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Now is the time to leave Bora Bora and the “probably-should’ve-known-there’d-be-water-challenges” duo of Jamil & Idries. Maybe these OB-GYNs just aren’t used to dealing with water that doesn’t immediately precede the birth of a baby. Anyway, now that I have that visual out of the way, let’s get this leg started as they head near the land Down Under and mother country for our intrepid host Phil.

When we last left our teams, the first three teams (Anthony & Bates – Team Slapshot, David & Connor – Team Livestrong, John & Jessica – Meghan & Cheyne 2.0) all hit the mat within a minute of one another so that’s the order we catch them in again. Oh yeah…there is also the little matter of daddy David’s pretty serious foot injury. And as expected, that’s where we begin.

It turns out that David’s gut instinct diagnosis was correct and that he did indeed rupture his Achilles. The medical staff member explains that he can get him crutches but that he will need to see a specialist as well. Understandably, the father is disappointed because it virtually seals their Race fate.

The focus now shifts over to the team that beat Team Livestrong in that ill-fated footrace, Anthony & Bates. The hockey brothers are the first to leave the Pitstop with the choice time of 8:54 a.m. But leads don’t always matter at the beginning of a leg on the Amazing Race. Case in point, the first six teams all leave the mat within 12 minutes of each other. And they are all heading to Phil’s hometown of Christchurch, New Zealand via two stops. The fact that they specify the two stops leads me to the conclusion that they will indeed all be clumped together again.

John of the dating daredevil team of Jessica & John explains that with David’s injury, they will be able to hand over the Express Pass to Team Livestrong, which will honor their secret alliance’s pact while simultaneously helping the father/son team serve as defense against Team Slapshot and not putting themselves at a disadvantage of give this advantage to a team that can compete harder. So, it’s a win-win for Jessica & John and a pretty smart way to use the Express Pass, if I must confess.

And hand it over they do. David & Connor are elated and feel this could be a huge break for them because before they proceed onto New Zealand, they have an actual detour in Tahiti at a doctor. Not the normal, fun Amazing Race Detour with a convoluted task but the unpleasant, possibly Race-ending kind.

Just before giving Team Livestrong the Express Pass, Jessica & John rather aggressively (and I must add, not necessarily smoothly) ask Team Slapshot about what flight they got and the brothers are not fans of the dating couple. Bates even labels them “the shadiest team on the race.” This is the first time we have seen a team express any distrust of Jessica & John. I wonder if that sentiment is more widespread. This distrust is deepened when Anthony oversees the couple giving David & Connor the Express Pass and he correctly and quickly surmises that there must be an alliance going on with them.

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