The Amazing Race 23: Episode 11, Part 2
The Amazing Race 23: Episode 11, Part 2
By Daron Aldridge
December 10, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Marie astutely (yet crassly) notes that heading into the last leg that the other two teams need to “get out of each other’s butts” if they want to win. She is such a lady but it is true that this formidable alliance needs to be dissolved unless Jason & Amy want to continue their second place streak.
Of course, everyone confidently says they have this Race in the bag but really do any of you expect Travis & Nicole to return to their early Race glory days? Based upon his comments, Travis doesn’t. He offers up what is likely the first of many references to Nicole’s, shall we say, lackluster performance the last few legs.
The exes leave first and we get a glimpse into just how this relationship works. Before the Race, they agreed and signed a contract that any prizes would be split 60/40, including the million dollars, with Marie getting the 60%. What the WHAT?!? Please, oh, please let Phil discuss this at the finish line, whether they win or lose. This kinda makes me want to root for them just to see Tim’s humiliation that he volunteered $100,000 for a woman who doesn’t even like him.
After Jason & Amy leave in their familiar second place, Nicole explains that they are agreed to no more helping one another. The final three was their goal as an alliance and they made it. In her pre-leg interview, Amy explains that she recognizes that the doctors gained more from their alliance than she and Jason did. But that means they will now face a team in the final that the daters wholly feel they can beat in the end. This is a very smart strategy. Good work, guys.
The teams are into their clues and heading to Juneau. You know…the capital of Alaska. (Sorry for the bad pun.) Once they land, they must take a cab to a dock to board a marked speed boat.
Having learned their lesson on the first season with a stranded Team Guido in the Alaskan wilderness, all three teams are traveling on the same plane. Any separation on this leg will have to result from a flubbed task. (Looking at you, Nicole.)
Being back on American soil hasn’t slowed the teams as they race to the cab stand. Cue the sad trombone because there is only one cab out there and it is waiting on another customer. Jason gets to him first and asks for him to call another for him and Amy. Still smarting from Marie’s earlier cab poaching, Jason tells the driver to give the new cab his name only for pick up.
As it pulls up, Marie does try to get in but Jason confirms the name of the person he is there to pick up. Sorry, Marie. Then in a season first, Nicole actually outruns Marie to the next cab that arrives. Bad start for Pinkie.
They all get to the speed boats in quick succession and trade positioning as they head for the marked island. At the next clue box, it’s the doctors, daters and then exes as they start the Roadblock.
The last (maybe) Roadblock of the season is called Flour Power. See, the Race producers love puns too. I knew I loved this show for a reason. One person has to get in a small plane and drop a bag of flour from the window of the plane onto a target while at least 150 feet in the air. While the target looks to be about 20 feet in diameter, it’s going to be all about the timing.
All three ladies are chosen for the task. It’s either redemption or ridicule for Nicole, who is first in line. The first drop misses the mark and Amy’s plane comes up next. She also misses. Finally, Marie goes wide on her first attempt. All three ladies are now circling back for another pass.
Second time is not the charm for Nicole or Marie but Amy nails it. She is landing while the other two double back for another shot.
Jason & Amy rip into the clue and must take a helicopter to Norris Glacier for their next clue. This must be a dream come true for Mr. Plow Jason. All this ice and snow is like another day at the office. They cross the flight path of another failed attempt by Nicole and Marie. We’ll check back on the Roadblock in a second because they are clearly going to be here a while.
At Norris Glacier, the teams have to rappel into a crevice and then walk across a ladder connecting two sides. Finally, they have to use two pickaxes to climb back up the other side. Once there, they walk through a tunnel through the middle of the glacier and us another pickaxe to dig a clue out of the side of the ice. While not too difficult-looking, this is one involved task that could rattle some height phobic folks.
I am shocked to see that Jason is super excited for the glacier. Earlier in the season, he has commented more than once about heights being an issue for him but his excitement shows he has put his heights fear to the back burner because of adrenaline and a million dollar prize. On the flip side, Amy is visibly nervous, so Jason goes first.
Back at the Roadblock, the girls fail several more times and the frustration and pressure builds for Travis. He is near boiling point because he can see their chances slip by more and more with each miss. I’m fearful of how he functions in the ER, where the pressure and hustle of that environment requires a consistent cool head.
A dozen tries is all Marie needs to finally hit the target. That just adds to the pressure that is about to erupt about of Mount Saint Travis.
Even though Marie is the one that slowed down her team on the Roadblock, she doesn’t miss the chance to now bark orders to Tim to hurry. Some things never change. They are aboard their copter and heading to the glacier, which is the scene of another flawless task display by the New Englanders. They are traversing the tunnel and start the digging for the clue.
