The Amazing Race - Feb 26/16 Episode Recap

Bros Being Jocks

The teams remained in Colombia for this leg - first heading to the Plaza de San Diego on foot to get their next clue.

-Tyler & Korey are the first out, they tell us they've never been anything but friends... well, Tyler thought Korey was cute but once they met, there was no hope of romance. Korey, "So, wait, you thought I was good looking but my personality sucks?" Tyler, "Your words, not mine."

-Brodie & Kurt are right behind them and Brodie at least is aware of his faults, he knows they go too fast and he is constantly talking (and yelling) which Kurt may find annoying (I'm with him on that.)

The clue at the Plaza tells them to find the Castillo San Felipe and search the claustrophobic catacombs for the next clue... and this is where the ridiculously dramatic Erin (the redhead) has a panic attack and the other claustrophobe, mom Sheri, while keeping it together, also can't believe they have to go underground again.

No one had a problem finding the clue in the catacombs, but it was so hot everyone was sweaty and short tempered.  The clue they found was for the DETOUR: Tickets or Tejo
Tickets - they must board a local bus and play the role of conductor, using their power of persuasion to collect 20,000 pesos (about $5.98US) at 1800 pesos per person.
Tejo - they must play the local sport of tejo; taking a 3lb metal disc, some gunpowder and throwing it at a clay target - they must hit the target (making it explode) three times to get their next clue.
(I don't know why anyone would choose Tickets, give me exploding horseshoes all day!  Oh wait, these are attention seekers...)
Tyler & Korey and Brodie & Kurt both choose Tejo and hop in cabs.  Tyler & Korey's driver gets lost and they lose the lead here.
-Brodie & Kurt sail through Tejo quickly - they should have good aim, being pro Frisbee players.
Burnie & Ashley - choose Tejo along with Dana & Matt. Dana is in rare form today, any time Matt says anything she snaps at him... (yup, Dana is turning out to be a peach - it almost reminds me of the blind date season with Dr Blair and Nurse Hayley where she was shrieking at him all the time, at least they had the excuse of just having met, I'm less surprised at the long engagement now.)

Brodie & Kurt are the first team to get the clue to the next location - Calle San Juan De Dios where they must look for the marked mochila vendor along the wall  - a mochila is a traditional Colombian bag woven in bright colours and varying patterns. 

Tejo - Tyler & Korey finally get there and say they've played a similar game in college called Cornhole (I said pardon?)
-Burnie & Ashley mention Cornhole as well - (Okay, I had to look up Cornhole since I have a dirty mind... and I've actually played this game before but it was called Baggo - or just sandbag toss -  ., now that I've satisfied my curiosity...)

Zach & Rachel are the first team to choose Tickets.  And once Erin overcomes her terror, they choose Tickets as well because they can't imagine a better time than interacting with the people and being able to smile and laugh (I'd much rather explode things, I wonder what that says about me?)

Sheri & Cole choose Tejo, Scot & Blair (has her voice always been that annoying?) are doing Tickets - she's ready to put on a show, do whatever it takes to get the money.

Zach & Rachel are the first team to start Tickets - they get on a bus and have to yell out the side door the destinations in an effort to get people on the bus - their first passenger is a fan of Zach's from his videos - He thinks it's so cool to have fans even in Colombia.

ROADBLOCK - Brodie & Kurt are the first team to get the clue, "Who's left holding the bag?"  They have to choose a mochila bag from the vendor then run through the walled city to find two other bags made by the same designer (tag in the bag) - Since Kurt speaks Spanish, and he's not such a spaz, he's doing this one.

Tejo - Dana & Matt finish and yes, she did tell him not to tell her what to do. 

Darius & Cameron are just getting the Detour clue - choosing Tejo, they are hoping they can make up some time, somewhere.
Models Jessica & Brittany show up to throw the tejo and all the locals put down their beers to watch them play (ah boys.)

Roadblock - Tyler & Korey get there and Tyler is doing this one for them. Kurt has found one other bag and keeps having to ask directions of locals - it seems the marked vendors are hard to find.

Tickets - Erin & Joselyn are pinching themselves, they are having so much fun with the bus task.  Zach, not so much, no one seems to want to get on his bus.  Scott & Blair starts screaming that she'll trade kisses for pesos (Besos4Pesos) and people started flocking on their bus - then they saw dad and she just blew them kisses (good ol' bait and switch).

Roadblock - Ashley and Dana have joined the bag search - Dana is trying to match the pattern of the bag not having looked inside to find the designers name - and she can find no matching patterns (oh boy.)
Kurt is the first one finished and they get the clue to the PIT STOP - Baluarte de Santiago (old city wall) - they must make their way on foot.

Tickets - back on the buses, Zach & Rachel are slowly creeping towards their goal, Erin & Joselyn are selling the bus and enjoying themselves immensely (but they're super fake, always "on" people, I just find that exhausting.) Blair is still screaming that she's going to kiss everyone and people are streaming on the bus faster than Scott can count the money.

Tejo - Darius & Cameron finally get their rhythm down and they get the clue to the Roadblock ahead of all the Tickets people... way to make up some ground boys!

Tickets - Erin & Joselyn are the first team finished having earned way over their 20K.  Blair & Scott are done as well, once he counts it all, they are way over too.  Zach & Rachel, think they're done, but unfortunately Rachel was counting 1K as 10K - so they had to go back, get a new bus and make up the difference (ouch, that's gonna hurt them.)

Roadblock - Jessica & Cole are basically doing this one together - she actually found her two bags before he did but stayed with him trying to help him find his second bag - there were still people behind them so she was okay spending the extra time. She says, "If you're not the last team, if you want to be nice, be nice."  Finally they do part ways when she handed in her bags and he still had one more to find, but she seemed upset about leaving a man behind. (Maybe she should be in the military.) Cole does finish not on his own not much later. 
-Erin & Joselyn and Darius & Cameron both get there.  Erin & Darius are searching for the bags... and there is no working together.  Darius has more luck than Erin, she's trying, unsuccessfully, to find someone that speaks English.
-Scott & Blair arrive and she's making Daddy do this one... and it's getting dark.  Erin runs into Scott and they decide to work together to try and find the marked vendors, she has a map and he's trying to help her read it... okay they didn't decide to work together so much as he glommed on to her but she does ditch him at one point, coming back when she realizes he has the map... he's not too happy with Erin.
It's full dark when Zach & Rachel get to the Roadblock and Zach is going to do this one.

