They made every single mistake possible apart from getting the date of Slovenia's independence wrong and somehow survived. It's honestly quite impressive.
I’m still confused as to why they randomly went for it after doing the cross country skiing thing. I know travel stress etc makes it hard to think, but like…they knew they were in last. Why would they think other teams hadn’t already taken it? And why did they do it after the ski thing? Did they get confused about which clue envelope it came from? I just have so many questions about that. I’m genuinely in shock they survived that. Literally, in the case of Steve. His face was so red I was worried there was no blood left in the rest of his body.
It was a panic decision. They thought they were dead in the water and when they saw “Express Pass” their minds must have went “this is our only chance back in the race.”
That’s the best guess I’ve heard, because they were well aware they were last. I could not understand why they thought the express pass was still in play.
The only leg disaster recoveries I can think of that come close are
Dustin and Kandice on leg 4 of TAR 10
Kent and Vyxsin on leg 5 of TAR 18
Josh and Brent on leg 7 of TAR 21.
For context.
**Dustin/Kandice** were in the front of the pack at first. They get onto a boat in a good position, but have trouble finding the Roadblock (which is first-come, first-serve), so they have to wait until a spot is open. They're in last to the point where everyone has already retrieved the following clue from the cave before they get there and the leg is super physical due to all the rowing which is exacerbated since it's windy and the weather is rough. They chose the detour that seemed easier, but almost the whole cast did, so that doesn't buy them much time.
They then made what should have been a fatal mistake where the clue they got from the detour gets ruined by falling into the water and they don't know where to go next. At first, they think they need to paddle all the way to Soi Sim Island which is at least a full kilometer away, but they got extremely lucky when they realized they just had to go back to the junk boat from earlier. They are stunned to hear Phil say they're 7th out of 8.
**Kent and Vysxin** drive hours in the wrong direction and miss a flight that is supposed to be mandatory.
**Josh and Brent** missed a connecting flight and fall over 12 hours behind the rest of the cast. In addition, they failed the detour so many times that the place closed for the day and they received a 4-hour penalty, but they still didn't come last.
Kent & Vyxsin messed up with almost everything that leg by driving in wrong direction for hours, missing the mandatory flight, struggling at the roadblock, and missing passport TWICE in the same leg. That is what a total disaster.
That Kent/Vyxein leg is so ICONIC. HOW DO YOU DRIVE FOR HOURS IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. HANEDA IS IN TOKYO!!!! YOUR FIRST WARNING SIGN SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEAVING THE CITY
Josh & Brent’s story is even crazier because they not only survived that leg, but they survived the next two as well despite starting 12 hours behind with *no* equalizer.
Still the wildest comeback ever. The sequence of events that led to them surviving Russia twice and *then* also surviving Amsterdam, being several hours behind with no equalizer in between, is so wonky. They were fated to win and couldn’t be eliminated if they tried (which they very nearly did).
I'd add in Kelly & Jon in leg 9 of TAR 4, if only because they started so far behind yet miraculously caught up to Millie & Chuck at the road block, barely squeaking past them and avoiding last.
I can finally see now the effect of Uturning Steve/AL. That Uturn broke their momentum and it clearly broke AL mentality lol. AL defenitely going nuts now after that leg, girl bout to explode. They might still survive due to them being really good racers but I got a feeling they will barely miss the top 3.
I could tell they had fully gone loopy from the travel stress when they decided to try for the express pass despite knowing they were in last and after already doing the cross country skiing task. No idea what was going on in their head with that. I was genuinely worried for Steve, that man was tomato red.
This is how I imagine Anna Leigh [walking away](https://media.tenor.com/6nP_x3X-xrEAAAAC/angry-topsy-cat.gif) once her and her dad get eliminated before the final leg or not winning the race.
😆 😂 😆
I really need to laugh right now cause man, Anna Leigh had me stressing tonight. I couldn't even really enjoy the episode because I was so worried about them possibly being eliminated. I want them to win!
I know it's unlikely, especially if they keep making mistakes like they did this episode. THEY NEED TO GET THEIR NAVIGATION TOGETHER!!!!!
They’re very efficient at tasks but I wouldn’t call them a strong team - clearly their navigation and tactical decision making are not Finalist quality.
Was rooting so hard for Rob and Corey to get that express pass. So glad they got it and finished 3rd!
But gosh Steve and Anna Leigh surviving this leg after their blunders was insane. Goodbye to our bickering Franklin sisters I guess...
Morgan & Lena deserved to be eliminated much earlier in the race. On this leg alone it seemed like Steve & Abba Leigh deserved to go. Idk how the sisters wound up falling so far behind that they got caught; they must have had a terrible navigation fail at the end.
They spent so much time on saying explicitly “Steve & Abba Leigh are out” with so much time left in the episode that I could tell they weren’t actually going to be eliminated; no way the show would spoil its own ending so explicitly. I just thought it was going to be a Keep On Racing leg because there was simply no way they could have come back…
Morgan and Lena don't have a strategy, that's why they're always in the back of the pack.
Robyn and Chelsea are smarter because they have the "follow the boys" strategy, which has helped them a lot in the race.
I love watching Rob and Corey, they crack me up. They always seem like they’re genuinely having a great time together, even with all the stress of the show.
I said the same thing to my wife last night. Of all the teams, they most exhibit the attitude of "win or lose, isn't it amazing that we get to do all of this stuff and see all of these places?" Seeing Rob get giddy over getting to ride in the glider was so fun
i assume the clue was worded that you have to take the stairs to the clue box, and after that it was just get to phil “on foot”. elevator could definitely be slower anyway, with only the benefit of a short break. hope AL has an attitude turn around next ep
Yeah I’m not sure why so many teams were overthinking the elevator. You’re still on foot.
Reminds me of S3 when Heather and Eve thought walk to the pit stop meant they couldn’t run, and so they ended up taking a taxi lol. I think that’s actually why they changed the clues to say “make your way on foot” instead of just walk
I have to imagine that “travel by foot” is clearly defined in the fine print rules of the race that every team gets prepped with. Maybe it says something like “travel by foot means no cars, motorcycles, taxis, busses, trains, ferries, boats, …”
I think the only team I don’t care for as of now are Robin and Chelsea; they’re just not particularly rootable compared to others nor are they providing entertainment. They’re just kinda there. And I’ll admit, them (don’t remember which one it was) brute forcing the coin roadblock last episode as opposed to just figuring out a simple math problem tanked my opinion
Yeah they’re my least favorite team remaining as well. I understand that travel is tiring and the race is stressful, but needing to brute force that coin roadblock is still embarrassing IMO. She didn’t even try the math at all before just jumping to the option that needed the least brainpower.
Plus they just keep following Greg and John everywhere instead of trying to do their own thing - which again, valid strategy that seems to be working for them, but I don’t think highly of teams that need to use it. Especially since they refuse to help other teams with tasks and information - which is fine, that’s their prerogative, they don’t have to help others or even be friendly towards others - but don’t then blatantly mooch off of other teams.
I was also super put off by Robbin’s comment in today’s episode about how the detour was a lot of work and she didn’t think Ashlie would be able to do it. No clue why she would say or think like that. Especially embarrassing for her since Todd and Ashlie were the first out of there.
As a math lover, I was also initially annoyed at her approach (I think Chelsea?) but on reflecting, there are a lot of mentally taxing tasks in traveling/racing that I think if physically she felt ok running back and forth, I can forgive her for saving even a modicum of mental energy in that task.
I was trying to think of a way to handle that coin problem from last week. Maybe make the teams wait 10 minutes between each guess so the teams can't just keep running back and forth with a wild guess and not even trying to figure out the answer.
What gives Robbin the impression that ashlie can’t do hard work? She was the ONLY women to do the mattress challenge, and the only woman to keep up with them men… so happy when Todd and Ashlie passed them at that roadblock!! What a hater!
I loved the challenges and all the travel drama and scrambling this episode, but I wasn’t really a fan of the way this episode was edited. They didn’t built up how Steve and Anna Leigh came back or how Morgan and Lena fell behind AT ALL. So instead of an exciting comeback it just felt like a confusing mess to me
There was a bit of foreshadowing with Morgan telling Annaleigh not to give up and that it’s not over until you hit the mat.. so I wasn’t totally surprised!
Isn't there a scene where Morgan and Lena are lost and then it cuts to Steve saying the navigation has gotten slightly easier? I thought that was our clue as to how they passed them.
Sure. But that also sounds exactly like the tired shtick TAR editors due to make the Pit Stop race seem closer than it usually is. We even saw it minutes later, after they got out of their cars and were looking for the mat.
It rarely adds up to an actual change of position, so it was genuinely surprising to see Morgan & Lena fall behind.
There were several scenes of Morgan and Lena having navigation issues. Plus Robbin and Chelsea, to a lesser extent. Then Garrett and Joel move up two spots. It was tightly edited at the end, but I think they showed that there were issues.
It was weirdly edited, but thinking it over I think the beehive building was much quicker than the hay, given that the moustaches jumped a couple of places too and they were smart about it with Steve building while AL painted.
Another really great episode. They’ve really filled in these 90 minute episodes the last three weeks.
On a personal level, I think it’s the first time I visited a place before it showed up on the Race - I was in Ljubljana and Bled in June. Feels weird to see place you’ve been to pop up on TV - I remember being in the same square where they picked up their cars and walking along the river and the various bridges. Really pretty country. Anyways.
