The Amazing Race Recap
By Daron Aldridge
October 4, 2011
BoxOfficeProphets.com
With a super-sized whittling of teams this week, I fear that this episode could be thoroughly anti-climatic. We rarely see a three-way race for last and that’s what is needed for my fear to be allayed.
You never know, though, because based upon the first leg, I was pretty far off on some of these teams…namely, the three that took gold, silver and bronze last Sunday night. Here is how I would rank the teams now with only 42 minutes of actual racing behind them:
1. Engaged Ernie & Cindy: They took first and proved me way wrong that her control freakiness would be their downfall. Ernie actually credits it for their success, so he appears ready to keep dancing with the one who brung ‘em. (And she is clearly leading that dance.) As long as it continues to work, then go for it.
2. Laurence & Zac: Team Regatta was relatively quiet the first leg and finished in the middle of the pack but I think they have the skill and ability to perform in high stress situations to defy the parent/child team curse. They could possibly win the whole enchilada.
3. Team Survivor Ethan & Jenna: They can and should be able to recapture their reality competition mojo to make it to the end. With possible foolishness, I may be giving their reality resume too much weight and it’s probably because I want them to stick around. I mean, what kind of soulless person do you have to be to root AGAINST a guy who fought off cancer?
4. (tie) Married Amani & Marcus and Team Dude Andy & Tommy: Admittedly, these rankings are relying a lot on their "non-race" lives but what else do I have after only one leg? With these teams you have a veteran of the NFL and two Olympic snowboarders. They have earned the benefit of doubt with regard to their drive and competitive spirit.
5. Dating Jeremy & Sandy (or Team Test Drive, named for Jeremy’s asinine theory that the race is a perfect place to test relationship longevity): Despite their favorable second place finish, I can’t get past their stated lack of confidence in each other in pressure situations. This may be a nonfactor but I still need that proof.
6. Partners Ron & Bill: You can add the flight attendants/domestic partners to my long list of who I got wrong. I was expecting more strategic play than the first leg allowed with only two flights, so if they stick around, they could prove to be smarter players.
7. Siblings Justin & Jennifer: Like Jeremy & Sandy before them, I don’t think their strong first leg showing can mask the potential for disaster with this team. Specifically, I refer to Jennifer’s widely expected meltdown/temper tantrums.
8. Grandparents Bill & Cathi: Their last (and thankfully non-eliminated) place is exactly where they deserved to be after wandering the streets of Taipei for hours. While they still won’t go too deep, I think they have enough in their favor to outlast…
9. and 10. Showgirls Kaylani & Lisa and blonde twins Liz & Marie: In a classic case of the blind leading the blind, the two most absented-minded or airheaded teams joined forces to for create the Bimbo Brigade – an intellectual union the likes of which we haven’t witnessed since Harry Dunne met Lloyd Christmas (or since Brent & Caite decided to go on the Race a few seasons ago). They have lived up to my very low expectations and if things are as they should be, in one big swoop of a double elimination, the Amazing Race will be exponentially smarter when they are gone.
Let’s rip open our first clue at the Taiwan Pitstop and see where we’re headed.
Engaged Ernie & Cindy are the first to leave but the second to learn about the looming double elimination (Bill & Cathi found out from Phil earlier when they were spared.) Suffice to say that all the teams react with varying degrees of anxiety but Cindy, sitting in first place, confidently says that she’s not worried that they will be in last but that there will be unforeseen twists on the race. I smell disappointment in her future as teams that say they won’t be eliminated invariably end up in jeopardy quickly.
And with news that the China Airlines flight to their destination city of Jakarta, Indonesia, doesn’t leave until 8:45 the next morning, the betrothed couple’s first place lead vanishes like a thought between Kaylani’s ears or her passport at an LA gas station. (Sorry, that was harsh. But apparently, I am not too sorry to delete it but rather continue typing.)
As the teams leave the Pitstop, we see that only about two hours separated first from tenth place. All the teams are wondering aloud whether the double elimination means that Bill & Cathi are still in the race. More importantly, I get validation in naming snowboarders Andy & Tommy Team Dude as they go back-and-forth in the cab and the conversation ends with a playful “Don’t ‘dude’ me, dude!”
