Deaf guy on CBS's "The Amazing Race"

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Thanks for filling me in. I lost tv signal and haven't gotten it back yet.
 
Tonight Luke and Margie are coming in fourth!
 
yeah! they are alive for fourth place! Next race to Siberia, Russia!
 
You may miss to watch "Amazing Race" on tv last night.

You can read this story below.

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Margie & (deaf) Luke Race Through Romania

This week's episode brings the racers to Bucharest, Romania. When their destination is announced, I'm confused. Margie echoes my thoughts exactly: "I thought Bucharest was in Hungary!"

Luke is shown interviewing that he doesn't want to rely on his mom for all his communication on the race. He wants to know for himself what the other teams are thinking. Later the cheerleaders Jaime and Cara tell the camera that some people might be put off by Luke's deafness but they enjoy communicating with him. One of them is shown fingerspelling a word to him and writing notes on a pad of paper.

The first task of this leg of the race is to get in touch with one's inner Nadia. For this roadblock inspired by Nadia Comaneci, one team member is required to don a leotard and obtain instruction on the balance beam, parallel bars, and a floor routine. When Margie asks Luke if he wants to do it, he emphatically states, "I'm not wearing that girl's leotard." (CBS uses his comment as the title of tonight's episode.) Margie takes the road block and does a great job. She even looks good in her leotard!

As team after team completes the task with ease, I'm thinking that the judges for this task seem pretty lenient compared to some judges from past races. But then Tammy (of brother/sister team Victor & Tammy) takes her turn. She struggles throughout the task having to try again and again to win her judges' approval. Little sister Tammy is fit and trim so that is not the problem. No, she struggles because she is mentally distracted by her team's difficulty in getting to Bucharest. As team number one from last week, she and Victor had secured the first flight out of Munich. Unfortunately for them, their plane had mechanical problems and had to return to the airport. They got on the next flight out with several other teams.

Their problems were not as bad as Brad's and Victoria's (the older husband/wife team) airport fiasco. Booked on the last flight leaving Munich with some of the other teams, they take a chance by booking an alternative flight that arrives earlier. Missing a tight connection in Amsterdam strands them at the airport until morning. As teams have learned before on the race, sometimes it's safer to stay with the pack.

Once teams receive their clue from their gynastics judge, they are directed to the next stop on the race Brasov, Transylvania. Cool! There they have a Detour choice of two tasks: Gypsy Moves or Vampire Remains. Gypsy Moves involves locating a gypsy settlement, packing up a gypsy family's belongings on a cart, and transporting them on the horsedrawn cart to another gypsy camp where everything is unloaded. Kris & Amanda (photogenic dating couple) are first to arrive and have no trouble with the task. Until it's time to leave and they can't locate Kris' fannypack with their money and passports. Yikes! Not another Toni and Dallas scenario! No, all's well here when the fannypack is recovered. Phew.

Kris and Amanda's delay while searching for their lost items allows father/son team Mel & Mike who surprisingly also chose the gypsy moves task (doesn't Mel have a groin injury?) to forge ahead. This week the father and son are first to the pit stop winning a trip to Costa Rica.

Meanwhile Margie & Luke choose Vampire Remains along with the cheerleaders, Tammy & Victor, and the flight attendants. This task involves following a marked path, locating a coffin, dragging it down a hill, unlocking it, and opening it to obtain wooden blocks inside. These blocks must then be impaled on a stake. One of the blocks contains a red/yellow flag which can then be exchanged for a clue from the watching "vampire". I would definitely have chosen this option!!! Margie & Luke breeze through this task and offer their closest allies, the cheerleaders, some advice.

Unfortunately for Victor & Tammy, this task is not so simple. They are misled at the very first step when Victor spots some red and white paint markings on trees and declares they show the way to the coffins. Tammy points out that markings on previous races have always been in the form of red and yellow arrows but Victor doesn't listen. They walk on and on climbing up and up even though the airline flight attendants who were just behind them never make an appearance. Tammy questions Victor repeatedly but he insists that he's right. Meanwhile all the other teams except for Brad and Victoria have checked in at the pit stop. Luke & Margie have placed fourth again.

Eventually Victor and Tammy return to their starting point where Victor notices the arrow pointing to the correct path. Their troubles continue when they lose their key to the coffin while dragging it down the hillside. Their persistence pays off when Victor recovers the key in the grass. Where are Brad and Victoria? Do they have any hope of catching up? No, their choice at the airport is fatal and they are eliminated from the race. I thought they were a team that would stay around much longer. I would not count Victor and Tammy out even though they are at the bottom of the pack. Teams have gone from first to last in previous races and moved back up in the standings on the next leg.

