Episode 7 Insider Clips – Memorable Moments
The Amazing Race: All-Stars, Episode 7 Insider Clips – Memorable Moments by Heathyr Fields Ford -- 04/06/2007 After visiting a concentration camp, a number of the teams take time to think about the many who died there. But these are not the only memorable moments that came out of the two-hour episode this week. Read on to find out about more of them! Sadly, I am so far behind due to various reasons (ennui, illness, Charter crashing central Washington’s internet), that I am going to rush through these clips so I can get them off to the amazing editors who put up with me and my foibles! Next week should be less insane, I promise! Elimination Station Ian is sad not to be in the race, but finds everyone at the kickoff house nice. Rob says it’s the alcohol talking. The group is getting a phone call from the eliminated team. They’re all focusing, or saying they’re going to. This three-minute clip would go a lot faster if it didn’t stop to “communicate” with itself every twenty seconds. Must be some of Charter’s residual screwed-up crap. The phone rings, Ian answers, and it’s the Guidos. Ian says they are very sad to hear them calling. Joe & Bill are sad to be calling, but miss Teri & Ian. Jill says she wasn’t surprised at all, knowing how far behind they were. Bill wants Charla & Mirna or Uchenna & Joyce to win. Mary says, “guys, that’s why you lost then!” and they laugh. They say they did their best, sorry couldn’t do better for Season One. Kevin & Drew say it’s a shame they couldn’t come to the house and chat about Season One, but they’re so close to the finish line, they’re just going there. They say goodbyes and love-yous. Back to the house talking, they’re not surprised but upset, and were surprised with how upbeat they were. Amber figures they were prepared 24 hours before it happened because of how far behind they were. Rob says whoever wins is going to win, and they tell him it’s okay to hope. He agrees, but I think part of it is just figuring it won’t matter for them to sit here and say, “oh, I hope so and so will win.” He then quips, “look at what hope got us!” when someone points out they had hoped Rob & Amber would go farther. Pit Stop Cam Must these commercials be like twice the volume of the clips? My ears ache! Dustin & Kandice Have an Elevator Adventure: They’re all walking in to some building. Apparently they’re going to a mine shaft 400 feet underground. Teams are directed to elevators and we see Dustin & Kandice get in one alone. Dustin’s all like “watch it free fall” and it goes dark and starts to fall some, and they’re all amazed. Dustin has never heard of a restaurant being underground, and jokes that a big two-foot sausage sounds good right now. Kandice doesn’t look like she’ll want sausage for a while. Dustin agrees that she’ll probably never want one again, and she wishes it had been like two feet of chocolate and cured that addiction for life. Heh. A person shares that it’s a big reception room they’re going to, 400 feet down, the last level visitors can see. She takes them to the food. The tour guide tells them they can taste the walls of the mine. I’m thinking I missed where they said it was a salt mine. The chandeliers are decorated with salt crystals, so yep, salt mine. The chamber is really cool, so go look at this clip about 3:45 in, because it’s carved from the mine and looks awesome. Eric climbs on Uchenna’s shoulders and licks the wall and says it’s salty. Danny finds it amusing that a neurotic son-of-a-bitch licked that wall. Eric laughs. Everyone’s sitting at the table chatting, drinking apple sauce, and getting served. Uchenna’s all pontificating about how far below the ground they are and how they’ll never experience this moment with anyone else. Then he toasts to the final five. They toast to Zanzibar. Uchenna jokes they’ve escaped from Africa, and Oswald says it gives a new meaning to out of Africa. I had a farm in Africa. Oops, sorry, wrong book. And we head into a brief tour as they walk to the exit. There’s a chapel. The longest fire in the salt mine fireplace is eight months. You cannot put a fire out with water because it dissolves salt. She says a lot of people have died here, but that was a long time ago. The floor is salt. Many minerals and micro-elements, grey salt is much healthier than grey salt. I like the tour guide; she’s spunky. First Hour Mat Chats Dustin & Kandice: Fourth to first, our first first. It feels really good! They say the flight got them there. Phil comments what a difference the flights made this race. Phil says they look healthier than they did in the beginning except their shoes are dirtier. In other words, they don’t look totally drained. Dustin’s happy about going to the spa (their prize). Kandice thinks the other teams will feel the Blondies are back on the board. Dustin says this is when they started showing up in their last season (but she said this about three legs ago too). Phil wants to know why they’ll win this time. Kandice says take no prisoners. They both think it’s possible to be first all-girl team to win, but they need to focus and be consistent. Dustin says Kandice is so positive and that helps her. Dustin is a fighter, a tough girl, explains Kandice, so she’s wonderful to be around. They hug. Phil asks if