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For this fourth attempt, JJ gets the seal of approval and Border Patrol is saved from even being in last place temporarily. The same can’t be said for Team Justified as Mark continues to struggle with not only dancing but not passing out.

Back at Clutch It, Blonde Rachel completes her course as Dave literally turns into a backseat driver. They are now heading to the pitstop at Bulgatty Palace. And then Phil says those dreaded words, “the last team to check in MAY be eliminated.” Great, we are nearly guaranteed a nonelimination. It’s probably an act of mercy since Mark may still be at the Roadblock by the time Rachel & Dave leave for the next leg.

Anti-Big Brother go with Clutch It, which doesn’t make too much sense in light of the list of things that Vanessa says that she has hit when driving in San Antonio – cars, trees, the Alamo. AND she says that she failed her driving test. Again, not sure this is the task for them. Big Brother goes with Cricket, as do one of their 58 sworn enemies Art & JJ. After his dancing debacle, JJ proclaims that this task will be easy. Both swing and miss or fail to make hard enough contact to get past the mark.

Mark gets the split screen treatment as he racks up attempts number four, five and six, which equal three more failed attempts. On the opposite end of the success spectrum, Blonde Rachel & Dave are staring at Phil across the Pitstop mat as team number one again.

At the Cricket field, JJ is keeping his overly aggressive side front and center as he is repeatedly denied his hit. Finally, both he and Brendon have done it for their team, so it’s down to Bad Rachel and Art. But that still puts both of them with more progress on the Detour than Vanessa & Ralph, who are struggling with driving course.

Back at the Roadblock, Mark shoots down Bopper’s suggestion of taking the penalty, which is something that I personally would have suggested as soon as JJ got his clue. But being a proud man, Mark gets on stage for his seventh and eighth time.

At the Detour, according to JJ, Rachel emasculates Art by completing the task before him and Big Brother races off to the Pitstop. Art finally connects and Ralph completes the course, so it’s a toss-up for second, third, and fourth place because we all know that Team Justified has had last place sewn up since they left the airport. Big Brother is officially checked in as number two.

After 11 attempts, Mark is finally ready to give in and take a penalty. While I hope I am wrong about this being a non-elimination leg, they'd better pray that I am right. Mark is physically exhausted and actually feels like his health and life on the line here. After a well-placed commercial break, Bopper and his choreographer convince him to try it one more time.

With Border Patrol and Anti-Big Brother checked in as numbers three and four, Mark’s successful 12th attempt was probably charity on the judge’s part but it did boost Mark’s spirits. The friends are resigned to elimination and are pleased that they raced hard the entire time. We get to see clips of them doing Clutch It and highlights from their experiences so far.

On the mat and in last place, Phil lets them essentially eulogize their Amazing Race time and Bopper explains that everyone could use more money but he can’t replace his friend. Phil then tells them that they will have to muster up enough strength to keep going because this is a non-elimination leg.

On tap for next week, we have an injured Vanessa laying in a street with a bum ankle, a conflicted Rachel faced with a head shaving challenge (I assume a Fast Forward) and Team Justified’s Speed Bump. See you then and have a good week.

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