New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Welcome to Leg 6 of The Amazing Race. When we last left our teams, David and Mary came in last and were spared elimination due to a non-elimination leg. And when I last left our teams, my beloved Mets were still battling with the St. Louis Cardinals for a shot at the World Series. I had a bet with Kim Hollis, BOP site editor/writer/chief cook and bottle-washer. Kim, along with her co-editor/writer/chief cook, etc. David Mumpower (a Braves fan, but I don't hold that against him) has been sharing the Survivor column duties with Jim Van Nest, yet another Cardinals fan. The bet was...Mets win, Kim writes an ode to the Mets in the Survivor column, Cards win, I end this column with a Cards tribute. Well, you know how that turns out. On the upside, I am writing this article on Tuesday night, without having to concern myself with Game 3 of the Series.

Peter and Sarah leave first at 12:54 p.m., and as they open their envelope they find a video phone. Phil, via video, informs the teams to head to Kuwait City where they need to find the structures pictured on the screen. Teams need to purchase tickets to Kuwait through a travel agency. The last teams, David and Mary, leave at 6:04 a.m. What is clear from all these early scenes is that the Back Pack Alliance, now down to the Cho Brothers, the Lyns and Team Kentucky, are sticking together, with the Wins and the Lyns indicating they are going to try to make sure David and Mary avoid elimination despite the penalty they can suffer if they don't come in first. Of course, all the teams end up on the same plane to Kuwait. Also, most of the teams figure out that the structures in the picture are the Kuwait Towers.

The teams land and head for marked cars to find the Kuwait Towers. Teams go up an elevator, take numbers, and wait as the landing upon which they are to get their clue does not open until 11 a.m. While the teams wait, the Chos share that they are both scared of heights - given where they are, it seems like someone is going to be facing their fears. Anyway, the landing opens and they all get their next clue, which luckily for Team Kentucky contains a Fast Forward. Phil lets us know this the first of two Fast Forwards in the Race – the team that completes this task first can head directly to the pit stop. This Fast Forward consists of putting out a simulated oil fire. Amazingly, most of the teams determine that they don't need the Fast Forward and decide to do the Roadblock task presented to them at the Towers. From a strategy standpoint, I'm not sure passing on a Fast Forward because you are already ahead is such a great idea, considering how tightly bunched all the teams are at this point. Be that as it may, the only team that considers the Fast Forward is Dustin and Kandice. In a completely magnanimous move, but an incredibly stupid one considering the Chos are destined to perform the Road Block task last, due to their numbers drawn, the Chos pass on the Fast Forward but pretend to be taking it. They actually dissuade the beauty queens from going for the Fast Forward, thus leaving the Fast Forward for Team Kentucky. Whether they did this out of sheer kindness or because David and Mary would be easy pickings as the Race progresses is never made clear (and it seems more the former than the latter). Regardless, David and Mary owe the Chos, because they complete the task, get to the pit stop, win a luxury vacation and are free from their non-elimination penalty.

Continued:       1       2       3