The Amazing Race - Season 10, Episode 6
Previously on The Amazing Race: Seven teams left Vietnam for the hustle and bustle of Chennai, India. Peter formed an "alliance" with KanDustin that lasted about forty-five seconds. Wrestling a crocodile was easy for Sarah. Wrestling Peter's ego? Not so much. Sarah and Peter managed to get first place, despite their bickering, which is kind of a light motif for this season. David and Mary came in last and were spared elimination, but have to come in first place tonight or they'll incur a thirty-minute penalty. Here's hoping that the fact that they have yet to finish above fifth isn't running through their minds right now. Seven teams still remain. Who will be eliminated next?
Opening credits. If that's really what the scenery around David and Mary's place looks like, I want to go visit them.
Chennai, India. Peter and Sarah are off first at 12:54 PM, though we don't hear the usual intro that they arrived at 12:54 AM. I wonder what that means. Anyway, their clue is different this week. It's an actual clue to an actual puzzle! That needs, like, solving and stuff! Hooray! There's a video device in the clue envelope, and a message from Phil tells them to fly to Kuwait City and find the pictured location. They'll have to buy airline tickets at a travel agency, fly 2400 miles to Kuwait, and get one of the provided cars at the airport. Peter's confident that they'll do well this leg. Snerk. He says he has to be careful of pushing Sarah too hard while she's got a blown-out knee. Someone got a tongue-lashing at the pitstop! And not the good kind. They grab a cab. KanDustin leaves the mat at 1:06 PM. They think other teams are jealous that a "couple of blonde girls" beat them to the mat. Right, because people wouldn't be unhappy at all if other teams beat them to the mat. I'm glad you're doing well, KanDustin. But you need to get over yourselves a little bit. They get a cab. Peter and Sarah arrive at a completely empty travel agency, and tell the agent there that they need help very quickly, because Sarah's leg is a medical emergency. Why they felt they had to be devious about getting help when there are literally no other customers around is beyond me. KanDustin uses their feminine wiles to charm an agent at a different agency. Both teams find tickets that get them into Kuwait at 7:50 AM. Dustin puts her palm up for a high five from the ticket agent, and he totally leaves her hanging. Hahahahaha! Peter and Sarah use the internet at the travel agency to identify their destination: Kuwait Towers.
RoKi leaves the mat at 1:42 PM. Rob says that he's a dramatic person who sometimes gets in trouble because he "speaks freely". Well, then I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I freely asked him to shave, because he's got some ew going on. They get a cab. Erwin and Godwin leave the mat at 1:53 PM. Godwin's wearing a shirt that reads "Will Flex For Food". Oh, Godwin. No. I don't even know where to begin talking about what's wrong with that shirt. They say they're going to stick with Alabama (Lyn/Karlyn), who are leaving the mat at 2:03 PM. They let us in on the fact that teams have $31 for this leg. The producers are still being stingy. Hooray! The two teams talk about their alliance with David and Mary, and that their goal is to be the last three teams standing. They head off to a travel agency. An agent at RoKi's travel agency is able to identify the Kuwait Towers.
Tyler and James leave the mat at 3:37 PM. Tyler says that coming in sixth place was a dagger in the side, and James adds that they can't "let up their guard" at any moment. I'm starting to see why Tyler does all the work. A monkey hangs out on top of a traffic light. Heh. The Underdogs are stuck in traffic, so Tyler and James get to a travel agency first. They also use the internet to identify the Kuwait Towers. Ticket-booking ensues. David and Mary are last to leave the mat at...oh, my God. 6:04 PM. Jeez, did they fill in those colored sections of the pattern at last week's Detour one grain at a time? Mary says that the possibility of the penalty is daunting, especially with the fierce competition they've got. She says that nobody's going to lay down and let them win. They've got to do it themselves. Foreshadowing! The Underdogs buy tickets. The lead teams arrive at the airport. David and Mary catch up to the rest of the Underdogs at the travel agency. Wait, what? Are you telling me it took Erwin/Godwin/Lyn/Karlyn more than four hours to ride from the pitstop to a travel agency? No way. The Underdogs have already set up David and Mary's tickets for them. Aw. Everyone goes to the airport, which Lyn does a sarcastic little cheer about. Heh.
