Amazing Race All-Stars Episode 11
By Stephanie Roebuck
May 1, 2007
BoxOfficeProphets.com
As Team Cha leaves for the ferry, they talk about their lack of funds. As you'll remember, Danny bought old newspapers in Malaysia rather than continue collecting them. Accordingly, the boys were broke at the end of the last leg. Each team is given $73 for this leg; however, once they pay for the taxi to the ferry terminal and the ferry ride they're close to broke again. After getting off the ferry, they find their next clue, which directs them to the tallest building in the city. They are also warned that there is a Yield ahead. With little effort they find out that that is the Macau Towers. They find the Towers closed until 10 a.m.
Dustin and Kandice are next to leave and get on the ferry to Macau. After they receive their clue and realize there is a yield ahead, they are rightly concerned. They can't use it, and the smart move would be for Danny and Oswald to yield them. Mirna and Charla leave thereafter, and we are treated to a particularly ridiculous interview, wherein Mirna justifies all the horrible bitching she does to and about Charla. Essentially she says that because Charla doesn't want to be treated differently. She should treat her like an able-bodied teammate, which really doesn't make much sense. She's not able-bodied – she is tenacious, she is inspiring in what she attempts to do and ultimately achieves. However, she will always run slower and climb slower and not be able to do certain tasks. And it is here where Mirna's logic breaks down. She can't expect her to keep up all the time. And yelling at her to do so, and then patting yourself on the back because you are treating her the same as everyone else, well, that's twisted.
Dustin and Kandice get to the Tower and encounter Danny and Oswald. Welcome to Yieldgate – Are the beauty queens evil? Are Danny and Oswald ethical? Do Eric and Danielle deserve such treatment? Is Mirna crazy? Well, the answer to that last one was settled long ago. Anyway, the friendly duo from Miami, desperate for cash, proposes a deal to the beauty queens: they will use the yield on another team if Dustin and Kandice pay them. Under the rules of the game, Dustin and Kandice are prohibited from using the Yield themselves, as they exercised that choice last episode on Eric and Danielle. The blondes contemplate their options and reason that Oswald and Danny could Yield them if they refuse. Now you could quibble with this assessment, in that (a) it's unclear who would win a foot race to the Yield area and if the beauty queens get there first, they can't be yielded and (b) Oswald and Danny don't seem the type to yield a team who is right behind them. However, these are uncertain variables, and Dustin and Kandice decide, rationally, that paying $45 out of the $200 they have banked is worth it to insure they will not suffer the 30 minute penalty. Once they decide to enter into the deal, deciding that Eric and Danielle are the bigger threat to them is an easier decision. Oswald is queasy after the deal is sealed. He apparently doesn't have the stomach for the yield.
Eric and Danielle leave Hong Kong and interview about their precarious marked for elimination status. Charla and Mirna get to the Macau Towers and Kandice compliments Mirna's hair in a blatant "Don't yield us!" ploy. The teams seem to indicate that the task will involve a very tall jump off the towers. The three teams at the tower finally get in and take numbers – Dustin and Kandice are 1, Team Cha is 2 and the cousins are 3. They have to wait another hour before they can get their clue. Charla offers Oswald and Danny money, apparently without stings attached. They turn her down, but the quiet conversation worries the Beauty Queens. The teams at the tower head up 61 stories and Danny and Oswald yield Danielle and Eric. We are then treated to another brilliant Mirna interview where she essentially states that you should never yield a team at the beginning of a leg if they can catch you after the penalty is assessed. The logic is twisted. First, this is the last yield, so it is the last opportunity to deal another team a setback. Second, with Eric and Danielle marked for elimination, this puts them an hour behind in the aggregate. At this point in the race, it makes sense to take the chance and gain the advantage. But in Mirna's world, anyone who uses the yield is evil so I guess to her this makes sense.
The clue at the tower is a roadblock – the team member who does the task must walk around the outside of the tower once and then descend 660 feet down to the ground. Kandice, Danny and Charla take the task, with Kandice going first. Dustin is teary on the ground. Kandice jumps and the team gets their clue. They are directed to take a taxi to Lou Lim Ioc Gardens where they are to search for the clue box. Eric and Danielle get to the towers just as Dustin and Kandice are leaving. Oswald tells to Mirna about the deal they struck with the beauty queens. He tells her that they proposed the deal to the blondes. She remarks that it was "making a deal with the devil." Danielle and Eric get to the top of the tower and see they've been yielded. They do not take it well. A few choice word and a finger are thrown Danny's way.