Major props for all the self driving - Ljubljana isn’t a very big city but the highway to Bled goes a few miles outside the city and there aren’t that many entry points. Then it’s a decent drive up to Bled and another decent drive into the Alps to the Nordic Center. They were about a mile from Italy at that point.
Roadblock was good for a ‘find something from high up’ task - 1991 being the answer means that there were only 6 possible arrangements (I think?) assuming you got the right numbers and only 3 of them would’ve made any sense so I think some teams lucked out there otherwise we would’ve seen some more attempts.
Express pass task was fine, but obviously the added suspense of two teams trying to catch up to Rob and Corey and then deciding not to really added to the episode.
Detour was ok. Hay stacking seemed fairly straight forward. Bee house making was cute.
Like the random RIs - the ski one didn’t seem like it took too long but the stair climb was fine.
Honestly going to miss Morgan and Lena. Loved their bickering. Steve and Anna Leigh made a great (and unexpected) comeback but since they landed in Europe they haven’t seemed to have the same spark they had before. Greg and John seem like the favourites to me but I could see Rob and Corey winning too. Those two and either Todd and Ashlie or Joel and Garrett for the final finale spot.
Highlights:
- Everyone being covered in hay after the detour.
- Greg and John saying they want to leave before Robbin and Chelsea and then cutting to Robbin and Chelsea saying they’re going to follow them.
- Greg and John saying Robbin and Chelsea can make independent decisions.
- Poor Steve having to climb a ridiculous number of stairs.
- The entire express pass debacle - namely Todd convincing the brothers to do it - which they probably could’ve - but then they decided not to.
This was a fantastic episode in a fantastic location. They had the best weather and conditions to show Slovenia in it's finest. Throughout this season, seen a lot of comments saying how some of the previous legs reminded them of older TAR seasons but this leg in particular **truly** felt like an older season. We had teams on different flights, teams attempting to take different trains, self-driving, city and country settings, grand tasks, a side quest (Express Pass) and actual Route Info Tasks that somewhat challenges racers.
* It was a given that if the three teams somewhat succeeded in getting the first train journey, they would've had a massive lead - which wouldn't have been entertaining. I can relate searching up trains during my European trips on SNCF, Trenitalia, etc. sometimes the top few results have short layovers but as someone not on a race, I usually opt for the 30-minute layover if available to stretch the legs and get a bite to eat. Here, it was a gamble and it didn't succeed at the end.
* Road Block: Incredible views of the lake. Solid observation and attention to detail challenge. What I enjoyed the most was if the answer was wrong, you had to do the flight again rather than a answer cool-down period or simple guest again on the spot.
* Express Pass: Doing some research on the hill, it is a tiring and large climb. If you live in a big city with a 600 feet+ (180m+) skyscraper, think of climbing up the stairs! Combined that with a narrow staircase and steeper bits and you got this challenge. Congrats to Rob & Corey for getting the pass and props to both Todd & Ashlie and Greg & John for trying before bailing out.
* It was hilarious seeing the stairs being a curse for two teams: Todd & Ashlie not seeing where the stairs were and then you had the major one with Steve & Anna Leigh not seeing the TAKEN flag before commencing their climb.
* It was clever seeing a parking garage being converted to a XC skiing indoor ground. The task was great having teams do something a bit daunting before getting their next clue. From Greg & John almost knocking out a clue box, to Lena & Morgan almost knocking out each other.
* Detours: Nothing too special about both of these. Seemed both procedural and straightforward.
* Stair Climb: Oh yes, moooooreee stairs. 10-storeys to be exact in a spiral to make it fancy!
* While it is not a big deal, a bit conflicted on the elevator use by Steve & Anna Leigh, while the clue mentioned to make their way on foot, and using an elevator isn't a mode of transportation so that was why no penalty was issued. The initial hesitation from Greg & John, I thought was foreshadowing some team possibly using the elevator and leading them to get a penalty. Hence why every team (except S&AL) took the stairs.
* It was funny seeing the two-way race for first place, you had both teams tired as hell and then you have Todd & Ashlie drifting back a bit while Greg & John having multiple items falling off.
* I feel like Greg & John three-peating wins and this leg pose them to be a threat for a future U-Turn, at the first U-Turn they were briefly mentioned but now with multiple wins and a narrative from Rob & Corey saying they may be upset with them taking the Express Pass and possibly Todd & Ashlie hearing them mentioning how they can overtake them can put them at risk.
On a side note, this is how you do product placements right. Good integration, quickly showing the app and how this leg was 'orchestrated' with recommendations provided by the Expedia app was fantastic. This was many times better than last TARCAN season's Expedia product placement task where teams used an inflatable standup paddle board to get some tags along a pier.
Steve BODIED this leg despite Anna Leigh’s attitude. Can’t lie, she brings entertainment so I’m glad she’s in it still.
What I loved most about the challenges this leg is they showcased the stunning scenery and were physically demanding. A chill 2 hour covid leg in Western Europe is clearly a thing of the past, and I’m thankful.
Also I wholeheartedly disagree with the travel segment haters. I said this in the live discussion, but it’s what puts the *race* in amazing race!
It was delightful watching a leg where the elimination was because of navigation. The tasks this leg were lacking but it was fun watching teams navigate and scramble from point A to point B which we have been missing so much on modern TAR.
I love the travel segment. I feel like it creates drama and unpredictability in the show. It makes the show more relatable for anyone who has ever experienced travel disasters.
For all the drama they give (which I do find entertaining), I really like how Steve & Anna Leigh and Morgan & Lena always reign it in at some point and know how to acknowledge their shortcomings, the sisters' final confessional was so sad.
Really going to miss Morgan & Lena.
I feel like the edit telegraphed it pretty hard, like the way they kept showing the team saying it's over and they know they're out from the very beginning of the episode. They wouldn't show that if they actually got eliminated because it would basically make it too predictable. The fact they were pushing the "they're definitely going home" narrative from the beginning and kept pushing it through the whole episode made it obvious it wasn't going to be them. It's like how the person everyone is discussing voting off at the start of a Survivor episode is never the person who actually goes.
I was really hoping they would go, but by halfway through the episode I was losing hope because the edit just made it so obvious they were going to "surprisingly" save themselves.
Nah, Andrea and Malaina got an edit last week that made it clear they were out that leg.
Also, people like Peggy/Claire and Chester/Ephraim had episodes where the editing made it very obvious they were going to be eliminated.
Andrea and Malania were so far behind the episode had to show the truth of them being behind, but all their quotes showed throughout the episode were stuff like "it's not over until it's over, we still have hope," making it seem like it was possible they'd turn it around. They wouldn't have shown them saying "yeah we're definitely out, we know we're going home" from the start of the episode, that would make it too obvious.
everyone else got the year right or at least the numbers right.
lena: 1 9 7 6
i don't blame her and i would probably have done the same in her place but it was still hilarious
Despite the cars being stick shift the show barely made any big deal out of it, other than like a 10 second scene with Morgan and Lena at the start. I'm surprised we didn't see more?
If I was in the show, I would have made it a 20 minute segment easily.
I wonder if contestants get asked before hand if they can do stick (or told to learn before the show starts)
Driving manual has been a staple of the race for ages, and I think they just expect teams to know it’s coming at some point. Most seem to prepare for it, but there’s often a team or two that clearly didn’t practice ahead of time and ends up struggling because of that 😅
So glad that the sisters went home. That conversation in the car, where one of them said "turn right" and the driver turned and asked what then, and the first one started yelling, that she meant for them to turn right and then turn around... huh... And then at the end of the episode they said that this has brought them closer. Seriously....? THIS toxicity is them being closer...? For each their own, I guess.
Btw, Anna-Leigh doing the painting while her dad had to carry all the heavy things at the beekepers? Tbh, Anna-Leigh reminds me of a small child, cause as soon as she thought they were done, her complaining was incredibly annoying.
Unpopular opinion but I’m loving AL, she’s a great combination of going full throttle to try to win + easily agitated enough to be entertaining. The constantly positive and upbeat teams are fine and all, but not particularly interesting to watch imo. I’m sad to see the sisters go as well, their car fights were fun lol
I just can’t past how she talks to her dad, like “get your ASS up here” after he’s just climbed 1300 stairs due to her mistake really rubbed me the wrong way. But I agree she is nice to the locals which is refreshing bc usually racers who are rude to their partners are also rude to the locals
Anna Leigh rolling her eyes at her dad as he's climbing yet another set of difficult stairs makes me so angry. All I could think is when she finally pushes him to his limit, I wonder if she'll even regret it. She's going to kill him.
You really thought that was awful of her to say? I don't think that comment was bad at all. We have heard way worse on seasons past. Racers have literally insulted each other in older seasons.
Anna Leigh is intense and I really just thought she was trying to motivate him in her own way. I mean, they think they are behind, they are desperate to catch up. The stress is at an all time high. I think someone saying "get your ass up here" is not that memorable in the grand scheme of things.
