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Previously on the Amazing Race, every team except one finished within moments of each other. Apparently the producers decided to bunch everyone at the beginning fo the race instead of later. The team that did not was obviously eliminated, and so we said goodbye to Mark and Mallory aka Team Kentucky. That duo had been joined together in a shotgun marriage after Mark’s teammate/friend Bopper had pancreatitis and was unable to be medically cleared to race. Suffice to say that Mallory and Mark didn’t get along as well as they did with their original partners, and their lack of familiarity led to the disagreements that would eventually see their elimination. We’re guessing they don’t follow each other on Instagram, either.

Brendon & Rachel, who barely won the previous leg, are receiving the next clue at 6:22 p.m. They are instructed to go to Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Once there, they will go to the Kionsom Waterfall. There are two flights, and only six teams are allowed to be on the first plane. This is significant because there is a three-hour time difference in the flights. Brendon & Rachel, so far not irritating this season, note that their goal is just to finish in the top three every leg, which is a solid strategy.

Next out of the gate are Margie & Luke, Caroline & Jennifer, Dave & Connor, Flight Time & Big Easy and Jet & Cord. There is a grand total of six minutes separating the first place team and the sixth place team. Dave & Connor and Margie & Luke arrive at the airport first.

Then we have Leo & Jamal leaving just eight minutes after Jet & Cord, while Jessica and John are 13 minutes behind the Afghanimals. Barring something unforeseen, tonight’s elimination (like there will be an actual elimination when we’re recapping) will come done to Leo & Jamal, Jessica & John or Team YouTube, who leave one minute behind the engaged couple. Someone from grouping of the first six teams will have to mess up pretty badly in order for that to change.

Jet & Cord have joined the parent/child teams at the airport, followed by the Globetrotters and the country singers. Brendon and Rachel are stuck in traffic, and we see footage of both them and the Afghanimals arriving at the airport at theoretically the same time. It’s just a question of whether the tension is real or manufactured.

And…it’s real. Leo & Jamal beat Team Big Brother by mere seconds, meaning that the first place team from the last leg is looking at a fight to stay out of last place. While we would ordinarily enjoy taking this opportunity to pick on Rachel, the reality is that there was only a 14-minute difference between them and the boys, and they seemed to hit worse traffic than anyone else. That’s just bad luck.

Besides which, it seems like they take it in stride and with a positive attitude. The teams on the second flight agree to do everything they can to take out one of the teams at the front of the pack.

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