Danny completes the jump and they are off to the gardens. Danny says in the cab that while he can't explain to Danielle and Eric why it was them, they needed the money and that is was bad karma versus no money. Eric interviews that he has "no respect" for Team Cha anymore because of the yield. Seriously, THE YIELD IS PART OF THE GAME! It is not a dirty trick or an underhanded tactic. Teams that use it are not evil or manipulative or "pieces of shit" (as Eric called Danny and Oswald). Teams that use it should do so strategically; slow down a strong team at the right time in the race. The team that is yielded may not like it, but to take it personally or to think that it was done for some nefarious reason is just crazy. In fact, Eric and Danielle were yielded both times because the Beauty Queens rightly saw them as their strongest competition. Anyway, there is a lot of this evil talk from Eric and Danielle throughout this leg of the race.
Charla then jumps and they are off to the gardens too. In the taxi to the gardens, Mirna tells Charla about the yield deal, yet she manages to cast the Beauty Queens as the ones who pushed Danny and Oswald into the deal. Incredible. Dustin and Kandice's driver gets lost and they get into another cab. Eric does the tower task and they get the clue to the gardens.
Danny and Oswald get to the garden first and find the clue box. The clue is a detour: Noodle or Dragon. In noodle, the teams must make noodles in a traditional manner. In dragon, they must carry a dragon head and drum and walk 3/4 miles to the harbor to place their head on a dragon boat. Danny and Oswald choose the dragon task because they had a dragon task during Season 2 when they were in Hong Kong. They get in a taxi and show their driver the destination from the clue. Dustin and Kandice get their clue and choose the noodle task. Charla and Mirna choose the noodle task too. Oswald and Danny's driver takes them to the end of the task (the lake) rather than to the place where they are to get the dragon head and drum. For whatever reason, they get back into the cab with the same driver despite the fact that they're not sure he knows what he is doing.
Eric and Danielle get their clue and decide to make noodles, too. The noodle task involves a big pole that a person essentially humps to make the end of the pole flatten the dough. Kandice "rides the pony" (Dustin's phase, not mine) and it is all very sexual. After flattening, they are to roll the dough and cut it into strips. The first batch they make is too wide and they must do it again. They are starting again as Mirna and Charla arrive. Meanwhile, Danny and Oswald finally find the head and drum. They set off on foot, asking their cab driver to follow them, even though he doesn't know where the water is. Charla and Mirna start the flattening task and it looks ridiculous. Mirna is pushing down with her abs, while Charla is lying across the top part of the pole. Dustin and Kandice get approval on their second batch and are given the clue. They are to take a taxi one mile and find a mini-moke. As they leave, they see Eric and Danielle going to the factory. Charla instructs Mirna to cut the strips a little thicker; Danielle tells Eric to make sure the strips are very thin. Mirna and Charla have to do it again and Mirna berates Charla for her instructions. Eric and Danielle finish and on their first time they get their clue.
Danny keeps telling Oswald he knows where he is going, yet they are lost. They are bleeding time and they can't find the lake. They also can't find anyone to direct them to the lake. Dustin and Kandice get to the mini-moke stand and discover they are tiny cars. The clue instructs them to drive five miles to the island of Taipa where they are to find Triho de Taipa Pequena 2000, the next pit stop. Dustin drives and they are off. Charla and Mirna finally get their clue. Oswald is berating Danny for not knowing where they are going, despite the fact that he said he knew where he was going. Danny and Oswald finally get to the lake and get their clue.
Mirna and Charla get to the mini-moke and Mirna cannot drive the car. She drives it into a sign and holds up traffic when she can't get the car in reverse. Mirna gets some men to push the car straight and she gets back in to drive. Dustin and Kandice get to the pit stop first and are awarded wave runners. Danielle and Eric get to the pit stop second and start their 30 minute penalty. Dustin and Kandice come out and compliment Eric and Danielle for their leg (which was impressive, considering how much time they made up). Dustin then tells Danielle and Eric that Danny and Oswald proposed the deal, but as the beauty queens spun it, they paid to have any team yielded, but them, thereby implying that the decision to yield Eric and Danielle, as opposed to Charla and Mirna, was all on Team Cha. Kandice owns up that she feels "somewhat responsible," but that was it.
Danny and Oswald get to a park where the pit stop is, but are in the wrong park. Charla and Mirna get to the park and are checked in as Team #2, as Eric and Danielle are still have 14 minutes to their penalty time. Team Cha realizes they are in the wrong place and are off to the other park. Phil calls Danielle and Eric over and they are checked in as Team #3. Danny and Oswald finally get to the pit stop, and the slow music is playing, and Phil informs them they are the last team to arrive. He pauses and they babble that they tried and Phil informs them that this is a non-elimination leg. What the hell? There were two non-elimination legs in a row. If Eric and Danielle came in last, they would have been marked for elimination twice. Huh? Anyway, Oswald interviews that they were "bitten in the ass" by karma for using the yield and that they never would have done it if they didn't need money, which is the "root of all evil." Again – THE YIELD IS PART OF THE GAME! Use it! Embrace it! Do not insist there is going to be karmic retribution for using it (Danny and Oswald's sucky leg to the contrary). Finally, the teams are off to the next leg, where the final three teams will be identified. Finally, we are coming to the end of this less than stellar all star season.