TAR 10 - I'll show you a meltdown, bub. (Spoilers abound)

Jen has a good (spoiler-riffic) summary here. Below are my thoughts (also very spoileriffic - so look away if you don't wanna know as I have no foldy thing.)

The next trek involved a bus and then train to Mongolia. I thought it was hillarious that even though the busses were two hours apart they all ended up on the same train. I also thought it was hillarious that some were annoyed by the busses seeming to give people a leg up. Once in Mongolia, they had to catch a taxi to a temple and see a performance to get their next clue. The usual problems with navigating taxis in countries where your main language is not their main language ensued, causing several people to get behind.

From the performance it was hop in an old jeep and drive to a park for their next clue. The smart folks stopped for a map and directions, I thought it was great that the Coalminers actually got the guy to hop in the car with them and direct them! Good thinking, if perhaps a little naive (seriously, would you do this if you didn't have the semi-safety net of a cameraperson?) Team PrettyBoys got a flat tire along the way. It was surprising to me that no one was willing to let them hop in their jeep and come along - can you not do that? It seems like a nice thing to do and really how much would it "cost" you to give them a lift? Most people at least stopped, one offered their jack (father/daughter I think, can't be certain.) Alabama again showed their stripes with their catty comment of "I'm not stopping, I don't care." Yeah, sweetie, your kids are gonna be proud. That's some good stuff you're teaching.

Then it was a horse ride (with guide) out to the detour. The chick of the Odd Couple (Rob/Kimberly I believe are their names) is scared of horses and asks "Can horses smell fear?" - this is the title my DVR gave the episode, so I'm guessing it's what they picked up on. Basically Rob laughs at her and says no. What a sympathetic guy. Let alone the fact that I would say yes, absolutely they can. She gets knocked off the saddle and dragged a little and the next you see she's walking alongside, so I'm guessing she didn't get back on. One of Team BeautyQueen also got thrown (and dragged) but she does get back on - yay her!

When Team Boyfriend got on the horses all I could think of was the movie City Slickers.

The detour gave them the option of using a cart (with requisite ox-like animal) to take jugs down to a stream, fill jugs, bring back, fill larger container, repeat until no longer needed or taking down a tent-like structure and packing it such that it would fit on the camel and the camel would stand up. Tough choice, honestly, because there is the variable of the animal. Team Bionic opted at first for the packing. Sarah was talking to herself a little trying to get things straight in her head, Peter then told her to just focus on the task and not talk. Um, excuse me? She fired back a little but basically said if he needed her to hush, she could zip it. Finally, Peter decides he can't do the knots so they switch. Sarah doesn't want to quit and gets frustrated, Peter is hearing none of it. So they get this posessed ox-thing that charges off twice. Sarah is frustrated and a little teary because of said - she's also clearly struggling with the walk/running on the terrain and getting pulled a little by said posessed ox-thing. Peter then starts treating her like an infant with his "I need you to stop. Let's just stop and rest for a minute, I need you to" she cuts him off and they start walking again. Eventually they switch back to the packing after the beast proves unworkable and get the camel to stand.

Later, in the car toward the Pit Stop, Peter says "Well, that was quite the little meltdown you had." Sarah manages not to take off her metal leg and bludgeon him to death with it. I don't think I'd've had that much restraint, my guess something along the lines of, "You think that was a meltdown? I'll show you a meltdown..." would've come forth, along with bludgeoning.

Team BeautyQueen lost one of their helmets during the Detour and at first paid no attention - until they found out they had to have it to go back for the Pit Stop journey. They looked half-heartedly then flailed helplessly and let a big, strong man find it for them. Whiners. (Otherwise I like them, I was just disappointed that they didn't even really help look.)

Team Coalmine gave the Alabama Catty-girls their leftover water after their container was filled. Nice, but wasted on that particular team - the AL-Cats are never going to reciprocate. You could be bleeding out an eyeball and the AL-Cats would walk by without a second glance - and then they'd go on about how proud their kids are gonna be, cause they're winners. Whatever. I am well on my way to Loathing them.

The Pit Stop was to shoot a flaming arrow into a target. Lots of fun - I was a little annoyed that Peter didn't let Sarah give that a shot, so far he's done both the Pit Stops - and honestly when you consider it, he's the one that continuously brings up her disability. I'm thinking he's bad news and was glad she mentioned that she's taking note of the stuff he says/does that she doesn't appreciate.

The Odd Couple are on their way to a major breakup. Hopefully if they should weirdly decide to marry they'll have premarital counseling with someone who will make them watch the show so they can see what the rest of us see. Hello, train wreck?

The other teams - The WinBros, PrettyBoys, Father/Daughter, BeautyQueens, Boyfriends and Coalmine are all so far ok and fairly low on the radar.

Due to 60 minutes running long, I lost everything after team 1 and 2 coming in at the Pitt Stop, so I only know the Cheerleaders are gone from other summaries. Kinda sad to see them go but...I figure the BeautyQueens will fill in the blonde quotient nicely.