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With the American Country Music Awards bumping the Amazing Race from the schedule a week ago, it seems awfully convenient that the team that was spared elimination in Colombo was the country singing duo of Jennifer & Caroline. Folks, your Amazing Race intermission is now over and the teams leave the latest (and hopefully, last) non-elimination leg in the rearview mirror with Jennifer & Caroline facing a Speed Bump.

Without any other delay, we say, “See you later, Sri Lanka. Rome...sweet Rome."

When we last saw them, the Afghanimals had finally captured a first place finish that had eluded them for so long, even if it is just by a few seconds. The cryptic clue points them to the "Eternal City" and a couple different travel agents for tickets. The vagueness of the clue pointing to Rome doesn't really trip up anyone but rather serves as a way for the clue-writers to do something more than just say, "Next stop: Rome. Get a ticket and you will all be on the same flight." Because the cousins and the cowboys, who leave in second, soon find out that is indeed the case.

One flight...seven teams...and an unsuspecting Roman population. This leg must be filled to the brim with action because there is no time for footage of airport mingling or socializing. Either that or nothing interesting happened in the seven or so hours the teams waiting for their flight.

Even though the flight itself isn't providing a time advantage for teams, disembarking is. Thanks to the seat assignments, David & Connor, the Globetrotters and the cowboys are in the back of the plane and now the back of the pack. The other four teams hustle out of the plane first and bag the shuttle driver into leaving quickly.

Will the ten minute gap prove critical? Doubtful but you gotta take any edge you can get, especially Jennifer & Caroline, who don't know when their Speed Bump will pop up.

The teams are heading to Hadrian’s Bridge and John & Jessica get to it first. Before they rip into the clue, I will relay that the engaged couple reminds us that they are the ONLY team in Race history to be eliminated with an Express Pass unused. That was either foreshadowing that the cowboys may be similarly fated or merely a nice reminder at how foolish this team can be, which is why I labeled them Team Bonehead at the beginning. Please be the latter and not the former.

The clue is opened and the teams face decision time with this week’s Detour: Gladiator or Charioteer. For Gladiator, they have to perform a gladiator fight/reenactment in the shadows of the historic coliseum. After learning and performing the routine to the satisfaction of the onlooking “Roman Emperor,” they get their clue. For Charioteer, the teams have to race a remote control chariot around an oval course five times in less than a minute and a half. Easy? Nope. One person is controlling the speed and the other steers, plus the course is littered with rocks that need to be avoided. And another “plus” is that there is only course, so the more teams that participate, the more difficult it will be to navigate.

John & Jessica go with Gladiator and the cocksure part of John that has been understated lately rears its head again. I guess it’s easy to be humble when you are at the bottom, but as soon as he gets another taste of being in the front of the pack, he starts to feels full of his ability. John cites his years of martial arts as the reason why this task should be easy for him because he’s used these types of maneuvers.

Brendon & Rachel arrive next and go in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, the clue is worded just vaguely enough to mislead teams into thinking that they will be around actual horses and not toys. To her credit, she laughs off the confusion when she sees the actual task. Team Fetch also reminds us that the last time they were unleashed on the streets of Italy in season 20, Rachel had a meltdown in the midst of a task about how miserable the experience was and they were almost eliminated. While their stock and likability have risen this season, the producers have successfully reminded me why I disliked this team in the first place.

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