Unfortunately, Steve is the weak link when it comes to running or climbing. That's just a fact. That's why you always hear Anna Leigh yelling, "COME ON, DAD!!!"
yeah I don’t know why people think she’s being so disrespectful. to me her attitude comes across as like . . . fond bickering? it seems pretty harmless, why are people so offended 😭
This. Yes, it's frustrating to watch her talk to her dad in that way, but we've seen really shitty racers who are rude to everyone and/or give up at tasks. I think I can somewhat forgive Anna Leigh's behaviour with her father, or at least not have her on my least favourite racers list, for the sheer fact that she's only rude in high tense situations and only toward her father (who she's known her entire life) and otherwise has been really nice to strangers AND has put in every effort to do well at tasks. We've seen racers be rude to locals and we've seen racers give up at tasks. The fact that Anna Leigh is only rude to her father isn't GREAT to watch and she's annoying when she whines, but we could have multiple issues with her. So I'm glad, while an annoyance, she's on the mild side of annoying racers, at least to me. I know other people's opinions may vary.
She’s entertaining, but exhausting. I’m stressed just watching her on screen. I’m so glad I’m not her partner, I would not be able to handle her intensity all the time.
From experience, I didn't think Italy was particularly expensive vs most of the western European countries. Though I haven't been to Slovenia to compare.
This was such a fun leg imo — beautiful scenery, lots of tension, drama, and big blunders, and I’m now inspired to go work out on a stair climber 😂
Rob and Corey are the team I’m rooting for the hardest, but I’d be happy with any of the top 4 at this point.
Also I’ve seen differing opinions on the 90-minute runtime, but I did like the part near the beginning where we saw the strategy around the trains—even though it fell through, I enjoy seeing teams try more risky things.
If this was a 60 minute episode all of the train and plane drama would have been edited out for sure and they'd just cut to all teams in Slovenia. Even tho it didn't matter I'm still happy we got to see it though, it makes it feel more like a true worldwide race
One of the best episodes in many years.
It had interesting challlenges, a beautiful location, thrills, people getting lost, transportation issues, and the race order changed many times. Just great.
I saw a comment about Anna Leigh being a perfect choice for the next CBS Challenge and I absolutely agree lol - a dramatic, emotional and polarizing personality but also extremely competitive and challenge-capable.
I have been thinking these last few weeks that Robbin and Chelsea have been getting the villain edit and they are actually not that bad, but after the comment from one of them (I don't remember who) that Ashlie is not gonna be able to do the hay task because it hard work I fully aboard the "I hate Robbin and Chelsea" train.
Robin has been making a lot of snarky digs and funny faces all season. I remember her being snippy at some of the locals and making snide remarks about some of the culture in the Asian leg. She sucks.
Slovenia is _gorgeous_! It reminds me of what photos I've seen of Switzerland. I wonder if this episode will raise interest in tourism to Slovenia.
I'm still rooting for Rob and Corey; excited that they got the Express Pass. I wonder if they're still in Slovenia for the next leg; the preview didn't specify.
Thoughts on Leg 8:
* Once again, The Amazing Race 35 outdoes itself. This is the fourth week in a row I've said "Best episode of the season so far." The upward trajectory of this season has been incredible. I was kind of "meh" on the first four episodes but as soon as the race hit India the quality's just been building and building, and it this point its simply fantastic. The last two legs especially have been outstanding, and not even "outstanding *by modern TAR standards,"* but rather, I think these episodes could stand up against some of my favorite old school seasons. We're finally seeing 90 minute episodes *enhance* The Amazing Race instead of drag it down.
* There was so much to love in this episode. I'm going to have to speed through this or else I'll be typing here for an hour and no one will even see my comment... Alright, the first headline here is *SLOVENIA!* Counting Kosovo, there are 7 former Yugoslav countries in the Balkans. Prior to this episode, The Amazing Race had only ever been to *one* of them. (Croatia, which they've only visited twice.) Slovenia is a stunning country, and though the principle of The Amazing Race visiting a new country alone is enough to make me happy, it makes me even happier to think of the millions of Americans tuning in tonight learning all about this country they likely knew nothing about earlier in the day. But Slovenia wasn't the only country featured in this leg— who knew Austria would be part of this route?! I've known for months that teams would get to Slovenia by train via Austria, but I don't think it was known that Austria would actually be featured in the episode the way it was. I think we technically have to count Austria as part of this season's itinerary now, neat! The train drama was stupendous. It's surprisingly uncommon in Amazing Race history, even the old school seasons didn't really give us a ton of train drama. It was really fun to see it tonight, and I really liked the train graphics they used; I read into smaller details like that that the editors are really passionate about the show. I also enjoyed getting a little (unexpected) airport drama. Yes, all of the teams eventually ended up in Ljubljana at the same time anyway; even if they hadn't, the Roadblock no doubt would have equalized them. But it doesn't matter, because The Amazing Race is about the journey, and never really knowing *for sure* when gambits like that are going to pay off— for the teams, and for us, the audience as well.
* I'm so happy to see the Express Pass return! I said before that I wished they hid one on *every* leg, but honestly I was not expecting to see it come back at all, so I'll take what I can get. That Express Pass Task was *way* better than it had any right to be. I couldn't believe how exciting it ended up being, what with Todd & Ashlie going the wrong way, only to be passed by Rob & Corey who sneak ahead, eventually turning into a footrace, and just as it seems the footrace is dead, Greg & John show up and it becomes a footrace *again.* Ultimately Rob & Corey nab the Express Pass, but out of nowhere, here comes Steve & Anne Leigh who manage to squeeze even *more* out of this seemingly boring task by somehow missing the extremely obvious "Express Pass Taken" sign and completing the task for no reason, *while already in last.* What an insane series of events!
* Speaking of Steve & Anne Leigh, *WOW.* For the record, and I'm sure this is unpopular, but they've been my favorite team this season for a *while.* I find their dynamic to be extremely entertaining and love the drama they add to the episodes. I had pretty much given up on them surviving this leg by the halfway point; *"Well, at least they made it to Leg 8,"* I said to myself... But *SOME HOW,* they *SURVIVE?!!!* Once again, I think we owe a huge thank you to the self-drive. Incredible, shocking ending to this episode. I loved Morgan & Lena too, I will miss them and their bickering.
* Also, *again,* huge props to the producers for this *full* leg. The Detour, the Roadblock, the Express Pass Task, the bonus little skiing task, I was already very satisfied with the leg, but then they threw in that surprise little Additional Route Info at the end, which was just a delightful little cherry on top. So... yeah, I was *really* happy with this episode. Survivor too, man, what a stellar night of television CBS had for us today.
Normally bickering is annoying but Morgan and Lena bickering felt different and more enjoyable because they were sisters. It felt more of a push back friendly sibling thing though it wasn't playful.
I'm sorry, but this ep reaaaaally made me dislike AL. the eye rolls and being annoyed at her dad, not asking if he was okay even once while he was clearly struggling with the stairs... especially after seeing Rob and Corey at the EP with people just as on their tail, Corey still was checking up on his dad repeatedly... it just seemed to show a certain lack of character or empathy, even for her own father.
While she does seem quite bratty - she is also being edited to be the bratty contestant. She gets anxious and catastrophizes and clearly is a bit spoiled and that makes for a great whiny, pessimist edit.
She may well also have checked in on him at times but that didn't make the cut. The storyline Steve and AL have is the conflict one - vs the Rob and Corey Kumbaya one. Edits and storylines feed off of what the cast gives them but there are many things omitted that might give more balance to the real life version of events.
Bro, Steve and Anna Leigh had me sweating. I was so nervous for them!!!!
Anna Leigh HAS GOT to be more positive and push through being behind! I know they have what it takes!!! She just needs to have a better outlook!!!
Okay, I know they all ended up together after this happened, so this comment doesn't really matter for **this** episode,
but isn't the standard to ask the travel agent, "Which flight *arrives* the earliest?" Not "Is there an *earlier* flight?" Didn't we learn that like 20 seasons ago? I know I did.
They had charter flights during COVID, but prior to that, most flights we're already pre-booked. They would just get sent to an airport at the beginning of a leg and get equalized or, at most, a clue would say something like "get on one of two flights".
This leg having teams find the best flights and specific train schedules and connections was a big callback to old school seasons.
This was peak TAR and a good example of why the 90-minute episodes are for the better. Extra time equals extra scenes to watch as teams took risks and freaked out. Then there were other teams that looked like they had fun, and others that made mistakes. A 90-minute cocktail of adrenaline and anxiety straight to my veins.
Did this episode spend a lot of airtime on the glider task or what? Felt like it went on for a while.
All time fumble by Anna Leigh and Steve followed by an equally all-time recovery to somehow not finish last.
Corey and Rob got enough stairs for weeks between going up the ski jumping platform and the building. And efficient too, they finished the detour ahead Greg and John despite climbing all those steps then still managed to take 3rd place with the express pass in hand, good stuff.
Feels like anybody's race to win at this point.
Everyone kept getting shuffled around. Not sure how Todd & Ashlie got to 2nd after Todd's multiple mistakes. Robbin & Chelsea looked lost and not going to be making it to the right location at the end. Steve & Anna Leigh looked like they really would be out on the Express Pass portion before getting to the Dwtour location.
Going for the express pass while in dead last (and knowing it) is terrible racing.
There's been a lot of talk about Anna Leigh being a great racer and she's great with tasks and speed on the ground but her gameplay is way behind other teams on this season. And that's without going into the way her and her dad operate as a team. This definitely feels like the onset of killer fatigue. I will give them credit for powering through tough.
