Hah! Speaking of games... the official site has (a rather vanilla) one: http://abc.go.com/shows/expedition-impossible/game

LAST EDITED ON 06-24-11 AT 09:09 AM (EST)

Thirteen teams of 3 each begin the Expedition to the shots of Moroccan mounted rifles. We get the hint they're there by some sort of special permission of the local warlord.

We're told the last team to arrive at the end of any of 10 "stages" (legs) will be eliminated. Teams are fairly easy to recognized because each team has its own clothing color/style. Lot of comments about the high socks worn by the Fab 3.

Already, just in the first climb up a huge sand dune, we're seeing the first fly drop -- and it's not a gal, it's an athletic guy, an Afro-American in the Country Boys team (bet he doesn't listen to country).

At "Checkpoint" 1, the Latin Persuasion gals start by dragging their packs in the sand when there are camels to carry the load. "This is not a beauty pageant, it's a competition", one of them says. Finally, they get properly mounted (this is no code). Well, duh. It can't get worse than this, can it?

It does. Seems like quite a few folks are getting their brains baked in the 100^o desert and start acting irrationally. One team decides to start digging holes in the sand without any obvious clue as to where to dig apart from where tents are pitched. Ding, ding, ding! There's water about 3 feet down, although it doesn't look palatable.

After the dig-a-hole-in-the-sand-for-water task, the next checkpoint comes after a long climb through rough, rocky terrain with a bit of rope work, ending with a 300' rappelling drop. The thirteen teams eventually break up into three clumps, with about four or five teams per group. One sprained ankle and party's over, so they take it slow. And anyone who hasn't practiced rope work is going to be a seriously liability as one team (Mom's Army, I think) finds out.

After visiting a small camp of Moroccans playing with snakes, two paths lead out, with teams choosing the path instructions based depending on how many snakes they count. One route is correct, the other route eventually leads to a hand-painted Wrong Way sign. Of the first group of four teams, No Limits team misses the snake count and takes the wrong path and has to reverse course.

Some teams make it before nightfall, some don't. There's no bunch points on this course, so the front-running teams tend to stay there, the lagging teams continue to fall behind. Latin Persuasion and Grandpa's Warriors are out there hiking in the dark with flashlights mounted on their heads, and the Latin gals are about to shut down on the trail. And they end up last.

"You're the last team to arrive cross the finish line. I'm sorry to tell you your Expedition is over and you're going home".

Next week the adventure continues with wild horses and gushing river rapids.

LAST EDITED ON 06-24-11 AT 00:10 AM (EST)

You have to filter the water through the cloth that Team Fab 3 (the lead team -- and also the knee-high socks team, made up of two gay guys and the younger sister of one of them) was using when you put it into the jug. That takes out most of the sand and makes the water much clearer. I noted that some of the teams didn't seem to use that cloth.

Interestingly, the show implied that the water was given to the "thirsty camels" at that point, but it didn't really show it.

The show owes a LOT to Eco-Challenge, except for the presence of the totally amateur teams.

There was one shot of a camel with a muddy muzzle.

I'm kinda liking this, the Latinas are pretty funny. And the Teal team (Tribe needs to tune in) seem to be pretty savvy.

LAST EDITED ON 06-23-11 AT 10:12 PM (EST)

Yeah, I'm kinda liking it too. There are a few teams I like, and a few I wonder what the heck they're doing out there.

Unlike Amazing Race, there aren't any bunch points, so they tend to stretch out more and run in packs of teams. It's definitely a physical challenge and while it's not too dangerous, any stupid moves can result in an injury serious enough to halt and eliminate the team. Hiking in the dark in that kind of terrain is risky business.

My guess is that they hiked maybe at most 5 miles. Sounds short, but they may not have averaged even half a mile an hour on that course with the very rough terrain, climbs, rappelling, in some cases darkness, and the stops along the way.

LAST EDITED ON 06-23-11 AT 10:38 PM (EST)

Did you notice? There were a number of teams that weren't wearing hats?

So you go to Morocco for a survival competition in the Sahara, and you don't bring a hat? Or if you have one, you don't put it on?

Both no hats -- and in some cases, where serious rope work was being done, no helmets and/or pads. Seems like some teams thought this was going to be a walk up the beach along Highway 101. Notably, I didn't see anyone drinking water (maybe it's just the edit), but in that kind of weather (hot, dry), it's easy to get dehydrated.

I used to think those guys that showed up for Survivor in suits were idiots, but these people take the cake.

Yeah, the helmets. I suppose they have to backpack all their safety gear? I always wondered about it with AR too, do they hump all their winter/summer gear (boots, parkas, etc) throughout the whole race?

It's pretty easy to see which teams will be weeded out early.

It's been 30 minutes and I'm looking at picking up the People magazine on the coffee table about the royal wedding...

This better pick up a bit -

The Latina team was the weakest link, but it looks like quite a few of these teams are going to struggle. I knew the Country Boys weren't going to let the Latinas beat them, even back at the start when we saw the one Country Boy almost quit.