Although Tyler and James got a slightly earlier flight out of Chennai, everyone meets on the same connection in Mumbai (Bombay). Once again, Tyler and James are frustrated and surprised to discover that the other teams didn't wander around lost for sixteen hours, fall into an open sewer, and accidentally book flights to Lansing, Michigan. You were in sixth place, dudes. Did you really think everyone ahead of you would get a worse flight? The plane takes off, and before you know it, we're in Kuwait City. Establishing shots which I'm obligated to tell you are nowhere near as pretty as the ones in Vietnam or China. Everyone jumps in their marked cars except the Underdogs, who are waiting for a local to get his luggage, and will then guide them to the towers. Hopefully, he won't ask to be dropped off at his brother's place, first.
KanDustin's out in front, saying they got directions from the flight's pilot. RoKi passes Tyler and James on the road. The Underdogs finally get going. Kuwait's oil is mentioned, of course, and Kandice talks about her father fighting over here when she was little. Dustin fails to snap at her during this, so she must need to get some tips from Mary. They take a wrong turn, so RoKi/Tyler/James are first to the towers. An employee there tells them to take an elevator up to the top. When they get off, they take a moment to take in the sweeping vista of Kuwait City, then notice that there are numbered tags hanging on little hooks. Kimberly manages to snag #1, so Tyler and James get #2. Hehehe. Tyler and James get #2. They can't start on their next task until 11:00 AM, but they know they're in good shape. The teams exchange high tens. I think Peter and Sarah are the only team with no friends. That's appropriate. KanDustin and Peter and Sarah take the same elevator up, and Peter dashes out the second the doors are open, so he gets #3. KanDustin is stuck with #4, which they find annoying. So that puts the Underdogs into the last three spots, with Lyn/Karlyn getting #5, David/Mary #6, and Erwin/Godwin #7. Erwin and Godwin note how high up they are, and are getting nervous, because neither one of them likes heights.
11:00 AM. The tower office opens, and everyone gets a clue. Roadblock! But before we get to that, there's also one of the two Fast Forwards of the season. The Fast Forward involves a team doing a task that once completed, allows them to skip all the other tasks of the leg and go straight to the pitstop. A team may only use one in the entire race, and I still wish they had one on every leg. However, at least this time, it's showing up when everyone is in first place, so to speak. It's so pointless when everyone is spaced out. Anyhow, in this Fast Forward, the team(s) will have to drive 18 miles to an oil field, don protective gear, and approach a clue box near an intense, controlled fire. RoKi, Tyler, and James know they're in fairly good position right now, so ignore the Fast Forward for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, the chosen team member has to scale a ladder on the outside of one of the towers' "bubbles". It's extremely high up, but the ladder is encased in an outer shell of metal rungs, and the team member will be rigged up to a safety harness, so I wouldn't be frightened at all. Of course, it's easy for me to say that while sitting at home on the couch, but still. But! This isn't just a physical task. Once the team member has scaled the ladder, they have to pick up a satchel with some puzzle pieces inside. They then go down to the ground (on the stairs, presumably -- no rappel here), get some additional puzzle pieces out of a trunk, and assemble a jigsaw of sorts. Once complete, it will give the address (in Arabic) of a marked stall where their next clue awaits. Whoever designed the tasks this season deserves a big kiss on the cheek.
Kimberly takes the Roadblock. So does Tyler, of course. I'm surprised Tyler lets James step on the mat with him. So far, Tyler has: shot the flaming arrow, driven through the congested streets of India, and did a wall climb the same week he did all of the rowing in a choppy Vietnamese bay. James? Has eaten a small bowl of fish eyes and sat on an unmoving bicycle selling flowers to flirty old ladies. Karlyn takes the Roadblock. Sarah's interested in going for the Fast Forward, and Peter's not. Guess who wins? Yep, they stick around, and Sarah takes the Roadblock. KanDustin is also interested in the Fast Forward. Erwin takes the Roadblock. He and Godwin note that David and Mary haven't read through their clue yet, and that KanDustin is about to leave for the Fast Forward. They make like they're getting on the elevator, and tell KanDustin that they're headed for the Fast Forward as well, since they're in last place. It works. KanDustin would rather keep their position than risk coming back in last, so they commit to the Roadblock. Kandice takes it. David and Mary want the Fast Forward, and the way is now paved for them. Well played, Erwin and Godwin. Mary gives them a hug and thanks them. She and David take off, Mary talking about how her heart will be broken if Erwin and Godwin are eliminated because of this. The brothers themselves are also starting to fret.