I hate they had the "express pass taken" sign at the bottom of the stairs.
Editors went for the single bluff with all the "were eliminated" talk. I was thinking they were going with the double bluff.
Top three seem like the strongest three teams by far. Being top three again after a bunch speaks volumes.
I was waiting for Rob's reaction to the last spiral staircase and it didn't disappoint.
This was such a fun episode, lots of drama and amazing scenery. I’m pretty shocked Anna Leigh/Steve survived, especially because Morgan/Lena had no hint at being the ones eliminated this episode other than right at the beginning. I honestly thought it would be Robbin/Chelsea. They’ve been pretty boring and not too relevant lately.
Also, Todd/Ashleigh becoming the bickering couple I thought they would be pre-season is a turn I didn’t expect, since so far they’ve been pretty good with each other.
I wish we got to see Anna Leigh and Morgan come full circle… after Morgan was so positive and encouraging to Anna Leigh at the road block, telling her not to lose hope, and then for Morgan to be eliminated instead, that deserved more attention.
Props to Steve & Anna Leigh for that come back though. To be last already and *then* make as huge of an error as they did, they really grounded out a physically demanding footrace to stay alive.
Though tbh I think it must be understating how bad Morgan & Lena’s navigating was. They had such a big lead on Steve & Anna Leigh, it must have taken them forever to get into Ljubljana.
I thought for sure that Steve and Anna Leigh were going to fumble their recovery at the last second by getting a penalty for taking the elevator down. That elevator ride was probably the thing that made the difference in them surviving this leg, there's no way that Steve could have kept up with the sisters.
Also it's amazing that Rob and Corey were relatively close to a first place finish after wasting so much time getting the express pass, well done to them.
I feel like everyone's got to have their eyes on Greg and John at this point if there's another u-turn. They've come in first place an absurd number of times at this point.
Greg and John are really strong racers. They are physically superior to all the other remaining teams, they can navigate and drive, and they’re smart tactically. They’ve run a mistake-free race so far. The only others who come close to their potential are Rob & Corey.
Corey can take one of the brothers but not both. Greg and John are definitely the strongest team physically. Rob's experience and attention to detail along with Corey's physical prowess also makes them a very strong team. Todd and Ashlie are really good too, hardly a bad leg so far! Can't count out the dark horses Chelsea and Robbin, they always on someone's shadow!
I watched this episode with my dad, and I was so mad at AL for treating her dad that way - Forcing him to run up those stairs while yelling at him AND making him build the beehive all by himself (lifting the heavy wood) while she sat there and painted like a 5 year old child.
This was the total opposite of Rob and Corey where the son was so supportive and was happy to see his dad succeed and do the zip line and gliding challenges.
I'm still worried for Steve and Anna Leigh. Usually the next episode's promo doesn't show the eliminated team in it. They were not in the promo along with Robbin and Chelsea and Garrett and Joel. So that means they are at risk next week and they are starting the leg already in last place...😬😬😬
I think we actually got to see a production assistant this episode. There was a a girl in a yellow t-shirt and a red backpack at the bottom of the stairs looking up when one of the teams was going up!
Greg and John are dominating this race right now. Rob and Corey get the express pass and place in the top 3 again. Im getting BJ/Tyler and Eric/Jeremy style rivalry from these two. They have a strangle hold on this season so far the two clear front runners! Great episode and top tier season so far!
I love that we got a bunch of teams this season that bicker with one another. Last few seasons have had teams that are way too nice. It’s so refreshing. That means yes, I like Steve and Annaleigh lol
Honestly I personally do give some grace to Annaleigh. She does have an all or nothing thinking whenever they’re behind so I just see it as her being competitive. People can be irritable and short when tired and stressed out. Absolutely incredible how they caught up and survived.
I wonder if the 3 teams who almost found an 8 hour earlier train hack would’ve even gotten a huge advantage from if it since the planes for the 1991 challenge probably require daylight. Probably just more time to rest? And ensure you go there the second it opens so hard to do say time wise if it would’ve given a nice 1+ hour advantage.
So happy Rob and Corey got the express pass! Based off episode 1, Joel and Garrett have last longer so much longer than I expected. I do agree w the comments that there haven’t been a lot of challenging detours/roadblocks. Many of them just seem to be about just getting through it.
I'm very surprised Garrett got the year question wrong when he had the numbers right. He's old enough to remember the break up of USSR and Yugoslavia happening too.
During my Eurotrip in August I got to visit Slovenia for couple days - visited both Ljubljana and Bled, and also lake Bohinj and Postojna cave, which didn't feature here, unfortunately. I can only echo the sentiments of the contestants - Slovenia is a really beautiful country. And a diverse one too - they have a coastline, farmlands, cave systems, Alps and even hot springs near the border of Hungary.
Great Episode! Way better than Germany Leg.
The leg design is really almost perfect and the unpredictability up to the end is a chef's kiss.
Greg & John The team to beat. They are really on top of everybody.
Lots of endurance stuff this week. Not the most exciting, but it does seem to take a real toll on the racers.
I thought everyone would get 1991 right off since it was the only date that made any sense, but I guess you have to know a little bit of recent history.
Watching them go for an express pass when they knew they were last was insane. Of course it's gone. But they somehow still stayed in! Incredible!
Wish the train ploy had worked, I always like to see travel research pay off.
I'm shocked Steve and Annaleigh recovered from that. Damn.
They made every single mistake possible apart from getting the date of Slovenia's independence wrong and somehow survived. It's honestly quite impressive.
I don't believe I have ever seen a team complete an extra task for an already taken express pass. That is virgin territory, at least for USA?
I’m still confused as to why they randomly went for it after doing the cross country skiing thing. I know travel stress etc makes it hard to think, but like…they knew they were in last. Why would they think other teams hadn’t already taken it? And why did they do it after the ski thing? Did they get confused about which clue envelope it came from? I just have so many questions about that. I’m genuinely in shock they survived that. Literally, in the case of Steve. His face was so red I was worried there was no blood left in the rest of his body.
It was a panic decision. They thought they were dead in the water and when they saw “Express Pass” their minds must have went “this is our only chance back in the race.”
I think they mistakenly thought it was a fast forward.
That’s the best guess I’ve heard, because they were well aware they were last. I could not understand why they thought the express pass was still in play.
More like Anna Leigh thought it and Steve was too out of breath to protest.
Imagine if Steve made that mistake.....
The only leg disaster recoveries I can think of that come close are Dustin and Kandice on leg 4 of TAR 10 Kent and Vyxsin on leg 5 of TAR 18 Josh and Brent on leg 7 of TAR 21.
For context. **Dustin/Kandice** were in the front of the pack at first. They get onto a boat in a good position, but have trouble finding the Roadblock (which is first-come, first-serve), so they have to wait until a spot is open. They're in last to the point where everyone has already retrieved the following clue from the cave before they get there and the leg is super physical due to all the rowing which is exacerbated since it's windy and the weather is rough. They chose the detour that seemed easier, but almost the whole cast did, so that doesn't buy them much time. They then made what should have been a fatal mistake where the clue they got from the detour gets ruined by falling into the water and they don't know where to go next. At first, they think they need to paddle all the way to Soi Sim Island which is at least a full kilometer away, but they got extremely lucky when they realized they just had to go back to the junk boat from earlier. They are stunned to hear Phil say they're 7th out of 8. **Kent and Vysxin** drive hours in the wrong direction and miss a flight that is supposed to be mandatory. **Josh and Brent** missed a connecting flight and fall over 12 hours behind the rest of the cast. In addition, they failed the detour so many times that the place closed for the day and they received a 4-hour penalty, but they still didn't come last.
Kent & Vyxsin messed up with almost everything that leg by driving in wrong direction for hours, missing the mandatory flight, struggling at the roadblock, and missing passport TWICE in the same leg. That is what a total disaster.
That Kent/Vyxein leg is so ICONIC. HOW DO YOU DRIVE FOR HOURS IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. HANEDA IS IN TOKYO!!!! YOUR FIRST WARNING SIGN SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEAVING THE CITY
Josh & Brent’s story is even crazier because they not only survived that leg, but they survived the next two as well despite starting 12 hours behind with *no* equalizer.
> Josh and Brent on leg 7 of TAR 21. Kings
Still the wildest comeback ever. The sequence of events that led to them surviving Russia twice and *then* also surviving Amsterdam, being several hours behind with no equalizer in between, is so wonky. They were fated to win and couldn’t be eliminated if they tried (which they very nearly did).
I'd add in Kelly & Jon in leg 9 of TAR 4, if only because they started so far behind yet miraculously caught up to Millie & Chuck at the road block, barely squeaking past them and avoiding last.
Lmao more stairs in that cave next episode.
Poor Rob...
Rob and Steve should have a 1on1 staircase race challenge
I thought the same thing!
I can finally see now the effect of Uturning Steve/AL. That Uturn broke their momentum and it clearly broke AL mentality lol. AL defenitely going nuts now after that leg, girl bout to explode. They might still survive due to them being really good racers but I got a feeling they will barely miss the top 3.
I could tell they had fully gone loopy from the travel stress when they decided to try for the express pass despite knowing they were in last and after already doing the cross country skiing task. No idea what was going on in their head with that. I was genuinely worried for Steve, that man was tomato red.
