I've never experienced such a thing in TAR. One moment I was disliking the Paolo's as always and guffawing at them trying to beat the Gaghans to get the First Forward and the next I was on their side in ways I never imagined possible - to the point of actually crying.
Things changed when they were on the bus and resulted in what I can only describe as The Sadness.
It's a very strinickity thing to explain that involves feeling an overwhelming sadness for someone that's got nothing to with pity or sympathy at all. It's the sort of feeling you have for someone you love (often in your family) when you watch them doing something that makes them happy that they don't get to do enough.
Mmm ... I don't know if that made sense but hopefully you'll know what I mean! I had this
feeing with Fattis and Moanies from when they spoke about Tony being a garbage collector and how proud they were. Then when they did the bungee jump and had such a blast and kissed - the tears just plopped uncontrollably.
Of course the very bestest was that during it all Tammy Gaghan had that brilliant head crash with the truck which I wished they'd rewound and re-played quickly at least three times more. Hee - what was she doing?
Her and Him Gaghan have clearly gone over the edge with the exhuastion involved in trying to do everything themselves and - even though I didn't enjoy seeing it - they once more managed to get it together admirably after they got beaten at the Fast Forward.
In between all the dicing for the Fast Forward the rest of the teams spent their time speeding on boats in Panama to face a Detour - that involved looking for exotic birds or carrying jazz instruments - and then a Roadblock where they had to play baseball.
I assume they're in the same Panama as all the Survivors are happening in? They must giving crews verry good deals. From what I could work out it's the actual buzzing continent that connects the islands to proper land and they went off to different islands to do stuff?
Seeing everyone bustling for their plane tickets for the first time since the season started was super and I liked that they didn't have to drive themselves at all.
Unsurprisingly the tensions between The Weavers and everyone continued to grow but for the first time I actually agreed with them about something - when they said that being in an alliance was a rubbish idea.
I've never understood why anyone would commit to doing anything with another team because it can only end in disaster. Needing to wait for them but not being sure which moments you should think of yourself only and which you should think of them would just be too stressful to race to your full potential.
It must have worked to their advantage because they basically ended up winning the leg with their second place finish after the Paolo's. They breezed through doing both the bird watching at the Detour and home-run thing.
Those who chose to do the instruments didn't have to do particularly much either did they? When Phil introduced it I thought they'd at least have to dance or play with a band and was convinced they had to right up until the first team arrived and did nothing.
The baseball was more challenging if you're not the sort of person who's played a lot. I used to love playing it with a tennis ball at school except the problem I always had was with consistancy. I could really thump it impressively in certain moments but for the majority of the time I couldn't. All the guys had no probs with it and it was inevitable it would zombi a sister as it did.
The way Sharon's Pig of an ex-boss ended up being responsible for her conquering it was excellent and also such a groovy thing to remember. People - chicks espesh - are always so encouraged to see having aggro thoughts about someone as being such a bad thing and yet there are situations when it's not.
Being angry and loathing and needing revenge can be a very positive thing when the person the feelings are directed at deserves them - which I'm sure Sharon's boss does.
I must say I was amazed at how fresh all their clothes looked when they got decked out for the non-elimination. That's always something that's worried me - I've been convinced everything would get scruffy-feeling within two days of being at the bottom of one of those bags.
They have good taste in undies I thought - there was bright green pair with light polka dots that I particularly fancied. I was happy enough for them they got to stay but wouldn't have been mortified if they'd left.
Fave-wise I do have some very real ones now though with the Fattis and Moanies turn in events. I know I'll be irritated when they shout yet there's no ways I can't not be on their side after this week so it's them and the infectiously fun Linz's. More and more they make me wish I had three Matthew McConaughey brothers just like them.