The Amazing Race – Conflict trumps competition

On this seventh leg of The Amazing Race, things took a nasty turn as the episode became more about the brewing conflicts amongst the teams than it was about the race itself. Art & JJ, Brendon & Rachel and Vanessa & Ralph have had some animosity since the start, but while Art & JJ seemed to just be instigators in the past to throw the others off their game, they were actual participants this week, and tried to drag Nary & Jamie into the mix by telling the other teams that the women definitely aren’t kindegarten teachers. But even when confronted directly, they denied being anything but.

It’s disappointing to see what used to be such a terrific show degenerate into Real Housewives type of sensationalism when the challenges should take center stage. But when you have challenges like jumping up and down for a minute, you need to focus on the sensational to draw attention away from the tedium (and seriously, when given a choice between throwing a weapon and hitting a moving target or jumping up and down for a minute, why would anyone in their right mind choose throwing a weapon?).

The other challenge on this leg consisted of teams building a tent with a working bush shower. Granted, this was a complicated project that required strength and communication (one thing lacking in most teams at this point, although Brendon and Rachel seemed to only have one minor tiff while the rest berated the skills of their partners), but it would have been tedious to watch had it not been for the conflict. In the end, the team that started the leg, Dave & Rachel, finished the leg in first place. Nary & Jamie fell way behind because they really lacked the strength necessary to build their campsite quickly, checked in at the Pit Stop last … only to be told it was a non-elimination leg.

Interestingly, as Art & JJ (third), Brendon & Rachel (fourth) and Ralph & Vanessa (fifth) all checked in, Phil even asked each team about the conflicts, seeming disappointed himself that the race has taken an ugly turn. Art & JJ and Brendon & Rachel said that they were going to focus on the race and let whatever happened go, but Ralph & Vanessa insisted that Brendon & Rachel are the ones causing problems and that they have no reason to even try to be friends with them. Even the African greeter seemed disappointed in Vanessa’s answer.

Highlights and quotes:

• Rachel & Dave started the leg at 9:15 PM, but the first flight to Tanzania left at 8:30 AM so all teams were on the same flight.
• Bopper was thrilled to see a candy dish on a table at the travel agency.
• Rachel tried to tell Vanessa & Ralph that the earliest flight was at 10 AM. They didn’t buy it.
• Things got ugly at the layover as Brendon nudged Ralph out of the way while running to the airline counter and then flipping him the bird, which caused tempers to flare.
• “How old are you? Are you like 38?” — Rachel to Vanessa
  “Yes, I’m 38, and somehow I still look younger than you.” — Vanessa
• “I didn’t make her cry. Her lack of self-esteem made her cry.” — Vanessa, after Rachel has another meltdown
• If there’s one thing The Amazing Race does right, it’s getting some of the most spectacular scenic footage this side of National Geographic. The aerial shots of Tanzania were breath-taking.
• No teams did their own driving this week — not counting the bicycles — but they did have to direct their drivers, which didn’t always work out, as Art & JJ discovered when they headed in the wrong direction on the way to the campsite.
• Rachel handed Brendon a bag of tent equipment, which he nearly dropped, and then helpfully told him it was heavy.
• Nary & Jamie knew they were in last place, figured they were eliminated, and decided to stop and look at the elephants on their way to the Pit Stop — wasting some precious time, it turns out.

Clacked by Chuck Duncan
on Apr 08, 2012 @ 23:18 EST5EDT