there’s any manspotting going on. They say the men can’t understand them, so they ask the greeter, and he says a little bit, so he’s become their spotted man. Oswald & Danny: Phil asks if they’ll go shopping at some point for old time’s sake. Danny asks Phil for money. Oswald says last time was a bit of a holiday sprint, but once they win, Phil can follow them with cameras to shop. Danny asks for a show from Phil, and they’ll show you how to shop. Owsald does say they still will relax and be focused and enjoy every minute of it. They got a cabby who didn’t speak English, so they called his wife or something who spoke English, and they chatted that way with the cabby. Phil jokes about Danny’s white teeth, and he has whitener. Phil is amazed. It’s adorable. Seriously, seriously adorable. Danny is glad that Florida is large enough that he never has to see Teri & Ian again. Now that Ian does know that he was wrong, I hope these four can patch things up! Uchenna & Joyce: At the mat, they talk about how they don’t know where other teams are. Phil says they’re super behind. Uchenna is amazed. They chat about how hard it was to get out of Africa. Uchenna & Joyce share some drama about their flights in Frankfurt. Uchenna preaches impassionedly about how beautiful it is and how they want to stay in it. He asks the greeter to teach him Polish, and they learn how to say “thank you” and they go to walk in the park. Charla & Mirna: Mirna is weepy as she explains she has the strength of one hundred men in her small body, but it’s a disheartening feeling all day. She explains that at age two, their parents took them from Middle East to America for a better life. She whines about how horrible this country was to them and people ignored their pleas for help. She doesn’t know what they did to deserve that. She says only a 15-year-old girl helped them. She expects more help and figures it’s because they look different. She says her culture embraces people, laughs, lives, and it’s very different way of life. She cannot imagine why people do not want to embrace them. It breaks her human spirit. The physical stuff isn’t a big deal. She feels terrible that they do not speak the language, but she still doesn’t know why they don’t want to interact with her. Perhaps they have crazy radar the way some of us have gaydar? Phil asks how they change their mindset and return to spirit they had? Mirna figures they go to another country. Charla says they’re ready to go. She calls the people in Africa festive, eager to be alive, and Poland isn’t that. Charla says they need to act like the people around, so they know now and will go according to culture. Eric & Danielle: Phil checks his watch. Eric says they had the worst luck and tells about getting dragged off the plane. Danielle’s happy to still be in it. Eric says haven’t done a lot wrong, but it’s just bad airplane luck. I’ll give him that. Planes have been brutal this last leg or two. Phil suggests they get rest. They’re excited about that. They do not know where the Guidos are. Phil thanks them for finally getting here and wishes them luck with the flights. They have not lost their confidence. Eric knows they can win it if they stay with the others (well DUH, so could I!). He figures they’re at least twelve hours behind. Phil tells them to go for it. Joe & Bill: They have no clue how far behind they are. Bill thinks thirty hours, Joe thinks at least twelve, Phil teases them and says he can’t tell them. Phil asks if they were clutching at their Season One medallion, and they admit to it. Joe talks about how the flights have gone wrong and they’ve had bad airport karma since Johannesburg. Phil asks if it’s about blocking lines in Tunisia in Season One (for which they received a Reality TV Hall of Shame Moment). Ha! They say absolutely not, because that dissipates after three years. They are not used to being at back of pack. Phil jokes that they’re the only team in history to get a hotel when they have a Fast Forward. I believe he tells them not to do it again or he will eliminate their asses. Tired Phil is GREAT! I love him. Second Hour Mat Chats Oswald & Danny and Uchenna & Joyce: They would love to run against each other in final three. Oswald is not planning on losing, but if he does, he wants to lose to someone they wouldn’t mind getting it, and Uchenna & Joyce are those sorts of people. Oswald would not want Teri & Ian behind his back in top three. Phil asks who they wouldn’t want to win it. Oswald just reiterates that if Uchenna & Joyce were in it, that would be fine. Uchenna thinks it’s great what positive energy they put out and what role models they are. Phil mentions Oswald’s see-through Speedo and the product it shows off. Danny says his mother says if you don’t put it out, it ain’t gonna sell. Oh. My. God. I love them all. Hah! Dustin & Kandice: Phil asks about the girls hiding from Charla & Mirna. Kandice admits to it, but the other teams were so far behind, that they needed to work with Charla & Mirna. Kandice admits it was horrible to have to sit there and watch Charla eat it, knowing how much it was. They got the giggles, they say, and Phil says he saw footage. They admit that Dustin threw up too and it was not pretty. Charla & Mirna: Okay, how bogus was all that help they got on the horse? Total