I'm just glad Lynn and Alex were sent packing-literally.

Just curious - In all seven previous Amazing Races have any of the African-American couples been jerks? Are they only choosing well-adjusted, likeable African-Americans or does the film crew edit out all their arguments or hubris? I love the show and Uchenna & Joyce seem like nice folks, but there seems to be a Black stereotype the producers cling to every series. At least we have good and bad Gay couples and stupid and smart Senior Citizens.

From the previews it looks like Ucchina and Joyce go at it next week...has to do with the bus driving. She's driving and he's tellng her what to do and she screams back at him. I'm sure it's just a little "tiff" but we'll see.

Of course Istambul is not 99% men, but working out on the streets is usually done by poor men only. Women always work in stores, never on the streets.

At this late juncture into the game with only 4 couples left Uechenna and Joyce have a huge advantage due to their earlier pit-stop arrival and hence departure time. This should keep them on the show for 2 more episodes easily. Of course whenever there's a location layover and everybody bunches up, it's wide open again.

I'm hoping that Ron and Kelley get weeded out. Sorry Ron, you're not totally unrepugnant yourself, but a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link, and you're hooked up to a rotting piece of metal there buddy. Why don't you take that $20,000 and buy Kelly a first class ticket and hotel trip to BAGHDAD! Hopefully she'll run into some hostage-hungry insurgents with dull scimitars. Yeah, SHE was putting herself on the line for Americans teetering in high heels during Georgia's swimsuit competition. Yeah, you're quite the role model.

Romber -- I love ya and want you to win it all; but you're fading guys!

Gretchen and Meredith: Uri Geller should have your mind over matter powers. You folks are absolutely inexplicable. When I watch TAR7 I wear a shirt that says, "I'm only here for the ooooooohhhhhhh noooooooooo!"

OK, covered everybody...

Oh yeah -- PHIL -- lose the smarmy Aussie (whatEVER) accent, OK? Maybe do some "Duke:" "Well, you're the FIRST to arrive, Pilgrim!" Actually a little Jack Nicholson would be fun too just to give Rob a run for his money.

Phil is from New Zealand, which accounts for his "smarmy" accent.

What I can't understand is anyone's admiration for smarmy Rob!

I know thes contestants are not supposed to be travel guru's but after all they are playing for $1m ! They do not seem to have done any previous study of travel, which for a price of $1m I would have thought they would have done.
Flying from Delhi to Istanbul travelers who know the region would immediately have thought of transit over Dubai and also checked out anything over Bahrain. Even on previous races Dubai has come up as often the ideal transit point. Typical how they made the other 2 teams look 'stupid' after Rob's remark about an earlier flight actually 'led' those teams to check for alternatives.
The team coming in last winning not only $20,000 worth of travel but also getting a 5 star hotel for the night out of pure luck doesn't seem to be the way the game should go.

Phil has an aussie/kiwi accent? Really? I never noticed it.

Anyway, I, like most of you, am pleased that Rob got outsmarted by the other teams - gretchen and meredith, no less!

Where are the eating challenges on this trip? there has only been one so far with the 4 pound meat thing. Aren't there usually 2?

It is also interesting that the trip is not going further into Asia.

The preview on the Amazing Race web site shows the teams riding the London Eye and at Abbey Road.

Keith

Regarding Phil's accent, it was much more pronounced in the early seasons of AR. Somwhere around AR4 it seemed to disappear. My daughter still often remarks on it.

Regarding the African American comment above, it seems to me that there was a couple (Frank & Margarita)in the first season who were quite argumentative and he was particularly obnoxious. So there you go.

I personally love Rob - so much fun to watch (it is TV, after all), so nice to Amber, and always playing the game. I was happy to see his tactics backfire though just because he can get so cocky that he he needs to be reminded that he can get too clever for his own good.

Thank you Suki. That "well-adjusted African American couples" comment was so rife with ignorance. If you've spent the whole series obsessing about that, I feel bad for you.

Hey Viajero2, while I can't claim to be old enough to personally remember it, I recall that there was a BIG congressional investigation into a game show (?$64 Question?) for rigging the results. I'm thinking that stations today don't want to risk their licenses by rigging events.

Turkey looked lovely. Does anyone "get" the scale thing? Phil says it's something folks do there. Is it kind of like the scales folks used to put a penny in in America and get their weight and fortune? Unusual custon - it would have been nice if their had been more of an explanation of it.

Just like our old penny scales, I think the scale activity relates to the fact that everyone in Turkey doesn't bother to invest in a scale for their homes.

I read somewhere that the scale thing is a common form of begging in Istanbul. By weighing people the beggars are giving something for the money. I haven't been to Istanbul and don't know first hand, but that sounds plausible.

Here in the US you just go to a Weight Watchers if you wanna pay to get weighed...

I've been on travel and this is the first chance I got to check the forum. I'm getting the biggest kick out of comments about "spoiling it for everybody" and "I am the kind of person who would tell the other kids who Santa really is" (by the way, what do you mean????? :-D). Never mind that I have never mention once who won AR7 and only repeated rumors that have been published on realitytvnews, TV Guide, etc... You guys are the best stress relieve ever, please keep them coming!!:-D

We were traveling (imagine that!) and I just watched the tape of the 4-26 show last night.

Words cannot describe how sweet it was to see Rob get his just desserts for being MEAN. He made that remark about the earlier flight just to yank Gretchen's chain.

You may find him entertaining, like his boyish charm, admire his smart playing, recognize that he treats Amber well, but again and again he shows himself to be a self-centered, snotty brat. And MEAN for no good reason except to be a smart aleck and a show off. I can only hope his hubris leads to the classic ending.

I am so tired of Kelly, the spoiled little princess who always has to be right. But I can't wait to see if she and Ron ask Romber for money or clothes or assistance, and what the response is.

Go Joyce and Uchenna!

The teasers for tonight's episode are interesting. I can't imagine driving a doubledecker bus! Will be interesting to see what Rob has up his sleeve.

*insert inappropriate language here*

I can't believe that there was a prize for 1st place tonight but not for U & J on previous episodes.

Was there any doubt when you saw R&A coming in first that they would get a prize? Though it still made me want to throw something.

Loved seeing London, but this episode didn't have much suspense.

Rob sure is worldly! First he had no idea what a gnome was, now he has no idea about dervishes.

Each teams reactions to the dervishes:

Wow Thats cool! MAGICAL

Oh! Thats wonderful!

This looks like they are dead. Yeah I don't like it - its spooky.

This is like a dream.


Keith