Up, Up & A (Wrong) -way!

... Spoiler Alert! ... Spoiler Alert! ...


If you haven't yet seen (and you intend to see) episode 8 of The Amazing Race Series 8 - Family Edition (TAR 8), do not read any further!


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The last TAR 8 episode we saw here in Australia ended with the Bransen family being the last team to reach the pit stop but the second team to be saved from elimination on the Family Edition of the show. The pit stop was located at Fort McDowell, on the Yavapai Reservation in Arizona, USA.

For the record, this was the order in which the teams reached Phil on the mat last episode, and the order in which they started this leg of the race:


1. The Godlewski Family
2. The Weaver Family
3. The Linz Family
4. The Paolo Family
5. The Bransen Family


Note: If you're already ahead of this point in the series, please refrain from giving any spoilers in your comments. Thank you.

As always, I’ll provide my thoughts on each team in this episode, listing them in the order in which they arrived at the pit stop at the end of the episode (hence the 'Spoiler Alert!').



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1. The Godlewski Family


I really didn’t think these girls deserved to come in first place for this leg (but then, which team really deserved it? There are hardly any ‘deserving’ or likeable teams left in the race anymore). It was amusing to note that elder sisters Michelle and Sharon were arguing within seconds of starting out, and their delayed arrival at the Fighter Combat International at Arizona’s Gateway Airport almost cost them any chance of reaching the pit stop in first place (because once the first three teams were separated in the first round of fighter pilot challenges, the last two never had a chance to catch up – and the Godlewski girls arrived at the airport just in time to secure the third of the five available fighter jets the following morning). It was interesting to how these girls (as well s the Linz family) have completely shunned the Weaver family, but despite how much the Weavers may ‘deserve’ it, that kind of rudeness is never called for – and it never makes those dishing it out to look very charitable or friendly.



2. The Linz Family


Probably the stupidest thing the Linz family has gone so far was telling the cop who’d stopped them that they were racing other cars to get to their destination. Man, I wish they’d been ticketed! When the Godlewski girls asked the Weavers how they’d managed to find the airport before them, they answered, “We’re smart”, to which one of the Linz boys muttered under his breath, “No”. It was a bit cruel (but I’d probably do it myself as well, in the same position) for the Linz boys to try to ‘psych out’ Brian Paolo before he completed the plane road block (and by the way, I think that plane challenge – where the family member in question had to take control of the plane themselves to complete the loop – is possibly the single best challenge that’s ever been set for anyone on TAR ever! It’s right up there, anyway. It rocked!). In a way, I’m glad that the Godlewski girls found a faster speedboat (or had less weight in their boat so they could overtake the Linz family on the final stretch to Phil on the mat), because I think I’d prefer the lesser of the two evils (the Godlewskis) to be the ones who are rewarded for their efforts.



3. The Weaver Family


Again, the Weavers managed to prove my point about remaining in the front half of the pack (despite various extra psychological barriers, such as the very evident loathing being leveled at them from most of the other teams). My hat’s off to them for that. And they did the navigating task well. But there was a lot in this episode that angered me about the Weavers. First, they continued to bitch and complain about the other teams (although not without due cause). Second, they made matters worse by refusing to tell the Linz family where the numbered tokens were at the Fighter Combat International at Arizona’s Gateway Airport despite the fact that they could have helped their cause a little and come across as friendly for once. Third, the girls throwing rubbish out their car window at the Godlewski family’s car (although not intended to be mean, but rather playful) was seen as childish littering and inappropriate behaviour. Fourth, their prank at the Grand Canyon asking the ticket booth attendant to stall the Linz family behind them (harmless fun, really) went down very badly when the attendant told the Linzes that the car in front was “talking a lot of smack” about them – and the Linz family had a further reason to hate the Weavers (again, not a worthy reason in reality, but appearing so from their limited viewpoint). Fifth, when the teams were all flooding into the glass doors of the dam foyer and selecting a guide, the Weavers instead asked for the restrooms (not really their fault if they had to go, but the disbelieving “Are you serious?” from the guide was a classic). And finally (this is the bit that actually made all the above seem too much), the teary whinge to Phil at the mat about the other teams being mean was fair enough, but the line, “We’re the only team trying to live a Christian life” was shown for the hypocritical piousness that it was, in relation to them throwing rubbish at other teams, not telling them where the numbered tokens are, and generally gossiping and backstabbing them as much as the other teams are doing to them. Still, that being said, they’ve never actually tried to ’bully’ another team (despite the rest of them bullying the Weavers at one point or another – some repeatedly), and when you’re constantly reminded that everyone else hates you and you’re completely on your own, such feelings of being unfairly cast as the underdog can often justify such despair. I speak from experience.



