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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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Bollywood Travolta PREVIOUSLY ON THE AMAZING RACE...the Tanzanian countryside and wildlife served as a beautiful backdrop as six teams continued their Race. After a nice safari, they filled water containers, fixed flat bike tires and harvested honey en route to a the lovely Lake Manyara. Bopper & Mark (Sons of Anar-KY) won their first-ever Leg...while Nary & Jamie (Party In the CIA) couldn't overcome a SPEED BUMP and a two-hour deficit and were sent packing. Five teams are left to sprint for the million...who will bomb out NEXT?!? Uh,...that question might be answered more sooner than later. As mentioned, Bopper's surgery-laden knee has been hurting like the Dickens since he twisted it in Leg 7. Six hours before they are to leave for Leg 9, a medic comes in to look at the hampered leg. Bopper is hoping aginst all hopes that the medic will allow him to stay in; they already explained WHY they need the money. Fortunately, the medic says that, with a brace, he should be fine to continue. PIT STOP #8LAKE MANYARA, TANZANIA 2106 LOCAL TIME So, with a HUGE sigh of relief, Sons of Anar-KY start Leg 9 thusly:
Mark swears that if HE
has to do all the heavy lifting for this team in order to keep them
around, he'll DO it! The other teams depature times (local zone)
are: As stated in the last Leg, the relationship between Team Border Watch and Team Yellow Ribbon has been...strained because Rachel & Dave wouldn't U-TURN Team Oh, Brother! as they had agreed to do with Art & JJ. But the couple doesn't care anymore; if things can be patched, that's fine...but they won't cry if they can't. As far as Art & JJ feel, though, it's all over between them. The first two teams arrive at Rickshaw Travels and look for flights to Cochin. And, yes, the Great Equalizer strikes again: the earliest flight doesn't leave until 7:40am via Dar es Salaam. While they're getting their plans finalized on the computers, in walk Team Border Watch...who act like Team Yellow Ribbon are null units. Bopper & Mark think both teams are acting like babies. Team It's Complicated,
being 1.5 hours behind, can already thank the Great Equalizer for
helping them catch-up...but when they arrive at Rickshaw, they get
BETTER news. An EARLIER flight has opened up to Cohcan via Nairobi
leaving at 6:05am! So they will have a lead upon arriving at... COCHIN, INDIA Vanessa & Ralph land and look for bus schedules at the airport...but, apparantly, the second flight caught one HELL of a tailwind because the other teams arrive as they check. Fortunately, it's a short ride to the bus station (which is even better for the walking Bopper). The buses deaprt fairly frequently so Rachel & Dave's lead isn't all that impressive. Brendan & Rachel and Art & JJ board a second bus, Vanessa & Ralph a third and Bopper & Mark bring up the rear speeding through the traffic to.... SACRED
HEART COLLEGE Who knew there was a Catholic school in India? It's like the Notre Dame of southeast Asia! When Team Yellow Ribbon arrive, there are many people standing on the football (soccer) pitch, with each group of about thirty wearing the same color. And there's someone in a director's chapeau holding up a cardboard megaphone. Huh. Anyhow, the couple find the clue box and encounter another:
Dave kinda figures it has something to do with dancing and says that Rachel was a "high school dancing phenomenon...so she gets to do it. She picks the orange group and gets to changing. As she does, Teams Border Watch and Oh, Brother! arrive, choosing JJ (since Art did the last "dancing" ROADBLOCK back at Leg 3) and Rachel. When Team It's Complicated! show up, Vanessa volunteers (Ralph thinks the Puerto Rican in her will help). Rachel B., as Dave predicted, seems to be a natural at dance. She is having very little problem picking up the moves. Rachel R., who is fascinated by the costumes, starts out well enough. Vanessa seems OK. JJ...well, he's trying. Art's "encouragement" isn't helping matters. At least they're doing better than Bopper & Mark. As per usual, Mark's stomach is queazy from the ride, not to mention the smog and congestion of the city. And...ayup, thar he blows! At least they didn't spend much more time on the bus as they arrive at the college. As others