Amazing Race - Season 22

[tinkwest]

I had a feeling that cheese was going to be Chuck and Wynona's undoing. Their departure was inevitable.

[Melanie]

Well, defending Chuck in the past now seems to be unwise on my part. He knew he came on the race with someone unfit to run it, so the harshness last night was extra uncalled for in my book. Wow, she climbed out on a six inch ledge, 10K feet in the air and he could barely muster a 'good job'.

Strange to say, I've softened just a tiny bit to the newlyweds, although I found it hilarious the difficulty she was having getting up that mountain. Those teams behind her sure were more patient than I'd have been. On the other hand, I have NOT softened to Joey. I wish he'd just cut the dramatics. You could see his 'real' self and hear his real voice at the mat when they thought they were eliminated. The act is old.

[PirateLover]

On the other hand, I have NOT softened to Joey. I wish he'd just cut the dramatics. You could see his 'real' self and hear his real voice at the mat when they thought they were eliminated. The act is old.

I agree, his personality towards the end and up to the mat seemed so genuine. Even though he doesn't bug me as much as everyone else (probably because I've known a few of those types being a theater kid), that *real* side of him is much more palatable than the "AHHH!!! THE CHEESE!!! MY CHEEESSEE!!" side.

[JanetMegan]

Dang it, I thought those rednecks were going to pull it out. I knew they weren't long for the race but Joey annoys me to NO end. Screaming like a little girl with the cheese made me want to

I guess I'm rooting for the hockey guys...I'm not super thrilled with any of the teams left but they seem to be deserving?

[Melanie]

This is definitely a season of unlikable folks. I know everyone will scream "alpha males!" if Bates and Anthony win, but oh well. I've liked them since the beginning and think they deserve the win.

[Ian]

I'm good with Bates & Anthony winning. They're running the best race and they deserve it, IMO. That being said, I doubt they will. Seems like the front-runners don't usually win on TAR. Although with such a weak second tier they may win just by default.

Glad to see Whine-ona gone. I found her incredibly irritating. I like Chuck, but she was too much.

[PirateLover]

No comments on this week? That "fun house" was pretty...weird. I think I would've done OK because there weren't any people jumping out, but what a nightmare if you're claustrophobic! I have to admit I was bracing for a Bates and Anthony elimination. I thought they were going to get penalized because at one point I'm pretty sure they were in a taxi, and everyone else seemed to be driving everywhere. But then they seemed to have their car back in the end.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

I've been very disappointed in the roadblocks. At one point a lot of teams had disparities between roadblock completions, at one time I think Chuck had 5 to Whine-ona's one. It seems like they are serving up pretty easy roadblocks of late. I had hoped the roadblocks would weed out the weaker teams.

-Dig for the Scorpion
-Transport goats by water taxi
-Scale the Eiger
-Walk thru the scary fun house

Really, of the last 4 roadblocks, only the transporting the goats while poling the water taxi had any real chance of failure. The other three that I mention were pretty much hard to fail (granted the Eiger might have been scary, but again hard to fail).

I've liked Bates and Anthony from the beginning, but at best, in the overall scheme of things, they are a middling to average team. They only appear stronger in comparison to the weak field this year. They've shown a lot of weakness when it comes to directions and I've got a feeling it will be their undoing.

A season of incredible locations, but I think its setting up to be a very disappointing finish (just my feeling - no spoiler) in what will be remembered as a sub par season.

[JanetMegan]

I agree, after a fantastic start and some amazing locales it's really gotten sort of blah. Can't believe the boys lost or had one of their bags stolen as well?

[Granny Jill A]

I'm glad this was a non-elimination round. Gives everyone a chance to move forward. Still rooting for Hockey Bros., and oddly, the just-married couple. They are kind of growing on me as they work through their relationship.

Love the Fun House in Germany. Also love the fact that you can almost always find an English speaker in the crowd.

Did you laugh when some of the racers couldn't answer the "tear down this wall" question?

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

I agree, after a fantastic start and some amazing locales it's really gotten sort of blah. Can't believe the boys lost or had one of their bags stolen as well?

I was going to go back and rewatch the train scene, then forgot and deleted it. I thought when Bates was looking for his bag the camera kept panning to an overhead rack, like maybe someone moved it from the floor to an overhead bin. Didn't seem like he was looking all that hard for it. Fortunately he had his travel documents on his person.

Only two episodes (3 legs) left. Finale on the 5th will be two hours again.

[PirateLover]

Did you laugh when some of the racers couldn't answer the "tear down this wall" question?

Oh yeah! I couldn't believe that not one of them was certain about those questions. They were gimmies in my opinion. They all chose right in the end, but no one was really sure about it!

Hitchhiking Ghost, does any season/seasons stand out in your mind? I feel that it has been a common complaint among the veteran viewers that the past few seasons have been lacking. I went back and started watching season 1, and while there is plenty of contestant drama, the challenges are a total joke. Find this statue...locate this monument... It seems like they had to do a lot more self-navigating than they do in the recent seasons, though. Also, It's interesting to see how much the show has grown/changed over the years.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

Hitchhiking Ghost, does any season/seasons stand out in your mind? I feel that it has been a common complaint among the veteran viewers that the past few seasons have been lacking. I went back and started watching season 1, and while there is plenty of contestant drama, the challenges are a total joke. Find this statue...locate this monument... It seems like they had to do a lot more self-navigating than they do in the recent seasons, though. Also, It's interesting to see how much the show has grown/changed over the years.

