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The Amazing Race 20 Episode 9

Unable to catch up from their previous non-elimination, Nary & Jamie were eliminated in The Amazing Race 20 Episode 8.

While at the pit stop, Bopper, who injured his leg a couple weeks ago, sees a medic. He gets a brace and is told he can continue.

Teams depart in the order in which they arrived.

First: Bopper & Mark – 9:06PM
Second: Rachel & Dave – 9:07PM
Third: Art & JJ – 9:32PM
Fourth: Brendon & Rachel – 11:55PM
Fifth: Vanessa & Ralph – 1:31AM

From here, teams will fly 2900 miles to Cochin, India, and everyone can get on the same flight, though somehow the last place team manages to get another flight, briefly giving them a lead of a few minutes that promptly evaporates.

The very bitter JJ now hates Rachel & Dave, much like he hates everybody else. He says that, if someone doesn’t have integrity, they don’t need them. I guess Art & JJ can’t count on each other then.

Upon arrival in India, they go on various buses through the chaotic and crowded streets. With Bopper’s bum leg, he and Mark are bringing up the rear. Mark, who’s struggled throughout the race with car sickness, is now confronted by smells that are only making matters worse.

The road block is to work on the set of a Bollywood movie and learn a dance routine.

Road block (in order of arrival): Rachel, JJ, Rachel, Vanessa, Mark

Rachel of Dave & Rachel danced all through school. Likewise, Vanessa has eight years of dance class behind her. JJ views this as something of a punishment, but Art took the last dance task. Mark may be sick and have no rhythm, but he’s going to have to step up to the plate because Bopper’s leg is going to limit the tasks he can do.

JJ’s first attempt is unsuccessful. Rachel is fine on her first attempt. Vanessa looks pretty comfortable, but she makes a mistake. The other Rachel fails, too. JJ fails again. So does Rachel, and now she gets emotional. Mark’s first attempt is a failure. Vanessa’s third try is a charm. Rachel gets it on her fourth try. JJ’s fourth attempt isn’t pretty, but it’s good enough to advance. Mark faces his third failed attempt. Then a fourth. And fifth. Sixth. Seventh. In spite of the heat and repeated failure, he refuses to quit and take the penalty. After 11 tries and much drama in which he decides to quit, he returns to try again. His 12th attempt is successful.

The detour is a choice between cricket or clutch it. In cricket, each team member will have to hit a ball past a professional player to the boundry on the field. In clutch it, they will train to drive an auto rickshaw.

Cricket: Brendon & Rachel, Art & JJ
Clutch it: Rachel & Dave, Vanessa & Ralph, Bopper & Mark

Rachel insists on doing the driving task, but then she can’t drive. Reluctantly, she listens to Dave for a change, and they get through it. Vanessa, who says she’s hit quite a few things as a driver, nonetheless does this task as well. At the other task, Rachel’s happy that Art & JJ got beat by a girl.

The pit stop for this leg of the race is Bolgatty Palace.

First: Rachel & Dave (win a trip to St. Lucia)
Second: Brendon & Rachel
Third: Art & JJ
Fourth: Vanessa & Ralph
Non-eliminated: Bopper & Mark

With injury and illness dragging them down, Bopper & Mark have been non-eliminated for a second time.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of The Amazing Race 20 Episode 10, which airs Sunday at 8/7cish on CBS.

American Idol Season 11 Episode 30

The top 7 performed again in American Idol Season 11 Episode 29. Tonight 1 more will be sent home. I can’t wait for more lectures from the judges shamelessly defending their favorites that America does not favor nearly as much.

Hollie Cavanagh and Joshua Ledet are up first. Both could easily end up in the bottom. Joshua is safe. Hollie is the first person in the bottom three.

Sklyar Laine and Elise Testone are the next pair. I assume Elise returns to the bottom three for the fifth time. She does. Skylar is safe.

The last group of the night is Colton Dixon, Phillip Phillips, and Jessica Sanchez. Interesting trio, though I can’t imagine any of them actually going. Jessica should be safe after last week, but then again, Colton and Phil have been frontrunners for some time. Between his performance and talking about how he doesn’t care what the judges say, we may be seeing the beginning of Colton’s decline, though. Jessica is safe. Phil is also safe. Colton joins the bottom three.

The bottom three is Elise (again, again), Hollie (again), and Colton (a first). Somehow, Elise escapes yet again. Does she need to be in the bottom 9 times before being killed off?

Colton has been eliminated. Wow. I guess 214,000 Twitter followers isn’t enough to overcome a weird performance and a cocky comment that you know is a cocky comment.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of American Idol Season 11 Episode 31, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on Fox.