-Darius finally finds his second bag, knows he has to find the right vendor which may be where his brother is waiting - but when he gets there he asks the girl if she's Adriana (the designer of his bags) and when she says no, he takes off to try and find Adriana (NOOOO!) And he doesn't recover from this.  All the other teams find their bags, hand them in to the vendor that is right there and get the clue to the Pit Stop.  By the time Darius figures this out, it's too late.

 Here's How They Finished:
1) Brodie & Kurt - won a trip for two to Mikonos, Greece.
2) Tyler & Korey - they dreamed they would do this well.
3) Burnie & Ashley - she found her bags matching the pattern, luckily that worked for her.
4) Dana & Matt - despite telling him to not talk to her and leave her alone the whole leg, Phil was still able to make them dance a bit at the mat. (She's happy once they're done.)
5) Brittany & Jessica - they 'beauty queen' out with Miss Cartegena at the mat as they are Miss Florida and Miss Iowa! (EEEE!)
6) Sheri & Cole - he lets Mom hug him reluctantly, cause they are so sweaty.
7) Erin & Jocelyn - Erin is so happy to be done, she's crying again.
8) Scott & Blair - Blair admits her dad carried her through this leg.
9) Zach & Rachel - Zach thought he knew where the Pit Stop was but he was wrong... they think they're in a foot race with the brothers now for sure.
10) Darius & Cameron - ***ELIMINATED*** Book smart did not translate to Race smart in this case, overthinking was their downfall.

And with Darius & Cameron leaving that takes Sue S. Shelley A., Kim A., Miranne D., and Sandy G. out of the Pool.

Next time - they are heading to Switzerland and Blair + Brodie = Blodie! (ooh, do we have a Race romance brewing?)

Have a great week everyone,

Coleen
 

Survivor BvBvB - Feb 24/16 Episode Recap

Kindergarten Camp

Last week the Brawn tribe went to tribal and instead of getting rid of the blonde girl that did nothing (Alecia) they voted off Darnell, the strong young man who lost the mask in the challenge... or was it the brown trout incident? Either way, that could come back to haunt them.
(Oh, ha, I meant voting out a guy so soon, but then had visions of the   bobbing along the beach. Ewww.)

Brawn - Night 3
-They get back to camp and almost immediately are kicking themselves for keeping Alecia - she's trying to help build a fire but keeps getting in the way - in trying to "step up her game" she's just become that much more annoying.  Jason & Scot say she's the next to go.

Beauty - Day 4
Everyone is in the water except Tai, who wants to go look for an idol again, but he's torn - he got caught the first day and it got him in trouble... Ahh, he just can't help himself, he heads back to his search zone and finds a clue in a tree that says the idol is buried at the foot of the tree (Really?) Oh, not really, it's a box and a clue and a tool - the clue tells him he needs a key to open the box, it's up a tree and just out of reach and he needs the tool to help him.
-Now he's worried he's been gone too long but he's still got to try - he spots the idol/key thingy stuck way up a large palm tree and starts to climb it - but soon his feet are bleeding, he's taken the skin off his inner thighs and chest (yeah, explain how you did that going for water) and he can't make it even half way to the thing.  Tai is denied.

Brains - Day 4
Debbie thinks the rest of the tribe are wimps for boiling their water, she can tell if water is good just by looking at it and she's been drinking it untreated from the get go... Oh she'll go on about it, you betcha.
-Dr. Peter's first thought on meeting Debbie is whether she has 30 or 40 cats... he's betting 40.  And she's still prattling on, Liz is rolling her eyes at the, "When I personal train people..."
-Liz knows Debbie is all talk, and hopefully she soon finds out all talk and not being able to back it up won't get her far.  Dr. Peter, on the other hand, wants to keep Debbie around - Brains but no game play is perfect to take to the end.

Beauty - Day 4
Tai and Caleb have a very crazy bromance going on - the big country hunter and the nature loving gardener - Caleb lets him cuddle him for warmth, no homophobia with him.  They bicker about killing a hornet, then make up when Tai tries to get Caleb to eat fish eyeballs - Tai even tried to steal a kiss but that was too much, Caleb told him to ask next time.  Tai - Okay.  Caleb - No.

Brains - Day 5
Trouble in paradise, they had won kerosene but most of it was gone already because Joe poured a 1/3 of it on the fire then put the bottle away on it's side so most of it spilled out.  Then he destroyed most of the matches saying they were wet and not usable... Liz and Neal, not happy with Joe.
-Meanwhile, somewhat curmudgeonly Joe, isn't too happy with Liz either - she is fixated on having to get the fire going because she has to boil her water to kill the pathogens in it - Joe, "Pathogens my butt."  (I gotta say, I'd probably snap at Liz as well.) She seems a little unstable about the fire and boiled water and has to go off to cry and center herself (oh boy, this is my girl in the pool, pull it together!)

Brawn - Day 5
They don't have fire either, even though they have flint - they're too exhausted to get a fire going, they can't drink water without boiling it, they can't eat the chickens because they can't cook them... and Jason is burnt soooo badly on his shoulders (ouch, I can relate and that sucks so hard.)
-Alecia decides she's going to build the fire because she knows she's in the bottom and if she can do this she'll prove she's worthy.  5 hours later, she still has no fire while everyone else is sleeping... until it finally happens! She made fire!  And they immediately cooked and ate a chicken so hopefully they can win the next challenge with some fuel in the belly.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
This one looks complicated - They must race down the river to retrieve a very heavy log, then they must carry it through a series of obstacles in the water.  Once they get the log to the cradle, they have to unwind a ball that is attached to the log and sling shot it to knock down two targets, raising their flag.  First two tribes to raise the flag win immunity and reward - First tribe wins Fishing Kit (including a boat at camp), Second tribe gets smaller kit.
Brains sits crazy Debbie (I hate calling her that but if the shoe fits) and Beauty sits Sorority girl Julia.