This reminds me a lot of the way Mark Burnett predicted that Survivor would be. The weaker, less fit, less clever contestants (Richard Hatch, Sue Hawk) get weeded out, while the fit and competent ones (Gretchen Cordy) continue on. For Burnett, the advantage here is that there is no way that a "freaks and geeks" coalition like Hatch's "Tagi 4" could survive.

Yes I kinda like it, although I think it will improve when there are fewer teams to follow.

A few of the teams only seem to have one member so far, hopefully they will start to show the rest of the individuals soon.

Quote of the night was either "They look like a dance group" or "Why are their socks so high"

And the Teal team seems to be pretty savvy.

...as us teal "team" members often are.
I love that the knee highs are a distraction for other teams. (and even the locals, it would seem).

I like Fab 3, I also like the Gypsies. Can't help but root for team No Limits. So this 1st episode worked out great for me.

BTW when did wigs become a "Teal" accessory? Not a part of the stereotype I was aware of

Enjoyed watching the interplay between the people, which is what the premise of most non-singing reality shows are about. But I hated that it was so much like TAR, a little like Survivor, and the host was just booooooring.

Will just have to wait and see how it goes. It was definitely a no brainer that the Latinas were going to head out. Did NOT realize they'd be escorted on a private red jet. Now THAT is interesting and a new twist.

I guess for the lack of summer-time entertainment, can't be too bad, but I personally miss The Mole, and think that the 'reward' really sucks!

I liked Fab 3 and Gypsies, too.

Makes me proud to be gay that ours went, "well, duh. Dig for the water." More than ticked me off that the Football Players basically ripped off the water, when I doubt they would have been able to figure it out.

...is no Phil Keoghan. He's not even a Colby Donaldson.

Also, would it kill them to have a female host?

Thanks to tribephyl for the sigpic!

>Also, would it kill them to have a female host?

I hear Tammy Leitner's available. She's certainly fit enough for the part.

Not sure if she's still bitter about being booted by Neleh and Paschal, though.

Hey, how about having Neleh and Tammy co-host? That would spice things up.

There's a lamppost across the street from my house that has more personality.

Thanks to tribephyl for the sigpic!

You really think that Neleh has the voice suited to host a TV show?! Or the personality?

Tammy, of course, is a star TV reporter, so she wouldn't have any problem.

The Neleh reference was to how much Tammy hated Neleh at the end of Survivor: Marquesas.

I can picture Neleh running for her life through the desert, screaming "Oh My Heck!" as Tammy caught up to her. . .

the newslines will read...

"Salmoni flounders!"

or maybe...

"Baked Salmoni Oaf."

Wow. Dead air would have been better at moments. This guy came off as charmless.

He also came off as being amateurish as well as charmless, right to the end. Here he is clapping and waving and telling Grandpa's team and the Latinos (the last two teams) to hustle up to the finish line after a grueling night hike, as if they were just moseying around. It's as they made him late for a dinner date somewhere. He showed no real sympathy for the eliminated team, either, not giving them much of a chance to say anything at the end (this could be the edit, but I suspect they didn't want to talk to him anyway).

and he has no eyebrow moves or good golf equipment

Let's just have him show up this way...

then it won't matter if he opens his mouth or not.

I can see him showing up in one of your siggies.

A slightly more revealing shot:

I can honestly say, that doesn't make me like him any better.

Thanks to tribephyl for the sigpic!
Yes, he's a barfcake.

I thought real men don't wear girdles?

that came out on Wednesday about the blind Jeff Evans from the No Limits team.

LAST EDITED ON 06-24-11 AT 03:17 PM (EST)

Is a PTTE for this show Expedition Impossible?

PTTE Picks to the End

Please put your lists in for how you think the remaining teams will be eliminated

You can change your WILL GO list but each week you change it it will cost you +4 pts.

You get points each week for how far you are from the actual eliminations. So you don't want points in this game.

The (Remaining 12) Teams

The Country Boys
Grandpa's Warriors
California Girls
The Fisherman
Team Kansas
NY Firemen
No Limits
Mom's Army
Fab 3
The Gypsies
The Cops
The Football Players

ETA Deadline to join is BEFORE the 2nd episode airs on Thursday 6/30/11 9pm EDT

My best guess!

12. Mom's Army
11. Grandpa's Warriors
10. Team Kansas
9. NY Firemen
8. California Girls
7. The Cops
6. The Fisherman
5. The Country Boys
4. The Football Players
3. The Gypsies
2. Fab 3
1. No Limits

A fairly random scattering!

12. Grandpa's Warriors
11. Team Kansas
10. The Country Boys
9. NY Firemen
8. Mom's Army
7. The Football Players
6. Fab 3
5. California Girls
4. The Cops
3. No Limits
2. The Fisherman
1. The Gypsies

It could only be a Tribe