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The next clue offers both chaos and rest. The teams have to take a group of 20 Japanese tourists from the studio audience to Konno Hachimangu Shrine through the crowded streets of Tokyo. Navigating the streets alone would be enough of a challenge but they will have to arrive with all 20 people in order to complete the task. The good news is that the shrine is the first pit stop and the last team to check in MAY be eliminated.

Usually that "may" is thrown in later in the game around the time that non-elimination legs are likely. I conclude that since this is a two hour premiere and the first hour is only for the first leg and that we lost a team at the starting line (who were they again? I already forgot), this seems like a real possibility.

The next round of roulette has Justin of Zev and Justin and Mr. Intermittent Dating Garrett conquer the wasabi bomb. The producers are probably questioning the difficulty of the challenge at this point, since teams are four-for-four on first attempts.

Cut to the streets of Tokyo and we see the approach of Meghan and Cheyne (Team Wonder Years) being to ask anyone and everyone on the street for help and hope that someone not only speaks English but knows how to get to the shrine. Meanwhile, Marcy of Team eHarmony is slowly turning her excitement into obnoxiousness. She is evolving into Spartan cheerleader Arianna with her manic enthusiasm as they wander the streets. A glimpse of Ron's reaction shows him questioning the merits of the Internet as a valid dating pool. It might just be the editing and if so, nicely done.

Back to the game show, Maria is next person lucky (?) enough to get her ride on the wasabi train (let's keep it clean, folks). With a few gags in the beginning, it looks like she will finish. Alas, our demure game show host counts down the last five seconds with the understated gusto of a soccer announcer and Maria is stuck with a mouthful as time expires. The producers rejoice because they get their drama. As her luck would have it, she gets another chance on the next spin. Maria dejectedly says, "I can't do another one." Cue the dramatic commercial break.

Oh, the tension...yeah right. We return and the remaining six are just waiting around for their shot. Of course, she doesn't quit and completes the Roadblock in the last second. Now they are off with their game show posse in tow.

As Justin and Zev try to navigate their way, they find an American to point them in the right direction. While this is very fortuitous, one of their tourists has a bum foot and a broken shoe. I'm thinking that I would be carrying said person, because this is a race after all, but they are near the front of the pack with presumably reliable directions, so it's not an emergency yet.

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