The preview for next week's episode shows Luke having a frustrating time solving a code. I wonder how that dilemma will be resolved. We know you're smart, Luke. You can do it. Yes, you can! Go, Luke & Margie, go!
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Speak Up Librarian: Margie & Luke Race Through Romania
 
I watched the reality show for few minutes. I thought it was nice that the guy (host?) did the sign for four (fourth place) to the deaf guy. :)
 
Luke and mom are doing an excellent job! :D Man, I wish i were with them only so I could talk with him. He seems like a genuinely nice guy.
 
Luke and Margie in fourth place tonight! Yay!! :applause:
 
Im glad that Margie and Luke came in 4th place! Luke gets frustrated but he works hard until he gets the task done. I think that persistence is going to pay off later in the race. But I saw the previews and Luke is getting a reputation for giving out U-Turns. He needs not to abuse this because it could come back on him when he needs precious time to stay in the race. I would use U-Turns only when another team is very close behind me and if I am bumped down, I could be eliminated from the race.
 
Yeah ! They got fourth place again! Luke gets frustrated that very hard to spelling out of C H E K H O V. Anton Chekhov wrote both plays and short stories. He is generally listed in the first rank of Russian playwrights.
 
Margie & Luke Use the U-Turn in Siberia

Tonight's episode began with Margie & Luke discussing the newest twist in the game: the blind U-turn. On the Amazing Race, when a team is u-turned by another team, they are forced to go back and complete a second detour task. In past seasons, the team using the u-turn option had to post their photo up so everyone knew who was responsible. Hard feelings often ensued. Now teams can play this move anonymously. That's brilliant, CBS producers!

The eight remaining teams moved on to Siberia (brr) in this leg of the race. They were allowed to choose their own flight from Romania to Moscow. This divided the teams into two groups - those whose connection made the first flight to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia and those who missed it. The stuntsmen, the sisters, and the flight attendants were the lucky ones who made it to Siberia first. Margie & Luke and the remaining four teams travelled on the next flight.

In Siberia teams directed their cab drivers to take them to a hydroelectric dam pictured on a ten ruble note. There they encountered a detour choice of stack (a huge pile of firewood) or construct (shutters and install them). The stuntsmen blew their lead when their firewood pile collapsed. They quickly switched to the second option of making shutters but got sidetracked looking for the marked home where they would install them. The sisters and the flight attendants successfully stacked their logs and took the lead. Both teams chose to forego the u-turn knowing they were well ahead of the pack.

Margie & Luke chose to stack along with the cheerleaders, dating couple Kris & Amanda, father/son team Mel & Mike, and Victory & Tammy. With all the other teams' (except for Victor & Tammy) piles falling, Margie & Luke arrived at the u-turn with an important choice to make. Agreeing that "It's just part of the game", they u-turned Kris & Amanda, one of the strongest teams left. Excellent strategy! Coming right behind, Victor & Tammy were relieved to see the u-turn was already in play.

While the cheerleaders rebuilt their fallen pile, Mel & Mike, and Kris & Amanda switched tasks meeting up with the stuntsmen who were still clueless about where they were supposed to install their shutters. The teams joined together to work cooperatively and completed the task successfully. Back at the clue box Kris & Amanda were angry to discover they had been u-turned and forced to return to stacking wood.

Meanwhile the other teams had gone on to their next destination, a Roadblock. Here one team member was required to ride a bobsled over a rollercoaster like track. Posted along the route were seven letters they needed to solve a puzzle at the end of the ride. If they missed any of the letters, they had to ride again. Their final task was to arrange the letters to spell the name of a famous Russian playwright.

Luke struggled over this last part as he had never taken any Russian literature courses. He tried four times unsuccessfully to guess the right answer. Unable to help, Margie continued to encourage him to "keep trying". Her positive spirit paid off as his next try was correct. The answer: Chekhov. I bounced up and down on the sofa with joy and my son raced over to hug me. Hurray for Luke!

Amazingly, the flight attendants hit the mat first followed closely by the sisters. Victor (who immediately thought of Chekhov) & Tammy came in third. Margie & Luke finished fourth for the third time in a row. After them were the cheerleaders, their closest allies. Last to arrive were Amanda & Kris who were eliminated. They never suspected that it had been Margie & Luke who had u-turned them.

Next week's preview shows Mike discussing the u-turn with Luke. Hmmm. How did he find out? The preview also highlights the teams racing around Siberia in their underwear (huh?). I'd much prefer a parka myself.

Go Luke & Margie, go!
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SPEAK UP LIBRARIAN: Margie & Luke Use the U-Turn in Siberia
 
After Sunday's episode, I've been reading around and it appears that many people are of the opinion that Luke is very childish and gets frustrated too easily. I wouldn't say that myself but it did seem that he was close to tears at one point. :|
 
I've got many of the episodes on DVR and am trying to zip thru them...

I have to admit I cried when I saw the first commercial and a lot of times when I see the interaction w/Luke and his mom-- I just hope that when Adam is older I can find videos of this to show him he can do ANYTHING-- that being deaf isn't going to hold him back!!!

I think it's AWESOME that he and his mom have the stamina to do this!!!
 
