Cherry On Top of the Sundae That's Already Melted

The Amazing Race - Season 12, Episode 6

Previously on The Amazing Race: Seven teams left Burkina Faso for Lithuania. Ronald and Christina continued to work on their communication skills, while Nicolas and Donald rose and fell like a thimble in a hurricane. The Bickersons fought all over the place. The IBs almost became road pancakes. Somehow, their plan to "flirt their way through the race" didn't work out when it became apparent that they'd have to, like, accomplish tasks and stuff, and they got punted to go be interchangeable back in La-La Land. Six teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

Opening credits. Surely, that train zooming by behind the Pinkies isn't in the graveyard. It's called resting in peace, city planners.

Vilnius, Lithuania. A trio of towering, white crosses huddles together for company. Phil's Opening Blather asks if Nathan is willing to "change his behavior" to convince Jennifer that he's the "guy for her". Huh. I must have nodded off during the part that they take her to task for being just as much of an asshole as he is, because seriously... It's not like she just graduated from finishing school. The Crap Task was apparently not enough product placement to cram down our throats, so we open the leg with even more. Soon, this show will just be an hour-long commercial that they broadcast from different countries. I'll do us all the favor of skipping this, and get right to TK and Rachel, leaving the mat first at 1:00 AM. Rrrrrrrip! The clue tells them to get to Dubrovnik, Croatia, 900 miles away. When they land, they'll go to the base of the Fort of St. Lawrence, where the next clue awaits.

The Pinkies leave at 1:01 AM, and let us know that teams will be getting $109 for this leg. I'm a little sad that money hasn't figured into this season the way it has before. Forcing teams to be thrifty was good television. I'm obligated to inform you that the Pinkies are wearing matching pink cowboy hats. They're as tasteful as they sound. Both teams head for the airport. TK and Rachel interview that keeping cool heads and mellow attitudes is not only good race strategy, but helpful for their overall experience and relationship. It's too bad the Bickersons haven't left the mat yet, or we could have had a smash cut to them screaming at each other over who's more of a douchebag. Rachel kids that Croatia sounds like a hotbed of gymnast activity. The Pinkies hope to finally score a first-place finish.

Ronald and Christina leave the mat at 1:15 AM, and are very excited about Croatia. Christina interviews that their mat placements tend to reflect how their relationship is going at the time. I think that may be true. Christina wants to get a taxi, but Ronald crabs that there aren't any around, and they need to do something else. It's his usual brand of having a good point, but expressing it in a needlessly bitchy way. As they jog to a hotel to call ahead for a reservation, Christina voices-over that she's trying to tackle Ronald's nagging head-on, and she does a good job of diffusing it when she tells him not to criticize, then points out that he should be just as nice to her as he is to the hotel desk clerk. Azaria and Hendekea leave the mat at 1:20 AM. Hendekea interviews that Azaria is a bit of a control freak, but she trusts him to know what he's doing. They grab a taxi.

At the airport, TK/Rachel and the Pinkies bond over their pseudo-outsider status, and team up to do some internet research. They conclude that Czech Airlines will have the earliest flight, and Kynt sends TK and Rachel to go start a line for when the office opens, while he and Vyxsin continue to mess around on the computer. Back at the hotel, Ronald and Christina manage to reserve a ticket on Polish Air that leaves Vilnius at 6:25 AM, connects in Warsaw, and gets into Dubrovnik at 11:20 AM. Nice work, you two. I doubt there's an earlier flight than that. The Bickersons leave the mat at 1:29 AM. Jennifer thinks the race experience has been great, but tainted by their fighting. I'd say the same thing about watching it, so thanks a lot. She thinks the rest of the race will be the true test of whether their relationship can survive. Oh, I sure hope you guys can work it ou...zzzzzzzz. In Azaria and Hendekea's cab, she's explaining to the cameraman that she has a Croatian friend, and thus knows how to say "There's a party in my pants!" in Croatian. Haha! Isn't that always the way with multilingual friends? You learn dirty words first, which is why the only thing I know how to say in Hindi is "motherfucker". They get to the airport, and decide to get in line behind a snoozing TK/Rachel.

