The Amazing Race: Another One Bites the Dust

By Kim Hollis & David Mumpower

April 26, 2017

Let's see, 14 down: A whiny, insufferable team

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Previously on The Amazing Race, two people who don’t like each other found a pair of people they dislike even more. Vanck & Ashton used a U-Turn on Matt & Redmond (#TheBoys). In a hilarious turn of events, #TheBoys still finished only two minutes behind their opponents. Matt & Redmond have made no secret of the fact that they’re out for blood now.

The episode starts exactly as we’d expect. Vanck & Ashton are sitting down when #TheBoys come over for a chat. Before they can start their smack talk, Ashton is dismissive of them, which causes Redmond to look surprised. He’d apparently decided to come over and apologize for a couple of previous shady tactics. Once he realizes Ashton is not the forgiving type, he chooses war.

The only thing that would surprise us about The Amazing Race is that by the airdate of this episode, Redmond and Ashton hadn’t hooked up yet. They’re in the first act of every romantic comedy ever made.

Liz & Michael depart first at 8:17 a.m. Their clue sends them to Stone Town, where the teams must find the home of the location’s most famous resident ever. Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara, was born in Zanzibar, where his family resided for many years until they fled during the Zanzibar Revolution.

The trick is that the teams are only told his birth name, though the clue does give them a hint with the inclusion of the words “Another One Bites the Dust.”

When Liz & Michael ask some residents about Farrokh’s home, they are told that it was demolished many years ago and sent off in another direction. Tara & Joey’s cab driver isn’t any more helpful, and Joey says they should just get out of the cab and find someone else to help them.



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Liz & Michael get to the “demolished” house, where bags of dust are sitting on the ground. They presume this is what “Another One Bites the Dust” refers to and start searching the bags for clues. Somehow, Tara & Joey’s cab driver gets them to the right place after all and they enter Freddie Mercury’s house for their next clue.

The Detour gives teams the options to “Lock” or “Knock.” Phil tells us that the houses in Stone Town are connected via a set of confusing alleyways. Teams must navigate them to complete either side of the Detour.

For “Lock”, teams must search some Zanzibar chests to search for a clue. They all have secret compartments, and if teams can figure out that aspect of the puzzle, they’ll find a key to open a tricky lock and release their next clue.

There are 500 one-of-a-kind doors throughout Zanzibar that were designed in such a way that they displayed the social standing of the family who lived there. There are only three doors in Stone Town that have lions on them – these doors designated the fact that royalty lived in those homes. Teams have to go door to door and knock on the royal doors to pick up three different royal carvings.

Vanck & Ashton and Matt & Redmond both have the bright idea to head to a travel agent to research the Freddie Mercury clue, which sends them in the right direction pretty quickly.

Liz & Michael are still kicking around in the dirt. They go into a building to ask someone for help, and hanging on the wall just happens to be a photo of Freddie Mercury that notes his birth name. It’s kind of a stroke of blind luck, but at least Liz & Michael are on track now.

Other teams are going the cab driver route. London & Logan ask their driver to take them to Farrokh’s house, and Brooke & Scott ask if they can follow.

Even with their wasted time at the dust bags, Liz & Michael are still in second place. They choose “Lock” instead of “Knock.”

Let’s just say that “Knock” is inordinately difficult and teams struggle to discover the trick. Tara & Joey start with “Knock,” but after knocking on every single door and not understanding the trick of it (Tara does get a sculpture, but doesn’t understand what makes her door different), they decide to swap tasks when they come upon the “Lock” location.

Vanck & Ashton as for help with the location of the royal doors, while #TheBoys head over to “Lock.”

Michael finds the secret drawer pretty quickly, while Tara & Joey struggle as mightily with this task as the other.

Shamir & Sara still hate each other, but at least they’ve settled down a little bit after his issues with his testicles in the previous leg.


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