Recap: The Amazing Race 18, Episode 8 – “I just need you to quit acting like a chick.”

Episode 18.08 – I Cannot Deal With Your Psycho Behavior



The Leg
All the teams but Jet & Cord get on a flight to their next destination, Vienna, Austria getting them in at 5:35am.  The Cowboys play safe with a flight that gets them in at 6:00am with one less connection.

The teams arrive in Vienna and have to get into a brand-new Ford Focus where Phil will give them their next clue.  Via a video on the fancy screen in the car, Phil tells them to put the car in reverse to activate the back-up camera to see their next destination on the ground: Schloss Schallaburg.  And also, the winners of this leg will each win a brand-new 2012 Ford Focus.

The teams head out, but Gary & Mallory have trouble figuring out what to do.  They get it just as the Cowboys touchdown in Vienna. 



All the teams get directions and are on their way to Schloss Schallaburg.  Zev & Justin arrive first and receive their next clue, a book, from a lady in medieval clothes.  The book directs them to find Librarian Prunksaal at the National Library in Vienna.


Zev & Justin keep their lead to the National Library and find the Detour.
In Long Hard Walk, teams make their way to the Freud Museum (Sigmund Freud’s personal home and office) to pick up a psychoanalysis couch and deliver it to his former office at the University of Vienna one mile away.
In Quick Easy Meal, teams head to the Wiener Riesenrad ferris wheel where they’ll pick-up two servings of Wiener Schnitzel and Sachertorte, Austrian specialties and take them to the dining cars on the ferris wheel where they must clean their plates before the end of a 12 minute ride. 



Zev & Justin decide to eat.  As do Kisha & Jen and Gary & Mallory.  The Globetrotters grab their clue, but Flight Time needs to pee so he decides to pee on the Austrian National Library.  They and Kent & Vyxsin decide to move the couch.

At the Detour, Zev & Justin and Kisha & Jen find eating all that Wiener Schnitzel isn’t easy and fail to finish before the 12 minutes.  They both run into Gary & Mallory and don’t let them know they didn’t finish.

The Globetrotters and Kent & Vyxsin starting going with their couches as Kisha & Jen arrive at their 2nd Detour.  Zev & Justin are close behind and Jet & Cord catch up.

Gary & Mallory fall to last after failing to finish their food and they head on over to the couch as well.



The teams drag, carry, and roll their couches along the icy streets of Vienna.  The Globetrotters finish first and get the clue telling them to find Sternbräu Restaurant in Salzburg. 

Kent & Vyxsin, Kisha & Jen, Zev & Justin, Jet & Cord, and Gary & Mallory finish the Detour in that order and they all drive to Salzburg where they find the Road Block.


In this Road Block, teams become chimney sweeps.  After dressing up in uniform, they’ll be led to the roof where they will use a weighted tool to clean three chimneys.  After, they’ll head downstairs to the cleanout door, open it, and retrieve their next clue.



Big Easy finishes the Road Block first just as Zev & Justin arrive and they get the clue telling them to head for the Pit Stop at the Villa Trapp, the home of the Von Trapp family famous thanks to the Sound of Music.

Zev finishes quickly as well with Kisha & Jen and Kent & Vyxsin close behind.  But it is Zev & Justin who squeak by to step on the Mat first and claim their new Ford Focuses.  And in Race Red and Yellow too!

The Globetrotters settle for 2nd while Kent & Vyxsin pass Kisha & Jen for 3rd.

Back at the Road Block, the Cowboys are just leaving when Gary & Mallory arrive.  After getting lost, Kisha & Jen run ahead of the Cowboys and they check in together, 4th and 5th respectively.

That leaves Gary & Mallory in last… but it is a non-elimination leg and they are safe.




Episode Thoughts
Well, admittedly I’m less excited about the rest of the season, but this is The Amazing Race after all and it is still exciting and a joy to watch.

It was a great episode to see the teams in cold weather finally this season.  Austria looks beautiful and even better in HD.  The tasks were probably the simplest of the season and didn’t provide for that much excitement though.  The teams took center stage this week and provided the few laughs and excitement we got this episode.

