Episode Report Card M. Giant: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Fare Competition
By M. Giant | Season 19 | Episode 3 | Aired on 10.09.2011
Kaylani and Lisa, the Vegas showgirls, are leaving in third place, at 8:02 AM. Lisa interviews about being a single mom and her daughter being her motivation. She's got a picture of the little girl clipped to her backpack, in a cracked plastic frame, and she interviews that she doesn't want to fail her daughter. Well, who does? Although, if Kaylani didn't leave enough food in the house, her performance on the race will be pretty much moot.
Ernie and Cindy are leaving in fourth place, at 8:14, which means their trip back to the orphanage to finish following directions last week added at least 37 minutes to their time. As they find the cycling club, Cindy shares a bit more about the extent of her control-freakiness: she made a packing list three months ago, and had them both studying geography and language, as well as doing lots of exercising. We see her joking that her bike club uniform pants are too tight, "so I must have gotten fatter on the race." Which, if true, would probably be a first. Ernie says he's been living his last six months on her schedule. Only the last six months? What's he bitching about? Soon they're biking along, giving me a chance to think of some other ways Cindy should have had them prepare. Practice driving a manual transmission? Bungee jumping? Emergency vehicle repair? Oops, spoiler.
Twins Liz and Marie have different outfits and different hair this week, which is very nice of them. They're leaving at 8:18, in fifth place. "Twins, riding bicycles side by side," one of them comments once they're underway. I agree, that does seem a little on the nose. Jeremy and Sandy, the previously married couple, are leaving sixth, at 8:21 AM. Off they go, cycling so quickly that a toddler running barefoot is able to briefly gain on them. Seriously, this happens.
Bill and Cathi, the grandparents, are heading out at 8:21, in seventh place. Cathi loves bicycles, unsurprisingly. She interviews that they're 40 years older than the youngest team; "All of these people look like they could be our children." Well, not Laurence. "But we're fearless. At our age, we're gonna die soon anyway, so it's all good." She's laughing while she says this, and one can't help but imagine Phil walking up to a couple of greasy spots at the bottom of a canyon and grimly informing them, "I'm sorry to tell you that you have been eliminated from the planet."
Andy and Tommy, still in the lead, are unsurprisingly the first team to reach Fort Vredeburg and get their clue. Which tells them to take a taxi to Lesehan restaurant in Salakmalang Village to get their next clue. So I guess they got some cash at the beginning of this leg, not that we ever find out how much. Back in their civvies and backpacks, they grab a cab. Laurence and Zac get their clue in second place, not far behind. But Tommy's not worried: "I'm sure there's still teams just starting," he says to Andy in their cab.