BS. Anyway. Phil asks if they are having a better time now. Charla says they had a couple nice taxi drivers. Mirna says yeah, they swindled us. She moralizes some about taking the good with the bad and how difficult some of it can be. Charla admits to fear about the horse and how big it was. People trample over her sometimes, and a horse is bigger than a person. She was hoping it was sit on the horse, not guide it. Mirna says that she’s done four of the six Roadblocks she’s allowed, so have to preserve those special climbing Roadblocks for her. Smart. Phil tells them that Dustin & Kandice want to be the first all-girl team to win. Mirna says they will need to pass Charla & Mirna with physical strength and wits and the latter will be hard for them. She obviously does NOT know the Beauty Queens! Phil asks if they are as smart as Charla & Mirna. Mirna gets all smirky as she asks if they graduated law school at 23. Woman! You are an IDIOT, seriously. Being 23 and graduating law school is not that special. I could have done it, had I chosen that route, and I know a lot of others who could have as well. We just didn’t want to be lawyers. And getting through something quickly doesn’t necessarily make you better or smarter than someone else, so I would suggest that now that you are THIRTY, you find something else to be proud of, rather than that one thing. Honestly. Then Phil asks Charla the same question, and Mirna answers for her, wondering if the Beauty Queens own and manage fifty stores across the country. Again, not something that means you are smarter than someone else. She’s really not convincing me that she’d be a good lawyer with her arguments on the race, ya know? Joe & Bill: Joe loves this race because people don’t vote you off, and it’s an honest and fair race. Bill likes doing it with the person he loves the most. Joe loves the unique experiences they get on the race, like dressing up in the armor. Phil asks what is so special about their relationship for people to learn from. January 1st will be their 20th anniversary, and this race allows them 24/7 access a lot, and it’s so much fun. Bill feels every moment on this has been very special. Joe’s grandparents are from nearby this castle in Poland. They are happy with all the neat places and tasks and sites. Bill says that without Joe, it wouldn’t be the same. Experiencing all of it with the one you love the most is best. Joe explains that they don’t have to force it, they don’t argue and such, they’re together because they want to be. Episode Clips I’m In Tune: Oswald & Danny are at the piano. Oswald thinks Dustin & Kandice are done, and Charla & Mirna are on their way here. Oswald explains that they take things out of their control lightly, because the more flustered you get, the less focused you are. Danny agrees, and he explains how he did a light bitchslap on the throwing task in Zanzibar, and then stressed a bit, so he didn’t hit it right away, but keeping relaxed got him done. They quip that they’re praying to Charla’s grandmother now. Danny asks Oswald to do the fine work, because he tunes too tightly (they’re repairing the broken string). Oswald has the wedge, and he jokes that he’s going to tune up the guy. Heh. Luck Be A Lady: They’re looking at a tree. They miss their husbands. It’s Mirna’s first Christmas with her husband, but she’s here. She says she’s going to go play blackjack, and she runs off. Charla and the cameraman follow. It’s not open. They lament this as it would have been fun. You’ve Got A Friend In Me: Charla tells the girl helping them that they speak English so well. She learned at a special English school. Mirna tells her it’s very good. They know Armenian, Turkish, Arabic, English, and French. She says they travel around the world together, they’re cousins, and every day they go to a different town, and here we have to carry this mannequin. Charla asks about school, and the girl says she finished school about half an hour ago. She says she’s 15, and they are happy with how mature and intelligent she is. Her parents are lawyers, so Mirna is excited as she shares that’s what she does. Mirna explains how hard and stressful it is and that she finished her studies at 23 years old, so she’s been a lawyer seven years. Good god. Love Bites: Danielle’s in the car, and she and Eric are arguing in the back of the car. Seriously, this isn’t worth going over. They’re bickering like five-year-olds, and she calls him that, calls his personality irritating, and so on. We saw most of this in the show. Love Hurts: Danielle explains how her leg was bothering her three legs ago, and how it goes in and out. It’s not hurting now, so hopefully it won’t bother her this leg at all. Eric says she was not running and that’s why they lost a leg. Again, more couple argument, and her talking about jumping through trees, and she wants to go home because she doesn’t like him right now. It’s that sort of joking, but nasty, tone ya know? Feed Me, Seymour: Eric is eating in Frankfort, talking to the camera, and Danielle’s eating too, and they seem a little happier. He calls Danielle Pippi Longstocking and mentions that her pinkies can be stuck out when needed. Oh, no, I rewound that, and he’s joking about sticking their pinkies out when eating soup and drinking and looking