Fishing for survival

Amazing Race, 31, Episode 3

Laos/Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – So you were watching a re-run of William Barr throw his good friend Bob Mueller under the bus.

If that was the case, and you still have to catch Episode 3, look away rather than spoil your experience.

Now. On to the summary. 

Something fishy

There was light-up dancing and crawfish fishing and some kookie karaoke.

Fortunes fell – the Afghanimals proved themselves fallible. 

Fortunes rose – Becca and Floyd finished first led by Floyd’s karaoke performance for the ages. 

And Bret and Chris, a team that has always seemed endangered, finished last but survived, Phil Keoghan proclaiming it to be a non-elimination round.

Some takeaways:

1) Marching on: 

Floyd Pierce, a guy whose zest for life is only equalled by that of his partner Becca Droz, was a drum major for the

Floyd drumming 2017

University of Colorado "Golden Buffalo" Marching Band.

That explains his ability to dance, to crush karaoke, and never to tire, as seen this week.

Though, wait a minute, he did tire in his previous time on The Amazing Race, in Episode 10 of Season 29, wobbling off his bicycle in Vietnam, falling to the ground, ending the race. 

2) Cheaters never win:

Actually, cheaters win some on The Amazing Race, but in this episode, Leo and Jamal, who delight in sending the other teams astray, went astray themselves. Blame taxi cabs and signage and their own hubris. Served them right.

3) Wink, wink:

Sisters Rachel Reilly and Elissa Slater slipped a little, ending up in seventh place. Not sure why, but Rachel is doing a lot

of asides to the camera, all the time suggesting her sister is a ditz. 

Popcorn break

Better to follow the lead of Sherri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge) in Best in Show, who gives Leslie, the man of her life, some space by stepping away and having a big bucket of popcorn (“half butter, half salt”) and listening to a message from herself. Here she is.

4) Off the hook

The hardest part of fishing, for those of us who are squeamish, is putting the bait on the hook and taking the fish off the hook.

Korey and Tyler found this to be the case when they went crawfish fishing in front of an audience of laughing Vietnamese. Corinne and Eliza, on the other hand, had little trouble. I love the Race.

5) Embedded:

Unsponsored plug

The Race has no shame when it comes to plugging sponsors, but the early demonstration of the Travelocity app – “That was no easy!” – raised self- promotion to a new level. 

6) Chew on this:

There are always strange moments on the Race as when Becca handed her “best trail mix” to Korey and Tyler as a peace-offering for U-turning them the previous episode. They didn’t seem impressed.

7) Do you have an invite?

Second strange moment: Britney and Janelle, lost and crashing a (“fricking”) wedding.

Overheard:

Floyd: It’s become more competitive, and it’s become more conniving.

Jamal: The haters are going to hate. The ballers are going to ball. So we don’t really care about none of them at all.

Britney: We’re ashamed of ourselves in a lot of ways.

Korey: Here fishey, fishey, fishey, come on.

Floyd: Are these light-up suits…this is my dream.

Victor: I come from a dancing background.

Chris: Oh god oh god, oh god.

Floyd: Vietnam welcomed us back with open arms.

Chris: With the Afghanimals on you tail, you’re never safe.

Order of finish:

1) Becca and Floyd

2) Nicole and Victor

3) Christie and Colin

4) Tyler and Korey

5) Corinne and Eliza

6) Britney and Janelle

7) Rachel and Elissa

8) Jamal and Leo

9) Chris and Bret