Caleb almost walked on water he ran so fast to the log (that was impressive) - Jeff tells us the log is 300lbs and sunburnt Jason is carrying that thing on his blistered shoulders (ouch) - Brains is falling  behind despite Debbie's constant sideline cheerleading (even sitting out she's the most annoying one there.)
Beauty tribe had a big lead but the rope attached to their ball was all tangled allowing Brawn to catch up but their rope also tangled.
Beauty gets first target down.  Brains, making a come back, gets their first target down and then Brawn ties it up.
-Beauty is the first tribe to raise their flag - they get immunity and Fishing Kit.
-Brains gets second place and the smaller kit.
-Brawn gets to head to tribal council and Alecia should be looking forward to going home.

Brawn - Day 6
Scot feels bad that he missed the targets but he's still not worried because they still have the totally useless Alecia to vote out tonight.  Jason likens her to an ostrich - she's a bird, but she can't fly, so she's useless.
-Alecia obviously goes to look for a hidden immunity idol but the guys are confident that she's too stupid to find it - and Jason vocalizes this in front of the women. (Because who cares what they think?)
-Jennifer is sick of Jason's attitude, he sits around and does nothing but bad mouth Alecia, and she can't stand it.  Jen goes and talks to Alecia and leads her to the conclusion that they should try to get rid of one of the strong guys tonight.  They bring Cydney in trying to do an all-girl alliance - Cydney doesn't speak so I don't know if she's in or not... but they are targeting Jason.
-Meanwhile Jason and Scot see Jennifer hanging around with Alecia and Jason gets nervous but Scot assures him she's not flipping.
-Then Scot goes and talks to Jennifer to confirm she's still with him and now she's torn - realizing by blindsiding Jason she's also blindsiding Scot and she likes Scot... (sigh - you can't be wishy-washy in this game, have the courage of your convictions!)
-Jen talks to Cydney wanting to get her read on what she thinks they should do - maybe it's too soon to vote out a guy, they have time to make big moves and Cydney was gobsmacked, "What??"
So we're all at the whim of Jen who admits to having low impulse control and getting distracted by shiny things (great.)

TRIBAL COUNCIL
-Alecia thinks she's done better and pulled her weight more, so she hopes it's not her tonight.
-Jeff brings up the notion of an all-girl alliance to Jennifer and she admits that it was definitely up in the air for her at camp - Both Jason and Scot were shocked by this, Cydney just shakes her head (Jennifer's not the sharpest tool either it seems.)
-Then it was Jennifer backpedelling like crazy -  the guys piling on her, she throwing Alecia under the bus, Alecia admitting they targeted Jason...  Jennifer was sweating bullets! She even got up on her stump and begged them to trust her and stick with their original alliance. (Wow, this is definitely not the Brain tribe.)

Time to Vote:
They didn't show how anyone voted.
Tallying the votes:
No one has a hidden idol.
Votes:
Jenny - 1
Alecia - 1, 2
Jenny - 2
Final vote is for JENNY!  (Wow, she totally shot herself in the foot, right there at tribal council.)
 
And with Jenny leaving that takes Carol-Anne D., Kevin C., and Roxanne S. out of the pool.

Next week: Debbie enlists Joe and plans an attack.  At Brawn it's all out war for the idol.

Jenny's final thoughts - she's shocked - she thought they'd at least want to stay strong for challenges and work out their personal stuff later. Blah blah blah, no regrets.
-They showed how everyone voted and it was the two girls and Jason that voted Jenny out, Scot voted with her for Alecia - huh, so he gave her the benefit of the doubt but the rest of them booted her, appears she's not the only one distracted by the shiny new idea... and now they're still stuck with Alecia.

Have a good rest of your week everyone,

Coleen

The Amazing Race - Feb 19/16 Episode Recap

You Look Like Gollum

In the Race opener, the social media darlings headed to Mexico and Father/Daughter team of Scott & Blair were very lucky that it was a non-elimination round.  This episode opened with Blair saying they're going to be able to go faster on this next leg because she's going to take the hair dryer and curling iron out of her bag... What? Phil is dumbfounded, "You brought a hair dryer on the Amazing Race?" And Dad was carrying it because I'm sure she had no room in her bag after she packed her makeup... Blair is definitely high maintenance.

Dana & Matt - the dancers - are the first team to depart at 1:42pm - they read the clue to head to the walled city of Cartagena, Columbia (Joan Wilder? Does anyone get that reference?) Their first destination is what looks to be the mud baths of Tortumo.

Tyler & Korey are right behind them at 1:43pm - these two have a goofy, fun relationship on-line but they haven't really shown how competitive and athletic they are.  They are also not super happy that the first leg was a love-fest - they'd really like to get rid of someone.
Zach & Rachel - 1:57pm - he's feeling a little disconnected not having his phone with him constantly and she's loving the fact that they are talking more being unplugged.

Darius & Cameron - 2:01pm - these two are telling us again how smart they are - one's in Mensa, they can complete a Rubik's cube blindfolded... But last leg showed they don't have a great sense of direction - they're just out to prove their intelligence will allow them to win this race.

Brodie & Kurt - Frisbee frat boys - 2:16pm - they think having played ultimate frisbee together for 10 years gives them an advantage in teamwork (maybe) but they are so loud and keep grunting "Cartagena!" (really?)

Burnie & Ashley - 2:17pm - apparently there are multiple flights to Columbia so they are all trying to make sure they get the first flight.

Jessica & Brittany, Marty & Hagan, Sheri & Cole, Erin & Joslyn and finally Scott & Blair all make it to the airport.
It turns out that they are actually spread across 4 flights - Arrivals at 8:59, 9:37, 10am and 10:30am.  Flight attendant Marty gets burned by going to a slower ticket clerk, they are the one team on the 10am flight and then home-schooled Darius & Cameron were wandering and meeting a fan
(which was kinda cool) but they end up on the last flight (what the heck guys? What happened to using your big brains to not make mistakes?)

Cartagena, Columbia
First flight arrives with Dana & Matt, Tyler & Corey, Brodie & Kurt and Burnie & Ashley - they get to Tortumo and get the clue to the ROADBLOCK: Who's a Hot Mess?
-They must submerge themselves in the volcanic mud in the volcano crater, once completely covered they will have to dig down and find an emerald to wash off and present to get the next clue.
-Brodie is the first in cause he didn't really have to change - he submerges and finds his emerald before Dana even got up to the volcano because she had to change into her bathing suit (note, if you go on the race, wear a bathing suit under your clothes, always.)
-Dana is grossed out in the volcano, apparently it's up to two thousand feet deep in the middle (what??) around the edges it's like quicksand - great. Oh and the stairs up and down are kind of treacherous.
-Brodie runs down to the beach, hands over his emerald and is directed to the next clue box which is out in the water - so they'll get cleaned off swimming for the next clue.
-Dana finds a pink stone, not sure if it's an emerald she decides to come down... (Do emeralds come in other colours? It should be green.)
-The next two teams show up and Ashley and Korey are the hot messes.