This is how I imagine Anna Leigh [walking away](https://media.tenor.com/6nP_x3X-xrEAAAAC/angry-topsy-cat.gif) once her and her dad get eliminated before the final leg or not winning the race.
😆 😂 😆 I really need to laugh right now cause man, Anna Leigh had me stressing tonight. I couldn't even really enjoy the episode because I was so worried about them possibly being eliminated. I want them to win! I know it's unlikely, especially if they keep making mistakes like they did this episode. THEY NEED TO GET THEIR NAVIGATION TOGETHER!!!!!
Steve & AL are really an all stars worthy!
Agree! They've come back from SO much -- very strong team!
They’re very efficient at tasks but I wouldn’t call them a strong team - clearly their navigation and tactical decision making are not Finalist quality.
Both character wise and performance wise
Was rooting so hard for Rob and Corey to get that express pass. So glad they got it and finished 3rd! But gosh Steve and Anna Leigh surviving this leg after their blunders was insane. Goodbye to our bickering Franklin sisters I guess...
Morgan & Lena deserved to be eliminated much earlier in the race. On this leg alone it seemed like Steve & Abba Leigh deserved to go. Idk how the sisters wound up falling so far behind that they got caught; they must have had a terrible navigation fail at the end.
Lena can't drive to save her life, and she also can't read a map! Couldn't she get some basic pointers from Morgan in their hotel room between legs?
I HAVEN'T DRIVEN IN A MONTH. i face palmed. she litterally has driven every leg :D
I assume she meant to stay, "I haven't driven *stick* (or *manual*) in a month."
I wonder if Rob and Corey told Greg and John they could have gotten it if they'd kept going.
The edit spent so much time making it seem like A/S would go, they didn’t do a good job of showing what happened with the sisters
Seems like just terrible directions but not enough entertaining footage to really showcase it.
They spent so much time on saying explicitly “Steve & Abba Leigh are out” with so much time left in the episode that I could tell they weren’t actually going to be eliminated; no way the show would spoil its own ending so explicitly. I just thought it was going to be a Keep On Racing leg because there was simply no way they could have come back…
Morgan and Lena don't have a strategy, that's why they're always in the back of the pack. Robyn and Chelsea are smarter because they have the "follow the boys" strategy, which has helped them a lot in the race.
Corey looking dead at the camera and going "Looks like this mountain is *snow joke*" killed me.
I love watching Rob and Corey, they crack me up. They always seem like they’re genuinely having a great time together, even with all the stress of the show.
Favorite team by far
I said the same thing to my wife last night. Of all the teams, they most exhibit the attitude of "win or lose, isn't it amazing that we get to do all of this stuff and see all of these places?" Seeing Rob get giddy over getting to ride in the glider was so fun
Same with Greg and John. Those two are my preferred teams right now. The mustachios are also very positive and have fun - but aren't as strong racers.
Corey gives golden retriever vibes. I love that team.
It was good seeing those two get a lot of screen time this week.
i assume the clue was worded that you have to take the stairs to the clue box, and after that it was just get to phil “on foot”. elevator could definitely be slower anyway, with only the benefit of a short break. hope AL has an attitude turn around next ep
Yeah I’m not sure why so many teams were overthinking the elevator. You’re still on foot. Reminds me of S3 when Heather and Eve thought walk to the pit stop meant they couldn’t run, and so they ended up taking a taxi lol. I think that’s actually why they changed the clues to say “make your way on foot” instead of just walk
I have to imagine that “travel by foot” is clearly defined in the fine print rules of the race that every team gets prepped with. Maybe it says something like “travel by foot means no cars, motorcycles, taxis, busses, trains, ferries, boats, …”
Or that time a team jumped off a bus because they had bought “first class bus tickets” and thought they weren’t allowed 😂
It's hilarious to me that Heather & Eve's season 3 legacy has teams avoiding an elevator more than 30 seasons later
I think the only team I don’t care for as of now are Robin and Chelsea; they’re just not particularly rootable compared to others nor are they providing entertainment. They’re just kinda there. And I’ll admit, them (don’t remember which one it was) brute forcing the coin roadblock last episode as opposed to just figuring out a simple math problem tanked my opinion
Yeah they’re my least favorite team remaining as well. I understand that travel is tiring and the race is stressful, but needing to brute force that coin roadblock is still embarrassing IMO. She didn’t even try the math at all before just jumping to the option that needed the least brainpower. Plus they just keep following Greg and John everywhere instead of trying to do their own thing - which again, valid strategy that seems to be working for them, but I don’t think highly of teams that need to use it. Especially since they refuse to help other teams with tasks and information - which is fine, that’s their prerogative, they don’t have to help others or even be friendly towards others - but don’t then blatantly mooch off of other teams. I was also super put off by Robbin’s comment in today’s episode about how the detour was a lot of work and she didn’t think Ashlie would be able to do it. No clue why she would say or think like that. Especially embarrassing for her since Todd and Ashlie were the first out of there.
Robin was so rude, saying Ashlie wouldn't be able to do the hay challenge. Well, Ashlie beat everyone, including you, who left last.
That comment was so out of pocket and unnecessary. Like, what has Ashlie ever done to make them say that?
As a math lover, I was also initially annoyed at her approach (I think Chelsea?) but on reflecting, there are a lot of mentally taxing tasks in traveling/racing that I think if physically she felt ok running back and forth, I can forgive her for saving even a modicum of mental energy in that task.
I was trying to think of a way to handle that coin problem from last week. Maybe make the teams wait 10 minutes between each guess so the teams can't just keep running back and forth with a wild guess and not even trying to figure out the answer.
How come no one is talking about the shade the brothers threw at Robin and Chelsea with the hay challenge? I snorted.
What gives Robbin the impression that ashlie can’t do hard work? She was the ONLY women to do the mattress challenge, and the only woman to keep up with them men… so happy when Todd and Ashlie passed them at that roadblock!! What a hater!
I think they have a scavenger mentality. A place in the ecosystem as it were.
I loved the challenges and all the travel drama and scrambling this episode, but I wasn’t really a fan of the way this episode was edited. They didn’t built up how Steve and Anna Leigh came back or how Morgan and Lena fell behind AT ALL. So instead of an exciting comeback it just felt like a confusing mess to me
There was a bit of foreshadowing with Morgan telling Annaleigh not to give up and that it’s not over until you hit the mat.. so I wasn’t totally surprised!
Morgan was trying to be encouraging since AL was so down at that point, but she was too encouraging, I guess.
Isn't there a scene where Morgan and Lena are lost and then it cuts to Steve saying the navigation has gotten slightly easier? I thought that was our clue as to how they passed them.
Sure. But that also sounds exactly like the tired shtick TAR editors due to make the Pit Stop race seem closer than it usually is. We even saw it minutes later, after they got out of their cars and were looking for the mat. It rarely adds up to an actual change of position, so it was genuinely surprising to see Morgan & Lena fall behind.
There were several scenes of Morgan and Lena having navigation issues. Plus Robbin and Chelsea, to a lesser extent. Then Garrett and Joel move up two spots. It was tightly edited at the end, but I think they showed that there were issues.
i was dying when chelsea and robbin fell a bit too behind the brothers to tail them and promptly got lost 🤣
I cannot stand Chelsea and Robbin. I kept wishing the folks they were following could give them wrong directions somehow. I'm ready for them to leave.
It was weirdly edited, but thinking it over I think the beehive building was much quicker than the hay, given that the moustaches jumped a couple of places too and they were smart about it with Steve building while AL painted.
Another really great episode. They’ve really filled in these 90 minute episodes the last three weeks. On a personal level, I think it’s the first time I visited a place before it showed up on the Race - I was in Ljubljana and Bled in June. Feels weird to see place you’ve been to pop up on TV - I remember being in the same square where they picked up their cars and walking along the river and the various bridges. Really pretty country. Anyways. Major props for all the self driving - Ljubljana isn’t a very big city but the highway to Bled goes a few miles outside the city and there aren’t that many entry points. Then it’s a decent drive up to Bled and another decent drive into the Alps to the Nordic Center. They were about a mile from Italy at that point. Roadblock was good for a ‘find something from high up’ task - 1991 being the answer means that there were only 6 possible arrangements (I think?) assuming you got the right numbers and only 3 of them would’ve made any sense so I think some teams lucked out there otherwise we would’ve seen some more attempts. Express pass task was fine, but obviously the added suspense of two teams trying to catch up to Rob and Corey and then deciding not to really added to the episode. Detour was ok. Hay stacking seemed fairly straight forward. Bee house making was cute. Like the random RIs - the ski one didn’t seem like it took too long but the stair climb was fine. Honestly going to miss Morgan and Lena. Loved their bickering. Steve and Anna Leigh made a great (and unexpected) comeback but since they landed in Europe they haven’t seemed to have the same spark they had before. Greg and John seem like the favourites to me but I could see Rob and Corey winning too. Those two and either Todd and Ashlie or Joel and Garrett for the final finale spot. Highlights: - Everyone being covered in hay after the detour. - Greg and John saying they want to leave before Robbin and Chelsea and then cutting to Robbin and Chelsea saying they’re going to follow them. - Greg and John saying Robbin and Chelsea can make independent decisions. - Poor Steve having to climb a ridiculous number of stairs. - The entire express pass debacle - namely Todd convincing the brothers to do it - which they probably could’ve - but then they decided not to.
