Episode Report Card M. Giant: B- | 129 USERS: B- YOU GRADE IT Istanbul, Not Constantinople
By M. Giant | Season 21 | Episode 6 | Aired on 2012.11.04
Brent is following Josh and waspishly complaining about how Josh didn't understand what the man was telling him in Turkish. "I don't speak the language so I don't know what you want me to do," Josh points out. Duh, Josh, obviously Brent wants you to retroactively understand Turkish. Josh finds someone else to ask, but all this guy wants to do is laugh at Brent. Which I'm surprised is not more common.
Rob & Kelley make it to the baker's courtyard, and despite being in last place, Rob takes time to enjoy a little dance interlude with the band before loading up a tray of simits on top of his head. And back on the streets, Brent is getting frustrated with Josh. Some more. Too bad Josh didn't agree to carry the tray so that Brent could have his hands free to do an awesome job of understanding the locals' Turkish. In fact, after an ad break, Brent is decreeing, "We're not going to walk around and round so just figure out the appropriate person to ask." Eventually Josh does find someone who speaks English, and they get directions to a place that's on their first left. So at least they did some of their walking around and round in sort of the right direction.
Trey and Lexi get to Kapali Carsi just ahead of Abbie and Ryan. Team Metal, however, is lagging due to Abba's knees. "Let's just not walk more than we have to, okay?" Abba says. Genius strategy, in a RACE. This Carsi looks a lot like the other Carsisi, only brighter and airier inside, and with a fountain full of clues. "Who's ready to pour their heart out?" Ryan reads from the Roadblock clue. And standing next to a vendor who's wearing a red satin vest and fez with a big fancy pot strapped to his back, Phil explains that the Roadblock requires teams to serve Turkish sherbet, "regarded as the world's first soft drink." Phil holds up a cup of fruity-red liquid the vendor just handed him, demonstrating that Turks are even more unclear on the concept of sherbet than they are on those of bagels, coffee, and delight. We cut to a table full of similar costumes, which the racers will have to dress up in and then strap on pot of their own to "serve forty glasses of this popular refreshment" to shoppers. But not for free; they have to earn 40 lira, or about twenty dollars, to get their next clue. And filling each cup requires the vendor to bend forward at the waist to -- okay, I'm sorry, this is just the easiest leg ever and I can't keep pretending otherwise.
Lexi and Ryan agree to do this for their respective teams. "This is awesome," Lexi sings as she throws the vendor costume on over her clothes. Soon the two of them are working the crowds, but Lexi seems to be a better salesperson, not to mention handier with the spout, whereas Ryan keeps dropping stuff and having to get help from his customers. Team Metal arrives on the scene and Abba decides this is less likely to be hard on his decrepit legs than some future Roadblock. "Abba Dabbie the Fabulous!" James cheers as his partner gets geared up. I notice that one of the arcades even has a red-and-yellow banner running the whole length of the ceiling overhead, which is either the race making itself a little too at home or excellent location scouting. While trying to pour, Ryan drops the lid off his pot, and a helpful passerby picks it up for him. And then it happens again, while Lexi is making the most of her personality and cheerleader-voice. Which one would you rather buy from? Yeah, me either.