The Amazing Race: Episode 10
The Amazing Race: Episode 10
By Daron Aldridge
April 29, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com
After a recap of the previous leg and letting Ford pay the bills for this episode thanks to Phil mentioning their new model of car approximately 38 times in the first two minutes of the show, Max & Katie leave the mat at 2:02 a.m. for Edinburgh, Scotland. Specifically, the teams must drive themselves to Gosford House once they arrive in Scotland.
The newlyweds acknowledge their alliance with Caroline & Jennifer and Bates & Anthony but that they are in it for themselves (as they should be). Then we get a bit of that old Cape Fear humility with Max comparing them to a hot team going into the playoffs and Katie explaining that the million dollars is just dangling there in front of them waiting to be grabbed. Oh yeah…the aforementioned U-Turn is announced in the first clue but appears to have made little impact on the couple.
On the other hand, when Joey & Meghan leave the mat at 2:49 a.m., Joey’s eyes about pop out of his face at the looming prospect of a U-Turn. It’s with good reason, though, since the last time they were on the receiving end of a U-Turn that nearly knocked them out of the Race.
Caroline & Jennifer leave nearly an hour later at 3:44 a.m. and giddily say that if it is a battle for last, they will U-Turn their Race boyfriends Bates & Anthony. I don’t know if they will have the guts to do it or have the opportunity, honestly.
Team YouTube and the singers find a deserted and closed airport, which shouldn’t surprise anyone since it is in the middle of the night. Meghan spies on the big board a flight that gets in around 1 p.m. but what none of them spot is Team Cape Fear. Why? Because they stopped at a hotel on the way to the airport to research flights, like any rational team would do if they had already been in similar flight situations eight or nine times before over the last few weeks. Katie has pinpointed a flight that arrives at 10:40 a.m. and they are now heading to the airport.
At 4:20 a.m., Bates & Anthony are off the mat with the $1 given to them on this leg and heading to meet up with the other teams. The brothers acknowledge that their alliance has marked YouTube and the Sock ‘er Moms for U-Turn if given the chance. But the moms, who leave a minute later, are happy that the threatening team of Bates & Anthony is at the back of the pack with them, so hopefully they would be the U-Turn target instead of the roller derby mothers.
The newlyweds roll into the airport and play dumb about finding their earlier flight and let Joey & Meghan just wait around for their chosen airline gate to open. Cape Fear keeps it cool and just begin wandering around the airport like they are just killing time but they are in fact looking for a counter that will sell them their earlier tickets.
With the arrival of the brothers and the moms, all the teams are waiting for the Lufthansa agents to open the counter at 5 a.m. With Team YouTube at the first agent, they confirm that the airline’s first arrival in Scotland is 1 p.m. and they snatch those tickets up. The mothers have foregone waiting in the regular line and scoot one over to the first class counter to get assistance there. It’s a smart idea because they just can’t buy first class tickets but can still use that agent. They get the last tickets on the 1 p.m. flight. The others are resigned to the fact that the 4 p.m. arrival time is the next possibility and Caroline gives them permission to "do their happy dance."
As the moms and Team YouTube skip off down the hallway, the other teams visit other airlines to locate an earlier flight. Lo and behold, they ALL secure seats on the 10:40 a.m. arriving flight that Cape Fear spotted earlier. So in a matter of minutes, they went from being three hours behind to being two and a half hours ahead.
As the flight preps to leave at 6:45 a.m., Max & Katie are less than thrilled to see the blondes and brothers get on board. At this point, the distance would’ve been welcomed but they should at least appreciate the fact that there are still two teams two plus hours behind them.
Speaking of them, Meghan grins and tells us that they are on the first flight (to Joey’s credit he adds “We hope!”) and Beth explains that sticking together as an alliance until the final three was the plan since the beginning. They appear to have no sense of urgency or worry. If that persists, then they will both fall way behind time-wise and the cold reality of a double U-Turn is going to blow their minds.
The first batch arrives and rejoices in seeing that the other two teams just went with the flight for which they initially got tickets. I wonder if Joey & Meghan or Mona & Beth will notice that their cars are the only ones left when they land. Bates divulges their plan to U-Turn both of them and let them battle it out.
Friendly Amazing Race tip for future teams: Before leaving for the start of the Race, learn to drive a manual transmission car and remember that manuals have parking brakes that when engaged make it difficult to drive. I’m sorry that I never explained that before, which must be why Caroline was driving down the Scottish freeway with the parking brake on.
