Episode 1-1: Sushi Roulette
One teammate stands at a roulette wheel with all the other Racers. The wheel is spun by a wacky Japanese game show host. They must eat the sushi that lands in front of them. Teams can only progress if the sushi is a wasabi bomb (very hot!), which must be eaten within 2 minutes.
Who? Ron, Cheyne, Garrett, Justin, Maria, Big Easy, Lance, Canaan, Brian, Gary, Dan

Episode 1-2: Duck Herding
Using only 2 flags on long poles, herd 150 ducks through a course and back to their pen.
Who? Meghan, Jessica, Ericka, Matt, Flight Time, Sam, Keri, Marcy, Mika, Tiffany, Zev

Episode 2: Chop Shop
Using the tools provided, break down 2 VCRs and sort the parts.
Who? Flight Time, Cheyne, Matt, Brian, Sam, Tiffany, Justin, Canaan, Lance, Ron

Episode 3: Perform Monkey Act
Wearing a mask and tail, complete 3 monkey manoeuvres.
Who? Zev, Dan, Flight Time, Ericka, Meghan, Gary, Keri, Maria, Canaan

Episode 4: Find Water
Fill a bag with water dipped using the provided ladle. Water will be found in urns buried somewhere out in the desert.
Who? Brian, Tiffany, Big Easy, Matt, Dan, Canaan, Lance
Meghan and Cheyne take the Fast Forward and skip to the Pit Stop.

Episode 5: Crack the Code
Row a dinghy out to a yacht and receive a watch. Use the watch to open a briefcase. The team member must figure out that the time on the watch is the combination to the briefcase.
Who? Cheyne, Brian, Gary, Big Easy, Dan, Tiffany, Canaan

Episode 6: Counting Bells
Run up and down the stairs in a tower counting the bells.
Who? Meghan, Sam, Flight Time, Matt, Tiffany, Ericka

*****

Tally

Brian....4
Ericka...3

Flight Time...4
Big Easy.......3

Sam...3
Dan....4

Gary...3
Matt...4

Meghan...3
Cheyne...3
Took the FF in Ep4.

*****

Eliminated Racers

Maria.....2
Tiffany...5

Mika.......1
Canaan...5

Lance....3
Keri.......2

Zev......2
Justin...2

Marcy....1
Ron.......2

Garrett...1
Jessica...1

Eric......0
Lisa......0

Discussion:

- Boring.

- Ericka mentioned that she had been running up and down the stairs for two hours.

- In case anyone was interested, her guesses were 43, 56, 57 and finally 62. Though we didn't actually *see* the number she had written and don't really know if the just let her have the clue out of pity.

Oh, I saw the "62" the final time she went up to the guy to ask if it was correct ... but yes, we didn't see her do the counting to total that one up, so for all we know, the producer said "to hell with it, it's 62."

Or she just could have stood there and written 58, then 59, then 60...on her little pieces of paper!

LOL
Like that would e.v.e.r happen on TAR

Couldn't she just count the keys where the player was? 1 Key = 1 Bell?

GO WINGS! 2008 Stanley Cup Champs!
sig JSlice and by IceCat, and bobble head by Tribephyl

You expect a CBS-recruited/casted person to have the brains to think of something like that?

It's just as well that Maria & Tiffany are goners.
Tiffany was having to do all of the roadblocks that were expected to be physical.
Maria was useless - at just about everything.

Episode 1-1: Sushi Roulette
One teammate stands at a roulette wheel with all the other Racers. The wheel is spun by a wacky Japanese game show host. They must eat the sushi that lands in front of them. Teams can only progress if the sushi is a wasabi bomb (very hot!), which must be eaten within 2 minutes.
Who? Ron, Cheyne, Garrett, Justin, Maria, Big Easy, Lance, Canaan, Brian, Gary, Dan

Episode 1-2: Duck Herding
Using only 2 flags on long poles, herd 150 ducks through a course and back to their pen.
Who? Meghan, Jessica, Ericka, Matt, Flight Time, Sam, Keri, Marcy, Mika, Tiffany, Zev

Episode 2: Chop Shop
Using the tools provided, break down 2 VCRs and sort the parts.
Who? Flight Time, Cheyne, Matt, Brian, Sam, Tiffany, Justin, Canaan, Lance, Ron

Episode 3: Perform Monkey Act
Wearing a mask and tail, complete 3 monkey manoeuvres.
Who? Zev, Dan, Flight Time, Ericka, Meghan, Gary, Keri, Maria, Canaan

Episode 4: Find Water
Fill a bag with water dipped using the provided ladle. Water will be found in urns buried somewhere out in the desert.
Who? Brian, Tiffany, Big Easy, Matt, Dan, Canaan, Lance
Meghan and Cheyne take the Fast Forward and skip to the Pit Stop.

