The Amazing Race Asia 3 : Episode 05
Sorry I missed writing the recap for last week’s episode.. a little pre-occupied with Eid and stuff, but I thought it was one of the best episodes so far. Ida and Tania making it to Number One exceeded all of my expectations for this team. And I also liked the fact that Henry and Bernie tumbled to fourth place. Don’t get me wrong, I seriously love both Malaysian teams this year, but I wouldn’t want them to totally dominate the race. So, onto this week’s episode!
Teams arrived in Taipei in the last leg, and remained in Taipei for this leg too. Urgh.. wish they had gone somewhere else though. Not that I have anything against Taipei, but I’ve never been a fan of multiple episodes filmed within the same country. Perhaps AXN will get more advertisers so that they can allocate more moolahs for the logistics team next season. ssts. Anyway, there was a gap of almost 2 hours between the first and the last team at the pitstop last week.
First clue of this leg directs them to Sony Style Store at the Sogo Department Store. Hmmm you KNOW, what’s coming your way when you hear that clue right? It’s disgusting. Once there, they had to search through one thousand Blu-Ray discs and find the correct disc to get their next clue. You know, when I first heard about this challenge.. I thought I’d cut this challenge some slack, despite the extremely disgusting blatant and unashamed product placement (note to producers : seriously, do you need me to buy you a dictionary and highlight the word “subtlety” for you? Because I could and would gladly do it), because it kinda reminded me of the challenge the Goddesses Charla and Mirna did when they were in KL. You know, the find a clue in selected cookies :
And for old times’ sake
LOL.
But then I remembered.. that was a Detour. They had a choice to either do this, or another task. The Blu-Ray challenge was a task that they HAD to do. And this was 100% based on extreme dumb luck. WTF? All teams finally managed to find their clue, except for Mai and Oliver who was actually GIVEN the clue because the store was closing. Seriously, this is the closest thing to a LAME MERCY FUCK if there was one on the show. Another epic failure by the producers. Well I guess that’s what you get when you actually focus and center your challenges around the product placements. Such a shame, but kudos to Mai and Oliver for not giving up. They seemed to have handled it well that I would ever have, believe you me.
Anyway, Sam and Vince was the first to finish the lame Blu-Ray task (within .. what? five minutes? and Mai/Oliver prolly took.. mmm what 5.. 6 hours?) and opted to the go for the one and only Fast Forward on this race. Turned out that the Fast Forward was to get a tattoo. Seriously now.. what the fuck? Can’t these lazy fuck producers come up with a more creative task than doing a blatant copycat of an FF from the original TAR? FOR FUCKS SAKE!!!!!! Whatever lah.. I’ve already given up at that point… but thankfully that segment gave a few ssts moments - (paraphrasing) “Oh, it’s not that bad”, “Dude, he’s just sketching on you with a pen”, “OMFG YOU HAVEN’T STARTED??”. Anyway, they did the Fast Forward and was the first team to arrive at the pitstop. The end.
As for the rest of the teams, (and when I say the rest, I mean, Henry/Bernie, AD/Fuzzie, Ida/Tania, Geoff/Tania - Mai/Oliver got fucking screwed by the fucking lame Sony Style task and never recovered) they had to go to a Coal Mine in Shih Fen and dig through coals to find a souvenir, which turned out to be a silver coin. That was a physically tough challenge, especially not knowing what the ’souvenir’ was. And the challenge kinda reminded me of what I did in Leeds a few years back over the summer hols - shovelling through cartons of fucking coleslaw at the factory LOL. That put me off of coleslaw for months! I literally used a shovel to work with those slaws.
After the roadblock, teams were met with a detour (1) Pick - where they had to retrieve three dolls from a wawachi machine, or (2) Pail - where they had to carry a pail of water using a bucket and a pole and deliver it to a monk. Nothing special about this except the subtitles : “Kalau kita jumpa sami, mesti kita seronok”. Haha. I’m surprised anyone did the Pail detour at all - but Ida and Tania did, while the rest did the relatively easier detour. After the detour, they were to drive themselves to the next Pitstop - the Astronomical Museum.
In the order of the arrival at the pitstop :
All these while, Mai/Oliver are trailing so far behind that even a TAR-watching virgin would know they don’t stand a snowball’s chance in Lucifer’s inferno of catching up. Between the first placers so far ahead in the race, and the last placers who are as good as dead, this is definitely, personally, the weakest non-enjoyable episode of TARA3 I’ve seen so far. A major shame cause we had such a great episode last week.
October 10th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Putting two luck-based tasks back to back is a big mistake. The whole episode felt like a long and pointless exercise in torturing the teams. It also makes me feel glad that Natalie is no longer on the race. Just imagine her reaction to the coal Roadblock…
Yup, I think Bernie is one moment away from punching Henry in the face. I don’t blame her - that guy can get really aggressive and pushy to the point that he can get on one’s nerves. But she is very good at keeping herself together - so far, heh - and they are still working very well together.
Ida and Tania are simply one of the BEST teams ever. They are fabulous! How fabulous are they? How about the fact that they work so well together, they don’t give up, they don’t scream at each other, and they actually know how to be funny without being lame? They are camera-aware, of course, but they are ten times more funny than Marc and Rovilson, who were just obnoxious. This is because Ida and Tania actually make FUNNY one-liners instead of resorting to hammy and brainless “jokes”.
AD and Fuzzie… oh, they make me laugh because they are still hanging in there. But I do fear for their driving, because they have the worst navigation skills of all the teams left on the race, it seems. But like H/B and T/I, this team demonstrates that perfect blend of teamwork and humor.