fancy. Sheesh, I need rest, since I fell that quickly into the gutter! They’re rejuvenated with food and plot about carrying soup and candy on to plane. I Want You To Play With My Ding-A-Ling: Joe is waving a bell at the plane trying to get it to come back. Joe says it’s a jingle bell for the holiday, a surprise item he’s carrying with them, and he hoped to catch the pilot’s attention. Bill is laughing and asking what he’s been smoking. Bill makes crazy faces behind his back. Bill says that he figures that Joe had drinks on plane, but he knew better. Joe says they all get punchy! Bill asks if he really thought he’d hear the bell over the jet engines. Heh. Joe doesn’t mind looking like a fool on television. Last time they were villains, and this time the crazy people. Heh. Poland Has History For Joe: I ran out of easily thought of song titles. Ah well. In the cab, Joe explains that his mother’s family came from around this area in Poland. He speaks no Polish, however, so it gives him no advantage. He grew up with a lot of relatives, grew up hearing it. He’s half Polish, half Italian. He can count to 100 and about six dirty words. He can say, “hi, how are you?” and that’s about it! This is not like Danny & Ozzie traveling in Ecuador, this is like a deaf-mute traveling in Poland. Heh. I’m going to miss them. Oswald & Danny Take Time To Reflect: On the bus to Auschwitz, Oswald talks about how difficult it is to go to a place of genocide, no matter what sexual preference or ethnicity you are, and he says the play and movie Bent get to him every time. He’s been to Anne Frank’s house, and that was incredibly poignant. He figures this will be difficult. Danny feels it will be difficult as well to be around an area with so much horrible history. Oswald talks about the orthodox Catholic president and prime minister that are identical twins and are persecuting homosexuals. They are doing things like closing gay clubs and canceling marches, etc. They’ve also taken sex education mostly out of the schools, and they do not advocate using condoms which promotes unsafe sex, obviously. Gee, I know a president here that would love that too. Sigh. I wish we could grow up as a people, ya know? Eric Lends a Helping Hand to Charla & Mirna: Mirna cannot find the brake release. Eric goes to get in his car, and Charla is all in his car, practically in his lap, asking him for it. She sees him do something, and goes over to tell Mirna. Eric closes his door and leaves. Meanwhile, Mirna still can’t get it. Joe & Bill on Auschwitz: Bill talks about how powerful it is to stand there and feel everyone who suffered there. You see movies, but when standing there, it’s unbelievable. They are both so visibly moved. It doesn’t hit you as hard until you’re actually there. Sorrow for what people had to suffer. It’s horrible, Bill says, how people can turn their head and allow that to happen, and that people can treat others that way. They are lucky to live in this day and age, although it is still happening all over. They mention Yugoslavia and Iraq and so on. Sigh. It’s so sad, isn’t it, guys? I just wish we could fix it. Dustin & Kandice Take Scenic Route: They are running down a street in the dark, and it’s so gorgeous. I wish I could go there! They’re wandering the halls somewhere and talking about keeping track of where they’ve explored. It’s a gorgeous theatre. They do not think it’s in here. They figure it will not be this inconspicuous, so they think maybe it’s outside. They never stop running and go out, and there it is, and they run to the Intersection. They joke that they’ll go watch the play and kill five hours that way. Oswald & Danny On What’s Important: Post-leg, Oswald is fulfilled with his life, he says, he stopped running a long time ago. Oswald explains that he forgot about himself in the corporate world, etc. and made a decision to quit at 31 and lost his grandmother. Oswald feels that he and Danny have reached pinnacle in careers and are happy with life and their achievements, and because of that, they can stop running the rat race and focus on who they are as individuals, and they get to enjoy the journey, as Danny adds. They are focusing on who they are as people, not material trappings. Laughing more, spending time with family, doing things they enjoy. That’s what life is about. Joe & Bill’s Parting Words: Joe sees things in Bill he hasn’t seen since last race. The race is unique. The stress and anxiety are not what they’re used to. It’s nice just to see the two of us, he says, put in that extra distance as a team. Joe admits to a nice comfortable lifestyle, beautiful life, wonderful pet, wonderful mothers in their 90s they can spend time with. By design, there is not a lot of stress and anxiety. Life should be enjoyed and surrounded with love and happiness, and as a result, you do not see those raw emotions like you do here when things are going bad. Bill says their routine is so thoroughly enjoyable, this is way out of it. Every night, he comes home and has dinner with Joe, and that’s a great thing. They love that; it’s them. Joe, Bill, I will miss you, and I love what you guys appear to stand for. I wish I knew you, as you seem like genuinely wonderful people, with a great love, and a great many interesting qualities, and fascinating things to teach those around you.