Nicolas and Donald leave the mat at 1:42 AM. It's early, so I won't pick on all these people for having as much trouble pronouncing Dubrovnik as they had with Ouagadougou. They're not thrilled to be in last place right now, but Donald says he's motivated to really give it his all this leg. Nicolas points out that there aren't enough teams left to just hope you don't screw something up, but that you really have to play aggressively now. Ronald and Christina get out of their cab, and sneeze their thanks at the driver. They see the other teams lined up at Czech Air, and decide to hop in line to double-check that their ticket is the best route. The Pinkies are still over at the computer. The Bickersons and Nicolas/Donald join the line, Nicolas kidding that he had dibs on the front. Hehe. Kynt wonders why everyone is lining up at an airline that may not have the best tickets, and Vyxsin says that it's because they're sheep. Can't argue with that. They decide to go to an agency office that deals with more than one airline. Good idea. Man, some of these people are way sharper than I would be at an airport in the middle of the night.

An old alliance is reborn when Christina pulls Azaria and Hendekea aside to let them know about the Polish Air tickets. She hands over the phone number, but doesn't know the country code they'll need to connect. Azaria thinks that'll be easy to figure out, and the siblings ditch the line for an information counter. The Pinkies find an open agency, and inquire about early tickets to Dubrovnik. I'm sure that one of the hardest things for a team to see while sitting motionless in a line is another team that appears to be making good progress elsewhere. The people in the Czech Air line see the Pinkies doing business, and begin to get fidgety. The Bickersons decide to leave the line and go see if they can get in on some of this travel agency action. They waffle about it, even as they make their way over. Ronald and Christina soon follow suit.

Christina asks the Pinkies if they mind if she asks the agent some questions, and Kynt says that he'd rather let her finish up his transaction first. That's reasonable, and Christina nods in understanding. Ronald, however, still isn't the greatest at either people skills or at reading a social situation, so he goes ahead and starts asking the agent about what time other offices open and such. Kynt again points out that he's doing business with her right now, and Ronald is welcome to get in line. Ronald gets pissy and stalks out, and Christina apologizes for him. "It's OK. I have a dad, too," Vyxsin responds. Hehehehe. Ronald is out in the hallway trying to get sympathy from TK/Rachel and Nicolas/Donald, who couldn't care less. I would imagine that Nicolas and Donald, in particular, aren't about to leap to Ronald's defense in matters of courtesy. Christina exits the office and shuts him down again, while Nicolas and Donald happily note that the more teams ditch the line, the more they move up.

Azaria and Hendekea can't connect to Polish Air, so they wander off and decide to have a fight about nothing. Azaria grips Hendekea's shoulder and tells her in a very parental tone not to give him attitude. I love my older sister dearly, but if Veruca ever tried that with me, she'd be looking down the business end of a profanity-laced tirade. Hendekea doesn't seem to care that much. An agent arrives to open the Czech Air office. The Bickersons note this, and since the Pinkies are still tying up the travel agency, decide to go back to the line they've already abandoned. TK and Rachel find out that Czech Air leaves Vilnius at 6:00 AM (whoops, forget what I said about Ronald and Christina's flight clearly being the best), connects through Prague, and gets into Dubrovnik at 11:20 AM (whoops, forget about me asking you to forget the other comment). The Bickersons poke their heads in and determine that there are plenty of seats on the flight. Azaria and Hendekea rejoin the line, and continue to crab at each other. Azaria's still being a dick, and Hendekea's still blowing him off. Christina interrupts their fighting to suggest that they go check up on the Pinkies, since they're last in line anyway. Thrilled to have something other than their screwup to focus on, they agree.

They arrive to find the Pinkies learning about the Czech Air flight. They also ask about availability, and Kynt again asks to finish up his own transaction. In the other line, TK and Rachel book tickets, and Nicolas and Donald step up and ask for the same thing. The agent suggests business class, but Nicolas tells her (per the rules of the race), that they have to get economy seats. Christina suggests to Ronald that they just stick with their original reservations. I guess she found out that the two flights get in at the same time. The office where they need to pick up their tickets hasn't opened yet. The Pinkies are told about the Polish Air flight. Since the arrival times are the same, the Pinkies wisely choose to give themselves some departure padding, and select the Polish Air flight, which leaves later. They get their tickets, and hustle down to the Polish Air counter. Ronald and Christina soon get their tickets as well. Azaria and Hendekea ask for tickets on the Polish Air flight. In a telling moment that I didn't catch on the first viewing, Azaria asks for economy seats, but Hendekea is babbling about how much of a hurry they're in at the same time and in a louder voice.

