Treasure Hunters: Geniuses Make A Good Decision
Commentary by VikingBear
This week on Treasure Hunters, we saw the result of last week’s “to be continued” swamphanger. I don’t know how it does for ratings, but I seriously hope NBC renews the show. I love it! It’s closer to what The Amazing Race used to be, and everything The Amazing Race Family Edition should have been.
I give Kayte Fogal… full credit for making the show so entertaining this week. It’s rare indeed to see someone sustain a meltdown like she has. Have your cry, get over it, move on. Not our Kayte! She began her meltdown in the swamp last week. She had a cute guy holding her hand through the swamp.
This week she continued to melt in the swamp. They continued to the National Monument for the flag pole challenge. They finally arrived at the digging grounds. What does Kayte say? She doesn’t want to hold the flashlight while her father does the digging! I don’t know if Hollywood does awards for melt downs - they do for everything else - but the current two-parter surely deserves the nomination.
Her parents, naturally, are quite used to Kayte’s manner of expressing herself. They explained that their own inclination is to suck it up and move on. Kayte, by contrast, prefers to share her state of mind with all those within earshot. They’re aware this can become wearing on anyone else around who happens to have ears. The Fogals haven’t been portrayed too positively throughout the season, but I now give them points for being pretty cool parents.
Towards the end of the final challenge, team Miss USA pretty much gave up from exhaustion. Remember they’d driven through the night from the lighthouse to South Carolina. They’d slogged through the swamp, found their clue, found the safe house, found the theatre, searched the fort. All this was non stop. They’re now most of the way through their second consecutive all nighter, with tremendous physical exertion, dehydration, and hunger throughout the day.
By this point, they were considering quitting. But they didn’t! They completed the challenge, and they weren’t last. I have a feeling that Miss USA will be an even stronger team from now on. They will have greater confidence - in themselves, and in each other.
Ya gotta love Team Air Force. Back in their years at the Academy, there was a standard knowledge question asking the campus elevation. The answer was, “Sir! Seven thousand two hundred and fifty feet, far above Annapolis and West Point. Sir!” And that’s been the season thus far. On the rare occasion when Air Force hasn’t been out in front, the front teams get stuck on the clue.
Team Air Force pulls in for a landing, solves the clue, and takes off again, carrying ex-CIA and Southie Boys in their backwash. These guys (and wife) look like they’re barely subsonic just standing there.
From a strategic standpoint, I do believe Air Force are the one to watch. The other teams are sharp, and are strong contenders. But Air Force has training which is directly applying to the Treasure Hunt. There’s an important point here which may not be so obvious. Each member of Team Air Force has been through the same events at the United States Air Force Academy. They have the confidence of knowing that they’ve all been through that training. They know their capabilities, and can work in that context.
This brings us to the Geniuses. Those fools kept thinking it was logical to leave their third member behind because he had a tougher time at the physical challenges. Fortunately they had the brains - maybe they even had Mommies who brought them up properly - to not abandon their friends.
The payback was immediate: At the very next challenge, it’s the friend keeping them back who solved the challenge for them. Smart move, Geniuses!
At the moment, the Geniuses continue to fight between last and nearly-last place. However, there’s a big equalizer, and they might not have realized this yet. Many of the puzzles are difficult. They’ve been taking hours to solve. These “road blocks” are allowing the Geniuses to catch up, and indeed pass their rivals by quickly solving the puzzles. They’re working with other teams, and that too may help them long before the end.
I’m liking the Fogals better and better. Kayte’s wailing, screaming, whining, and loud carryings-on may have helped their case. The parents are getting credit for putting up with that.
Meanwhile, though, I’m enjoying what NBC is doing. We’re seeing glimpses of American history portrayed in a unique manner. Rather than a “big picture” portrayal, we’re seeing small individual events. On The Amazing Race Family Edition, we saw a battle being re-enacted around the racers, and we watched Washington crossing the Delaware (my favorite scene from the entire season). By contrast, the Treasure Hunters are in the swamp. They’re finding the cache under the floorboards of a specific house. Each historical item is direct and personal, and I personally think the approach is brilliant.
Whose death mask is it? We briefly saw the portrait of a person circa 1820, but it was too quick for me to recognize. I’ve done some searching, and know several people it is not. But whose is it? And what might be its significance? Please, do tell!
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