The Amazing Race: All-Stars, Episode 7 Insider Clips – Memorable Moments by Heathyr Fields Ford -- 04/06/2007 After visiting a concentration camp, a number of the teams take time to think about the many who died there. But these are not the only memorable moments that came out of the two-hour episode this week. Read on to find out about more of them! Sadly, I am so far behind due to various reasons (ennui, illness, Charter crashing central Washington’s internet), that I am going to rush through these clips so I can get them off to the amazing editors who put up with me and my foibles! Next week should be less insane, I promise! Elimination Station Ian is sad not to be in the race, but finds everyone at the kickoff house nice. Rob says it’s the alcohol talking. The group is getting a phone call from the eliminated team. They’re all focusing, or saying they’re going to. This three-minute clip would go a lot faster if it didn’t stop to “communicate” with itself every twenty seconds. Must be some of Charter’s residual screwed-up crap. The phone rings, Ian answers, and it’s the Guidos. Ian says they are very sad to hear them calling. Joe & Bill are sad to be calling, but miss Teri & Ian. Jill says she wasn’t surprised at all, knowing how far behind they were. Bill wants Charla & Mirna or Uchenna & Joyce to win. Mary says, “guys, that’s why you lost then!” and they laugh. They say they did their best, sorry couldn’t do better for Season One. Kevin & Drew say it’s a shame they couldn’t come to the house and chat about Season One, but they’re so close to the finish line, they’re just going there. They say goodbyes and love-yous. Back to the house talking, they’re not surprised but upset, and were surprised with how upbeat they were. Amber figures they were prepared 24 hours before it happened because of how far behind they were. Rob says whoever wins is going to win, and they tell him it’s okay to hope. He agrees, but I think part of it is just figuring it won’t matter for them to sit here and say, “oh, I hope so and so will win.” He then quips, “look at what hope got us!” when someone points out they had hoped Rob & Amber would go farther. Pit Stop Cam Must these commercials be like twice the volume of the clips? My ears ache! Dustin & Kandice Have an Elevator Adventure: They’re all walking in to some building. Apparently they’re going to a mine shaft 400 feet underground. Teams are directed to elevators and we see Dustin & Kandice get in one alone. Dustin’s all like “watch it free fall” and it goes dark and starts to fall some, and they’re all amazed. Dustin has never heard of a restaurant being underground, and jokes that a big two-foot sausage sounds good right now. Kandice doesn’t look like she’ll want sausage for a while. Dustin agrees that she’ll probably never want one again, and she wishes it had been like two feet of chocolate and cured that addiction for life. Heh. A person shares that it’s a big reception room they’re going to, 400 feet down, the last level visitors can see. She takes them to the food. The tour guide tells them they can taste the walls of the mine. I’m thinking I missed where they said it was a salt mine. The chandeliers are decorated with salt crystals, so yep, salt mine. The chamber is really cool, so go look at this clip about 3:45 in, because it’s carved from the mine and looks awesome. Eric climbs on Uchenna’s shoulders and licks the wall and says it’s salty. Danny finds it amusing that a neurotic son-of-a-bitch licked that wall. Eric laughs. Everyone’s sitting at the table chatting, drinking apple sauce, and getting served. Uchenna’s all pontificating about how far below the ground they are and how they’ll never experience this moment with anyone else. Then he toasts to the final five. They toast to Zanzibar. Uchenna jokes they’ve escaped from Africa, and Oswald says it gives a new meaning to out of Africa. I had a farm in Africa. Oops, sorry, wrong book. And we head into a brief tour as they walk to the exit. There’s a chapel. The longest fire in the salt mine fireplace is eight months. You cannot put a fire out with water because it dissolves salt. She says a lot of people have died here, but that was a long time ago. The floor is salt. Many minerals and micro-elements, grey salt is much healthier than grey salt. I like the tour guide; she’s spunky. First Hour Mat Chats Dustin & Kandice: Fourth to first, our first first. It feels really good! They say the flight got them there. Phil comments what a difference the flights made this race. Phil says they look healthier than they did in the beginning except their shoes are dirtier. In other words, they don’t look totally drained. Dustin’s happy about going to the spa (their prize). Kandice thinks the other teams will feel the Blondies are back on the board. Dustin says this is when they started showing up in their last season (but she said this about three legs ago too). Phil wants to know why they’ll win this time. Kandice says take no prisoners. They both think it’s possible to be first all-girl team to win, but they need to focus and be consistent. Dustin says Kandice is so positive and that helps her. Dustin is a fighter, a tough girl, explains Kandice, so she’s wonderful to be around. They hug. Phil asks if there’s any manspotting