American Idol Season 11 Episode 29

After the judges lectured America for getting it wrong, Jessica Sanchez was eliminated in American Idol Season 11 Episode 28. Then Jessica was saved, and more lecturing ensued. Tonight the top 7 perform for an unnecessarily long 2 hours, again. The theme: then and now. Because apparently we need to see two songs from each of them. At least that means no group sings, though it does potentially mean 14 standing ovations.

Hollie Cavanagh
Song: Rolling in the Deep by Adele (I still don’t understand why this song is so popular)
Steven: Finally came out of your shell. Perfect.
Jennifer: You did it.
Randy: Close to perfect.
Number: 1-866-IDOLS-01

Colton Dixon
Song: Bad Romance by Lady GaGa
Randy: Just at a Colton Dixon concert. Parts a bit low for you.
Steven: Keep taking chances and doing what you’re doing.
Number: 1-866-IDOLS-02

Elise Testone
Song: No One by Alicia Keys
Jennifer: First goosies of the night. Would love to see you smile more when you’re singing.
Steven: You have a voice for a better chorus.
Randy: Stayed with the melody for a change.
Number: 1-866-IDOLS-03

Phillip Phillips
Song: You Got It Bad by Usher
Steven: I feel like a chump here.
Jennifer: So sexy.
Randy: A true artist.
Number: 1-866-IDOLS-04

Jessica Sanchez
Song: Fallin by Alicia Keys
Steven: You released passion.
Jennifer: Crazy.
Randy: America got it wrong, in case you missed it the first 500 times it’s been said.
Number: 1-866-IDOLS-05

Skylar Laine
Song: Born This Way by Lady GaGa (country version)
Jennifer: A more perfect song for you does not exist.
Steven: Giving the other girls a run for their money.
Randy: So beyond ready.
Number: 1-866-IDOLS-06

Joshua Ledet
Song: I Believe by Fantasia (really?)
Randy: By the way, America got it wrong.
Jennifer: Leave it all on the stage every single time. (Which is why they give him a standing ovation every time, which is getting old, seeing as there are 6 other contestants that are just as good, if not better.)
Steven: You could sing the phone book.
Number: 1-866-IDOLS-07

Hollie Cavanagh
Song: Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield
Randy: Worked it out. Better than round 1.
Jennifer: Showing a new composure.

Colton Dixon
Song: September by Earth, Wind, & Fire
Steven: Your voice is a lot more powerful than that.
Jennifer: Not the perfect performance.

Elise Testone
Song: Let’s Get It on by Marvin Gaye
Jennifer: Would like to see more emotion.
Steven: Need to take it up a notch.
Randy: Not right for your voice. You’re not really sure what’s right for you. Oversang.

Phillip Phillips
Song: In the Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett
Randy: Exactly what you need is always what you have.
Jennifer: Spontaneous. From the soul.
Steven: Everybody loves you because of who you are.

Jessica Sanchez
Song: Try a Little Tenderness by Otis Redding
Jessica: Like the fact that you’re stepping out.
Jennifer: Your alter ego came out a little bit.

Sklyar Laine
Song: Heard It through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye
Randy: Every time is a party.
Steven: Like a wild horse that refuses to be tamed.

Joshua Ledet
Song: A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke (and a second standing ovation, after Randy makes Jennifer stand)
Randy: Perfect song for you.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of American Idol Season 11 Episode 30, which airs Thursday at 8/7c on Fox.

Survivor: One World Episode 10

The decline of the male population of castaways continued in Survivor: One World Episode 9 when Jay became the last person on the planet to realize the women were turning on him.

Realizing he’s an outcast, Troyzan has decided to put an even bigger target on his back by lashing out at everybody else. Feel free to be upset, but giving people a hard time isn’t going to want them to keep you around. To add insult to injury, he says that these girls are like a lot of women, who get everything they need and decide they don’t need men any more. That’s going to piss somebody off. The irony here is that he was among the idiots to vote his fellow men off the island. Now he’s stuck with people who wish to continue that trend. Sorry, dude. Should have played smarter.

It’s time for an auction. They’re all looking for food, but Troy just wants something that will give him power. Each person has $500 to bid, and they will bid in $20 increments.

