Moronald and Christina have a driver who looks pretty old and starts wheezing while he drives them around. Christina tries to ask him if he is okay, but he won't answer, he just keeps wheezing and Moronald compassionately says, "I just hope he doesn't croak on us." I'm sure, Moronald, that is because you are concerned with his health and not just your standing in the contest, right?
"I hyperventilate around mean people."
The Babies get to the Kita-Mido Temple where the clue box is directly front and center. It's a Detour! Welcome, Phil. The choices this lovely afternoon are Sense of Touch or Sense of Smell. In Sense of Touch the teams must play a game of soccer acted out by miniature robots that are controlled by cell phone (!) and each must score one goal against Japanese players. In Sense of Smell the teams go to a flower shop that sells only artificial flowers. They must go through the two-story shop and locate one real flower hidden amongst thousands of silk flowers using only their noses. No touching! When they find a real flower, the shop owner will give them their next clue. Arigatou, Phil!
The Babies decide to select which task to perform based on which location is closest. They accost a man on the street just as Moronald and Christina pull up to the temple and grab the clue. It seems that each location is about 10 minutes away, but The Babies choose the flowers because Jen says she has the sense of smell of a bloodhound. Charming. Moronald and Christina also choose the flowers and Nick is still driving around Osaka in circles. He finally gets back to collect Grandpa and they head out in a taxi. As The Babies jog toward the flower shop Jen keeps (blood)hounding Nate to run, run, run! Moronald does the same to Christina. The Babies arrive and realize just how many flowers they will be sniffing and get right to work.
My favorite passerby of the evening.
Nick says there's no way he can identify real flowers - good call, Nick, I can't see a straight guy succeeding at that one, so he and Grandpa are on their way to robot soccer. Christina makes Moronald blow his nose before beginning the flower search and they decide to start smelling on the second floor since The Babies are covering the first floor and there's no point in retracing their steps. Nick takes Grandpa's backpack so they can both run and Grandpa tells us that he is afraid of letting Nick down. Nick tells us he's afraid of letting himself down as well. Okay, I guess this is all about Nick. They arrive at robot soccer and receive no instructions, only cell phones with which to control the robots. This looks so Japanese! Like Japanese in the way that it is totally sophisticated and complicated, but eight-year-old children excel at it and it will be coming to America soon for our children to excel at. Poor Grandpa Donald is frustrated because he doesn't play video games or even own a computer. I'm right there with you, Grandpa Donald! And I'm several decades younger. It's only the wee ones these days who can understand the newfangled devices.
Domo Arigatou, Mr. Roboto!
(You knew that was coming.)
Over at the flower shop Jen tells us that she's getting lightheaded from all of the sniffing and that she's starting to feel like she's in a Pink Floyd music video. Oooh, The Hippies should love this challenge! Moronald and Christina are also sniffing along and Moronald tells us that he's trying to be encouraging so that Christina won't feel like she's being demoralized by an old man dragging her down. Um, you're about eight legs too late, Moronald.
"All I can smell is you, Daddy."
The Babies are reaching that stage where they are hating on each other because they can't finish the challenge. At robot soccer Nick finally manages to score a goal, so now Grandpa has to score one and they can proceed.
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Comments (12)
Good job HG!!! My favorite line - "Can you riz-ead my ciz-ard?" Something about Nick reminds me of Jon Heder...they both look so sinusy all the time.
My favorite visualization - Phil being my backseat driver...mmm...
1 of 12 | Posted by wintersux | Posted on January 10, 2008 4:03 AM
OK, maybe not my backseat driver...just in my backseat...but only after he gets over that nasty case of beriberi.
2 of 12 | Posted by wintersux | Posted on January 10, 2008 4:19 AM
Uh, HG, a "direct" flight means that you do not change aircraft, but it can indeed make one or more stops on the way to your final destination. Hate to make Moronald right, but that's the case.
