And the tatooed couple is pretty lulzy with the crazy dumb.

Kinda. I just get annoyed that they picked some "alternative" people who happen to be dumb, which will make too many folks think that alternative = dumb. Annoy, annoy, annoy. Ink does not rot your brains.

Well, if it's any consolation, I don't think that...

I actually think they are counter-programming the stereotype that that much ink = scary and/or mean.

I was actually really impressed by the lack of whining and drama exhibited by the doctors. First with the heights thing- she didn't make a big deal about it, although she was scared.

Yeah, that was pretty great. I've missed a couple of eps so I don't know if they've been that respectful and considerate of each other the whole way but I really like them as a team.

Nora, I know the Buffistas are smarter than that. I'm thinking of some of my relatives who equate ink to dumb. I know many people see scary/mean. I guess it is a hot button of mine. I just really hate when stupid sterotypes appear to get reinforced.

lisah, I can't think of any episodes where the doctors weren't supportive, FWIW. Of course, there is always "editing" to support a desired editorial perception....

But given they've survived medical school, internship, and ER shifts, they've had excellent practice dealing with exhaustion and stress that derails some fairly competent teams and brings out what I'm sure hoping is some peoples' worst-ever behavior.

It's still a mystery to me what happened to make the Volleyball players the last in -- did they get lost? Majorly whiff the ascenders? By any reasonable expectation, the Tattoos should have come in dead last....

It's still a mystery to me what happened to make the Volleyball players the last in -- did they get lost?

They started pretty far behind the pack- the sledding of last week did them in. They just couldn't make up the time.

Tattoos did great with the sledding last week and clocked in at last week's Pit Stop pretty respectfully.

Mallory is definitely growing on me- she is just so excited to be there!

She strikes me as really sincere in her enthusiasm, so I'm taking her perkiness as part of her personality, not something she puts on for the cameras, and really like her a lot. Also, she and her dad get along terrifically well, which is also nice to see.

Just Desserts - OMG Morgan, we get it. You're so unbelievably heterosexual you just can't stand it. Now for the love of chocolate, SHUT THE FUCK UP.

Yeah, Mallory has definitely grown on me. I've forgiven whatever was annoying about her earlier. And I like that both parent/kid teams have bonded and seem to be doing well for it. For whatever reason, I don't read Kevin's bringing up of his dad's physicality to be as him talking about what a burden he is, but expressing his concern over him. I think the physical breakdown earlier was really scary for him and he wants to try to look out for his dad and this is how. But I do think it will catch up with them in the end. This just is an incredibly physical game, no matter how it reads. Which is why the daughter/dad seem to have a good chance, because the older partner there seems to be fit. He's the one that does the strength challenges, and he seems to be hanging in pretty good.

Agree that I liked the doctors' lack of drama, even with quiet tears. I think they're fab. I loved the way they made that ff task so much better for themselves, instead of focusing on how bad it was and grossing themselves out.

I still would have wrung the other sales show host's neck by now if I were her partner. I'm glad to see her schlepping around stinky fish, but I was not surprised to see that it was the beta partner who had to do the physical task.

I know I won't ever be happy with Nick because of the way he treated Vicki, but I'm glad to see he's toned down since then. And Vicki was tearing it up this ep physically, even if they were deeply baffled by the ff concept. She was awesome both on the ascender and on the bikes.

I really would like to learn how to do that. It looked difficult but if I could gain the strength, incredibly fun.