Commercials. Impress your potential new boss by stalking him.
Now that Mary and David are safely on their way, Erwin and Godwin go back up in the elevator. Erwin is still talking about what a "test" this Roadblock is going to be, as he will continue to do for several minutes, but this is the last time I'm going to mention it, because it's simply not that intimidating. Erwin and Godwin tell the other teams that they gave up on the Fast Forward. The other teams are clearly thinking "idiots" to themselves, not knowing what really just happened. Heh. David and Mary are bit lost, and getting snippy again. They pull over and find someone willing to lead them to the oil field. More teams profess to be scared of the climb. Kimberly starts on hers. And, of course, she has no problems whatsoever, because ominous music aside, THIS IS EASY. She grabs her satchel. Tyler has even fewer problems. He pauses to take his hands off the rungs to show how easy it is. Kimberly gets down to the ground, and begins on her puzzle. It looks like the Roadblocker's partner can give verbal advice about what to do, but just can't help assemble. For the third time, Sarah talks about how she's not sure if she can do the climb or not. Well maybe if you are constantly unsure about your climbing abilities, you should stop voluntarily taking the climbing tasks. Kandice and Karlyn agree that she shouldn't have been the one to do the Roadblock, but she does fine. She again is all "Yay, look at what I just did!" when she finishes, which would be more impressive if we hadn't been watching her do a climb almost every week.
Tyler starts his puzzle. Upon hearing that the climb was easy, James says that he should have done it. Dead weight. Kimberly has finished the puzzle, but has left out all the parts that need to be filled in with Arabic letters, so she's got to rework it. Tyler figures out where the letters go fairly easily. Kandice climbs. Sarah starts on the puzzle, warning Peter at the outset to leave her alone and let her figure it out. Kandice practically dances off with her satchel, having thoroughly enjoyed her climb. Karlyn begins her climb. David and Mary pull up to the Fast Forward. Karlyn finishes, grabs her satchel, and runs off. Erwin starts to climb. Wah wah scared. Hey, there appears to be a water park right next door to the towers. Cool! I wish the task had been there. Kimberly is struggling with her puzzle, and after seeing Tyler work, Rob tells her that she has to figure out how the gold lettering fits into the blue indentations. Hmm, getting that information off another team seems a little shifty, but it's minor, so whatever. Erwin climbs. Godwin yells up encouragement, including "You are not going home today!" "Yes you are, Chos," Tyler mutters to himself. Hehehe. Erwin finishes the climb.
David and Mary are suited up in a bunch of protective gear. Mary's a bit nervous, but seems excited, spouting the titular quote (so that's four out of six episode titles she's responsible for). Kimberly continues to struggle. "Am I just stupid?" she wails to herself. A blast of "YES!!" coming from every house in the neighborhood shatters my windows. After I have new ones installed, I'm just in time to catch David and Mary approaching the fake oil well fire. The back of the clue box is completely scorched. They come up while holding a shield in front of them and having some professionals lead the way. David is happy that his childhood dream of becoming a firefighter is becoming a sort of reality. Aw. They take the clue, which directs them to drive to the Al-Sadiq water towers. Phil doesn't give any factoids about them, like he usually does with the pitstops. They're water towers. They have stripes on them. That's about it.
Tyler finishes his puzzle. He and James lift up the entire puzzle, and run it over to someone who presumably works at the Kuwait Towers. He tells them it reads "Street Al-Gharabally", and Phil lets us in on the fact that this street is in a market three miles away. There is a marked bead shop there where they'll get the next clue. Tyler and James get directions. Sarah finishes the puzzle, and they get directions. Erwin sweats like a pig. Kimberly finally finishes. This is why I love these mental tasks. It shuffles the team order by merit, not luck. RoKi gets directions, Kimberly having a lot of trouble with the word "mosque". I wonder why she couldn't put an Arabic puzzle together. In their car, Rob points out that they need to turn at a mosque, and Kimberly's like "Whatever, I don't know what that is". The editors can't let this go, and give Kimberly her second Sproooooooing of Doofitude. Karlyn finishes the puzzle. As she and Lyn walk off with it, Kandice finishes as well. Lyn and Karlyn get the information about the street name from some nearby men.