continue to learn the LONG routine, Sons of Anar-KY immediately elect Mark for the ROADBLOCK as Bopper's knee would NOT be conducive to that kind of dancing. Finally, a troupe is ready to try in front of the director...and it's JJ's aqua-blue troupe! He's not all that confident, though. The director rolls film, rolls music, gets the mark...and ACTION! And...it's a train wreck to put it mildly. The director says, "CUT!" and the lead choreographer says, "No!" and JJ - had he known Hindi - would be saying, "Kambakhta!" as he and the troupe return to practice some more. Next one to attempt is Rachel B. Her performance is nearly flawless and the choreographer agrees, handing her the next clue. She & Dave leave the ROADBLOCK in forst with this clue:
As Team Yellow Ribbon leaves, the other teams groan in frustration...but no more than Mark, who's having a HARD time keeping the rythym and is starting to feel dizzy. JJ's not much less frustrated, feeling QUITE pessimistic. Vanessa is the next to try her luck on the stage. She seems to do well enough...but the choreographer calls for the action to stop and for her to go back to practicing. Rachel R. is next...and she slips, too. As could be expected, this causes her to start to cry...and, as could ALSO be expected, Brendon's attempts to calm her down seem to make things worse. (And they're gonna be married someday? Don't know who to feel sorry for more.) INDIAN
COFFEE HOUSE The auto-rickshaw driver gets Rachel & Dave to the location quickly and the couple scramble inside to look for the head waiter. He's waiting for them in the back room and hands them this clue:
While Dave would LIKE to play cricket once, Rachel overrules him and they choose CLUTCH IT. The driving school is within walking distance and, after a quick lesson on what is what in the cab, Rachel gets behind the wheel and takes it to the starting line of the course. The two "passangers" are Dave and the instructor. While Rachel drives slowly, she still hits a slalom pole she's supposed to avoid. She's laughing...but Dave isn't. Back at the Bollywood backlot, JJ is up for his second attempt. He's much better...but not good enough for the choreographer's taste. Much better than Mark, who's OWN choreographer is starting to lose patience with him. And RACHEL is starting to lose patience with HER choreographer...AND with Brendon. Her second attempt isn't much better than her first...and her emotions show it. Dave gets behind the wheel and gives the course a go-through. He ALMOST makes it to the end but hits the last pole. With that knowledge, he tries it again and goes smoothly through the whole course. Then he gulps as Rachel gets behind the wheel again. Mark's finally ready to try...but he just wants to give it a go before he passes out. He does his best...but it's nowhere good enough. Some time later, on Vanessa's third attempt, she nails it. She & Ralph depart in second and look for a rickshaw. And some time after THAT, Rachel tries a fourth time...and FINALLY gets it, allowing Brendon & her to leave in third. This leaves the men behind to keep trying...even though neither of them are too optimistic. Still, JJ tries HIS fourth time. He's a little clumsy...but he has the moves down at least. When the routine ends, Art & JJ plead and pray...and the choreographer answers their prayer by handing them the clue! And Mark...he's sick by more than the heat. As the other men depart for the coffee house, he wipes his bald head and goes up for only his third attempt. Bopper cheers him on, knowing Mark's trying his hardest for himself AND for Bopper. Mark gets pretty far in the routine...but then he messes up and is sent back. He can barely hold his arms up now...but Bopper tells him to keep trying. Back at the driving school, Rachel is trying the course again...and this time Dave is giving her hints on when to turn. Because of this (and the fact that Dave isn't being pushy about it), Rachel finally finishes the course and the instructor hands them this vital clue::
