Race To The Altar - Episode 2 Summary

'Balls & Chains' By Kid Sauerkraut

It is the day after the first Altar Ceremony and the producers are hard
at work. Producer 1: "How can we get these good looking, young people
in clothing that shows off their bodies?"
Producer 2: "Have them go down to the pool."
And so it is. The couples all go down to the pool. The girls sunbathe
and the boys roughhouse. During these scenes we overhear Andy say that
he is in "the catbird seat". Not only is this a phrase you don't hear
very often, it is also a sure sign that he and Becca are getting sent
home tonight.

Later that day...

Producer 1: "How can we get more scantly clad women on this show?"
Producer 2: " Let's sent the girls shopping and the boys to a club."
And so it is. The girls go shopping and eat ice cream. The boys gawk
at girls then head back to a bar for drinking. At the bar our attention
is drawn to a pathetic Robert. References are made that he didn't drink
much, but he is totaled. He has to be pushed back to his room in a
wheelchair and once he gets there he throws up. Maybe it was part of
his strategy. He knew there was a physical challenge coming up soon.
He got drunk so that the others would have to expend their energy
pushing him back to his room and then he made himself quicker and more
agile when he reduced his weight.

The next morning Grace is very upset with Robert, but we will find out
what she really thinks of him later.

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What is really interesting in this week's episode is the footage of
Cindy and Chris in bed together. And not sleeping, either. As you may
recall, last week Cindy refuse to be seen sharing a bed with Chris
because she didn't want to show disrespect to her parents. I guess that
like most of the rest of the country Cindy's parents aren't watching
this show either. Chris said they started the night with a pillow
between them. At least that's what he called it. If she believed him
then a tip of my cap to Chris.

Producer 1: "Any clever metaphors for marriage for a physical
challenge?"
Producer 2: "How about Ball and Chain?"
Producer 1: "Brilliant. We remain one step ahead of Fox."
The physical challenge this week involves each couple (except April and
Vinny who are medically unable to perform) with a 100 pound ball chained
to their legs. They are then dumped into the deep end of a pool where
they must release themselves and drag the ball to the finish line at the
other end of the pool. Ethan tries his best, but he decides he is too
old. Andy is not much of a swimmer (they don't have a pool at the club
where he is a tennis instructor?) so Becca has to do most of the work.
Robert's drinking catches up with him. He cramps up and ditches Grace
in the deep end. Susan and Coyt win again and are our first Power
Couple this week.

Throughout the show there have been discussions and fretting about the
Coyt, Susan, Andy, Becca, Tonya, Andre, Ethan and Carolyn commitment.
Since we already know that Becca and Andy will be gone there is no sense
getting too deep into it. Suffice it to say, it is a tenuous commitment
at best.

Producer 1: "Do you have any original ideas for a relationship game?"
Producer 2: "No. Let's do another question and answer game."
Producer 1: "We are in Vegas. Let's involve betting some how."
Producer 2: "That's a great new twist."

For tonight's relationship game each couple (except Vinny and April who
have made another trip to the ER) receives $2,000. The woman must bet
either half or all of the money on whether the man will get the answer
correct. The questions are on wedding etiquette. I had a hard time
following who guessed what, but there were a lot more wrong answers than
right.

Now we find out Grace's opinion of her man's smarts. During the betting
we see a confessional where Grace says, "There are not a whole lot of
things Robert knows." Living up to her expectations they quickly fall
far behind.

Susan and Coyt are way ahead when the final question is asked. Susan
bets everything. We learn that the two of them had discussed throwing a
contest if they had already won one that week. They did not want to be
the only team to be making the decision as to who gets the boot.
Clearly they are too smart to be on a show like this. Well, maybe not.
Susan's bet was supposed to be a signal for Coyt to miss the question.
Coyt decides that all prior plans will be thrown out this week and he
answers correctly. For the first time in Race to the Altar history the
same couple won both competitions.

Susan and Coyt visit each couple. Vinny and April are worried that they
will get voted out because they haven't done anything. Robert says that
if he had the choice he would vote Susan and Ethan out. Grace tells him
that he would have to vote out two people from the same couple. Robert
then says he would vote out Susan and Coyt because they are like the
Lakers. Susan whispers to Grace that Coyt has a Magic Johnson. Cindy
tells Susan and Coyt that Andy and Becca would vote them off if given
the chance. When asked if someone told her that Cindy said no. It
doesn't matter because Coyt and Susan's paranoia begins to grow.

Ethan and Carolyn and Tonya and Andre can't believe it when Coyt and
Susan say that they have heard from a number of people that Andy and
Becca want them out. Both couples deny it and say that the commitment
is strong. Susan and Coyt interrupt, um, confront Andy and Becca. Coyt
lies that he heard Andre was going to break the commitment. Andy and
Becca say they have heard no such thing. Andy then says, "I will lose
this game before I abandon the game plan." (This is known as
foreshadowing)

At the Altar Ceremony Lisa reads the names of those invited to the next
round. I am certain that she attended the Dick Clark School of Stating
the Obvious. To build suspense there is a commercial before the final
revealing the final invitee.
Producer 1: "How can we build suspense?"
Producer 2: "We can do what they do on American Idol each week."
To no one's surprise Becca and Andy are the couple not invited.

As Ethan and Carolyn and Tonya and Andre say good-bye Andy tells them to
"watch your backs." Andy tells Coyt that Coyt and Susan blew it. Becca
says they "are not good people." Susan's parents disapprove of their
daughter's actions.

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