Posted by Ryan
1. Keri Murphy Is Easily Amused. I interviewed host Keri Murphy about Highway 18, and she really played up this episode and its swamp challenge. “They came out to the swamp — it’s full of gators — and they think that they’re going to have to do some sort of golf challenge. But really, they just had to find their way back,” Murphy says. “Getting them out of the swamp was pretty hilarious.” Now, having seen this episode, the “swamp” looks more like a park that had a gator in it somewhere. And the teams just followed a path straight to a parking lot to get out of it. That was it? Where was all the hilarity? Maybe it hit the cutting-room floor. Or maybe you just had to be there.
2. In North Carolina, They Spell Things How They Sound. Parker and Andy were also described as hilarious, but I suspect maybe a lot of their best material wasn’t suitable for air. Andy saying “poo-poo” seems to be about all they can get away with.
3. Lots Of People In Gainesville Have No Idea Where Florida Field Is. Raul and Jameica have a much better week. They get the trivia question early, and they got a nice lead on the road and did well on the golf challenges. But given how much of this game is going to be dependent on driving and making the correct turns, I’m not sure I’d trust Raul behind the wheel. He has to stop a few times to ask people where Florida Field (“The Swamp”) is. Interestingly, no one seems to know.
4. Did The Ashleys’ Ball Really Land On The Logo? Sorry, but that shot looked like it landed an inch or so off of the Florida logo edge. This challenge proved pretty easy for most of the teams, except for Rob and Charlotte, who will never be able to watch a Gators home game again.
5. Andy And Parker Are Sticking With Cable. The Ashleys sweet talk the driver of a DirecTV service van in front of Andy and Parker to drive really slow. It gives the Ashleys a little bit of a lead, but they both end up at Ocala at the same time.
6. The Signs At Golden Ocala Actually Do Mean Something. Unlike the “Bar Code Only” sign at the TPC Sawgrass gate last week, the signs at Ocala are apparently very important. The Ashleys and Andy and Parker are neck and neck heading to the golf course, but they try to enter at the wrong gate, and are forced to back to the main entrance. Rob and Charlotte head straight to the main entrance and make up some time. So traffic is heavy with Enclaves, and the Ashleys want to play some Mario Kart (who gets to be Yoshi?). They cut Rob and Charlotte off. Rob talks smack about “Let’s see what these Enclaves can do!” But the teams have to go the speed limit, so that Enclave can do about 35.
7. The Ashleys Learn That Golf Is Cruel. The rain starts coming down at just the worst time for the Ashleys. Ashleigh hits just about every hazard on the hole, and she has to play it three times. There are no golf balls left for the Ashleys. They have their first strike, and Ashleigh is a little weepy. Unlike baseball, there is crying in golf. Believe me, I’ve done it.
8. Did Rob Say “Boo-yah”? Fo’ shizzle last week. Boo-yah this week. This guy just won’t quit! I predict Rob says he wants to “cap” someone next week. OK, maybe not. But he did say he “would punch someone in the face” for a golf ball. He might have surpassed his sister on the crazy meter this week.
9. The Teams Don’t Hate Each Other Enough. One thing I’m noticing is that the teams rarely get to go head-to-head against each other enough for there to be any real animosity between them. The Ashleys pulled a few tricks on the road that got teams irked, but really, there’s not much opportunity for teams to screw each other over. I’d like to see some more golf challenges that put teams in direct competition, getting them to interact a little bit more, build up some real rivalries and some dislike. It’s time to start throwing in some twists.