Nicolas and Donald get the Czech Air tickets. The Bickersons are next in line, but now that the flight is leaving so soon, check-in has closed. Dun dun duuuuuun! The Bickersons do what they do best, and whine a lot, trying to make their point by saying they already asked the agent about these tickets and were told everything was fine. Nice try, chumps, but you asked about ticket availability. There could be fifty seats open, but it doesn't help you if check-in has already closed. Thankfully, the agent isn't one of those wishy-washy types, and just curtly apologizes before moving on to the next person in line. The Bickersons jog off unhappily. They go to the agency where Azaria and Hendekea are still doing business, and Azaria sends them to the Polish Air office to see if they can get tickets on the flight that leaves at 6:25 AM. Ew, don't help them. Azaria and Hendekea get tickets, and the Bickersons soon follow.

The Czech Air flight takes off, and yeah, there are oodles of empty seats. Hah! Suck it, Bickersons. The teams on the Polish Air flight check in, and Hendekea asks for seats near the front of the plane. The check-in agent tells them that that's not really an option, since they're flying business class. Hendekea's face seizes in terror, and she calls Azaria over to tell him. They understandably panic, and run off to the travel agency to work something out. The Bickersons, the Pinkies, and Ronald/Christina board with no problems, while Azaria and Hendekea attempt to beg for economy seats. Unfortunately, there are no more economy seats available, which is probably why they got business class in the first place. So, they're screwed.

Commercials. I really hope Muses have better inspirations to impart than easy-heat pastas.

Azaria and Hendekea have no choice but to ask for the next flight to Dubrovnik. Hendekea wishes they hadn't run around the airport like fools. So in a way, it's Christina's fault! They get a flight that connects through Frankfurt, and make sure to ask for economy seats this time. Heh. The agent confirms that their competitors are connecting through Prague, and tells them that the Prague airport is currently bogged down with all sorts of delays, so they won't make it on time. I'm not sure if she's just trying to soothe Azaria and Hendekea, but it does seem to calm them down. Well, let's see if she's right. The Czech Air flight lands in Prague at 7:20 AM, where TK/Rachel and Nicolas/Donald learn that, indeed, they're too late to catch the connection. Oh, this show. They hurry off to a ticket counter, where TK and Rachel get tickets on a flight to Dubrovnik that connects through Vienna. And, guess what? Those are the last ones, so Nicolas and Donald are screwed again. Yikes. At this point, Nicolas is just like "Any flight. Any airline. Just get me to fucking Dubrovnik." The agent offers tickets on a flight that connects through Zagreb. He takes them, and the two flights take off.

Dubrovnik, Croatia. It is really beautiful, and looks almost tropical. At 11:20 AM, the Polish Air flight arrives, and the Bickersons run out of the airport to the taxis, putting them in first place. Boo! The Pinkies and Ronald/Christina are hot on their heels. Christina shows off her Croatian by saying "Fast. Fast. Fast," and the driver gestures at the cab, implying that they'd probably get there faster if she got in. Hehe. Once in their taxis, the teams all enjoy the spectacular view of the city and the water. The Bickersons and the Pinkies arrive at the harbor, and spot a red and yellow flag. They run down to it, but it's not the cluebox. So the first ones to actually reach the clue are Ronald and Christina. I love all these changes of fortune (provided that it's due to luck or racing mistakes, rather than interference). It's one of the things that makes this show exciting. Ronald and Christina open the clue. Rrrrrrrip! Roadblock! "Who has a builder's eye?" Phil explains that in this Roadblock, the chosen team member has to help renovate the city walls that were destroyed in the Yugoslav civil war of the 1990s. That's a neat idea, but the task itself isn't that complicated. The team member goes to a pile of 150 stones, and searches for one of eight that fits into a hole in a stone wall. When they find a stone that fits, they'll get the next clue. That's it? Meh.