going on. They say the men can’t understand them, so they ask the greeter, and he says a little bit, so he’s become their spotted man. Oswald & Danny: Phil asks if they’ll go shopping at some point for old time’s sake. Danny asks Phil for money. Oswald says last time was a bit of a holiday sprint, but once they win, Phil can follow them with cameras to shop. Danny asks for a show from Phil, and they’ll show you how to shop. Owsald does say they still will relax and be focused and enjoy every minute of it. They got a cabby who didn’t speak English, so they called his wife or something who spoke English, and they chatted that way with the cabby. Phil jokes about Danny’s white teeth, and he has whitener. Phil is amazed. It’s adorable. Seriously, seriously adorable. Danny is glad that Florida is large enough that he never has to see Teri & Ian again. Now that Ian does know that he was wrong, I hope these four can patch things up! Uchenna & Joyce: At the mat, they talk about how they don’t know where other teams are. Phil says they’re super behind. Uchenna is amazed. They chat about how hard it was to get out of Africa. Uchenna & Joyce share some drama about their flights in Frankfurt. Uchenna preaches impassionedly about how beautiful it is and how they want to stay in it. He asks the greeter to teach him Polish, and they learn how to say “thank you” and they go to walk in the park. Charla & Mirna: Mirna is weepy as she explains she has the strength of one hundred men in her small body, but it’s a disheartening feeling all day. She explains that at age two, their parents took them from Middle East to America for a better life. She whines about how horrible this country was to them and people ignored their pleas for help. She doesn’t know what they did to deserve that. She says only a 15-year-old girl helped them. She expects more help and figures it’s because they look different. She says her culture embraces people, laughs, lives, and it’s very different way of life. She cannot imagine why people do not want to embrace them. It breaks her human spirit. The physical stuff isn’t a big deal. She feels terrible that they do not speak the language, but she still doesn’t know why they don’t want to interact with her. Perhaps they have crazy radar the way some of us have gaydar? Phil asks how they change their mindset and return to spirit they had? Mirna figures they go to another country. Charla says they’re ready to go. She calls the people in Africa festive, eager to be alive, and Poland isn’t that. Charla says they need to act like the people around, so they know now and will go according to culture. Eric & Danielle: Phil checks his watch. Eric says they had the worst luck and tells about getting dragged off the plane. Danielle’s happy to still be in it. Eric says haven’t done a lot wrong, but it’s just bad airplane luck. I’ll give him that. Planes have been brutal this last leg or two. Phil suggests they get rest. They’re excited about that. They do not know where the Guidos are. Phil thanks them for finally getting here and wishes them luck with the flights. They have not lost their confidence. Eric knows they can win it if they stay with the others (well DUH, so could I!). He figures they’re at least twelve hours behind. Phil tells them to go for it. Joe & Bill: They have no clue how far behind they are. Bill thinks thirty hours, Joe thinks at least twelve, Phil teases them and says he can’t tell them. Phil asks if they were clutching at their Season One medallion, and they admit to it. Joe talks about how the flights have gone wrong and they’ve had bad airport karma since Johannesburg. Phil asks if it’s about blocking lines in Tunisia in Season One (for which they received a Reality TV Hall of Shame Moment). Ha! They say absolutely not, because that dissipates after three years. They are not used to being at back of pack. Phil jokes that they’re the only team in history to get a hotel when they have a Fast Forward. I believe he tells them not to do it again or he will eliminate their asses. Tired Phil is GREAT! I love him. Second Hour Mat Chats Oswald & Danny and Uchenna & Joyce: They would love to run against each other in final three. Oswald is not planning on losing, but if he does, he wants to lose to someone they wouldn’t mind getting it, and Uchenna & Joyce are those sorts of people. Oswald would not want Teri & Ian behind his back in top three. Phil asks who they wouldn’t want to win it. Oswald just reiterates that if Uchenna & Joyce were in it, that would be fine. Uchenna thinks it’s great what positive energy they put out and what role models they are. Phil mentions Oswald’s see-through Speedo and the product it shows off. Danny says his mother says if you don’t put it out, it ain’t gonna sell. Oh. My. God. I love them all. Hah! Dustin & Kandice: Phil asks about the girls hiding from Charla & Mirna. Kandice admits to it, but the other teams were so far behind, that they needed to work with Charla & Mirna. Kandice admits it was horrible to have to sit there and watch Charla eat it, knowing how much it was. They got the giggles, they say, and Phil says he saw footage. They admit that Dustin threw up too and it was not pretty. Charla & Mirna: Okay, how bogus was all that help they got on the horse? Total BS. Anyway. Phil