It’s been a weird week for me, as those of you who follow me on twitter will know. On Thursday I quit my job and then had to watch Team Fun get eliminated from the Amazing Race. Blurry Denzel and I talk about our sadness losing the most funnest team to ever run the race.
Episode
Kemperboyd: So the Amazing Race! How devastated on a a scale of 0 to Aubry lost Kao Rong are you?
Blurry Denzel: The Aubry thing was more baffling at the time than anything else. This is more of a Cirie going out in Game Changers feeling.
KB: I’m devastated though
BD: I don’t like when Team Fun is sad!
KB: Me too. This was a bloody heartbreak.
BD: We did speculate based on the edit that Team Fun was destined to fall short but I wanted more time with them. I needed more time.
KB: Me too, but to go out the same leg and on a U Turn, it was too much man.
BD: Third time is the charm.
KB: Team Fun for every season of TAR.
BD: And this current season of Big Brother. I spot a couple of people that could’ve been easily replaced by Team Fun.
KB: Becca could not be on a BB or Survivor, she needs the stimulation of TAR.
BD: I would still welcome it!
KB: So let’s get into the episode. We start off with flights from Croatia to Amsterdam and the teams end up reset.
BD: I got excited when I heard about different flight times again just to be disappointed
KB: Yeah but with so few teams you absolutely have to reset the teams or the top two would never have been close to the others. It’s early on when I’m less keen on it when there are a larger number of teams.
BD: I know, it makes sense here. Just don’t tease me TAR! We have tandem bike adventures.
KB: I felt so bad for Floyd there were more fucking bikes.
BD: But he had the support of Becca this time and not insane weather.
KB: I really liked Tyler just not peddling.
BD: I gotta remember that when I’m on the Race and this situation comes up.
KB: you are very tall so you will likely be on the front and in control.
Detour
BD: We have the Detour first. Hoisting (fake) cows vs jumping a canal on a pole.
I’m surprised teams thought they were dealing with real cows and still chose that one.
KB: All the teams except Nic n Vic chose hoisting the cow. Both were very physical tasks with a lot of cycling.
BD: Team Fun falls behind early getting lost.
KB: They never lose if they don’t get lost here This was the point that lost them the whole thing. They likely would have reached the board third and U Turned someone else.
BD: They mentioned it earlier in the season, navigating is not their strong suit
KB: No, but they should have been able to either stay with the pack or ask
BD: They did seem pretty confident in their wrong direction
KB: yeah, it really wasn’t good at all
BD: All the initial teams hoisting cows did pretty well with getting them up in 40 seconds
KB: Colin was a beast, an absolute beast.
BD: It’s crazy to me that they did this show 26 seasons ago and might actually be better now
KB: And they were great back then
BD: But with more dysfunction
KB: The greatest teams don’t have the dysfunction. The ones who get to top 3 or 4 and crash often have an alpha male type and a girlfriend/wife they don’t understand or respect enough. He had that attitude but it seems they have really developed a partnership.
BD: It really has become a fantastic multi season arc. Over on the pole side, Nicole really struggles.
KB: While I am entirely biased in favour of Team Fun, how was she allowed to pass on either of her jumps?
BD: I thought the point of it was getting over the canal, which admittedly can be difficult, but I guess getting an inch of the ground is the same thing, go figure
KB: We aren’t bitter or anything
BD: Not at all
U Turn Board
KB: Colin and Christie and Tyler and Korey get to the U Turn Board and decide to leave it to the Afghanimals. This a good decision for them both but I hate that they made it
BD: They know after Victor targeted the Afghanimals in the U-turn vote, Leo and Jamal will get revenge. I’m sure Leo and Jamal told everyone they would as well.
KB: But they could have U-Turned the Afghanimals and then they would have targeted Nic n Vic and Team Fun would have survived!
BD: It does seem that the TAR teams are working together. They did travel as a pack to the detour and to the not named final challenge
KB: So the Afghanimals get to the U turn board and U Turn Nic n Vic who in turn U Turn Team Fun.
BD: Thoughts on the U turn coming after the detour?
KB: I always prefer it post-detour, even if it screwed us this time.
BD: Same
KB: It rewards the performance not getting the best cab
KB: Nicole and Victor are off to hoist cows but Victor is a little exhausted from doing all the pedalling earlier and Team Fun go back to jump the canal.
BD: They do it successfully but when they get all the way to the market are told one egg is slightly cracked
KB: WHY DIDN’T THEY INSPECT THEM FIRST!??!
BD: Yes, so part of the canal task was grabbing eggs and cheese and taking it to a market. Amazing Race 101. When delivering anything, make sure it’s in good condition.
KB: They again would have been ok had they just checked and redone the jumping there not cycled both ways twice
BD: Exactly, a horrible misstep for Team Fun. Selfishly I wanted that clerk to just accept the fucking egg but it was cracked
KB: I was so angry with him doing what the producers told him
BD: But Nicole can pass for bare minimum shit
KB: We’re not bitter
BD: Not bitter at all
BD: Victor and Nicole fail the first time cow hoisting
KB: Well to be fair Victor got very close to being successful doing it alone
BD: I don’t think Nicole even touched the rope for the first quarter of the task. They get it done soon after and maintain their lead over Team Fun going into a final task I quite liked
Route Marker 3 & Pit Stop
KB: The navigation of canals to collect 3 boats and boat train them to an island was interesting. the Afghanimals did very poorly
BD: You think they are rushing through tasks too fast? They tend to miss a lot of details
KB: I think it’s a problem for sure, they struggle with staying calm too
BD: Colin and Christie completely smoked the task and finish way ahead of Tyler and Korey and Leo and Jamal
KB: Finally a new winner!