Ronald takes the Roadblock. As the other two teams continue to search for the cluebox, he gets started, and appears to finish the Roadblock in seconds. Yeah, not the most compelling task ever. Fortunately, it's redeemed by what comes next. Rrrrrrrip! Teams must now make their way to the top of the Fort of St. Lawrence, and ride a tandem zip-line over the water to the roof of another fort. The next cluebox will be there. Ronald and Christina joyfully run off, while the Bickersons/Pinkies appear to finally get their bearings. Ronald and Christina fret about safety and nausea, but allow themselves to be strapped into the zip-line. They clutch hands. Whoooosh! The ride looks awesome, which Christina confirms as they get unhooked. Onto the next clue. Rrrrrrrip! Detour! Short & Long or Long & Short. In Short & Long, teams rappel down the fort to the base. They then run to another wall, and scale it via a rope ladder. Then, they'll make their way through the streets of Dubrovnik to a specific plaza, where the next cluebox awaits. Phil explains that the physical strain of this task is fairly short, but navigating the confusing streets could be difficult. In Long & Short, teams get on another tandem zip-line, and ride it straight into the water below. They then swim to a fishing boat that they'll row around the city walls to a marked section of the harbor. Guess what it's marked with. Yep, it's the very flag that the other teams first spotted. Once they arrive, it's a short distance to the same plaza. So, this choice is much more physically punishing, but won't require a lot of navigation. Interesting.

LabRat and I quickly agree that Short & Long looks much more appealing. Ronald and Christina ignore us, and go for Long & Short. The Pinkies and Bickersons finally arrive at the Roadblock, where it's taken on by Nathan and Kynt. The girls stand aside, kidding that the task is just like a game of Tetris. Ronald and Christina zoom down their second zip-line, and splash into the water. Nathan finishes the Roadblock, and the Bickersons take off for the fort roof. Ronald and Christina reach their fishing boat, where Christina gives the worst rowing advice ever, suggesting that Ronald turn himself around and face the direction that they're headed. I'm a terrible rower, and even I know that you sit backwards. Maybe Christina has just never been on a float trip. Ronald gamely gives it a try. The Bickersons strap in. Whoooosh! They get to the Detour clue, and choose Long & Short. Ronald crabs his way into using the correct method to row. The Bickersons spot him, and pledge to kick his butt at the rowing. They whooosh down their second zip-line.

Kynt finishes the Roadblock. Ronald complains that he's tired and that rowing has sapped all his energy. Again with this? It's like he and Christina thrive on carefully weighing their Detour options, then deliberately choosing the one they'll be worse at. The Bickersons reach the boat, where Nathan declares that he has no idea how to row it. Jennifer helps out by carping that there's a team in front of them. Sigh. Well, now I have to take back what I said about Christina giving the worst rowing advice ever, because Ronald tops her by suggesting that they each take an oar. Maybe that would work out for the Yale sculling team, but not these two. They manage to make slow progress. The Bickersons fight. It's so rote by this point, I can't bring myself to go into details. You know they suck, just as they've always sucked, so let's move on. Ronald and Christina row contentedly, and interview that your relationship with your teammate is critical to winning the race, which is, of course, our cue to check in with how much the Bickersons hate each other.

The Pinkies strap in. Whoooosh! They reach the Detour clue, and choose Short & Long. Ronald and Christina spot the Bickersons gaining on them, and speed up. The Bickersons are too busy screaming at each other to notice. The Pinkies suit up for their rappel. Kynt tells Vyxsin she looks kinda hot in her straps, which only reminds me of how not dating these two are. She makes it down the wall in a breeze. The Bickersons figure out that when they stop fighting, they actually row better. Uncanny. Kynt hops down the wall. Ronald and Christina reach the harbor barely ahead of the Bickersons, and the two teams go in separate directions to find the plaza. Vyxsin scales the rope ladder, and Kynt offers encouragement by saying "Little pink kitten, you're at the top!" Heh. The Bickersons find the plaza seconds before Ronald and Christina, so they're again in first place. Boo! Rrrrrrip! Teams must now travel four miles by taxi to the pitstop, a giant stone cross that overlooks the city. This episode sure is cross-heavy. No matter, though. The cross won't offer any sanctuary to the team that arrives last. The Bickersons and Ronald/Christina run off to find cabs.

Kynt scales the ladder. Vyxsin calls him a little Goth action hero as he reaches the top. They take off to find the plaza. The Bickersons find a cab, but in one of those moments you couldn't write if you tried, the driver kicks them out for being too wet. Hahahahaha! Now, this is where you and I would try to talk him into allowing us to ride in his cab by being polite. The Bickersons opt for being whiny and confrontational, which somehow fails to soften the driver's heart. Ronald and Christina find a driver who doesn't care about moisture, so they're on their way to the cross. They pass by the Bickersons, and Jennifer raises her arms in a how-could-you-do-this-to-me gesture, as she is wont to do when people are beating her fair and square. Jennifer begins wailing about how unfair the situation is, and how much their relationship sucks. This is the point where you can see that race fatigue has begun to set in on her. She's never been the best at bouncing back from setbacks, but she's reached the point that she doesn't even want to try. It's normally a very sad thing to witness, but in her case, I'm all for it.