3 of 12 | Posted by talma63 | Posted on January 10, 2008 5:52 AM
Great recap HG - I don't remember the last time I laughed that hard reading a recap! I kept thinking the same thing when Christina was saying how her father hadn't flipped out once the whole leg...he most definitely flipped out when they go to the airport. Thought it was hilarious when Moronald and Grandpa were sharing cookies waiting during the cab driving mission. I wish they would've given us more info on TK and Rachel...like timing of their flights. And "the electric car" was a little weird...usually theres huge product placement in those prizes and this was so vague...I would've been pissed if I won that! It's funny bc I think last time those two came in first they won a catamaran and now an electric car?!
4 of 12 | Posted by yankeesfan | Posted on January 10, 2008 7:00 AM
Another fine recap!
The hippies MAY be eliminated (due to trusting the wrong guy) but they are definitely winners in a much larger sense.
A million dollars would be wasted on the babies, but for the first time in memory, I like three out of four remaining teams.
Maybe they should do a show using only "nice" teams from past races?
5 of 12 | Posted by fire@will | Posted on January 10, 2008 10:19 AM
fire@will, I'm with you about the nice teams race. That'd be great. It'll never happen because TV producers love "conflict," which you get in spades with annoying teams *cough, Babies, cough*
I really want TK and Rachel to avoid elimination next episode. I want them to be in my life a little longer, since they're totally pleasant people. Nick and Don, they're great, too. Christina makes up for Ronald... mostly. I guess what I'm saying is I would love to see the Babies eliminated next, but you have to admit they've improved as RACERS. But they suck as humans.
6 of 12 | Posted by MidwestNomad | Posted on January 10, 2008 10:30 AM
Maybe they should do a show using only "nice" teams from past races?
Well, who would want to watch that?
The babies aren't THAT bad. I'm sure they're fine human beings whenever they're not around each other.
I like Nick and Grandpa, Cristina and Moron and TK and Rachel. I've got my fingers crossed.
7 of 12 | Posted by weasel dearest | Posted on January 10, 2008 12:33 PM
Thanks for the recap HG! I agree, Moronald was testy more than once, but I did like her hushing, and him saying ok--like sticking a pacifier in a crying baby dolls face!
I liked Jen more this time, and I felt bad for her when she was regaling the cheater with her tale of taxi woes, and he shut her down . . . that bites, and I know exactly how she felt!!! Perhaps he is more of the cause of the discontent--Jen needs someone more attentive, and maybe she'd deserve it. She looked great in the taxi cam too!
I'm still rooting for the dehydrated team--despite their leader, who at least can be a bitch! He does make for a great slo-mo, WTF before the commercial break--I'm usually completely convinced they're toast--I was also surprised it was only 10 minutes later . . . . thanks editors.
Rachael is also looking more attractive suddenly . . . what's happening . . . great to see a sweett and nice team almost at top three--we can hope can't we!?
Robots were cool!!!
8 of 12 | Posted by juddfan | Posted on January 10, 2008 1:58 PM
I liked Jen more this time
Totally, she was positively giddy during this leg of the race. She was definitely different, surprised that HG didn't notice.
9 of 12 | Posted by trickydick | Posted on January 10, 2008 5:43 PM
trickydick,
I also noticed how giddy Jen seemed when they left the pit stop...my first thought was that she and Nate must have had gotten a little "one on one" time during their pit stop.
Great recap, HG!
10 of 12 | Posted by hardlyworking | Posted on January 11, 2008 7:14 AM
Of course Jennifer was giddy -- because things were going well for her and Nathan, for once! But had things gotten really bad, she would've gone right back to screaming again. And she actually did with the taxi debacle, so how about that?
11 of 12 | Posted by Dale | Posted on January 15, 2008 12:40 PM
Did anyone else notice that the music in the background of the taxi driving challenge was "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors? I'm a 80's chick and recognized the tune right away...
HG - your recaps are the best! Thanks for the great job!
12 of 12 | Posted by lijjy | Posted on January 15, 2008 12:46 PM