Episode 5: Crack the Code
Row a dinghy out to a yacht and receive a watch. Use the watch to open a briefcase. The team member must figure out that the time on the watch is the combination to the briefcase.
Who? Cheyne, Brian, Gary, Big Easy, Dan, Tiffany, Canaan

Episode 6: Counting Bells
Run up and down the stairs in a tower counting the bells.
Who? Meghan, Sam, Flight Time, Matt, Tiffany, Ericka

Episode 7:
In a "Switchback" to season 6, one teammate must unroll bales of hay in a Swedish field until s/he finds a flag inside a bale.
Who? Meghan, Sam, Brian, Big Easy, Gary

*****

Tally

Brian....5
Ericka...3

Flight Time...4
Big Easy.......4

Sam...4
Dan....4

Gary...4
Matt...4

Meghan...4
Cheyne...3
Took the FF in Ep4.

*****

Eliminated Racers

Maria.....2
Tiffany...5

Mika.......1
Canaan...5

Lance....3
Keri.......2

Zev......2
Justin...2

Marcy....1
Ron.......2

Garrett...1
Jessica...1

Eric......0
Lisa......0

Discussion:

- OK, OK, OK, so Canaan would have done the bells, right? So can you see Mika doing this? *snort* So much whining, so little time.

- Poor Sam.

- Ericka is running out of tasks she can fob off on Brian.

- Lena and Kristy didn't get Philiminated until 2 hours after the last team had checked in. So when they let Gary continue for a couple hours, I had to wonder if they were being cruel and unusual again, or if it was a non-elim.

There's going to be a big spread of start times in the next episode thanks to needle in a haystack. Physically demanding and all, it really depends on pure luck in the end.

Episode 1-1: Sushi Roulette
One teammate stands at a roulette wheel with all the other Racers. The wheel is spun by a wacky Japanese game show host. They must eat the sushi that lands in front of them. Teams can only progress if the sushi is a wasabi bomb (very hot!), which must be eaten within 2 minutes.
Who? Ron, Cheyne, Garrett, Justin, Maria, Big Easy, Lance, Canaan, Brian, Gary, Dan

Episode 1-2: Duck Herding
Using only 2 flags on long poles, herd 150 ducks through a course and back to their pen.
Who? Meghan, Jessica, Ericka, Matt, Flight Time, Sam, Keri, Marcy, Mika, Tiffany, Zev

Episode 2: Chop Shop
Using the tools provided, break down 2 VCRs and sort the parts.
Who? Flight Time, Cheyne, Matt, Brian, Sam, Tiffany, Justin, Canaan, Lance, Ron

Episode 3: Perform Monkey Act
Wearing a mask and tail, complete 3 monkey manoeuvres.
Who? Zev, Dan, Flight Time, Ericka, Meghan, Gary, Keri, Maria, Canaan

Episode 4: Find Water
Fill a bag with water dipped using the provided ladle. Water will be found in urns buried somewhere out in the desert.
Who? Brian, Tiffany, Big Easy, Matt, Dan, Canaan, Lance
Meghan and Cheyne take the Fast Forward and skip to the Pit Stop.

Episode 5: Crack the Code
Row a dinghy out to a yacht and receive a watch. Use the watch to open a briefcase. The team member must figure out that the time on the watch is the combination to the briefcase.
Who? Cheyne, Brian, Gary, Big Easy, Dan, Tiffany, Canaan

Episode 6: Counting Bells
Run up and down the stairs in a tower counting the bells.
Who? Meghan, Sam, Flight Time, Matt, Tiffany, Ericka

Episode 7: Hay Bales
In a "Switchback" to season 6, one teammate must unroll bales of hay in a Swedish field until s/he finds a flag inside a bale.
Who? Meghan, Sam, Brian, Big Easy, Gary

Episode 8: Solve Secret Message
Choose a candelabra, which will have a room number on it. Find the room and the scroll therein. The next clue is on the scroll. The Racer must figure out that s/he needs to hold the paper in front of the candle to reveal the clue.
Who? Cheyne, Sam, Ericka, Flight Time, Matt

*****

Tally

Brian....5
Ericka...4

Flight Time...5
Big Easy.......4

Sam...5
Dan....4

Meghan...4
Cheyne...4
Took the FF in Ep4.