Commercials. The National Treasure sequel? Oh, Helen Mirren. This is so beneath you.

Jennifer continues her meltdown, so Nathan takes charge of the team by asking a nearby motorist if he's a taxi. The guy replies in the negative, so the Bickersons ask if he can just drop them at the stone cross real quick. Uh, what? The guy agrees. As they get going, the Bickersons offer to give him some money, because "none of the taxis would take [them]", due to their dampness. I like how one driver now represents the entire taxi fleet of Dubrovnik. Anyway, the Bickersons are secure in their decision to completely ignore the whole "take a taxi" part of the clue. I'm sure that will work out well for them. The Pinkies wend their way through the streets.

2:39 PM. TK and Rachel arrive on their flight from Vienna. They grab a cab to the Fort of St. Lawrence. Ronald and Christina approach the pitstop, and hustle up the stone stairs to the cross. Besides the greeter, there are men in costume who give them a gun salute. Ronald and Christina practically hit the deck. Hehe. They jump on the mat, and Phil gives them the good news that they are team number one. They jump in glee and give each other a hug. Phil is just as surprised at their placement as the rest of us. He tells them that for coming in first, they've won a twelve-and-a-half-foot catamaran. Meh. I'd prefer a trip.

Limecrete: "What are the two of them going to do with a catamaran?"
LabRat: "Fight over how to sail it".

Christina smilingly interviews that success in the race is all about teamwork. Speaking of exemplary teamwork, let's check in with the Bickersons. Ronald and Christina's cab is leaving as they pull up to the cross, so they were not far behind at all. They run up the steps, and freak out at the gun salute. They hop on the mat, where Phil tells them they are the "second team to arrive". Uh, oh. It's never a good sign when Phil says "X team to arrive" rather than "team number X". They don't notice this, and are happy enough, until Phil gives them the dreaded "However..." He tells the Bickersons that they did not take a legal form of transportation to get to the pitstop, so they must go back to the plaza and catch a cab back to the cross before he can check them in. He wishes them luck and tells them to "make haste". Oh, I don't think that's necessary. The Bickersons are plenty hasty. It's totally not their fault that this happened; "take a taxi" is such an ambiguous phrase! On their way back to the plaza, Nathan gives us the titular quote. While they're en route, the Pinkies complete the Detour, and get their pitstop clue. They're up to the intellectual challenge of puzzling through the complex "take a taxi" instruction.

TK and Rachel reach the Roadblock, where Rachel takes it on. Nathan and Jennifer re-rip their clue at the plaza, where Jennifer reads off the instructions in the snottiest, most sarcastic voice imaginable. Oh, fuck you, princess. You wouldn't be in this situation if you weren't such a colossal dumbass. Rachel finishes the still-boring Roadblock, and she and TK start to make their way up to the fort's roof. Finally in a cab, Jennifer whines that she doesn't want to deal with the race anymore, and doesn't even want to be there. Yep, she's in full-on quitter mode. If she can't pull herself out of this headspace, they won't last long. That's a good thing. The Pinkies arrive at the pitstop, and run up the steps, giving a little shriek when the gun goes off. Phil welcomes them as team number two. They high-five, and pull each other into a sort of half hug. Yeah, they're totally dating. TK and Rachel get strapped into the zip-line. Whoooosh! They reach the Detour clue, and choose Short & Long. The Bickersons check in as team three. Phil notes that they're treating each other a little coldly. They explain that they're not thrilled with each other, and Jennifer doesn't know if they're going to make it. Oh, but you're both such wonderful people! I refuse to believe such an intelligent, warm, friendly couple can't make a go of it.

Nicolas and Donald's plane arrives from Zagreb, and there are no subtitles given for arrival time, because they don't want to tell us that it's probably about 4:30 PM by now. Hey, wait. How come Azaria and Hendekea couldn't get the Vienna or Zagreb flights in Vilnius, rather than their crappy Frankfurt one? Maybe these airlines don't operate out of that airport. Nicolas and Donald have no idea what place they're in. I suspect they know they're not in first. TK and Rachel rappel. Azaria and Hendekea arrive (no arrival time given here, either), and grab a taxi to the harbor. Nicolas and Donald arrive at the Roadblock, and Donald takes it. Azaria and Hendekea's cab driver tells them that he's seen "many, many" teams already come through today. This does not improve their mood. Donald plods along at the Roadblock, and for the first time, Nicolas starts to get snippy and impatient with him. Donald has the grace not to respond with something like "Sorry. I know this task should be as easy as finding a hair salon." TK and Rachel ascend the rope ladder. Nicolas quietly explains to the cameraman that Donald is being too methodical in his approach to the Roadblock, and taking way too much time to select each stone. He's not nasty about it or anything, but you can tell how worried he is about their placement. Azaria and Hendekea make progress. TK and Rachel finish the ladder. Nicolas needles Donald about going faster.

