The Amazing Race Review: A Sad Day

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Watching the end of this week’s leg of The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business I now know what it must feel like to have to choose between your two children: awful. 

The reality that the cowboys were going to be towards the back of the pack, if not last, was evident very early after Jet messed up the Roadblock.  However, we were able to dream that another team would get U-Turned as well and Jet and Cord could use their speed to make up ground, pass a team and avoid a last place finish. 

Jet and Cord Ride In a Boat

As the Detour wore on, however, it became obvious that a worst case scenario was developing.  The cowboys would be U-Turned, alright.  But one by one each of the teams I wanted to see forced to do the other half of the challenge - Kent and Vyxsin, Kisha and Jen or Gary and Mallory – skated by the double U-Turn without doing anything. 

The only option which remained was U-Turning the Globetrotters. This didn’t help our emotional conundrum; with the cowboys, they’re the two most popular teams and we were guaranteed one would go home. It was truly a sad episode.

Flight Time and Big Easy can’t be blamed for U-turning the cowboys, they had no other choice.  They even commented that they didn’t want to send Jet and Cord to the other challenge, but felt they had no option.

The real problem with the episode was the format of the leg.  By placing the Double U-Turn last, a lot of the drama was removed from the leg.  The first few teams that arrived at the Double U-Turn knew they were done with challenges, knew there were teams behind them and didn’t want to make enemies when they didn’t need it.

Let’s hop in the time travel machine and go back to the fifth leg of the race.  Remember when Flight Time and Big Easy and Jaime and Cara were both U-Turned, but each had an opportunity to come back during the Roadblock?  The twist of the Roadblock after the Detour kept the leading teams uncertain of their spot and led to an earlier U-Turning.  Without that pressure this week, no one needed to U-Turn.

The real tragedy this week is that a terrible team like Kent and Vyxsin go on while one of the best teams of all time, Jet and Cord, are sent home.  I should clarify: Vyxsin is certainly worthy, but Kent is not. 

Kent and Vyxsin Carry a Couch

Two weeks ago he showed us a bad side of himself and hasn’t done much to redeem himself in the legs since then.  This week was no exception as Kent bitched and whined his way through the Detour.  The task of delivering luggage was too taxing for the skinny man.  Never mind that four other women, including one team of only women and his partner, Vyxsin, all managed to complete the task without complaining.

The cherry on top (or whatever the negative version of that saying is) was Kent once again lacking any sort of pride and allowing Vyxsin to carry him in the cart at the end of the Detour.  Perhaps even more confusing was her acceptance at doing so and subsequent praise of his fortitude on the challenge.  Are we missing something?

In the end, we lose one of our favorite teams, Jet and Cord.  Below is a quick eulogy of the cowboys.

Two time The Amazing Race runners, brothers Jet and Cord were best known by the nickname “The Cowboys” and for their signature cowboy hats.  Revered for their never-say-die spirit, Jet and Cord’s time on each appearance on The Amazing Race ended sooner than it should.  The pair was revered for their unflappable kindness and civility, regardless of the circumstances.  One of the most feared teams ever to run the race, the pair ends their The Amazing Race careers with several leg victories and countless hearts of women all over America, but no titles.

More from this episode:

  • Zev absolutely killed it this week.  If you need reminding, check out our quotes section.
  • Is anyone else annoyed at the faux build-up that the producers like to lay on us to create drama where none exists?  This week moves such as not showing us what train the cowboys got on or trying to make it seem like Jet and Cord were close to catching Flight Time and Big Easy when it was unlikely they were close.  The last scenario illustrates the problem with this editing ploy: we’re now jaded and don’t believe what we’re seeing.  We’ll never know if the Cowboys actually got close to Flight Time and Big Easy.
  • I’ve been meaning to mention this for a while: Jen looks like a female version of Rajon Rondo.  I’m not sure who that’s more insulting to.
  • Watching Zev and Justin force down the cheese fondue was really disgusting.  I found it very hard to watch by the end.

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The Amazing Race Season 18 Episode 9 Quotes

Lichtenstein, almost sounds like a fake country.

Justin

We've won more legs than anyone.

Justin