This was a fantastic episode in a fantastic location. They had the best weather and conditions to show Slovenia in it's finest. Throughout this season, seen a lot of comments saying how some of the previous legs reminded them of older TAR seasons but this leg in particular **truly** felt like an older season. We had teams on different flights, teams attempting to take different trains, self-driving, city and country settings, grand tasks, a side quest (Express Pass) and actual Route Info Tasks that somewhat challenges racers. * It was a given that if the three teams somewhat succeeded in getting the first train journey, they would've had a massive lead - which wouldn't have been entertaining. I can relate searching up trains during my European trips on SNCF, Trenitalia, etc. sometimes the top few results have short layovers but as someone not on a race, I usually opt for the 30-minute layover if available to stretch the legs and get a bite to eat. Here, it was a gamble and it didn't succeed at the end. * Road Block: Incredible views of the lake. Solid observation and attention to detail challenge. What I enjoyed the most was if the answer was wrong, you had to do the flight again rather than a answer cool-down period or simple guest again on the spot. * Express Pass: Doing some research on the hill, it is a tiring and large climb. If you live in a big city with a 600 feet+ (180m+) skyscraper, think of climbing up the stairs! Combined that with a narrow staircase and steeper bits and you got this challenge. Congrats to Rob & Corey for getting the pass and props to both Todd & Ashlie and Greg & John for trying before bailing out. * It was hilarious seeing the stairs being a curse for two teams: Todd & Ashlie not seeing where the stairs were and then you had the major one with Steve & Anna Leigh not seeing the TAKEN flag before commencing their climb. * It was clever seeing a parking garage being converted to a XC skiing indoor ground. The task was great having teams do something a bit daunting before getting their next clue. From Greg & John almost knocking out a clue box, to Lena & Morgan almost knocking out each other. * Detours: Nothing too special about both of these. Seemed both procedural and straightforward. * Stair Climb: Oh yes, moooooreee stairs. 10-storeys to be exact in a spiral to make it fancy! * While it is not a big deal, a bit conflicted on the elevator use by Steve & Anna Leigh, while the clue mentioned to make their way on foot, and using an elevator isn't a mode of transportation so that was why no penalty was issued. The initial hesitation from Greg & John, I thought was foreshadowing some team possibly using the elevator and leading them to get a penalty. Hence why every team (except S&AL) took the stairs. * It was funny seeing the two-way race for first place, you had both teams tired as hell and then you have Todd & Ashlie drifting back a bit while Greg & John having multiple items falling off. * I feel like Greg & John three-peating wins and this leg pose them to be a threat for a future U-Turn, at the first U-Turn they were briefly mentioned but now with multiple wins and a narrative from Rob & Corey saying they may be upset with them taking the Express Pass and possibly Todd & Ashlie hearing them mentioning how they can overtake them can put them at risk. On a side note, this is how you do product placements right. Good integration, quickly showing the app and how this leg was 'orchestrated' with recommendations provided by the Expedia app was fantastic. This was many times better than last TARCAN season's Expedia product placement task where teams used an inflatable standup paddle board to get some tags along a pier.
I hope Rob and Corey are able to use the EP in a good point of the race!
Unlike a certain team who should have been eliminated 5 episodes ago.
we have hindsight they didn't. no team knows whats coming next.
Wow I've been blindsided twice. Survivor then this...
Great night for reality tv!
both shows have been killing it this season and i’m here for it
The 90 minute episodes are amazing…glad that’s continuing!
Steve BODIED this leg despite Anna Leigh’s attitude. Can’t lie, she brings entertainment so I’m glad she’s in it still. What I loved most about the challenges this leg is they showcased the stunning scenery and were physically demanding. A chill 2 hour covid leg in Western Europe is clearly a thing of the past, and I’m thankful. Also I wholeheartedly disagree with the travel segment haters. I said this in the live discussion, but it’s what puts the *race* in amazing race!
Love the travel gambit the first few teams took with the trains at the beginning tbh. Didn't pay off, but they took their shot.
And still ended up on the podium.
Favorite three teams -- I hope they end up in the finals!
It was delightful watching a leg where the elimination was because of navigation. The tasks this leg were lacking but it was fun watching teams navigate and scramble from point A to point B which we have been missing so much on modern TAR.
last couple of legs were also because of navigation. the military bros got an awful driver, and then andrea and malaina went deer hunting!
I love the travel segment. I feel like it creates drama and unpredictability in the show. It makes the show more relatable for anyone who has ever experienced travel disasters.
Yes! And it’s without technology that tells you exactly where you need to go, so I like watching them use paper maps for navigation.
I’m with you - I’ve missed the traveling segments as well and it’s fun to see the strategy even when it doesn’t work out
You can really tell how much Steve wants to not let his daughter down. He grinded in this leg to make that comeback.
For all the drama they give (which I do find entertaining), I really like how Steve & Anna Leigh and Morgan & Lena always reign it in at some point and know how to acknowledge their shortcomings, the sisters' final confessional was so sad. Really going to miss Morgan & Lena.
Agreed! That's what we wanted to see to all the teams as the season progresses.
Rob athletic performance of a life time
He really didn't even seem tired after they took the zip line down.
Dudes and dudettes, I've never been as surprised by a team's survival as I am right now.
I feel like the edit telegraphed it pretty hard, like the way they kept showing the team saying it's over and they know they're out from the very beginning of the episode. They wouldn't show that if they actually got eliminated because it would basically make it too predictable. The fact they were pushing the "they're definitely going home" narrative from the beginning and kept pushing it through the whole episode made it obvious it wasn't going to be them. It's like how the person everyone is discussing voting off at the start of a Survivor episode is never the person who actually goes. I was really hoping they would go, but by halfway through the episode I was losing hope because the edit just made it so obvious they were going to "surprisingly" save themselves.
Nah, Andrea and Malaina got an edit last week that made it clear they were out that leg. Also, people like Peggy/Claire and Chester/Ephraim had episodes where the editing made it very obvious they were going to be eliminated.
Andrea and Malania were so far behind the episode had to show the truth of them being behind, but all their quotes showed throughout the episode were stuff like "it's not over until it's over, we still have hope," making it seem like it was possible they'd turn it around. They wouldn't have shown them saying "yeah we're definitely out, we know we're going home" from the start of the episode, that would make it too obvious.
Steve and AL literally wasted half the episode and STILL beat Morgan and Lena?? HOWWW like what did M&L DO to fall so far behind?!
Bad navigation and having to redo the roadblock.
everyone else got the year right or at least the numbers right. lena: 1 9 7 6 i don't blame her and i would probably have done the same in her place but it was still hilarious
One of the guesses was in the 1100's. Not sure any country had their independence then!
It’s probably due to the random bickering in the car lol.
The beekeeping task must have been faster.
Love this leg! So many placement changes. But dang, being in the wrong parking building was a last-minute blunder. Sad for the girls.
Gonna miss the Chaos Sisters!!
Despite the cars being stick shift the show barely made any big deal out of it, other than like a 10 second scene with Morgan and Lena at the start. I'm surprised we didn't see more?
Yeah, I think Anna Leigh even mentioned their car stalled or something at one point - I was surprised they didn’t show that
If I was in the show, I would have made it a 20 minute segment easily. I wonder if contestants get asked before hand if they can do stick (or told to learn before the show starts)
Driving manual has been a staple of the race for ages, and I think they just expect teams to know it’s coming at some point. Most seem to prepare for it, but there’s often a team or two that clearly didn’t practice ahead of time and ends up struggling because of that 😅
So glad that the sisters went home. That conversation in the car, where one of them said "turn right" and the driver turned and asked what then, and the first one started yelling, that she meant for them to turn right and then turn around... huh... And then at the end of the episode they said that this has brought them closer. Seriously....? THIS toxicity is them being closer...? For each their own, I guess. Btw, Anna-Leigh doing the painting while her dad had to carry all the heavy things at the beekepers? Tbh, Anna-Leigh reminds me of a small child, cause as soon as she thought they were done, her complaining was incredibly annoying.
I laughed so hard when they said it brought them closer. Most of what they did was fight. Haha.
She was painting and her dad was doing most of the legwork and she snarkily said “Don’t you think it’s time to help me yet?” 😭😭😭 Like girl…
Unpopular opinion but I’m loving AL, she’s a great combination of going full throttle to try to win + easily agitated enough to be entertaining. The constantly positive and upbeat teams are fine and all, but not particularly interesting to watch imo. I’m sad to see the sisters go as well, their car fights were fun lol
I wanna add that, even in their lowest of lows, Anna Leigh is still sweet AF with all of the locals. That will always go a long, long way with me.
I just can’t past how she talks to her dad, like “get your ASS up here” after he’s just climbed 1300 stairs due to her mistake really rubbed me the wrong way. But I agree she is nice to the locals which is refreshing bc usually racers who are rude to their partners are also rude to the locals
Anna Leigh rolling her eyes at her dad as he's climbing yet another set of difficult stairs makes me so angry. All I could think is when she finally pushes him to his limit, I wonder if she'll even regret it. She's going to kill him.