Max & Katie arrive at Gosford House first and it’s the Roadblock. Max opts in for the task, which is learning to play a harmonizing note on bagpipes while marching around the ballroom of the house (approximately two minutes). Once the instructor is satisfied, he will get the clue. Let’s just hope this one doesn’t take two hours for any of these three teams, so the trailers can’t catch up. Bates strolls up and checks in for Team Slapshot right after Max heads into the house.
They get dressed in the traditional garb, including kilt, and start their lesson. Max cuts short his lesson because he didn’t want to waste time. He wants to do this by trial-and-error. Caroline is now on the grounds and heading up for her team.
Max’s efforts are successful and he has the next clue in hand. They are heading to Craigmillar Castle to search the fireplaces for the next clue. Bates has no difficulty with getting his clue either but honestly, I couldn’t tell if they were playing the right note or not. It’s all sounded the same to me. I mean, they are bagpipes after all.
Well, that admission shows that I do not have a future as a bagpipe instructor because the keeper of the clue stops Caroline midway through her first attempt because it sounded wrong. I will take his word for it. She has to start over. She claims her lips were drying out from trying to keep the mouthpiece in place for that long. Jennifer is now a bit concerned that the other teams will show up before they get out of the Roadblock.
Just like that, cue the footage of the last flight arriving. Upon seeing only two cars left, Beth makes the ridiculous conclusion that “Maybe somebody got an earlier flight.” You think so, Beth? Or MAYBE the other three cars were all stolen from the airport parking lot and you guys are still in first. Beth’s silly comment is followed by the equally asinine conclusion from Joey that “It is definitely possible that we will be U-Turned now.” Again, you think so, Joey? Nah, I’m sure those three teams will U-Turn each other. It’s not like they have a clear alliance and saw you gleefully prance through the airport giddy at the idea of U-Turning them just a few hours ago. Oh wait…that is what happened. Yes, I am shaking my head at them as I type this.
While they drive to the Roadblock, let’s check in with Caroline. Oopsie…she is now being stopped on her sixth attempt and starting to break down. She explains that she’s having to use muscles in her mouth that she hasn’t used before. (Editor’s note: Daron is showing extreme vigilance in avoiding innuendo when discussing this Roadblock, thus maintaining a PG-rated recap.)
She dries her eyes and composes herself for the seventh try. Finally, she completes it and they are out of there before the other teams arrive.
Bates & Anthony arrive at the Craigmillar Castle first and roll on by the Speed Bump sign awaiting Mona & Beth. They begin scouring the grounds’ fireplaces for their clue. They find it and with it they get the leg’s Detour: Tasty Puddin’ or Whiskey Rollin’. For Puddin’, they have to prepare a haggis each (stuffing various organs and spices into an oxen intestine) that is four sections and then give it a taste. For Rollin’, they have to roll eight whiskey barrels 200 yards up a cobblestone path to a festival. I am not a strong man at all but I would be a whiskey rolling fool if it meant not eating haggis.
Bates & Anthony go with Rollin’ and leave the castle before Max & Katie arrives, which they do shortly thereafter. Max reasons (correctly, I must add) that the brothers would go with the more physical task, so they opt for Puddin’ to hopefully separate them from the others.
Sock ‘er Moms and Team YouTube are now at the Roadblock and Mona and Meghan are up for their teams. Meghan expresses confidence in her years of trumpet playing as preparation for this task.
Once again, Caroline & Jennifer slip up and fail to look in the fireplace at the top floor of the Craigmillar Castle, which is, of course, where one of the clues is. They head back down to keep searching elsewhere. When they arrived, both girls were in awe of the castle and said that they may never see something like this again. So maybe they just decided that if they take their time, they can take it all in for even longer. Probably not, but I am trying to make them seem less inept than they are.
The brothers are now at the Detour location and get to Rollin’. Halfway through the first trip (or a barrel a piece), they decide to pick them up and carry them. Not sure if that violates the rules of the task but the lack of the slo-mo camera shot or the "Uh oh" sound effect that usually accompanies penalty-inducing errors makes me think they are all right.
Cape Fear is gowning up for Puddin’ as the brothers walk by with their next set of barrels. The blondes have eventually located the clue and expectedly, they opt for Puddin’ as well. I can’t just let this next line go without calling it out. I will add nothing to this quote from Caroline regarding having to prepare and eat haggis: “I blew something hard all day, now let’s just eat it.” Oh, great great great grandpa Daniel Boone would be so proud.