With them leaving the Pitstop at almost 4 a.m., grandparents Bill & Cathi are viable in the race and surprisingly, the teams greet them with applause at the airport. The retired couple has been dubbed Ma & Pa by the other teams, which I can get behind because it saves me coming up with a nickname and it’ll help avoid confusion with the other "Bill." Team Dude is stoked they are still in it because they bring a "positive energy" with them but Jenna sums up what I was thinking: “The more people here the more people there are to fall behind.” Preach it, Sister Morasco. This is a race, after all.
With no airplane snafu en route to Jakarta, all the teams show up at the train terminal en masse and appear to be clumped together. This is much to the dismay of anyone within earshot of the constant bickering of siblings Justin & Jennifer. Despite clear instructions that the teams are to take an overnight train to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Justin suggests they explore other transportation options. While he does this with a calm, even voice, Jennifer doesn’t immediately say “No, let’s wait for the train,” and he interprets that to mean "Let’s argue on a train platform like children."
With everyone rubbernecking at this train wreck of a team, Jennifer finally storms off, saying they should just take the train. If you know that you can’t spend more than a day with someone without verbally tearing into each other (which they both admit), WHY go on this show? My brother and I haven’t fought since adolescence, but I still don’t know if we could survive the race together.
After a packed train ride, the teams get their first taste of Crazy Taxi – Indonesia edition. Flying in the face of their last leg’s placement, Ma & Pa are leading the pack to Goa Jomblang Cave for the next clue. But the caravan of cabs behind them ensures their lead will inconsequential. Especially upon seeing their Speed Bump next to the Roadblock.
First, here’s the Roadblock: A team member must descend 160 feet into a cave to retrieve a mask and knife and then climb a bamboo ladder out of the cave to get their clue. It’s pretty straightforward but with the potential to be challenging, which is unlike Bill & Cathi’s Speed Bump. “Unlike” in the challenging part because it is the equivalent of unknotting the 100 ft. extension cord in your garage just enough to reach the electrical outlet, so you can weed eat the lawn. Yes, that’s the entire task, except it’s a rope and not an extension cord and they have to attach it to a carabineer and not an outlet.
While Ma & Pa quickly make headway on the Speed Bump, Ernie & Cindy arrive second at the Roadblock, followed by the twins and Amani & Marcus. Cindy eagerly accepts the Roadblock and soaks in the whole experience. Marie (thank you onscreen prompt) takes the task for the twins and Marcus does it for his team, even though he has no idea what spelunking is. As predicted, Ma & Pa are already done with the Speed Bump and Bill is heading down the rabbit hole.
Any semblance of a lead for these teams fizzles as Jeremy, Tommy, Justin, Ethan, Zac, Kaylani and Bill (of Ron & Bill) all arrive and suit up for their respective teams. Thanks to longer legs that help him climb the ladder faster than Marie and Cindy, Pa takes first place and gets his clue to the Detour.
The first Detour of the race is between Money Maker and Ticket Taker. With Money Maker, the team has to head to an intersection. One person has to learn a dance and the other has to play the music while they try to collect 30,000 rupiah. For Ticket Taker, they have to park enough scooters to earn 15,000 rupiah. After getting the right amount of money, they take it to a local orphanage and hand over that money and donate all their other money to get their clue.
The fact that Phil specifically points out the sign at the orphanage about the additional money donation leads me to believe that this will trip up at least one team. The taxi cab traffic jam in the Roadblock (how fitting) delays Ma & Pa from leaving for Ticket Taker and gives the twins a moment in first place as they leave for Money Maker.
Our soon-to-be married and already married teams are three and four out of the Roadblock. The rest of the teams are pretty much keeping their positions as the Roadblock as proven to be less physically or mentally taxing than I was hoping for. Here’s hoping the Detour causes a bit of drama for some teams.
Twins Liz & Marie start out doin’ a little dance, but only makin’ a little dough, so they keep getting’ down tonight. Meanwhile Ma & Pa and Ernie & Cindy are working hard as valets. There seems to be an even split on teams choosing between each of the Detours with the twins, Amani & Marcus, and Team Test Drive Jeremy & Sandy going with dancing and Justin & Jennifer and Andy & Tommy joining the parking attendants union.
Cindy & Ernie wisely take the front of the lot and are able to siphon off the people before they get to Bill & Cathi. This allows them to once again take first place out of a challenge and they have done well at regaining momentum despite the transportation equalization. Just as impressive is that Bill & Cathi get out in second from Ticket Taker and seem poised to avoid repeating a last place finish.