Brodie gets the next clue and it's Route Info - they are heading to Manzanillo Del Mar to look for the next clue.
-Dana's stone is not an emerald, the stone that Ashley finds is blue, also not an emerald - Korey finds a green one and he's off to get the next clue - but he slips on the steps and drops the precious... the guys are all laughing at him because he looks like Gollum emerging from the depths...  Dana finds an emerald on her second attempt and Ashley is right behind her.  Korey can't find the emerald he dropped so he has to go back up (oh man.)  These teams all get the next clue before the 2nd flight arrives at the Roadblock.

2nd flight arrives with Erin & Joslyn, Sheri & Cole, Zach & Rachel and Scott & Blair 
3rd flight is Marty & Hagan, delayed by 10 minutes and last flight brings in Darius & Cameron.

Tortumo - Rachel, Blair, and Joselyn are doing the mud... Blair in her bid to pack lighter doesn't have a bathing suit (OMG you brought a curling iron but not a bathing suit? What is wrong with you?) One of the other girls lends her some spandex shorts, so she doesn't have to wear a thong in front of her father (this one needs to give her head a shake.)

Brodie & Kurt are the first team to the DETOUR clue - Pop-Up or Parilla.
-In Pop-Up they will go to the beach and build a shelter using the materials provided (poles and mesh/tarp) once they have the shady shack constructed the locals will drive in their cars, crank the music and get the party started.
-In Parilla they will have to prepare some local food for the party goers. (Cooking fish in a wok on the beach.)
-All the first flight teams choose Pop-Up.

Back at the volcano, Cole and one of the models (Brittany) are going to join the other three in the volcano.  Blair finds an emerald but Joselyn got a blue stone - Blair tells her they are tied to the sides, she found it with her feet (they're all being so nice to each other... maybe Blair is even for the shorts?)
Everyone at the volcano finds their emeralds.

-Marty & Hagan have the slowest cab driver ever and are begging him to speed up - every other vehicle on the road keeps passing them.
-Darius & Cameron are in last place and just hoping that the task is long and hard for some so they can catch up.
Once at the Roadblock - Hagan & Cameron are heading in to the volcano.

Detour - Everyone is getting their shelters built but the girls are too short to do any of the tying of the tarp/mesh and it has to be tied right... Dana & Matt are fighting, they don't have their poles sitting right.  Brodie & Kurt don't have their poles buried deep enough.  Tyler & Korey are the first team to get the thumbs up and they get the clue to the PIT STOP - Plaza Bolivar.

Roadblock - Cameron finds his emerald leaving Hagan the last person in the mud - and when she finds a pink stone she starts crying (Nooo, this is my team, and there is no crying on the Race, you still have the Detour, don't give up!!)

2nd flight teams get to the DETOUR clue and they choose:
Erin & Joslyn - Parilla (fish)
Sheri & Cole - Pop-Up
Zach & Rachel - Pop-Up
Scott & Blair are told to look for their Speed Bump at the Detour.

Pop-Up - When Zach & Rachel and Sheri & Cole arrive, Brodie & Kurt have just gotten the okay to head out - but Matt & Dana and Burnie & Ashley are still there.
Parilla - Erin & Joselyn get shown what to do but then Erin has to tell us a story about getting a fish caught in her bathing suit as a child and Joselyn has to hurry her along (really, it's not a cooking segment on your show, it's a Race! Sheesh.)

Hagan is still in the volcano... can't find anymore stones (oh no.)

Speed Bump: Blair & Scott must help pull in a fishing net then collect the flopping fish to move on to the Detour.

Brittany & Jessica get to the Detour clue and decide to do the Parilla.

Pop-Up-Zach & Rachel have started their shelter in the wrong place, not at the marked area but beside it... that's going to suck.
-Dana has finally realized that their Y shaped pieces are facing the wrong direction, that's why they got a fail.  He wants to try to twist them but she freaks out, yelling at him that they can't do they, they have to dig them out.  She tells the camera that she's got kind of a 'fiery personality' (Ya think?) She's either at a 1 or a 10 and Matt is always at a 5... hopefully that works for them.
Burnie & Ashley are the next to get the thumbs up on their shelter and they head for the Pit Stop.

Parilla - Erin & Joselyn have scaled and cleaned their fish, moving on to cooking.
-Jessica & Brittany have just gotten there and start scaling.

Roadblock - Hagan has finally found an emerald... but they are soooo far behind.

Pop-Up - Rachel has finally noticed their marked area and says to Zach, "do you think it was supposed to be here?" They re-read the clue and yup, sure is supposed to be over there.  Zach wants to try and move the portion they've already put together but I don't think that's gonna work.

Speed Bump - who didn't see this coming?  Once they get the net in, Blair is squeamish about grabbing the fish - she's yelling at her dad to get that one, and when she tries to do it she starts screaming and dancing around like an idiot (Umm, you've seen the Race before right?)  They get the pass though and Scott & Blair are doing the Parilla Detour (well, at least those fish are dead already.)

Darius & Cameron get to the Detour Clue area but don't get out of the cab because they didn't see a clue box (the clues are on a table with the guys playing dominos... get out and look!)
-They drive on until they see the teams at the beach and run down to ask where the clue box is - the models, Jessica & Brittany, tell them they have to get the clue from the town... What?? Where? (Use the big brains boys.)

Parilla - the head falls off Joselyn & Erin's first fish when they try to take it out of the pan to plate... so they have to start that again. The plate has to match the example or they'll fail.
-One of the models cuts her finger, but they look to be cooking the fish well (who knew.)
-Scott drops one of the cooked fish in the dirt and Blair still wants to serve it (really? She is quickly becoming one of my least favourite people) - he throws it out and they have to do another.

Darius & Cameron go back to the place on the Route info and see the clues on the table (Oh hey, look at that!?) They are going to cook some fish.

