blasphemy, she's the most awesome girl on tv right now!

Agreed, Nick boasting that he rode dirt bikes for years then getting beat up the hill by Nicki was pretty amusing.

I'm very surprised that Nat and Kat were able to finish the smalahove. Typically on this show, when someone says they're a vegetarian, one bit of meat and they're hurling their lunch onto the floor.

I have to admit though, one sight of that traditional Christmas activity would've made me leave immediately to go finish the rest of the leg. Kudos to them, they look like a very strong team lately.

We kept waiting and waiting for somebody to mess up the colour/bicycle lock part of the detour, I'm a bit surprised that everyone pulled it off.

Once you get past that it's a head (and that it's meat if you're a vegetarian), the taste can't be that bad, right? If it tasted like ****, people wouldn't eat it for Christmas dinner.

I was hoping for the father, and son to get first! Can't believe they didn't get their ahead of the other two teams!!!

I hope they don't home next week. I am really pulling for them only because of the father.

Depends on how they cooked the meat. Fear Factor use to cook their meat with no flavoring to make it horrible for the contestants to eat.

I can't see Michael and Kevin winning, Michael is just too old. What's the oldest person who has ever won?

Gonna come down to Jill and Thomas, Nat and Kat, or the QVC chicks.

Power Rankings:
Jill & Thomas
Nat & Kat
Brooke & Claire
Michael & Kevin
Chad & Stephanie
Gary & Mallory
Nick & Vicki

Phil's "You finished last, I'm sorry to tell you............................. that you have to run another leg" bit every non-elimination leg tilts me.

I've gotta think that's producer-forced BS. I'm not sure who they think they're fooling. I called non-elimination leg about halfway through based on the LDO post-leg Nick & Vicki chats.

I still don't buy the whole "they decide whether it's a NEL on the fly" based off of myriad evidence to the contrary, but it's not really a discussion I wish to revisit.

This tattooed couple is so inept that usually I root for such an awful team to lose because they don't deserve to survive. However, the male of the group provides such lolworthy quotes that their sticking around has value.

To cab driver in Ghana: "Arctic Circle...you know it?"

At the whole fast forward debacle: "I don't care what that stupid sign says." Actually the entire time they were trying to interpret "Fast Forward Taken" was absolute gold. These two are really, really stupid.

I imagine the producers are playing up that whole Jill & Thomas college degree thing for maximum effect because otherwise it's a bit much. We all know college grads who are idiots and dropouts who are geniuses, it's a pretty terrible litmus test for intelligence. Jill may in fact be an idiot (doesn't appear so though) but the lack of degree will have little to do with it.

One last thing: is Mallory ******ed or something? Seriously, there is something wrong with her and the way she interacts and overacts about things. Maybe she has extreme ADHD or something. I find it pretty funny so that's not a complaint.

I don't think so either. They have to make plans, and such ahead of time for contetants, and crews that it would be very hard to do this because of the travel schedule.

He is the primary reason why I don't like that team.

I was very disappointed when they didn't eliminate Nick and Vicki at the end of the last leg. They didn't even choreograph the end of the leg very well. As soon as they hit the mat it was almost a dead giveaway that they weren't going home.

Pretty boring leg/ep. I may be dumb but I was having a hard time figuring out who would and wouldn't be penalized at the end by virtue of some portions allowing cab use and some not. Ultimately three of the seven broke the rules but the one team figured it out.

Also, Nick/Vicki presumably did a "speed bump" at some point but they didn't bother to show it. No worries since they have become increasingly mundane and easy. They performed well this time but there was limited brainpower required and throwing sticks at other sticks is right in their wheelhouse.

That said, the clear three strongest is the two female teams as well as Jill & Thomas. This would be a fine final three because all five of the women are decent looking. Mallory's team is the rare case of an old player pulling more of the weight. Her father is a friggin' ox.

Only info I could find right after the show is a rumor that they got screwed at the music detour last episode, they had the correct order but were told they were wrong causing them to be last. So they were given a pass on the speed bump, or the semi drama bomb floating around is that the non-elimination was rescheduled on the fly as a sorry to them.

