The Amazing Race 24: All-Stars - Episode 12

By Daron Aldridge

May 19, 2014

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Of course, we get the obligatory recap of the season, courtesy of Phil, with a summation of how/why the final three have ended up here. There isn't anything too profound or misguided, except that the show credits Jennifer's "charm" as the reason why the cowboys gave them the Express Pass. I wonder if the brothers had made it to the final if they would've have then shown that it was a shrewd play on their part to unload the Pass early to remove it from the equation? To their credit, the producers do acknowledge the luck of the girls on getting two non-eliminations and not really showing up at the challenges until the last couple of legs. So it's not just me.

Jolly ol' England is about to lose its most recent set of annoying and bossy tourists. In the wee hours of the morn, David & Connor leave in first place for the last time and are excited to read that they are heading to the final destination of Las Vegas, Nevada. Irony: Sin City as the potentially place for two Mormons winning a million dollars.

David is quick to point out that Rachel used to live there and then the Team Fetch-distaste pops up again with the guys declaring that if they don't win, they want the singers too. Basically, it's still "anyone but Brendon & Rachel" for David & Connor.

Jennifer & Caroline leave the mat next and Jennifer points out that she went to high school in Las Vegas. So far, that means that Team Murphy's Law is the only team not geographically familiar with last city. I wonder if that will matter as cabbies in Vegas are likely bountiful and well-versed on landmarks.

Finally, squeals of joy emanate from Rachel as she jumps up and down that Las Vegas is their destination. She is confident that it's a sign that they are going to win and "this is their story." I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean but let's let her have that moment.

All the teams leave London on the same flight(s) and then they get into an awaiting SUV. I assume that there is at least one connection because nonstop from London to Vegas is unlikely but we see zero airplane/port footage. Sprinting through the airport to the cars sans backpacks David & Connor get there first. Their curt drivers merely instruct them to "GET IN!" The singers are behind them and the newlyweds are still in third.

During the ominous car ride into the darkened dessert ("mafia-style" as Jennifer describes it), we find out that Rachel got pushy in line at customs and muscled her way past the singers. Rachel tries to play it tough and explains that "IF I pushed her, then she would be on the ground." Yeah, right. Looks a bit like Old Rachel is rearing her head again. But I can't blame her for the aggressive play because a million dollars is so close for one of these teams right now.

Pulling up to an isolated patch of dessert and having your monosyllabic driver just bark "GET OUT AND DIG!" surely isn't the most comforting scenario but here's where the teams have found themselves. You have three pairs of shovels stuck in the ground only about ten feet from one another.

Team Murphy's Law gets there first and starts digging with the singers right behind them, just as it has been then entire Race. As they all dig, Team Fetch arrives and takes the last plot. Immediately, Rachel brilliantly (but not-so-sneakily) begins emptying there spot and throwing the dirt toward David & Connor. Connor calls her out on it at first because she is really just hitting them dirt and not actually refilling their hole. Then as everyone starts yelling at each other; Brendon chimes in that the singers are just made because Rachel is faster than them.

I am so grateful that the Big Brother alums kept this side of their personalities suppressed the majority of the legs because THESE are the people that I dreaded watching this season.

Team Murphy's Law hits pay dirt first and pulls a box/crate from the ground. Stenciled on the outside is the name David Copperfield and instructions to open the box and take the content its owner. They hop in their car and are driven back to the strip.

Brendon & Rachel get their box next and load up. So, there is a bit of a change in their order but if this season has shown us anything, it's that each leg will be a close one. The singers retrieve theirs and follow.



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In the ride back to the strip, all the teams try to figure out a way to get the crate open but one team has the wise idea to keep the back of the SUV for a tool/tire iron. That team is surprisingly Team Fetch. Rachel has shimmied her way in to the back and come back with a jack and some type of a metal spike. It looks like a meat thermometer but that can't be right, can it? Anyway, Brendon uses it to pry open the crate to find a ring with 50 keys on it.

David & Connor show up at the MGM Grand lot where they face the first Roadblock of this leg. It asks "Do you believe in magic?" Well, I hope you do because David Copperfield is their on-scene personality for this challenge. Connor steps up and admits that when he was little he actually asked for a Copperfield magic set for Christmas one year. How adorable is that?

Anyway, the illusion-based task is as follows: The team member will be placed in a large wooden crate with one hand and each foot handcuffed. They will then have to find the right key from the ring that opens the locks. Then they will put their hands through a hole in the top to retrieve a lock pick set that they will use to unlock the lid. After they get the lock pick set the crate will be lit on fire and raised up. While they do all of this, their partner will be watching a live feed of them inside the crate. When they unlock the lid, the partner will hit a series of switches to release them from the crate.

As Connor gets instructions on the stunt, David is told that he needs to get the keys to give to his son. He realizes that they are in the crate and proceeds to throw it against the ground until it opens. The stunt is set up and David hands the keys to Connor through the opening on top.

As they begin, Jennifer & Caroline arrive and Jennifer will be doing the task but they have the same problem of keys still being in the freshly dug up crate. Brendon & Rachel have arrived again in last to a location and Rachel is doing the Roadblock.

All three are under way. Connor does a pretty quick job of finding the key and David watches on the monitor him get the lock pick set. At that point the crate is lit and lifted. As soon as Connor gets the lid unlocked, David throws the switches but instead of bringing it back down, it drops the crate dramatically onto a bonfire. With a look of sheer terror on his face and for a family that is not known for their luck in life, David just alternates staring at the monitor and Copperfield. The illusionist calls for the fire department to come over and wouldn't you know, it's Connor all decked out in fire gear. That sneaky Copperfield gets some delight in scaring the bejesus out of this poor old man. I can't wait to see the reaction of the others.

(My guess on how they did it: Simply, there were two crates and the hands that crate that they handed him the keys in was either moved while he walked back to the van or the ‘live feed' of the outside of the crate was not live. Either way, pretty cool way to pull off a Roadblock.)

Their next clue points them to the Neon Boneyard. The father/son team remains squarely in first place. The resourcefulness of opening the crate for the keys ahead of time has allowed Brendon & Rachel to get ahead of the singers. As Brendon hits the switches, he has a not-quite David-esque look of disbelief on his face that he just dropped Rachel into a fire. Of course, the over-dramatic Rachel pops up dressed as a fire fighter and they get their clue. They seem to know where they are heading.

Lastly, Caroline is near tears when she thinks that she actually hurt Jennifer but no one was a duped or devastated in this rouse as daddy Davy.

Team Murphy's Law gets to the Neon Boneyard first and specifically point out that they are instructed to walk and not run. They search the grounds and find the clue box tucked off in a corner. It directs them to remove a light bulb for a silver and red question mark sign on the grounds and take it to the employee entrance of the Mirage hotel. Connor immediately sees that it is located behind the clue box. Really, it's only about ten feet away. Off they go and this season's tradition of go...go...go continues.

As they leave, Team Fetch arrives and is reminded (in a rather scolding manner) to not run. The newlyweds find the clue box but don't have a clue about where the "?" is located, so they start wandering the grounds. It's just a minor slip up and delay but one that is putting an unnecessary distance between them and the leaders. Rachel heads back to the clue box area to search there and sees the giant ? in question.


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