And I can’t help it, I adore Geoff and Tisha too. Tisha is priceless, from her “We’re so over after the race” comment that she made under her breath to her delicious silent treatment of Geoff that had him scrambling to get back into her good graces. As for Geoff, he’s like a very earnest puppy who is more bark than bite. He can be pushy and ridiculous, but he is so whipped in this episode that I can’t help giggling at that silly fool.
As for Mai and Oliver, well, Oliver is so pretty and I will miss the pretty. This team is just starting to get the villain edit (which means they are finally becoming interesting) when they are eliminated, which is a pity.
Which brings me to another point: where are the non-elimination legs? There are four, right? And we have four teams left. This means that we will be seeing the same four teams for the next two months! What are the designers of the race thinking?!!
October 10th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Oops, I mean five teams, not four.
October 10th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Aww… I missed my ‘Go Charla’ moment! I need to download that episode just to have a copy and tell my children that my voice was once heard all over the world! LOL. Can’t believe you still have the pictures!
Somehow, I got the feeling that initially the episode would have been NEL. But due to Mai-Oliver were so behind they decided to eliminate them. Just like what happened to Joyce-Uchenna in KL. And come on… for sure the next one will be NEL.. ! Unless they are doing things like Survivor/Project Runway… bring back the racers! LOL
So by the order of last night episode, should Ida-Tania remain 5th placer, they would still be safe (If NEL). Thats what we want right? Haha.. But if Geoff-Tish are saved by NEL, I’ll go *@^&%Q^#Q^&$#$#?? I think, it’s bound to happen though. The Pinoy would be so pissed at us right about now when we still have 2 teams intact. They were furious when Zab-JJ and Andrew-Sheon were the finalist last time.
The only thing that I like about last night episode is the driving in Taipei drama. I hate driving not knowing which way to go. I can understand Tish frustration. Anyone hear Ida whisper Bismillah when lifting the bucket of water? =)
Disappointed that they will still be in Asia region next episode – looks like Hong Kong. I wish they would have gone to US already! That’d be interesting to see especially at the passport control where one team entrance is denied! That’d be the first!
October 10th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I missed this episode, so I’m glad that I read this. At least I don’t have to waste my time. Anyway, they did say that this was going to be the toughest race ever, so perhaps that was the reason why the dumb tasks came into place.
October 10th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Romeo, I didn’t hear that but I heard Ida said “Thank you Allah” though.
I kinda pity Oliver and Mai but they just don’t have the luck. But at least they get some sleep before being eliminated.
I enjoyed the leg last night! This show is a bomb, seriously.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:35 am
It’s the most frustrating episode I have ever watched!
October 10th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
sigh.. the FF was a rip off from the FF from TAR 12 although the tattoo is much nicer yesterday.. and please.. enough with the needle in a haystack task already… too many good teams has been eliminated in TAR due to the luck factor….
One thing i have to say about Tania/Ida, i see them either eating or drinking in every episode. Good move, keeps the energy up for the tasks ahaead.. or maybe they’re just gluttons
kudos to mai and oliver for not giving up, wish Tish / Geoff was eliminated but hey it was nice seeing Geoff sweating about his relationship with Tish
Fuzzie just surprise me with her stamina. thought she would have meltdown by now and finally some arguments between her and a surprisingly foul mouth AD this episode
.
I’m more entertained by Henry’s antics. dont’ like bernie too much though.. there’s intensity but no offence, she’s a bitch to her brother….
October 11th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
I’m beginning to like Sam and Vince more and more after each episode. They didn’t stand out too much, but they surprised me with their ability to stay in the race. Those two are going to have a major advantage next leg.
I wonder where they’ll go to next? Hong Kong? Philippines?
The episode wasn’t as good as last week, but I still enjoyed it regardless. But I must admit, that Sony Blu-Ray challenge was just stupid.
October 13th, 2008 at 12:13 am
I couldn’t believe it that T/I chose to do that baldi thing *head-desk*
October 13th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
MrsG : I know! I was expecting this to be a NEL.. but I’m guessing they really fucked up with the Sony Blu Ray challenge.. which caused Mai/Oliver to be so far behind, that a NEL would be pointless (much like the Malaysian leg of TAR:All Star. It WAS originally planned to be a NEL).
Romeo : I need to re-download the episode too. LOL. And did Ida really say that? Hahaha God bless her.
Terra : This is THE episode to skip, if you haven’t watched it. It was a badly planned leg from start all the way to the end. Disappointing.
hcfoo : I’m just glad it’s not Henry/Bernie or Ida/Tania who was in Mai/Oli’s place.. I mean, it could’ve been any of the team! Sucks to be them, I suppose.
Gallivanter : You and me both!
eksk : Yeah, the tasks this episode was terrible and so unoriginal. I like Henry and Bernie’s banter. It’s kinda how I expected normal siblings would behave in these situations
neggo : Sam/Vince are like Colin/Adrian (did I get their names correct?) from last year. Didn’t stand out much, but they managed to stay in the race. And I think they might go to HK next, which would give Sam/Vince a much added advantage.
foongpc : Ida/Tania exceeded all my expectations in this race. I would be extremely happy if they end up in the Final 3.. and ecstatic if they won.
lin : LOL I know! what the heck? It’s one of those lop-sided detours (like the one that screwed the Japanese team from last season) that’s kinda obvious which would be the harder one.