The Amazing Race Season 27 - Episode 11 Recap
It's Not Easy Beating Green
By Kim Hollis and David Mumpower
December 8, 2015
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Although #TheGreenTeam U-Turned Logan & Chris, #ThePaparazzi still managed to stay in the Race by virtue of the fact that a truly terrible team was still running. Thus, we said goodbye to Denise & James Earl, the mother/son team that was propped along just as long as was humanly possible.
Tonight’s previews promise some drama for Justin & Diana, which might just give some other team a chance to finish in the top spot. Hopefully, tonight really does decide our Final Three, unlike last season when we were thrown the swerve of seeing four teams go to the final leg.
We begin tonight’s episode in Agra, India, where Justin reminds us that he had said you don’t want to U-Turn someone if you don’t send them home. Yes, they’re dealing with the awkwardness that comes from having U-Turned #ThePaparazzi, but let’s be honest. It’s not like either of these two teams really liked each other, anyway. They weren’t going to be teaming up.
The contestants receive their first clue of the leg and are instructed to fly to Hong Kong. Once they’re, they’ll travel in style to their next location via Rolls Royce. Naturally, all of the teams are on the same flight, so departure times (and time lost during the U-Turn) are unimportant.
#TheReporters and #TheCheerleaders manage to find their cars first, while Logan & Chris wander around. Even with the slight cluelessness from #ThePaparazzi, all teams get en route to their next activity pretty quickly. It’s a Detour, where they’ll need to choose between Sam’s or Cells. For Sam’s, they’ll visit a famous suit maker, where teams will have to cut six pieces of fabric that must be cut to measure. For Cells, teams must search through a box of cell phones to find one that will turn on and give them a message about where they will travel next.
All teams except for #TheGreenTeam choose to go to Sam’s, so it will be interesting to see if Justin & Diana can get through what looks to be a needle-in-the-haystack challenge safely. Tiffany & Krista arrive at Sam’s first, followed closely by #TheReporters. The challenge is a little confusing at first – Tiffany & Krista are trying to measure on a mannequin, but Kelsey & Joey quickly figure out that they only have to trace the pattern on their fabric and start cutting.
The cell phone area is tucked into a busy area of town, but Justin & Diana manage to walk right up to it. There are baskets full of phones, and the two of them worry that they’ll be stuck there for a while. Meanwhile, Logan & Chris are finally at the suit making challenge, and they instantly start arguing about it. Logan worries that they shouldn’t be doubling up the fabric, while Chris thinks it’s the most efficient way. Generally, Logan would be correct, but not this time. #TheCheerleaders figure it out first. Shocking twist!
Justin & Diana have already found their correct phone, which directs them to Kweilin Street. You’d think this would be great news for them, but they run to a taxi and ask the guy to take them to Kweilin Street. Problem is, Kweilin Street is right behind them. They’re already there. Obviously, the cabbie has no idea where he’s going and they drive off in oblivion.
On their first attempt, Kelsey & Joey get it just a little bit wrong. They figure out their mistake quickly, though, and go back to fix the problem. Then, Chris figures out that he was right about doubling the fabric as Tiffany & Krista get their suit approved and sent back to deliver it to Sam.
Justin & Diana are driving around, not yet realizing that they’ve made their first real catastrophic mistake. This gives #TheCheerleaders the opportunity to move ahead, as their clue tells them to take the Hong Kong Island ferry to the city of Macau. Once there, they will head to the House of Dancing, which makes Tiffany & Krista excited. They think the name automatically implies a dancing challenge, which will be easy for them. We bet it’s not that simple.
Having discovered their mistake, Kelsey & Joey have finished their challenge as well, while Logan & Chris snipe at each other. We head back to Justin & Diana and their very ineffective cab driver, who has no idea how long it will take to get where they’re going, and they start to wonder if something is up. He says the trip will be 45 minutes, and while their intuition tells them this can’t be right, they also don’t know what else to do.
#ThePaparazzi have also finished their Detour, so tonight’s leg is looking to have some intrigue. #TheGreenTeam is delivered in front of a hotel, which they know is wrong, so they point out the proper address again. Alas, they are far, far away from where they should have been, and Justin immediately starts freaking out. They probably lost a half hour, but still. Justin’s Ugly American definitely comes out. Diana calls him on it, at least.
Having received their next clue, Justin & Diana at least stop to find someone who can direct them where to go. He tells them that there are two different ferries, one on the Hong Kong side and one on the Kowloon side. He’s giving them directions to the Kowloon side because it’s closer, but the “WRONG!” music tells us that some mischief is afoot.
Logan & Chris handle things differently. Their cabbie tells them there are two ferries, and they show him the clue and inform him that they must go to the Hong Kong side. The guy is annoyed, but acknowledges that they do need to go to the one that is a further distance away.