asks if they are having a better time now. Charla says they had a couple nice taxi drivers. Mirna says yeah, they swindled us. She moralizes some about taking the good with the bad and how difficult some of it can be. Charla admits to fear about the horse and how big it was. People trample over her sometimes, and a horse is bigger than a person. She was hoping it was sit on the horse, not guide it. Mirna says that she’s done four of the six Roadblocks she’s allowed, so have to preserve those special climbing Roadblocks for her. Smart. Phil tells them that Dustin & Kandice want to be the first all-girl team to win. Mirna says they will need to pass Charla & Mirna with physical strength and wits and the latter will be hard for them. She obviously does NOT know the Beauty Queens! Phil asks if they are as smart as Charla & Mirna. Mirna gets all smirky as she asks if they graduated law school at 23. Woman! You are an IDIOT, seriously. Being 23 and graduating law school is not that special. I could have done it, had I chosen that route, and I know a lot of others who could have as well. We just didn’t want to be lawyers. And getting through something quickly doesn’t necessarily make you better or smarter than someone else, so I would suggest that now that you are THIRTY, you find something else to be proud of, rather than that one thing. Honestly. Then Phil asks Charla the same question, and Mirna answers for her, wondering if the Beauty Queens own and manage fifty stores across the country. Again, not something that means you are smarter than someone else. She’s really not convincing me that she’d be a good lawyer with her arguments on the race, ya know? Joe & Bill: Joe loves this race because people don’t vote you off, and it’s an honest and fair race. Bill likes doing it with the person he loves the most. Joe loves the unique experiences they get on the race, like dressing up in the armor. Phil asks what is so special about their relationship for people to learn from. January 1st will be their 20th anniversary, and this race allows them 24/7 access a lot, and it’s so much fun. Bill feels every moment on this has been very special. Joe’s grandparents are from nearby this castle in Poland. They are happy with all the neat places and tasks and sites. Bill says that without Joe, it wouldn’t be the same. Experiencing all of it with the one you love the most is best. Joe explains that they don’t have to force it, they don’t argue and such, they’re together because they want to be. Episode Clips I’m In Tune: Oswald & Danny are at the piano. Oswald thinks Dustin & Kandice are done, and Charla & Mirna are on their way here. Oswald explains that they take things out of their control lightly, because the more flustered you get, the less focused you are. Danny agrees, and he explains how he did a light bitchslap on the throwing task in Zanzibar, and then stressed a bit, so he didn’t hit it right away, but keeping relaxed got him done. They quip that they’re praying to Charla’s grandmother now. Danny asks Oswald to do the fine work, because he tunes too tightly (they’re repairing the broken string). Oswald has the wedge, and he jokes that he’s going to tune up the guy. Heh. Luck Be A Lady: They’re looking at a tree. They miss their husbands. It’s Mirna’s first Christmas with her husband, but she’s here. She says she’s going to go play blackjack, and she runs off. Charla and the cameraman follow. It’s not open. They lament this as it would have been fun. You’ve Got A Friend In Me: Charla tells the girl helping them that they speak English so well. She learned at a special English school. Mirna tells her it’s very good. They know Armenian, Turkish, Arabic, English, and French. She says they travel around the world together, they’re cousins, and every day they go to a different town, and here we have to carry this mannequin. Charla asks about school, and the girl says she finished school about half an hour ago. She says she’s 15, and they are happy with how mature and intelligent she is. Her parents are lawyers, so Mirna is excited as she shares that’s what she does. Mirna explains how hard and stressful it is and that she finished her studies at 23 years old, so she’s been a lawyer seven years. Good god. Love Bites: Danielle’s in the car, and she and Eric are arguing in the back of the car. Seriously, this isn’t worth going over. They’re bickering like five-year-olds, and she calls him that, calls his personality irritating, and so on. We saw most of this in the show. Love Hurts: Danielle explains how her leg was bothering her three legs ago, and how it goes in and out. It’s not hurting now, so hopefully it won’t bother her this leg at all. Eric says she was not running and that’s why they lost a leg. Again, more couple argument, and her talking about jumping through trees, and she wants to go home because she doesn’t like him right now. It’s that sort of joking, but nasty, tone ya know? Feed Me, Seymour: Eric is eating in Frankfort, talking to the camera, and Danielle’s eating too, and they seem a little happier. He calls Danielle Pippi Longstocking and mentions that her pinkies can be stuck out when needed. Oh, no, I rewound that, and he’s joking about sticking their pinkies out when eating soup and drinking and looking fancy. Sheesh, I need