Wow, dramabomb. I don't recall them owning up to it during this episode but it makes sense. Particularly as I don't remember them saying anything about them being the last place team last week either. Did they actually leave last or was that not shown?

lol wtf omg i'd be throwing haymakers if i got screwed like that. and lame no mention to the viewers...how does that get screwed up anyway? does that mean their "correct" answer was in fact wrong? i'm gonna read up on this if i can and report back

Went back to see the end of the last episode, Phil never mentions the speed bump to them like he normally would. So safe to assume there was a fairly big mess up, plus this week they only showed the top 3 teams departing then everyone got grouped up at the circus.

Edit:
The producers could have easily made a speed bump for this episode that wouldn't negatively effect them. They arrived hours later than a few teams (ignoring the possible music task mistake) since it was dark when they finished, yet every team was there at the circus at opening time. Some silly speed bump could have been made before opening time and edited to seem like it was after, I mean they had a team throw coins into a hole last season 10 feet away from the next clue.

Power Rankings:
1) Nat & Kat (+1) - another top finish. Besides two bad legs, this team looks legit.
2) Brooke & Claire (+1). Never been within 3 spots of being bumped. Huge consistency.
2) Jill & Thomas (-2) - Really hit or miss. Either nails a leg or does terrible. Could bite them.
4) Chad & Stephanie -Only here because the other 2 teams are awful.
5) Gary & Mallory - LOL Mallory
6) Nick & Vicki - LOL Both of them. Vicki has to do all roadblocks from here on out.

Yeah, I didn't remember much of anything about when the teams departed, which is odd because usually I pay attention to see how far apart they are spaced. This is the first time I can remember which they haven't showed each team departing and showing the time of departure.

So it looks like their solution was just to brush it under the rug and hope nobody remembered. Which I'm sure worked for the overwhelming majority of viewers. I may go over to TWoP and see what they have to say about it.

Thanks for explanations of missing speed bump, came here immediately after watching online this morning to see what was up, I knew you guys would have the scoop.

Towards the beginning of one of the previous season's threads, someone posted a link to a site that had behind the scenes looks from each of the elimiated teams. I did a quick google search and didn't really see anything.

Can anyone help me out? Otherwise, I'll have to find those old threads.

You mean elimination station?

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing...nation+Station

No, it wasn't affiliated with cbs, iirc.

I've got a second. I'll see if I can go find it.

Edit: http://www.realitytvworld.com/theamazingrace/

Seems to have a bit of lag (last night's episode isn't up yet). Also doesn't seem as ZOMG gossip details as I remember. Meh...

I agree with Tuq that it was a pretty dull episode from this past week, and that the penalities were a little weird to follow from a viewers stand point. The editing wasn't that great at all.

Anyone else dreading Chad's impending proposal? There's just no good time to do it, IMO. I think he's not dumb enough to do it after getting eliminated, but I'm not 100% on it. And doing it midrace is kind of meh/distracting. They'll really only have time when something is closed and everyone's waiting around or in an airport or something and nothing screams romance like getting down on one knee outside the entrance to some rando zoo/sports complex. I think his best bet may be if they have a longish, nice train-ride somewhere (luckboxing into an Orient Express trip or something).

I'm dreading it but not for that reason. He's a mildly abusive hotheaded dick at times, and although I am far from chivalrous I feel kinda bad for her if she's stuck with him. Although not too badly - she certainly doesn't have to marry the guy.

It may be helpful if she withheld any decision until after the show airs, then maybe she'll get a better idea of the relationship dynamic, not to mention her friends. Or at the very least he'll try not to be such an ass.

Anyway, unless I missed something about him planning to do it mid-race I figured he'd just propose on the mat either upon being eliminated or winning.

Has Chad actually come out and said on air that he's planning on proposing during the race, or are you two just speculating? I can't remember seeing a clip of him mentioning that.