*****

Eliminated Racers

Gary...4
Matt...5

Maria.....2
Tiffany...5

Mika.......1
Canaan...5

Lance....3
Keri.......2

Zev......2
Justin...2

Marcy....1
Ron.......2

Garrett...1
Jessica...1

Eric......0
Lisa......0

Discussion:

The Swordfighter guys were having a lot of fun.

Candelabra. *sigh* and then Sam and Dan were looking for the "tovair" or whatever instead of a tower.

I think they were looking for a touver, thinking the w was two letters. And since Pitt Hermann aren't common words either, I can see how they thought they were looking for the 'Pitt Hermann Touver' Garden.

Episode 1-1: Sushi Roulette
One teammate stands at a roulette wheel with all the other Racers. The wheel is spun by a wacky Japanese game show host. They must eat the sushi that lands in front of them. Teams can only progress if the sushi is a wasabi bomb (very hot!), which must be eaten within 2 minutes.
Who? Ron, Cheyne, Garrett, Justin, Maria, Big Easy, Lance, Canaan, Brian, Gary, Dan

Episode 1-2: Duck Herding
Using only 2 flags on long poles, herd 150 ducks through a course and back to their pen.
Who? Meghan, Jessica, Ericka, Matt, Flight Time, Sam, Keri, Marcy, Mika, Tiffany, Zev

Episode 2: Chop Shop
Using the tools provided, break down 2 VCRs and sort the parts.
Who? Flight Time, Cheyne, Matt, Brian, Sam, Tiffany, Justin, Canaan, Lance, Ron

Episode 3: Perform Monkey Act
Wearing a mask and tail, complete 3 monkey manoeuvres.
Who? Zev, Dan, Flight Time, Ericka, Meghan, Gary, Keri, Maria, Canaan

Episode 4: Find Water
Fill a bag with water dipped using the provided ladle. Water will be found in urns buried somewhere out in the desert.
Who? Brian, Tiffany, Big Easy, Matt, Dan, Canaan, Lance
Meghan and Cheyne take the Fast Forward and skip to the Pit Stop.

Episode 5: Crack the Code
Row a dinghy out to a yacht and receive a watch. Use the watch to open a briefcase. The team member must figure out that the time on the watch is the combination to the briefcase.
Who? Cheyne, Brian, Gary, Big Easy, Dan, Tiffany, Canaan

Episode 6: Counting Bells
Run up and down the stairs in a tower counting the bells.
Who? Meghan, Sam, Flight Time, Matt, Tiffany, Ericka

Episode 7: Hay Bales
In a "Switchback" to season 6, one teammate must unroll bales of hay in a Swedish field until s/he finds a flag inside a bale.
Who? Meghan, Sam, Brian, Big Easy, Gary

Episode 8: Solve Secret Message
Choose a candelabra, which will have a room number on it. Find the room and the scroll therein. The next clue is on the scroll. The Racer must figure out that s/he needs to hold the paper in front of the candle to reveal the clue.
Who? Cheyne, Sam, Ericka, Flight Time, Matt

Episode 9: Find Mandolin
Find a tiny mandolin (in its case) hidden somewhere at the Estates Theatre in Prague.
Who? Cheyne, Big Easy, Dan, Ericka

*****

Tally

Brian....5
Ericka...5

Flight Time...5
Big Easy.......5

Sam...5
Dan....5

Meghan...4
Cheyne...5
Took the FF in Ep4.

*****

Eliminated Racers

Gary...4
Matt...5

Maria.....2
Tiffany...5

Mika.......1
Canaan...5

Lance....3
Keri.......2

Zev......2
Justin...2

Marcy....1
Ron.......2

Garrett...1
Jessica...1

Eric......0
Lisa......0

Discussion:

- A search task?! Seriously?! A gorgeous theatre like that with so much history and they do a search task? Holy heck.