The first item is 3 donuts and an iced coffee. Bidding starts at $100. Chelsea ends up winning it for $160. Next item is chips, guacamole, and a margarita. A stupid bidding war ensues between Kat and Sabrina, with Sabrina getting it for $400. Next item is a smart one, a protein shake and a banana. Kat starts at $40, but she’s competing against Leif, who grabs it for $100. Alicia starts the bidding for a Survivor shower and toothbrush at $20. Kat seems to want to win, but she can’t figure out the next increment. Kim takes it for $40. Next up for grabs is BLT, chips, and an iced tea. Christina starts at $40. Kat again gets into a bidding war, finally winning something for $180, surprised to find out there’s bacon in a BLT. The next item is a bowl of peanutbutter and some chocolate. Kim bids $200 from the shower. Alicia only bids against her once, giving it to her for $240, well worth it. Alicia promptly bids $500 for letters from home. Tarzan joins with the same steep bid. Troyzan bids $300 for an advantage in the immunity challenge. With pressure from the other girls, who don’t like her, Christina joins, but she loses to Troyzan for $420. Kat bids $60 for the covered item with a note, and she is joined by Christina. For $160, Kat receives a cake for the tribe to share for 60 seconds.

Troy’s advantage at the immunity challenge is that he automatically moves to the second stage, an improvement from 1 in 9 odds to 1 in 4.

The girls talk about how they’re annoyed that Christina backed down when bidding against Troy. She should have taken one for the team. Please. You’ve been talking about voting her out for more than half the season.

The immunity challenge is a three stage process. The first four to untangle ropes will go to the next round, where they will race up a stack of crates and bounce a coconut off a trampoline to break 3 targets. The first two to complete that will use a slingshot to fire coconuts at a wall of targets, where they will have to make a row of 3 hits to win. Troy is first to advance due to his advantage, though I imagine he would have done just fine regardless. He is joined by Tarzan, Kim, and Christina, the most surprising trio ever. Troyzan, with absolutely no support from the otherwise cheerful peanut gallery, is first to advance, followed by Tarzan. Both connect on their first hit. Troy connects on his second, but not in a row. Both hit on their third try, giving Troy two potential opportunities to win and Tarzan one. Tarzan connects to give him three more options. Troyzan wins immunity, taunting his fellow castaways, who warn him he’s losing the jury.

When they return to camp, Tarzan asks Troyzan to have a little bit of sportsmanship when he wins. Troy declines.

Without Troy as a voting option, the two choices become Tarzan and Leif.

Not being on the chopping block, Troyzan has a proposal. The guys, Christina, and Alicia need to get away from the alliance and join forces. An alliance of convenience isn’t great, but it’s better than the alternative of merely hanging on until it’s your turn to be voted out by the now dominant alliance.

Sabrina has a point, a valid point Troy again refuses to hear. You have to outwit, outplay, and outlast, but at the end of the day, you have to be somewhat likeable.

Votes
Leif
Leif
Leif
Kim
Kim
Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan
Leif

I was waiting for someone to start using a brain. I am still waiting. With 4 votes, Tarzan has been voted off the island. In this deliberately split vote, the fourth Leif vote came from Tarzan.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of Survivor: One World Episode 11, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on CBS.

The Biggest Loser Season 13 Episode 16

With Chris having given up in The Biggest Loser Season 13 Episode 15, she was the clear choice to be sent home.

We start off with everybody packing. They want to quit because they heard that, like every season, the past contestants are being brought back, and one of them has a chance to return to the show.

Quitting? In the final 5? Because you don’t like a twist that everybody saw coming? Good. Let them go. Bunch of ungrateful babies. Give someone who wants to be there the chance to win a quarter of a million dollars. It’s hard enough finding someone to root for this season since the cast that remains has been so unappealing, in some cases downright hateful, and now we get this. The irony is that this is the season of no excuses. It’s not fair sure sounds like an excuse if I ever heard one.

The attorney for the show comes to sit down with the contestants. He explains that the series rules specifically stated that the eliminated contestants would come back, participate in a challenge, and have a shot to come back. So not only is this something we always see, but it is spelled out in black and white in the contract they signed but apparently did not read.

They are given some time to think about their decison. Who will stay, and who will go? Mark and Buddy are gone. Good riddance. Quitters. Too bad you can’t take the other three with you. Hopefully they are excluded from the finale and all future events.

This week’s excuse: I lack motivation. How’s a 2013 Ford Escape for motivation? At the end of the week, the person with the highest percentage of weight loss will win a new car. As a penalty, whoever falls below the red line will automatically be eliminated, while those above the red line will get a spot in the finale.

Bob has a challenge for Conda. He wants to go for a ride. She’ll need to pull him.

In Kim’s favor is the fact that there is no vote tonight, so the brother and sister can’t gang up on her. The problem is she has the least weight to lose, by a huge margin.