Marty & Hagan finally get to the DETOUR clue and they also choose Parilla - much easier to cook some fish I think.

Parilla - Scott & Blair get a fail on their fish being undercooked.
-The models made some good looking plates and Jessica & Brittany are the first finished the cooking.
-Joselyn & Erin finish right behind them and they all head for the Pit Stop.

-Marty & Hagan are the last team to arrive at the cook shack because for some reason they decided to just run from the clue spot to the beach instead of taking a cab like everyone else did.  My poor girls, it's not looking good.

-Scott & Blair get a pass on their questionable fish.
-Other teams are getting passes on their Pop-Ups.

-Darius & Cameron can't cook - they burn their fish and the level of smoke from their pan is making it hard for them to see.
-Marty & Hagan get a pass on their fish but their cab isn't at the beach, they will have to run back to where they got the clue to see if their cab is still there.
-Darius & Cameron get a pass on their fish and drive by Marty & Blair, still running, on their way to the Pit Stop.

 Here's How They Finished:
1) Tyler & Korey - won a trip to St. Thomas - plan for the next leg, stay in first.
2) Brodie & Kurt - they thought this would be their leg, but now they know not to underestimate Tyler & Korey.
3) Burnie & Ashley - They kiss and Phil goes to Brodie & Kurt, "why didn't you guys do that?" (Oh Phil, such a kidder.)
4) Dana & Matt - Phil asks if they are communicating well and Dana says, "well I haven't killed him."  (Ha! I can relate.)
5) Erin & Joselyn
6) Zach & Rachel
7) Jessica & Brittany
8) Sheri & Cole
9) Scott & Blair - "Way to come back," Phil says. (I'm not so happy her grating nasal voice is staying.)
10) Darius & Cameron - this has been humbling so far, book smart doesn't help with international flights.
11) Marty & Hagan - **ELIMINATED** - They are very teary and disappointed to be leaving so soon. (Me too!)

So with Marty & Hagan being the first eliminated team: Oliver W., Bryon L., Coleen T., Sage R. and Shelly P. are out of the pool and have $10 back in their pockets.

Next week - They throw exploding potatoes, Blair offers kisses for pesos and Erin has a claustrophobic panic attack - FUN!

Have a great week everyone,

Coleen

Survivor Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty - Feb 17/16 Premiere episode recap

I'm a Mental Giant

The new season of Survivor started last night with 18 strangers on a boat in Koah Rang, South East Asia.  They will have to deal with scorching heat as well as the other challenging conditions that characterize Survivor.

They have already been divided into three teams based on the qualities they most rely on in their everyday lives... which, let's face it, for most of them is beauty... but this is Survivor, we're going to shoehorn these people into the mold we decide.

Brains tribe:
-Peter is the ER Doctor that looks a little bit like Obama - so that's what he gets called all the time... he tells us it's going to be hard for him to hide how smart he is and he can't deal with ignorant people (Ha! Are you ever in the wrong place.)
-Debbie is billed as a Chemist but we soon learn she's done a bit of everything and says the first line of the night for me, "In these challenges I'm going to kick @ss, because puzzles lie down for me like lovers." (Who are you kidding lady, you don't have lovers... she does have some crazy going on though.)

Brawn Tribe:
-Scot is a former NBA player/enforcer and something of a giant - he laughs and it's this deep resonating sound - oh, and he's laughing about stomping out weak players (eek.)
-Jason is the tattoo'd, ear-gauged, scraggly-bearded bounty hunter who wears his bad@ssedness on his tattoo sleeves - we learn later that he's also a veteran and the father of two little girls, so he does have a softer side that is only visible through the pink rhinestones in his ear gauges.

Beauty Tribe:
-Anna is a very pretty professional poker player who says she tries to use her looks to her advantage being a pro poker player - if an opponent is looking at her boobs, she may push them up a little more.
-Nick is a personal trainer who realizes his life has been easier because he's better looking than most people - he says he realizes that sounds awful (uh huh) but it's the truth. (I think Nick thinks he's better looking than he actually is... in my opinion.)

When they hit a certain point, the bell is rung which means they have two minutes and everyone starts scrambling to grab whatever they can off the boat and dump it onto rafts they've dropped in the water.  Literally stuff flying everywhere, chickens trying to make a swim for it, mangoes pelting down from above... and we meet a few more Survivors:

Beauty tribe: Caleb is the country boy army veteran that was formerly on Big Brother - he jumps in the water after the chicken that went overboard.
Brains tribe: Joe is the 71 year old former FBI agent who is good at keeping his cool in crazy situations - he says he's totally pumped for this - and honestly he is physically in awesome shape, he does look like he's been pumping iron for years.
Beauty tribe: Tai, 51 yr old Vietnamese gardener - he's trying to protect the chickens because he loves all living things... (Oh boy).

They are all overboard and paddling their over-burdened rafts to shore. We get our next taste of Debbie, "Who's a good swimmer? Cause I'm an excellent swimmer." (she was paddling and wanted to switch off to swim by the raft... she is already a loud-mouth know-it-all and my pick to be the first person voted out.)

Brawn - Day 1
-They get to shore and pretty quickly we realize one of these things is not like the other... who is the skinny blond waif and is she lost?
We meet the rest of the tribe:
Cydney - is a professional body builder, all of her life is about being strong, so she's in the right place.
Darnell - he's a postal worker and a student - but he's a pretty solid looking guy, I can see why he's on this tribe.
Alecia - 24 yr old real estate agent, skinny blond waif... she realizes that they may see her as Malibu Barbie but she's tougher than they think - she's been bungee jumping in Bali, face to face shark diving in Australia, been with uncaged tigers in Thailand... (that just tells me she has more money for travelling than brains) - but she seems to think this means she's fearless and she can do this [win Survivor.]
-Jennifer is a construction worker - and that's all they got to say about that apparently.

Being the Brawn tribe they get down to work building the shelter or, in Jason's case, getting a very rosy sunburn.  But they seem to be working well together, as Scot (Gigantor) said, "They're not pretty, they're not smart, but they are strong", and right now he thinks they have a great group.