- I dislike search tasks.

- "Who can remain composed under pressure" is a lousy clue. I had seriously hoped for something involving music. But hahahaha No.

- I did like Don Giovanni.

- Did no-one know what a mandolin looks like? They were bringing all kinds of things up there, including a full-sized violin. Violin... mandolin... the names sort of sound similar. Though come to think on it, it was Big Easy who had the violin. It may have been a viola. Or a cello.

- The decoy instruments were amusing.

- Cheyne...Cheyne...Cheyne...Cheyne...Cheyne...Cheyne...

Episode 1-1: Sushi Roulette
One teammate stands at a roulette wheel with all the other Racers. The wheel is spun by a wacky Japanese game show host. They must eat the sushi that lands in front of them. Teams can only progress if the sushi is a wasabi bomb (very hot!), which must be eaten within 2 minutes.
Who? Ron, Cheyne, Garrett, Justin, Maria, Big Easy, Lance, Canaan, Brian, Gary, Dan

Episode 1-2: Duck Herding
Using only 2 flags on long poles, herd 150 ducks through a course and back to their pen.
Who? Meghan, Jessica, Ericka, Matt, Flight Time, Sam, Keri, Marcy, Mika, Tiffany, Zev

Episode 2: Chop Shop
Using the tools provided, break down 2 VCRs and sort the parts.
Who? Flight Time, Cheyne, Matt, Brian, Sam, Tiffany, Justin, Canaan, Lance, Ron

Episode 3: Perform Monkey Act
Wearing a mask and tail, complete 3 monkey manoeuvres.
Who? Zev, Dan, Flight Time, Ericka, Meghan, Gary, Keri, Maria, Canaan

Episode 4: Find Water
Fill a bag with water dipped using the provided ladle. Water will be found in urns buried somewhere out in the desert.
Who? Brian, Tiffany, Big Easy, Matt, Dan, Canaan, Lance
Meghan and Cheyne take the Fast Forward and skip to the Pit Stop.

Episode 5: Crack the Code
Row a dinghy out to a yacht and receive a watch. Use the watch to open a briefcase. The team member must figure out that the time on the watch is the combination to the briefcase.
Who? Cheyne, Brian, Gary, Big Easy, Dan, Tiffany, Canaan

Episode 6: Counting Bells
Run up and down the stairs in a tower counting the bells.
Who? Meghan, Sam, Flight Time, Matt, Tiffany, Ericka

Episode 7: Hay Bales
In a "Switchback" to season 6, one teammate must unroll bales of hay in a Swedish field until s/he finds a flag inside a bale.
Who? Meghan, Sam, Brian, Big Easy, Gary

Episode 8: Solve Secret Message
Choose a candelabra, which will have a room number on it. Find the room and the scroll therein. The next clue is on the scroll. The Racer must figure out that s/he needs to hold the paper in front of the candle to reveal the clue.
Who? Cheyne, Sam, Ericka, Flight Time, Matt

Episode 9: Find Mandolin
Find a tiny mandolin (in its case) hidden somewhere at the Estates Theatre in Prague.
Who? Cheyne, Big Easy, Dan, Ericka

Episode 10: Kafka-esque
In a room full of ringing phones, find the 5 that have a person on the other end. That person will say a letter. The 5 letters must be rearranged to form the name "Franz" as in "Franz Kafka", a German-speaking Czech Jew whose writing is often filled with hopelessness and confusion and the sense of having done something horribly wrong, but you don't know what and no-one will tell you.
Who? Meghan, Dan, Big Easy, Brian

*****

Tally

Brian....6
Ericka...5

Sam...5
Dan....6

Meghan...5
Cheyne...5
Took the FF in Ep4.

*****

Eliminated Racers

Flight Time...5
Big Easy......6

Gary...4
Matt...5

Maria.....2
Tiffany...5

Mika.......1
Canaan...5

Lance....3
Keri.......2

Zev......2
Justin...2

Marcy....1
Ron.......2

Garrett...1
Jessica...1

Eric......0
Lisa......0

Discussion:

- Kafka-esquier

- Big Easy gave it up too fast. Even if you can't figure out that certain consonant blends go together well - "FR", for example, at the beginning of a word or "RF" at the end of one - surely a more methodical approach than randomly scribbling the letters would have been a good idea.

