald shrewdly asks if there was anything in the rules about having to row themselves. They say there wasn’t. Oswald notes they could have tried to get one of the guys on the junk to row for them. Good thinking, Oswald! Terry says they never thought of that. Laurie from Ohio now calls in and says, “Hey Tom, celebrate good times!” It turns out they were in a show choir together at the University of Dayton. They chat a bit about old times and Laurie says his old castmates have been cheering them on. Laurie says she wanted to see Tom & Terry burst into song with the Cheerleaders. She asks how much they really worked with other teams on the race. Terry says that “the Backpack Alliance” formed pretty early on. He says they would have done pretty much anything for the other teams in that alliance. That’s why they helped the Cho Brothers and let them follow their taxi. Laurie says she’s so happy to see he’s still the same sweet, fun person. After some chatting about how tough the race is we turn to a clip of what Peggy calls “the scariest moment of the week.” The clip shows the teams scaling the cliffs. It’s not really that scary, but it does look tough. When we return, the guys aren’t paying any attention to the clip. Heh. Terry says that it was all vertical crunches going up that wall. It was tough. Peggy asks how much weight they lost. Tom says they tried not to spend money on food, so they tried to eat airplane food and other cheap food. Terry says the only food they had the last two legs was a loaf of bread and some water! Andrew from Connecticut now calls in and asks about the visa and medical requirements for the countries they went to on the race. He wants to know whether they knew where they were going in advance. Oswald notes that you submit your passport to the producers in advance and they clear you and get visas. Terry says that the production crew handles a lot of the customs details, but sometimes you do have to wait. Tom says that everyone has to clear customs and wait for their crew to clear customs, but he doesn’t think anyone will win or lose the race on that. Now Sabrina from New York calls in. Tom & Terry say “Hi Sabrina!” in unison. Apparently, they know her. Sabrina asks what Terry learned about Tom on the race and will take with him in their relationship. Terry says that it affirmed to him that Tom has a real heart and is full of laughter. Peggy notes that Tom was also a stud for pulling the boat. Juan from California asks Tom & Terry about factoring in nutrition and fatigue on the race. He wonders how they go for such long stretches without real food. Tom says it is really tough and takes its toll. You just have to dig deep and do it. Tom says they could have spent more money on food during the legs, but decided not to do so. Tom says he can’t believe he made it without caffeine! Terry says only they and one other team didn’t bring any food with them of any type. Oswald notes between the food and sleep deprivation you have to run on adrenaline. Peggy says that there was some serious aggression coming out last night. Tom says, “Wasn’t that great?” Peggy agrees that she loves it. When she notes that Rob got testy everyone says, “surprise” in a not very surprised way. They also note that Peter & Sarah are getting testy and that she’s about to cut him loose. Tom says that, of all the couples on the race, they really managed to not fight and scream at each other. They’ve only known each other for two and a half years and they think they really did well with that. Terry says that Rob & Kimberly fought a lot on the race. Peter also fought with Sarah a lot. But they loved Mary’s bickering with David – it was all about love. Peggy says that all the Southern teams sound sweet, even when they’re arguing. It still sounds nice. Peggy now takes us to a clip of Rob & Kimberly arguing again in the taxi as Kimberly begs Rob not to freak out over and over. Rob insults the cab driver and says, “Dude! I don’t speak your language, Dude!” As if the driver’s the one not speaking the local language. Taxis have to be stressful on the race, but as Oswald notes, yelling at the cabbie doesn’t help anything. If you need to, stop and get another cab. Tom says that it is so stressful that it’s hard to keep your cool. Terry says that “Dude” and “Babe” might be a universal language, anyway! Tom & Terry say they called Rob & Kimberly “Bridge Over Troubled Water” from the beginning. Tom says they were always arguing whenever they were nearby. Terry says that he always got confused and called them Rob & Amber. Tom notes that they did do well this episode, coming in first. So, they’re doing alright despite the arguing. Michael, Terry’s brother, now calls in. He sounds just like Terry! Michael says he thought they did great and that his brother exceeded his expectations. He didn’t think Terry would go as far as they did in the race. He was pleasantly surprised. Sort of a backhanded compliment, Michael. Michael also wants to know what they’ll do differently the next time they’re on the race. Terry says he’s going to practice rowing. Tom jumps in and tells the producers that they would LOVE to do an All-Stars version of the race! I’d love to see an All-Stars version too, but I don’t think Tom & Terry would make the cut – sweet as they are. Peggy asks Oswald if he had a lot of friends who watched the race. Oswald says his mother wouldn’t watch much because she was so stressed about him getting hurt. Oswald had to tape most of the episodes, because he tended to be drunk when he first watched them. Jon Weiss now calls in. He tells Tom & Terry that they did great and he’s sorry he’s not there to meet them. The race forces you to do things you don’t think you’re capable of, and they did them! Jon says he’s in Lake Placid, but avoids questions about why he’s there. Hmmmm… Terry says, “God willing,” maybe they’ll meet in an All-Stars edition! Oswald tells Tom & Terry they should be incredibly proud of what they did. They were gutsy, elegant and dignified. It’s now time for Tom & Terry to send their post-race Postcard. Terry thanks their family and friends for their support as well as the producers for giving them a chance to do the race. He also says, again, that they would love to do All-Stars! They’re rooting on the Cho Brothers, Dave & Mary, and ‘Bama! They give a shout out to the Cheerleaders too. Tom thanks friends and family and everyone for believing in him. He ends by thanking his partner, Terry, and that the race reaffirmed that they were meant for each other. Peggy thanks Tom & Terry for being on The Finish Line with them. Now, they turn to discussing the teams remaining on the race. Oswald says he’s hating on one team – Rob & Kimberly – because of Rob’s nasty attitude. Oswald’s still rooting for Lyn & Karlyn. Oswald and Peggy agree that David & Mary are a great couple and are sweet when they bicker. Turning to Peter & Sarah, Oswald says he thinks that relationship is OVER and if Sarah doesn’t dump Peter, Oswald will do it for her. Peggy now asks about “the hotties,” Tyler & James. Oswald’s a bit disappointed by them. He’s not impressed. They’re just going along and not doing anything amazing. Peggy also thinks they’ve been a bit boring so far. She wants more personality. Oswald takes this opportunity to hit on the guys through the internet – in a joking way. After a clip about next week’s episode showing Peter & Sarah having more issues, Peggy and Oswald wrap it up. Peggy promises that eliminated teams will be on the set from now on. Maybe it’ll really be true! Last week, most readers thought Tyler & James would win the leg and Tom & Terry would get Philiminated. You guys were wrong about the former and right about the latter! Now, send me your predictions for next week. Who’s going to win the leg? Who’s going to come in last? And will anyone be Philiminated?