The Amazing Race Season 28 Recap - Episode 6
Let the Good Times Roll
By Kim Hollis and David Mumpower
April 4, 2016
BoxOfficeProphets.com
As far as the show goes, the viral video season has proven to be unexpectedly entertaining. We knew virtually none of these people prior to the season premiere, yet we like almost everyone. We shouldn’t be surprised, since these people have all built their careers out of putting their lives on camera. They’re naturals on reality TV. Our favorites are the only team we did know going into the season, Rooster Teeth’s Burnie and Ashley. David’s played a little too much Halo over the years, so he really relates to those Red vs. Blue videos.
The pleasant surprise is Tyler Oakley and his BFF Korey. These two are awesome. They’re engaging, witty and sincere, and for a guy who has elevated his YouTube fame into bona fide celebrity status, Tyler is remarkably humble. Both of them are willing to laugh at themselves and are clearly having a blast on the race.
In terms of people we don’t like, this season is a rarity for The Amazing Race. We generally like everyone on the show, although Dana the dancer is too… aggressive. Her boyfriend Matt, who seems like a genuine and competent guy, receives all the blame when things go wrong but none of the credit when things go right. Dana appears insecure and desperate to prove herself.
The other team we’ve mocked mercilessly is the Frisbee guys, who sincerely claimed their stud status during the first episode. We laughed and laughed and laughed, but we’ll be damned if one of the ladies of the Race didn’t quickly develop a crush on Brodie. So, they’re having the last laugh on us.
Finally, we love mentioning that there’s a dude who’s a doctor and a lawyer. If he fights crime, CBS should give him a show.
Tyler & Korey will be first to leave at 5:28 a.m. Their first clue sends them off to Armenia and then the Yerevan Opera Theater. These two realize that they are neck and neck with Brodie & Kurt and briefly consider sabotaging them, but quickly discard that idea. They’re just not those kind of people. Tyler & Korey do mention that they wouldn’t mind if Brodie & Kurt made some mistakes, though…
...Which leads us to the Frisbee guys leaving about seven minutes later. They have no idea where Armenia is (before you laugh, do you?) and then the dancers and the father/daughter team Blair & Scott within the next half hour.
In fact, you can probably imagine that everyone is just bunched onto the same plane, which means there’s a mad dash at the airport to get a cab to the Opera House. Scott & Blair hop into a cab from the… New York Taxi Service, complete with a legally actionable New York Yankees emblem.
When teams arrive at the clue box, they learn that an Express Pass is awaiting the winner of this leg, which can be used through the ninth leg of the race. Also, they are informed that they need to pick up their “tickets” at the opera box office. Of course, the window opens at 8 a.m., which means everyone will continue to be bunched together. We suspect that the producers of the show arranged this so that Brodie and Blair would have a chance to cuddle. How long have we been writing reality show recaps? There wasn’t such a term as “Showmance” when we started.
Upon entering the theater, we’re met by Phil, who informs us that the famously frantic song that is playing in the background was composed by Soviet-Armenian Aram Khachaturian. We promise you know it. The piece is known as the “Sabre Dance,” and it comes from the ballet Guyere. While the music plays (probably causing the contestants’ heartbeat to accelerate), they have to search the entire theater for their next clue.
All of the teams are crawling around and looking under the seats, but it’s not long until Brodie & Kurt notice a guy vacuuming. They approach him and ask for the clue, which he happily hands to them. It directs the guys to head to the Cascade, which Phil tells us is made of Armenian stone, has 572 steps and is almost 1,000 feet high. Teams will have to climb all 572 steps to retrieve their next clue. Whew.
Cole & Sheri also manage to figure it out, as does Matt (although we’re sure Dana will tell him how terrible he is later). Burnie & Ashley are also making their way in that direction. We quickly cut to Brodie & Kurt climbing to the top of the Cascade, and if Brodie is bent over holding his thighs in exhaustion, you know it’s going to be tough for a lot of the players.
With the next clue received, we finally have some action with a Detour - Thread or Bread. For Thread, teams will have to complete a row of 200 stitches on an infamous Armenian rug. Teams who choose Lavash will need to make 15 different pieces of Lavash to move forward. The Frisbee bros choose Bread, while Sheri & Cole select Thread.
Back at the Opera House, we still have a few teams wandering around, which means they now are entitled to goofy music! Zach & Rachel find one, leaving Blair & Scott and Tyler & Korey. Eep. “This is like Willy Wonka, looking for the Golden Ticket!” says Blair. When Korey & Tyler eventually figure out that vacuum cleaner man has the clue, Blair sees, so the two teams are bringing up the rear together.
Teams are converging on Bread and Thread. The groups who will be baking Lavash include Brodie & Kurt and Burnie & Ashley. The process isn’t easy, and Burnie is definitely struggling. When the dough goes into the oven pit, it falls down to the ground and gets ruined. In fact, when Brodie & Kurt take their Lavash for final inspection, only six of them are accepted, so they’re sent back to complete nine more “loaves.” Team Rooster Teeth gets eight, which will help them to catch up with the front-runners.