So, #TheCheerleaders, #TheReporters and #TheGreenTeam are all on the Hong Kong ferry to Macau. When Justin & Diana arrive at the Kowloon gate, they note that they are supposed to be on the Premiere line, and the lady helping them says it’s only available on the Hong Kong side. Justin says, “Whatever,” and they go ahead and get their Kowloon tickets. This seems like a pretty significant mistake.
The other three teams are headed to the City of Dreams and the House of Dancing Water. Joey figures that they haven’t seen Justin & Diana because they’re so far ahead of everyone else. At the House of Dancing Water, we have a Road Block. Team members will participate in a water show. They have to perform a 30-foot jump into some water. Once in the water, they have to dive down a ways and find a gold fish. Once they’ve finished this task, they’ll receive their next clue. Krista, Kelsey and Logan are handling the tasks for their teams.
All of the girls are a bit unnerved by the task ahead of them – their jump is a big one. Still, all of them make it into the water easily. It looks as though the hard part will be finding the fish. It’s dark, the water is bubbly, and the fish are fairly deep down in the water. We should note that if teams don’t find their fish before the music for the show ends, they have to go again. The show is about 20 minutes long, so missing it could allow Justin & Diana back into the game.
Logan and Kelsey both find their fish fairly quickly, so it’s looking like they’ll be our top two. Krista can’t locate hers before the music ends, so a door has just opened for #TheGreenTeam.
For the teams not looking for fish, they’ll be headed to the Pit Stop at Nam Van Lake. Phil tells us that the last team to check in will be eliminated. It’s entirely possible that after a season of domination, a bad cab ride for #TheGreenTeam will spell their doom. (The Amazing Race can be a cruel mistress.)
Diana isn’t able to get into her makeup and clothes in time to start the show during Krista’s second try. When she doesn’t show up, the waterworks start for Justin, who is certain they’re done. When she’s told she’ll have to wait for 20 minutes, Diana says, “That’s the Race right there.”
But wait. Krista isn’t able to retrieve her fish on the second try. She simply isn’t diving deep enough to find it. Now she’ll be joined on her third try by Diana, which puts #TheGreenTeam right back in the mix. Justin worries about her because she has panic attacks. He figures the challenge is more in his wheelhouse, and worries about her ability to finish. “I have to jump from here?” she asks. Maybe he’s right to be concerned.
She bravely jumps without hesitation. Krista is still swimming too high for fish, but Diana is hanging onto the wall. Finally, she dives and comes up with a fish. Krista, on the other hand, does not. With renewed energy, Justin shouts, “Don’t give up, Krista!” which pisses her off since he wasn’t offering any encouragement until he and Diana were back in the lead. Anyway, Krista will have to go through the entire process again.
It’s a close race to the matt between #ThePaparazzi and #TheReporters, but Logan & Chris eventually take the top spot. They win a trip for two to Peru, and we’re sure that they’ll argue the entire time they’re there – even during the romantic dinner for two. That means that Kelsey & Joey are second yet again. Of course, it doesn’t matter if they pull off the win in the next leg, right?
Both of the top two teams say that they won’t be too sad if Justin & Diana are eliminated, but #TheGreenTeam is en route to the Pit Stop.
Krista cries as she prepares for her fourth try, but Tiffany tells her not to give up. Unfortunately, the fourth time is not a charm. Krista will have to do the show for a fifth time. There’s pretty much no chance Justin & Diana can lose.
But wait. Even as #ThePaparazzi and #TheReporters are groaning at the sight of Justin & Diana, Phil informs them that they’ll incur a 30-minute penalty due to the fact that they took the Kowloon ferry instead of the Hong Kong ferry. In addition, because the Kowloon ferry was 25 minutes closer than the other ferry, they’ll tack on an additional 25 minutes on top of it. The total penalty is 55 minutes.
Basically, Krista has to get the fish on this fifth try if she and Tiffany are going to have any chance. We know that the show is 20 minutes at minimum. We’re probably talking about 40 minutes plus cab ride. It’s going to be close.
Naturally, Justin & Diana begin sobbing as Phil says, “Didn’t see that coming, did you?” Krista does in fact get her fish on the fifth try, so it’s a legitimately nerve-wracking time for everyone at the Pit Stop (and don’t think for a moment that #ThePaparazzi or #TheReporters have left – it’s too exciting).
Of course, the girls’ cab driver drops them off in the wrong place, so they have to pick up another one. Right as they arrive at the pier, Phil checks Justin & Diana in as team number three and confirms that they will be going to the final leg. #TheCheerleaders arrive moments later and are eliminated from the Race. They’re proud to still be in the Race, noting that a lot of people expected them to be gone much sooner. (True.) “Oh, well. We can always marry rich,” says Krista. Female empowerment forever!
So, our finalists are Logan & Chris (#ThePaparazzi), Kelsey & Joey (#TheReporters) and Justin & Diana (#TheGreenTeam). Tune in on Friday for the finale, where we’ll see if Justin & Diana can tie the record for most leg wins or Kelsey & Joey can win a leg when it matters. No, we don’t think Logan & Chris can win, and the previews promise more fireworks between them.