Conda: 195 pounds (-10, 4.88%)
Kim: 147 pounds (-15, 9.26%)
Jeremy: 239 pounds (-10, 4.02%)

Seeing these numbers, I’d be curious how long this “week” was. In any event, with her massive weight loss that is her best performance of the season, even better than week 1, Kim is The Biggest Loser for the night and wins a new SUV. She will be joined in the finale by Conda. As the smallest loser of the week, Jeremy has fallen below the red line, and he has been eliminated. Conda thinks it should be Jeremy in the finals and not her. You’ll get no argument on that point from me.

Now the remaining contestants return. I assume Jeremy will get a second shot as well. It is fair now? Further, is it fair for Buddy’s brother or Mark’s son to get a second shot that it seems their partners do not think they deserve?

Stay tuned to dinguRUE for another live recap of The Biggest Loser Season 13 Episode 17, which airs Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC.

The Celebrity Apprentice 5 Episode 9

Having not contributed much throughout the season was not what led to Lou Ferrigno’s end in The Celebrity Apprenice 5 Episode 8. Instead, Trump jumped on a comment he made about how the other team should win, and he was fired for disloyalty.

Clay questions: is Lisa’s attitude because of so many losses, or are the losses because of her attitude?

Their task is to build two original miscreant characters for an adult puppet show. They will be judged on puppet design, quality of puppeteering and improv, and total live performance.

Trump asks who should join the team that has smaller numbers. Dayana says she would like Clay. Lisa would like Aubrey. Regardless, Trump has already made a decision. They get Clay, yet another person that Lisa doesn’t like.

Lisa volunteers to be project manager for her team. Paul gets volunteered for his team.

Aubrey’s biting her tongue in an attempt to get to the finals. As a result, Arsenio is starting to get along with her. Paul knows he can’t do improve, so he defers those roles to his teammates.

Penn is too tall to be a puppeteer, so he will be the host. Lisa and Clay will be the puppeteers. Dayana’s just waiting for her task, which never comes.

Aubrey doesn’t like the directon her team is going with their puppets, but she declines to say anything about it. That’s a change.

Paul, who wasn’t particularly comfortable with this task to begin with (and as such, it was strange for him to be the project manager), is just sitting back and letting the others do their own thing.

Dayana has finally been given a task. She is designing Lisa’s puppet. The Henson people say she’s so good they would hire her. This doesn’t last long. When it’s time to rehearse, Dayana becomes a spectator again.

Clay suggests letting Dayana be part of the performance. Lisa is not having this. So as usual, she flips out and goes crazy. Dayana walks out in tears, then Lisa starts crying as well, berating Penn and Clay for not taking her side.

Dayana says Lisa was okay as a project manager. Lisa did not think much of Dayana, to whom she did not want to give anything to do.

Lisa has not decided whether she will be bringing anybody back. She may just fall on the sword, no longer wanting to be the villain. A little late for that after 9 weeks of spewing hatred.

Paul would bring back Teresa, who takes a long time to make up her mind, such as how long it took to come up with her puppet’s name.

Ivanka comes to Paul’s defense, saying he was limited by his hurt back. Arsenio was inspired by him.

The Henson folks thought Penn was a great host, Lisa and Clay did an incredible job, and they would use the puppets in their own show. However, Penn missed a couple cues, and one of the acts was too sexual.

For the other team, they thought Arsenio was excellent, and Aubrey had great instincts as a host. But they thought the show was a little safe, the puppets were too complex, and Teresa had trouble with the rules of improv.

Lisa’s team won $20,000 for her charity, Gay Men’s Health Crisis.

Arsenio and Teresa take the heat for their puppets.

Teresa thinks Paul should be fired because he didn’t do anything. Her philosophy is simple: if someone throws her under the bus, she will do it back.

Paul will allow Arsenio to escape the firing line, which may give the girls a chance to gang up on him.

Aubrey’s not sure why she is back there, and in this case, she should be safe. Trump asks about how they didn’t love what Arsenio did. Apparently, calling him excellent is not a compliment. Not like it matters. Neither Arsenio nor Aubrey are getting fired on this task.

Aubrey would fire Paul because Teresa tried so hard at being great at something she can’t do well.

Because he did not bring Arsenio back and does not agree with Trump that he should have, Paul is fired.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of The Celebrity Apprentice 5 Episode 10, which airs Sunday at 9/8c on NBC.

The Amazing Race 20 Episode 8

Falling behind on a building challenge in The Amazing Race 20 Episode 7, Nary & Jaime were non-eliminated.

Teams depart in the order in which they arrived.