As they dig, the exes cautiously start the rappelling.
With 20 failures under her belt, Nicole hits the target on number 21. On the ground and securely in last place, these guys need Tim or Marie to fall into the glacial cavern to catch up at this point. There is a long, icy helicopter ride to the glacier for the doctors and I am talking on the inside of the helicopter…yikes, Travis is seething.
Jason & Amy have secured their next clue and are heading to the water to use a tandem kayak to paddle a mile to another island. Once there, they will take a cab to Blueberry Hills Trailhead for the next task. With little issue, the dating couple gets into a nice paddling sync and is off. They make it to shore easily and jump in a cab.
Tim & Marie continue following in the wake of Jason & Amy with the glacier crevice conquered and into the tunnel before Travis & Nicole land.
Once on the glacier, Travis goes first down, across and back up the glacial chasm. And Nicole continues her weak link streak. She crossed the ladder without incident but as she begins to climb out, she drops one of her pickaxes and has to climb out of the crevice with only one. This slows her progress, obviously, and Travis goes from acknowledging how difficult that must be to repeatedly barking at her “Let's go” and “C'mon Nicole.” He is dangerously close to Marie-territory on being a bad team mate.
Jason & Amy have arrived at the Blueberry Hills Trail and the final task of the season. It’s the ubiquitous memory challenge but with a twist. They have to construct nine 15 to 20-foot totem poles that spell out the types of currency from each country…in the correct order they visited. Nicole points out that she kept meticulous note throughout the Race in preparation of such a task, except for the names of the currency. This could be the open door for Tim & Marie to catch up. Speaking of them, the exes are now paddling up the lake and Marie is her usual supportive self by yelling at Tim.
Nicole is finally out of the chasm but still not out of the doghouse in Travis’s mind. Never has an environment of a leg so aptly conveyed the inter-team dynamic than the icy tundra of Alaska.
While the New Englanders wrestle with the totem pole puzzle, the exes show up and Marie, once again, feels confident that they can finish first. She explains that there are only two currency names she is unsure of but Tim’s puzzle skills will be very helpful. Whoa…hold the phones! Did she just compliment Tim on something? Maybe her self-improvement has only occurred because Travis is adopting too many Marie-isms.
The back and forth on the task doesn’t clearly show anyone in the lead but after more berating of Nicole’s inabilities at a task (this time paddling a kayak), Travis & Nicole are on their way to the totem task also. This appears to be a much closer leg than Roadblock issues caused.
All three teams are building and Jason & Amy have pulled out in front. They get an Alaskan thumbs-up and are off to the finish line. They are heading by cab to the Outerpoint Trail.
With the other two teams still struggling through the task, an avalanche is about the only thing separating Mr. Plow and his girlfriend from the million dollars. Travis continues his Amazing journey of turning into a jerk toward his wife as he complains that after Jason & Amy leave; Nicole is doing nothing but standing there while he works the puzzle. He may be right but his tone and approach are just harsh as he talks to her like one of their five kids. I stand by my previous suggestion that the team that is used to conflict (Tim & Marie) wasn’t hindered by fights because that their norm but the team that is usually harmonious (Travis & Nicole) don’t know how to function when things get bad.
Well, the exes have finished but unfortunately for them, so have Jason & Amy. By that, I mean the dating New Englanders didn’t get lost or snowed in but rather are basking in the glow of a smiling Phil who greets them at the finish line. Woohoo!! The team I think deserved the win actually walked away with the check for a million dollars. The happy couple is in disbelief.
Next up is Tim & Marie at the mat, and they are surprisingly gracious in their second place finish. But Phil does ask about the 60/40 split. Tim explains that it was the only way that Marie would agree to do the Race. Phil then asks, “Why do this Race as a team?” Marie admits that she applied at the deadline and Tim happened to be right there when she submitted. It was just a matter of convenience. Not the confidence booster that I am sure Tim wants but probably what he expects from her at this point.
Finally, (we don’t see them finish the totem puzzle) Travis & Nicole cross the line and things seems to be not-as-frosty as they were but not the loving display from early in the season. It’s telling that the order in which they finished this leg’s Roadblock determined the final placement…plus, I called correct order of the final three two weeks ago. Woohoo…again!!
Well, next season will be another shot at an All-Stars season and sadly, it appears that Big Brother’s Brendon & Rachel will (shudder) be back. No teams have been officially announced but this toxic twosome is a high possibility. Personally, I will be disappointed if the show doesn’t give this season’s Chester & Ephraim a shot at redemption.
As a side note, I am waiting to hear back from my application for season 25. Fingers crossed that I’ll be a part of this show I love but now I just wait. I'm not above begging...PLEASE call me!
Until February, have a great holiday season and New Year.