Commercials. The little girls trying to stay awake long enough to catch Santa are cute, but I doubt they're interested in receiving those giant snowshoes you're peddling.

Donald finishes the Roadblock, so it's off to the fort roof. Azaria and Hendekea have gotten out of their cab, but still haven't found the cluebox. TK and Rachel finish the Detour, and get a taxi to the pitstop. Nicolas and Donald get strapped into the zip-line, and Nicolas spots Azaria and Hendekea approaching the Roadblock. Better step on it, you two. Whoooosh! Azaria takes the Roadblock. Hendekea spots Nicolas and Donald zooming overhead to the Detour clue, where they select Long & Short, so that Donald can rest in the boat. Not to mention that navigating a maze of streets isn't really their strong suit. Azaria dashes to and fro with his stones. Nicolas and Donald whoooosh down the second zip-line. Azaria finishes the Roadblock. TK and Rachel are thrilled to arrive at the mat as team number four. Quick aside: I'm grateful to my local CBS affiliate for running a small crawl about the bad weather at the bottom of the screen, rather than breaking into the show to inform me that it's snowing. Maybe they've figured out that people are remarkably good at discerning the weather by looking out the window.

Azaria and Hendekea dash to the roof and get strapped in, resolving to overtake "Gramps". Whoooosh! They get to the Detour, and choose Long & Short. For some reason, Nicolas... You know, the one who suggested this Detour so that Donald could rest? Well, he's letting his grandfather do all the rowing, while keeping up his stream of helpful advice, such as "we need to go faster". Donald asks him if he'd like to row for a while. Hey, good idea! Why didn't somebody think of this before? Azaria and Hendekea whooosh down the second zip-line. Oof, this is going to be a close one. Especially since Nicolas didn't change position when he took the oars, and is facing the wrong direction (AKA the Christina Method). Donald tries to give him some rowing advice, which is not well-received. They approach the harbor. Azaria and Hendekea try to avoid running over some swimmers with their boat. Hehehe. Nicolas and Donald disembark, and soon find the clue that sends them to the pitstop. Donald thinks he knows where to find a cab. Azaria and Hendekea disembark. Nicolas and Donald wander. Azaria and Hendekea get the pitstop clue. Nicolas and Donald have to go into a nearby business to ask where to find a taxi. They eventually get one. Azaria and Hendekea are right on their tails. Aiiieee! This is a nail-biter!

Nicolas and Donald's cab encounters some cars backed up on the road leading to the cross, so they lose some time. This is probably less suspenseful than it seems, because it's not like Azaria and Hendekea would find a faster way there. There's only one access road. Still... Aiiieee! The mini-jam loosens up. Both cabs zoom along. One of them approaches the pitstop. Who will it be? It's Nicolas and Donald, who stride up to the mat as team number five. Nicolas remarks that they're "surviving by the hair on their chinny-chin-chin". Heh. Azaria and Hendekea arrive, and hustle up the steps to the mat, barely taking notice of the gun salute. They've got bigger problems to worry about. They are last, and they are eliminated. They're naturally disappointed, and Hendekea says the worst part is that "Nobody beat us. We beat ourselves". I can't disagree. Azaria says he's really proud of the way Hendekea has put up with him, and is very impressed by her. Hendekea knows he just wants her to strong and happy, so as with most siblings on this show, their relationship hasn't changed an iota. It's interesting that those kinds of teams are the most stable ones. As for Azaria and Hendekea, we go out on them staring pensively at the Croatian sunset. OK, let's not get too melodramatic. It's elimination from a reality show, not the end of Beaches.

"Next week" on The Amazing Race: Donald is stymied by a Fast Forward. Kynt tries to be masterful with Vyxsin. Hahahaha! Oh, wait. He's serious. Allow me to laugh even harder. HAHAHAHA!

Overall Grade: B+