Goodbye Bitches!

For the record, I was not sorry to see Brandy and Carol go. I was even a bit excited that Brent and Caite chose to U-Turn them. At the same time, I would like to add that I'm no fan of the dating models either.

On the other hand, it would probably have been more advantageous to U-Turn the Cowboys or the Detectives. Brandy and Carol never really challenged for the top spot. Pure and simple, Brent and Caite made a simply personal move; albeit, an understandably personal move!

The fact is, Brandy and Carol were rude, inconsiderate and whiney. These two had the diva act down cold and I can't blame the other teams for disliking them. It had nothing to do with orientation (despite the fact that Caite usually referred to them as the lesbians), and everything to do with how condescending they were to the rest of the field.

Like it or not, "The Amazing Race" is a game of personalities, and Brandy and Carol rubbed people the wrong way. So, I'm glad they are gone and wish they had gone sooner.

In a perfect world, Brent and Caite will go next. These two show little maturity and a general lack of awareness. Minus the irritating imitation of their accents, Carol and Brandy's assessment was not too far off base. The two have stumbled their way through this taking potshots at each other and other teams as they went. This leg was the first one that they ran cleanly start to finish, so maybe they have learned something.

Fast Forward Reaps Big Rewards!
This leg also featured a Fast Forward, which incidentally, seems a little out of place among Detours and Road Blocks. Maybe it should be renamed, "Bypass." At any rate, Dan and Jordan decide to go for it, beating out Michael and Louie. They arrive at the Singapore Flyer to discover that the task includes climbing out of one capsule and crossing the track to another capsule. Piece of cake! Unless of course, you are doing it at a height of 541 feet!

At about the same time they discover what the task is, Jordan also discovers a near crippling fear of heights. Wisely, Dan sends Jordan out first. If Dan had went first, Jordan may have remained behind too paralyzed to move. I like the support that Dan has given his brother beginning with being his teammate to help Jordan fulfill his dream of being on TAR, and throughout the race.

As they finished up the Fast Forward and headed to the Pit Stop, I wondered what would have happened if someone had chosen to U-Turn Dan and Jordan. Would they have had to complete the Detours?

I've Got Rhythm ... Or Maybe Not!
The remaining teams were faced with a Detour that featured either replicating a complicated drum routine or making ice cream sandwiches with real bread. The vast majority of the teams chose the drum routine and showed a stunning lack of rhythm. Jet put it best when he said that the closest thing to a musical instrument they play is the radio!

The cowboys tried performing the routine first but failed. Their patience has been strong throughout but for the first time Cord seemed a little impatient with his partner who really wanted to count out the pattern as he drummed.

Tag! You're It!
Brent and Caite finished first and headed toward what they hoped was the site of the U-Turn. The two had single-minded focus to U-Turn Brandy and Carol, who were still back at the drum recital. They solved a riddle (surprised? yeah, me too) and arrived to U-Turn the women. This time the team who U-Turned had to reveal their identity, so a little picture of the two of them was placed on the post. I think it's better to reveal the identity because the entire focus of the U-Turned team shifts to the team who betrayed them.

Brandy and Carol finished the drum routine and soon discovered they had been U-Turned. Angry, upset and out-of-sorts, or, in other words their usual race personas, the two set off for the ice-cream sandwich making. Brandy and Carol raised their level of criticism of Brent and Caite to a new level revealing, in the meantime, an incredibly high opinion of themselves! Carol suggested the reason they were detoured was because Brandy was prettier than Caite. Okaaaay!

How to Count to 500
The Road Block was not the most difficult. The teams just had to count the links on an anchor chain. I doubt too many people in Singapore actually entertain themselves with this sort of thing, but it was a task nonetheless. Brent did the actual counting for their team and had trouble focusing with the noise level. Michael used a handheld counter, and Jet simply just kept track. Once again, Michael and Louie failed to read the clue correctly and missed a key element!

Cut to Brandy and Carol, in the back of a taxi, still bitching about Brent and Caite. This time, their impersonation reminded me somewhat of Forrest Gump. I really wonder what Carol and Brandy will think of their portrayal. Not the most flattering!

The end was a bit of a nail-biter if you were rooting for Michael and Louie. Their cab driver left them at the Road Block and they attempted unsuccessfully to hire Brandy and Carol's cab. Ultimately, they finished just ahead of Brandy and Carol.

By my calculations, this season of TAR should be wrapping up fairly soon, and to tell you the truth, I'm ready for it. This season has seemed a bit dumbed down compared to the past several season. Maybe they are finally running out of challenging tasks!