The Amazing Race Season 22: Episode 6

By Daron Aldridge

March 25, 2013

Unlike the other players, I've watched Survivor!

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The boys watch the required demonstration and get to the fire-making. Or more accurately, get to the attempts at fire-making. Caroline & Jen are now at the site with the Sock ‘er Moms and Cape Fear right behind also going with Fire. Playing the role of the obnoxious, spoiled American is Katie, who repeatedly complains about the way the Bushmen smell. I’m not surprised that someone belittles these people or by the person who did it but rather that it took her this long. In this primitive of a setting, there will always be one person that complains about the people who live there.

At the Roadblock, Pam finishes in sixth place and Wynona is firmly in last place as usual.

Team Slapshot proves to be the heir apparent for the “Firestarter” sequel if Drew Barrymore passes on it because they are the first ones out of the Detour. They must now follow their Bushmen to the Pit Stop. I assume the Bushmen have served a dual purpose this leg as guides on the tasks and protection in case the animals in the area do something unpredictable.

The singers get some quick fire-making advice from Bates & Anthony but it doesn’t appear to be helping. The brothers speculate that they will have to switch tasks but have their eye on getting to Phil first, which they do easily. For their efforts, they claim that first place slot and a trip to Thailand.

Joey & Meghan are now at the Detour and following the road most-traveled over to Fire. They join all the teams at the Detour (Cape Fear, the singers and Sock ‘er Moms), who are all making no fire or progress, for that matter.

Bucking the Detour-choosing trend, Pam & Winnie and the Mullets show up and opt for Fowl. Winnie rationalize that much TV-watching has taught them that making fire from scratch is too difficult. On the other hand, outdoorsman Chuck feels this trapping challenge could be his chance to excel at something on the Race.

With each failed fire attempt all the teams are debating switching tasks. The Bushmen demonstrate the constructing of the trap and Pam & Winnie get to building. Their nerves are amped up when Chuck & Wynona show up because they fear that building snares is one of Chuck’s hobbies, which is probably not too far from the truth.

Meanwhile, three of the four teams failing to build fire have bailed on that task and switched. The lone holdout: Team Cape Fear. Max wants to change but his "brilliant" wife Katie wants to keep trying. This could be bad news for the team I just put in second for this week’s power rankings.

Pam & Winnie successfully build the trap before Chuck and get their clue. They are heading to a second place finish unless the Bushmen take them on a scenic walking tour of the grasslands. Well, they don’t, and Pam & Winnie are indeed second.




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Finally, Katie comes to her senses and realizes that they aren’t any closer to having fire than when they showed up. Max feels confident (as usual) that they can beat the others at whatever this next task is.

With the task tailor-made for Chuck, the Mullets have rebounded nicely and are now heading to the Pit Stop. Given how quickly teams are completing this task, the precious minutes that Max & Katie wasted staying at Fire may have just gotten them eliminated.

Chuck & Wynona are in third and for once, Wynona seems to actually be enjoying herself on the Race. When she isn’t being a naysayer they do better. Crediting their each of their fathers’ vocation of carpentry, Joey & Meghan build and get their Pit Stop-directing clue next. Fourth place is theirs, as is the memory of the most awkward high-fives in the show’s history between Joey and the Bushmen.

Caroline & Jen are giddy that Fowl was simpler than Fire as they are done and claim fifth place.

In a first on this challenge, a team fails on their build attempt when their snare doesn’t work. That team is Max & Katie. This delay is about all the time that Sock ‘er Moms Mona & Beth need to finish theirs and get their clue. In all their excitement, Mona & Beth overlook the need to follow their Bushmen to the Pit Stop and take off down the road to their cars.

Unnecessarily running back down the road to the Pit Stop, the mothers are unknowingly in a footrace with Cape Fear, who is just praying for a non-elimination leg. And seventh place goes to…

Mona & Beth, which means last place goes to Max & Katie. And their prayers have been answered as it is a non-elimination leg. Let me remind you that I actively dislike these types of legs. No risk of elimination seems like an exercise in futility, especially when there invariably is some leveling of the teams that makes the work of the leaders futile as well.

Anyway, next week continues in Botswana and involves a Speed Bump for Cape Fear, Wynona struggling at a canoe Roadblock and donkeys.

Have a good week.


Continued:       1       2       3       4

     


 
 

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