We bounce over to The Hippies who are still riding along in a taxi and they have no idea if they are way behind or way ahead because they haven't seen another team since leaving the Pit Stop. The Babies give up on the first floor of the flower shop and run upstairs to try sniffing around on the second floor. Jen starts whining that they should have done the robot challenge, causing Nate to criticize her attitude. Fight, fight! Grandpa is having trouble making his robot score and Moronald and Christina are not finding any real flowers either. FINALLY Jen thinks she smells something so she pulls out a flower and she and Nate tear down to the shop owner who smells it and gives them the clue. They must now travel by taxi to Tempozan Park, the Pit Stop! The last team to check in may be eliminated. It looks like The Babies just might get their first win! As they run around in their usual frenzy looking for a taxi Christina smells a real flower. The green-haired shop owner hands them the clue and off they go.
The Babies can't find a driver who knows where Tempozan Park is, but I think it must be a matter of pronunciation because the first driver Christina approaches in Japanese knows right where to take them. The Babies finally enlist the help of a passerby who hails a taxi for them and explains to the driver where they need to go. Aw, that's sweet. The man tells the driver that his friends need to get to Tempozan in a hurry. Arigatou, cute man! As Jen climbs into the taxi Nate nudges her with his hand and she flops down yelling that she can't believe Nate would push her like that. He yells back that he didn't push her. This must be the spirit of camaraderie that these two are always talking about achieving.
In a more peaceful taxi, Christina is very happy to point out that Moronald hasn't yelled at her all day and that finally, on this, the ninth leg of the race Moronald has not lost his temper once. He came pretty close though, when the cab driver didn't drop them off right in front of Air India as I recall. At robot soccer Nick is finally able to coach Grandpa into his goal and they receive the final clue. Moronald and Christina's driver has to ask someone for directions to Tempozan Park, so maybe The Babies' problem wasn't just a matter of pronunciation as I thought before. The driver figures it out and Moronald and Christina come in first place! There is a lovely lady for once standing next to Phil to welcome them to Osaka, Japan.
"We do not become Geisha to fulfill our own destiny."
For winning they will each receive an electric vehicle that seats four. Hmm. That's interesting. I wonder how happy The Babies would have been to win those. I'll take a Hummer, please. Phil asks Christina if her dad is improving, seeing as they came in first, and Christina says he's improving "worlds." I'm not so sure about that, but oh well, I guess she's excited to win.
The Babies come in second and try to refrain from pulling each other's hair out. Jen vows that now it is "on." They are sick of coming in second and they are learning their lesson not to bicker. Nate says that the best team is going to finish last and it will be them. There is the sound of a needle skidding off of a record and Jen looks and him and says, "Last?" Nate's like, "Duh, I mean finish the last leg first." Okay, enough of these two. Nick and Grandpa arrive at the mat with Nick carrying Grandpa's bag and Phil looking like he's about to pass out from dysentery or some other debilitating disease (but I think it may just be the lighting) and Grandpa tells us that he's almost 69 (hee hee), making him 45 years older than almost everyone else but he's still hanging in there. Rock on, Grandpa! You are very inspiring. The pretty Japanese lady stands there looking bored and smiling. Aw, good sport.
Phil's caught Beriberi.
« Miss America: Reality Check: And the Contestants Are... | Main | Project Runway: Jersey Pretty »
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