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In a total panic, Brooke and Scott freak out rather than demonstrate a modicum of composure. Scott angrily storms down the street, almost getting struck by a guy on a moped in the process. Meanwhile, London and Logan show up. They too spot a ladder immediately. This one is up high, so London starts climbing another ladder to reach it. At this point, Brooke sees it and starts trying to prevent London from climbing so that she can get it. This is actually dangerous, and it ends with A) London getting the ladder anyway and B) London shouting, “NOT COOL!” as Scott walks by. Without a ladder, they leave to do Window Design instead.

Brooke and Scott gonna Brooke and Scott.

The next minute is a screaming match between them. They don’t realize two things. The first is that Window Design is probably the first challenge all season that’s within Brooke’s skillset. The second is that Tara and Joey are behind them, and they have to do Window Design, too.

The hardest part of Bamboo Climb is the indoors portion. The pathways are too narrow. Lifting the ladder to a higher level is extremely difficult. Team Fun gets stuck on the way up. Then, they get stuck on the way down. The Boys arrive for the second half of it, and Matt helps his opponents with their ladder. It’s not an act of generosity per se. He simply can’t get by them. To wit, Floyd has to move out of the way so that Matt can walk to the stairs. It’s one of the tightest indoor spaces we’ve ever seen. It’s like six feet by 12 feet, and the protective railings and floor gaps take up most of that space.

We cut back to Brooke and Scott. Shocker! They’re fighting!

A lovely Vietnamese gentleman helps Brooke with some of the mannequin pieces that have fallen to the ground. She makes faces the whole time, irritated by the challenge rather than appreciating the generosity of a stranger. After more quarreling, Scott says, “You’re the worst.” At this moment, we have the epiphany that if Idi Amin and Joseph Stalin were on a reality show, one of them would be more likable than the other. Yes, each one is a monster, but one’s still better than the other. For all his faults, Scott’s the better teammate and nicer person in his duo. We’ll tell you what’s better about Brooke if we think of anything.

Team Fun is first to finish the leg. The Boys are right behind them, though. The two teams learn that the Pit Stop is at Thong Nhat Park. They’ll race to see who wins this leg. It’s a bit of a surprise, at least to us. Team Fun edges The Boys and wins a free trip to the Galápagos Islands as a prize. Even though they don’t really know each other, we still think there’s a real chance that they still take this trip together. Becca and Floyd are instant besties. The same is true of The Boys, by the way. It’s rare to see two teams have this much fun on the same season. Hell, it’s rare to see one team enjoy themselves so consistently.

Meanwhile, guess what! Brooke and Scott are still fighting! Basically, everything each of them has held back over the past few legs comes out in a single stream of angry consciousness. It’s like watching the Legion of Doom squabble about why they can’t beat that stupid guy in the bat costume that has no superpowers.

Tara and Joey finish their part of the Detour. Well, that’s not true. They think they finish their leg, only to realize that they’ve decorated two mannequins. They’re supposed to have three. It’s never a good sign on The Amazing Race when the onscreen display is #ReadYourClue. Scott sees all of this and is classy about the suffering of others. No wait, he giggles and claps his hands happily. And he should. Brooke and Scott finish their challenge ahead of Tara and Joey.

As we realize how much trouble Team Mom and Dad are in, Team LoLo checks in at the finish line. Either Team Brooke and Scott goes home, pleasing the entire CBS viewing audience, or the agreeable parents lose due to a misread clue.

In the end, it’s a draw of sorts. Joey and Tara arrive at the finish line just after their lousy opponents. Joey basically collapses at the finish line, having used up all the energy in his body. Brooke offers sympathy, which receives an acidic reply of Tara. She rhetorically asks, “So now you care?” It’s almost a generational conflict as the mom and dad show disappointment in the younger duo. Tara was already dialed up about Brooke’s using a U-Turn against Liz and Michael in the previous leg. Then, Brooke annoyed her more in this leg. Brooke and Scott have become one of the least liked teams in the history of the show.

Also, the conflict will continue for at least another episode. That’s because Phil reveals that this is a non-elimination leg. At least Tara and Joey’s clue-reading mistake doesn’t cost them. Conversely, Brooke and Scott have finished in fourth place or lower for the eighth time in nine legs. How they’re still alive in the competition is a mystery…and a source of tremendous aggravation to us.

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