And now for this week's drama. KanDustin approaches the same men. Lyn and Karlyn tell them not to help KanDustin. In fact, Karlyn actively tries to herd them away from KanDustin, and when Dustin approaches even more closely, Karlyn physically pushes her away. One of the guys is apparently charmed enough by Karlyn to not help KanDustin, but the other one relents and agrees to ride with them. Lyn and Karlyn conclude that this is unfair, and that KanDustin needs to learn how to "run their own race". In the KanDustin car, Dustin says that Lyn and Karlyn were acting like pigs, and hogging all the help, because they already had their answer, and should just move on. I've been waffling back and forth over this all week. On the one hand, KanDustin has a lot of nerve getting all up in arms about a team trying to prevent a local from helping another team, because remember? With the hand over the taxi driver's mouth? Yeah. On the other hand, Lyn and Karlyn did three things that essentially put me on KanDustin's side. First, the pushing. Pretty aggressive from a set of women who are morally offended when Sarah gets on a plane early or KanDustin snakes their boat. Second, Dustin's absolutely right. Once you have the information you need to move on, I feel like staying behind for the sole purpose of impeding another team is kind of assy. Third, and this is the big one: "run their own race"? What does that mean? That KanDustin should have figured out the Arabic address without help? That they shouldn't ask a local to ride with them, which is a perfectly acceptable strategy for Lyn and Karlyn's pals David and Mary? And speaking of them, Lyn and Karlyn don't really get to be snide about independent work when they're openly part of an alliance. So, yeah. While my sympathy for KanDustin is minimal, Lyn and Karlyn can just shut it.
Erwin, in last place, finishes the puzzle, and he and Godwin get the translated address. They convince a policeman who's sitting around doing nothing to lead them there. The policeman's only too happy to help, even putting on his lights and sirens. Hehehe. Tyler and James are first to the market. They have trouble finding the marked bead shop. Peter and Sarah are driving around lost, but RoKi spots the mosque they need to turn at, and find the market. Erwin and Godwin are making good time, thanks to their police escort. Peter and Sarah manage to locate the market. KanDustin arrives next, thanks to their helper. Then Erwin and Godwin. Thanks, remarkably cute Kuwait policeman! Lyn and Karlyn are having trouble, and pull over to pay a taxi to lead them there. Tyler spots the marked bead shop, and they are first to get the next clue. Detour! Manual or Automatic. In Manual, teams have to drive themselves to an area called Sulaibiya, and find a feedlot there. At the feedlot, they have to fill ten bags that can carry 110 pounds of camel feed up to a marked line. After closing them, and carrying them to a pallet 100 yards away, they'll receive their next clue. In Automatic, teams drive themselves to the Kuwait Camel Racing Club, which is totally where I'd spend my Sunday afternoons if I lived in Kuwait City. Once at the club, the team will attach a small, robotic jockey to a camel. When they use a voice-activated remote control, the robot swishes a whip around, which will make the camel run. Phil makes sure to tell us that the whip strikes lightly. Once the camel runs the 140-yard track, the team will get their next clue. So all they have to do is strap a robot on and yell into a walkie-talkie? Sounds easy.
Tyler and James don't hear me think that, and choose Manual. Meanwhile, David and Mary have found the pitstop. They run up to Phil and check in as team #1. So, no penalty for them. Plus, they win a trip to Jamaica. Nice! Mary gives all the credit for their placement to Erwin and Godwin. Speaking of whom, they and a bunch of other teams are running all over the marketplace, looking for the marked shop. Rob is the first to spot it, and Kimberly intelligently suggests not running in until a nearby KanDustin has already sprinted by. Good thinking. Once the coast is clear, RoKi gets their Detour clue, and hurry out before they're spotted. Peter and Sarah are next to find the shop. They choose Automatic. KanDustin is still wandering around. Peter and Sarah run by Erwin and Godwin, and Peter feeds them a stupid lie about being illegally parked, so that the Chos don't realize that Peter and Sarah already have the clue. They need to learn that the most successful lie is a simple one. "We haven't seen the shop." Brilliant. "We have no idea where the shop is, and we need to go back to our car because it's illegally parked, and blah blah blah." Suspicious over-sharing. Erwin and Godwin see right through it, and are easily able to locate the shop. Peter's a dumbass. The Chos go for Manual. Lyn and Karlyn arrive at the market, and start asking around for someone who speaks English. KanDustin is still wandering around lost.