Tonight’s weavers are Sheri & Cole, Dana & Matt, Scott & Blair, Tyler & Korey and Zach & Rachel. The work is incredibly detailed and difficult, and also requires understanding some technique. A lot goes into making an Armenian rug! Blair is highlighted once again as she comments, “I’m never going to let my dog pee on a rug again.”
After going back to bake more lavash, Brodie & Kurt get it all done on their second try. They will now be headed to the first bus stop past Hatsavan, where they’ll discover yet another clue by the side of the road. It appears that they’ll be competing closely with Sheri & Cole, who have finished the laborious rug task.
Tyler mentions that he made a lot of friendship bracelets in college, so he found working on the loom to be quite naturally. “I was literally the Fruit on the Loom,” he says. We’ll forgive the misuse of “literally” since it makes us laugh. Meanwhile, Blair is inspired. She’s thinking about putting together a DIY video when she gets home to help her viewers weave their own rugs. Her positive outlook is consistently refreshing. (We really mean that. She’s delightfully upbeat.)
Zach & Rachel finish the rug task, followed by Tyler & Korey and Blair & Scott. If you’re wondering where the dancers are, they haven’t shown them for a while, but they’re still struggling through the rug weaving. On the plus side, we haven’t heard Dana yelling at Matt, but it’s probably just a matter of time.
Reading the clue, Blair wonders if it’s okay to take a cab to the next location, but it’s quickly pointed out to her that they need to take a bus. And then… the dancers get in a cab to head to Republic Square, which is where the buses are. Everyone follows suit except Tyler & Korey, who are left behind. “It’s all over,” they say. The good news for them is that since the show has been away for three weeks, tonight’s leg is probably a non-elimination. The Amazing Race is jerks.
But there’s a clue to be had, and Brodie & Kurt are first to arrive at the roadside stand where it’s located. It’s a Roadblock that asks the question, “Who’s feeling drained?” With the scenic, 16,945 foot high Mt. Ararat as their backdrop, teams will have to change the oil in a car. After the job has been done properly, they’ll drive the car to the Pitstop (and for one team, an Express Pass). Only two teams can be performing the task at any given time, so we’re going to see some interesting jockeying for position with everyone bunched fairly closely.
Somehow, Tyler & Korey have caught up to Blair & Scott. Sheri & Cole are at the Roadblock, and she joins Kurt of Team Frisbee to perform the task.Curt is having trouble figuring out how to get new oil to flow. Sheri is likewise struggling with the filter. She asks Curt for assistance, but he points out that when an Express Pass is at stake, it simply makes no sense to help her out. He soon finishes the task, and he and Brodie tear into the final instructions for the leg. They’ll be headed to the Temple of Garni, where they should be checked in as Team Number One.
When Burnie arrives to start changing the oil, he’s nice enough to offer some advice to Sheri on how to handle the filter. Matt and Zach will do the task for their teams, but are forced to wait until the other teams have completed their oil changes.
At the Pitstop, Brodie & Kurt win the leg and the “all-powerful” Express Pass. They can use it to skip any task before the end of the ninth leg. They do worry that since they already have a target on their back due to frequent domination of the Race thus far, the Express Pass might even put them more in the center of people’s attention. We’re pretty sure they can’t use it any worse than was done last season.
When Blair & Scott arrive, people jokingly hope that Blair will be doing the Roadblock. She says that she struggled with figuring out how to take the gas cap off of her car, so the fact that they choose Scott here is wise.
Burnie completes the task and he and Ashley are off to the Pitstop. Sheri still can’t figure out how to handle the filter. The remaining teams practice while they wait, and Scott tries to give Sheri a bit of advice on what to do. Zach & Rachel are still able to pull out ahead of Sheri, while Matt & Tyler work together with the goal of getting Matt’s car finished so Tyler can take his spot when it’s available. Of course, Scott’s next, so Tyler now also has to help daddy doctor lawyer. Sheri cries and tells Cole that she’s so sorry. Blair gives her a hug, and Sheri apologizes for getting oil on her. Blair says, “I don’t care.” This is a close-knit group.
Second, third and fourth place go to Burnie & Ashley, Zach & Rachel and Matt & Dana. Scott finishes, and stops to help Sheri with the filter. Tyler is going to have to absolutely rush through this thing to get it done. It’s going to be a very close race to the finish - Tyler and Sheri complete the Roadblock at the same time, but the two cars go in the opposite directions. Whichever one is headed the right way is going to be guaranteed to stay in the Race.
And the cab that was pointed in the proper direction is… Tyler & Korey’s. They’re checked in as Team Number Six, and we breathe a sigh of relief. They rationalize that being at the back of the pack this leg will make them seem like less of a threat, but they’re pretty clearly freaked out about the close call.
Sheri & Cole are in tears when they hit the mat, but Phil soon informs them that… they’re still racing. Apparently they’ll be starting the next leg immediately. It’s The Amazing Race’s annoying way of not using a non-elimination but keeping a team in the game.
“Everyone’s probably going to laugh and say that’s why you don’t let blondes change your oil,” says Sheri. At least she and Cole have a sense of humor after going from contenders for the Express Pass to last place.