I love when it's obvious the local participants are getting a kick out of their roles. I assume they're getting a paycheck, too, but it's so much more fun when they are having fun, too.

They're probably laughing at the crazy Americans. They arrive someplace, don't speak the language, don't know their way around, do crazy things (ambling down the street in a cow suit saying "moooooo").

dammit y'all - you've got me hooked now

As long as it isn't Toni or Dallas, I don't care.

This is pretty much how I feel too but I'm really, really hoping it's the Frat boys.

Since I haven't seen it anywhere else: The Colbert Christmas special was made of WIN.

I loved that this whole episode was made of Russians laughing at goofy American foibles. Cracked me right up, too.

Also if they didn't end up so frustrated I would have sworn the Frat Boys were self-destructing, that march was so bad. But funny! Can't wait 'till they have to dance next week.

I felt bad for the taxi driver. But in the end, what could he do? That's why I wish money issues had greater ramifications this season.

I felt bad for the taxi driver. But in the end, what could he do?

Yeah, it seems to me there should be game ramifications to shafting your driver like that.

But this is part of the general transportation issues that seem to have gotten worse over the years. The ways to come and go from places are almost always prescribed in the clue. If the locations were a little more central and the clues less specific, you could see more in the way of teams having to make hard decisions about whether to taxi or train or whatnot. I wish that element of the race hadn't become so rare.

(And seriously y'all - Moscow has one of the best and almost certainly the most beautiful metro systems in the world. Total missed opportunity there - unless maybe it's coming up in the next ep?)

And seriously y'all - Moscow has one of the best and almost certainly the most beautiful metro systems in the world. Total missed opportunity there - unless maybe it's coming up in the next ep?)

I got the sense that these locations were really far apart. Didn't the Frats say at one point that it was going to be a SIX hour cab ride? I wish they'd show where things were happening on a map.

I was thinking the same thing about the Frats taking an alternative to a taxi, at least from the airport to the monastery (BTW, loved the way the teams had to at least feign some reverence for their location, and the singing group of monks was beautiful to hear).

It was six hours total cab time (including lots of getting lost and challenge time), but yeah, clearly those places were pretty distant. I think Star was bitching at one point that they'd been in the cab for an hour after the last task on the way to the pitstop (and they weren't there yet, so who knows how long it actually took).

I was thinking the same thing about the Frats taking an alternative to a taxi, at least from the airport to the monastery

Yeah, I'd like to look up where the monastery is. Because it's defintely possible to do public trans to/from Sheremetyevo, and, again depending on the final destination, not necessarily a huge time penalty.