BD: I was happy to see that. Tyler and Korey almost injured a kid with their steering
KB: they could easily have capsized those women and their kids
BD: Those locals were not happy with them
KB: but as they are Dutch they were nice and helpful.
BD: It was very gentle scolding
KB: I loved the Netherlands, it is a really lovely country to visit. Some towns are unbelieveably beautiful. Utrecht was a favourite, looks like Amsterdam without being full of twats on Stag Parties.
BD: I have no Netherlands stories. I need to travel more. Tyler and Korey finish second
KB: I went two years ago to see the women’s Euros, it’s easily traversable by train and everyone speaks English.
BD: I’ll be going to Florida in August where everyone is not all nice and helpful and also sometimes demand you speak English
KB: I see why you left!
BD: My first time back in three years. I didn’t miss it much with some exceptions
KB: The Afghanimals have some propeller problems but eventually finish 3rd and then Nic n Vic come 4th and my heart is broken.
BD: Nic n Vic almost caught the Afghanimals. They are looking like the favorites to be eliminated next. My heart was broken too and an extra gut shot when Becca suggested this was a possible non elim leg.
KB: Becca clearly has had too much fun in her life if her memory is that weak. Team Fun seemed pretty up beat over all.
Wrap Up
BD: This has been quite the journey. To meet on the show as strangers, connect immediately, become close friends and do it again is real awesome to see play out. And never forget they got Phil to rap
KB: Their end of episode rap as really bad and it was hilarious.
As someone who has made amazing friends by watching reality tv, it sounds amazing to have gone on a tv show and made a friend like that. The Perfect Strangers season was a very weird one, but it produced Team Fun and that team is enough for it be one of my favourites
BD: A weird but fun season (no pun intended). I really believe they will play for a third time if the show survives
KB: I really hope so too. Becca is one of the toughest, strongest women who have raced and Floyd is a fucking delight
BD: Agreed on both fronts. They bring joy to the show and that is needed. We have a two hour finale next week
KB: I’m hopeful we lose the Afghanimals
BD: I think we will. Who is winning the season though? In the preseason we both predicted Tyler and Korey
KB: I could see anyone except the Afghanimals winning
BD: Yeah, there is a case for three teams. I like Tyler and Korey but I find myself rooting for Colin and Christie to take it all.
KB: I feel like Tyler & Korey were robbed in their season but they don’t feel like they’ve had a big edit
BD: They don’t have the same story as Colin and Christie or the ups and downs as Nicole and Victor. They are just really good
KB: And really fun
BD: Agreed
KB: But we haven’t really been shown their defeat in the first season, or given a sense of growth and redemption
BD: It will be interesting to see how it plays out
KB: I still see the Afghanimals coming 4th!
BD: Poor Pablo. But yay for you not having to eat your hat. I don’t think BJ would’ve wanted to cover for you under those grave circumstances.
KB: No probably not. also I did say “finale” not top 3? am I safe?
BD: You are.
KB: woohooo!
BD: My music recommendation of the week is Amber Mark. She’s been in my ear a lot lately and hopefully in everyone else’s ears soon
Also there is this…
Fucking love London. Finding the weird spots! pic.twitter.com/5p3lVg1p5F
— Aurora McCreary (@AuroraMcCreary) June 22, 2019
KB: I would never go to Ballieballerson a) because it’s got a name I find really annoying and B) it’s full of twats and the balls are covered in god knows what.
BD: I had the pleasure of meeting Aurora at the Survivor finale. She was amazing and amazed I would fly from to NY to LA to go
KB: She seems lovely but it’s such a cheesy terrible spot in London.
BD: At one point the Trustcluster tried to convince her and her friend to ditch the finale after party to go to a club that was having a lesbian night. So I shouldn’t go there when I eventually come to visit you?
KB: Nah, we’ll get my friend Bea to give us all the best cocktail bars and do a tour She’s industry royalty. We can then do all the awesome tourist stuff I’ve never done because I live here
KB: That sounds super fun. I’m all about seeing different cocktail bars. I’ve many cocktails in the last two days and I don’t plan on that stopping tomorrow when I’m watching England v Cameroon.
KB: well jel
World Cup Chat
BD: Yes, we are onto the knockout stages of the World Cup. USA plays Spain on Monday. With maybe France on the horizon
KB: That’s going to be easy. Spain have been wildly disappointing, with a striker like Hermosa they have no attacking quality. France v USA will be fun.
BD: That is a can’t miss game. We have the premiere of Big Brother on Tuesday and the season is already a shit show
KB: if the winner of the whole thing isn’t in that QF I don’t know how. I like the Netherlands but they can’t defend to save their lives and as fun as Italy have been they don’t look quite up there. Germany I suppose is the other option, solid, boring Germany.
BD: And your squad?
KB: I just did a very big sigh. I think that the manager is playing some players due to reputation rather than current form and quality. There is a line up I would like to see and it includes a couple of younger players who are on top form but not known quantities. He is playing Parris out of position to fit in Kirby who has been anonymous. And that means Beth Mead ends up on the left or bench despite coming into the tournament in the form of her life
KB: And you think that will eventually come back to bite them
BD: I think when we come up against a quality team we may be in a lot of trouble
KB: I’d love to be wrong. I love this squad. Bunch of absolute legends. I just don’t rate the manager. He got the job despite never having managed any team ever. He is an ex-England international. Seems like a wonderful guy though, really good man manager, just no tactical nous
BD: I’m off to go eat at the Cheesecake Factory.
