New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

For the last time this season, let’s pick up where the Race left off…Switzerland. After a Phil-narrated recap of the season and how the remaining teams have raced, we are shown just how close the last leg was: First place Globetrotters leave at 7:12 a.m. and fourth place Zev & Justin leave at 7:31 a.m.

Next stop: Rio de Janeiro. Everybody takes the train into Zurich to catch a flight. At the airport, we are given the brief misdirection that the Globetrotters and Zev & Justin were going to be on a flight several hours earlier than Gary & Mallory and Kisha & Jen. Thanks to Big Easy’s lack of poker face, both teams deduce the guys already had a better time. So, crisis averted and all the teams are on the same flight from snowy Switzerland to sunny Brazil.

Kisha & Jen previously pointed out that they are the only team left to not have a first place Pitstop but for all appearances, they are focused on the finish line. If you think about it that really is the only first place finish you should be concerned about claiming. With their train station and airport running, the girls are making the others step up if they want to keep up. As added motivation, both the sisters and the Globetrotters are hell bent on making it into the top three because both of them ended up in fourth on their previous seasons.

Once in Brazil, they have to head to a tram that will take them up the Escadaria Selaron where they have to find a tile that looks like a route maker.

The teams are sprinting to the cabs and then, the cabs are speeding to the tram…except for Flight Time & Big Easy’s cabbie who doesn’t respond as desired to “Rapida.” Instead he just offers them a friendly, possibly-stoned “Be calm.” Fortunately for the others, their cabbies weren’t calm and all of them are at the tram waiting for it to leave. With the anticipation of an expectant father from the 1970s who paces a rut into the waiting room floor, they are eyeing the ticket booth in hopes that they will leave before the basketball players make it.

They get their wish as Flight & Easy show up seconds after the tram leaves. The guys are now hanging out for the next 30 minutes for the tram to return. That is some bad taxi mojo. All it took was a commercial break and Easy’s demeanor changed from utter frustration to resignation. With Easy spouting off, “If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. If not, then we had a good time,” Flight gives about as harsh of a look that these guys have exchanged in either season. Picking up on Flight’s evident disagreement with accepting defeat, Easy quickly adds, “We ain’t finished yet, though, baby.” I fear that Easy’s going to throw in the towel once again. Judging by the silence and tension once they get on their tram, Flight is afraid of the same thing.

Continued:       1       2       3       4       5