Episode Report Card Miss Alli: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Antebellum? I hardly even know 'em!
By Miss Alli | Season 8 | Episode 2 | Aired on 10.03.2005
"One more, we go and see Phil," says a SIL as the Aiellos continue working. Heh. That's what I'd be concentrating on, too. The Bransens are on their last soldier, too. The Gaghans complete their first carry.
Schroeders finish lighting the lamps. They take their flag and run. Welcome, you are team number four.
Tony Aiello pronounces himself "wicked tired," but the SILs assure him it'll be okay. He tells us in an interview that he teases the SILs that they traded up when they married his daughters, but he says he's really been impressed with them the last few days. I don't think it's that big of a change -- it's a nice hook, but this is clearly a close family where the FIL/SIL relationships were already pretty healthy. They finish the soldiers and run for the mat. The SILs prod Tony as they find the Bransens suddenly hard on their heels. SIL Matt actually has Tony by the hand as they run up to the mat. Not far from that to spooning, you know. So the Aiellos are number five, and the Bransens are number six.
Carissa has now been relegated to carrying hats and things as the Gaghans continue with the soldiers. They finish, and they take their flag to the finish line. Team number seven. Given the gazillion hours of fucking up that occurred earlier in the day, it's a good finish for them.
The Paolos, apparently victims of atrocious navigation between D.C. and Middleburg, finally arrive at the Detour. They choose the soldiers.
Team Rogers, driving toward Welbourne Manor, getting directions.
Paolos finish their second soldier and Mama says she doesn't think she can do it.
Rogerses pick the soldiers, but after they've done one, they realize that Mama -- who's apparently still dragging from the header she took in the opening, according to the Early Show interview these folks did -- isn't up to four more soldiers, and Papa and the kids can't really do it without her. So they switch to the lamps.
The Paolos carry. The Rogerses fill. Shooting. Carrying. Filling. This is the biggest win-win situation ever, with the only possible bad outcome being a non-elimination leg. As you can imagine, this is all edited together to be very, very close, but you never actually see the families in the same shot, nor do they ever refer to seeing each other. Nevertheless, they drag it out to the last minute, and arriving at the mat first...it's the Paolos. Yeesh. I really want those people to go away. I think I would have rather seen Team Rogers spared, and you know what it takes for me to say that. ["…Brock?" -- Sars]