- Ericka and Sam will have to do the next RB, if it's not a team RB, like last season.

- "Hey, Big Easy, let's work together. By which I mean until I get the right word, then you can work alone." Just say no at the start and don't look like a jerk later. They were willing to wait around with the poker chicks, after all.

Episode 1-1: Sushi Roulette
One teammate stands at a roulette wheel with all the other Racers. The wheel is spun by a wacky Japanese game show host. They must eat the sushi that lands in front of them. Teams can only progress if the sushi is a wasabi bomb (very hot!), which must be eaten within 2 minutes.
Who? Ron, Cheyne, Garrett, Justin, Maria, Big Easy, Lance, Canaan, Brian, Gary, Dan

Episode 1-2: Duck Herding
Using only 2 flags on long poles, herd 150 ducks through a course and back to their pen.
Who? Meghan, Jessica, Ericka, Matt, Flight Time, Sam, Keri, Marcy, Mika, Tiffany, Zev

Episode 2: Chop Shop
Using the tools provided, break down 2 VCRs and sort the parts.
Who? Flight Time, Cheyne, Matt, Brian, Sam, Tiffany, Justin, Canaan, Lance, Ron

Episode 3: Perform Monkey Act
Wearing a mask and tail, complete 3 monkey manoeuvres.
Who? Zev, Dan, Flight Time, Ericka, Meghan, Gary, Keri, Maria, Canaan

Episode 4: Find Water
Fill a bag with water dipped using the provided ladle. Water will be found in urns buried somewhere out in the desert.
Who? Brian, Tiffany, Big Easy, Matt, Dan, Canaan, Lance
Meghan and Cheyne take the Fast Forward and skip to the Pit Stop.

Episode 5: Crack the Code
Row a dinghy out to a yacht and receive a watch. Use the watch to open a briefcase. The team member must figure out that the time on the watch is the combination to the briefcase.
Who? Cheyne, Brian, Gary, Big Easy, Dan, Tiffany, Canaan

Episode 6: Counting Bells
Run up and down the stairs in a tower counting the bells.
Who? Meghan, Sam, Flight Time, Matt, Tiffany, Ericka

Episode 7: Hay Bales
In a "Switchback" to season 6, one teammate must unroll bales of hay in a Swedish field until s/he finds a flag inside a bale.
Who? Meghan, Sam, Brian, Big Easy, Gary

Episode 8: Solve Secret Message
Choose a candelabra, which will have a room number on it. Find the room and the scroll therein. The next clue is on the scroll. The Racer must figure out that s/he needs to hold the paper in front of the candle to reveal the clue.
Who? Cheyne, Sam, Ericka, Flight Time, Matt

Episode 9: Find Mandolin
Find a tiny mandolin (in its case) hidden somewhere at the Estates Theatre in Prague.
Who? Cheyne, Big Easy, Dan, Ericka

Episode 10: Kafka-esque
In a room full of ringing phones, find the 5 that have a person on the other end. That person will say a letter. The 5 letters must be rearranged to form the name "Franz" as in "Franz Kafka", a German-speaking Czech Jew whose writing is often filled with hopelessness and confusion and the sense of having done something horribly wrong, but you don't know what and no-one will tell you.
Who? Meghan, Dan, Big Easy, Brian

Finale Episode: Face-First Rappel
Rappel face-first down the side of the Mandalay Bay casino.
Who? Cheyne, Sam, Ericka

*****

Final Tally

Meghan...5
Cheyne...6
Took the FF in Ep4.

Sam...6
Dan....6

Brian....6
Ericka...6

*****

Eliminated Racers

Flight Time...5
Big Easy......6

Gary...4
Matt...5

Maria.....2
Tiffany...5

Mika.......1
Canaan...5

Lance....3
Keri.......2

Zev......2
Justin...2

Marcy....1
Ron.......2

Garrett...1
Jessica...1

Eric......0
Lisa......0

Discussion:

- Ericka wants us to think she's so nice, but the truth is that she (and Sam) had no choice but to do the RB.

- Poor Cheyne!

- Sam really motored, didn't he?

- I don't care what the caption said, that chip-counting task wasn't a Roadblock.

Thank-you all for reading! Have a fantastic holiday season and we'll see you for TAR 16!