The Amazing Race - Season 26

[ernie]

Cheering for a Mike-Rochelle or Tyler-Laura victory. Both teams just go about the tasks and race.

The lawyers are boring and I don't think Jenny is all that likeable.

It'd be funny to see Blair and Hayley win....though given they have made it this far I do question the heavy dysfunctional edit they are getting. No doubt they argue and she's shrill but they are racing strong which shouldn't happen if the issues are truly as they have been portrayed.

[ernie]

We last left the teams in Peru and Peru is where they stay for this leg. First task is finding a little amazing race tile on a 10ft by 2 mile tiled wall. The producers could have made this hard but they didn't. Then it was off to either make bricks or learn a dance. For once both detours look to take the same amount of time. Blair/Hayley and Laura/Tyler made bricks. Jelani/Jenny danced and Rochelle/mike tried bricks and bailed to dance. Next task was paddling an unstable primitive canoe to a buoy to grab the clue to the pit stop.

Like last race this was a non-elimination leg and a team will likely be eliminated half way through the final leg. Blair/Hayley get along famously and maintain first. Jenny/Jelani remain second. Tyler/Laura pass Rochelle/mike thanks to a broken down cab, switching detours and Rochelle having issues at the roadblock.

Brocoli - Aly & Steve / Bergen & Kurt

D to the iddy - Blair & Hayley / Jackie & Jeffrey

killer_carlson - Jelani & Jenny / Harley & Jonathon

Cheese - Rochelle & Mike / Tyler & Laura

Regulator75 - Jackie & Jeffrey / Jelani & Jenny

Superflyer - Harley & Johnathan / Matt & Ashley

ernie - CJ & Lebya / Jeff & Lyda

getbak - Matt & Ashley / Aly & Steve

ClubFlames - Tyler & Laura / Blair & Hayley

[ernie]

And the winner is....

Spoiler!

Well first, the teams have to fly from Peru to Dallas. All four teams make the same flight and race to the first task at AT&T stadium. A team member must get a clue, catch a touchdown pass, and then kick an extra point. All the guys choose to do it. MIke is first to go and second last to finish. Blair and Tyler finish it in short order. Jelani can't kick an extra point and they leave last. All are off to some ranch.

Oh how the stress gets to people. Tyler and Laura's cab driver has no idea where the ranch is so instead of trying to find out where it is they decide they'll just follow Blair and Hayley. Blair and HAyley notice this and decide to wait for some unknown reason! All the waiting allows the other two teams to catch up. Jenny and Jelani get in their cab but the bad cab driver mojo strikes Mike and Rochelle. He didn't wait and they are cabless and lose valuable time. They finally get a cab and a couple miles from the ranch the cabbie decides he needs gas and turns around to get it. So needless to say the ranch was the elimination point and Mike and Rochelle go home.

Back to the ranch...they had to wrangle some cattle. Blair and Hayley leave with a substantial lead and are off to rappel down reunion tower. The other two teams leave together though not before Jenny gets bucked off her horse. Hayley rappels down the tower looking for some markers on where to go. Little miss "you need to listen to me because I'm always right" misses the gargantuan amazing race flags flying in a field and spots some red pole atop a parking garage. I'll cut to the chase. Blair and Hayley are done as they go on a wild goose chase and get passed in a big way by the other teams.

The other two teams spot the flags and track down where the flags are once on the ground. The lawyers make a wrong turn in the cab and they lose some precious time. Tyler and Laura reach the field and get to drive a Monster truck through a mud pit to a shed. The shed is locked with a 4 digit padlock that opens by the teams determining which leg # the four cities written on the door were from. Tyler and LAura struggle allowing Jenny and Jelani to pass them.

Once the shed is opened there is a collection of selfies that they must put on map in chronilogical order from right to left. Tyler and Laura breeze through the task and are back in the Monster truck. The lawyers struggle and the short lived lead is lost. As Tyler and LAura leave they see Blair and Hayley who as I mentioned are toast. Tyler and Laura now know they are not second but actually heading to the new continental bridge in Dallas for the finish and a million dollars.

they did try some drama editing but it was clear Tyler and Laura were going to cross first. And they do. They're happy. The lawyers are proud and happy. Blair and Hayley are even happy with Blair being very supportive...it is clear at this time the two have become somewhat friends. We get an update that Jeff and Jackie a blind date couple are still dating.

So congrats to Cheese and ClubFlames who won a piece of the internets last night.

[Cheese]

Was very happy Tyler and Laura won!
Happier that Blair and Hayley lost...and that it was Hayley's decisions that cost them. Even my wife wanted to reach through the TV and slap her.

Mike and Rochelle got hosed...felt bad for them that something stupid like TWO taxi drivers cost them a chance at winning...especially USA taxi drivers.

[ernie]

Yes Mike and Rochelle got hosed. Good cab drivers gets them to the ranch before the lawyers.

I actually enjoyed this race. The blind date factor seemed to lead to teams just simply racing. It got back to what the show was originally about. Not nearly so much whining broken agreements etc. Most everyone seemed to have the understanding that this was a race and we're going to do anything we can within the rules to win.

The strongest team from start to finish won. Good to see.