The Amazing Race 8: Episode 5
An Out of Country Experience
Recap by Cari C.
October 26, 2005
Was anyone else glad to see the teams get out of the states? While I enjoyed the first part of the scenic drive thru the US, the last part was not so great. Up until they arrived in New Orleans, I was quite disappointed by the places they chose to visit in the south. Like many of my readers, I felt they could have shown better places than a mobile home dealership, a BP station, and a shrimp boat business. I mean in Pennsylvania and Virginia we get some great historic sites but we get mud bogging in South Carolina? I live in South Carolina and I have never gone mud bogging or beheaded shrimp. Anyway, I was glad to see them leave the states even though they only went to Panama; it was nice to get a change of pace.
When we left last week Team Bransen arrived on the mat first and barely beat Team Paolo. So tonight Team Bransen who arrived at 12:40 pm will be the first to depart at 12:40 am.
Teams must now fly over 2,000 miles to Panama City, Panama. Once there they must travel 31 miles to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and take a boat across the Panama Canal to the island. Once on the island teams must search for Ricardo Diaz to get their next clue.
Team Bransen departs the Pit Stop in search of a cab. At 12:41 am the Paolo team departs. As usual they are bickering. I actually felt bad for Marion tonight. Her son DJ is really mean to her. She says all she really wants out of this experience is for DJ to put his arms around her at the end and tell her he loves her. This family is in serious need of some counseling if that is all she wants. I mean I know he is a teenager and these are the awkward years but it is really sad to see any mother say something like that on television.
As both Team Bransen and Team Paolo continue to look for cabs, Team Linz departs at 12:49 and quickly snags a cab. Both teams finally do get cabs and start to make their way to the airport. On the way Team Bransen borrows the driver's cell phone and figure out that the Continental flight departs earlier than any other flight. All three teams arrive at the airport. Team Bransen tells them what they have discovered all the teams head over and begin a line to get on the Continental flight.
Back at the Pit Stop, the sisters depart at 1:39. I swear, if I had to live with Christine for any length of time I would shoot myself. She is a bit much. I wonder if she acts this way all the time and if so, is her husband sane? At 1:52 Team Weaver departs. As they make their way to the airport, Rebecca comments on the fact they have no alliances and that alliances are stupid. I wonder if she thinks that way because no one likes them and everyone refuses to be in alliance with them. Last but certainly never least; Team Gaghan departs at 1:54. This little team is the team that never quits. They have had some horrible luck throughout the whole race and yet they are still upbeat and happy.
The remaining teams arrive at the airport and join the line at the Continental desk. Team Gaghan is afraid there won't be enough seats on this flight so Tammy gets her team ready to make a run for it. While in line DJ Paolo starts in on his mom yet again. Finally one of the sisters has had enough and tells him he should be nicer to his mom. I hope Tony had his head out of the sand long enough to hear that. That Tony is what you should be saying to your son when he talks so nasty to his mother.
Finally the ticket counter opens up and Team Linz, Team Bransen, and Team Paolo all get tickets on the first flight. Team sisters are the next in line but they are told there are no more tickets. All the other teams make a run for it and race for the other flight. Soon all the teams are on one of the flights and on their way to Panama. The first flight arrives in Panama at night, I am not sure of the time because I forgot to write it down because I was distracted. (I swear, how many times do I have to warn people not to call me during my show?) All the teams on the first flight grab cabs; well actually they're really vans. I mean how do you fit four team members, a sound guy, and a camera man in a regular cab, but leave it to those crazy Linz siblings to do it.
The first three teams arrive at the Institute only to discover that the first boat does not depart until 7 am the next morning. All the teams decide to sleep there for the night and they will get on the boats in the morning in the order that they arrived. At 8:10 the second flight lands. The three teams aboard the flight arrive at the Institute and are ecstatic to discover that all the teams are once again bunched to together. With everyone tied for the lead, the teams get some sleep.
The next morning the teams get up and just as they decided last night, they will all depart on the boats in the same order at which they arrived. Team Paolo is the first team to board their boat with the other teams right behind. Some teams lucked out and got fast boats while other teams like Team Linz and Team Gaghan are not so lucky. Team Gaghans boat driver even wants to make a detour to pick someone up. Tammy screams at him until he changes his mind.
The teams begin to arrive on the island.....
They Were Cast - Why Not You?
Reality TV Calendar will send you the latest casting calls as soon as they are released. Calls are often short notice with short deadlines. You need to make contact immediately. You can't do that unless you have immediate notification of the call. One Time Payment, Only $7.95.
Click For More Information.