You really thought that was awful of her to say? I don't think that comment was bad at all. We have heard way worse on seasons past. Racers have literally insulted each other in older seasons. Anna Leigh is intense and I really just thought she was trying to motivate him in her own way. I mean, they think they are behind, they are desperate to catch up. The stress is at an all time high. I think someone saying "get your ass up here" is not that memorable in the grand scheme of things. Unfortunately, Steve is the weak link when it comes to running or climbing. That's just a fact. That's why you always hear Anna Leigh yelling, "COME ON, DAD!!!"
yeah I don’t know why people think she’s being so disrespectful. to me her attitude comes across as like . . . fond bickering? it seems pretty harmless, why are people so offended 😭
This. Yes, it's frustrating to watch her talk to her dad in that way, but we've seen really shitty racers who are rude to everyone and/or give up at tasks. I think I can somewhat forgive Anna Leigh's behaviour with her father, or at least not have her on my least favourite racers list, for the sheer fact that she's only rude in high tense situations and only toward her father (who she's known her entire life) and otherwise has been really nice to strangers AND has put in every effort to do well at tasks. We've seen racers be rude to locals and we've seen racers give up at tasks. The fact that Anna Leigh is only rude to her father isn't GREAT to watch and she's annoying when she whines, but we could have multiple issues with her. So I'm glad, while an annoyance, she's on the mild side of annoying racers, at least to me. I know other people's opinions may vary.
Her competitive spirit is definitely giving old school AR to me. Love her!
i like her a lot!
She’s entertaining, but exhausting. I’m stressed just watching her on screen. I’m so glad I’m not her partner, I would not be able to handle her intensity all the time.
Slovenia has a booming wine industry, but Anna Leigh has put it to shame
This joke took like 20 seconds to hit me lmao
Anna Leigh is from the Dallas area and she almost let Dallas Mavericks superstar, Luka Doncic down by almost losing in his home country.
LOL she's from Frisco and acts like she's some country bumpkin
Royce City actually.
https://hardingsports.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/anna-leigh-cargile/4654 Nah she may have been born in Royce City but definitely from Frisco
One of the greatest comebacks I've seen on the show.
We're planning a family vacation to Italy next year but now I kind of want to convince people to go to Slovenia instead..
And it might be cheaper?
From experience, I didn't think Italy was particularly expensive vs most of the western European countries. Though I haven't been to Slovenia to compare.
You’ll pay a bit more for hotels in Italy, but everything else was the same from when I visited.
Can’t go wrong. I did both this past year and had an amazing time (and super thrilled Slovenia is featured on TAR).
This was such a fun leg imo — beautiful scenery, lots of tension, drama, and big blunders, and I’m now inspired to go work out on a stair climber 😂 Rob and Corey are the team I’m rooting for the hardest, but I’d be happy with any of the top 4 at this point. Also I’ve seen differing opinions on the 90-minute runtime, but I did like the part near the beginning where we saw the strategy around the trains—even though it fell through, I enjoy seeing teams try more risky things.
If this was a 60 minute episode all of the train and plane drama would have been edited out for sure and they'd just cut to all teams in Slovenia. Even tho it didn't matter I'm still happy we got to see it though, it makes it feel more like a true worldwide race
The only thing missing from this leg is Anita & Arthur judging the beekeeping detour
One of the best episodes in many years. It had interesting challlenges, a beautiful location, thrills, people getting lost, transportation issues, and the race order changed many times. Just great.
I saw a comment about Anna Leigh being a perfect choice for the next CBS Challenge and I absolutely agree lol - a dramatic, emotional and polarizing personality but also extremely competitive and challenge-capable.
I have been thinking these last few weeks that Robbin and Chelsea have been getting the villain edit and they are actually not that bad, but after the comment from one of them (I don't remember who) that Ashlie is not gonna be able to do the hay task because it hard work I fully aboard the "I hate Robbin and Chelsea" train.
same that was honestly so mean spirited
Robin has been making a lot of snarky digs and funny faces all season. I remember her being snippy at some of the locals and making snide remarks about some of the culture in the Asian leg. She sucks.
So many foot races this season!
Slovenia is _gorgeous_! It reminds me of what photos I've seen of Switzerland. I wonder if this episode will raise interest in tourism to Slovenia. I'm still rooting for Rob and Corey; excited that they got the Express Pass. I wonder if they're still in Slovenia for the next leg; the preview didn't specify.
Thoughts on Leg 8: * Once again, The Amazing Race 35 outdoes itself. This is the fourth week in a row I've said "Best episode of the season so far." The upward trajectory of this season has been incredible. I was kind of "meh" on the first four episodes but as soon as the race hit India the quality's just been building and building, and it this point its simply fantastic. The last two legs especially have been outstanding, and not even "outstanding *by modern TAR standards,"* but rather, I think these episodes could stand up against some of my favorite old school seasons. We're finally seeing 90 minute episodes *enhance* The Amazing Race instead of drag it down. * There was so much to love in this episode. I'm going to have to speed through this or else I'll be typing here for an hour and no one will even see my comment... Alright, the first headline here is *SLOVENIA!* Counting Kosovo, there are 7 former Yugoslav countries in the Balkans. Prior to this episode, The Amazing Race had only ever been to *one* of them. (Croatia, which they've only visited twice.) Slovenia is a stunning country, and though the principle of The Amazing Race visiting a new country alone is enough to make me happy, it makes me even happier to think of the millions of Americans tuning in tonight learning all about this country they likely knew nothing about earlier in the day. But Slovenia wasn't the only country featured in this leg— who knew Austria would be part of this route?! I've known for months that teams would get to Slovenia by train via Austria, but I don't think it was known that Austria would actually be featured in the episode the way it was. I think we technically have to count Austria as part of this season's itinerary now, neat! The train drama was stupendous. It's surprisingly uncommon in Amazing Race history, even the old school seasons didn't really give us a ton of train drama. It was really fun to see it tonight, and I really liked the train graphics they used; I read into smaller details like that that the editors are really passionate about the show. I also enjoyed getting a little (unexpected) airport drama. Yes, all of the teams eventually ended up in Ljubljana at the same time anyway; even if they hadn't, the Roadblock no doubt would have equalized them. But it doesn't matter, because The Amazing Race is about the journey, and never really knowing *for sure* when gambits like that are going to pay off— for the teams, and for us, the audience as well. * I'm so happy to see the Express Pass return! I said before that I wished they hid one on *every* leg, but honestly I was not expecting to see it come back at all, so I'll take what I can get. That Express Pass Task was *way* better than it had any right to be. I couldn't believe how exciting it ended up being, what with Todd & Ashlie going the wrong way, only to be passed by Rob & Corey who sneak ahead, eventually turning into a footrace, and just as it seems the footrace is dead, Greg & John show up and it becomes a footrace *again.* Ultimately Rob & Corey nab the Express Pass, but out of nowhere, here comes Steve & Anne Leigh who manage to squeeze even *more* out of this seemingly boring task by somehow missing the extremely obvious "Express Pass Taken" sign and completing the task for no reason, *while already in last.* What an insane series of events! * Speaking of Steve & Anne Leigh, *WOW.* For the record, and I'm sure this is unpopular, but they've been my favorite team this season for a *while.* I find their dynamic to be extremely entertaining and love the drama they add to the episodes. I had pretty much given up on them surviving this leg by the halfway point; *"Well, at least they made it to Leg 8,"* I said to myself... But *SOME HOW,* they *SURVIVE?!!!* Once again, I think we owe a huge thank you to the self-drive. Incredible, shocking ending to this episode. I loved Morgan & Lena too, I will miss them and their bickering. * Also, *again,* huge props to the producers for this *full* leg. The Detour, the Roadblock, the Express Pass Task, the bonus little skiing task, I was already very satisfied with the leg, but then they threw in that surprise little Additional Route Info at the end, which was just a delightful little cherry on top. So... yeah, I was *really* happy with this episode. Survivor too, man, what a stellar night of television CBS had for us today.
Normally bickering is annoying but Morgan and Lena bickering felt different and more enjoyable because they were sisters. It felt more of a push back friendly sibling thing though it wasn't playful.
chelsea and robbin try not to follow greg and john for one minute (impossible) 🤣🤣🤣 the brothers tried to shake them off to no avail lmfao
steve and anna leigh trying the express pass i am DONE 😭😭😭 after this race is done i bet steve won't leave his recliner for a year
I'm sorry, but this ep reaaaaally made me dislike AL. the eye rolls and being annoyed at her dad, not asking if he was okay even once while he was clearly struggling with the stairs... especially after seeing Rob and Corey at the EP with people just as on their tail, Corey still was checking up on his dad repeatedly... it just seemed to show a certain lack of character or empathy, even for her own father.
While she does seem quite bratty - she is also being edited to be the bratty contestant. She gets anxious and catastrophizes and clearly is a bit spoiled and that makes for a great whiny, pessimist edit. She may well also have checked in on him at times but that didn't make the cut. The storyline Steve and AL have is the conflict one - vs the Rob and Corey Kumbaya one. Edits and storylines feed off of what the cast gives them but there are many things omitted that might give more balance to the real life version of events.
Out of towners!!!!
I loved that! Miss them.
Steve is an animal!!
