Standings Before Episode 4

Erwin & Godwin in first place Duke & Lauren eliminated Erwin & Godwin: (Team Number 1)What’s this? The brothers that are taking the time to appreciate the experience, are treating each other nicely, and are giving the people and the locations that they are visiting the respect they deserve… are in first place? Who would have seen that coming? I’ve been giving these guys a hard time because of that crazy water pistol stunt in Episode 1, but I actually found myself kind of liking them in tonight’s leg. They’re working well together, keeping their cool… and at the same time taking a moment here and there to really soak in the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that this race is handing them. I know a lot of this race is dumb luck, but at least part of it is working well with each other and working well with each new environment they find themselves in, instead of fighting it all. These two are doing great at that… and the other teams should take notice and follow their lead. Tyler & James: (Team Number 2) These two are never far from the front of the pack, and there’s a reason. They are strong, smart, and don’t waste a lot of energy or time on things that aren’t going to help get them ahead. They don’t fight with each other, they don’t fight with other teams, and they don’t lose focus on why they are here. These guys are consistently playing a very strong game, and I think… are the team to beat. Rob & Kimberly: (Team Number 3) This team makes my stomach hurt. They just cannot be nice to each other! They weren’t even that bad this leg, but they can’t stop themselves from nagging and biting at each other. I’m not even quite sure how they did as well as they did this time around. They weren’t left alone with each other very much, and maybe that’s why they didn’t fight as much… they didn’t want to look bad when people were around to see them. (Uh, hello… you’re on national television! We’re seeing all the good/bad/ugly regardless.) But look what happened when they didn’t waste so much energy on squawking at each other… they came in third! Too bad we can see what all this bickering is costing them, but they can’t. Based on next week’s preview however, they’re back at each other’s throats. Get your TiVo ready! Dustin & Kandice: (Team Number 4) So, the Beauties aren’t going to win the Miss Congeniality titles… so what. It’s a race. They saw an advantage at the travel agent, and they took it. They weren’t mean, they weren’t rude… they just stepped up to an empty counter. Get over it, Tom & Jerry! I’m sure if they had it to do over again though, they wouldn’t have stepped on T&T's toes… it didn’t actually gain them anything since they all ended up on the same plane, and now no one else wants to help them. Well girls, you wanted to do this all on your own to prove something, now you will certainly be given that opportunity! Show us what you’ve got. Peter & Sarah: (Team Number 5) Another team that makes my stomach hurt, just because Stupid Peter is so icky. He was lovin’ it when all the local ladies were fawning over him at the flower market.., but he couldn’t possibly pay any less attention to his girlfriend when she’s getting stuck in the mud while trying to make her way to the pit stop. I just can’t root for this team to win, because all Stupid Peter needs is another reason to think he’s a god. This team has become less about Sarah making it in spite of her physical limitations, and more about her making it in spite of her stupid, overbearing, self-centered, smarmy boyfriend. That’s just my opinion, of course. Lyn & Karlyn: (Team Number 6) Well, these ladies are still hanging in, I’ll give them credit for that. As they mentioned, this race is not an easy thing, and they’ve come farther than I originally thought they would. I still don’t give them a snowball’s chance in hell of winning this thing… but they officially have made a good enough showing that their kids should be very proud of them. And you know, it’s not over till it’s over… so they may end up surprising me. Or they may end up whining and complaining and getting booted out next week… there’s always a chance of that too. David & Mary: (Team Number 7) Poor David… this entire leg he was trying to take in the enormity of what it must have been like for his dad to be in Vietnam during the war, and all he could hear was his wife henpecking him to death over every little thing. They may balance each other perfectly back home, but on this adventure she’s a bit hard to take. I don’t know how badly she actually sprained her ankle, given that I never actually saw her limp and we only heard about it when she was actually expected to do something. But my goodness… David has the patience of Job to just keep his head down and keep at whatever they’re working on while she goes off on yet another tirade. They do make good TV though, so I hope they stick around for a while! Tom & Terry: (Team Number 8) These two almost dissolved into a little puddle of stressed-out goo waiting for their 30 minute “time out” to expire at the pit stop. That’s what you get for breaking the rules, boys! They didn’t mean to, of course… but accepting that little motorbike ride just about bought them a one-way ticket home. I’m personally glad it didn’t, because these two are fun to watch. They seem to get distracted easily though… so I don’t think they’ll make it to the final three.