I love Bebe, too. But I think Nina Flowers is my absolute fave.

ok, this is the sad state of my tv viewing. My go to "mindless" channel is currently the tvguide channel - wherein, it seems, 50% of their programing is somehow AI related. As a result, I have songs stuck in my head, namely Adam's Ring of Fire, that I never actually saw performed (I do not watch the AI performance show). Poor poor next door cubemate.

I am so bummed for Mike & Mel! And it was just bad taxicab luck. They did well and played well, and it was just luck. And Mel is so smart! I just adore him.

I'm glad you guys agree about the redheads because they were really awful this episode. I told D. I was getting ready to slap her and a) I'm a pacifist and b) not even close to where they are and c) it all already happened. But still. I'm sure it is overwhelming. There's definitely stuff I see where I would totally break down. But her behavior is not okay.

And I'm also not okay with all the slams (on the show, not you guys) against the stuntmen's height. I could see the penalty about the cab, evidently that was mentioned in the rules, but I didn't get the big deal about the pumps being in the box or not. But I bet it did figure significantly in the difficulty, and especially with Margie it seemed to be a big issue.

I was surprised they didn't immediately give her water when she arrived and asked for it, clearly in distress. But her lips and fingers being numb, that's lack of oxygen, that's a problem. I wish the producers had intervened at that point.

Anyway, I agree about Mike & Mel just having so much fun with it, even knowing they were losing. And I'm glad, and they were so sweet together, and I'm just happy for them, but bummed they didn't win.

(Also, you guys, "Any Dream Will Do!" John Barrowman! Talented singers who can't move or act vying for a major musical theater role, surefire recipe for drama! Sympathetic judging panel! Andrew Lloyd Weber! Okay, that last one might be a deterrent for some of you, but still, it looks to be quite a fun show to me. And John Barrowman!)

They did well and played well, and it was just luck. And Mel is so smart! I just adore him.

It wasn't just luck though. I love them, but they saw all the other teams go another way and when their driver took them to (what appeared to be a different town) and couldn't take them to anything ressembling a gorilla, they still didn't believe the first person who insisted it was back at the Phuket Zoo.

Well, that's true. But I can see from their perspective going, we're going to gamble on our guy being right. They'd won their way before not doing the same thing as everyone else (hang glider, basket).

But okay, I can see it as the result of a decision, and that feels better to me at least. But I'll still miss them.

It definitely sucks, when the two BIs (bumbling idiots) have made so many mistakes before this.

I remain distressed that J and I are not competing--especially with J being a marathon runner and a tri-athlete- in-training, I think it is safe to say we would have smoked the competition in these last few legs.

Re: Team Red. I've never been to Thailand, but I have been to India, and I do really sympathize with the teams who find it hard to handle. India is the most overwhelming place I've ever been and I was there as a tourist traveling with my family (in-laws) who spoke fluent Hindi. The trick is simply not to be an asshole about it - the lack of personal bubbles and/or sense of urgency can be deeply stressful if you're not used to it, but that does not make it okay to yell at your cab driver!

I don't watch TAR, but just caught this -- people were trying to get things done by yelling at Thais? That's the worst thing you can do, and leads to instant passive aggression. They're Buddhists, and face is very important. How assholish.

I feel safe saying this here -- I've never been anywhere, and even I know that smiling is important in Thai culture, from watching ANTM! Anyway, don't you always catch more flies with honey??

I've never been anywhere, and even I know that smiling is important in Thai culture, from watching ANTM!

Hah! That's right! See, ANTM does teach important stuff.