As they head to conceivably their fifth Leg win, Vanessa & Ralph arrive at the coffee house, find the waiter and choose CLUTCH IT for their DETOUR. But, uh,...Vanessa FAILED driver's ed in school...and has hit several things in her driving career (including the Alamo, which I'm sure she SWEARS just jumped out in front of her). And it SHOWS as she drives the auto-rickshaw. Back at the coffee house, Brendon & Rachel choose CRICKET just as Art & JJ arrive. THEY decide to do CRICKET as well. (The field is RIGHT NEXT to the driving school!) Now...JJ likens cricket to baseball...and it does have SOME similarities to it but it doesn't make hitting the over-large ball with the flat bat any easier. Mark's Bollywood performance, take four. Aaaaand, ACTION! CUT! Do it again! Take five...ACTION! CUT, CUT CUT! AGAIN!! Take six...ACTION! This time he gets all the way through it...but the choreographer says it's not good enough. Bopper goes to Mark to ask about his condition, not wanting Mark to pass out. They consider taking the two-hour penalty for skipping a ROADBLOCK...but Mark wants to try it one more time before abandoning. PIT
STOP #9 Once a govenor's mansion for the Dutch and English, now a beautiful heritage hotel resort, it is a wonderful sight for Rachel & Dave to run towards. On the grounds in the back, Phil and a local greeter await them and, for the fifth time, they are proclaimed Team # 1 for the Leg! For returning to the top spot, they receive a 5-night stay, care of Travelocity, to St. Lucia in the Caribbean, including a zip-line forest tour and hiking a volcano! They STILL think the situation between them and Team Border Watch is salvagable...but, if it isn't, they'll just BEAT 'em. Vanessa's getting better at this driving thing...but she STILL hits a pole. And Art & JJ are getting better at this cricket thing...but those curveballs are pissing Art off. JJ manages to hack one deep...but an "outfielder" (or whatever it's called in cricket) catches it before it goes past the boundary. Brendon then manages to smack one hard enough to roll past the defender and over the boundary. JJ then answers with a hit of his own. It's up to Art and Rachel for their teams. Mark climbs up on stage for his seventh attempt at the Bollywood number...but not until he sits down for a minute and assures Bopper he will do it this time. He starts strong...but then turns the wrong direction and the attempt is failed. Mark immediately asks for another try, even though Bopper says he doesn't want to lose his buddy over money, REGARDLESS of how badly it's needed. Vanessa FINALLY finishes the course (with Ralph being a back-cab driver the whole way...and now it's Ralph's turn. And while he drives, Art and Rachel continue with their "wicked googlies". Art get's CLOSE to the boundary...but not to it. Rachel's next hit gets TO the boundary...and the offical says it's good! Team Oh, Brother! depart in second, MUCH to Team Border Watch's displeasure. It takes a few more whacks for Art to finally hit it out...but he does, meaning he & JJ can leave for the PIT STOP in third. Right behind THEM is Team It's Complicated!, when Ralph finishes the course so they can leave in fourth. Nine tries...ten tries...ELEVEN tries...and Mark still doesn't have it. Bopper again wants Mark to stop before he dies of heatstroke. But Mark says he's "this close" to getting it right. As Brendon & Rachel are checked-in as Team # 2, Mark re-evaluates things...worries about his kids...and finally decides to call it quits. Art & JJ are VERY excited to be Team # 3...just SLIGHTLY more excited than Vanessa & Ralph are at being Team # 4 right behind him. Back at the DETOUR, the Sons of Anar-KY decide to try just once more, now that Mark has resigned to ending his Race anyway. Mark decided that his kids would be proud that he didn't give up. And, on his 12h attempt...he may have been a BIT behind at one point...but the choreographer gives him the thumbs-up!! The good ol' boys from Kentucky found the coffee shop, performed CLUTCH IT and made their way to the palace, certain of the outcome. They hit the mat and Phil proclaims them the last team to arrive. They have no regrets, having accomplished more than they could've imagined. But then...Phil says, "You're going to have to muster your strength...because this is a Non-Elimination Leg." Un-dirty word-believable! For the second time, Bopper & Mark have staved off Philimination...although a SPEED BUMP awaits them on the next Leg. It doesn't matter to them; as long as they're still in it, they will fight like the Wildcats they represent...and, with a little luck, they can actually win the million!
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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