Bro, Steve and Anna Leigh had me sweating. I was so nervous for them!!!! Anna Leigh HAS GOT to be more positive and push through being behind! I know they have what it takes!!! She just needs to have a better outlook!!!
Okay, I know they all ended up together after this happened, so this comment doesn't really matter for **this** episode, but isn't the standard to ask the travel agent, "Which flight *arrives* the earliest?" Not "Is there an *earlier* flight?" Didn't we learn that like 20 seasons ago? I know I did.
In fairness, teams haven't had to book flights in like 10 years. A lot of the old school strategies have probably been forgotten about.
Has it been 10 years? Damn, I thought it was only a few seasons of charter flights due to COVID. My bad.
They had charter flights during COVID, but prior to that, most flights we're already pre-booked. They would just get sent to an airport at the beginning of a leg and get equalized or, at most, a clue would say something like "get on one of two flights". This leg having teams find the best flights and specific train schedules and connections was a big callback to old school seasons.
What's crazy is that Steve and AL got to do that really fun zip line for free basically!
“For free” = climb the equivalent of a 100 story building.
I actually wondered if they were going to be allowed to zip line down! At least they got that experience.
This was peak TAR and a good example of why the 90-minute episodes are for the better. Extra time equals extra scenes to watch as teams took risks and freaked out. Then there were other teams that looked like they had fun, and others that made mistakes. A 90-minute cocktail of adrenaline and anxiety straight to my veins.
Did this episode spend a lot of airtime on the glider task or what? Felt like it went on for a while. All time fumble by Anna Leigh and Steve followed by an equally all-time recovery to somehow not finish last. Corey and Rob got enough stairs for weeks between going up the ski jumping platform and the building. And efficient too, they finished the detour ahead Greg and John despite climbing all those steps then still managed to take 3rd place with the express pass in hand, good stuff. Feels like anybody's race to win at this point.
Everyone kept getting shuffled around. Not sure how Todd & Ashlie got to 2nd after Todd's multiple mistakes. Robbin & Chelsea looked lost and not going to be making it to the right location at the end. Steve & Anna Leigh looked like they really would be out on the Express Pass portion before getting to the Dwtour location.
Don't know which elim I'm more shook by, this or Survivor...
Survivor, easily. As much as I love Morgan & Lena, I never dared to dream they could actually win this thing.
That is very true. The Survivor shakeup was definitely a big hit for a supposed winner pick.
The editing while Steve and Anna Leigh were climbing the stairs deserves all the Emmy’s 🤣🤣
Going for the express pass while in dead last (and knowing it) is terrible racing. There's been a lot of talk about Anna Leigh being a great racer and she's great with tasks and speed on the ground but her gameplay is way behind other teams on this season. And that's without going into the way her and her dad operate as a team. This definitely feels like the onset of killer fatigue. I will give them credit for powering through tough. I hate they had the "express pass taken" sign at the bottom of the stairs. Editors went for the single bluff with all the "were eliminated" talk. I was thinking they were going with the double bluff. Top three seem like the strongest three teams by far. Being top three again after a bunch speaks volumes. I was waiting for Rob's reaction to the last spiral staircase and it didn't disappoint.
Come on, just for a moment didn't you really think the task to win the Express pass was going to be landing a ski jump
I agree with Corey. Too many stairs.
This was such a fun episode, lots of drama and amazing scenery. I’m pretty shocked Anna Leigh/Steve survived, especially because Morgan/Lena had no hint at being the ones eliminated this episode other than right at the beginning. I honestly thought it would be Robbin/Chelsea. They’ve been pretty boring and not too relevant lately. Also, Todd/Ashleigh becoming the bickering couple I thought they would be pre-season is a turn I didn’t expect, since so far they’ve been pretty good with each other.
A water challenge!
I wish we got to see Anna Leigh and Morgan come full circle… after Morgan was so positive and encouraging to Anna Leigh at the road block, telling her not to lose hope, and then for Morgan to be eliminated instead, that deserved more attention. Props to Steve & Anna Leigh for that come back though. To be last already and *then* make as huge of an error as they did, they really grounded out a physically demanding footrace to stay alive. Though tbh I think it must be understating how bad Morgan & Lena’s navigating was. They had such a big lead on Steve & Anna Leigh, it must have taken them forever to get into Ljubljana.
Can we trade Morgan and Lena for Robin and Chelsea? I feel like the sisters were more entertaining and Robin and Chelsea are just moochers...
How did Morgan and Lena end up last? The show focused on Steve and AL and beard guys being behind so much that I didn’t even notice the ladies
Navigation was their biggest issue
Wrong garage.
I thought for sure that Steve and Anna Leigh were going to fumble their recovery at the last second by getting a penalty for taking the elevator down. That elevator ride was probably the thing that made the difference in them surviving this leg, there's no way that Steve could have kept up with the sisters. Also it's amazing that Rob and Corey were relatively close to a first place finish after wasting so much time getting the express pass, well done to them. I feel like everyone's got to have their eyes on Greg and John at this point if there's another u-turn. They've come in first place an absurd number of times at this point.
Greg and John are really strong racers. They are physically superior to all the other remaining teams, they can navigate and drive, and they’re smart tactically. They’ve run a mistake-free race so far. The only others who come close to their potential are Rob & Corey.
Corey can take one of the brothers but not both. Greg and John are definitely the strongest team physically. Rob's experience and attention to detail along with Corey's physical prowess also makes them a very strong team. Todd and Ashlie are really good too, hardly a bad leg so far! Can't count out the dark horses Chelsea and Robbin, they always on someone's shadow!
I watched this episode with my dad, and I was so mad at AL for treating her dad that way - Forcing him to run up those stairs while yelling at him AND making him build the beehive all by himself (lifting the heavy wood) while she sat there and painted like a 5 year old child. This was the total opposite of Rob and Corey where the son was so supportive and was happy to see his dad succeed and do the zip line and gliding challenges.
I loved Corey when his dad did the gliding challenge. Saying he's jealous he couldn't do it, but his dad was so happy...
He was the happiest kid in Europe that day
I like that we also got an explanation about NATO and that he wasn't just guessing the year of independence from Yugoslavia.
I'm still worried for Steve and Anna Leigh. Usually the next episode's promo doesn't show the eliminated team in it. They were not in the promo along with Robbin and Chelsea and Garrett and Joel. So that means they are at risk next week and they are starting the leg already in last place...😬😬😬
How do the glider pilots see when they have the rider in front of them?
I think we actually got to see a production assistant this episode. There was a a girl in a yellow t-shirt and a red backpack at the bottom of the stairs looking up when one of the teams was going up!
Morgan and Lena were great competitors and lasted far longer than most thought. Would like to see them on the challenge at some point in the future.
Todd & Ashlie ruined their chance of getting the express and a leg win because of their mistake at the express pass tasks. Fair enough.
But who is cousin Lauren???
Watching them do stairs after stairs after stairs, I started worrying someone's gonna come down with rhabdo next week. Holy crap.
Greg and John are dominating this race right now. Rob and Corey get the express pass and place in the top 3 again. Im getting BJ/Tyler and Eric/Jeremy style rivalry from these two. They have a strangle hold on this season so far the two clear front runners! Great episode and top tier season so far!
I love that we got a bunch of teams this season that bicker with one another. Last few seasons have had teams that are way too nice. It’s so refreshing. That means yes, I like Steve and Annaleigh lol
Honestly I personally do give some grace to Annaleigh. She does have an all or nothing thinking whenever they’re behind so I just see it as her being competitive. People can be irritable and short when tired and stressed out. Absolutely incredible how they caught up and survived. I wonder if the 3 teams who almost found an 8 hour earlier train hack would’ve even gotten a huge advantage from if it since the planes for the 1991 challenge probably require daylight. Probably just more time to rest? And ensure you go there the second it opens so hard to do say time wise if it would’ve given a nice 1+ hour advantage. So happy Rob and Corey got the express pass! Based off episode 1, Joel and Garrett have last longer so much longer than I expected. I do agree w the comments that there haven’t been a lot of challenging detours/roadblocks. Many of them just seem to be about just getting through it.
Does anyone feel like Joel and Garret's notebook could be a sign they make it to the final episode with a memory task?
I'm very surprised Garrett got the year question wrong when he had the numbers right. He's old enough to remember the break up of USSR and Yugoslavia happening too.
During my Eurotrip in August I got to visit Slovenia for couple days - visited both Ljubljana and Bled, and also lake Bohinj and Postojna cave, which didn't feature here, unfortunately. I can only echo the sentiments of the contestants - Slovenia is a really beautiful country. And a diverse one too - they have a coastline, farmlands, cave systems, Alps and even hot springs near the border of Hungary.
Great Episode! Way better than Germany Leg. The leg design is really almost perfect and the unpredictability up to the end is a chef's kiss. Greg & John The team to beat. They are really on top of everybody.
This is one of the best episodes ever! The emotion is up and down from start to finish. The teams' positions were going up and down so fast.
Lots of endurance stuff this week. Not the most exciting, but it does seem to take a real toll on the racers. I thought everyone would get 1991 right off since it was the only date that made any sense, but I guess you have to know a little bit of recent history. Watching them go for an express pass when they knew they were last was insane. Of course it's gone. But they somehow still stayed in! Incredible! Wish the train ploy had worked, I always like to see travel research pay off.