Commercials. These Mac vs. PC commercials are getting more annoying by the day.
Lyn/Karlyn and KanDustin continue running around the marketplace, looking for the bead shop. Lyn and Karlyn find the Chos, who tell them precisely where to find the Detour clue. So much for "running your own race", huh? KanDustin still manages to find it first, and they choose Manual. Lyn and Karlyn are last to the Detour clue, and choose Automatic. They pause to get directions. The Chos find the same policeman who helped them before, but he doesn't seem to know how to find where they're headed. Lyn and Karlyn approach, and when nobody can figure out how to find Manual, the Chos just arrange to follow Lyn and Karlyn to Automatic. And now, the driving. And driving and driving and driving. Peter and Sarah zoom along. Tyler and James ask another driver for directions, while RoKi stops to ask a cab driver. These Detour locations must be really tough to find. Dustin can't find the Manual neighborhood on her map. At a stoplight, she hops out of the car and asks the people in front of her for help. They go above and beyond the call of duty, and agree to lead KanDustin to the Detour. Tyler and James are lost again, and stop at a gas station. After they leave, James confesses that he didn't understand a word the (cute) guy at the gas station said. So I guess in addition to everything else, Tyler's in charge of directions. And driving. And finding the bead shop.
RoKi is first to arrive at their Detour (Manual). KanDustin is right behind them, so they just made up a lot of time. Both teams start madly shoveling feed into their sacks. Kimberly has Rob put an extra shovel's worth in to be sure they're above the line, while KanDustin seems to have missed that part of the clue, which is helpfully pointed out to us by the Fwiiiish of Ineptitude. The Chos don't think Lyn and Karlyn are going the right way, so they change their minds again, and peel off for Manual. Of course, since they didn't know where they were going in the first place, they're now completely lost. They stop at a gas station for directions. James and Tyler are now stopping for their third set of directions since leaving the marketplace. Ouch. Actually, double ouch, since the folks at the store they stop at have no idea where Manual is. They give up, and decide to head for Automatic. Peter and Sarah are equally lost. Sarah is consulting the map, and says that there are no roads mapped out for getting to Automatic. One would think that not having a helpful map would lead to stopping for directions, but they don't.
KanDustin is stapling their feedbags shut before they're filled to the appropriate level. RoKi, standing literally two feet away, note that KanDustin's bags aren't as full, but apparently this doesn't worry KanDustin, who haul their first bag over to the pallet. Lyn and Karlyn note that they've lost the Chos at some point. One of RoKi's feedbags splits wide open when they toss it on the pallet, spilling feed everywhere. They hurry to refill it. The Chos stumble across Manual. I guess they successfully stopped for directions, though we never saw it. They get to shoveling. Tyler and James stop for directions again. And again, the people they talk to can't help. Aside from being stuck in traffic, this has got to be the most frustrating aspect of the race. KanDustin is convinced they're done, only to be told that they've got to fill their bags to the fill line. Handy name, that. One of them concludes that the guy handing out the clue is just being picky. Yeah, that must be it. Peter and Sarah are still lost, and still not pulling over. Erwin and Godwin are making good time on the feedbags, but RoKi is first to finish. Their clue tells them to drive themselves to the next pitstop, the boring water towers we've already seen. One would hope Kuwait City has more interesting landmarks. RoKi is off, pleased with how simple their Detour was. KanDustin finishes their bags correctly this time, and leave for the pitstop in third.