Brains - Day 1
Liz - Quantitative Strategist - this is my girl in the pool and she strikes me as smart and level-headed (yay!)  Often smart brings along the crazy...
Cue Debbie - who just does not know how to stop talking and tooting her own horn.  First she points out that Peter looks like Obama and she's going to hear Hail to the Chief whenever she looks at him - then she zeros in on Joe, the oldest and apparently the only one that made eye contact with her because she is laser focused on him as she announces to everyone that she is a captain in the US Air Force Auxiliary, that she can build fire without flint, she has extensive training in shelter building, winter survival, summer survival, blah blah blah... but she continues to the camera that she's a chemist but she's been a photonics manufacturing supervisor, an electronics expert, a bartender, a caretaker to nuns and between jobs she picks up shifts at Red Lobster as a server. (Ho boy, methinks Debbie is that special type of delusional where she thinks everything she does is impressive when really, it's not.)
-Neal is the ice cream entrepreneur who admits he may be a little eccentric in his ice cream pants but Debbie has a whole other level of craziness.  She is telling Neal how to start a friction fire, so he gets going trying to make the fire - it's not working.  Debbie does try to step in at some point but she also cannot get a fire going - this is a huge concern since she's been lauding herself as the saviour of the tribe, being able to make fire - and is proving she can't do it.

Beauty - Day 1
-Life is beautiful in this tribe, they are all working together, everything is going well, everyone is pretty (this is Nick's current world view.)

Tai says what all of us are thinking - "Why am I here?" Big-headed bald asian dude with skinny little body - back home his boyfriend is going to wonder why they put him on the beauty tribe - but he thinks his personality makes him beautiful on the inside (aww, he's so cute.)  And he climbed the palm tree to cut fronds and get coconuts - being from Vietnam, this is Tai's hood.
Michele - Bartender - she is sizing up all the men on her tribe, knowing that different people want different things from you (cynical).  She decides she's going to hang with the girls for now.

This tribe totally split along gender lines when it came to setting up camp.  The girls are weaving palm fronds and talking about the boys, the boys are building the shelter and talking about the girls.

-Caleb wonders why Tai is on their tribe too - I think he's got to be their fish out of water, seems every tribe has someone who doesn't seem to fit. Brains tribe has odd ball Debbie, Brawn has Malibu Barbie Alecia and Beauty has bald gardener Tai.

Brawn - Day 1
-Alliances seem to be forming - Bounty Hunter Jason wants nothing to do with Blondie, won't even learn her name, but he's talking alliance with Scot, Jenny and Cydney.
-Darnell had it hard growing up in Chicago but he trusts his gut and this gut trusts Cydney - she wants to get the girls out first and align with the men. Then Darnell's gut tells him he's got to go to the bathroom - taking a dump in the water right near their camp where everyone can see him (really? Watch out for the brown trout indeed.)

Beauty - Day 1
The chickens get out and it makes my heart happy to watch them run around like idiots after the chickens, it's always one of my favourite things on Survivor when the chickens try to escape and white people lose their minds.  Tai just sits back and watches, shaking his head.  Nick also thinks it's crazy to expend that much energy on the birds but he catches one.

-They get two of the chickens back and Tai proposes they tie a rope to the legs of the two chickens and then tie a line between them, so they can roam but not get away.  Anna loves Tai's approach to everything and she wants to bring him in as the fourth in their girl alliance to give them the numbers.  Blonde girl who we haven't met yet (Julia) also loves that idea (and they don't even know he's gay yet.)
-Julia is a sorority girl and feels that will help her make friends and do well in this game.
-Caleb was beastmode cowboy from Big Brother (I don't watch that show at all) and he hopes all of them knowing him from that show doesn't hurt his game.  But he also joined the military right out of high school and has seen some things - he doesn't give up... and he was successful in making fire.  First tribe to have fire this season was the Beauty tribe (go figure.)

Brains - Day 2
Joe - He was a hostage negotiator in the FBI so he has street sense and intuitiveness that he thinks will serve him well in this game.
Debbie (who I noticed they billed as a Waitress this time) - refuses to use the saw to cut the bamboo- she starts trying to hack it with an axe... and she seems to think she and Joe are aligned being the oldest and wisest... I think he may have a different take on things.

Neal & Liz are discussing Debbie - first impression was that she looks strong and could be good to have on the tribe... and then she opened her mouth.  Neal also thinks they will have to get rid of the geriatrics on the tribe, they are just going to be too slow. (Oh, you mean the only people working on the shelter while you laze around in the water? Sheesh.)
-Neal and Liz think the four younger tribe members should stick together and Peter and Aubry agree.

Beauty - Day 2
Tai makes a big mis-step by obviously taking off on his own and looking for a hidden immunity idol.  Mr. I Love Every Living Thing, starts ripping up three small, dead trees assuming they must have been planted to hide something underneath them... The other members of the tribe notice he's gone and know what he's doing. He's now lost any hope of the rest of the tribe trusting him. (Way too early to do that dude, read the room.)

Brains - Day 2
They are out in the direct sunlight weaving palm fronds and sweating in the oppressive heat (why aren't you doing that in the shade?) Aubry starts to feel the effects of dehydration and then starts freaking out about being dehydrated - to the point of her having a panic attack... now she's lost any hope of the rest of the team thinking she is strong enough to survive out there.

Brawn - Night 2
Jenny is up in the middle of the night because she feels like there is a bug in her ear... she can hear it, it's going deeper and it's totally painful. (Why are you not calling medical to get it out... GET IT OUT!)
-The next day it's gotten worse and she's kind of freaking out - the rest of the tribe isn't sure what to make of this... I even started to wonder if she was just losing it and there was no bug in her ear... and then it crawled out (ARGGHH!!!) There was crusty blood in her ear and then this translucent wormy thing came out (OH MY SWEET JEBUS!)
-As soon as they got it out she was ready for the challenge because she was so pissed off.

IMMMUNITY CHALLENGE:
They had to swim out to a boat, get everyone on board then one person had to dive down to retrieve 4 paddles submerged in the water.  Once they had the paddles they had to paddle back to shore then push the boat up on a platform that would allow them to convert the boat to a cart by adding wheels - then they had to push & pull the cart up the beach - once they got to the top they would have to choose either puzzle or dexterity - puzzle is pretty straightforward, in dexterity they would have to stack balls while standing on a wobbly board (really?) Spoiler, no one chose dexterity.
Brawn - Darnell wanted to prove himself by volunteering to be the diver - but he immediately lost the mask and couldn't get the oars.
Beauty was the first team back to shore quickly but couldn't get the boat out of the water.
Brains and Brawn caught up on the beach and each team chose the puzzle.  Alecia on the Brawn tribe was useless and Scot took over but it was Aubry and Liz that blazed through the puzzle and Brains was the first team to finish.
Brawn & Beauty were pretty neck and neck to finish the puzzle but it was Beauty that pulled out the second place win.  Sending Brawn to Tribal Council.

