***SPOILERS***



I didn’t take many notes for a few reasons. I’m finding that I’m watching for the quiz things more closely than I did last season since I’m scoring it for the game. So I’m missing some of the littler details. I missed quite a few last night, so I may rewatch it tonight after LOST. All that to say, if you saw something of note that I don’t mention here, please add it.



1. I managed to finish reading the recap for Episode 1 at TWoP. From here on out, Adam/Rebecca will be called El Hornio, which is the most brilliant nickname Miss Alli has come up with yet. Anyway, El Hornio apparently has never cut his own toenails because his Mommy does it for him. Why Rebecca ever dated this guy is a mystery, but there’s more on that relationship much later. Why they felt they needed to share that tidbit of TMI is also a mystery, but it was some funny foreshadowing of the events later in the ep.



2. Race Advice #458: Never fully trust the locals. This is a part where I missed some stuff - so a couple of the teams took the word of a local on the opening time of the Gate place? They should have checked for a sign just to make sure.



3. Bolo is an idiot - as Lori was bold enough to tell him. Actually, he’s pretty funny with his turns of phrase. “It’s not about who’s better. I’m not better than you are. You’re not better than me are.” Or something like that. Heh.



4. Once the teams are in Senegal, the chaos with the cab drivers was amusing. I don’t understand why the one driver refused Gus/Hera - that seemed odd. And I’ll give another piece of advice - firmly negotiate the terms of the cab ride before you sit in the cab. I can’t believe how many teams are still getting into battles with their drivers about money after they’ve already reached their destination. Have they not watched the show?



5. Jonathan’s acting out of “death” to indicate his need to get to the cemetary was very funny. Most hilarious was when Victoria repeated “vite, vite” to the driver and Jonathan, the mental magician, echoed with “beep, beep.” Oh, my sides were splitting on that one.



6. I think it was Aaron who said, “we’re trying to find the cemetary where this author resides.” Resides? I suppose so, but that’s not how I would have phrased it.



7. How many others were yelling at the TV when Jonathan and Victoria talked about having children? Very, very bad idea.



8. Detour: Stack ‘em up/Pull ‘em up. I would have taken one look at those waves and opted for stacking. Poor Don and Hera. OTOH, the stench of the stackers had to be something else, huh?



9. Roadblock: Salt Harvest. Oh, here’s where the ep got really entertaining. First, those women who did the task were awesome, with the exception of Princess Kendra. And then there was Princess Adam El Hornio. Rebecca’s light bulb moment while watching her boyfriend whine like a little girl was hilarious. She was finally seeing what all of America had seen in the first five minutes of episode one. What a wuss that guy is.



10. The ferry to the Pit Stop. Lots of good stuff here too, mostly the discussion with Team El Hornio - “I’m tired of babysitting my girlfriend!” got a belly laugh. His feeble attempt at garnering sympathy by threatening to throw himself off the boat earned him that most awesome of comebacks from Rebecca, “That would be awesome!” Oh, too funny.



Did anyone else see Jonathan picking a wedgie at the ferry dock? Did I imagine that?



Gus shirtless in the cab - My eyes! They burn!



11. Pit Stop: Gus/Hera get lost a lot. For a former CIA guy, you’d think he’d be better with directions. I’m dumbfounded by the little kiss between Team El Hornio on the Mat after that argument on the ferry. Jonathan must stop the leap onto the Mat and triumphant fists - most annoying. Don and Mary Jean arrive last, but not Philiminated. And now they’re in Senegal with no dough. Is that a touristy enough spot for them to beg? I can’t imagine how they’ll do with no cash.