4. The Bransen Family


I think I may have slept through every section of footage that featured the Bransen family. They are just toooooo boring!! Although I did note that the starting time the Bransens had (12:14am) was considerably later than the starting time the Paolo family had (12:06am), indicating that when the Paolos told the Bransens to put all their clothes on before stepping on the mat last week, there may actually have been something in it as far as delaying the Bransens was concerned. But in the end, it wasn’t enough to save the Paolos. (Oh, and the image of Wally Bransen lurking in the dark of the casino carpark while his three daughters use their ‘feminine charms’ – a phrase that always unsettles me by its implications – beg for money at the start of the leg was a bit disconcerting. It made me feel as though he was somehow ‘pimping’ them off for cash, or something. It was a little creepy – but necessary, yes.)



5. The Paolo Family: ELIMINATED!


It’s disappointing to see this hilarious family leave the series. They really were the life of the party, as evidenced by the ad for next week’s episode (the footage they showed of one of the Godlewski girls stumbling on the rock edge and the Linz boy skiing into the water was probably an indication that all the ‘pizzazz’ has gone out of the game, now that they’ve left. I must say it was good to finally hear Tony Paolo raise his voice at someone in his family, but I didn’t think it’d be Marion on the receiving end when he finally yelled at someone. He turned on her in a surprisingly snappy response to her harmless musing that they might be heading to the airport to go on a helicopter ride (“Yeah, ‘helicopter ride’ – they’d make it fun for you. What are you, nuts?”). Whoa, nelly. Such derision leveled at your wife while all the rude behaviour of your sons goes unchecked? No wonder they’re turning into disrespecting little pigs. The brotherly support DJ showed to Brian when the latter was in the plane was very touching (“He better not screw up; I want the clue!” … and then … “He stuffed it up! He did it too fast, like a clown.”), and his temper later (once they realised they were dead last) brought a new level of resentment towards one another to the surface, as evidenced in the following tableaux:

Marion: Don’t yell at me; I’ll take your frickin’ head off.

DJ: Ma, this is a big river. I could drown you here and one one’d ever find your body.

Marion: Just you try it.

(I should point out, though, that this exchange was followed by Marion laughing, which indicates that they were indeed just playing around. But they’re dangerous words to use and I sometimes wonder if they forgot that the cameras were constantly rolling, capturing everything they did and said.) Anyway, the biggest mistake the Paolos made was allowing the panic of the situation to overcome them. While they were still equal-last with the Bransens, they chose not to stop and ask for directions, and instead went off Tony’s poorly assessed navigating to find their way to the Grand Canyon, taking a highway that took them well out of their way and cemented their position at the back of the pack. They should have stopped to ask. This was also compounded by the bickering and yelling and outright anger demonstrated by the family (primarily DJ yelling at his mother) as their speedboat approached the houseboat that contained the pit stop. It was quite startling to witness and more than a little ridiculous at that point to be so angry with each other (although, perhaps their embarrassment was just making it worse for everyone).


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I have to point out that the way the last few legs of this race have been put together has left a lot to be desired. I’ve noticed on at least three occasions that certain tasks or methods of breaking up the pack (be it through bus rides, fighter pilots exercises, etc) actually make it nigh-on impossible for the teams at the back to have any hope whatsoever of catching up and avoiding elimination. Many of the legs have favoured those already I the lead. Now, I’m happy for this to be the case if the teams at the front are staying at the front due to their own skill and even good fortune, but if they’re constantly in first, second and third position (out of five or more places) due solely to the other teams being unable to make up the time difference thanks to the way the producers have arranged that leg of the race, then that’s just not cricket. I think I can see why so many Americans (and viewers from other countries who’ve already seen this season) had a bad taste in their mouths about it. Between the ‘family’ idea seeming less exciting, and the ‘they barely leave the US’ thing, you’ve also got a rarely-changing leadership in the race, as well as a group of families that were largely the least likeable (if that makes sense). I’d love for the Linz family to be eliminated next (simply because they’re bullies, as I’ve said plenty of times before), although they’re actually my tip for the family who’ll take out the million dollars. I can live with that; apart from their bullying, they’re a great team and I can tell they’d be fun people in real life.



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Last week's tips:

First Team: The Linz family (Wrong)
Last Team: The Paolo family Correct!
Yield? No Correct!
Fast Forward? No Correct!
Elimination Week? Yes Correct!
Biggest Argument: The Paolo family Correct!
Smartest Team: The Linz family Correct! (Only their slower speedboat at the very end cost them first place)


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Next week's tips:

First Team: The Linz family.
Last Team: The Weaver family.
Yield? No.
Fast Forward? No.
Elimination Week? No.
Biggest Argument: The Godlewski family.
Smartest Team: The Linz family.


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