Amazing Race - Birthday Bust

This was so much like a soap opera, it was great! There was suspense, there was back stabbing, there was action, ok so it's like most episodes. Nate & Jen started out by saying they have been playing nice, since when! Then you have Nick saying that he and gramps have been playing the game like bitches. Jen started out so happy because it was her birthday and seemed all happy with Nate. Now, we all know that won't last. The next clue was to take a taxi to a Floating Garden in a building with a hole in it. Not real good with the clue this time. Father Ron and Christina, as well as the other teams, found it pretty quickly. It turned out to be an observatory. Good thing TK took the lead on this one since Rachel wanted to take the elevator down. It looked like the serene team was getting on each other's nerves but, it didn't last long and they were soon back to their Kum-by-ya selves.

After the Floating Gardens, the teams were off to Taipei, Taiwan or as Nate kept saying, Ta-pie. At the airport, Christina pulled a Boston Rob and asked the ticket agent to say the flight was full. Jen over heard and started yelling at the agent saying you can't listen to them! I loved the "who me?" look on Christina's face. Nate & Jen did not make the flight and even fell behind TK & Rachel when they arrived in Taipei. Rachel made the comment that Jen was pissed, when is Jen NOT pissed? She told Nate she couldn't believe how mean he was being to her and he hadn't said a word! Gee, sounds like last week when she accused him of pushing her into the cab.

The car seesaw challenge would have made me sick. Looked like father Ron was not real happy about it either. After that, they had to drive underwater for 17 seconds. Father Ron and gramps both looked like they would rather be anywhere but there at the time even earning gramps a bleep when he expressed how he felt. The other teams cruised through. TK & Rachel came out behind father Ron & Christina only to find the dreaded speed bump. In the speed bump, TK & Rachel had to don safety suits and run through a barrage of fireworks. TK said it was like running through a war zone.

While on the train to their next stop, Jen complained (go figure) to Nick and gramps that they work their butts off and TK & Rachel are slackers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't all the teams do the same challenges? I know Jen, it's not your fault sugar, the other teams don't do as much as you! I love it that Nick went right to TK & Rachel and told them about what Jen said about them. Way to stir that pot Nick! All teams chose the "Earth" challenge and had to find Youth Park. Jen talked to some locals who said to take the subway because traffic was bad. Not listening to Nate, Jen plowed ahead to the subway. The other teams took taxi's and found the park. When they couldn't catch a bus to the park, Jen blamed Nate saying he needed to step up and make decisions. Would she even listen if he did? So now they are back to hating each other.

Father Ron & Christina came in first with Nick and gramps edging out Nate & Jen which sent me jumping out of my seat for joy! Coming in last, Jen tried to tell Nate that they were not thinking about their relationship only the race while Nate started crying. I hope he was crying in frustration that he didn't pick a better team mate! Then the touching moment when Nate picked up Jen in a big bear hug. Gag me! If those two stay together after this, they deserve each other! Looks like father Ron really is changing his ways, he is much more enjoyable to watch with his new attitude. 5 backpacks to say GOODBYE to Jen! Oh, and Nate.

Double D

I can't believe that we are approaching the end of this season's Amazing Race and sure enough, it did not disappoint. As the teams are about to leave lovely Osaka, we learn that it is Jen's birthday and all is well with the world-but wait......it's still early. When Nate learned they were going to Taiwan, he said he didn't know anything about Taiwan, but that he does love Thai food-Thaiwan-Thai food close, not! wrong country Nate! The birthday bliss did not last long, while at the airport trying to make reservations, Nate interrupts Jen with the ticket agent and Jen explodes telling Nate that "I can't believe you're being mean to me on my birthday!" Waaa! Jen manages to keep up her tense stress level throughout the entire episode, seething below the surface every time they ran into TK and Rachel.

Ok, I admit it, TK and Rachel are behind and that's where I wanted them to stay-Jen said it best when they all caught up at the airport, that she wanted to rip those dread out of his head-ouch! My thoughts exactly-I'm sorry. They just bug the tie dye out of me. And Rachel, I don't think she has a clue in her head, best she listen to TK because her feelings are all wrong, like how she wanted to stay on the ground when looking for the clue at the floating gardens-hum, floating could mean air bound no?

How is it at the road block, father Ron and Gramps are chosen to do the car ride? Did you notice how the older contestants had the look of fear in their eyes, while the younger contestants were laughing their heads off with glee. Just goes to show you that as you age you lose your ability to enjoy anything death defying. I know this because I will never, ever go on that plunging water ride at Knott's Berry Farm, with the vertical dive straight into a pool of water again! I thought that father Ron would leave the truck-his mouth was a constant whoa, whoa, whoa, but he did emerge from the water jeep ride and said that was refreshing.

And who thought up that insipid speed bump, running through a bunch of firecrackers, why I have done that same thing at San Francisco's Chinatown New Year's parade (only without the fire suit). TK and Rachel managed to finish everything in record time in their slow mellow way.

Once again Christina's trilingual ability helped them make their way through Taipei, helping them translate the Chinese characters at the bottom of the tea cup. All three teams chose the best detour to do the walk challenge, which at first I thought it was to walk on a bed of hot coals, but it turned out to be sharp stones. Father Ron's feet must really tough as leather because he said it really didn't hurt him much. Go figure, tough feet, tough exterior!

I don't know why Jen seemed to think that it was faster to take a subway and then a bus to reach the park, that turned out to be the slowest way and thus their final undoing as they yelled to each other in the street in fits of frustration. Jen does make some sense (am I really saying this?) that Nate needs to make a decision for once! Now if only Jen could keep her mouth shut maybe he could.

The last two legs seemed to be easy for father Ron and Christina, maybe knowing the language helped and once again came in first. I'm hoping for either Ron & Christina or Nick & Gramps to win this thing, because if TK and Rachel win, they'll just buy a VW van and cruise around America singing some Cat Stevens song.

As for Nate and Jen, as Phil says, you are the last team to arrive, sorry but you have been eliminated. Jen's commentary on their relationship is that they killed it, or in this case over killed it as she leaped into Nate's arms and wept. Ah, this is what TV's all about. -Single D