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At the airport, things unfold as expected. The teams that opted for the airport terminal over the computer terminal are on the receiving end of bad news from the flu virus-deflecting ticket agent that the 10:30 economy seats are full. Since one the cardinal rules on the race is that they must sit in economy, this could be seriously hamstring those teams.

Fortunately for Maria and Tiffany, this situation has been unfolding for the awhile as the two hour penalty is for naught. The girls show up at airport and jump at the chance to piggyback on Brian's efforts to persuade the ticket agent to sell them business tickets but to let them sit in economy. After all these seasons, I didn't know that was an option and I am impressed that Brian suggested a creative work around. The girls' "we want to do that too" game play ruffles everyone's feathers, because that makes four teams they are trying to get an exception made for. The plan works and all the teams are now on the same flight. Airports remain the great equalizer in the Amazing Race.

In case you forgot, Lance tells us again that he's a lawyer. Now he adds that he's cutthroat and that will help them in the race, as well as on an island with Matthew Modine and Geena Davis. All right, that last bit was me and not him. Even though it's part of the game, Lance is mad that Tiffany and Maria weren't sent home and just given a Speed bump.

After Brian's seat reassignment worked, Tiffany thanked him for begging but then muttered to Maria, "Getting plane tickets is a piece of cake." It sure is when you let others carry you. Matt correctly asserts to his dad that "those two are shady." The girls are settling nicely into their role as villains. Problem is, we don't love to hate them, just hate them. Based upon just these first 15 minutes, I have to recant my impression that Tiffany is the more likable one of this pair. It's a dead heat.

Now for the "Oh what a tangled web we weave" portion of the show. In an effort to legitmately prepare for the next leg, Maria asks another non-racing passenger how to pronounce the destination's name. He helps them and then hurts them. He asks Tiffany if she plays poker and she admits to the stranger that she got in the "top 15" (whatever that is). This guy says he knows who she is and in a crowded Japanese airport, they ask probably the one schlub for help that is also a poker dork and can blow their cover story. To make matters worse, their tag teammates of Sam and Dan overhear the conversation. Will the brothers keep it to themselves or sell them out to the others? We shall see.

As they join up with Sam and Dan at the ticket counter, the girls comment on the matching orange passport holders that Sam and Dan have and Tiffany jokingly/flirtingly says that "they were just trying to figure out if they were gay or not." The brothers play it off saying their sister bought them for the guys to use on the race. Tiffany and Maria are smitten with the brothers. So far, the brothers' subterfuge is more successful than the girls. Well played, boys.

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