Amazing Race Family Edition update – Southern Fried Racing

Before tonight’s show, Phil came on to announce that the episode was filmed in Louisiana and Mississippi “weeks” before the region was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. I seem to remember that in the last Race, teams had traveled through Indonesia only weeks before the tsunami hit. Could it be that where the Amazing Race goes, disaster follows?

Teams started out from Huntsville, Alabama and needed to find the world’s largest office chair in Anniston, Alabama. Nothing to note (another “go here” diversion) as teams find the chair and receive the next clue: go to the Talladega Speedway. This causes some anxiety among the Weaver family because their father was killed in an accident at the Daytona Motor Speedway in Florida. (The Weavers are characterized as “Widow and kids.”) Once at the speedway, teams need to mount a “party bike” and make a lap around the track; the bikes are sufficiently slow such that the teams leave in the order they arrive, allowing for no suspense. After completing this task, teams needed to head to Hattiesburg, Mississippi and “find the Southern Colonel.” This is a trailer home park and teams search thorough all the homes to find one of three departure times the next morning: 7:20am, 7:40am, or 8am.

Side note: a little nudity on the Race? One of the Powerpuff girls mooned the Linz siblings as they passed by on the way to Talladega. Oh those crazy flirty kids.

After a night in a double-wide, teams left at their designated times to head to…a BP gas station down the road. Subtle product placement, this was not. Teams received a clue at the station which directed them 150 miles south to Madisonville, Louisiana and the Fairview State Park. The Schroeder family is from Louisiana and they recognize this as an advantage for them…immediately before taking a wrong turn.

At the park, teams hit the Detour: Work or Play. Teams may choose to use lumberjack saws and cut four slices from a 12” log or they may take a canoe to a riverboat and play blackjack until each family member wins a hand three times. I thought the better choice was the Work, especially for the younger teams, but who can figure out the teams’ rationale at any given time? The Paolo family, a weak team thus far in the Race, finishes cutting first and heads to the Pit Stop: New Orleans.

For the final sprint in this leg, teams had to drive across Lake Pontchartrain, down the unflooded Esplanade, to a dry French Quarter and Preservation Hall. There seems to be quite a bit of confusion finding the Hall on the mostly empty streets of New Orleans (was it a weekday morning? Probably). Although the Paolo family seemed to have had a sizable lead after the Detour, the Bransen family arrives literally seconds ahead as team #1. Team Nawlens, which seemed allergic to obtaining information in either phone books or maps, fell back to last place and were eliminated in their own backyard.

Final standings

#1 – Bransen family – Team Powerpuff (and Wally) – Travelocity trip to Orlando
#2 – Paolo family – Team Joisey
#3 – Linz family – Team Cincinnati
#4 – Godlewski family – Team Scream
#5 – Weaver family – Team Florida
#6 – Gaghan family – Team Rugrats
#7 – Schroeder family – Team Nawlens – PHIL-LIMINATED

Next week: A flight “to another country.” Must be America Junior Canada.

Last week’s update.

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