Tonight Luke and Margie are first!!
 
Yeah! they got 1st place in two times. :) next race to India.

In tonight's episode, teams board the Trans Siberian Railroad to travel to Russia. Only one train leaves that day for their destination and it's scheduled in the evening. This allows all the other teams to catch up to the flight attendants who were the first to depart from the pit stop. For AR fans, this is known as an "equalizer". It can be frustrating when your favorite teams are ahead but this time it proves a wonderful advantage for Margie & Luke who came in fourth on the last leg.

As they board the train that night, the teams comment on how cold the weather is. Brrr. Next we learn that Mike, Tammy, and Victor are all aware that Margie & Luke were responsible for the blind u-turn. Mike says that Luke will create a new archetype for the show as "the sinister deaf kid". Nah, I don't buy into that. Luke & Margie do not fit the mold for Amazing Race villains. Indeed, Mike admits that he now realizes they are "power players". They are racing well and their determination to win is plain to see.

In Russia, the teams face a Detour choice of bride or snowplow. Interesting combination there. Luke strategizes that the snowplow task is less complicated and predicts it will be the faster option. He & Margie, their closest allies Cara & Jaime, and Victor & Tammy (who are there when they are choosing) all go for the snowplows. It appears that the three teams are going to work together. But no, while pulled over at a gas station as the cheerleaders ask for help, Victor secretly gets directions from a cabdriver filling his tank, and pulls away from the pack without sharing his information. Luke & Margie manage to follow, while Cara & Jaime are left behind. En route, Victor gets additional directions and shakes off Luke & Margie. Any goodwill the other two teams felt for this brother/sister duo has evaporated. It's "game on", as Margie says.

I wonder if Tammy & Victor may have forfeited that goodwill for nothing as the other two teams quickly catch up to them at the Detour site. All three teams are successful at driving their snowplow through a short curving course as their partner directs them. I'm excited to catch Luke signing "stop!" emphatically to his mom. That's one of the signs I use often at my house. Just ask my son...The teams' next clue directs them to a biblioteka (not sure on spelling) which Margie recognizes and signs to Luke is a library. Another sign I know!

Meanwhile Mel & Mike have chosen the Russian bride detour. The father & son drive themselves to an apartment complex, find their bride, and drive her across town to meet her groom at a church. The two sweetly compliment the beautiful bride. Mel marvels at how well his son navigates through Russia. Falling behind, the stuntmen choose snowplows, while the flight attendants and the sisters choose brides.

The library Roadblock turns out to be the outdoor "run in your underwear" task we saw in last week's preview. Luke & Margie arrive first at the library. Luke takes the task much to Margie's relief when she finds out that he has to run 1.4 miles in his underwear accompanied by a group of marathon runners. Is this CBS' idea of humor? It is terribly cold out and rather humiliating to have strangers see you in your undies and laugh. I think I would have preferred watching a Travelocity gnome task, an unpopular commercial tie-in staple of previous races.

While Rocky theme music plays and Luke jogs, Margie is shown giving encouragement from a cab as she passes Luke. He says he pushed through his embarassment by not looking at anyone as he ran. At the end of the race route, Luke is reunited with his mom at a performance center. The two race up several flights of stairs to find Phil at the mat while ballet dancers twirl on a stage in the background. Still in his underwear Luke is thrilled to see Phil sign that they are team number one! Their reward is a trip to St. Lucia after the race.

Victor & Tammy finish second, the cheerleaders third, Mel & Mike fourth, and the stuntsmen fifth. The first and second place teams from last week are now battling it out to not finish last. In the end, the sisters arrive before the flight attendants. The blondes are sad to hear Phil begin to say "I'm sorry to tell you..." but are pleased when he finishes with "you'll be the last team to leave on the next leg of the race." Aha, this is the first nonelimination leg of the race. The flight attendants have been spared for now but they will find an additional challenge known as the Speed Bump - a task only they will have to perform - on the next part of the race.

Margie & Luke are the only team so far to have finished first more than once. Go, Luke & Margie, go!
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SPEAK UP LIBRARIAN: Margie & Luke Finish First Again!
 
I think that someone from France can't connect to watch this CBS-TV website because reason of USA only.
 
They were in 4th place again tonight. Next Sunday, they will be in Thailand. I will scare of Luke's Mom, because she will get to pass out or not. I hope she will be okay.
 
snallga said:
They were in 4th place again tonight. Next Sunday, they will be in Thailand. I will scare of Luke's Mom, because she will get to pass out or not. I hope she will be okay.
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I saw that. I hope they will not be eliminated.
 
snallga said:
They were in 4th place again tonight. Next Sunday, they will be in Thailand. I will scare of Luke's Mom, because she will get to pass out or not. I hope she will be okay.
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Yes, unfortunately, the preview shows Luke s mom fainting in the heat. Phil is nearby so perhaps it happens at the pit stop. I hope she's okay. I hope that they would not be eliminated. :Ohno:
 
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