The Amazing Race down to a fabulous five

 

The Amazing Race

 

Season 35, Episode 9

 

By Jim Memmott

 

Slovenia – It’s show time, go time, mansplaining time.

 

The elimination of Robbin Tomich and Chelsea Day in this episode left the Race with eight men and two women, and the women are on different teams. (Their departure took Judith Hunter out of our pool.)

 

Chelsea and Robbin were done in by getting lost as they drove to the Pivka Jama Cave make-a-dragon experience. And earlier Chelsea had to restart the wooden-utensil carry. (It’s too hard to explain.)

 

The best friends took their defeat with good grace, Robbin noting that she had seen much harder times that included her husband’s death, her bout with cancer, her struggling with weight issues.

 

Here’s a quick guide to the remaining teams:

 

Greg (he’s the bearded one) and John Franklin: At this point in the race, the brothers seem invincible. Computer scientists, they’ve won four in a row.

They’re cool, they’re smart and they don’t quarrel. I’m not sure that they can be defeated, but the Race is never over until it’s over. (Yes, you have heard that before.)

Corey and Rob McArthur (dad/son):

My algorithms (OK, I don’t really have any), make them the

second-most likely to win it all. They’re positive; they don’t get lost; and they play to their strengths. (Rob can assemble things, so Corey gave him the lead on putting together the dragon.)

They lost time by not reading a clue closely in the fishpond roadblock, but they wisely switched tasks, and came in third. And they’ve got an Express Pass to play.

 

Joel Strasser and Garrett Smith: The best bros came out of nowhere to finish second in this episode. They aren’t that

athletic, but they are goofy and good-hearted, and they’re nicknamed the Pistachios (I don’t know why.)

Joel loves to narrate his every move, constantly referring to dad jokes, as well to as his beard, a beard that a local with a basket on her head kissed at the finish line, an Amazing Race first.

 

Steve Cargile and Anna Leigh Wilson: It wouldn’t hurt to

have a family therapist on call for this father-daughter team, as the biggest challenge Steve faces is coming to terms with the fact that Anna Leigh is, well, an adult. But they persevere and always seem to survive and recalibrate after every episode. Who knows, they could win.

 

Ashlie and Todd Martin: The married high school sweethearts are Amazing Race gold. Case in point. Turns out Todd likes to drive and navigate, multi-tasking when he shouldn’t, leaving Ashlie to critique in the back seat.

Sure enough, Todd makes what he calls a “dad detour” going off course and losing time. He pouts later about Ashlie’s criticism of his driving. I’m sure viewers want to see him fail, but, dad detours aside, he and Ashlie are still in the Race.

 

Overheard

 

Ashlie: We’re getting along great, the key to our marriage is just forgiving.

 

Corey: Our goal is to survive the leg and not use the Express Pass.

 

Garrett Smith: It’s the best of the best who are left, and I don’t know if we fit in with the best of the best, but we’re doing our best to move up.

 

Steve: She’s my grownup little girl, my grown-up little baby.

 

Joel: This is a dad-friendly task, but usually when I do dad-friendly tasks I’m not feeling this pressure to get things right.

 

John: We want Steve and Anna Leigh out because they are a very strong team.

 

Todd: All I know is that stalactites are on the ceiling and stalagmites are on the ground.

 

Todd: I’m sorry my driving is going to cost us the whole race.

 

Ashlie: The true test of marriage is you can assemble furniture together.

 

Joel: I’ve got a little confession to make. That dragon noise was actually my bear noise.

 

Rob: I love the beach because it’s my Zen place.

 

Todd: The hope of this race is that when you suck, someone sucks more than you do.

 

Order of finish

 

Greg and John Franklin, brothers

Joel Strasser and Garrett Smith, best friends

Steve Cargile and Anna Leigh Wilson, father and daughter

Corey and Rob McArthur, son and father

Todd and Ashlie Martin, married, high school sweethearts

 

Eliminated

 

Robbin Tomich and Chelsea Day, childhood best friends