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Phil greets them and immediately springs a challenge on our unsuspecting racers. But first, he explains that the Express Pass is once again up for grabs to the first place team on this leg. Oh yeah, and the last team to complete the challenge at the temple will be saddled with a Hazard at some point in the first leg. Nothing else is explained about the Hazard, so it will just be an ominous question mark for teams.

While explaining the first challenge, it sounded much more convoluted than it turned out. The teams are shown the letters “W A N P E I” and must find an umbrella with three more letters (T A I) that will complete the name of their first destination city – Taipei, Taiwan. Unless they have an idea of those three letters, then it is total trial-and-error-and-error-and-error. Most of the teams just grab umbrellas and rush over to Phil, only to be denied a key to their…wait for it…the first piece of product placement…Ford Explorer. This may be a record for the Race – quickest appearance of forced marketing.

Snowboarders Andy & Tommy opt for the strategy of at least looking for an umbrella with vowels on it and are the first ones off to the airport. Thanks to the eagle eye of Amani that saw the boarders’ correct one had an ‘I’ on it, she and hubby Marcus are the second team out of the challenge.

With twins Liz & Marie and Survivors Ethan & Jenna on their heels, we have four teams heading to the airport and ultimately, Taiwan. Seems like a silly time to give us the official opening credits of the show, especially considering it features footage nearly identical to what we saw as the teams arrived.

The Phil Keoghan Navigation System in their Explorers informs them that there are only two flights. The first will carry eight teams and the second will leave about 20 minutes later with the remaining three teams. So, dictating flights immediately squashes the possibility that the first place teams could separate from the pack.

Next, we get a quartet of romantically involved teams – dating Jeremy & Sandy, engaged Ernie & Cindy, partners Ron & Bill and married Bill & Cathi – getting their keys. This leaves only a father/son team, brother/sister team and the showgirls behind.

That doesn’t matter too much because in mere minutes they have all gotten their keys but our Secretly Smart Showgirls Kaylani & Lisa have also gotten the Hazard as the last ones to leave. In their rush to not stay in last place, they stop by a Shell gas station for directions to LAX. I guess they thought the Race was already too easy for them and their high intellects, so one of them drops their passport on the ground getting back in the car and driving off. This must be intentional because remember, they assured us they are actually smart.

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