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| Eleven teams of two, joined by family or relationship, follow a path of twists and turns in a frenetic race around the world for $1 million. Who will be the first to cross the finish line? Recaps by Chris Wolvie, GSNN
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I Didn't Make Her
Cry (Done with the college B-Ball for now? Good...back to Racing!) PREVIOUSLY ON THE AMAZING RACE...teams went from cold Bavaria to relatively warmer Azerbaijan. Inside the former Soviet republic, the teams escaped a simulated helicopter water crash, searched through apples and...and washed oil off of men (EWWWWWWWWWWW!) But ONE team - Rachel & Dave (Team Yellow Ribbon) SKIPPED all that simply by stacking 150 bales of hay faster than Joey "Fitness" & Danny (Team Clubbers) and winning the FAST FORWARD. They won the Leg and some nice cars...while the young men couldn't catch up and were sent packing. Six teams remain for the million...who will be Philiminated NEXT?!? PIT STOP #6ESPLANADA ESTAKADA BAKU, AZERBAIJAN 2115 LOCAL TIME The Army man and his wife stand at the start of a Leg for the third time this Race...and this time WAY ahead of everyone else. But you never know when the "Great Equalizer" will rear its ugly head. So they stay focused as they start the seventh Leg with this clue:
So, with a 90-minute lead,
the team goes straight to a travel agency that's still open and
ask about flights to northern Tanzania. The agent tells them that
the best way would be an 8:30am flight that routes through Nairobi.
They book it and then "book it" to the airport. The other
teams depature times (local zone) are: Here's an interesting fact: Team Border Watch are TIRED of Team Oh, Brother! and hope THEY will crash on this Leg so they can stop FOLLOWING the guys. Sure enough, while Art & JJ are at the very same travel agency as Team Yellow Ribbon were 90 minutes before, who should show up but Brendon & Rachel? They tell the agent to keep his voice low so as not to give anything away about their plans. Rachel takes a seat near them to try to listen in, knowing of the animosity betwixt them. Of course, Bopper & Mark don't know about it when THEY show up (and help themselves to the free candy). Bopper wonders if they can beat the "teachers"...but JJ says, "They're not teachers." When asked to explain, JJ tells them about a conversation he had with Jamie during the last Leg (at the Temple of Fire) where she mentioned "UC operations"...with "UC" meaning "undercover". That's SO not language kindergarten teachers would use so they're thinking the girls are at least police officers. They think teachers would be far more social than Nary & Jamie have been. But never mind that; Art & JJ have their trip booked...and Brendon & Rachel essentially just say, "We'll have what THEY'RE having." When Party In the CIA
show up, one of the first things Brendon says to them is that JJ
said they were cops. Ut-oh...cover blown? Well, if it is, at least
the girls can tell Team Border Watch that "our agency is better
than theirs". But they keep their trap shut about it for the
time being. And here comes Vanessa & Ralph to round everything
out. They all book the same flight and head to the airport. They
all get the same flight that stops at... JOMO
KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OK, people, buckle-up. This is where the excrement hits the oscillating air pusher! As the teams deaprt for the transfer flight, Team Oh, Brother! bump Team It's Complicated out of the way...and then Brendon tells Ralph that he's "number one" with the wrong finger. When Art & JJ hear about this, they get into an argument with Brendon & Rachel about manners and about how they'd been tailing the border patrollers throughout the entire Race. The argument brings Vanessa & Ralph into it as Rachel denies any wrong doing. Then Vanessa and Rachel get to name-calling and complaining about each others' physiques. Finally, things seem to calm down...or, at least, became not as vocal. Rachel breaks down in tears...and Vanessa feels it wasn't HER that made Rachel cry but Rachel's own lack of self-esteem. "If you can't take it," she concludes, "don't dish it out." Well, THAT was resolved...just in time for ANOTHER argument to begin. Team Border Watch confronts Party In the CIA about their REAL jobs. Truthfully, they were just "stirring the pot" and making the girls nervous. But Nary & Jamie aren't biting at Art's intimidation; they adamantly say they're kindergarten teachers. Art & JJ back away, not believing them for a lick but not pressing the issue. KILIMANJARO, TANZANIA Six taxis tear down the dark road to the Arusha Airstrip and, once arriving there, the teams run out to stake their claim on the earliest flight. When the dust settles, the teams have these flights to wait upon: 9:30 FLIGHT: Team