Lyn and Karlyn arrive at Automatic. They strap the robotic jockey to the camel in about forty-five seconds. The camel makes a loud groan in protest, and one of the ladies snarks at the camel for giving them "attitude". Aw, I love it when camels complain. Peter and Sarah. Lost. Not asking for directions. Peter spots a red and yellow arrow on a sign, and congratulates himself loudly for spotting it. Tyler and James are driving around in circles. They're really pissed.
Commercials. Jane Seymour sleeps with Neil Patrick Harris. Isn't she practically his grandmother?
We rejoin a lost Tyler and James. James is wearing a tragically unhip pooka-shell bracelet. Peter and Sarah follow their magical arrow, only to find that it leads them to the long-gone Fast Forward. Heh. They finally decide to switch Detours, and head for Manual. Tyler and James get more directions. Erwin and Godwin finish Manual. They're pretty convinced they're in last place, not knowing about the straggling teams driving around lost. RoKi stops for directions to the pitstop, while Kandice spots the water towers on her map, which allows KanDustin to slide right by. Karlyn yells into her remote control. Now this is a task she excels at. The camel takes off running. Lyn and Karlyn get their clue, and leave for the pitstop. Peter and Sarah. Lost. Not asking for directions. They actually find themselves back at the Roadblock, so it's like they're running this leg in reverse. Heh. They finally, FINALLY ask someone for help. The man points out the neighborhood on the map, and Peter sighs that Sarah really needs to be looking out for these things and paying attention. And while Peter is an insufferable jerk 90% of the time, I have to agree with him on this one. Read the damn map, lady. He takes over the navigation as well as driving. Tyler and James arrive at Automatic, having slipped five places between the bead shop and the racing club. Ouch. They have no trouble rigging up their camel.
KanDustin hits the mat as team #2. Tyler and James have a good time running their camel down the track, and leave for the pitstop. Yeah, not the most intense Detour I've ever seen. Thank goodness for the wacky misadventures in driving around Kuwait. RoKi hits the mat as team #3. I have to say that the huge, expectant grin Rob always gives Phil is equal parts scary and completely endearing. Peter and Sarah stop for directions. Huh, guess he was just as useless at navigating as she was. A cute guy agrees to lead them to the Detour. What is up with the random hotness? Do I need to buy a ticket to Kuwait? Peter harangues Sarah some more about "getting her head together", and now he's over the line, because it's not like he was so good at finding where they needed to go, either. Tyler and James, you'll be shocked to hear, are having problems finding the pitstop. Not having problems are Lyn and Karlyn, who manage an amazing fourth place. They jump up and down in happiness. Karlyn gives Phil a hug. Peter and Sarah follow their cute guy. Erwin and Godwin check in as team #5. They're extremely relieved.
This is where we'd usually have suspenseful intercutting shots of the last two teams, to suggest that it's anyone's guess who will hit the mat next. But Peter and Sarah haven't even found the Detour yet, and in fact are led to the wrong place, so the editors don't even bother this week. Heh. Welcome, Tyler and James. You are team #6. Meh. Part of me would love to see the brawny white dudes chunked midway through the season. The sun sets. Yikes. Peter and Sarah find Manual well after dark. Their clue tells them to proceed directly to the pitstop, so they don't have to do the shoveling. They hope it's a non-elimination round. The water towers are lit with blue light, and look extremely pretty. Peter and Sarah step onto the mat and are eliminated. I exhale with relief. I'm not sure how much longer I could have stood watching such an awkward relationship. Speaking of which, Phil asks Peter what the situation is with said relationship. Peter tries the euphemistic route, saying that while they're dear friends, they're both too focused and driven to work as a couple. Sarah is not about to let the guy who has treated her like dirt for the past five legs get off that easy. She says that Peter is a "go-getter", but that he's not a very nurturing or kind individual. She's looking for someone strong, but also wants them to be caring and compassionate. Oof. I hope Peter likes that new asshole she just ripped him. She has a final individual interview in which she says that she's seen a lot of sides to Peter on this trip, and that he's not the person for her. Translation: "I got involved with a dickhead, but at least it's over". For the audience too, thank goodness. Who will service Sarah's artificial leg now?
Next week on The Amazing Race: KanDustin and Lyn/Karlyn butt heads. KanDustin and another car butt fenders.
Overall Grade: B
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