Episode Report Card M. Giant: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Two Men, a Bad Plan, A Canal, Panama
By M. Giant | Season 19 | Episode 11 | Aired on 12.04.2011
It's getting lighter outside as Andy and Tommy hop out of another cab in search of the mural. Ernie and Cindy are also closing in on it on foot, getting instructions from bystanders while carrying white bindles hung on their canes over their shoulders. Amani and Marcus are learning about Tintin from some of those early-morning sidewalk diners, and are told that they themselves are detectives Jonson and Johnson. Both Team Control and Team Pre-Owned spot the Tintin impersonator in the blue sweater and red knickers waiting in front of the mural down the street and race each other to him, but Jeremy and Sandy get there first. Sandy introduces herself and Jeremy as Jonson and Johnson, and Tintin hands them a clue. According to Phil, they now have to take a train to Amsterdam and fly from there to Panama City, Panama, more than 4,000 miles away on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Then they'll have to get to a river that looks like it's waaaay out in the country, where they'll take a boat ride upstream to a native village called Parara Puru to get their next clue. Jeremy and Sandy are on their way to the train station.
Ernie and Cindy present themselves to Tintin as Dupont and Dupond. "And we are detectives that are stupid but you're the smart detective that helps us solve all our cases," Cindy teacher's-pets. Whatever, it earns them their clue. Andy and Tommy, just now arriving, hurry to catch up with the team who left the Pit Stop an hour later than they did. Team Control withdraws to open their clue while Tommy informs Tintin, "We are Charlie Chaplin." Tintin shakes his head, and keeps shaking it as Tommy keeps guessing randomly: "Buster Keaton? Harold Lloyd?" You know, if you're going to insist on being a silent film star, you're sucking at it. "Not gonna figure it out here," Andy finally says, and they run off to get back online. Or, you know, ask someone. I don't like asking strangers on the street for help either, but under the circumstances I like to think I'd get over it. Amani spots Tintin next, and she and Marcus rush over so she can introduce themselves as Jonson and Johnson. With that, they get the clue ending them to Panama City in third place. Which is ironic given that Andy and Tommy, who started the leg in first place, are now in last place as a result of being the most stupid detectives of all.
So they're back in front of a computer at the Internet place, which doesn't seem like the best use of their time. Especially given how slow they apparently are on the Internet. After another search, they decide to go with Thomson & Thompson, which means we can check off all three sets of names. On the way to the train station, Team Control meets up with Team NFL and they all high-five, not just over getting to go to Panama, but also the snowboarders' failure with the Tintin task. "Just shows they're not invincible after all," Marcus says. It's full daylight by the time the snowboarders return to Tintin and get their clue. Next thing you know, all four teams are getting on the same train together, still in their costumes. Don't ask me where their backpacks are, because no way do they fit inside those bindles. Maybe their baggage got shipped ahead to Amsterdam. Clearly I'm overthinking this.