rest, since I fell that quickly into the gutter! They’re rejuvenated with food and plot about carrying soup and candy on to plane. I Want You To Play With My Ding-A-Ling: Joe is waving a bell at the plane trying to get it to come back. Joe says it’s a jingle bell for the holiday, a surprise item he’s carrying with them, and he hoped to catch the pilot’s attention. Bill is laughing and asking what he’s been smoking. Bill makes crazy faces behind his back. Bill says that he figures that Joe had drinks on plane, but he knew better. Joe says they all get punchy! Bill asks if he really thought he’d hear the bell over the jet engines. Heh. Joe doesn’t mind looking like a fool on television. Last time they were villains, and this time the crazy people. Heh. Poland Has History For Joe: I ran out of easily thought of song titles. Ah well. In the cab, Joe explains that his mother’s family came from around this area in Poland. He speaks no Polish, however, so it gives him no advantage. He grew up with a lot of relatives, grew up hearing it. He’s half Polish, half Italian. He can count to 100 and about six dirty words. He can say, “hi, how are you?” and that’s about it! This is not like Danny & Ozzie traveling in Ecuador, this is like a deaf-mute traveling in Poland. Heh. I’m going to miss them. Oswald & Danny Take Time To Reflect: On the bus to Auschwitz, Oswald talks about how difficult it is to go to a place of genocide, no matter what sexual preference or ethnicity you are, and he says the play and movie Bent get to him every time. He’s been to Anne Frank’s house, and that was incredibly poignant. He figures this will be difficult. Danny feels it will be difficult as well to be around an area with so much horrible history. Oswald talks about the orthodox Catholic president and prime minister that are identical twins and are persecuting homosexuals. They are doing things like closing gay clubs and canceling marches, etc. They’ve also taken sex education mostly out of the schools, and they do not advocate using condoms which promotes unsafe sex, obviously. Gee, I know a president here that would love that too. Sigh. I wish we could grow up as a people, ya know? Eric Lends a Helping Hand to Charla & Mirna: Mirna cannot find the brake release. Eric goes to get in his car, and Charla is all in his car, practically in his lap, asking him for it. She sees him do something, and goes over to tell Mirna. Eric closes his door and leaves. Meanwhile, Mirna still can’t get it. Joe & Bill on Auschwitz: Bill talks about how powerful it is to stand there and feel everyone who suffered there. You see movies, but when standing there, it’s unbelievable. They are both so visibly moved. It doesn’t hit you as hard until you’re actually there. Sorrow for what people had to suffer. It’s horrible, Bill says, how people can turn their head and allow that to happen, and that people can treat others that way. They are lucky to live in this day and age, although it is still happening all over. They mention Yugoslavia and Iraq and so on. Sigh. It’s so sad, isn’t it, guys? I just wish we could fix it. Dustin & Kandice Take Scenic Route: They are running down a street in the dark, and it’s so gorgeous. I wish I could go there! They’re wandering the halls somewhere and talking about keeping track of where they’ve explored. It’s a gorgeous theatre. They do not think it’s in here. They figure it will not be this inconspicuous, so they think maybe it’s outside. They never stop running and go out, and there it is, and they run to the Intersection. They joke that they’ll go watch the play and kill five hours that way. Oswald & Danny On What’s Important: Post-leg, Oswald is fulfilled with his life, he says, he stopped running a long time ago. Oswald explains that he forgot about himself in the corporate world, etc. and made a decision to quit at 31 and lost his grandmother. Oswald feels that he and Danny have reached pinnacle in careers and are happy with life and their achievements, and because of that, they can stop running the rat race and focus on who they are as individuals, and they get to enjoy the journey, as Danny adds. They are focusing on who they are as people, not material trappings. Laughing more, spending time with family, doing things they enjoy. That’s what life is about. Joe & Bill’s Parting Words: Joe sees things in Bill he hasn’t seen since last race. The race is unique. The stress and anxiety are not what they’re used to. It’s nice just to see the two of us, he says, put in that extra distance as a team. Joe admits to a nice comfortable lifestyle, beautiful life, wonderful pet, wonderful mothers in their 90s they can spend time with. By design, there is not a lot of stress and anxiety. Life should be enjoyed and surrounded with love and happiness, and as a result, you do not see those raw emotions like you do here when things are going bad. Bill says their routine is so thoroughly enjoyable, this is way out of it. Every night, he comes home and has dinner with Joe, and that’s a great thing. They love that; it’s them. Joe, Bill, I will miss you, and I love what you guys appear to stand for. I wish I knew you, as you seem like genuinely wonderful people, with a great love, and a great many interesting qualities, and fascinating things to teach those around you.