4/29 TAR 20 Show Discussion **West Coast Spoilers**

[Jaceegirl]

Well I suppose if you don't think talking crap behind someone's back is as mean as just saying it to their face. Rachel was more than a little mean on BB. She had something nasty to say about every house guest at one point or another. But I do agree, she is very insecure and overly defensive as well. I just hope that the AR is the last reality show that these two appear on.

I completely agree with you. I do not want to see them ever on another reality show. Every show they have appeared on is the same thing. Maybe some people like the drama they bring, but I don't. Just seems like no matter what show they have been on for some reason people end up not liking them. I wonder why that is? I think there is a lot we have not been shown on the AR and that is in part because it is different type of show and I am thankful for that. When I first learned they were going to be on I did not think I would be able to watch. I have seen every second of BB as well and for me Vanessa is tame compared to Rachel. JMO

[Midol]

I don't watch BB so I will take people's word for it that Rachel can be mean and petty. That show seems to bring those kinds of people out of the woodwork I think. However, given what we've seen on this show, Vanessa really has no moral high ground to stand on when it comes to their feud, and no amount of fake smiles or passive-aggressive insults can mask that.

On another site someone transcribed the extra footage from this weeks show. Apparently that mat conversation went on for well over half an hour, and at one point Ralph gets really frustrated with Vanessa and tells her to cut out the drama and that wasn't how they wanted to run the race, and says if there was a penalty to BB Phil would have given them one and to let it go. She keeps insisting Phil asked her a question so she answered it until he just walks off the camera in frustration and apparently slams his backpack to the ground after she tells him to stop screaming like a banshee and when he asks if he can finish talking, says "No. You're crazy"

Then apparently Ralph says something really insightful, which is that a lot of the drama and animosity between R and V has been instigated by other people (implying obviously BP) trying to stir things up on the race. He feels that the two women are likely reacting not so much to each other as to what others have said they said, etc. Makes me really wonder what has gone on behind the scenes. We all saw Art get under Rachel's skin at the roadblock, deliberately, about not doing the fast forward. I bet there is a lot more of that going on that people realize. He seems to thrive on stirring up the crap. It's astonishing how a grown man with a serious job and a family can act like a middle-school girl.

If I could, I would give you ten likes for this post! I have said all along that Border ... mostly Art ... seems to be stirring things up to throw the other teams off their game ... and in a poetic twist, Karma if you will ... are messing up their own game.

As for Venessa and Rachel, I don't think it is too difficult to stir up trouble between those two. I bet both are used to being the center of attention ... the bombshell role ... and now there are two of them. Both are brash and loud and in your face. Venessa is more in your face agressive, while Rachel is more the whiny, passive/agressive type. Problem for Venessa is that she knows that Rachel has already won money on BB and she already considers her "famous", therefore Rachel is more of a threat to her own self promotion. Not to mention, since she clearly knows of Rachel, she must have watched the show and knows what buttons to push to get Rachel going via her insecurities. As annoying as I find Rachel, the sheer enjoyment that Venessa exibits when taunting her, despite Ralph trying to defuse the situation (also Brendon), is really just nasty.

[Arielflies]

If I could point you to sweetpea's post #22 in the Art and JJ thread it explains a lot about how those two operated.

The FF didn't effect how Rachel/Brendon finished the leg, so it really is moot at this point. At that point, however, they are lucky Brendon finished the rope twining fairly quickly and had experience quickly carrying wheelbarrows of bricks in a previous life. They caught up to Vanessa/Ralph at that point and their taxi got them to the ferry landing ahead of V/R. In the race to the mat after leaving the ferry, perhaps Vanessa was hampered by a sore ankle, but B/R hit it in second place - securing them a spot in the final four.

Bopper and Mark started this leg three hours behind the other teams and with the speed bump the fast forward wasn't going to really help them. I applaud them for using it and reaching the mat in daylight saving Mark more stress. They were a fun team and I enjoyed the race right along with them.