Brawn - Day 3
They return from losing the challenge and Alecia starts the apology train saying she was sorry she couldn't get the puzzle done but then Darnell commandeers that train saying it was his fault they lost because he lost the goggles (mask) in the water.  He tells us that he was a lifeguard growing up in Chicago, "but who knew sea water was that murky?"
The rest of the day is Darnell and Alecia trying to save their butts and the rest of the tribe waffling back and forth between them.  Scot and Jason basically decide that Darnell is more dead weight to carry than Alecia but when they tell her she's safe she doesn't believe it and starts campaigning which just pisses them off.  Cydney doesn't want Darnell to go first and is going to make her wishes known at Tribal.

Tribal Council
-Jason comes off as a jerk saying that some of the people on his tribe can stand up to his high standards - the basketball player and bodybuilder - but Blondie (still doesn't know her name) and Darnell cannot.
-Alecia just starts talking and talking and her eyes keep getting buggier and buggier... she doesn't see herself as the weakest link - she says she's a mental giant (WHAT??? Alecia is definitely a salesperson, she is laying it on thick!)
-Darnell owns his mistake and takes the heat about losing the mask and the challenge but he pledges that he's going to get better and calls Alecia out for really not doing anything.
-Jeff Barbara Walter'ed Darnell, got him talking about having struggled growing up and how letting these people down has hurt him... and he gets choked up.  Alecia's eyes looked like they really were going to pop out, are you really crying at tribal council, dude?
-Jenny whispered in an aside to Jason that she didn't want to vote Darnell out.  Jason said he's not sure if they're doing the right thing...

Time to Vote:
Alecia tried to write Darnell without taking the cap off the pen.
Cydney votes for Alecia.

Tallying the votes:
No hidden immunity idols
Votes:
Alecia - 1
Darnell - 1
Alecia - 2
Darnell - 2
Alecia - 3
Darnell - 3 - the first vote end up a tie!  Wow.

So the four with no votes against them will revote and they can only vote for Alecia or Darnell.

Votes:
Darnell - 1, 2, 3... and DARNELL is the first person voted out. (Huh, I'm surprised - I thought for sure Blondie would be a goner.)

So that means Tamara J., Trish J., and Fraser G. are out of the pool and get their stake back.

Next time Debbie is not fitting in on the Brains tribe (no really?) and Tai tries to kiss Caleb (wwhhhaaat??? is happening this season? - it's cuckoo bananas so far!)

Darnell's final thoughts: It's really hard being the first voted out but he's enjoyed every moment out there.  This has been a life lesson, they can vote him out but he's not letting anybody bring him down.


Have a great weekend everybody,

Coleen

The Amazing Race 28 - Feb 12/16 Episode Recap

I Should've Been A Boy Scout

The 28th Season of the Amazing Race started on Friday night and it was a unique beginning... first all the competitors are internet/YouTube famous in some way and the Race didn't really have a starting line - Phil video texted them all at home and told them to grab their bags and make their way to Mexico City, then meet him at the Monument of the Revolution to get their first clue.

When he said GO! I expected everyone to bolt, but there was lots of silly celebrating and the Mom & Son team, Cole and Sheri, were crying as they slowly hugged and said goodbye to their family members (Uh, you're racing, right now... come on!) 

I'll quickly go through the teams as it's the first episode and let me just say, there is going to be a lot of attention whoring going on this season.

Tyler & Korey - Best Friends and YouTube channel stars, as well as podcasters.  Tyler seems to be known for his ever changing hair styles and colours as well as being hilarious and an LGBT activist.  He was the one person that got recognized in the airport... and I realize I am old and out of touch because I've never heard of any of these people.

Dana & Matt - Engaged Choreographers - they have the largest dance YouTube channel in the world, both can dance like nobody's business and they have been engaged 3 1/2 years, still not set the wedding date (whatcha waiting for?... oh, hold on, I did that too.)

Erin & Joslyn - Best Friends - Internet hosts and producers at Clevver media - it's an entertainment news outlet on YouTube and they do a style type show I think... well they seem to think they're all that anyway.

Zach & Rachel - Newlyweds - he does Vine videos that incorporate magic (actually really cool) and she helps produce them - they've been married just under a year and they seem like a really sweet couple. 

Scott & Blair - Father and daughter - He's a lawyer and a practicing OB/GYN (look at the brain on Scott) and she's a YouTube make-up and hair tutorial star (huh, he's still so proud.)  He brings age and maturity, and she brings the lipstick.

Sheri & Cole - Mom & Son - she's the mom of six kids and he makes Vine videos including his parents a lot.  They're from a small town and the crying, which is still happening in the cab, is because they never leave the family behind... hopefully they're up for the adventure.

Brodie & Kurt - Pro Frisbee Players - Brodie makes lots of videos on Frisbee trick shots and he's also the loud goofy one - Kurt says it's his job to keep him on course (and it seems like he's going to have his work cut out for him.)

Burnie & Ashley - Dating gamers - they've been dating, working together and living together for the past three years - they run an online gaming channel called Rooster Teeth.  He says the Amazing Race takes the whole world and makes it one big game, he couldn't imagine anything better. (But if you die, there is no starting over, just remember that.)

Brittany & Jessica - Instagram Models - swimsuit lines send them samples to wear and post online, the more followers, the more money they make.  These two see Cole & his mom in the airport and fan girl over him (God, this is making me feel old... again, never seen any of these people before.)

Marty & Hagan - Mother & Daughter - Marty is a flight attendant for Southwest airlines and her funny safety presentation on the plane went viral (Hey! Someone I've seen before, of course I wouldn't have recognized her on the street but I saw that video, whew, only mostly out of the loop, not totally.) This is also my team - go pink team!

