The Amazing Race Recap
By Stephanie DeGateo
November 9, 2006
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Once there, each team takes a taxi to the "Black Angel" which Phil states has been painted white. Ugly American comment alert! Rob states, with authority, that people in Madagascar die younger due to breathing in exhaust fumes and not getting enough protein, which apparently stops brain development. Each of the alliance members passes the Black Angel, due to its color. The models get to the clue box first and encounter another new twist to this season's race - the Intersection. Due to some haggling over the taxi fare, Dustin and Kandice are passed by Rob and Kimberly. This is significant because the Intersection forces two teams to "team up" and perform all tasks together. The models and Rob and Kimberly join forces (hereinafter referred to as Team LA, due to their shared hometown) and the beauty queens are forced to wait for the six pack to find their way to the clue box and team up with one of them. This has the potential not to be pretty!
The clue at the Intersection box contains the second and last Fast Forward, which Team LA decides to take. The Fast Forward requires each of the merged team members to eat a serving of cow lips, a local delicacy. There is a certain amount of irony in Rob ingesting all that protein - I expect him to work smarter from here on in, given his brain being more developed and all. The task turns out to be fairly disgusting - lots of lips, some with hair and teeth still attached. Vomiting and gagging ensue.
Finally, the six pack alliance gets to the clue box. The beauty queens realize that Team Bama will not work with them and essentially mug the Chos into partnering with them (this merged team will heretofore be dubbed Team Buff, because damn - all four of them are in awesome shape). The merged team of David and Mary and Lyn and Karlyn (Team South) are contemplating the Fast Forward. Team Buff takes the detour clue, which contains the following choice; Long Sleep, where the teams must cover eight foam mattresses with mattress covers and then deliver them one mile by foot to a house in the city or Short Letter, where the teams must make and decorate 28 sheets of paper. Racist Alert - one of the beauty queens says to the Chos "you are Asian, we could make paper." I'm guessing whichever one made that statement was not in the running for Miss Congeniality. Awesomely, one of the Chos says "Let's just go" in such a dismissive way.
Lyn talks Mary out of the Fast Forward, rightly pointing out that if they get to the Fast Forward and the other merged team completes it first, they have to double back and will lose time in the process. Team South choose Long Sleep. The covering of the mattresses doesn't take particularly long, as opposed to the Fast Forward task, which is taking Team LA a looooooooooong time. The Chos send Kandice and Dustin off to find a local to help them, as blonde girls will have an easier time, which they do. Team Buff loses their guide, but still manages to find their destination. Team South finds a local too and is off. They have a particularly hard time carrying all eight mattresses together (Team Buff, on the other hand, are carrying four mattresses per two team members). Meanwhile, Team LA is still eating. They decide that they can eat slowly, as each of the remaining teams has to do a detour and a roadblock while they are consuming their protein. Well, Team Buff is done with their detour and gets the clue. First, the teams are released from their forced merger. The clue then directs them four miles to Tohotohobato Ambondrona Analakey, where they will find a clue box in the midst of merchants on steps.
Team South's guide gets them lost and they need to double back. Meanwhile, Team LA is still retching their way through the Fast Forward. The Chos' taxi runs out of gas, allowing the beauty queens to reach the road block clue first. In this roadblock, the team member who takes it must find four particular rubber stamps among the vendors located on the steps. Once done, they will taxi to the pit stop, Cathedral Andohalo, where their team member will be waiting. Dustin takes the roadblock for her team. Kandice arrives at the Cathedral, only to find Phil dancing with the greeter. Kandice joins the locals in some dancing of her own, showing off her Rockette moves.
Team South finally gets their clue. James finishes his plate of cow lips - only three more to go. The Chos get their roadblock clue, Godwin taking it for his team. Rob finishes his plate. Dustin finishes the roadblock and is off for the pit stop, just as the amazing editors cut in a shot of James stating that the other teams are probably still in the middle of the first tasks - "plowing a field" or something. Kimberly needs to take a break (and vomits again) and the rest of Team LA tells her not to worry, they've got time. Tyler finishes his plate. Kimberly finishes, finally, as Rob gloats to the models "my chick's awesome." Kimberly has been pretty awesome this whole race, so I appreciate the sentiment, just not the "chick" part. Team LA is off to the pit stop. Rob gives Kimberly a kiss on the lips despite the vomiting, which is kinda nice, if a little gross. Godwin is done with the roadblock.
Dustin's cab runs out of gas and she has to wait as the driver refuels. Mary and David get the clue and Mary takes the roadblock. Lyn takes the roadblock for her team. Godwin's driver RUNS OUT OF GAS! This has got to be some weird scam to run up the meter while refueling or something. Dustin gets to the pit stop and the beauty queens are Team #1. Tyler and James are Team #2. Mary helps Lyn by directing her to a stamp � considering their placement, very nice but not good racing. Rob and Kimberly are Team #3. The Chos, sliding into the map for some odd reason, are Team #4. Mary finishes the roadblock and is off. She's weepy in the car, she misses her kids, and she's tired. Lyn seems to be strolling through the roadblock. David and Mary arrive at the pit stop and they have to wait 30 minutes to see if they are eliminated. Lyn finally finishes and she's off to the pit stop. Lyn's taxi RUNS OUT OF GAS!!! Lyn gets to the pit stop and Lyn and Karlyn are Team #5. Lyn has a momentary display of elation (relief?) before she realizes that she just eliminated Team Kentucky. David and Mary are finally sent home, as they had 20 minutes left to their penalty. Team Alabama is pretty choked up about their elimination, maybe more so than David and Mary. Lyn sums it up when she notes that everything on this race was a first for David and Mary and it was great watching them go through it. As much as they annoyed me sometimes, I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly. The race is going to be a little less enjoyable without them around.