Episode Report Card M. Giant: A- | 2 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Philimination, Where Is Thy Sting?
By M. Giant | Season 13 | Episode 1 | Aired on 09.28.2008
The Geeks quickly discover the nature of the challenge facing them. These carts are narrow, all but unsteerable, and completely without any kind of railing to contain their high, precariously balanced stacks of wares. And these tiled streets, while lovely, aren't exactly dance-floor smooth, either. When they try to get going, almost everything falls off. Mark mostly solves the problem by draping his jacket over the goods as a makeshift cargo cover, and then he says in an interview, "We have a very, very good set of intuitive skills that we can look at a situation, make a plan, and act on it, all in a split second." I don't know why they cut off the beginning of that statement, which no doubt began with something like "From years of experience with computer and role-playing games..."
Kelly and Christy, meanwhile, talk about what strong women they are, having dealt with bad situations before. I must say, the rate of failed marriages in this country can't be as bad as I've been led to believe, given the fact that these two are acting like the only people who have ever been divorced. Unfortunately, their unique experience doesn't seem to be helping with the fact that their cabdriver doesn't know where he's going.
Thus Terence and Sarah arrive next at the marketplace, and as he's struggling to get underway with the cart, he says, "Babe, I love you, but if you don't help me..." Unfortunately, she falls in line before he can finish the thought and I can settle on hating him. Not to worry, plenty of time.
Ken and Tina are still impatiently waiting for their luggage or something by their cab as Nick and Starr cut past them, so that puts them in fourth place. And as Team Geek crosses the street, Mark observes, "This is like driving the worst shopping cart in the entire world." Terence and Sarah have had a stroke of good luck in the form of meeting someone who not only knows how to steer the cart (the little truck cab goes in front of the cart, apparently) but is willing to help them schlep it to the plaza. But instead of appreciating any of this, or the fact that his teammate brings with her the fabulously useful skill of being able to speak Portuguese in Brazil, he bitches at her for not speaking English. "I love you dearly but you keep saying things that I don't know!" What's Portuguese for "Shut your goddamn yell-hole, Dagwood"? Nick/Starr and Ken/Tina are having trouble with all their crap. "Yikey-shnikeys," Tina says as she reloads their cart for the umpteenth time.