Darius & Cameron - Brothers - they make funny Vine videos and were home-schooled by their Harvard educated mother.  They don't want everyone to know how smart they are, as it's their secret weapon to win the Amazing Race.

Mexico City
Everyone was on the same flight landing in Mexico City so they must have had to meet up at a single airport somewhere since they did start out all over the country.

The first clue, once they found Phil at the Monument of the Revolution, was the DETOUR: Mariachi Madness or Great Balls of Fire
Mariachi Madness - they had to wade among 350 playing mariachi musicians to find one that was not making any actual sound - find the faker to get their next clue.
Great Bulls of Fire - they had to construct and decorate the frame for a paper mâché bull that would be loaded with fireworks, then they had to light it up to get their next clue.

Brodie & Kurt - Mariachi Madness
Brittany & Jessica - Great Bulls of Fire
Marty & Hagan - Great Bulls of Fire
Erin & Joslyn - Mariachi Madness
Burnie & Ashley - Great Bulls of Fire
Dana & Matt - Mariachi Madness
Darius & Cameron - Great Bulls of Fire
Tyler & Korey - Great Bulls of Fire
Scott & Blair - Great Bulls of Fire
Zach & Ashley - Mariachi Madness
Sheri & Cole - Mariachi Madness

There was a lot of confused running through the streets just to try and find the tasks - then to get them done was a whole other ball of wax.

When the teams did get the tasks completed their next clue took them to a board where they chose a staggered time to head out the next day - 4 teams at 7:30am, 4 at 7:40am, and 3 at 7:50am
7:30am - first teams get the clue to the ROADBLOCK: Who's Ready to Pick Up the Pieces?
-One person from each team will have to enter a cave and dig through their assigned box in the archeological sight to gather 13 pieces of pottery-type tiles to assemble on a mask.  The trick is there are two different colours of tiles and they can only use one colour or the other to complete the mask.  This definitely slowed a lot of the teams down... that and Sheri's claustrophobia.

People that did this Roadblock: Kurt, Matt, Erin, Sheri, Tyler, Marty, Zach, Darius, Jessica, Burnie, and Scott.
Once they completed the mask they got the clue to the PIT STOP - The Museo Soumaya (What a totally cool looking building):








Here is How They Finished:
1) Dana & Matt - Phil didn't tell them what they had won - I looked up online and apparently they got $2K for first place.
2) Tyler & Korey - Phil asked Tyler what they could expect of his hair through the race. "Don't come for me Phil." (What does that mean?)
3) Zach & Ashley - I really like this couple, they seem so normal - but they did take a selfie with Phil at the mat.
4) Darius & Cameron - they were in the last group to start out that morning and they went from the back of the pack to the top 4, that was impressive.
5) Brodie & Kurt - Brodie seems like a loud doofus who, I have a feeling, is going to drive me nuts this season.
6) Burnie & Ashley - Burnie also had a fan recognize him in the airport and thank him for getting him through some tough times - aw, that was nice.
7) Brittany & Jessica
8) Marty & Hagan
9) Sheri & Cole - even though Sheri & Erin seriously discussed giving up on the mask and taking a penalty, they still finished before lawyer/doctor Scott.
10) Erin & Joslyn - their cab driver lost them a position by driving like they were sightseeing.
11) Scott & Blair - last team to arrive but it's a ***NON-ELIMINATION*** leg. Blair says, "bring on the Speed bump" - she's just happy she gets to go more places with her dad (awww.)

So with Scott & Blair getting a reprieve this leg, Laura W., Lee B., Bernice R., Robert L., and Drew C. you didn't get your $10 back yet... but you're on notice.

It's shaping up to be a good season, it's interesting that some of the teams already know each other... or at least know of each other - we'll see if being fans of other teams changes how they interact on the Race.

Have a great week everyone,

Coleen

Survivor Kaoh Rong - Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty - POOL PICKS

Survivor: Kaoh Rong - Premieres Wednesday Feb 17/16
Tribe: Chan Loh	Brains		Tribe:  To Tang	Brawn		Tribe: Gondol	Beauty
Peter Baggenstos	1. Bernice R.		Cydney Gillon	1. Kim B.		Michele Fitzgerald	1. Brandon L.
Age: 34	2. Lindsay J.		Age: 23	2. Maggie H.		Age: 24  WINNER	2. Katie L.
ER Doctor	3. Tori K.		Body Builder	3. Drew C.		Bartender	3. Susan N.
Aubry Bracco	1. Sandie G.		Darnell Hamilton	1.  Tamara J.		Anna Khait	1.  Kevin R.
Age: 29	2. Manny W.		Age: 27     FIRST OUT	2.  Trish J.		Age: 26	2.  Lynne B.
Social Media Marketer	3. Gillian H.		Postal Worker	3.  Fraser G.		Pro Poker Player	3.  Lois & Dave L.
Joe Del Campo	1. Shelley A.		Alecia Holden	1.  Monica S.		Nick Maiorano	1. Jennifer G.
Age: 72	2. Elliot L.		Age: 24	2.  Cindi C.		Age: 30	2.  Scott M.
Former FBI Agent	3. Alexis G.		Real Estate Agent	3. Phillip K.		Personal Trainer	3. Andria S.
Neal Gottlieb	1. Lee B.		Kyle Jason	1.  Sunnie C. (1)		Caleb Reynolds	1.  Terry B.
Age: 38	2. Trish W.		Age: 31	2.  Cara & Alex L.		Age: 28	2. Sue S.
Ice Cream Entrepreneur	3. Mike L.		Bounty Hunter	3.  Ethan G.		Army Veteran	3.  Sunnie C. (2)
Liz Markham	1. Shelly P.		Jennifer Lanzetti	1. Carol-Anne D.		Julia Sokolowski	1. Kim A.
Age: 27	2. Kim K.		Age: 38	2. Kevin C.		Age: 19	2. Emily H.
Quantitative Strategist	3. Coleen T.		Contractor	3. Roxanne S.		College Student	3. Bob L.
Debbie Wanner	1. Bryon L.		Scot Pollard	1.  Robert L.		Tai Trang	1.  Jeff T.
Age: 49	2. Cindy M.		Age: 40	2.  Shane B.		Age: 51	2. Lucy C.
Chemist	3. Elaine R.		Former NBA Champion	3.  Vikki M.		Gardener	3. Sharon R.