First: Rachel & Dave – 6:03AM
Second: Bopper & Mark – 6:05AM
Third: Art & JJ – 6:23AM
Fourth: Brendon & Rachel – 6:48AM
Fifth: Vanessa & Ralph – 7:18AM
Sixth: Nary & Jamie – 9:21AM

The safari through Africa continues. Even the hateful people, with the exception of JJ, put the race behind them to pause and look at the animals. Since they’re staying local, good luck to Nary & Jamie if they expect to catch up, as they are more than two hours behind already.

A double U-turn is ahead. Art & JJ have been planning for this moment for 5-6 legs. They want to target Big Brother. There’s a simple reason for that, though they won’t acknowledge it: they’re afraid of them. Otherwise, why is going after them the best strategy, rather than a frontrunner like Rachel & Dave?

The detour is a choice between water supply or air supply. In water supply, they will grab a cart of empty containers, go to the well, wait their turn in line, and fill those containers. In air supply, they will work with a local mechanic to fix a bike tire puncture without removing the rim.

Water supply: Art & JJ
Air supply: Rachel & Dave, Bopper & Mark, Brendon & Rachel, Vanessa & Ralph, Nary & Jamie

The big issue with water supply is that it’s not skill based. It’s just a question of waiting for however many locals there are to get their water first. Air supply is more skill based, good news for the Kentucky boys, but the task is irrelevant for Rachel & Dave, who bicker no matter what.

Bopper & Mark choose not to U-turn anybody. There may be people playing this personally, but they are not. Rachel & Dave have been discussing U-turning Brendon & Rachel, but they decide not to create unnecessary animosity in what seems to be a pre-determined outcome. As planned, Art & JJ have U-turned Brendon & Rachel, a team that’s 2-3 hours ahead of the last place team. In turn, they get to U-turn Vanessa & Ralph. Again, it’s personal, but if they’re being sent back, it would be foolish to not U-turn someone. That said, Vanessa & Ralph took so long looking for the detour that they’re now fighting for last place, as they see Nary & Jamie arriving as they’re heading to do the second detour.

Before the road block, Ralph & Vanessa get a flat tire, pushing them that much closer to last place. Both teams are tied upon arrival at the next destination, but Nary & Jamie must first complete a speed bump, setting up an art display stand, which should put them about 10 minutes behind, the final nail in the coffin.

The road block is honey harvesting, in which they will collect 500 grams of honey. They are warned to remain calm because these bees will sting them.

Road block (in order of arrival): Mark, Dave, Art, Rachel, Ralph

It’s here that Art & JJ find out that Rachel & Dave did not U-turn anybody. There was no reason for Art & JJ to do it either, but they felt that other teams should follow their stupid plans to waste an opportunity. With that, Art & JJ are on their own. JJ says he’s not talking to anybody any more. Good.

The pit stop for this leg of the race is Lake Manyara.

First: Bopper & Mark (win a trip to Hawaii)
Second: Rachel & Dave
Third: Art & JJ
Fourth: Brendon & Rachel
Fifth: Vanessa & Ralph
Eliminated: Nary & Jamie

Vanessa & Ralph managed to create enough drama to make it interesting, but at the end of the day, Nary & Jamie never managed to shake off the previous task that left them 2 hours behind. As a result, they have been eliminated.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of The Amazing Race 20 Episode 9, which airs Sunday at 8/7cish on CBS.

American Idol Season 11 Episode 28

The top 7 performed in American Idol Season 11 Episode 27. Tonight 1 more will be sent home.

Hollie Cavanagh and Jessica Sanchez are the first pair. What would the top 7 elimination be without the “form two groups and one person get in between them” process?

Phillip Phillips and Elise Testone are the second pair. Phillip joins Hollie’s group. Elise joins Jessica’s group. Did not expect Hollie and Elise to be split. Curious to see if Seacrest reshuffles the deck.

Joshua Ledet, Colton Dixon, and Skylar Laine are the last group. Seacrest asks when these judges will give Colton one of their random pointless standing ovations that makes no sense, which they have not yet done, even on that night in which they stood up after 5 songs in a row.

Joshua joins Jessica and Elise, and Colton joins Hollie and Phillip. That leaves Skylar on the couches.

Skylar is the first to return to safety. Does she want to pick a group to join? Nope. Ryan brings her to Hollie, Phillip, and Colton, who are also safe.

The bottom three is Joshua, Elise, and Jessica. A bit surprised by Jessica, but not the other two. Randy says America got it wrong. Steven says it’s so wrong they will use the save. The only one of the three that it makes sense to save is Jessica.

Joshua is the first of the three to return to safety.

Jessica Sanchez finishes in last place, but the judges use their save. I think she’ll be back to the bottom before long, but this should kick start her for a couple weeks.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of American Idol Season 11 Episode 29, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on Fox.