Amazing race 11/23 *spoilers*

[Pithlet]

What did you think? I'm sad the best friends lost. They had the best attitude of anyone ever on that show. I felt so bad for the one who couldn't drive the stick shift. That is stressful enough in the best situation, but on national tv during a competition? I would have just melted.

And Johnathan is downright abusive towards Victoria. I wish they could split up somehow so she could stay in the game while he went home.

[MidwestMomma]

1. I can't believe they put another abusive jerk on the show

I don't mind if couples, friends, siblings, etc want to fight and yell at each other. (Well up to a certain point.) But I can't stand the flat out verbal abuse crap. I hope they get eliminated early so I don't have to watch it for the whole show like last season.

I always tend to like the positive teams that look like they are having a good time together so I was sad to see the friends go. They were entertaining. Too bad driving the stick shift goofed them up so bad.

I like the new rule about the road blocks. My and my sisters thought they should do something like that to make it more fair. They must have had a lot of complaints about the 2 top teams and how the women never did any road blocks. (If I remember right, I don't think Kim or Christy did any road blocks.)

[Pithlet]

3. I like that new rule, also

about the road blocks. It's supposed to be about team competition, and that makes everyone follow the spirit of the game, and it makes it more fair. It also adds another element of strategy, which is good.

[lazarus]

5. It's entirely possible

that they didn't know he was abusive. He could have come across in the interviews as upbeat and enthusiastic instead of looney tunes.

[MidwestMomma]

8. You are right, they probably didn't know

But I guess I get frustrated because they can edit the show any way they want and I just wish they wouldn't give that behavior so much screen time. But heck, maybe those are his best moments...scary.

I always thought last season that the producers at some point talked to Colin and told him to settle down or they were off the show. Seemed like about half way through he reined it in. Or maybe they just started editing out his worst behavior.

My family and I joked that they probably had to film the end of the last race about 10 times before they got an ending with Colin being a good loser. :D

[Orangepeel]

17. Christy tried to eat the caviar...

..

[Chovexani]

2. Jonathan is such an asshole

I mean in the previews for next week he looked like he was about to hit Victoria at one point. He is SUCH an asshole.

[lazarus]

4. Chip and Kim

had the bestest attitude ever on any reality show.

I'm hoping Lori the wrestler overhears one of is tirades at Victoria and snaps his neck, but that'd probably cost her thirty minutes.

I love the new rule that a person can only do six roadblocks, btw.

[Pithlet]

11. I don't remember Chip and Kim

That may have been a season I missed. I missed the first season and this past season.

[lazarus]

18. Chip and Kim

Won last season, silly.

[Pithlet]

19. I didn't watch last season

silly :P ;)

[Qanisqineq]

6. I swear Jonathan DID his Victoria at least once on this episode

My husband says he hit her twice and he should be kicked off. But I swear I saw him hit her once.

[Pithlet]

13. I saw him push her last night.

Until that point, it had all been verbal (not that that is excusable, of course), but after I saw that I thought "I bet he hits her". I don't know them personally, so I could be wrong. But, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that physical abuse has taken place in that relationship.

[qanda]

16. I taped it and just finished watching it

Jonathan hit her twice. The first time was when she came up to him while he was getting directions and then he hit her in the head with the door of the van. You could tell it was purposeful and he never acted remorseful even when she was clearly hurt. I don't understand why they allow that to go on, he should definitely be kicked off.

[Enraged_Ape]

20. His smacking her with the hatch lid was absolutely surreal

Jonathan had no response whatsoever. None. He didn't even turn around or pause. And all the while his wife was moaning in pain. I'm sorry, but ANY guy with an iota of concern would have immediately at least checked to see if she was all right.

He also came close to hitting Victoria again last night. He raised his arm to clout her, then stopped when he saw the camera. She INSTINCTIVELY flinched as if it had happened before countless times.

I really hate that guy, and not in a "love to hate him" way. I just hate him. I want him off the show, off TV, and in divorce court.

[Qanisqineq]

21. I agree, he is an unbearable human being

There is always a pair or two on The Amazing Race that I "love to hate" and I am happy to see them go but a little saddened that I don't have someone to root against anymore. Some of them I believe are probably decent people in real life but the game and the editing of the show bring out the worst in them. However, Jonathan is beyond that. He is abusive and horrible and when he is gone I will be happy. My only worry will be for his wife and how she will live with him. You can see it in Phil's face, even he dislikes the guy.

Maybe there will be a bright side to all of this -- Jonathan could watch the show and see how horribly he treats his wife and make an effort to change. Or, his wife could watch the show and see how horrible he is and how other people react to him and leave.

[Phentex]

22. I don't remember that part but I said to my

husband "He looks like he's about to hit her." He was ranting about something and moved toward her in anger. It's really disgusting to watch them.

[Piperay]

7. I liked the best friends too

I also like the father and daughter and the older couple. I also like a couple of the other teams but I am kind of mixed up on who they are except I know they are not the ones that are fighting. I can't stand all the verbal abuse that a couple of the teams are heaping on each other, it is really sickening. I think that Jon has gone way beyond verbal abuse toward Victoria. :-(

[skippysmom]

9. Sad that Meredith and Maria lost

I'd really like to see an all female team win it, but some of the challenges are hard when it's two women. The rule change will help because the women on the mixed sex teams will have to do more.

I think it's a rule that they always have a jerk. He'll go far and then bomb out in the end. See: Colin of Colin/Christie and the redhead's boyfriend in the season before.

[Dem Agog]

10. Meredith & Maria...

Call me mean and you'd probably be right but M&M deserved to be last this time. I'm sorry, but if you're going to go on a show that you know will be traveling through Europe and many other continents you should damn well know how to drive a stick!!!

People do all sorts of things to prepare for TAR, working out, reading maps, researching. So why not correct such an obvious shortcoming as not knowing how to operate a manual transmission?

As soon as I saw her stalling & sobbing I knew they would go home and as much as I hate the wrestling chick & Jonathan, I knew that those two girls really would be the ones who SHOULD have to go home.

Just my 2 cents...

[Pithlet]

12. It's not that easy

I can drive a stick shift, and have been able to for years. I prefer it to automatic, so I'm not biased against manual transmissions. But, learning was a long process, and it took experience before I was entirely comfortable with it. If it had only been a couple of months after I learned, I can see myself easily choking. And, some people never pick up on it well, no matter how hard they try. I do think you're being too hard on her.

Some people pick up stick pretty easily, but most people don't, especially if they learned to drive with an automatic. I think a lot of people forget how stressful it is to learn.

[Dem Agog]

14. Still, they had plenty of time before the race...

I understand that it takes awhile and that unseasoned folks might stall occassionally but they didn't seem to know ANYTHING about it. If I were in that position, I would have taken the time and spent as long as it took to learn how to drive manual.

[Pithlet]

15. She may have

If she didn't own a stick herself that she drove every day, it might not have made a difference. They may not have much time between knowing they're on the show and leaving.

It wasn't until I had my own car with a manual transmission and drove it every day that I got smooth driving a stick. Going from neutral into first without stalling is a bitch to learn. It seemed that was where she was having her problem. Once she got going, she was fine. She managed to drive all that way. Someone who has no clue wouldn't even have made it as far as she did. The fact that she didn't totally lose it adds points for me :) Add driving in a foreign country, and with a camera person for national tv in the passenger seat filming you, and that is a recipe for a breakdown.