I guess I should recant that "wisely" adverb from the last paragraph because Ernie & Cindy are the first at the orphanage and the first to not give over all their money. But Ma & Pa and the twins fail to do it either, so it looks like that Phil will be doing quite a few non-check-ins at this Pitstop.
Team Survivor has joined Amani & Marcus at the Money Maker with Jenna dancing and Ethan playing. By now, it seems that parking task is preferable to panhandling/street performing, as Team Dude and the siblings have also finished their Detour with Justin & Jennifer starting the task.
The beauty of split screen lets us experience the simultaneous epiphany by Team Dude and disappointing reality by Ernie & Cindy. After the good-natured snowboarders give up their earnings and dole out high fives, Andy notices the sign and they start fishing out the rest of their cash. Meanwhile, Phil informs Ernie & Cindy about their mistake and he can’t check them in until they have returned to the orphanage. Cindy starts to break down and blames being raised in a “competitive Asian culture” for being so hard on herself and expecting nothing but perfection.
Ummm…okay…while I’m not disputing her claim, it seemed a bit shoehorned into the episode unnecessarily, especially considering that they are currently in Asia. Just a strange editing choice.
In a classy move befitting previous good-natured laid back teams (and race winners) BJ & Tyler and TK & Rachel, Team Dude says, “I’m glad we’ve saved up because that is more that goes to them.” That’s perspective, folks, and I think that I now have a favorite team this season.
With the mad scramble to the orphanage and the fight to not be one of the last two teams, I’d wager all my rupiah that Team Dude is the only team to not mess this up.
One-by-one the teams finish the Detour with Ethan & Jenna grabbing their stuff but apparently dropping their Detour clue. I don’t think it’s necessary but the slo-mo camera zoom that is shown always means consequences to come. And, yep, they realize this at the cab. Sadly, their ninth place spot just outside of the elimination could be surrendered.
The non-reading, non-cash relinquishing tally of teams at the orphanage is now at seven, with Team Dude as the only ones doing the right thing. We even get a moment of hesitation from Jeremy as it looks like the sign catches his eye but he keeps on going. Oopsie.
The lack of surprise on the faces of the twins and Ma & Pa that they would need to return to the orphanage makes me believe that they encountered Ernie & Cindy and learned about their collective mistake. The former three frontrunners are still en route back to the orphanage.
The benevolent and literate Team Dude is joined by Team Regatta’s Laurence & Zac and showgirls Kaylani & Lisa as the ones to not experience the orphanage setback. Maybe the showgirls are really secretly smart after all…nevermind. I’m gonna say they just got lucky or were tipped off by the adventuresome father/son.
Detour clue in hand, Ethan & Jenna are back on their way to the orphanage for the first time. Too bad they overlook the sign, so it’s second (or third or fourth or fifth) verse, same as the first; they too will be heading back to the orphanage.
With a couple of Phil psych-outs, Team Dude is checked in as number one, followed by Laurence & Zac as team number two and Kaylani & Lisa who are officially team number three. At this point Ron & Bill are the only ones who have been to the orphanage a single time. So, even if they don’t screw up, it’s not looking good from them.
The cavalcade of denied teams arrive with Ernie & Cindy as number four, the twins as number five, Team Test Drive Jeremy & Sandy as number six, Bill & Cathi (aka Ma & Pa) as number seven and siblings Justin & Jennifer as number eight. Man, this is a nightmare of an episode to keep track of with so many errors by the teams. As a side note, I am already tired of Jennifer’s exaggerated eye rolls in interviews when Justin is speaking. You are a team. Try to at least LOOK like you support each other.
Unsurprisingly, Ron & Bill don’t give over all their money. This assures their elimination from the race but they keep a positive attitude. To backtrack a second, we are left with who will be in ninth (and spared) and who will be in tenth (and gone). Sadly, for anyone wishing for a Rob & Amber repeat, Team Survivor doesn’t live up to its nickname and Ethan & Jenna are eliminated. Jenna was so right about the “the more people there are to fall behind” although she probably didn’t want it to be them. I really wish I hadn’t pegged them as winning it all because that may be have been the most wildly incorrect prediction I have ever made for this show. My apologies.
One thing is for sure, the orphanage error definitely prevented this episode from being anti-climatic. So thank you to the producers for that.
Next week, we get a return of an old favorite that cause teams fits: count hundreds of an item on an ancient landmark. My spidey sense is tingling for some extreme meltdowns. Until next episode, have a good week.