And thank you, to Bates for quoting the classic Saturday Live skit with a well-played “If it’s not Scottish, it’s crap,” after they deliver barrels five and six. While Max & Katie prep their intestines, a local dressed as poet Robert Burns enters and recites a poem about haggis.
At the Roadblock, Mona is the first one done, while Meghan is pseudo-making out with her instructor, who keeps putting the mouthpiece in his mouth to get the right note. With a haggis-tasting task ahead of her, this spit-swapping won’t be the grossest thing in her future. Fortunately, the Detour will have to wait because she is having a hard time keeping air in the bagpipes, which is kinda important to playing the note. So much for her trumpet braggadocio.
A commercial break later and her wishes for a bagpipe miracle are granted as she finishes the task. They aren’t too far behind Mona & Beth, who are about to encounter their Speed Bump.
Bates & Anthony are done with Rollin’ and heading to Duddington Kirk for their next clue. Meanwhile, Max & Katie are still being regaled with Burns’s "Address to a Haggis." They are not too far behind the brothers as they have now finished assembly and are diving right into the tasting portion. Surprisingly, both like the taste and I throw up in my mouth a bit.
The brothers arrive at the next clue and fulfill their alliance’s agreement. They U-Turn Joey & Meghan. They are now heading to the Niddry Street South and search for the Pit Stop. The brothers take off and Max & Katie are hot on their heels with U-Turning on their mind too, which they do on Mona & Beth.
At Puddin’, Caroline & Jennifer are flirting with the Robert Burns’ proxy while elbow deep in oxen intestine. There’s a sentence I never thought I would write.
The Speed Bump is now at hand for Mona & Beth. They have to head to a pub-looking place and try their hand at skittles, which is Scottish bowling with a ball without holes. Once they get a strike, they get to continue on the Race.
Confusion on where to park before heading to Phil on Niddry Street costs Bates & Anthony first place. They were not able to duplicate the outrunning from the last leg. That means that Max & Katie are team number one and $20,000 richer, while the brothers are securely in second place.
With the U-Turns pending, the blondes are easily going to be number three but they just finished the Puddin’ Detour, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Joey & Meghan are still looking for Craigmillar Castle and the Sock ‘er Moms are still unable to get a strike. The upside for the mothers is that they are playing skittles in the town where the Detour is, so they can easily make their way back there. Night is falling on Scotland at this point and Beth scores the strike for the roller derby mothers. They are neck-and-neck with Team YouTube. In fact, they arrive at the same time and are searching the castle semi-together.
With the Detour clue in hand, they both head to Puddin’. Caroline & Jennifer hit the mat in third place before the remaining teams have even started their first of two Detour tasks. Gonna be a long night for Mona & Beth and Joey & Meghan.
Sock ‘er Moms blaze through the Puddin’ task and try a taste. The taste test prompts Beth to apologize to Scotland as a whole because it tasted awful to her. They reach the next clue spot and see that they are indeed U-Turned but they also see that it is a Double U-Turn, so they are clinging to the marginal lead they have heading to Whiskey Rollin’.
On their first pass, Joey sees them out the window and gets excited that they are U-Turned. It doesn’t dawn on him at all that it could be a Double U-Turn. Meghan is now redoing some work on their haggis because of air bubbles. She fixes it and they are moving on…to the next Detour task.
Joey’s giddiness gives way to reality when they arrive at the clue box and see their picture. Right now, the Sock ‘er Moms are two barrels ahead of Team YouTube, if not more because Meghan is not nearly strong enough to do it alone. To make up for her weakness, they opt for rolling one barrel quickly instead of making her struggle.
It looks to be too little too late, because Mona & Beth are now delivering their final two barrels right after YouTube drops off number five.
But our directionally challenged roller derby mamas are once again twisted around, so their "lost" is Joey & Meghan’s gain. Team YouTube is now in the car and heading to Niddry Street as well.
Despite the producers’ best editing efforts to fool us, Mona & Beth live to race another day and are checked in by Phil as number four. That means Joey & Meghan are the last team and are eliminated from the Race. They exchange the normal remarks of appreciation for each other and walk off into the sunset or rather walk off in the moonlight down a somewhat creepy alley with a guy dressed like Jekyll/Hyde watching with Phil.
So there you have it. We are looking at a two-hour finale next week for a season that started out lackluster and unmemorable. But these last couple legs have actually been exciting and enjoyable. I credit the absence of Chuck & Wynona and Pam & Winnie for this turnabout in my mind.
Until next week’s exciting (?) conclusion, have a good week.