Pirate Lover - the first season I watched was season 6 and fortunately at the time we had cable with the GSN network that was for a period of a couple years rerunning seasons 1-5, so we were able to catch up with all the past seasons.

For me, I tend to look at season 1-9 (minus 8) as the golden years, then 10-current as good, but just not the same.

Some of it, like with Survivor, is just over familiarity with the format and revisiting same locations. But I think it comes down to that the early seasons, as you mentioned, had much more self navigation, which is much more conducive to teams excelling and failing. There was much more positional movement within legs in those early seasons. I also think that in general the teams were just much more interesting and easier to relate to. I'm willing to bet that more teams now are recruited vs. coming from applications, combine that with the requisite profiling (need the old team, the dating team, the best friends, the gay team, the fighting team etc) and the result of late have been lackluster teams (this season especially).

Seasons 1-9 I can name off so many favorite teams, The clowns, Wonder Twins, Ken-Girard, Zach and Flo, Wil and Tara, Colin and Christie, Team Cha-cha-cha, Myrna and Shmyrna, Teri and Ian, Blake and Page, Momily, Guidos, Kris and Jon, Jon Vito and Jill (wifes favorite team), Kevin and Drew, Romber, Frat Boys and Hippies and on and on, teams I really loved or loved to hate.

Now, there might be one team I really like or really hate, but as a collective, just not there. This season, I thought Pam and Winnie or Bates and Anthony would be good, but really they were average at best.

I think in the past challenges were a lot better, and they were designed better as well. I liked that they had fast forwards on every leg and it was strategic when to use them. Not a fan of the u-turn or the double u-turn that they employ now.

Not really certain what my favorite season would be, probably 2, 3 or 6 (being our first) and maybe 9. Season 2 arguably had the greatest finish of any season.

[PirateLover]

Thanks for the info! I watched all of season 1 already and am onto season 2. One thing I like about these earlier seasons is seeing the development of relationships. It seems like they don't let the teams hang out together between legs anymore because often they have no clue who came in what place. But maybe they just don't show it. Again, I am a big fan of the self-navigation. Wish they were forced to do that more.

Now, this week's episode. I'm sure most of you are thrilled that the YouTubers are gone! I was a little sad to see them go and here's why: I think they and the Roller Derby girls were treated unfairly by the other teams ever since they found out about their alliance, and how hypocritical is that? When they thought they were on the first flight, one of the blondes made a biting remark out of jealousy along the lines of "Go ahead and do a dance, you know you want to." Well duh, who wouldn't want to dance if you thought you were beating a team by 4 hours? Then the other teams manage to get on the earliest flight after all.

While Joey can be grating, I think they were a really supportive of each other, which I always like. I still don't like Max and Katie because of their attitude at the start, so Bates and Anthony are really the only ones I'd like to see win.

[Granny Jill A]

Now, this week's episode. I'm sure most of you are thrilled that the YouTubers are gone! While Joey can be grating, I think they were a really supportive of each other, which I always like. I still don't like Max and Katie because of their attitude at the start, so Bates and Anthony are really the only ones I'd like to see win.

Of the YouTubers, I'm sorry to see her get kicked off because I liked her spirit. Too bad they can't have people vote to keep the nice half of a team .

Max and Katie are getting more tolerable, him more than her. Again, we should be able to vote off the obnoxious member and keep the one who's really trying hard.

Favs are still the Hockey Bros., but I do like the spunk of the Roller Derby girls.

[MNNHFLTX]

Max and Katie are getting more tolerable, him more than her. Again, we should be able to vote off the obnoxious member and keep the one who's really trying hard.

Honestly I still don't care for either of them, but you're right, Kate is a lot harder to take than Max. I never knew anyone that can smile and sneer at the same time as much as she does. I'm just hoping that winning this leg of the race will make them overly confident so that they make a blunder next week. Conversely, I'm hoping that the hockey brothers will get competitive and step up their game in the finale.

Joey has got on my nerves here and there, but he's okay. Actually he was pretty fun to watch last week, as he went through that creepy maze.

[Ian]

I was glad to see the YouTubers go home. I found them incredibly annoying. There was something almost shrill and grating about their personalities that I just didn't care for.

Of the remaining teams, I'm actually okay with any of them winning. I think they've all run a good race and earned the right to be the final four.

[Melanie]

Of the remaining teams, I'm actually okay with any of them winning. I think they've all run a good race and earned the right to be the final four.

I'm pretty much in the same boat. As the season has progressed, besides the YouTubers, no one really bothers me. I am partial to Bates and Anthony though.

[PirateLover]

If anything, I'm excited to see from the preview that the finale is taking place at Mt. Vernon. DH and I visited there a few years ago for our anniversary. What a great location. I saw a few spoiler screen caps and it seems like they are doing some cool stuff in DC.

[Melanie]

If anything, I'm excited to see from the preview that the finale is taking place at Mt. Vernon. DH and I visited there a few years ago for our anniversary. What a great location. I saw a few spoiler screen caps and it seems like they are doing some cool stuff in DC.

YES, this! I screamed, 'that's Mt. Vernon!' and my son gave me the crazy look.