Amazing Race: My Love Affair With This Race Is Officially On Hold
Episode 10 Commentary by Jessi K.
December 1, 2008
I have watched the Amazing Race since it first aired in 2001. I have viewed each episode with great admiration as Phil has welcomed teams from all over the U.S. of A. to various countries across the globe. During this particular season, I found it very interesting to watch the roller coaster that is Ken and Tina’s relationship. The higher they finished a leg of the Race, the better they got along. First place, marriage on! Last place? Time to draft some divorce papers. I thought this was a bit silly of them until this evening as my favorites, Toni and Dallas, seemed to sink further and further away from making it to the finals. And just like Ken and Tina’s relationship with one another, mine with this very reality show began to waiver as the mom and son team seemed to be fading from the competition.
It all started out so beautifully, as relationships do, and Toni and Dallas were first to leave the pit stop. They were directed to make their way to a retired nuclear submarine where they’d have to find an actor from “The Hunt for Red October.” Most of the teams relied on their Pictionary skills to get their cab drivers to where they needed to go by drawing submarines. I myself tried drawing a submarine to see how I’d fare if I needed to instruct my Russian cab driver and judging by the looks of it, I would not have made it to the destination. Mine resembled a loaf of bread wielding an ax. That is one Russian baker I would not want to meet.
At the submarine, teams found the actor from “The Hunt for Red October.” Apparently, Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin were too busy to appear on the Amazing Race so they called in one of the extras er…actors. When the teams approached the uniform wearing gentleman, he was doing what he does best: acting. I mean, I actually believed he was talking on the telephone! The way he didn’t even set the phone down to hand the teams their next clue was masterful. Look for him at the 2009 Emmy’s.
From the submarine, teams had to make their way across town to Park Iskusstv or the “graveyard of fallen monuments.” Toni and Dallas, Ken and Tina, and Nick and Starr were all neck and neck and ran to catch cabs to take them to the park while Dan and Andrew were just arriving at the submarine. When Dan and Andrew left to catch a taxi to take them to the monuments, a truck passed by and splashed them as they tried to hail a cab. I pictured the driver of the truck to be the denim wearing cabbie they had stiffed in last week’s episode and laughing as they were drenched in brownish water that had been collecting near the curb. “You offer me shoes for service, I make you drink muddy water!”
Nick and Starr, Toni and Dallas, and Ken and Tina all arrived at Park Iskusstv where it was raining, while the sky outside of Dan and Andrew’s cab was blue and sunny. Surely it seemed there was enough time between them and the rest of the teams to even think they’d be a threat. At the park, teams were given their roadblock where they’d have to keep a running total of the Stalin and Lenin statues. Once they had the total, they had to combine the number and give it to the owner of a bookshop who would give them a book with their next clue if they were correct. Dallas struggled while counting statues but I didn’t worry since Dan and Andrew weren’t even at the right park. Their denim-clad cab driver had taken them to a different Park Iskusstv. Did you not learn your lesson from last week boys: never trust a man wearing head to toe denim.
Nick breezed right through the task and was handed a copy of a Mikhail Bulgakov novel. If the book is anything like the cover which depicted a cigar smoking cat playing cards, Mikhail is not only Russia’s favorite writer but mine, too.
Dallas made two guesses at the number of statues which then caused him two 10 minute penalties. While he was waiting the second one out, Tina arrived and the two consulted on possibilities after her first guess was incorrect. Dallas’ third guess was still wrong which allowed for Tina was to get the number correct on her second try. Though they had talked about it, she didn’t come right out and tell Dallas exactly what the number was. “It’s one number down,” she said running from the bookshop before adding, “You owe me!” Tina’s been muttering this phrase since the early days of the Race. Everyone everywhere owes Tina. Hell, even I owe Tina. She did provide me minutes of pure joy when her hair was dyed green in India after all.
Toni looked more worried by the minute as she waited for Dallas to arrive. But I didn’t fret! Dan and Andrew were light years behind! But just as I got cocky, Dan appeared at Mikhail’s apartment meaning the teams were much closer than I had originally thought. Tina of course let Toni know that Dallas would be coming because she helped him after all. This upset Ken to learn, “Now helpin’ Dallas. That’s bullcrap.” This is where Tina needed to retort, “And remember when you helped yourself to another woman?!?!” But she just merely replied that he needed to calm down and leave her alone.
And then it happened.....
Jessi K. is a freelance writer from Iowa who has a penchant for reality TV, carbonated beverages, and boybands. She can be reached at Jessi@RealityTVCalendar.com.
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