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The next clue points them to a busy traffic square where they must locate a roaming vending machine that is marked with Race colors.

Amy finally steps away from Nicole for long enough to see what is wrong. She sees the switch needed and points it out to Nicole. They are now working on correcting their own. You need more evidence that Nicole is the weaker of the two? Amy is able to fix hers, get the clue and still help the doctor some before Jason has understandably gotten her to leave. This is a Race and he recognizes that they will have to separate from Travis & Nicole at some point. He is not willing to sacrifice their Race for their new friends. As he shouldn’t. Jason points out that they lost about 10 minutes just by helping Nicole at the end.

Tim & Marie have found the vending machine and gotten the clue. The next Pitstop is located at Konno Hachimangu shrine and the ex-couple hustles to Phil. They hit the mat in first place to the shock of no one and are awarded a trip to Hawaii. The exes explain that they will draw names as to which one gets which of the two trips they won on the Race. That not only seems fair but actually pleasant that Tim isn’t subjected to even more travels with Marie.

While Nicole still struggles and gets faux encouragement from Travis, who is yelling for her to be more decisive, Leo has finally moved beyond focusing on angles of the pieces to see that his center section is backward.

The New Englanders now have their Pitstop clue and hit the mat not too long after Tim & Marie. It appears that they are intentionally leaving all the teams on the mat for one big final three group shot. Jason gives proper kudos to Marie for dominating that Roadblock. I don’t like it anymore than you do, but she really did own that task. I was expecting her to lay on the bragging thick but she is silent. Who is this not-as-abrasive-but-still-unlikable person that Marie has become?

Nicole has powered through Travis’s venting and gotten the clue. He admonishes her again that she really needs to learn to build stuff while on the cab ride to the traffic square. Of course, the producers try to edit and wring drama where there is none by showing Leo also finishing the Roadblock.

Quick edits and split screens can’t hide the fact that Travis & Nicole are now team number three, which means that Leo & Jamal are the eliminated team. So the cousins just miss the final three, which if I may channel Marie as braggart, is exactly where I predicted they would finish based solely upon their pre-season interviews. So, it’s a double win for me that I was right and that the team I ultimately don’t like won’t have a chance at a million dollars.

So who’s ready for the last leg? Well, check back tomorrow for the recap and the winners of the Amazing Race 23.

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