The locations for the Route Markers though seemed like they were wasted.  The castle and then the National Library would’ve been beautiful places to have tasks at.  The National Library looked especially breathtaking in what little we saw of it. 

It was an alright episode.

But how about the preview?  Who in the world did the voice over for that?  Where was Phil?  It was very jarring and very random.  First time ever TAR has had a Phil-less preview?


Leg Eight Itinerary
DEPARTURE
Ramnagar Fort
Ramnagar, India

CONNECTIONS
Delhi, India
Mumbai, India

DESTINATION CITY
Vienna, Austria

ROUTE MARKERS
Schloss Schallaburg
Vienna

National Library
Vienna

DETOUR
Sigmund Freud Museum
Vienna

University of Vienna
Vienna

Wiener Riesenrad ferris wheel
Vienna

ROAD BLOCK
Sternbräu Restaurant
Salzburg, Austria

PIT STOP
Villa Trapp
Salzburg, Austria

Departure Times

Ramnagar Fort
Ramnagar, India

Flight Time & Big Easy 2:07am
Zev & Justin 2:12am
Kisha & Jen 2:53am
Gary & Mallory 3:30am
Jet & Cord 3:35am
Kent & Vyxsin 3:44am

Who Did the Detour?
In order of completion

LONG HARD WALK


*
*

*

QUICK EASY MEAL
*
*
*

* Teams switched Detours

Road Block Count
In order of completion; Italics indicate who did this week’s Road Block

Who’s feeling lucky as can be?
3 Flight Time Big Easy 4
3 Zev Justin 4
4 Kisha Jen 3
4 Kent Vyxsin 3
4 Jet Cord 3
4 Gary Mallory 3

3 Ron Christina 3
2 Margie Luke 3
2 Jaime Cara 2
1 Mel Mike 1
1 Amanda Kris 0

Order of Finish
1st Zev & Justin (+1)
2nd Flight Time & Big Easy (-1)
3rd Kent & Vyxsin +3)
4th Kisha & Jen (-1)
5th Jet & Cord (=)
6th Gary & Mallory (-2)








My Subjective Team Rankings for Leg 8
Gary & Mallory Gary & Mallory – Just like their Oman leg, they fell behind early and couldn’t recover.  Thank goodness for the non-elimination, otherwise this season would be completely lost to me.  Though they weren’t completely behind that they didn’t have hope of catching up, at least they didn’t give up and kept up the pace.  Here’s hoping to a recovery next week.
Kisha & Jen Kisha & Jen – They are slowly but surely solidifying their place in the finals.  They are Racing smart and doing well.  As long as they keep it up and not make any big mistakes, they have a great chance at the Finish Line.
Kent & Vyxsin Kent & Vyxsin – With Ron & Chris gone, Kent & Vyxsin are now the lone source of hilarious dysfunction.  And they certainly delivered this leg.  Random outbursts, Kent’s random whining… all hilarious.  And Gary & Mallory seem to think so too.  I can see Kent & Vyxsin falling into the final three easily.  There’s always one team right?
Zev & Justin Zev & Justin -  They may have won legs, but they’ve been up and down and not consistent like maybe Kisha & Jen have been or even Gary & Mallory.  Their jokes can be very forced too, too much playing up to the camera which diminishes their luster for me.
Jet & Cord Jet & Cord -  An okay leg for them.  They’re quietly moving forward, thank goodness (and I mean that as opposed to them hogging the spotlight and being self-righteous).  But them saying they need to step up or they’ll be eliminated is hopefully foreshadowing to trouble soon.
Herb & Nathaniel Flight Time & Big Easy – Still loud and camwhoring.  But what was up with the peeing on the National Library?  Really now?
Quotes from Episode 18.08
Kent:  “I’ll step on your face.  I don’t care.”
Vyxsin:  “I’ll kick you in the head.”

Kent:  “Look, there’s a special man!  Let’s go visit him.”

Vyxsin: “I just need you to quit acting like a chick.”

Vyxsin: “If we get eliminated today, I swear to God, I’m never speaking to you again.”


Episode Caps



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The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business - The Amazing Race

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