I am so curious who reaches the Final Mat first and has to go back to finish a task. Can you imagine their agony at that point? This has never happened...they don't even get a time penalty, but must turn around allowing the other two finalist teams to possibly pass them. Wow!

[Maybaybie]

I am so curious who reaches the Final Mat first and has to go back to finish a task. Can you imagine their agony at that point? This has never happened...they don't even get a time penalty, but must turn around allowing the other two finalist teams to possibly pass them. Wow!

I am really looking forward to this too, although I will say I wish they had not shown that particular part of the race as a preview. I think it would have been much better just watching it and not knowing until it happened. I know they show it to draw in the audience, but truthfully who has watched the whole race and then doesn't watch the finale?!

[Annastasia B]

So sorry to see Mark and Bopper gone....I was really hoping they'd win.

I guess now I'll have to vote for Rachel and Dave only because I really like Rachel and she's worked very hard. Dave's an ass. Didn't they join the race to work on their marriage? The preview showed her telling him the F-Off next week. I can't wait to see that! He needed to be told that along time ago. I hope they win for her sake, then she can take her half of the money and leave his ass.

[brycola]

I think Rachael is every bit as mean as Vanessa. I am rooting for anyone but BB at this point.

Amen to this^^^. I've watched Rachel on BB and she is in the top 3 of most hated reality show people for me! I literally get a bit angry just seeing her on TV. Vanessa said some mean things to her, but I loved every nasty comment. If it had been directed at someone nice, I wouldn't have liked it. But since it was directed at someone that makes me want to puke...I wanted to shout "GET HER VANESSA!!!".

[sweetpea]

Wow, makes me kind of glad I don't watch BB. I only watched one season, the one where Dr. Will won, and I confess I loved him even though he was kind of the bad guy. I just don't have the time during the summer to devote to that show 3 x a week plus the live feeds. It's funny though, as I have read others' comments who watched BB who didn't mind Rachel, so I guess it's also a personal preference thing.

I don't find her THAT bad on TAR. Certainly not worse than Vanessa. Annoying, yes. Frustrating, sure. Eyerolls galore while she's on. But definitely don't get the sense that she's as outright mean as, if not more mean, than Vanessa. I don't think I'd ever be friends with Rachel, since I'm not really a sparkly event-hostess kind of gal, but she doesn't set my teeth on edge like, say, Colton from Survivor did this season.

[Alexxxx]

I'm not going to weigh in on the Vanessa vs. Rachel debate. To me that's like trying to choose between projectile vomit and explosive diarrhea. I vote neither.

I will say the finale won't be as fun without Team Kentucky along for the ride. I'll miss them.

The only person left I want to win is Army Rachel because she has kicked butt this whole race. If she has to share the winnings with her husband, so be it. It's better than any of the other teams getting their hands on it.

[sweetpea]

The only person left I want to win is Army Rachel because she has kicked butt this whole race. If she has to share the winnings with her husband, so be it. It's better than any of the other teams getting their hands on it.

I feel exactly the same way.

[wannasee]

If I could, I would give you ten likes for this post! I have said all along that Border ... mostly Art ... seems to be stirring things up to throw the other teams off their game ... and in a poetic twist, Karma if you will ... are messing up their own game.

I think I'm blocking stuff out or something but didn't Art (the shorter guy) do the challenge with the rope and it was JJ (Taller guy) trying to psych Rachel out? Art hasn't seemed too bad to me, but JJ seems to like to hear himself complain...I did find myself thinking that it would be poetic if Mark and Bopper did beat the BP because of the FF, all the while JJ talking smack about no one taking the FF. I don't hate the BP, though.

Again with the somewhat complicated Speed Bump! Why couldn't Mark and Bopper sit in an ice sauna for a dang minute or something?!

Not really invested in who wins, at this point. I can say they each deserve to have made it as far as they did, obviously, they did some things right. I really did want either Rachel or Vanessa to shave their head, though. That would have bumped my opinion of either up. At the very least, if Rachel had just said, nope, not doing it, let's split, without the crying and questioning (after Brendan said it was her decision), I'd have respected that more, too.