Border Watch and Team Oh, Brother! Rise and shine, Americans! Time to get flying again! As the flights take off, the teams are treated to some of the most beautiful landscape on Earth...and they take in every second of it. Herds of antelope (which Bopper confuses for tigers), a MASSIVE amount of flamingos and more green than in you local bank (before OR after the bailout). The teams marvel at it all before landing at... NGORONGORO
CRATER The first plane touches down and the two teams disembark. Brendon & Rachel are first to the clue pouch, but Art & JJ are right behind them to read this clue:
Both teams ask the natives for the quickest way and, getting it, they head out...with Team Oh, Brother! (naturally) tailing Team Border Watch. As the drive down the path, they enjoy a ground's-eye view of the scenery and the Land of the Maasai. As they continue, the second plane touches down. Rachel & Dave are followed closely by Bopper & Mark. Mark's great-great-grandpa was a slave so coming here is very much like coming home to him. Ah, there's the Bicycle Warrior. Art & JJ are the first to him and the first to open up the next:
As border patrol agents, they think they can handle MARKSMANSHIP pretty well. As they get their bikes, Brendon & Rachel choose COURTSHIP because they can jump fairly high. They get on their bikes and ride off dwonhill to the village (hopefully NOT falling off outside Iddesley). And the third plane lands with Nary & Jamie and Vanessa & Ralph hopping off....just mentioning that. SONETO
VILLAGE At the end of the road, the village comes alive with singing as Team Border Watch hop (gingerly) off their bikes. They get their garb on and head for the hunting range while Team Oh, Brother! arrive. The rungus are located about 40 feet from a hedge where two clay rabbit targets travel around and around on a wheel powered by a pedalling Maasai. The boys pick up the clubs and start throwing them at said targets, getting CLOSE but missing. JJ has an advantage, having played QB in a law enforcement football league. And, sure enough, he nails the tail of the target after a few more throws. He then coaches Art in how to throw it right for distance and accuracy. He's a strict coach, yelling at Art. Meanwhile, Brendon & Rachel show up at the square and watch how high the Maasai can jump. As THEY start jumping, the chief wtaches them to make sure they jump high enough. Rachel feels blessed to be part of this cultural event. They're out of breath when the horn blows, but the chief smiles and hands them this clue:
As they bike off, JJ takes notice and yells at Art to step it up. And that's all the motivation he needs: the next shot hits another target's tail and they leave the DETOUR in 2nd. Just then, Team Yellow Ribbon and Sons of Anar-KY arrive at the warrior. The couple choose MARKSMANSHIP but the friends get their choice from Team Oh, Brother!: COURTSHIP. Was it actually assistance...or just cruel strategy? Doesn't matter to Art & JJ; they're just pissed that Brendon & Rachel are STILL tailing them. Rachel & Dave get garbed up and brought to the range. Dave says that it's just like knife-throwing...which I'm sure Rachel has NEVER done. As Dave says she should fire overhead instead or sidearm-style, Bopper & Mark get to the village and head for the square. They don't seem to mind having to jump, despite being more..."chronologically challenged" than others. In fact, they were so pumped, they claimed they could jump for TEN minutes. They finish the minute without any problems and leave the DETOUR in 3rd. Just as they head back up the hill, Dave nails a clay rabbit. And, using the sidearm, Rachel nails one shortly afterwards, allowing them to depart in 4th. And here come the last two teams. And both Party In the CIA and Team It's Complicated! choose to toss rungus at clay rabbits. The only problem for Vanessa is the bikes are a BIT on the tall side for her. Ralph's suggestions that she not try to ride on the seat fall on deaf ears and loud retorts. This allows Nary & Jamie to arrive well ahead, get dressed and get to the range. Meanwhile, on the road, Team Border Watch pass by a bunch of Maasai...and some Japanese tourists taking pictures of them. They still haven't found the campsite. Team Oh, Brother! decides to STOP tailing and ask for directions. They find out they've been going in the WRONG DIRECTION. So they turn around, leaving Art & JJ continuing on the road to who-knows-where. Later, the Sons of Anar-KY get the same advice and get pointed the RIGHT way towards... SIMBA
A PUBLIC CAMPSITE Team Yellow Ribbon, who had been going the right way the whole time, arrive at the site first. There are a pair of Army-like trucks there and a shield-and-spears setup with the clues attached. And the clue:
(Hmm...no ROADBLOCK? Probably setting up a two-ROADBLOCK Leg somewhere down the line.) Dave is certain they can work this up well, given that a) he can reach back into his Army knowledge and b) he has OCD and, thus, an attention to detail. But one thing's for certain: this crap is HEAVY! Back at the village, Party In the CIA is still chucking clubs...and Nary manages to wing one just as Vanessa & Ralph finally make it to the village. And, right after they do, Jamie nails it. They leave in 5th, and Team It's Complicated! get to chucking themselves. They get SO CLOSE on their throws, but the rabbits keep "hopping" on their wheels. A few minutes later, at the request of Ralph ("Hit one before I do"), Vanessa beheads a rabbit in joy. Ralph just keeps throwing clubs...until he FINALLY nails a target. Still, Vanessa can't ride for crap and so they WALK the bikes back up the hill. They leave the DETOUR in last (and Ralph BELIEVES they're out)... ...but they might not FINISH that way as Team Border Watch finally stop and realize they've been going the wrong way all this time. Back at camp, Brendon & Rachel and Bopper & Mark both arrive, get their pre-PIT STOP clue and start unloading. As the three teams start putting frames together, Art & JJ finally arrive, with Nary & Jamie hot on their tails. Rachel & Dave quietly argue about how to set the camp up right. In fact, ALL the teams have difficulty. The frames aren't even up on any of them when Vanessa & Ralph finally arrive. So now all six teams are together OUTSIDE of an airport or a PIT STOP. Team Yellow Ribbon continue to argue...and Team Border Watch are glad they didn't take their wives. Finally, Dave has them tear it all down and start from scratch...which was actually good because the communication gets better and the building gets quicker. Over time, frames are set up and canvas is laid over...well,...except for Party In the CIA, whose frame WEREN'T up yet. They quasi-blamed it on the fact that, compared to the other teams that have at least one male in each, they just weren't physically capable of working that fast. The Sons of Anar-KY ask to be looked at first...but the female manager says it's not done. The main problem: no water IN the bush shower. There's a public restroom nearby and Mark runs to it. Rachel & Dave are next...and, when the water comes out of the shower, the manager gives them the clearance to head to the PIT STOP. Mark comes back with the water, fills up the shower and gets the manager back. THIS time she says they can go to... PIT
STOP #7 For the second time in a row and the fourth time on the Race, Team Yellow Ribbon stand in front of Phil and the native greeter and are proclaimed Team # 1 of a Leg! Their prize THIS time is a 5-night trip to Costa Rica, complete with a zipline tour and surfing lessons! Thanks to the Roaming Gnomes at Travelocity(TM)! A few minutes behind them, Bopper & Mark check-in as Team # 2 (TIED FOR BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT OF THE LEG). Art & JJ breathe a sigh of relief when their campsite is given the good-to-go by the manager. Being passed up by Sons of Anar-KY and Team Yellow Ribbon did NOT sit well with them. As they take off, Team Oh, Brother!'s camp is approved and they take off for the PIT STOP. As Nary & Jamie try to stay optimistic, Team Border Watch is checked-in as Team # 3 (TIED FOR BIGGEST DROP OF THE LEG)...with Brendon & Rachel hopping in as # 4 (tailing the border patrolers again). Vanessa & Ralph are close to finishing, but Nary & Jamie keep it up with smiles on their faces. Even when the divorcees get the nod to continue to the PIT STOP, the feddies keep going, going on three days of no rest but still determined to see it through to the end. Team It's Complicated is officially Team # 5 (TIED FOR BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT OF THE LEG) and, despite Phil's suggestion, it seems that becoming friends with Team Oh, Brother! on this Race is out the window for them now. Now,...as Party In the CIA finishes up and gets the nod to go to the PIT STOP, a question arises in what vaguely constitutes my brain: why would they tell a team to build up a camp...only to send them home? I mean, sure, they COULD spend the night in camp BEFORE going home but...why WOULD they? It's like when the teams hauled the beds in the LAST Race; the last-place team HAD to use them so...why get RID of them? Still, the team ACT like they'll be Philiminated and decide to stop to watch a herd of elephants trample across the plain. "Nary & Jamie," says Phil upon the girls' arrival, "I'm sorry to tell you that you are the last team to arrive." (TIED FOR BIGGEST DROP OF THE LEG) (pause for dramatic effect as the team and Phil banter) "This is a Non-Elimination Leg!" HAH!!!! CALLED IT!!!! They live to see another day and another Leg...though one with a SPEED BUMP involved. But, hey, if Bopper & Mark can overcome one, why not them?
To see this episode in its entirety, or to apply to be a contestant on "The Amazing Race", visit the official website at www.cbs.com/amazingrace. |
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