Good discussion everyone. It’s nice to have more people post their thoughts!

This was an interesting episode in that there wasn’t a lot of action – a lot of time was spent traveling and watching the interactions between the racers. I viewed this as the calm before the storm. The next episode could see a big shake-up if as we predicted Peter and Sarah’s story is finished. There will be some urgency with David and Mary’s situation also. If the back pack is going to make a move, this is the episode! Because there wasn’t a lot of action, each racer had a quote (or were quoted about) that stood out to me.

The one quote that stood out from the rest of the program was Peter and Sarah talking about Dustin and Kandice as fierce competitors. In an episode which concentrated on alliances and partnerships, that scene stood out like it was in neon lights. Dustin and Kandice recovered nicely from their last place finish. In their tussles with Peter and Sarah, they were portrayed positively.

Another quote that stood out to me was when James said that “Second to last place is humbling, but maybe it’s something we need.” Their 6th place finish could serve as a wake up call to redouble their efforts. They’ve been racing well, but they have been coasting along. It’s interesting that both times they talked in depth about their addiction they were on a train. They are recovering addicts and are still on a journey, but will their journey take them to first place?

The last quotes that really got my attention were during the opening segment (David and Erwin). David’s comment on wanting to get out of the coal mine and how winning the million dollars would change their lives was a powerful statement, and we want that for them. I don’t think they make the final three but I do think they outlast Karlyn and Lyn and maybe Erwin and Godwin and exceed everyone’s expectations. Erwin and Godwin expressed that they view TAR as an experience and adventure, and they’re not here to win the million dollars. In previous quotes they have said that they are here to make friends and alliances. They are really nice guys and I expect them to help David and Mary somehow next week.

On the lighter side, Kimberley had some priceless quotes this week! Not that we ever thought they would, but they will not win. At the beginning of this leg they admitted that they need to chill and they did stay calm and not fight this week. However, they were still portrayed negatively. Kim’s comments on India showed her to be ignorant and insensitive. (I did love her, “that cow is skinny, is it a homeless cow?” and Rob’s reaction to it!) There was also a shot of her hitting her head on the trunk, but instead of saying “ouch” to myself, I laughed. Even though they are racing well, we can’t take this team seriously. With Ray and Yolanda we weren’t shown that they were bad racers, with Kim and Rob we aren’t shown that they are good racers (and they’ve always finished in the top half).

You compare how Kim and Rob were portrayed with Lyn and Karlyn. Lyn and Karlyn have a nasty streak, but the editing hasn’t focused on that too much. We heard Karlyn talking about being more comfortable in India than in Vietnam because she has more meat on her bones. That quote didn’t really mean much, but I found it amusing and it softens them. Their story could wind up right after Peter and Sarah’s.